Cape lookout lighthouse

On Thursday we woke up early, had some cereal, and got on the road by 7:55, just 10 minutes past our goal. We headed out to Harkers Island to catch a ferry out to Cape Lookout. We paid our arms and legs, stamped our lighthouse and national parks passports, and boarded our little ferry with captain Matt. On our way out to Cape Lookout, we passed by shakelford island, where the wild horses are. These guys are tough - 100% wild. No one waters them, feeds them, shelters them from hurricanes - they do it all themselves, and they've been out there for over 100 years.

There she is!!! Beautiful!

When I had looked online that morning, I saw that you have to be 44 inches tall to climb. Thankfully, Frankie made it by a hair. Unfortunately, Laney missed it by a head. She was SO sad! And I was so sad! I want my little lighthousers with me as much as possible! And even though I think she would have been terrified, I really wish she could have climbed with us. We bought her a pack of butterfly cards and bribed her with m&m's and Matt's phone so she would stay happily with josh, who didn't want to climb.

The non-climbers situated, the rest of us headed to climb!

Only 10 climbers can go up at a time, so the first group headed up, and the rest of us stayed down to check out the museum/keepers quarters.

Love this light! She's right up there in my long list of favorites!

This is part of the graveyard of the Atlantic, and they have a list of ships that have been lost there, along with the dates lost. Addie started reading and said "I'm looking for any of our birthdays." And then, bam! June 3rd.

She was pretty pleased that a ship had wrecked on her birthday. Not necessarily that it had wrecked, of course, but that one of them happened on her special day. You know.

Finally it was time for us to climb. Chris came down and said no dice, it was too high and he was pretty scared. We saw him up top, cautiously looking over the rail. Love my little scaredy cat boy! And these posing girls.

That is one done climber.

We were ready!!!

Have to do the obligatory door shot!

And we're off! Matt and Frankie headed up ahead of us, and they were fast!

Addie has developed a healthy fear of heights, and she wasn't super happy after about the second landing.

But she pushed through the pain. With a little help from momma and auntie Laura. (;

We got to the top and she had a little panic attack. There are small ladder type steps to get up to the very top, and she didn't want to go up. She was crying, and after each step she said she couldn't go another step.

I know that fear. I feel it every.single.time. But I'm a firm believer that we have to push through our fears so they don't control us. Except a fear of bugs. Cause that's totally rational.

I was trying hard to tell her to breathe though it. That she was safe. That she could do it. But she wasn't having it. This picture would be cute if it wasn't for my expression. What's with my always overly dramatic facial expressions?! 

Matt and his buddy had been enjoying the top for awhile by this point, so he was happy to take Addie back down. 

After a few pics, of course. Don't mind the hair stuck to my forehead. It was a leeetle hot, and a lot of steps. 

Matt tried to talk Addie into enjoying the view, but she wasn't having it. Later, when we were at the beach, I asked if she wished she'd gone out. She did. I told her how proud of her I was and to try to remember that feeling of regret so that next time she would go ahead and come out. 

#sohappy

Frankie was totally fine up top! I was so impressed!

Love!!! That is the point down there. Math and I went walking down that way. I'd have loved to have walked all the way around, but you know, those kids.

Lauras favorite looking straight down shot. 

Frankie would have run all around by herself up there, but her momma is a nervous nelly. She had no fear!

And she looked funny with her rash guard suit under her dress. (:

Lighthouse buddies!

I am thinking, "she is making me so nervous, she needs to come back and hold my hand!" I wish she and Addie could meet somewhere in the middle - ad's could give franks some of her fear, and vice versa.

She was cutely swinging around this pole, ala "Singing in the Rain." But then when I tried to get a picture, she got all pouty. Love when that happens. :/

Then she took off without me! Little brattie.

After the lighthouse we headed to the beach. Where I took zero pictures. To be fair, we ate, then Laura and I (and all the kids, in turn) bobbed around in the water for a good 2 hours. Then I did some beach combing with Matt. Then i "bounced in the waves" with Frankie, then it was time to go. Matt had burnt on Wednesday, so he didn't get into the water, which gave me a ton of time. I could have stayed there all day! But for some reason, all the boys were complaining about going home. Josh and Chris aren't in this picture because they'd disappeared for about 2 hours. Come to find out, they went to the pavilion and napped. Weirdos.

At 4:15, we headed back to the mainland. We asked someone to take our pic on the boat and with the lighthouse in the background. It's an interesting picture, but I guess it does the job?

Until we meet again, sweet light! And we will meet again. I promised Laney. 

Cute beach girls. And I'm still trying to figure out how to help Addie do a natural smile!

Big kids!

Delaney was asleep about 2 minutes after we left.

And she slept till we arrived at our gourmet dinner destination - Golden Corral. And Addie crosses her eyes. (:

Yummmm.

Laney randomly said "Katie is my best friend." (:

Frankie was the only one who didn't sleep on the way from the boat to Golden Corral, even though Addie, through super sleepy eyes swore she hadn't slept (she had). So on the hour long trek from GC back to our cabins, she crashed hard.

And she slept all night! That is one tired lady!

I loved this day. The beach was gorgeous, the sand perfect, the lighthouse amazing! It was such a nice day that I hardly had time to think about sunscreen. And my skin shows it. Ouch!