The Boone Family at the Beach

All of our immediate family had a great time at the beach
during the weekend of Jan. 9-11. We have never been
to the beach in January, but this was one thing that
Jenny had expressed that she wanted to do while home.
So Kit and I rented a house at Carolina Beach, one that
was big enough for all eleven of us!

On the way to the beach, we stopped for lunch at Subway.

Here's our beach house where we created some wonderful

family memories. It was modern, beautiful and we loved

staying here. Love those winter rates!

The view of the ocean from the front of the house on

the porch.

Maddox had lots of fun playing with the fake lemons!

Kit relaxing and watching.

Melissa, Adam and Addi watching TV and working on

the computer. We had WiFi!

Maddox is so entertaining as he does his creative dancing!

Addi and Maddox entertaining Turner. Three precious

little blessings!

The kitchen area, a part of the great room.

After unloading the cars, it was time to get to the beach!

There was beach here, but rocks have been brought in

to prevent erosion. We all know how those storms and

hurricanes erode our NC beaches.

Maddox climbing on the rocks and having fun!

Soon, those shoes had to go! Barefoot in the sand and then

the water!

Addi explored the rocks too, but then....

Those shoes had to come off!

And then, watch the video and see what happens to

Maddox!

Grandad squinting in the sunlight.

Melissa and Adam

Kristen and Matt

Gran, Addi and Turner

All in their PJs playing on the floor!

On Saturday morning, we all traveled just down the road

to Fort Fisher to spend the morning at The NC Aquarium.

It is a great facility and we had a great time.

Matt D., Kit and Adam watching the children have fun.

Maddox and Addi show interest in this swampy area.

Maddox and Uncle Adam observe the rattlesnakes! Oooh!

Addi near the alligator tank. They had white claws!

Turner had plenty of attention with Melissa, Kristen and

Jenny! He was sound asleep in the stroller. Actually, these

ladies preferred to NOT look at the rattlesnakes and the

alligators!

There were many tanks with all kinds of sea life. Here

Grandad is helping Maddox to touch a crab at the touch pool.

Maddox didn't hesitate to touch the various critters!

This is just one on many tanks with beautiful fish.

Anyone tired? Did you see every fish, turtle, octopus,

jellyfish? Some of our group still had things to see, while

others waited patiently. Actually, everyone is enjoying

Turner as he woke up near the end of our visit to the

Aquarium!

And here is the "Star of the Stroller", Turner Boone! He

was trying to tell us something in his own baby language!

Turner says, "I love when my Daddy holds me! Look at

me...I'm up really high!!"

Maddox and Turner...Maddox dancing!

Maddox, Melissa and Turner at the Aquarium

One Saturday night, we had dinner at The Olive Garden

in Wilmington. The food and company were great!

Jenny, Baby-to-Be-Depp, Matt, Turner in his stroller,

and Kristen

Melissa and Adam

Gran had to get up and take a look at Turner!

Grandad, Addi, Maddox and Matt D.

The next morning...our last day at the beach...

We had to return to the beach one more time. Maddox

and Grandad enjoying the walk...well, one of them was

walking!

Addi and Gran explored what the ocean had washed ashore.

Addi, Melissa, Adam and Maddox searching through the

rocks for seashell treasures. This was a great place to

find conch shells...whole ones! But we didn't have any

luck on this Sunday morning.

Maddox and Melissa...He loved Melissa! Even after he

left America, he asked his Mom one day, "Where is

Melissa?" Matt, Kristen and Turner in the background.

Turner's first beach trip! I'm sure that he'll remember

it too!!!

Jenny and Dad...father and daughter. :-)

Melissa and Adam posing on the beach!

Addi and Maddox, playing at the beach one last time

before we had to head home.

Turner and Gran - "Bathtime"

One evening, as Kit and Matt 'enjoyed' another
NC State basketball game, I had a great visit with
Kristen and Turner. I was privileged to give this
cute little boy a bath. He loves bathtime!








Mommy and Turner...He sees the camera, then gives you
this bright eyed stare!!!


We almost got a little smile out of him here!


There's our handsome, smiling little Turner!


Turner found his hands, his hand has found his mouth!
At this time, he also found his toys that he can hold.

Grandad talking to Turner!

Turner loves this jungle mat.

Chewing on the rings.

Our Grandog, Chloe, taking a nap.

Turner and his basketball toy! Starting him off right!

The Sounds of Turner!

Matt, Kristen and Turner in his NC State outfit!

Turner loves the alligator toy. It is easy to hold.

Maddox, The Presidents and Grandad

One morning as Grandad was reading the paper, Maddox

climbed up into his lap to look at the paper too. They went

through each page as Grandad pointed to pictures and

asked Maddox to name it. One the front page was a

picture of the former living Presidents of the USA. So

Kit would name them, and Maddox would repeat the

names after him. Then Kit would point and ask

Maddox to name the person. It was so funny to hear

this little three year old say the names of these men! I

didn't record this initially, but had them to repeat the

'performance' for videoing. Enjoy!

Fun with Addi and Maddox!

Papaw had an appointment with his medical doctor at the
VA Clinic in Winston-Salem in January. Addi and Jenny
went with Papaw and I to help. After we arrived back home,
we had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. While Jenny
and I helped Papaw to bed, then had conversation with
Mamaw, Addi explored the outside. Below you will see
that she found two identical critters that gave her a free
ride! Jenny and I couldn't help but smile!

If Santa can use deer to pull his sleigh, why can't Addi
have fun riding the ones in M & P's front yard? :-)


Jenny had made several restaurant requests before
coming home for the month. One of those was Tex and
Shirley's and Jenny wanted pancakes! As our children
were growing up, we often went to Tex and Shirley's for
brunch after attending the early worship service at FLC.
Jenny remembered this and wanted to return there.
As Jenny studied the variety of pancakes on the menu
Addi had some "posing" moments for the camera!

Matt studying the menu as Grandad looks at Addi with
plenty of love!

As we waited for our food, Addi enjoyed looking under
the table. So her Dad took a quick picture!

Grandad sending another love look at his first grandson.
Maddox was anticipating the pancakes that were coming!

Addi and Gran had some fun moments posing for the
camera too!

Gran was sneaky and stole a kiss from her precious Addi!

The pancakes finally arrived! Once they were buttered
and had plenty of syrup...Maddox dug into them. This
boy loves pancakes and can quickly put them away!

Was he happy or what?

Getting ready for that first bite!!!

And away we go! Maddox ate the first 12 small
pancakes in no time and wanted more!

So we ordered 12 more for him, and he ate every single
bite! Gran and Grandad were amazed! But Jenny and
Matt knew that he would eat lots of them!!!!

Miss Addi posing one more time for the camera! We had a
good time at Tex and Shirley's eating our pancake dinner.
Jenny and Matt needed to go to Babies R Us, so we drove
the children home, got them into their PJs, and then had
fun upstairs in the hallway!

Grandad was "The Horse"!!! Maddox held on tight!
Actually, they were playing tackle football. Grandad had
the ball, Maddox was tackling...sort of!!!

But that 'old horsey' kept breaking down!!!! So Addi and
Maddox "beat" him with the golf clubs to get him going
once again!

Once again, that old horse broke down and Maddox
fell off.

But Addi and Maddox continued getting rides as the old
horse hung on!

Gran enjoyed taking pictures at the end of the hallway!
Here, Gran and Maddox had a hugging picture moment.

After the horse broke down for the last time, the game of
golf began. Grandad was the tunnel for the balls to be hit
through for Addi and Maddox.

We had such simple fun with the kids that night!

But then their Mom and Dad came home...the fun ended
as it was time to brush teeth, say prayers, then bedtime.

Maddox had to wear his NC State cap in order to really
get those teeth clean after eating 24 pancakes!!
The next morning, we had to say goodbye once again as
The Depps were traveling to South Carolina to visit Matt's
Mom, Dad, Michael and Elisabeth.