Crystal Beach

I'm not a big fan of the beach.  I don't really know that I ever have been...at least for the adult portion of my life.  It's just always felt really dirty to me.  I'm sure it would be totally different if I went to Hawaii and I didn't really feel this way in Mexico either, actually, but especially when we go to Texas beaches, I just get the heebie jeebies anytime I have to sit in the sand or take a deep breath and step into that murky water.  I can't stand the feeling of seaweed rushing up against me and shells under my feet that very possibly have nasty little sea critters in them.  You just never know what you're walking in, and the clean side of me can't handle that.  But we go because I feel like it's an essential part of growing up for the kids.  Hopefully next summer we can go somewhere with whiter sands, less seaweed and clearer water.

Not to be negative...we totally had fun despite the grossness of it all!  Starting with lunch at Taco Bueno on the way down...

Once we got to Galveston, we got to take the ferry over to Crystal Beach.  We got out of the car because you could see dolphins jumping right by the boat...

Finally we made it and the house was so great!  It's less than a year old and had an awesome outside play area downstairs where we grilled, played games, and listened to music and a beautiful inside (that I got no pictures of)...

When we got there, my sisters, mom, niece and I went to the grocery store while Rich and James ventured to the beach with the other kids...

When we got home, they were digging right outside of our house...

My sisters waiting for James and Rich to grill up some dinner...

After it got dark that night, we all went back out to the beach.  I think the pictures speak for themselves...

They were so excited!

The next morning we headed back out for our first "real" day at the beach...

We brought some kites to fly...

Hunter spent most of his time hanging out in the water or searching for shells.  Charlotte just loved hanging with Vanesa and Aunt Katie (I was so thankful for them because I was pretty nauseated most of the trip).  Vanesa and Char spent some time burying Zack in the sand...

There was SO MUCH SEAWEED there...

James would go waaaay out by himself into the ocean, so I zoomed in and got a picture of him all by his lonesome...

He looks like a little surfer!

I have a picture of Hunter and I when he was about a year younger than Charlotte is here doing this exact same thing, so I was glad that James snapped one of Char and I...

We were so thankful to have a weekend away with the family.  I love vacations!