Summer in Savannah

We are home from our time in Savannah.

Despite a trip to the ER and finding out Claire had pneumonia, 

we had a lovely time!

It's been a long time since we'd seen Amma and Tatta

and four years since we'd been to Savannah.

We enjoyed the beauty of the marsh and all the wildlife it is home to.

We saw deer, an osprey, an owl, hawks, a dolphin, and much more.

We saw incredible high tides, too. It is a fascinating ecosystem!

We did a lot of this. . .

and this from my parents' deck

and Tata fired up his new grill for us, too!

We had a morning walk to the marina

We strolled the island garden project and admired all the lovely plots

We worked a puzzle

We tried our hand at fishing in a nearby lagoon.  .  .

The only thing we caught was a turtle!

It was still fun!

We enjoyed the historic beauty of Savannah

and Tata took us on a walking tour of the many squares. 

We took the recommendation of a friend that had attended SCAD

and went to Vinnie Van Go Gos for pizza.

It was amazing! 

We strolled the Market Street before heading to get some dessert

Here we are at Lovin' Spoons 

loving the yogurt and the old VW Bug!

On our last day, we returned to the pool for a fun and relaxing afternoon

and went to our favorite place for seafood

Pearl's Saltwater Grille

Love the Pearl's Pound of shrimp!

Here are Mimi and Peter with their sweet tea!

 We had a great time being together and enjoying our last wee bit of summer!

The marsh was such a great backdrop for photos, so I made everyone sit for pictures.

I will post those separately once I get them edited!

Thirty Days

I hate to set panic in the hearts of my children

but we only have thirty days left of summer.

YIKES!

Today's UPS delivery is a sure sign that school is approaching all too quickly

New uniforms for everybody!
The school has a new plaid this year....Claire thinks it is adorable!

We inventoried our polo shirts from last year and had to fill in some gaps.
They do show their wear after a school year!

Next week we'll be off to Target and Walmart for school supplies before it is crazy busy.

And joy, joy, joy. . .
We have planned a very last minute and spontaneous trip to Skidaway Island, Georgia
to visit Amma and Tata before school starts, too!

We're so excited to have this time with them.

It will be a full day's drive from Houston to Skidaway (outside Savannah)
through new country for all of us!  The kids are pretty excited for a long road trip.
{We'll see how long the excitement lasts!}

But once we're there, we know the days will be long and relaxing.
It is so beautiful there along the inter-coastal waterway.

We're making plans for walks to the marina, swimming at the club, bike rides, golf, dinners on the patio
hoping for glimpses of the marsh's wildlife and maybe even a walking tour of Savannah!

So, we only have thirty days left, but we're going to make the most of them!

This year is going to be awesome.  It is a BIG year for all of us.
Meredith will be a senior (sigh) and David starts preK (sigh)....
Peter will be a freshman and Charlotte advances to middle school.
Claire is excited for third grade!

And mom has a new adventure beginning soon as well.
More on that another time!


Hope you are enjoying the last bit of summer where you are!

San Antonio

We had our first Texas field trip to San Antonio for the fourth of July.

You could say we celebrated our state's independence as well as our nation's.

It was a great day trip and overnight!

Claire was packed and ready to go...all decked out for the fourth!

We were super excited to visit the Alamo.

The grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed strolling around

and learning more of the history of Texas.

The Alamo is an enduring Texas symbol to the heroic resistance to oppression

and their struggle for independence in 1836.

Bottom line....Don't Mess with Texas!

We also walked along the Riverwalk and took a San Antonio River cruise!

Sno Cones were a good way to cool off after our hot afternoon of sightseeing!

The evening took us to the Market Square area where we enjoyed a yummy dinner

at La Margarita's.  

Claire was serenaded at her Baba's request with a song called

La Munequita - a song about a pretty little doll that grows up.

She was trying not to be the center of attention by coloring and only glancing up occasionally!

It was a great area of rome about after a big meal...street vendors and craftsmen, just like in Mexico!

We gathered in a city park to watch a spectacular fireworks show

and dragged very tired children back to the hotel where they fell asleep very quickly!

 Now we are home and settled into the rest of our Staycation....just good to be together

and Ian is trying his darndest to dodge calls and stay off his computer!

I think swimming and grilling will round out our day...

wondering what shall we grill tonight???