Corpus Christi

Our friends, The Payne Family, recently moved back to Corpus after being in Arkansas for a few years so we did what we normally do and quickly packed up the Burban on a whim and headed north..yes, NORTH to Corpus Christi, TX to see them and celebrate their return to Texas!! It is a celebration, always, to come home to Texas. They have a little girl, Julie, who is smack dab in the middle of Georgia (3.5) and Hayes (1.5). She is cute and fun and has lots of awesome toys! The kids were in heaven. HB loved her baseball tee (future present). They also have smaller dogs and cats. The girls are in love with small dogs for some reason right now and always 'mourn' them when we leave..like we were supposed to load them in the car too. Georgia was boo-hooing for Honey all the way home! Me and Daniel always remind them of their own dogs at home but they just can't help but want a little lap dog they can drag around on a leash, not the other way around! Maybe one day...

{We did get to see Bossman, Daniel, Derek & Michael's college dog.} So Friday we get there just in time to barely miss a tornado (not so lucky with the hailstorm) and settled the kids in to a fresh sandbox & juice boxes.

{Daniel can't stand to see crawfish go to waste..he peeled all morning long!} The adults pulled chairs up to a table of hot crawfish, potatoes and corn and of course ice cold Miller Lite.

The weather was now gorgeous and we spent the rest of the night eating and talking and eating and wrangling kids (includes bathing, dressing, feeding and bedding).

The 3 girls snuggled in one bed and fell asleep watching Toy Story while HB slept in the loft closet. We stayed up really late catching up on all that is good and not so good in our lives.

This is Derek's Dad's car garage..they are all the same car..it was impressive.. I just needed the keys, but none of us got offered any, weird!?!

{what I call 'angel wings'..my favorite shell to find!} Our big plans started Saturday morning when we packed the Burban up for the Daddies to drive the kids, while the Mommies got to drive the Jeep, top and doors off! It was a major flashback to highschool..oh if those memories could talk...!

It was really windy (it took me days, literally, to get my hair untangled) but so nice to be able to chat without kids screaming. I really did appreciate Daniel taking the kids so I got a break..they set them up on the beach by themselves and all..but only because they left us at the gas station and we were a few ferries behind..! Another unfortunate turn of events was the event happening on the island, making the ferry we used to get across packed and forcing us to sit in traffic to wait our turn.

Eventually we caught up with the boys and found a spot on the beach where the kids could roam and play.

Georgia and Julie were like old friends by now and were so cute just laying on the beach enjoying the waves lapping over them and making small talk. It was sweet to see!

We finally decided it was time to get some food and only Mexican food with an outdoor patio would do!

Dinner was fairly uneventful and the margaritas were yummy so that was all that mattered!

Saturday night we bought the Pay-per-view UFC fight, watched it outside while the kids played and talked about kids and babies and when we would see eachother again..the kids ate cake..then bathed!! Why is G always the one with her face in food? She loves to be messy..self-proclaimed!

It was a LONG night but finally everyone made it asleep in bed!

The morning came early with the kids, we cleaned, ate tacos and hit the road.

It was a whirlwind weekend but lots of fun to see our old friends who we can now see on more than a once a year basis!! I swear HB was on the trip but he kindof did his own thing with all those girls around..he was really good and only drove the Deere into the Jeep's hardtop a few times giving Mimi a heart attack..and he kept chunking the ball at her face which made her scream which made him laugh! What a boy! Thanks Paynes for hosting us and putting up with us!! Come visit us down south, yes keep driving..we are down further, promise!!