where the ponies run wild

WARNING: My head is filled with desires to thoughtlessly online shop and eat the cronut that is waiting for me in my kitchen, not fancy words. So todays post is going to be just a whole lotta pictures. (Sometimes it makes me sad to think of how disappointed Mrs. Clark, my high school AP Literature teacher, would be if she knew I used words like "lotta" and "gonna" …oh well, my cronut will cheer me right up;) 

Last Saturday, a group of friends from our ward headed to Assateague Island for a beach day. The island is a strip of land accessible through Maryland, but crosses over the Virginia state line as well. It is a National Park dedicated to preserving the wildlife of the island, hence the wild ponies. We started the day at 6:00 am…woof… but it was totally worth. 

Do you ever wake up and think, "You know, I just know today's going to be a good day"? I get those feelings when I have a fresh baked donut waiting for me. (Seriously, how much am I going to talk about donuts in this post?)

ginorm.

Do you want to know something funny? As we arrived to the island and were in line to get our parking pass, I looked to my right and there was a pony. Just hanging in the parking lot, looking at cars and stuff. 

this is as close as I got to the ponies. the strategically placed posters of "don't get too close to the ponies or they will bite you and you will die" (i may have added that last part, don't remember..) along with pictures of bloody pony bites on innocent civilians, was enough for me to keep my distance. 

dalton made a friend. 

he's just cute, you know?

We spent the day relaxing, playing in the water, playing a little bocce-ball (and no dad, those family nights playing in the back yard did not pay off, I'm bad), and making new friends. 

One friend in particular had jimmy-rigged this contraption on the shore with a few stakes, a wake boarding rope and a wake skate. I don't quite know how to explain what it was or how he did it.. 

But, here it is in action: 

Mom, I am totally your daughter. "Danger! That's dangerous!"   Oh dear..

At first, I sat with the other girls in our group who were saying they were definitely not going to participate. I didn't even bother voicing my nervousness. If Dalton Nackos is your husband, you are most definitely participating in anything that you would be inclined to squirm away from. He keeps me young. 

I'm convinced there's no better way to end your day than with homemade ice-cream on a quaint, East Coast farm. 

i saw that sign and just knew. 

oh, you know i'll support my local cows.

Another great weekend!