{Padre Island 2011}

Somehow after Ava was born it has become a tradition to vacation on Padre Island at least once a summer with the family, and it is a tradition that we gladly welcome. It's such a beautiful place and we have grown so fond of many of the local stops there that each visit easily trumps the last. The ocean water is so warm and inviting in the south, and Padre Island beaches are no exception. I grew up in the frigid ocean water of the northwest and couldn't believe it when I first braved the beaches here.

We always dine at a restaurant called Doc's here on the island and have added some more favorites to the list this summer. There is nothing quite like the touristy feel of ocean-side towns, I think. Everyone is so relaxed and happy, and the food is terrific! (Keep in mind, Devin and I are seafood lovers and you really have to be to fully appreciate ocean-side cuisine.) There is a local place called Snoopy's that served us the best fish 'n chips we've ever tasted and attached to their restaurant-on-the-water is an ice cream shop called Scoopy's (so cute, huh?) that we frequented often during our week-long stay. I ordered more than once something called "sticky rice & cream" and can't wait to get it again next time we go. It is a giant scoop of warm sticky rice topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, a mini waffle-cone scoop, whipped cream and a cherry. WOW! I really need to learn how to make that rice because I could eat that everyday (not that I should). And as we ate on one of our many ice-cream-shop stops we enjoyed a group of dolphins swimming by in the bay outside. Seeing dolphins in the wild was a first for me and it was a very fun experience.

On one of our (very early) mornings we drove to the Malaquite Beach Visitor's Center on Padre Island and watched baby Sea Turtles making their way to the ocean. Also a first for me and it was amazing. They are so small and have so many challenges to face fresh out of their little eggs. Visitor Center volunteers flagged gulls away and repositioned the cute little things when waves would toss them about so they could get to their final destination with as much ease as possible. It was neat to see their persistence as they slowly inched their way to the water and waves carried them back to where they started. I felt so frustrated for the poor things, but they just kept on inching along and - wouldn't you know it - finally swam away. Phew.

I can't wait to go again next year and the kids had such fun with their Grandma and Grandpa and also their Aunt, Uncle and cousins from Utah. Ava took such a liking to Uncle Bruce, in fact, that she wouldn't let anyone else hold her for the whole duration of our trip. (Sorry Bruce, hopefully she'll let you off the hook a bit more next year, but thanks for being a trooper.)

Sigh. Well, here's to waiting until next year!