Beach Escape

After weeks full of summer reading programs, swimming holes, Camp Grandma, movie clubs, and VBS we drove down to Galveston for a long 3 day escape.  I am not the biggest fan of Texas beaches (warm dirty water and brown packed sand) but I discovered if you drive far enough east or west you can find some quaint areas that are quite enjoyable.  The kids played in the sand, surfed on boogie boards, and raced the waves.

Galveston does have a wonderful new addition...Pleasure Pier.  The heavy priced armband allows you to come and go.  A few hours in the afternoon and then again at night is more than enough.    

Before heading home, we surprised the kids with a 5 1/2 hour stop at Schlitterbahn Galveston.  It was the highlight of their trip and one of cleanest water parks I have ever visited.  Unfortunately it was not enough for them to nap on the drive home.  

We were happy to get these kids to the ocean.  This is how long it has been since they have played in salt water...from then til now!

Emma Long

Ready for a lazy day around water, we escaped to Emma Long Park, the "beach" on Lake Austin.  It has been almost 2 years since we visited last.  Unfortunately unless there is some serious changes that take place there, we will not return.  Sticker burrs covered the "sandy beaches" along with broken glass, trash, and countless dirty diapers.  The picnic tables were unusable due to the ginormous ant mounds around and under them.   Thank goodness my kids did not mind the obstacles!  Bring out the old bag of sand toys from our days in Finland and they are good to go for hours.

Check out the years and miles on these toys!

Egg Roulette

Tired of the same old summer games?  Grab some eggs.  Hard boil most.  Gather some kids willing to get dirty.  And let them take turns cracking them on their own head!  See who the unlucky one is.   

Free Range ~ Bull Creek

Maybe not COMPLETELY free range but 6 boys explored their little hearts out today with a distant supervision of an adult or 2.  In the heart of Austin, Bull Creek will make you feel hours away (minus the hum of cars passing on Hwy 360).   From riding the rapids thanks to all the rain, spotting fish and turtles, and discovering a rope swing at the end of our 1 mile hike, huge smiles were glued on their faces the entire time.   Everyone has their fair share of scratches from falling on slippery rocks, passing through an unmarked and untrimmed trail, and landing on each other from the rope swing.

With the boys always in a rush to get to the next destination, Fran and I spent some quality time together.  

We backtracked the mile hike just in time for a well-deserved picnic lunch.

OK ~ Summer Trip

Our first road trip of the summer is complete.  First destination, Heath, TX to stay a few night and celebrate the 4th with some great friends.  Days filled with swimming, fishing, go carts, and trips to the secret garden and nights filled with more swimming and fire crackers made us all exhausted.  

Friday morning we drove 2 hours west to the small town of Nocona, TX to tour the factory where all the Nokona gloves are handmade.  It was amazing to watch the small staff cut, stitch and hand lace each glove individually.  

Finally, north to OK City to meet up with family, stop off at our farm for a quick photo, a visit to my dad's graveside, and a crazy wedding engagement celebration where our too many cousins danced the night away!

Personal Bests!

Swimming is sadly over.  A season I had to almost beg them to sign up for and one they cannot wait to do again next summer.  A recap of how far they really came in 9 weeks of practices and only 5 meets:

100 yard Free Relay (on the same team) 

 first meet 2:22.00 - personal best 1:48.91 (4th place)

25 yard Free

Alex:  first meet 32.75 - personal best 22.62 (3rd place)

Will:  first meet 33.70 - personal best 22.25 (5th place)

25 yard Back

Alex: first meet 38.09 - personal best 24.59 (1st place)

Will: first meet 38.45 - personal best 24.42 (1st place)

Watch out Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte...these boys are little but determined!



 

Hamilton Pool

As Texas finally enters the "dog days of summer," an afternoon of swimming in the cool waters of Hamilton Pool is your only escape.  A picnic lunch, hike around the preserve, and 4 hours of swimming made the day definitely go by fast!