Beach babes

We experienced the east coast beach scene for the first time last weekend.  My sister Jane currently lives in Virginia Beach, and we drove down for a short visit.  I have decided that if there is a beach involved, then a long drive is justified!  (Jane, you were an important reason for our trip too!)

Family time on the beach is an ever-changing experience.  I never know how the kids are going to behave!  They might be terrified of the waves.  They might eat gobs of sand.  They might run up and down the sandy beach.  They might spend the majority of the time sitting in the sand.  I love that Claire and Tyler are so unpredictable.  At Virginia Beach, Claire was all about jumping in the surf and making trips to and from the water to "wash" her hands and legs.  Tyler however was terrified of the crashing waves, and when we set him in the water he would run back up the beach waving bye bye to the ocean.  He chose to observe all the ruckus from the safety of our beach umbrella, which he would hang on like a monkey.

Brian is always acting like a child (in a good way), so his usual antics were on display:  boogie boarding, hand stands, burying himself in the sand. 

We have to get back to the beach again soon.  I love NOT picking up clutter, NOT doing laundry, and NOT doing dishes.  It's way more fun to see all the smiling faces at the beach.

Tyler waving "bye bye" to the water as he scrambles away as quickly as he can go!

The next day we experienced the crowded strip of beach, which wasn't really that bad to us.

The people watching was significantly better at the resort area of the beach.  Amazingly Tyler did not throw sand on any of the sunbathers nearby.

Tyler returning from a Daddy-imposed excursion into the water.  He was not happy with Daddy.

4th of July!

This wasn't our year for embracing all the noise and bright lights of fireworks, but we had fun all the same!  Tyler slept through our neighborhood fireworks display, which was pretty impressive considering it included The World's Highest Fountains and The World's Strongest Fountains.  (What's the difference?  We didn't notice any.)

Longwood Gardens

You might be thinking that a botanic garden isn't exactly a toddler-friendly getaway, but experience has taught me otherwise.  Claire and Tyler love seeing all the flowers and walking along the paths.  Tyler loves flowers so much he would eat each and every one that he sees.  So when Grandma Karen asked us to meet her at Longwood, I didn't hesitate.  We had so much fun!  Here are photos to prove it:

Better late than never

Here's some old news:  We went to Austin over Memorial Day weekend!  You probably already knew that.  But you probably have not seen these photos, am I right? 

We have our friends Tim, Christine, and Maya to thank for finally talking us into visiting them in Austin.  The city was beautiful and there was so much to do and eat!  The girls got along wonderfully and proved to us that they are mature enough for slumber parties.



Yes, it was hot out but the lack of humidity made hiking quite comfortable.  We had no idea Austin was so hilly, and this offered many beautiful vistas of the area.

We discovered that Claire is absolutely terrified of water fountains right now.  Her brother on the other hand was all about it!

We went to my Uncle John's home too, and spent the day playing in the pool and exploring the farm.

We had a blast at the farm!  Horses, chickens, a mini-donkey, tractor rides, home-made ice cream...what more could you want?

We are so grateful to our friends and family for making the trip an amazing one!  Hope to see you all again soon!