Staying cool...

...on a hot summer day with friends.

Until next time....

Family time is what makes vacation time so special.

A New Day....A New Hat...Same Dinner!

Too cute!

Out catch of the day! (and for the record mommy was able to catch it)

Funny- Lily Grace declared daddy her dolphin: HA!

Dancing with Daddy as the music played

Curly Decor

One of the dishes that kept us coming back

Watching the fish with daddy

A Beautiflul Sunset and evening together

While rain was forecasted, it never quite happened.  The partly cloudy skies made for a great breeze and fun day.  (And a new hat made for a cool sunburned scalp.) After a day on the beach and at the pool, we once again traveled back accross the way to Baytowne Wharf to take in all we had missed last night.  For one, we caught the most amazing sunset, fed the fish and made our way to the candy factory and gelato shop.  Yum! 

Our first stop however, was back to the same place (Graffiti and the Funky Blues Shack) we had dinner last night.  That's right!! I told you it was delicious.  I had the exact same pasta dish, Matt ended up having what I had and Lily Grace had what Matt had last night. Can you tell we sample from each other's plates.  Lily Grace loves this place, especially the ecletic decor.  Her favorite piece is the HUGE hanging tiers of what looks like curly ribbon to create a ???

Tears have already started to well up in her eyes with leaving upon us.  We really have had a wonderful time.  And hey, the thought of all the laundry that awaits me when we get home gets me a little misty eyed too. 

An End to the Day

 With Grafiti in the name of the resturant, there was art everywhere.  (Even Elvis)

 This was our dinner view. 

 This is definitely not your typical patio chair.

 Lily Grace LOVED driving these remote control boats.  She would even "arrrrr" like a pirate as she turned the wheel.  Too funny!

Searching for crabs

We've enjoyed another sunny and fun day on the beach. This evening we ventured over to Baytowne Wharf, where we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner on the deck with a beautiful view. Did I mention delicious???
We then strolled the streets taking in the sights, shops and activities. There was also live music and of course, ice cream.
Once back at the resort, we took to the beach for some night exploring in search of crabs.  No luck tonight, but we are determined to find one before we leave.   

Beach Fun!

Early Morning Exploring

 Enjoying our "matchy match" visors

This morning came early. We all woke around 6:00 am and enjoyed a walk along the beach before breakfast. Gracie took her binoculars along to do a little exploring. 
We also enjoyed cooling off at the pool and of course, more digging in the sand. Lily Grace and I also snuck in an afternoon nap. :-) Oh the vacation life!!!
Matt managed to turn Lily Grace on to Coconut shrimp at dinner tonight and he was so pleased with himself. I on the otherhand got my chocolate fix when dessert rolled around. Oh the vacation life!!!
And what would a day at the beach be without ice cream???

White Sand and Blue Water

She couldn't wait to dig in the sand and this is what she did most of the day.

According to Gracie, she has mastered "surfing."

This is what happens when you fall asleep on the beach.  Too funny!

Off to dinner...

and enjoying some playtime in the park with daddy afterwards.

We arrived safely to the beach and wasted no time getting down to the water.  We are having a wonderful time!!! 

Happy Father's Day!

After a busy week of VBS, we are now off for a week of relaxation at the beach.  Before stepping onto the white sand, we stopped off in  Alabama to visit family and celebrate Father's Day. 
After church, it was over to Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Pam's for a wonderful lunch and a fun time with family.  Lily Grace was in charge of the decorations for our gathering and she put a lot of thought into them.  Her biggest (and proudest) contribution was the Father's Day sign that she made. 
She also made daddy a special book which he adores. 
Lily Grace would do anything for her daddy.  She loves him soooo much.  I love to watch the two of them together.  The genuineness between them is easy and melts my heart.
Today also has me thinking about how much our Heavenly Father loves us.  As much as we love our daddy and he loves us, it can't even compare with how much God loves us.  That is so hard for me to imagine when I think of how much I love Lily Grace and Matt myself. 
God, thank you so much for the blessing of  Matt.  He is a wonderful husband and father.  He loves with his whole heart and gives it freely. 
Happy Father's Day Matt and Uncle Jimmy!!!

VBS

This past week, Lily Grace and I have been enjoying Vacation Bible School.  With an Asian flare and the theme Pandamania, " Where God is wild about you,"  we have learned new songs, made lots of new friends and celebrated Christ.  It's been an awesome experience!!  Lily Grace loved it so much!  You could hear her all over the house in the evenings shouting, "Thank you God!"  She could even be found in her room acting out the skit for the day, or teaching what she had learned to her stuffed animals.  We were both sad to see it end today.  (ok and worn out)
We stayed busy for four hours each day enjoying music time, crafts, Bible stories, special snacks, water games and worshiping together. 
The kids put on a program today and it was so cute. I pray that Lily Grace's love for God continues to grow as well as her excitement about knowing all she can about Him.
Thank you God for loving us! 

Hello and Goodbye

Seems like we have been saying hello and goodbye a lot around here lately.  We have finally been able to say hello to warm weather and along with that comes some fun summer sewing.  First up this summer, a new skirt.  Lily Grace calls this her twirly skirt.  I love the prints.  I hope she "realllllly" likes it because I have been quite slow to finish up the seven pair of shorts that are cut and waiting for me to actually touch them to the machine.  HA!  
Warm weather also brings a hello to one of our favorite summer treats- ice cream!!  She is just too cute!
We said hello to Gran this past weekend, who came to visit.  We enjoyed a trip to the zoo to feed the birds and hang out.  
Now for the goodbyes.  It's hard to believe, but Lily Grace finished preschool last week and she is officially off to Kindergarten.  Her class put on a sweet little program and they all looked so cute.  She had a little speaking part and did a great job.  Daddy and I are so proud of her.  After her program, we enjoyed lunch and a trip to Build A Bear where Gran spoiled her with a new friend.  
Goodbye Gran and thanks for a great visit.
We said hello to friends at the new city playground yesterday for a day (ok... 2 hours- it was hot!!!) of sun,  fun and laughter.
We are off to a great summer and I know we'll be saying hello to many more new events and before you know it......goodbye to summer.