Life's a Beach

And just like that...it's over. That's the funny thing about vacation...seems like forever until it gets here, and then it seems like it hardly even was.  Well...even though it went quick...our annual beach trip to Port A was just perfect!  Plenty of beach time, pool time, card games, dominos, and a new found love of ping pong...and that was just day 1!  We even managed to suffer through NBC's highly edited and overly watered down coverage of the Olympics.  I'm not sure what it is about the Olympics that makes women's international handball interesting, but I guess when it's hot out we'll watch anything.

In between snacks, naps, and cocktails we ventured as far as the block to the beach and as near as the couch.  A once stocked pantry was left barren after just a few days and our bellies were all better for it. Cold ice cream, an even colder AC, and a perfectly refreshing pool made the trip exactly what we needed to relax.  The only question now is...will we go back before next summer? (If we don't, Bryce may force us to buy a ping pong table).

We've been to beaches all over the world and if given the choice...I think we'd pick our 2 bedroom little condo in Port A 10 out of 10 times (well, maybe 9 out of 10 if the tenth time we were offered this place http://texasnewmans.blogspot.com/2010/01/perfecto.html - but what are the odds of that happening again?)

Happy Birthday Bryce!

Bryce is 6 today and celebrated yesterday with a party at Gattitown. He LOVED his party! A big thanks to all of our friends who pushed aside the "ick" factor of a place like Gattitown and helped him celebrate.

1 tooth out, 19 more to go

Bryce lost his first tooth this morning! The average age a kid loses his first tooth is 6 and Bry will be 6 on Monday. The planner in me loves when my kids follow a recommended schedule.

Ivy refused to get out of the picture so here's a bonus shot of Ivy to brighten your day.

Tour de Ivy

While the rolling hills of Meridian in Austin, TX don't quite resemble the ascent to Alpe d'Huez, for a 4 year old, the ramp down the driveway might as well be the Matterhorn.  But for Ivy G...ain't no mountain high enough!  From couch potato to no training wheels in a few weeks means she's hot on the heels of her big brother and soon to be burning rubber around the hike and bike trails of Austin in no time. I'm hoping that the bike riding will put off her desire for a pink convertible for a little while...although I'm sure to end up losing that battle in the long run.  Vive l'Ivy!