Life at the beach...

Awwwww.... the beach. Total bliss. Total fun.

Total-ly what we needed.

What a wonderful and relaxing trip with some oldy, but goody friends! This year, we bought the kids BIGger, sturdier boogie boards, in hopes that they would last (and they did). Even the "big boys" went into Lake Jackson and got a couple more so they could go out and surf with the kids. We were glad they did, because they had a really great time. There had been storms waay out in the gulf, and it was causing overcast skies and some REALLY BIG waves, the first couple days. But they were great for boogie-boarding!

Here are some great individual moments...

McKenna is at a perfect stage/age this year. I didn't know how she would react to the sand, the surf, etc... But she LOVED every bit of it! She was timid and not so sure of the water at first (because even at the shoreline, the waves were strong). But she soon became brave and decided it was either her or the waves (the waves lost). She walked right in, water up to her ankles, sat down, reached for handfuls of wet sand and let it all run through her fingers... over and over. She was so fun to watch. She was also fun to photograph, because she stood still for more than two seconds!


This year, Bailey had the goal of finding a whole sand dollar. After last year, when only one was found by Griffin?, I really didn't have much hope that she would (course, I didn't tell her that!)
The kids went out two mornings and an evening over by the bridge (where the good shell hunting is), but it wasn't until their last outing (on our last day there) when the tide had gone waaaaay out, that they found some beautiful big shells and SEVERAL whole sand dollars! Oh there was so much excitement... and I shared the joy of the blessing with her (me of little hope sometimes.... ;)


A new and rare find was jellyfish. The kids saw a couple out in the surf, while a few others had been washed up onto the beach. I had never seen one "in real life" before... funny how it resembled those silicon implants that I'll never need... ;P




Most of our nights were spent playing games of all kinds; the latest being Pirates of the Carribean LIFE... Arrgh, fun game matey!



But of course, one night had to be spent 'crabbing'.... Oh what fun! I would say "the kids" had a blast, but the adults had just as much fun. Poor Michele would have had so much more fun, if her knee hadn't been giving her such fits! :( Sorry, Michele!

We found all sorts of crabs... The prize crab was a blue crab... we caught several, but it was either Erik or myself that caught this beauty!
We went and got shrimp and crabs for our big seafood boil for the next night's feast... oh and I must say.... sooooo very YUMMY!


My little photographer girl...Bailey took the beachy seashell photo, and I thought it was a nice little set-up she put together!

We had a family picture taken this year in hopes that there was one for the Christmas cards for this year... the wind was sooooo uncooperative! And if one or two kids were looking the right way, the other*s) weren't. But it was fun, and I think there will be something we can use between the two cameras... Candid fun was all I was looking for anyways.

And take a look. I literally cried in pure joy after downloading and seeing this....

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.
~ Author Unknown

All in all, a wonderfully blessed trip! Thanks for checking in.
'Til later...