Always a treat to take photos of my cousin's family. The last time I saw baby Ellee was when we did her newborn photos. She has grown so much and is just the cutest baby with the prettiest big blue eyes. We took these on a very hot day in June and her kids did so well!
Hard to believe another summer has come and gone! I'm always so sad to see it end. This year it ended a lot earlier than normal. The first day of school was August 15th! The good news is school gets out before Memorial Day for the first time ever (that I can remember).
This year we have one in 9th, 7th, 4th, and 1st. We also have a freshman in college! Today was her first day of classes. Next year my baby Benny will be in kindergarten and all six of my children will be in school!
poor Lorelei had a mosquito bite on her eyelid, which made her left eye a little swollen.
This book tells the amazing story of the author's rise from an isolated, unschooled child in the mountains of Idaho to earning a PhD at Cambridge University. It is a fascinating memoir that I would definitely recommend! Reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle, one of my favorites.
At the end of July, we enjoyed a fun, relaxing week at a beautiful beach front home in Surfside, Texas with lots of family. Six of my siblings, my parents, and all 19 grandchildren were there! We lucked out with gorgeous weather. It started out a little overcast on Monday, but was clear and sunny the rest of the week. Some of the highlights of the week included a bonfire on the beach for s'mores, night crab hunting with flashlights, long walks on the beach, and enjoying wonderful meals cooked by a different family each night. The older kids also loved their little fishing trip with Uncle Brian. Here's a few photos from our week..
Loved how the house was just steps from the beach!
About midweek, the currents changed direction and the water was unusually blue and clear. It's very rare for this to happen at a southeast Texas beach!
This was our set up everyday. we had soooo many beach chairs sent up under those canopies! (That big stripe of brownish gray water is where the sand bar was.)
The next few photos were taken at the beginning of the week, before the currents changed.
Uncle Andy burying Evan in the sand
my cute niece Addie wasn't too sure about the water at first, but she quickly warmed up to it!
The next two photos (taken with cell phone- no filter added) were taken on our last day at the beach. you can see how clear the water was at the very end of the week! Never seen it like this in Texas, except for in South Padre! We truly lucked out!
I wasn't able to get a group photo with my big camera, but Dan got this on his cell phone. All 19 grandkids (except for Lukie) with grammy and grandpa!!
Andy's drone got this cool photo of the whole crew.
Such a wonderful week! Wish I could go back! So thankful for all the family that was able to make it. Love when we can all be together!
This year, 4th of July started off wet and rainy. It finally cleared up around 5pm and we had beautiful, cool weather in the evening for fireworks. We didn't get to go swimming because of the rain, but enjoyed a delicious BBQ at grammy and grandpa's home. The girls were so happy to have most of their Ochoa cousins in town for the holiday (Dario and Aiden were with a friend in Florida). These two are the best of friends. So glad they have each other.
"Lil' Sweet" and the big girls
so grateful for this beautiful country we live in and the freedoms we enjoy!
I can not believe that our oldest child has graduated from high school! Where have the years gone?! I definitely don't feel old enough to have a child heading to college in a few months! We will be so sad to see her leave, but excited for all that's in store for her at BYU.
Elayna graduated with honors. She was in the top 5% of her class and a member of National Honor Society. We are so very proud of her.
This book is about the devastating hurricane that struck Galveston in 1900 and killed over 6000 people. I read this book many years ago, and after our recent trip to Galveston, decided to reread it. It is a superb read. Erik Larson is my favorite non-fiction writer and he makes history so real and engaging. Definitely recommend this one!
