friday night leftovers (the saturday version)

• Hurricane Irene passed right by us.  But we got some awwwwesome waves out of it.  We took our first family trip to the beach last night.  We've gone to the same spot since we've moved down here.  It's about 25 minutes from our house, but totally worth the drive.  It's quiet, calm and has little tide pools for the kids to splash in.  There's also a great strip of beach for shelling- where the inlet and the ocean meet- its FABULOUS shelling.  Anyways, I was excited to see what shells had washed up thanks to Irene.  The weather has been a little wacky- you can tell something is definitely brewing off shore.  But last night at the beach, we saw the power of a hurricane- even one that is 100 some miles away in the middle of the ocean.  The entire beach was gone- GONE.  The ocean has taken over the shore... there isn't a foot of beach to walk on.  Even the dunes (that have been protected because of sea turtles and plants) are under water :(.  We stood off the boardwalk for a minute or two, just watching the giant waves.  They had to have been at least 7 or  8 feet high- and they were scary rough!  Anyways, it was cool watching the storm out in the middle of the ocean, but pretty sad to see that "our" beach is underwater :(. 

• I've decided I want a boat.  BADDDDLY.  I want a boat.  I want to dock it on the bayfront and take it out on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  We could pack all the kids on, crank up the jimmy buffett & jack johnson, and spend the afternoon lounging.  Doesn't that sound like heaven???  Now I just need to figure out where we can come up with an extra 10 grand.  Hmm... I'm thinking that will be the wrench in this whole lounging/boat plan.
• I need to knock on wood- but I *THINK* the sickness that has knocked down every one of my loved ones (except Stella) has left our house.  THANK GOD.
• I think its really strange that I've had people that we barely know (church people, facebook "friends" that I've never even met, neighbors that I've only waved to, random people at Publix) wish us congrats on baby Stella, but I have a handful of people I assumed would wish us a congrats, that I'm still waiting to hear A WORD from.  That irritates me. 
• Ryan and I have a running argument over the Ford commercial- is it Taylor Swift's song they're playing, "Sparks Fly?"  Yay or nay???
• I'm block feeding Stella.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  I think its working...(trying to reduce my supply) but its incredibly uncomfortable.