On his throne, His Majesty was quite comfortable.

Hurricane Ike caused worries of gas shortages.

Briefly stretching our legs.

This car was our driving buddy for hours.

Aunt Helen comes back from a swim.

Edmund is suspicious about the new little boy in town.

The boys give each other a once-over.

A green bean peace offering is spurned for crunchy stars.

Finally, bonding over tractors.

Michael catches an ocean breeze on the porch.

Halfway up!

Aunt Helen and Michael on the beach.

Cautiously testing sand and shells.

A sanderling lunches.

Seventeen months old and on the beach!

Oak Island: a limited view from the strand.

Daddy and Michael on the boardwalk.

Explaining the ocean noises.

Not happy about walking on sand.

Grammy tries to coax Michael into the surf ...

... by demonstrating how much fun it is.

Excited as the waves approach ...

... but not so excited when they get there.

Edmund's house felt like home ...

... with all its cars and trucks.

Another sunny beach visit was cut short ...

... as dark storm clouds rolled in.

Mommy and Michael.

Seizing a fleeting moment of sunshine.

Craning their necks to see the trucks.

Who can resist this look?

Beach Daddy.

On Tuesday the shrimp boats came through ...

... and on Wednesday the beach was covered in sharks.

Modeling the basics of hole-digging.

Daddy was proud of his work, ...

... but Michael didn't appreciate it.

Michael investigates a seashell.

Aunt Helen and Grammy compare bird notes.

The mid-week storm made for great shelling.

This is just a sample of what we found.

Beach Mommy.

Michael and Mommy again.

Mommy loves the beach!

All three boys strapped in and ready to go.

Watching boats on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Edmund checks to see if Michael's there.

Ooh -- no hands! What a tease.

Immanuel can get a boy's attention.

The Kesters.

Mike makes Edmund laugh out loud.

Edmund wants a hug; Michael just wants down.

When toddlers pose for photographs.

Michael is walking!!!

Now he's walking some more!

With the adulation he received, ...

... you'd think he had just walked on water.

Michael steadies himself after a little wobble.

Granddad baffles another kid.

Glad to have a walking buddy!

The boys take off together.

Michael even mastered the gate.

Cookout at the Kesters' house.

Storytime with Edmund.

Trisha reads to Michael.

We were that sad to leave, too.