Don't Mess With Texas

At the end of July, Ethan and I had our own adventure. We went to Galveston, TX to spend time with my sister Marie, her kids, my brother Tim, my sister-in-law Natalia and their daughter Olivia. This was a new experience for me because I had never been to Texas or anywhere in the South. The first thing that hit me was the heat and humidity. It hit me like a brick wall and sucked all the life out of me. It hasn't even hit 90 degrees here in Washington this summer, so it was quite the change!
On our first day at the beach there was a storm coming in so the water was wild. The water was so warm! I'm used to the icy cold waters on the Oregon coast, so this was a real treat. Ethan was totally loving being able to body board in the water. We were catching some wild waves that day.

Mariel, Ethan and Kayla
Olivia loves to "surf"

The next day we went to The Strand, an historic district with shops and restaurants. We were wilting quickly in the stifling heat, so we decided to take a dolphin watching boat ride. It felt good to get a cooling breeze.
I was going to demand my money back if I didn't see any dolphins. Luckily I didn't have to do that.

The mini golf course in Galveston had the best view ever! Way better than Cherry Hill. Ethan, Kayla and I played in a group and they got schooled!
They gave it a good shot, though.
Ethan then did what he said was the best thing he's ever done in his whole life. He and Mariel got strapped into this bungee cage and were catapulted into the air. It was crazy!
The next day was beautiful, so we decided to go to the beach at the seawall.
As you can see it's a wall and a small strip of beach.

Ethan looking like a celebrity while frolicking in the water

We walked over to a building on the water to get a great view off the deck.
By the way that's water on my shirt, not sweat. :)

We had a great time reconnecting with family--playing games, telling stories and getting to know each other better. It felt nice to be in the majority as a girl for a while. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did!