Beach Bums

We go to the beach several times a week after dinner.  Every time we are there it validates our decision to live close to the gulf.  It is so calming and relaxing and Phil and I usually have some time to sit and talk since the boys (even Davis) are usually happily playing in the sand and water.  We go in the evenings because it is cooler and lets the boys burn off their after-dinner energy.  And the sunsets are really beautiful... although we are usually gone by the time the sun actually sets, but the beginnings of the sunsets are beautiful.  :)

The boys love whenever someone has dug a big hole in the sand, so we started bringing a shovel so that Phil can dig a hole if we don't find one.  Holes keep them busy for a long time (so to speak)!

I was trying to get a picture of the four of them together, but we couldn't get Davis to cooperate.  This is the best we got... but I still love it.

There is a Navy base really close to our house, and on Saturdays we've been going up there to play in the bay.  They have a great waterside park area with shade pavilions right next to the water and the bay is usually very shallow, clear, and calm.  And there are lots of hermit crabs for the boys to play with.  AND they rent paddle boards and little pedal boats for cheap!  We have the best time.

Nana taught the boys to say "Cheers!" with their sippy cups a long time ago, so it was a cute surprise when Phil bought J and E special treat gatorade and Jackson turned to Emmett and said, "Cheers, Emmett!"  :) They were so happy about that gatorade.  It's the little things, I guess!

There's a really great playground there behind J and E in that picture... it's nice that the boys can go play on that if they want a break from the water.


Just another evening beach trip... Daddy leading the charge out into the water...

I sat and did a little of this...

The boys found some shells...

J found one of those nautilus-shaped shells and he was so excited to share with everyone that,  "You can hear the ocean inside this shell!"  :)

A pelican was flying and fishing pretty close to us... he's kind of in the middle of this picture.  It is so neat to watch them dive and scoop up a fish.

Can you find the pelican?  Lol.

Boys Lately

One morning when Davis woke up Reid wanted to "hold Davis in the chair"... so, of course, I took a bunch of pictures.  

Davis just adores Reid (he adores all of his brothers, really) and Reid loves him, too, but also gets very frustrated with Davis touching his things.  But Reid also loves him lots.  I asked the boys a bunch of "survey questions" the other day and when I asked Reid who his best friend was he immediately said, "Davis!"  :)

Here Reid was rubbing D's arm.  :)

Davis loves wearing big boy hats and shoes...

Phil gave the boys some summer haircuts and he made Reid's a little short... I had two family members chastise us and tell us it was too short... but man it sure makes those adorable big brown eyes stand out! :)  We always make the haircuts really short so we don't have to do them as often.  Their hair grows so fast!

We don't have a real pool (yet?  maybe someday?) but this slippery plastic pool sure is fun on a scorching hot day!

J and E have a bunch of these science readers and the other day when I walked in their room they had separated them into "sea animals" and "land animals" and were reading them to each other.  J read sea animals and E read the others.

The big boys were watching Charlie Brown while eating dessert the other night and were cracking UP at Snoopy.  It was so cute.  :)

Emmett loves to make himself a little snuggly cocoon on the couch in the mornings.

New favorite game... Bird Bingo!

Reid looked so cute in his helmet the other night but kept running away when I would hold up my phone to take a picture.

So finally I bribed him with two chocolate chips.  :)

This does not have to do with the boys but I just had to share.  The other morning at the gym I was on the rower and right in front of me I saw that someone had brought their CIGARETTES into class with them!!!  Seriously?!? Can you see the red pack of Pall Malls there next to her water bottle?!?  Only in the Redneck Riviera.  Lol.  (Do you see how stealthily I took that pic on my way out?)

On Friday we went to the library and Reid checked out two digger books.  He was so excited and rode like this the whole way home (after paging through them for a few minutes).

This is Reid after he laid down by himself and fell asleep on the boat a few weeks ago...

Davis rides in the wagon to and from the neighborhood pool...

J and E off on one of their many fishing trips with next-door-neighbor friends...

Davis becoming a big boy...

When he's playing out on the porch and we are inside, he loves to go to this window and look at us and laugh, then squat down so we can't see him for a second, and then pop back up and laugh and laugh!  It's so cute... I need to get a video.  :)

It's SO hot here!  We've been in the water a LOT!  Stay tuned for some beach/water-related pictures...