Port Aransas Beach

Surprise, after surprise, after surprise was our day yesterday!  Jeff let me sleep in and I got up happily to two happy kids and the smell of cinnamon toast!  Jeff said we're going to the beach and I need to pack a bag for the kids!  So we hustled around and in 30 minutes we were all set to go, but I didn't know which beach we were off to!  We went to Port Aransas beach-neither of us had ever been to the beach there.  Let me tell you, middle of the week-in October-is the perfect time to go!  There were not many people there.  And the weather was absolutely perfect and the water was warm enough to still play in it.

Unfortunately I didn't get that many pictures on the beach because our camera's battery died.  But, that's okay, I'll tell you about it when I get to that part.

One of the ferries next to us.

We're on the ferry!

Away we go to Mustang Island!

We arrived at the beach and put lots of sunscreen on and got our umbrellas and chairs but we didn't even use them!  Rachel was not happy in the water, so she rode around on me alot.  :)  We saw hundreds of live little mussels living in little shells.  That was so cool.  The wave would uncover them where they were hiding in the sand and they would all come out of their shell and wiggle back down into the sand!

Not a great picture, but only one of three, so I had to use it!  But, look at how nice the beach is!

And we found a treasure!  An oar that somebody was probably sad to lose.

Hi handsome!

After an hour on the beach, the kids were hungry, so Jeff took us to eat-at his second surprise, a restaurant called Virginia's!  It was so nice!  Especially after a table freed up by the water and we got to move into it!  The kids split a kids meal, and boy did they sure eat it up! 

Virgina's

Playing with sugar packets

Jeff said it was delicious!

After that we drove around and then went back to the beach.

Jeff thinks it would be cool if Zane goes to school here.  He said he would visit him.  :) 

 This was Jeff and my favorite time because the kids were so happy and we had such a great time.  Jeff did it again-he is awesome with making the kids feel better.  He took something that Rachel could relate to and loves-muddy puddles-and they started playing and splashing in the "muddy puddles", aka Gulf of Mexico.  And that's when the giggles and squealing started and I couldn't keep her out of the water after that.  She loved the waves and would giggle and squeal every time that one came.  She had so much fun.  Zane did too.  He started laying down in it and the waves would wash him up the beach.  He loved it!  Rachel and I built sand castles, and Zane and Dada dug a deep hole. 

After this we went to the jetties!  Zane was really curious about that and thanked Dad several times for getting to walk on them.  It really was cool.  Jeff and I saw a turtle, but it didn't come up again for the kids to see it.  They really loved the jetties though.  It was neat to see people fishing off of them too. 

After this-third surprise!  Dairy Queen for blizzards!  Blizzards for everybody!  The kids thought they were great, but they were relieved when they didn't have to finish them.  :) 

They had full little tummies and it didn't take long before we heard some little snores from the back.  :)

We had such a terrific day.  As we were saying goodbye to the beach, Zane said, "Bye beach!  See you in a couple weeks!"  :) :) :)