the Alamo

Shortly after arriving in Texas and settling in to our temporary rental apartment, we had the opportunity to take the kids to see the Alamo in San Antonio.  The Mr. had an appraisal to do in the area for work and it seemed like the perfect time to get away for a few days before school started in the fall.



Luckily, our kids are great travelers (they really always have been).  They were totally up for a little road trip.  We don't need to bring much to keep them busy during long drives.  We play the Alphabet Game and I Spy and charge up the laptop, propping it on top of the cooler and pillows so the kiddos can watch a movie to break up the monotony.  And Tatum always wants to sing Down By The Bay at least 10 rounds through.  Have you ever met a moose that gawked like a goose?.......Down by the bay!



(I think someone forgot to tell the kids to smile.  It was bright, hot and they were so ready to get into an air-conditioned building.)




Our family likes to sightsee.  Daytrips to visit historic sites are always on our to do list.  More than going to amusement parks, I'd say.  We're kinda mellow that way.  Except Disneyland.  I'm sure we'd like that quite a bit.  We've been talking about it a lot lately and have decided to start saving our pennies (literally) to go one day.  Anyway..... back to the Alamo.  The heat of the day reminded us of summers in the Arizona desert and we were all too happy to get inside the actual building to cool off.  It was crowded but we were able to find a quiet spot  in a corner and talk to the kids about the battle that occurred there so long ago - a bravely fought fight to protect freedom in Texas - and that it happened right where they were standing.  We looked at artifacts on display and admired the beautiful wood doors.  We learned that the Alamo is considered hallowed ground so taking pictures inside the structure are not allowed.



We explored the grounds for about half an hour afterward.  The kids loved the koi pond and I was taken with the desert plants.  It was shaded and peaceful and I wanted to stay longer but the kids were getting anxious so we decided to head back to the car and make the four hour drive home.  We purchased snow cones from a street vendor and opted to walk down the River Walk on the way back to the car lot.  It was lined with shops and restaurants and the smell of food came from every direction.  What a treasure to have in a desert city.



We always love going on little work trips with the Mr.  Hopefully, he will have another one soon!

Busch Gardens Christmas Town

We managed to throw a fun little mini vacation into our Christmas holiday.  Grandma and Grandpa Buis sent us a little money to buy the kids some gifts.  The Mr. & I decided it would be better to purchase one large gift with it than individual gifts.  A friend had told me about Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and how much our kids would love it, so we decided put the money toward two-day tickets to the park.  We used our Priority Club points toward a hotel stay at Holiday Inn Express and only had to pay for one of the two nights.  The park wasn't open till 3pm each day, so we ate our free breakfast at the hotel and brought a cooler full of food for lunches both days.  So we only had to pay for dinner at the park, which can be crazy expensive for six people.  We had burgers the first night, ordering 3 meals and splitting them in half.  It ended up being plenty of food because the burgers were huge.  Dinner for day two was a simple corn dog for the kiddos and the Mr. & I split a ginormous turkey leg.

I snapped pictures whenever I could.  I shoved my iPhone and a video camera in my coat pockets & got the kids to pose for pictures throughout the park.  The kids got sick of it halfway through day two so I was happy just taking pics of them on the rides when I wasn't riding them too.

It was in the low 30's both days, so we splurged for hot chocolate after the sun went down because it was the only way we could keep warm.  We cozied up in our winter coats, hats & gloves to fight off the chill.   The kids got smart and wore 2 pairs of socks on day two to keep their toes cozy.

The kids braved rides I thought they'd shy away from and the Mr. rode VerBolten all by himself - in the dark, in the front row and all by himself.  I don't care much for roller coasters.  I prefer my feet on solid ground.  So does Hailey.  She is not much of a thrill seeker either.  Carter and Tatum were much braver and wanted to ride everything in sight.  They remind me that sometimes I need to be brave and just do things even if it scares me.

Noah was just tall enough to ride most of the rides we went on and if he didn't meet the height requirement, there was a kiddie version of the same ride so he went on those instead.  It worked out perfectly.  He was my partner on most of the bigger rides and we had fun yelling "wooohooo!" together.  There were times when I knew he was scared but we were already on the ride and it was already going so I acted like I was having a really fun time so he'd feel more comfortable.  It totally worked.

This was such fun little trip for us.  We had the best time.  Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Buis!

summer vacation//part 2//hiking

The weather was gorgeous on one of our last days at First Landing State Park.  The humidity was a bit killer but we muscled through it.  We stopped by the main lodge to pick up a free backpack.  They offer a handful of themed backpacks.  We told them we were going to hike the Bald Cypress Trail (which was about a mile long) and they gave us the Bald Cypress Swamp pack.  It was full of fun things to help the kids learn more about the swampy area.  Books, a map, binoculars, and magnifying glass were included, but the kids liked playing with the birdsong identifier the most.  It had cards for different birds and frogs and you simply push the button next to the creature you want to identify.  When Noah had it, there was a continuous stream of frog sounds.  It was only slightly annoying ;)

I was pretty caught up in noticing the small details of things.  I could have stared at the texture of these tree stumps for a good hour.



While Nana was checking out our nature backpack, I wandered into a room of nature displays in the main lodge.  I paid extra attention to the snake exhibit, making a mental checklist of which snakes were poisonous and which were not.  I hate snakes.  They are all poisonous in my mind.

We ventured onto a bridge about half way through our hike to see more of the swamp.  I spotted a snake almost immediately.  Let's face it, while my kids & Nana were looking at the trees in the swamp, I was looking for snakes.  It was a cottonmouth.  And it's on the poisonous snake list.  Ick.



Soaking in a little nature was just what I needed before heading home.  I've had a lot of things weighing on my mind lately and I was able to clear my head a bit.  The responsibilities of motherhood can be  overwhelming and I needed to feel closer to God to get some answers to months of prayers.  Those answers finally came and I was at peace.  Even after 15 years, I still don't have this whole motherhood thing figured out.  Of course I am my own worst critic.  But now I have a boost of confidence and am ready to be better than before.  I am better at letting little things go.  I am better about doing things on a whim.  I am getting better at a lot of things.  After all, life is all about learning and progression.  And I am in the thick of it.

summer vacation//part 1//the beach

We squeezed our first and only vacation into the very last week of summer.  Nana & Grandpa flew out from Arizona and rented a cabin at First Landing State Park for the week.   We spent two whole days at the beach and if my heart had its way, I would still be there.  It was hard to leave.  The kids had free reign and it was good to see them play for hours together without a snippet of an argument.  It was a little piece of heaven.



The beach there did not disappoint.  It was more secluded than Virginia Beach, which was a plus for me since I haven't been to a beach at all since high school (hello white legs!).  The waves were tiny - perfect for my littles to play carefree in the water all day long.  They only came out for lunch and sunscreen reapplications.



Wildlife was all around us.  The Mr. caught a live jellyfish for us to ooh & ahh over before freeing it back into the water.  Pelicans played it cool perched on top of the posts of an old pier.  Dolphins bobbed up and down, making an appearance just as the sun set on our last day there.  It's somewhat breathtaking to see all the beauty God has created.  I felt lucky to be able to enjoy it.



Just after the sun set, I grabbed the kids to take a couple of final shots.  They didn't seem to mind it when I told them all to hold hands and throw them up in the air.  I must have asked them to do sillier things in public before.



By the end of our trip we were tired, sunburned and recharged for the upcoming school year. It was just the trip our little family needed.  We are hooked on this little piece of paradise and will be keeping this place in our plans when summer rolls around next year.

So I wanna know, what was your favorite vacation spot this summer?