So a month ago, our little family headed down to one of my favorite places on Earth…GALVESTON. This is where I spent our family vacations every summer as a kid and it was somewhat surreal and just plain cool to see my kids enjoy the same sand, beach, shops, etc.
On our way down, we went through College Station (not really on the way, but not really that far out of the way) to show the kids the first house that Sean and I lived in after we got married. We had this ridiculous idea (one of many) as newlyweds to make our two puppies at the time outside dogs so we poured this concrete slab outside in the backyard (to this day we both agree that pouring concrete is the hardest job on earth). We pressed our hands and the dogs paws into the concrete before it dried. Luckily the college kids that live in this house now didn’t think it was weird at all that we wanted to go in their backyard and look at our concrete slab. I love college kids. So we did just that and the kids loved seeing our hand-prints and that of Beaker and Bunson. It was amazing with how little Bree and Bauer are that they really remember growing up with Beaker and Bunson.
We also drove them around campus…what a drive down memory lane. It was probably cooler for us at this point than it was for them. College Station is still one of the hottest places on earth btw.
The main reason we drove through College Station was so that we could take the highway to Houston and stop by the street that partially inspired Bauer’s name choice. We used to drive this highway a lot when Sean was coaching A&M’s hockey team and they practiced in Houston. On one of these many drives, Sean asked me what I thought about that name for a boy and I thought it was romantic that it would always remind us of our first years together. But really it was Sean’s way to get our kid named after a hockey brand. What a clever guy!
After many primary adventures, we finally got the beach that first evening. They were so excited! The waves, the sandcastles, the snacks, the freedom…it definitely held their attention more than I thought it would. We ended up going to the beach 3 different times and also ended up bringing half of the beach back in our minivan with us
Besides beaching it each day, we went on some other adventures like the Ferry, an oldie but a goodie that is especially nice since its free. We ended up driving on the beach over on the other side on Bolivar Peninsula because I wanted to make our minivan officially cool (and driving on the beach does this…what??!!!). We ended up getting stuck in the sand and MacGyver, my husband, had to get us out of that mess. Oh memories!
We ate at the Fisherman’s Wharf (which looks very different from when I was a kid), but still has some of the best food on the island! What a great place for outdoor dining.
And of course we made ourselves right at home at the hotel pool. I now understand why my mom and dad were so frustrated that Michael and I always wanted to go to the pool rather than the beach. You drive all this way and you swim in a pool similar to the one around the corner from your house. So funny. But the kids had fun and there was less sand to brush off after those adventures.
The kids always have fun in the hotel room as well. We had to turn around the love seat in the room and push it against the wall to make a “crib” for Bennett because regardless of what Orbitz says, Best Westerns do not provide cribs The kids loved jumping off of it and also it created a great hiding spot from mom and dad.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was introducing Bree to all the Shell Shops. She spent her souvenir money like a champ and then got Bauer to “loan” her some of his (since he bought one thing, a car, the whole trip). Bree bought a whole new outfit – flip flops, a dress, a necklace, bracelets and some shells in a basket. That girl can shop. SOO SOOO PROUD! I was especially proud of us too that we escaped without buying a hermit crab…it was touch and go for a minute or two.
Once we were sunshined out, we hit the IMAX at the Moody Gardens for a cool 3D flick called Flight of the Butterflies. Love having older kids that can sit through a movie, well minus Bennett who lost his mind when the Ipad battery ran out about 20 minutes before the show ended. He was not interested in 3D butterflies…maybe next time!
After 3 great days in Galveston, we hit the Houston Children’s Museum on the way home and called this trip a win. What a fabulous time to just be with each other. I’m liking these guys (and girl) more and more…