a June getaway

We drove all the way across Texas to get to Galveston, and the beach. Sure, it's the Gulf of Mexico; the water is brown and the seaweed is abundant, but our little buddies didn't care one bit. Take kids to the beach and they know what to do.

We had reserved a charming-looking place on the beach and it turned out to be charming in real life too. 

Little Miss (her real name is coming soon, and we have an adoption finalization date...you may notice I'm feeling far less cautious about showing her precious face on here) practiced her new crawling moves. She just popped up on her hands and knees a few weeks ago and now, suddenly, we once again have a baby who's into everything. I couldn't be happier about it. Open those drawers, pull those bags down. We've been waiting for it.

The water was warm and the air was thick. I love humidity (well, below a certain temperature.)

After our last vacation with these three, we thought it would be best to keep things very low-key. Beach, naps, down-time, pool, meals, more beach. None of this running around amusement parks or touristy sights business. I'm usually the one who feels like we need to see the Sights and do the Things, but it's just not enjoyable with whiny kids and grumpy parents. It will keep until they're older. We were able to cook and do laundry in our place, too, and that made things even more simple. I think we're on to something.

Little Miss surprised us by napping on the beach. She's usually so particular about where she sleeps. I think the water was incredibly therapeutic (and therefore incredibly exhausting) for her little self. It was lovely to have so much time to just play with her. She has this whole curious side that's emerging. Parenting her is peeling off layers, Ricky says.

The boys loved attacking the waves and digging big holes. Silas is made up of rawr and sugar. Nicky has plans and ideas and dance/ninja moves. They're pretty fun right now.

We did venture out one night for dinner, an exploratory drive around the island, and frozen yogurt. We ate it on some wooden swings by the ocean, in the night air. That's my new favorite way to eat frozen yogurt.

Nicky was pretty fearless out in the bigger waves, and worked on body surfing.

And of course we "big people" had to be vigilant but we both enjoyed watching them take it all in. There's nothing much better than experiencing things all over again with your babies.

"Here, let me fix your hair. I know about this stuff."

After one final morning swim, we got cleaned up (and Nicky discovered the magic of soap in a jacuzzi tub) and packed, and headed to Austin for our niece's first birthday party.

We took a slight detour to pass through Lockhart, Texas, home of Black's Barbecue. It's soooooo good. Growing up, we visited our Opa and Oma outside of San Antonio every summer and they would make us food just like this: sliced brisket, homemade sausage, and of course all the sides. Yum. Silas pointed to the deer and said, "Hi, camels."

We had some seat belt disagreements, and some crocodile tears, along the way. Soon we rolled into Austin and helped Ricky's sister get ready for a very cute farm-themed party.

Tio Mark busted out the bubble machine. I decided we need one. I also decided I like birthday parties that involve mimosas and mini-quiche (aka tractor wheels.)

Emma and Little Miss only are six weeks apart. How cool is that? She's in the "hold my hands and take me walking everywhere, please" stage and has the creamiest baby skin I've ever seen, and we noticed that she and Silas make some very similar facial expressions. It was fun to see them all again, and I selfishly love that they live in the area of Texas they do because it's one of my favorite places.

Tia Lizette took Ricky, me and the boys to this very fun splashpad next to Town Lake. The boys were both timid at first but pretty much had to be dragged away by the time the water went off.

Then, time to pack up and go once again. Silas drove, while Ricky and I sat in the backseat and watched movies, took naps, and ate the snacks that were handed to us. It was awesome. Okay, so he had to be convinced to get into his own seat, a lot. 

Several park stops, ice cream, Curious George, the Karate Kid, the Lumineers, This American Life, silly singing, and big beautiful clouds helped us home.

My summer cup runneth over.

Colorado

This past weekend Ricky and I made a quick dash up to Colorado. Neither of us have ever been to our northern neighbor state, and we had a long weekend and grandparents who wanted to spend time with the littles (God bless them, seriously.) Denver is definitely on the "places we would love to live" list, and lately we're keeping our eyes open for Possibilities.

It was lovely, as expected. Colorado is beautiful in a similar way to New Mexico, actually. Lots of high desert in the southern part. And then, more mountains and snow, but the same big blue sky and wide views. I re-discovered the joy of night driving on the way up (thank you, This American Life, the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and Ray LeMontagne, for that) and we made it to Pueblo late, got some sleep, and then drove up to Denver the next morning. I have to say, I think Denver is the friendliest place I've ever been. I think NM is pretty friendly, but we felt downright rude in comparison. Everyone seems to have time to talk. We had fun exploring downtown Denver....went to the Denver Art Museum (they had a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit that was interesting, and the whole museum was super kid-friendly), checked out the Colorado State Capitol, and went to see this play. We both enjoyed it--it dealt with a lot of universal themes, like grief and being stuck, and the slow process of moving on, and I was, as always, so impressed with what theater actors can do with a small space and very few props, and how we can find so much of ourselves in someone else's story.

On Sunday morning we ate crepes at a cute restaurant next to the City Park, then drove north to Boulder (the happiest town in the U.S., apparently.) We wandered around the university, walked downtown (very crunchy-outdoorsy, very happy-looking). Everyone was out and about--reading books, drinking coffee, watching their kids play on kid-sized climbing rocks (Nicky would be in heaven.) It was colorful and interesting. I didn't see a single overweight person, and there's kind of a dress code.  North Face jacket or vest, khakis or long flowing skirt, Minnetonka moccasins (want), hand-knit beanie, cute dog, kids in adorably mismatched clothes, bicycle, vegan snacks in your backpack, etc. I guess if you have to have a dress code, that's not a bad one. We had just a little time to drive up into the mountains, then headed back to Denver.

(Not pregnant, no sir. Just standing like it.)

Sunday night was really special. We went to a service at House for all Sinners and Saints, an inclusive Lutheran church that I've been interested in ever since I saw a video of their pastor here. She was actually out of town so we didn't get to meet her, but the service was beautiful and nourishing, and I'm so glad we went.

It was a group of 50 or so, gathered in a parish hall, with chairs set up in an oval formation. I loved the simplicity and humility of the liturgy, the acapella singing, the depth of the songs, and even though I have differing theological views on the Eucharist, I loved that part too (I doubt I'll ever find a church that I completely agree with, and I'm working on being okay with that.) I loved the quiet, the reverence, the poetry, the opportunity for stillness and reflection. I could have easily been a shaky mess the entire time, because I was so hopeful, and because it was so, so good, but I mostly kept it together. Church has been complicated for a long time; this was just peace. Just. peace. What a gift.

Afterward, we walked around in the cold, got some Thai food, and processed the experience out loud. I'm still processing inwardly.

We drove back in a straight shot on Monday, and picked up the littles late that night. They all looked bigger. I want to go back, and take them along next time. Maybe this summer.

San Diego

                                      

highlights: sweater and boot weather, three date nights in a row, a dueling pianos bar, hours of uninterrupted reading, Thai food, walking walking walking, dessert paired with jazz music, clouds, silliness, not having a fixed destination or plan in mind, beautiful views, and the realization that it only takes about 30 minutes to pack up a hotel room with only our stuff to pack. Ricky: doesn't this usually take like two hours? :)

I like my life partner. It was good to get away and be just us for a few days.