Padre Island 2012

The four of us spent the third week of June on North Padre Island for our first family beach vacation! Ryan and I love taking the kids to new places and making sweet memories. We would happily choose family vacations over adult only vacations if we had too. Yes, it is definitely not as calm or "relaxing" but it is filled with laughter and joy when we see our kids eyes light up at the sight of something new! I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything!

We set out on Sunday morning headed to San Antonio. The kids did pretty well on the way down there. We were more worried about how Ty would handle the drive, but it was actually Leah who had the harder time. But, after a pit stop in Waco to see the bears and Baylor (plus some other less important stops), we made it to our first destination.

Monday morning we said goodbye to SA and headed to Padre! We stayed in the Island House Condos right on the beach. Ryan grew up going here on vacation, so it was fun for him to return with his own kids. It is definitely an older building, but was right on the water and it had everything we needed.   

I wasn't sure how the kids would like the beach, but they LOVED it! Leah and Ty both loved the sand and water. We were so impressed with how much fun they had. We went to the beach everyday and just had the best time. We made a lot of precious memories this week!

It rained three of the mornings we were there, so we tried to come up with things to do until the rain passed. We went to the Texas State Aquarium Wednesday morning and the Science and History Museum on Thursday morning.

Of course, when we woke up Friday morning there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It would have been the perfect beach day, but it was time for us to pack up and head home. We had planned to stop on the way home and spend the night, but we were all so ready to get home that we drove all the way back on Friday. It was a LONG drive from Corpus Christi to Hurst, but we survived!

This trip was perfect! Ryan and I are already thinking of our next beach to visit with the kids. I am so thankful for a husband that desires to spend time together as a family and for two beautiful children who fill my heart with an unimaginable amount of love and happiness. I am blessed.