a beach 5K weekend

One the first day of school back in August, our dear friends presented us with a "family fitness challenge."  They had found a 5K down on the coast to run in and wondered if we'd like to join them for a weekend at their beach house for a run.

A weekend with great friends...at the beach?  We didn't have to think twice.

Though perhaps doing enough research to know what time the race started would have been a decent idea.  Little did we know that we'd have to be on Ocean Isle Beach before they closed the causeway to one lane of traffic before 6am.  And that was a 35 minute drive from their place on Holden Beach.

To say that the group of eight tweens/teens wasn't thrilled about a 5am wake up call on a Saturday would be the understatement of the weekend.

But at least we got to see an amazing sunrise over the Atlantic!

We all finished our respective races.  The older four and I along with Team W did the 5K while Ian (who aggravated his knee on our hiking trip in Utah) did the 1 mile fun run with the littles.

My goals were the following:
     1). jog the entire way
     2). beat at least one of my previous 5K times
     3). finish before at least one of my kids

I accomplished all three goals.

Following the race we snagged our free pizza or BBQ even if it was slightly strange to be eating such things before 9am and then headed back to Holden where we prepared a huge brunch...scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, grits, toast and melon.

The afternoon was spent napping, checking out the on island craft fair,

playing cards,

and the highlight of watching our sweet friend profess her faith in Christ and desire to follow Him by being baptized in the chilly waters of the Atlantic.

We prepared a grand feast to celebrate her decision and then caught a little football.  Literally.  Little.
The house didn't have the TV channel carrying the UNC game, and casting the game from Ian's phone to the TV wasn't working, so the guys had to settle for a tiny screen.

All too quickly our weekend was over and it was time to head back home.  But who can be 10 minutes from a Wake & Bake donut shop without a quick stop?

cookies and cream treat for the wee one