Every year, my family and I spend time on the incredible beaches of the Outer Banks, North Carolina. My family is spread all over the country, and this annual beach vacation is our time to come together. My cousin and his family in particular, live in Washington, DC. His young children are my kids’ 2nd cousins, and it means so much to both of us that they grow up with a close relationship. Family means everything to us.
We have come to love this area so much. We stay on the northern end of the islands (usually near Duck or Corolla for those of you who are familiar with OBX). There is a peaceful, unhurried pace in OBX, and the crowds stay away. On a given day, we can spend hours on the beach and only see a handful of other families. Sometimes we see none at all. It’s quiet, private, and beautiful. A person can breathe here. A person can rediscover part of their soul here. A person can experience God here.
This year, I was determined to just enjoy my vacation, so I gave myself permission to take a break from the photography a bit. I carried along my new point and shoot camera (a post on that baby is coming soon!) and left the pro camera in the house much of the time. But as you know, photography is not just my career but my passion, so I couldn’t resist some shots here and there. The setting is just too lovely to resist. And as usual, once I did break out the camera, I made more photographs than I know what to do with! 
These are the “fun” shots. I’ll share the portraits of my children on the beach in another post. Of course, I made portraits!
My three … how I love them so! 
This might be one of my all time favorite images of my daughter. Those amazing lashes, her sunkissed skin, that delightfully crooked eyebrow, her salty, windblown hair. I look at this photograph and I can imagine God’s loving hands shaping every perfect detail as he created her. I know I am biased, but she takes my breath away! 
Sandy kid toes are the best, aren’t they? 
Our family portrait to remember the vacation. No coordinated clothes, no fixed hair or makeup, no stiff bodies, no photoshopping. Just our family … happy, blessed, real. I love this shot.
Those lashes ARE pretty amazing! Gorgeous shots.