Galveston

Although the traditional Larson Family Beach Weekend wasn't feasible with a newborn this year, I couldn't let a summer pass without at least a quick trip down to the sea. And as we discovered last year, the end of September is ideal for beach-goers! 

Ian "read" books the entire drive down there. Joseph whined "When are we doing to be there? It takes a loooong time to go to Galveston!" the entire drive down there. Helen slept. 

My boys get some strange enjoyment out of wearing life jackets -- like it's an item of dress-up clothing. 

Joseph declared he was a "sand farmer" and raked a large portion of the beach.

Helen pretended the wind made it impossible to breath, and then, exhausted, slept for the rest of our time at the beach. She stayed swaddled up in the bouncy chair and remained totally un-sandy!

Check out those thighs! I am so proud.

Ian and Joseph switched attitudes from last year, and I wish I had a picture that captured it. Just imagine Scott in the background, standing in the water with Joseph clinging to Scott's neck and screaming to head back to shore, while Ian is in the forefront falling backwards into the waves over and over again, while squealing with glee. It was hilarious.

Isn't this adorable?

Building a huge castle ... 

...and digging the World's Biggest Hole. 

Ian was delighted to climb inside it and "lose" his legs. 

Joseph was delighted to strike a vulnerable target.

Awww... pulling legless-Joseph out.

Such a cute Beach Baby.

We are all smiling (or at least looking pleasant) for a family picture! That alone made the day a success.

We decided at 10 am that day to go to the beach, and just drove along the island until we saw an access point we liked. So especially for a spur-of-the-moment trip, I thought it was a huge success!