We're back!!!

We made it back from the coast....all the way....2800 miles later! What an adventure! We left Saturday, March 14 and 4:00 am and made it to Kansas around 2 and spent some wonderful quality time with Bella, Jenny and Travis....the two little ones really enjoyed each others company:)
We then traveled down to OK City and visited the OK City National Memorial...a beautiful exhibit of love and remembrance to those lost in the tragedy...Jason and I remember that so well and were struck by the emotion that welled up within us...violence affects so many people, and it was incredible to see this place and think about what happened and how our nation has never been the same since then...
we then visited the Myriad Gardens-which are gorgeous!-OK City was so green, not what I had expected, but we enjoyed fountains (which Jonas was scared of, by-the-way...the closer we got, the harder he cried...I guess fountains are not at all like experiencing bathtime:), flowers, and even some sun-bathing turtles:)
We then got off the main road and explored a smaller town, Paul's Valley that had, much to Jason's enjoyment, a Toy and Action-Figure Museum..., and for those of you that know my husband, this was quite a find...good old Oklahoma, full of surprises! Jonas loved the little model-T and the Bat Mobile that he could ride in...O my dear boys...I love it when you are happy:)

That night we arrived late at our hotel in San Antonio, TX and spent the next day exploring the Alamo...so neat! This snippet of the past is tucked deep withing the heart of a busy city, so all around its walls are sky-scrapers, such a different viewpoint than what the defenders saw as they looked out at the approaching Mexican army...it was so neat to think that this building is nearly 300 years old...as our nations infrastructure is fairly new, compared to Europe and other nations, it was so neat to read and learn more about this time in history...it really was the Wild West, and the desperation that those men and women must have felt as they held on for two weeks, must have been intense. My brothers and I grew up watching Davy Crockett, and as this was where he spent much of his time and where he eventually died, it was cool to make that connection as well....it wasn't just a story about an all-American hero, it really happened! Beautiful gardens encompass the interior walls of the mission and Jonas particularly loved trying to grab at the various tropical plants:) We also explored the famous River-Walk in San Antonio...a cool walkway below the streets of the city next to the river...little restaurants, shops, peddlers, and even some small ferry boats make this a quaint and fun escape from the heat up above:)If you are ever in San Antonio, this is a must-stop!
We then made our way down to Corpus Christi and onto Padre Island National Seashore
where we camped for 5 days and 4 nights on the beach, using our van and tent...
for all of you that like camping, this is amazing and a must for you! We were able to camp anywhere we wanted to on the beach and it was totally free....I couldn't believe it....we spent the whole week there, and only spent $10 for the entrance fee, so it is certainly a cheap option for lodging:) However, it was pretty primitive...no water or electrical hookups, pit toilets, and the only showers are cold-water and they are about a mile walk from South Beach, but after a long hot day in the sun, cold showers aren't so bad! I found myself looking forward to a cold shower, and felt very refreshed:) I think I could live there for awhile...and hopefully someday soon Jason and I will head down there again for a sea-turtle-hatchling release...but alas, none were to be found on this trip, apparently they make their appearance in late April and stick around until the end of summer. The beaches were gorgeous white sand with the dunes behind and we spent our days swimming,, playing in the sand,
( one of us particularly enjoyed eating it as well....) hiking the island and the beach (thanks to our wonderful baby-carrier backpack) and watching gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, and even watching some amazing birds as well...pelicans, whooping cranes, long-billed curlews and various sand-pipers....I could get into this birding thing...they are fascinating:) We also got some quality reading time on the beach... and a favorite time for Jason and I:)...complete with a gorgeous view (here is the back of our campsite...the dunes (they even smelled good:)
We saw a couple Portuguese-Man-O War on the beach, thankfully after we had gone swimming for the day...they are such bizarre creatures, and I could see why people get stung...I wanted to touch it, but I was glad to know better! They are so colorful and other-worldly!

We then headed to Arlington (outside Fort Worth) and stayed with some family and enjoyed some Chick-fil-A, which was really fun for Jason as he remembers loving Chick-fil-A as a kid...we had a relaxing evening there and then the next morning, after some delicious blueberry pancakes, made our way to Kansas City where we met Kari, Emerson and Ane for dinner and some playtime-complete with carousel-riding:)
and then arrived in Des Moines for the night around 9:30...we played disc golf this morning with Derek and then headed to Ames for lunch with Angela and Joel, and then picked up Bailey in Story City and made it home around 5:45....home sweet home with piles and piles of dirty, sandy laundry....O how I wish I was a kid again and could just go to bed while all the unpacking and cleaning got done without me:) But it was an amazing trip...we are so thankful for a baby that loves to travel like his Mommy and Daddy...God knows us so well and has blesses us with this little easy-going man! Jonas was such a trooper, and loved loved loved the ocean...
he is walking now, running actually, when we hold his hands and that is where he always wanted to go...right to the waters edge, but that is where he also wanted to stop...no deeper Daddy! He slept like a log on the beach (the ocean does wonders for lulling a baby to sleep:)
and he couldn't get enough of the sand... and he especially loved watching the gulls fly by overhead...he would wave his arms really fast and smile and reach up, like he wanted to join them:)
Enjoy the pics! I will add some more later... I am getting sleepy really quickly...:)