Duck.

Duck.

You say that word around here and everyone knows.

Are you going?
Whose house are you in?
Isn't it going to be epic?
How many swimsuits are you going to bring?

This is the subject of every conversation leading up to Memorial Day weekend. Every conversation.

And so I went. And it was epic indeed.

I drove down with Chris, Jensen, and Chance on Friday and soon enough we'd arrived at Duck Beach, North Carolina and were at the beach. We dug our feet into the sand, pulled out our books, and shed as many clothes as appropriately possible in order to feel the rays of sun on our skin.

I knew it was going to be a great weekend.

Some highlights:

34 of my closest friends from the ward and surrounding areas together under one roof.

One 3 million dollar mansion with private access to the beach- 7 bedrooms, one pool, one hot tub, two fridges, one pool table, several comfy couches, and hundreds of dollars of Costco food.

 Our house in the one on the right of course.

View from the top deck of our house. As you can see it's a beaut. 

Two days of gathering at Whalehead beach with thousands of other Mormon singles from around the country. There was beach football and soccer, mixing and mingling, sunbathing, reading, and a whole lot of loving.

Just a small part of the enormous crowd at the beach.

One middle school that provided their entire gymnasium so we could have our church services all together. It was packed. I love that even though it's a holiday weekend, me and my thousands of friends still make Sunday special and we still go to church. It was awesome.

Five dinners together as a house. We grilled kabobs and burgers, had Cafe Rio night, and finished the weekend with coconut rice, pork tenderloin, and mangos. Absolutely delicious.

One dessert party where dozens of friends from other houses congregated at our house and we shared red velvet cupcakes, brownies, banana pudding, and chocolate chip cookies. I'm proud to say that Katie Bell and I started the dance party. I can officially cross Starting a Dance Party off my bucket list.

Three nights of playing cards including Mormon Bridge and Hearts. Last night we played an intense game of Mafia that had us yelling to defend ourselves and jumping on the couches like monkeys because we were laughing so hard. Jerry and Domineau also played the guitar and made up songs as to how people were killed. Mafia rules.

One gigantic sand castle that took us several hours to build even with scattered rain and thunder. It also took a toll on my abs and thighs and now I'm officially sore from building a sand castle. I'm a proud mamma though. It was tall and bedazzled.

Dozens of meaningful conversations with people in my house. None of this small talk anymore people. We got down to the nitty gritty. Yesterday Lance, Mike, and I sat outside the pool during a perfect evening and talked for hours on end. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Two taco runs to Bad Bean. Mahi mahi and shrimp tacos. Queso and tortilla chips. Always goodness.

Five nights of going to bed at 2 am. I thought I wouldn't be able to keep up but surprisingly I've had mad energy. It could be that I love the beach....... and my friends. Or both.

One epic Duck experience.

About half our group. We forgot to take a picture until most people had left. 

We always joke that if some part of Duck doesn't live up to your expectations, well then, "There's always Duck '13!" It's only funny because none of us wants to actually be around for Duck '13. If you are that would mean you aren't married. And isn't what all this Duck business is about?

Maybe yes or maybe no. Who cares anyway?

I had a blast and that's all I really care about.

**Photos are courtesy of Lance Wheeler and Lauren Richey.