The Lord gave us a great treat this week with a trip to Wrightsville beach with our neighbors, Brad and Kelly Johnson, and their little girl Julianna.  

We have been trying to find time to get to know this sweet couple for months, and Kelly suggested we take a trip to the beach together.  We planned a day trip, but then found a great deal on Priceline.com.  We stayed at a brand new Hilton Garden Inn (normally $200/night) for $60/night!!  

We headed down to the beach late Tuesday afternoon, stopped for dinner, and arrived at the hotel at bedtime.  We stretched the rules since we were on vacation, and headed to the pool instead of to bed.    It was great fun, and we finally got the kiddos in bed around 9:00.  We spent the next few hours hanging out in the hallway, playing games and talking the night away.  What a wonderful encouragement Bradley & Kelly are to us!  They are super fun, positive people, and were just so easy to be with...what a refreshment for our souls!  

The next morning, we ate breakfast in our rooms, then hit the beach, which was only a couple of miles away.  It was gorgeous, and the girls had a great time playing in the water, sand, and shells.  Dan & Bradley jumped waves, and we all just soaked up the beautiful weather and salt air.  It was so relaxing for all of us.  

After the beach, we went back to the hotel pool, ate lunch, and swam for a while before we loaded up in the van and headed back home.  It was a really fast trip, but one that we hope to repeat soon!  We've already talked about trips together camping, white water rafting, and skiing!  We're so grateful for new friends.  

Check out the August photo album for pictures of our quick mini-vacation!