Beach Day

To say our summer has been busy is the understatement of the century.  We {the kids and I} were in Texas for about 6 weeks while Jeff was in Haiti, beach camps, and a mission trip to Alabama.  Jeff’s sister, Aunt Maggie, came into town last week and her one request was to head to the beach.  We were so excited to fill that request and her trip was even sweeter because Jeff took the week off to hang out with all of us and rest!  So on Friday we packed up way too many clothes and lots of sunscreen and headed to the beach snacks in tow.  But once we got to Mt. Pleasant and saw all the yummy options we decided to stop for a quick lunch at Qudoba.  Everyone but Hudson really enjoyed their lunch, and we finished up with a cool treat at TCBY.  Because Hudson didn’t eat lunch we didn’t get him a yogurt, but his sweet sister couldn’t stand it and she shared most of her cup with him.  Landree is so sweet and loves her brother so much! 

After lunch we headed to the beach and enjoyed the day splashing around and building lots of sand castles.  Maggie and I enjoyed spa treatments on the beach (you know mud baths ;) and the kids loved running back and forth in the waves. 

After our beach day we headed to a hotel for the night and, of course, hotel swimming after breakfast the next morning!  That was Landree’s one request.  She loves staying at hotels and swimming.  She is really getting good at swimming and getting so much more confident at putting her head under water.  We keep taking more layers out of her swimmer and I have no doubt she’ll be swimming on her own too soon.  We headed to downtown Charleston for lunch and to sample too many sweets at all of the yummy candy stores.  Maggie bought sweet treats to take home to Grandma, Papa, and Krissy. And we only bought enough to eat on our way home.  The treats have been out of control for the Grays this summer (at least for 3 of us!)

We also went to two movies with Maggie.  Brave and Ice Age 4-Landree loved both and that is saying a lot for her!  She is normally scared of all movies and doesn’t even ever want to go, but Maggie was able to persuade her and she LOVED them!  We loved spending time with Maggie and having a little mini vacation with her!  Love you Maggie-we can’t wait until your next visit! :)

Aren’t these the sweetest little feet?

A pet adoption agency was walking a puppy on the beach.  Smartest move ever.  Every kid on the beach wanted to take that little guy home.  I’m sure if he wasn’t adopted that day it won’t be long!

A blast from the past…

August to be exact.  I was looking at my camera card and thinking about all the posts that I need to catch up on and I saw these sweet pictures of Aunt Maggie and the kids at the Children’s museum this summer.  As I recall most of our activities included something that included water or air conditioner.  Maggie got a new teaching job right after her visit so her anytime visits will have to be more scheduled in the future-boo!  But we are so happy for her!

The museum has a grocery store where kids can shop and check out.  It’s their favorite place.  They love the fake meat.  It looks so real it grosses me out! 

  

Aunt Maggie surfing, and Landree making a crown (Grandma sent her a fun book, craft kit)

  

American Girl Store

There is an American Girl Store in Dallas that we have been so excited to take Landree to for so long!  This year we thought she would really be able to appreciate the store, the fun lunch, and a new Bitty Baby.  Mia, Landree, Hudson, Maggie and I headed over in enough time to pick out her new Bitty Baby so that she could join us for our lunch appointment at the Bistro.  We love hanging out with Aunt Maggie, but I was especially grateful that she was able to come with us because she helped tame the wild animal (Hudson) in the store.  He actually loved playing with all the accessories.  Landree chose one of the twins and named her Suzie.  She, also, loved the accessories.  You could buy a dolls worth of accessories in no time-they have blocks, and strollers, and potty seats, oh my!  Landree chose a little diaper bag with a bottle, snacks and bib.   

After we Mia (thank you) checked out we headed to lunch at the Bistro.  It is so cute!  A little girls dream!  They have chairs for the dolls at the table (and even a doll you can use if you don’t have your own) and a cup of pink lemonade for them as well.  Landree LOVED the little cup.  She kept drinking the lemonade out of it and refilling it with her straw.  Each entrée came with an appetizer so we chose a different one for each of us and all shared.  Landree and Hudson were impressed with the chicken fingers :)  There were two little girls sitting on either side of us that were having a birthday lunch.  Landree didn’t quite understand why they weren’t brining out cake and ice cream to us, but they were so sweet to share!  Seriously, one little girl was with her sister, mom and grandma and asked the waiter to cut her a piece of cake too.  And when Hudson was getting a little wild and I was walking around with him the other table asked if he liked ice cream.  They insisted that we all have a bowl.  Landree said she wants to come back for her birthday.  Maybe we can have a delayed celebration in December when we are back in town. 

 

     

Hudson enjoyed wearing the napkin holders as bracelets.  That knot on his head is from falling into the coffee table at Grandma’s that morning. 

And of course we had to get a group shot.  One of the sweet ladies at the store came out to take a picture for us with my phone.  I actually had my nice camera with us and the battery died before I even got to take a picture.  I am just glad I had my phone :)  I posted this picture on facebook and someone made a comment about feeling sorry for Hudson.  I just reminded them that he will love having an older sister in a few years when all her cute friends are coming over.  He doesn’t complain about doing girl stuff with us {yet!}

A Christmas Journey

My BIL and SIL’s church does a Christmas Journey each year for 3 nights.  It’s a huge production to say the least.  As someone who worked at a church for many years I can’t imagine the job that someone has to coordinate hundreds of volunteers who rotate every 30 minutes along with animals, hayrides, etc.  This is the first time we’ve been able to go and I am so glad we did.  Grandma, Maggie, Landree, Hudson and I headed to McKinney to eat a yummy dinner at Pei Wei before heading to the church, but not before stopping to buy a new pair of pants for Hudson since his diaper leaked and I didn’t pack anything extra.  We were shocked at the line when we got there.  I think we waited about an hour or more, but they were passing out hot chocolate {which Landree loved} and it wasn’t too cold and we all took turns holding Hudson. 
When we got on the hay less hayride they gave us a blanket to cover up and we were on our way to Bethlehem.  Uncle B was a Roman solider and Gigi and the kids were people in Bethlehem.  Soldiers would come up to our wagon and ask if we were from Bethlehem, and then a  lady (I think a gypsie-is that ok to say?) came up to the wagon to ask or sell us something and a soldier came up and said, “Leave these fine people alone!  Leave these fine people alone!”  Funny side story-Landree was saying that in the car one day and it took me a few minutes to remember and understand what she was saying.  The Christmas Journey began when the angel appeared to Mary, through Jesus ministry on Earth, His death, and Resurrection. 

This isn’t the best picture of any of us, but I thought it was funny that when I bent down to get beside Landree she bent down too.