Beach Bums

Yesterday we returned from a four-day, three-night jaunt to my favorite local vacation spot, Galveston, Texas.

I've blogged about Galveston quite a few times, as it truly is my heaven on Earth. I've said it in the past -- it's no tropical paradise like Hawaii or Jamaica or even Florida, but it's home to me and the best memories of my life come back to me when I am down there. I'm so lucky that Todd has embraced going to Galveston, as it would be so easy to just jet down to Corpus Christi or Port Aransas, which are only two hours away. But instead, my husband packs up our minivan at least once a year and endures the nearly five-hour drive to, through and past Houston so I can relive my childhood, one week at a time.

This year, for the first time, we didn't meet my family down in Galveston. Instead, we met our best friends, the Micek family, the Sauter family and the Schaefer family, along with their combined four children (and two on the way, via Sylvia and Destiny!) at the same resort in which we stayed last year with my family.

We fell in love with the resort last year, as it has everything a family could want. Pointe West is a community of homes and condos, all built in the same architectural style, centered around a huge beach club with a pool, hot tub, baby pool, cabanas, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge and a game room. Across the highway, on the bay side of the island, is another pool with a lazy river, a beach-entry pool and little river inlets to sit and relax in.

We all arrived on Thursday afternoon, and got "moved in" to the four bedroom, four bathroom house. We ordered pizza and spent time chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather on the enormous front porch of the house.

Friday morning we went to the Beach Club and then down to the beach for some fun in the sand. We made our way back up to the pool and played and splashed until lunch time. After sandwiches and chips, everyone took a good, long nap (what is it about the beach and naps?). Most of the group went to the bay-side pool that afternoon, while the Pruetzes stayed behind for some family bonding time.

That night was a Mexican fiesta, cooked by the matriarchs of the four families, and a walk on the beach for all. The night was topped off by a rousing game of Apples to Apples (and if you are reading this, Steve, I lost to Sylvia on purpose).

During the night, a thunderstorm rumbled across the island and we woke up to a rainy Saturday. The decision was made to actually drive into the city (the city of Galveston is about 20 miles away from Pointe West). The Miceks and the Sauters opted to go to Moody Gardens, while we, along with the Schaefers, went to the Galveston Railroad Museum. The Schaefers' three-year-old son, Drew, along with Devin and the girls, had a great time climbing aboard vintage steam engines, Pullman cars, dining cars and private accommodations.

I used to love to go to the Train Museum as a kid, as walking through the Victorian-era cars was like stepping into a haunted house. These were real trains, used for various cross-country purposes, carrying everyone from every day Joes to executives and even dignitaries. It still amazes me how many amenities can be crammed into such small areas. One car, created for the higher management of train companies, had a lounge, a dining room, a study, two private bedrooms (each with queen-sized beds and closets), a full bathroom and a living area for the porter. It was coupled with a car containing a full kitchen, complete with a cast-iron stove, and a dining room that could have easily sat 30 people.

We returned to the resort for lunch and a quick nap and by the time we had all wiped the sleep from our eyes, it was a beautiful, cloudless afternoon, perfect for another trip to the bay-side pool.

That night, the men of the group cooked us a manly man's dinner, with sausage, fajitas and grilled corn. They even cleaned up the kitchen afterwards! All of the kids went down shortly after dinner and the adults stayed up way too late laughing, talking and having fun.

Sunday came way too soon, and after one last quick trip to the pool, we packed up the house and headed off the island, just as another storm rolled in. We even got a quick glimpse of a water spout in the bay as we rolled North toward Houston.

This was one of the most fun four days I've ever had. We are so blessed to have such good friends with whom to do stuff like this. They bring so much to our lives and are all incredibly special people. I love that we have the kind of relationship that we can go on vacation together, that our children can grow up together and that years from now, we'll all be rocking together on the front porch of a beach house, "remembering when." We plan to make this an annual trip and I am already looking forward to next year's adventure.

Until then, here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend.

Amanda, Andrew and Devin


Gracie's feet


Jenn hides from an onslaught of love bugs


It's a twister! It's a twister!


Todd and the kids at the Beach Club


The view from our porch


Gracie found a Faith!


The Schaefer Family -- Destiny, Steve and Drew


Andrew and Devin


The twins at the Train Museum