Birthday At The Beach

Hello from Surfside!

We (Jim, Fonda, Brianne, Brian, Will, Meagan, Derrick and Davin) arrived Friday afternoon, with four vehicles loaded down with food, clothes and beach supplies for the week.

This is a new beach house rental for us...and it is very cozy. Just the right size for us, for now. If we add anymore people we will need a bigger one or just go ahead and rent two!

Saturday, Kelli, Brooke and Maddux joined us and Robin's family for a huge 4th of July bar-b-q. Brisket and ribs, galore! We ate off the brisket again last night (bar-b-q sandwiches) and still have a large pan of ribs. After visiting for awhile after the late lunch, we sat on the deck and watched the fireworks. They were everywhere, up and down the beach! Brooke and Davin loved it. Brooke would squeal 'boom' after the big ones and Davin would follow with 'more'. It was so much fun to see fireworks through the eyes of little ones. As the fireworks dwindled, we put the babies to bed (it was nearly midnight) and gathered for a friendly game of poker.

Sunday was my 45th birthday. The kids made a big breakfast for us. (There are wonderful hurricane shutters on the windows here and you can sleep for half the day without the light waking you up.) After spending the afternoon playing Scrabble and Clue, Jim started the shrimp for dinner. Kelli had brought the cake, so after blowing out the candles, I got to open the presents.

But the best present of all was just being here with all five of my children and all three grand babies! I love it here...and to have family and friends gathered around too...well, that is the perfect gift.

We took the babies down to the beach around six that evening. The crowds from the holiday weekend had mostly cleared out and the heat of the day had passed. We had a blast digging in the sand, picking up seashells and playing in the water. Brooke fell head over heels for her Uncle Brian when he 'saved' her from the waves splashing in her face by sitting in the surf in front of her. She was stuck to him like glue for the remainder of our time out there. Davin has no fear of the water, so Meagan had to watch him like a hawk. He would just run out into the crashing waves.

There was an encore fireworks display as darkness fell. Not as many as the night before...but still a good hour's worth of 'boom's and 'pow's and 'more's. Bri and Kelli both left after the fireworks. Bri had to work the next day, so she drove back home to gather up the few things we had forgotten and get a good night's sleep in her own bed.

Yesterday was 'chill day' for those of us who stayed. (Meagan and Derrick did go into Galveston for a date of shopping and lunch.)

Today, Will, Bri, Meagan, Davin and I are heading to the Moody Gardens Aquarium and to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit. We will probably head back down to the beach late this evening for a stroll in the surf and maybe to build a few sandcastles or to investigate more of the marine life found at the water's edge.

It is funny how three of them had talked about taking the whole week off, but decided to to just take one (or two) days off instead. I tried to tell them that once they got here, they were not going to want to leave. Since arriving and enjoying their weekends...every one of them has amended their schedules to leave for only one day or not going in at all. One day they will listen to me!

I haven't figured out how to post pictures from here, but I will try to remember to do so when I get back home.

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July...and if you weren't at the beach or on vacation somewhere, I hope that you have one planned before the "lazy days of summer" pass you by.

Love,
Fonda