Beach Vacation 2011
Or, Noelle Goes to the Beach (with Some Other People)
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| Cooley Cottage, our home-away-from-home for one week each year. |
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| The crowd at the cottage. From top left: Katelyn, Evan, Brian; Taylor, Diane; Sarah, Meghan; Shauna holding Noelle, and Julian. |
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| Noelle liked the ocean right away. She wasn't sure she trusted it, but she liked it. |
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| Meghan and Noelle. |
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| Eek! The waves are chasing us! |
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| Noelle invented a game. You scoop up some sand, and you throw it. |
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| She let Shauna and Nanne play, too. |
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| She was a rapidly moving object the whole week -- except at night, when she slept like she'd been unplugged. |
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| Nanne pointing out some pelicans. A wonderful bird is the pelican. |
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| You know a kid's going to be okay when she decides it's funny to be splashed by a wave. |
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| This is definitely fun! |
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| With Aunt Meghan and Nanne holding her hands, she ventured out into the swash on the second day. |
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| Noelle and Uncle Brian. One is always safe with Uncle Brian. |
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| You can tell she's getting much more comfortable around the ocean. |
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By day three, she was going out a little farther, holding only Nanne's hand. |
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Boogie boarding! (Aunt Meghan was Noelle's Number One boogie board instructor.) |
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| Heading out. That's Evan in the water. |
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| Aunt Meghan gets Noelle started while Evan waits for a wave. |
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| She's off! Meghan keeps a close eye on Noelle, while Evan . . . waits for a wave.. |
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| Meanwhile, of course, Jules does what he always does while on vacation: collects and studies flatworms. |
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| He had a new helper this year, though. |
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| Shauna, clearly giving directions to someone. (Or maybe she's describing the one that got away.) |
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| Having a helper always makes things more fun. |
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| Aunt Shauna keeps an eye on Noelle while she paddles in the waves. |
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| Uncle Brian helps Noelle collect sand. She's clearly going to be a meiofaunista. |
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| Fun with Uncle Brian in the surf. |
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| Walking back to the cottage. |
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| Evan watches Noelle try on his mom's hat. |
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| Brian got away with Shauna for some time without kids. |
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| Playing games in the evening. |
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| More boogie-boarding! |
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| Meghan and Cousin Taylor watching Noelle boogie board. |
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| Jules gets into the action. |
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| She got pretty good at it. |
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| But, of course, there was the occasional wipeout. Meghan and Evan look on. |
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| Of course, sandcastles were built. |
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| Whatever Jules was doing with that GPS was not as interesting as sandcastles. |
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| Since, after all, it was a vacation, Jules could be distracted from the flatworms. |
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| Finished! |
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| Noelle and Aunt Shauna go shell collecting down in the inlet. |
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| Heading for the water again. |
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| Overall, I think it's safe to say Noelle enjoyed herself. |
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| Evan and Noelle on the trip home. |
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