A Quick Babymoon?

When we found out I had a very rare Saturday off from Target scheduled for today (very rare!) , we decided to take a quick escape down to Topsail Island for some sunshine and seafood! We had gone there for a vacation on our first anniversary and had a really good time, so we wanted to recreate some of the fun, including a trip to a fabulous and cheap seafood restaurant we had found there.

We also decided to take Pontouf with us for a little extra adventure, since our little pup has never seen the ocean before! Topsail/Surf City is also the beach I've gone to with my Dean Grandparents for many years, so it's always fun to return to somewhere you've grown up going and see the ways it has and hasn't changed.
We had a blast watching Pontouf "swim" through water that was barely over her head, and even though it was really cold, I think it felt good to her, being a solid black little dog on a hot sunshiney day! She did great until she realized that the waves can hit you in the face and knock you over. We tried to convince her that that's part of the fun, but she wasn't so sure.
She kept trying to wipe the sand off of her face by rubbing her nose across it, and then passed out and slept, curled up in a little ball in my lap, the whole way home.

We took pbj sandwiches for lunch, and then the restaurant we had gone specifically planning to eat dinner at had actually closed since we were there last. The building is still there, but now it is a bait/tackle shop and raw seafood market. We were disappointed, but the owners recommended a place right across the street that worked out perfectly! The food was great, and normally I am a ketchup-only girl, but this place had the best tartar and cocktail sauces I've ever had! (Or maybe it's just the pregnant talking?)
Mmmmmm... fried shrimp, scallops, and okra! Are you hungry yet? We ate the whole thing!

We got there and back in 2 and a half hours each way with no traffic, and absolutely amazing weather. The best part though, was getting to spend an afternoon with no other thoughts on our minds but hanging out with our best friends, talking and reconnecting, soaking up the sunshine, and dozing in and out of reality while the waves crash! Being on the beach is one of my absolute favorite things in life, and there's nobody else I'd rather spend a day alone with:
Unfortunately, we did end up with a bit too much sun in some odd places (my shins, Matt's entire lower back and back of his legs) due to a not-careful-enough sunscreen application (totally my fault!) we did have a really, really great day. As we speak, poor Matt is spread out on his tummy directly under the ceiling fan with copious amounts of aloe gel slathered on his back. I think I'll go help him put on some more to say thanks for a fabulous trip!