on the road again! |
We stopped off in Houston for lunch with two of our favorite Houstonians:
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When we first arrived, I stalled my children while Jon unpacked the car by checking out "how busy the beach was."
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Car was unpacked; sunscreen and bathing suits were on; it was time!
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On Island Time, we had plenty of time for sand play and kicking around a ball.
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Back in the water for a bit before forcing ourselves to admit the late sun was setting.
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And in conclusion:
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It was evening.
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It was morning. Day 2.
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It was time for our early morning sugar cereal beach walk!
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Vacation Day 2 was July 4th. Happy Birthday, America! Throughout the day, we celebrated with thoughtful clothes, activities, foods, and fun!
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The beach was incredibly busy on the nation's birthday, and we still managed to enjoy ourselves!
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(accidental selfie when I thought I was taking pictures of Ethan)
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After lunch, we treated ourselves to red, white, and blue patriotic pretzels.
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We had some rest and relaxation at the beach house, and then we were ready to head to the Galveston Independence Day parade featuring an array of floats and decorated vehicles.
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You might think we would be tired after all of that, and you'd be right. But we had so much more to squeeze in before the holiday was done. While the sun continued to set and bedtime continued to be a fleeting idea, we enjoyed lighting sparklers in the backyard of our beach house.
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Sure, we have young kids, and it was getting late. And also, there was a unique drones show starting at 9:00, so...
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And then, there were technical difficulties, and hundreds of people were waiting and waiting and waiting for a show that wasn't starting. Thankfully, kind beachgoers were entertaining us with their own fireworks.
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Around 10:00, after we had successfully kept our kids awake later than we ever had in their whole lives and resorted to a disappointing lack of drone show, we started walking back the 10 blocks to our house. After 8 blocks and an hour delay, the show finally started and we caught it from a distance! |
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The next morning, Ethan and Daddy went to play tennis, while the rest of us went for a morning beach walk. First, we had to visit one of our favorite sharks.
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Sweet, kind Gabi brought a trash bag to the beach, knowing how many people left it a huge mess from the celebrations the night before.
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before |
after |
On our last beach day, the waves were the calmest of the whole trip. All 5 of us enjoyed floating, swimming, jumping, laughing, and "woo hooing!"
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We set up camp at a new spot under the bridge, and it was surprisingly lovely with soft, cool sand and tons of shade.
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2021 |
2022 |
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Because there's more fun to be had around the island, we decided to try a boat ride titled Historic Harbor Tour and Dolphin Watch to get a different perspective from the water.
Fun fact: There is no "Seagull I." |
This is "The Elissa," launched in 1877 and third oldest ship in the world still actively sailing. |
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And we did see dolphins! |
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We played around at "The Strand" for a bit after the boat tour.
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One of our family's favorite things to do on our annual trip to Galveston is to go see the Galveston Beach Band that has weekly concerts every Tuesday evening in the summer.
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We started a bit slow. |
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But certain mothers forced fun into their children. |
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There is always one song where the children get to interact and play instruments!
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Pay close attention to all the other children playing nicely, calmly, and cooperatively. Then, see my family who warms up to our own beat. Literally. |
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Each kid gets attention in his or her own way. |
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Spencer got a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th wind. |
And finally, it was the sad time to leave and head back north. Peace out, Galveston!
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BUT WAIT - there's more! We picked up a straggler in Houston on our way back home who needed a theoretical COVID-free house for a few days. Welcome aboard, Mira! We decided we were still on vacation and grabbed special drinks to go with lunch.
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Vacation OUT!
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