This is the life . . .

I'm convinced I could live at the beach.
I absolutely love the sound of the waves rolling in,
licking at my toes as I lounge in the warm sun
with a book in my hand.
Who needs real life?
I'll gladly trade it in for a sun, surf, and sand.


I got the best gift I could ask for this Mother's day--spending the weekend with my family and our good friends, the Barlows, at the beach at South Padre Island. Who could ask for anything better?

Road tripping the 5 hour drive was a good warm up for the 22 hour drive to come this summer. Driving across the cause way to the island assured us that we were almost there.

After we checked in to our 15th floor Penthouse Suite right on the beach, six eager kids anxiously awaited going swimming.

Check out the view . . .

Have you seen two cuter boys?

Cannonball!

After spending the first day at the pool, we headed back to the condo for pizza night on our private rooftop terrace.

A wiped out Savannah gets comfy and waits for the dads to bring the pizza.

I loved sitting up on the terrace overlooking the ocean listening to the waves crash on the beach. It was beautiful at night. Spending some alone time on the roof with Mike was an added bonus.

A Day at the Beach . . .

The next morning, we headed out early for a perfect day!

BFFs: Brooklyn & Savannah and Logan & Cameron

I couldn't decide who had more fun in the water,

the little boys . . .

or the big boys!

Makayla and Savannah wading in the mote of Mike's masterpiece, Lighthouse Castle.

The little girls had so much fun helping the daddies build sand castles. They were the designated sea shell design team.

Savannah takes her sand castle building seriously. (Just like her dad : )

After an afternoon of riding the waves and playing in the sand, we settled for a quiet stroll along the shore collecting sea shells. As the sun slipped further in the sky, I wished that we never had to leave this perfect place.

Catching Butterflies

One of my favorite days spent with my mom was going on a walk along the Salado Creek Green Way and stopping along the way to catch butterflies. Savannah was all about the butterflies.

Check out those glasses! I thought they were appropriate considering the activity of choice for the day.

We stopped for a picnic lunch in the shade on the way back, picked up the kids from school and headed home to fill up the pool. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool watching the kids play and soaking up the sun.

We had so much fun at the park that we came back to ride bikes and catch butterflies another afternoon. Logan was on the hunt for butterflies and caught several. We let them go, of course. : )

An Afternoon of Miniature Golf

We had a ball golfing with Grandma!
It was our first attempt at miniature golf and the kids had a blast. Only 1 casualty (ball eternally lost in the depths of a pond) and 1 bout of tears. Overall--success!

Savannah was determined to golf "all by myself." It slowed down our progress, but she DID IT!

Grandma coaching the kids on the art of miniature golf.

Savannah chillin', waiting for her turn.

Logan--the extreme golfer. Makayla--the score keeper.

Fun With Grandma!

We had so much fun with my mom when she came to visit over Easter! The kids are missing her already and can't wait for our trip to Utah this summer. We spent a fun filled Saturday at the zoo, riding the train, and touring the Japanese Tea Gardens. Doing it all with Grandma made it twice as nice!

We ended the day eating dinner at yummy Mamacitas. The kids were definitely ready for bed when we got home.

I love you, Mom!

I'm so glad you got to come spend a week with us. I'm so lucky to have a mom who has sacrificed so much for me and who is my best friend. I hope you had a very Happy Mother's Day! We had so much fun with you in Texas. Trips to the zoo, walks in the park, afternoons spent shopping and suntanning--you should come visit every week!

Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday??!

Ummm . . . so I seriously thought it was Wednesday today for part of my day. Awesome. I just went back and readjusted my title. (Thanks, Wendy for cluing me in.) I think motherhood has done something with my brain. Wonder if I'll ever get it back . . .