I have been looking forward to my family's beach trip all summer. Last year we took one at the end of the summer too. The weather was so nice, and the beach wasn't terribly packed, so when I went to schedule it for this year, I booked it for the same week! It also happens to be a week of partly rainy/cloudy days, which makes for a pretty nice beach trip for me since I live in an area where it doesn't rain quite as much as I wish it would.

I think the reason I was most looking forward to the trip this year is because I didn't really take any time off all summer. My kids were travelling all over the country having a ball of a summer, but I didn't really get to do any of it with them. Which means I haven't had any photos to post...because I haven't taken any. "/

Needless to say, I was stoked about this trip!

Jenny pointed out to me that I'd managed to book a house within the limits of the "Zoo" at Crystal Beach. "/ I was worried this would mean the kids would have no room to play. The Zoo from my childhood was cars parked right beside each other all down the beach (all playing loud music) and a steady stream of vehicles cruising up and down the beach all day long. Fortunately...that is no longer the case. Or at least it just hasn't gotten back to that point since everything was wiped out with Hurricane Ike. And it seems like people just don't really cruise in their vehicles anymore. They almost all cruise in golf carts that they decorate, so it's almost like a parade! And the cruising was only taking place on the weekend, so most of our trip was nice and pleasant. But to be honest...the Zoo wasn't unpleasant or rowdy at all. :)

Wallace and Anna could not get enough of the water and playing in the waves. And also watching me catch hermit crabs (they were both pretty chicken to actually touch them). Meredith took in a mouth full of salt water with the first wave that hit her on the first day and just wasn't really interested in the water after that. She LOVED going down to the beach to play in the sand though!

She even got Anna and Wallace interested in it.  :) — She even got Anna and Wallace interested in it. :)

Jenny found a boogie board one morning, which saved me a trip to the store!  Wallace loved it! — Jenny found a boogie board one morning, which saved me a trip to the store! Wallace loved it!

He just seems to want everyone to be as excited about the beach as he is.  :) — He just seems to want everyone to be as excited about the beach as he is. :)

anna was so into hermit crabs.  She'd take her little bucket everywhere when we were on the beach. — anna was so into hermit crabs. She'd take her little bucket everywhere when we were on the beach.

Josh came down for a few days, and the morning after he got there it was like glass.  There were hardly any waves. — Josh came down for a few days, and the morning after he got there it was like glass. There were hardly any waves.

I don't think I've ever seen fish in the waves at Crystal Beach!  I took like a hundred photos trying to catch a wave with fish in.  This was the best I could do.  :) — I don't think I've ever seen fish in the waves at Crystal Beach! I took like a hundred photos trying to catch a wave with fish in. This was the best I could do. :)

And we tried to save this stranded jelly fish that morning too.  Not sure if it ended up making it or not, but we tried. — And we tried to save this stranded jelly fish that morning too. Not sure if it ended up making it or not, but we tried.

We were so close to Galveston Island that we got to see all of the ship channel traffic, which for us seemed super cool!  We'd get excited about all the cruise ships and barges.  I don't remember seeing all that last year, but we were mile… — We were so close to Galveston Island that we got to see all of the ship channel traffic, which for us seemed super cool! We'd get excited about all the cruise ships and barges. I don't remember seeing all that last year, but we were miles down the peninsula, and it was a lot more rainy.

Jen and her boys came too this year!  There was one day when she took them to Galveston and we stayed behind at the house, and my kids were sooo bored without them!  Lesson learned.  Keep them all together at all times.  :) — Jen and her boys came too this year! There was one day when she took them to Galveston and we stayed behind at the house, and my kids were sooo bored without them! Lesson learned. Keep them all together at all times. :)

Jen brought a slip-n-slide!  None of our kids really understood that you are supposed to get a running start and then slide down the slide.  Anna and Thomas were the closest to getting it right.  For the most part the kids would just … — Jen brought a slip-n-slide! None of our kids really understood that you are supposed to get a running start and then slide down the slide. Anna and Thomas were the closest to getting it right. For the most part the kids would just run down the slide and then bust their butts. Ha!

Meredith would prance to the end and then sit down and pose.

Anna did just about all of her sliding on her knees.

Meredith didn't really throw any massive fits this year.  She understandibly just gets upset when she thinks someone has taken something that's hers...like a sand castle toy. — Meredith didn't really throw any massive fits this year. She understandibly just gets upset when she thinks someone has taken something that's hers...like a sand castle toy.

We'd go down to the beach for the sunset almost every night.  That's actually moonlight on the water!  It was actually more of a moon rise every night because the sun sets on the other side of the island. — We'd go down to the beach for the sunset almost every night. That's actually moonlight on the water! It was actually more of a moon rise every night because the sun sets on the other side of the island.

Meredith made sure to keep the door to the beach house nice and smeared.

Granny pointed out that it was national cookie one day while we were there.  :) — Granny pointed out that it was national cookie one day while we were there. :)

Anyway.  It was such a fun trip.  I can't wait to do it next year.  The rest of the family keeps threatening to book a house at a prettier beach, but I don't know.  I'm pretty stuck on this one.  It's where I grew up going t… — Anyway. It was such a fun trip. I can't wait to do it next year. The rest of the family keeps threatening to book a house at a prettier beach, but I don't know. I'm pretty stuck on this one. It's where I grew up going to the beach...so it just seems like the logical place to go. I guess we'll see where we end up next summer.