My North Carolina

Here it is, folks!  The very best BBQ around.  Not an smudge of red BBQ sauce to be found.  This is pure vinegar, North Carolina BBQ!  Mmmmm.  I love this place.  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but then the best places never do.  This is down-home goodness to a T.  I've been going to Flips, in Wilmington, NC, since my honeymoon in 1997.  My husband's family has been going for decades.  So, a stop here was an absolutely must. 

This was my big kids' first trip to Flips!  Hard to believe, but it's true.  So, how'd they like it?  See for yourself...

 

Don't forget to add a side of hush puppies and an order of banana pudding.  If I ever had to pick a last meal, this would be it.

My wonderful mother-in-law invited us to stay in her Wrightsville Beach house (just outside of Wilmington, NC) for the week before Fourth of July.  Hubby and I had taken a few trips to North Carolina since we became parents, but never had we visited as a family during the Summer.  Spuds and PeeWee went to Mexico with us when they were 3 and 4 and got in a little beach time, but the youngest 3 had never seen a beach.  As you can imagine, they loved it!  Here's the line-up.

Boo-boo only got a mouthful or two of sand. 

Spuds and PeeWee practiced body boarding and built their sand castles.

 

Can you see those model genes in Bebe?  She takes more good photos than any other kid in the family.

Schmoocas is my collector.  His favorites are rocks and, obviously, seashells.

Here's the whole family, plus one.  Miss S,, in the pink suit, is Hubby's youngest first cousin.  She helped with the little ones on the sand. 

Here's my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and Hubby.  They always look like a JCrew ad.  Too beautiful!  Did I tell you that my mother-in-law was a model?  Great bone structure, huh?

Can't wait for our next NC trips.  More later...