Tidal Pool Day

The second to last day at the beach, there was a huge tidal pool between the condo and the waves. There was a red flag and you could tell the ocean was super stirred up. But the little tidal pool "river" was a huge hit for the kids. I remember loving when this happened when I was little, and remembering that it was also pretty rare.


 Rhodes did a little boogie boarding.

The kid enjoyed feeding (and chasing) the seagulls. 

We strutted our stuff up and down this little "river". 

Landon enjoyed trying to surf on this boogie board.  He was really good at it in the pool!

Boogie boarding on the waves was SUPER fun too.  I even got in on the action and had to go a few times.  Been a long time since I've done it!

One lady walked by Lillian one day and said, "Next Miss America!"

She was quite the little diva on the beach.  Sometime prancing up and down the beach.  Holding her hands out and even pointing her toes some times.  Hi-larious to watch.  And to watch others watching her. 

We even witnessed a beach wedding next to us.  Kinda funny watching these people commit the rest of their lives together with people playing on either side of them. 

And other peoples toys are ALWAYS more fun than our own.  Thankfully they didn't mind Lillian chillin' in their pool for a while.

GOLF!  Rhodes chased the ball all over the place!!

Shaved ice is a MUST!

That's the end of the beach pics I took!  The last day we stayed on the beach until 5:30 then went to Harry T's and watched some boats come in!

I do have some cute phone pics I'm gonna post.  Can't have my camera on me all the time!! :-)

All That Touristy Stuff

Everyone has a day at the beach where they go brave the crowds and do all the "touristy" stuff.  We picked an overcast, dreary day and it was perfect!!


We hit up the track in the morning where all the tickets are 2 for 1.  Great deal!

I think my lens had a smudge on it...thus the white fogginess on the pic. 

Rhodes was able to participate in lots of little kiddie rides!

This year Lillian was able to ride with an adult on the big track!  Such a big girl now.  It won't be long until Olivia and Landon are driving by themselves.  Just a few, more like 10, more inches! :)

Olivia was tall enough to do the bumper boats by herself.  She was ALL excited about doing it until she walked through the gate to get in.  Then she pitched a fit!  Robert MADE her get on.  Well, the first few minutes she was not happy and kept the sprayer on Robert the whole time.  She was mad.  But then she like it and went on spraying other people.  And Robert too.  They were SOAKED when they came out!

That evening we headed to Baytowne Wharf.  SO much fun.  We went early enough to do all the "rides" before the crowds, but not too early where we had to come off the beach too soon. 

Olivia got feathered!  She was so excited and has loved having it!

Rhodes couldn't do too much.  He sat on the bull and I rode the merry go round with Lillian and Rhodes.

We got super lucky and these 2 teenagers gave us 6 tickets to do some of the big rides.  Basically handed us $60!!!!!  I don't know if they didn't want to do anything else or what but it was super uncharacteristic of teenage boys (not all I'm sure) and they blessed our socks off. 

So Olivia and Landon did the huge jumpy thing. 

THEN, there was this ropes course and Landon and Robert went to do it.  He wanted to at first.  But then one he was strapped in and started moving, he was NOT happy.  But guess what.  Robert made him do the whole course.  And Landon DID IT!!

I had no idea he was so upset the whole time.  He didn't look like it.  But then after dinner, I think he was proud of himself.  :-)

They are at least 3 stories in the air!!

We all cheered them on from the ground!

Then we went to a YUMMY dinner at Grafittis in Baytowne.  Robert and I split the hazelnut grouper and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Beach Pics!

After 2 days of storms at the beach, we were finally able to have a few consecutive pretty days. 

The first day I put a shorts bathing suit on Rhodes.  But then, I just left him in his speedo the rest of the time.  And it was so stinkin' cute.

It's ACTUALLY a "swim diaper".   It's made by OP and I found it at Walmart for $5.00.  I stopped buying the other swim diapers...that are $10/pack.  !!??!?  The $5 swim diaper works BETTER than the throw away ones.  If they go to the bathroom in it (#2), it holds it all in.  Then I just run into the bathroom, dump it in the toilet, clean him up with toilet paper, and wash the swim diaper with water and soap.  Voila!  I just wish I discovered theses with child #1 instead of #4.  Oh the $$ I could have saved on swim diapers!

One afternoon we saw this guy blowing this huge thing up.  It was taking forever and then he put it up in the sky.  To me, it looked pretty dangerous to do on a crowded beach, but he obviously knew what he was doing.

It's called windsurfing?  I think?  It was pretty cool.  I could see Robert doing it one day.  ;-)

Typical Daddy fashion!

You mean you don't wear your baby on your head?

We went crabbing one night.  Caught none, but the fun part it just looking, right?

Back To Reality

We're back!  I'm gonna be posting beach pics all week!  We had a wonderful time in Destin and didn't want to come home.  Back to reality!  And 3 1/2 weeks until the kids start school.  Even Lillian!!  I just got the supply list and we'll be stocking up this weekend. 

Now...what to do these last 3 weeks.  With 100 degree temps.  Whew!

The water was clear and the skies were blue.  We had about 2.5 days of bad weather.  But the other days were GLORIOUS!

Rhodes was great at the beach.  He wasn't uncomfortable in the sand.  He would get a little whiny sometimes, but the seagulls or a golf club would distract him back into playing.