Florida Fun

After hearing about 30A from the time we moved to Texas,
we decided to head there for vacation this summer
to see what all the buzz was about.
And as we were promised,
it did not disappoint.
This area along the Gulf Coast of Florida
has crystal clear water, beautiful beaches,
tons of activities for families,
bike paths, too many restaurant options to count,
and lots of fun for kids big and small.

Highlights included swimming with wild dolphins,
snorkeling, nighttime crabbing at the beach and
fun with sparklers.
We were totally charmed by Rosemary Beach
and Seaside!

The Shore

Back in July, we had an action packed
and very full visit to the Jersey Shore and Sparta.
The girls love getting back to the beach
just as much as their mom and dad do.

We were thankful to get to spend time with so
many family members and also old friends.
We spent the days boogie boarding
and sand castle building,
watching the fireworks,
riding bikes around town,

painting seashells, enjoying art class,
going to dinner in Bay Head,
playing with our Emma and Scarlett,
celebrating cousin Matt's graduation,
cheering for Courtney in her summer musical,
testing our skills at mini golf and Jenkinson's Boardwalk,
and taste tasting Uncle John's feasts.

Back in Sparta,
we paid a visit to the Boardwalk,
our favorite playgrounds and Station Park,
rode bikes, flew kites, visited the water park
and celebrated Grandpa's birthday.
The girls spent countless hours playing
with my old dollhouse, and our final night
was dedicated to catching fireflies outside my parent's house.
All the makings of summertime classics.
Some wonderful memories from our time in NJ!

Celebrating the 4th

We all enjoyed the 4th (well the 3rd, actually) spent at the Jersey Shore.
Not much beats being at the beach for this holiday.
The cousins decided to decorate their bikes and scooters
to really get in the spirit.
We spent the whole day swimming, splashing,
boogie boarding and playing in the sand,
then headed back in the evening for fireworks.
Ryleigh decided she didn't like sitting so close to them,
but the rest of us were treated to a beautiful and long show,
in just about every direction we looked.
Just take a look at that sky - simply stunning.
And good news for our little girl,
we could watch them from Grandpa's porch
the following evening,
so she didn't totally miss out.
Definitely one of our family's favorite holidays each year!