The day started with Amanda waking me up at 8:00 and reminding me that I said I’d get up at 8:00 to mow the lawn. So I mowed the lawn. After that Amanda showered while I watched Milly then I showered and took Harvey to Amy and Nick’s. I missed Bruce after my shower. He’s usually right there on the bath mat waiting to lick your ankle then jump into the tub when you’re done.
Aunt Robbie called while I was on the way to dropping off Harvey and said something about coming for a visit in November, which will be great.
When I got back from dropping off Harvey (and the recycling, sans the plastic because the plastic bin was missing) Amanda and I loaded up the car. I tell ya, it makes a difference packing with a baby. The pack & play alone, though compact for all that it is, took up a good bit of space. Yeah, we’re looking forward to getting something a little bigger than the Jetta.
Since we were the first family members to arrive at Topsail we got the keys for the two beach houses, but before we could unload a single thing from our car we saw Peggy and Earl, Amanda’s grandparents, drive up so we went over to that beach house to help them unload and such. I took Milly, since I knew they’d be excited to see her. Other family members soon followed: Joanne and Pierre, Patsy and Bobby and Mary Francis and Dave along with their grandson, Paul. Paul’s been looking forward to surfing, so we went on out after a little bit.
The waves were of a pretty decent size, but the trip out was a little daunting. Also, Paul got swept downshore a bit. I’d seen him walking back upshore, and when I got out I went to the tent Pierre always sets up (though this year it’s two tents). Dave asked where Paul was and I said I thought he’d walked back up here already. Well, Dave, who was already very wary about Paul being out in the ocean, bless him, asked me to go back and get him out of the water once we saw where he was. I went back out, but we actually stayed out there for a little bit. Paul caught a wave or two, too.
Nick, Amy and Eli came for a visit, and Amy actually tried her hand at surfing too, but again the trip out was tough and she ended up going back in. I didn’t stay out long, as my right leg was cramping a little when I sat on the board. I was using Terry, by the way, and letting other people use my NSP, which has pretty much unofficially been named Basher.
Paul and I went out again and did pretty well, catching two or three more waves. This time when we came back in we saw Tripp and Anna Hawkins. Dain and Anna were here. Oh, Terry and Ryan had arrived a while back too, I think before Nick and Amy were even here, as had Karen. Michael was here when we went back to the house, and he was itching to surf. I let him and Paul take the boards out.
We then had some dinner, and Anna, Hannah and Kirsten arrived in that time. After dinner there was some general hanging around, and eventually pretty much everyone under 60 went to the other beach house. I was the first back over here when I fed Milly and put her to bed. Nick and Amy left around that time too. Eventually Amanda and I organized a game of Yahtzee, but there were so many people and so many conversations that I don’t think anybody was overly interested in it. Despite that, Paul won and I came in second.
I did do a little bit of work today. There were some issues some people were trying to get resolved and I tried to help out with that before we left.
Zach Dotsey
.
amanda dotsey, zach dotsey, milly dotsey, topsail beach, labor day, earl lemons, peggy lemons, EVERYONE ELSE WHO WAS HERE, surfing, yahtzee