I'd wash the sand off the shore...Give you the world if it was mine

This is part II. This time, Katie and I put the kids in swimsuits before taking them to the beach while Brian and John did some fishing.
The temperature was in the mid to high 80's which is nice compared to Dallas temps. HOWEVER, the humidity danced around 87% which was, honestly, a little more unbearable to me. Eventually, I got used to it but my hair was in full afro mode the entire trip.

Summertime

This is probably going to be a 26 parter here. I have a TON of pictures to post about our vacation to Port Aransas. We had the *best* time with some great friends of ours, The Bradens (JB, Katie, and Abbie for future reference) and it was awesome. The boys had a series of First Experiences just within the four days we were in Port Aransas. We took the Ferry across to get to PA from Aransas Pass and although he freaked out at first, Caden really enjoyed it. We all got to watch wild dolphins jumping around in the bay of Corpus Christi as well as take our first deep sea fishing trip on a fishing boat. I even loved our accommodations! We rented a four bedroom/two and 1/2 bathrooms cottage two blocks from the beach. Let me just say, this is the way to go if you're going to do the beach. We had a kitchen/dining room big enough for 10 people, a washer and dryer (which was a lifesaver), space, and the cottage was one of a few (a new community) that shared a swimming pool. It was literally 20 feet from our front door. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. Brian and I were discussing the enjoyment we got from not having a regimented schedule. We could do what we wanted, when we wanted, and the kids thrived on it. So, here ya go. These are only part of the 700+ pictures we took. Madness, I tell you. Pure madness and 100% genius, this trip!
























*Note*-On our first night, we went to the beach just to walk around with the intentions of maybe *only* getting our feet wet. If you'll notice, the kids started out dry and eventually morphed into wading into the water in full clothing thus, looking like drowned rats within 20 minutes. I was going to say something like, "Stop! Your clothes!" but, I shrugged my shoulders and thought, "Meh. It's vacation, it's the beach, and they're kids!!"
Fun-1; OCD-0

And the fun just keeps on...

No seriously. This will be quick...or not. First, it's been so hot HAWWWWWWWWT here, that it's been almost miserable. Save for, the trips to the pool and the sprinkler park, we've managed. I did find a great idea for my kids. I got a loaf of whole wheat french bread, the toppings for pizza, and sent them to town. It was an easy dinner, it didn't require much work, and most importantly-THEY ATE IT!!




Thing numero dos: I have found the BEST ice cream in the world. Ben and Jerry's Late Night Snack. I cannot even describe to you, in coherent words, the awesomeness that seeps from the spoon.



And finally, we had the coolest experience on Saturday. The DMA held their first annual BooksmART Festival. Basically, there were activities, lectures, and book signings by authors and illustrators. I love literacy and I love helping children (and adults) appreciate good literature. It's a passion of mine. Anyway, Ethan got to meet one of his favorite authors, David Wiesner, and hear him speak about how he develops his ideas for his artwork and stories. Then, he stood in line and waited to meet him and have his book autographed.








After that, we puttered around the museum for a little while. Ethan made a wordle from a piece of artwork he had been eyeballing.






It's been a productive summer thus far. Next up: VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Boys of Summer pt 1

We took a road trip out west (Texas) to visit Brian's grandmother in Kermit. Ok, I get it, you can insert some random Muppet joke here if you wish. Really, it's a small town (stress small) outside of Midland/Odessa. You are going to think I'm nuts but I LOVE IT out there!! Everyone is laid back, polite, and the land is beautiful. The drawback is the heat! ZOMG! It was, 112 degrees at one point during our visit. Haha! I love when people tell me, "But, it's a dry heat!" Uh, who cares. Hot is hot is hot IS HOT! The first day there, we took the boys out to the State Park in Monahans to surf on the sand dunes. You get these huge frisbee looking things, take them to the top of the dunes' peaks, and let it ride!! Pretty cool. I just wish there had been a beach somewhere on the other side.













Day two brought a whole 'nother adventure. We drove to Balmorhea State Park (I really need to develop a passport-y type thing people can get stamped when they visit state parks. We've apparently been to quite a few just in the last year.) It was gorgeous. We swam in the fresh spring with fish. We didn't stay very long because it was stinkin' cold. The water is always at a "natural" 72 degrees. Now, that may not seem cold to anyone else but I kid-you-not I could feel hypothermia setting in...or my guts were getting pissed off at me. Either way, it was enjoyable and we definitely want to go back soon. And, because we left earlier than we anticipated, we decided to drive to Marfa (We assumed there would be alien artifacts or some cool stuff to see, but NOPE!) and that was a waste of time. GIANT waste of time. On the plus side, the drive through the Davis Mountains was GORGEOUS. Loved it. It was really sad to see how much destruction the wildfires left in their wake.
















Marfa had little to offer so on our way back to Kermit, we decided to stop at the McDonald Observatory. Nerd Paradise. It was a little over my head but Brian and Ethan were enthralled. We got super lucky and ended up getting to take the last tour of the day (they only do 2 a day). That stuff is amazing to look at and even more amazing to know that it can see things we can only begin to imagine.
All in all, it was a quick trip but I'm glad we went. I forgot that Caden had never met his great-grandmother and Ethan hasn't seen her since he was 2!! I honestly wanted to bring her home with us. It was sad to have to leave her.