Ballet Recital Pictures

She looks so grown-up here...we love you, Lainey! :)

Lainey (facing Zander) during their dress rehearsal for the ballet show. :)

Surprise Visit to See Ainsley in Houston

Somehow, Kelley and I managed to surprise Lainey and Ainsley with an unexpected visit. We were on our way back from Galveston and we made a detour to go see Ainsley and Gage...and boy, were those kids THRILLED. It was the sweetest thing. Upon seeing one another, Lainey and Ainsley cried and then giggled and then cried some more. We ended up staying three hours with them; I'm so thankful for that precious time. 

I love these two!

Memorial Day..singing the "Star Spangled Banner"

so serious

We met the Loredos at Carl's parents' country club (that's where all of these pictures are from, thanks to Kelley!).

I couldn't say no to swimming.

Sweet, lifelong friends. I'm SO thankful for this family! 

Galveston Beach 2017

On Monday evening, we returned home from another successful, fun weekend in Galveston over Memorial Day Weekend! We met my cousins Kate, Anne, and Nate there with their spouses and kids and rented a house within walking distance from the beach. The house was amazing and the kids had a wonderful time playing together and the adults had a lot of fun, too. :) 

Eva. Fearless little one!

anticipating a wave

Charli

Lainey, Eva, Andi, and Lucie

We missed Walker and Ben on this trip. They stayed behind to play in a baseball tournament. Such a tough decision for them both, but one that I can respect and understand.

I wouldn't be able to reproduce this shot if I tried a hundred times. :)

Lucie!

a cute little bum

Eva - out on the beach

Tom, the "merman"

Andi

Lainey and Andi were inseparable this trip! They played together non-stop, but they also did a great job of taking care of the younger ones and including them in whatever was happening. 

sisters

Charli

A bird pooped on my foot while at the beach one day. Such a stinker. Just my foot. Not the towel, not the sand...my foot. ;)

Lainey and Andi did a LOT of acrobatic tricks on the beach. This is Lainey, doing an aerial.

Here is Andi, in the air.

This year, we found a bunch of hermit crabs in the ocean. Well, I say "we" but I mean "everyone else but me because unseen things that move in the ocean scare me." We saw a fair amount of crabs and even had the opportunity to go "crab hunting" at night with some other vacationers on the beach. Both Lainey and Anti caught a crab (that was later released) with a net and a headlamp!

The hermit crabs had the most beautiful shells. Lainey found two clams this year; last year, I think we saw about a million. I'm sure they are out there somewhere!

Tom was our expert fisherman. He caught at least two or three teensy tiny fish. He caught them with a sand sifter and then rushed them over to our hermit crab playground (pictured above...complete with a sand slide on the left). The hermit crabs enjoyed their time at the playground but were eager to get back to the ocean.

:)

Walker's face made an appearance.

After about 900 family photos, this sums up how Eva and Lucie were feeling. But Lucie's eyes...beautiful! 

Four consecutive years! Thank you, Sara, for putting this together. I'm so thankful that these kids are growing up together and creating lasting memories. They are a special, unique bunch of kids and I'm grateful for each one of them!