Daugherty Beach Trip 2021

I'm going to do my best to remember this trip. Being 3 years ago, it's gonna be tough. I do remember the circumstances that brought us to stay a different beach house than the one we had originally booked. Hurricane Nicholas had just stormed it's way through Galveston just about 2 days before our trip. It had damaged the original beach house we had planned to stay in and almost all of Galveston was without power when we were trying to figure out if we needed to cancel the whole thing. We contacted the rental company that owned the beach house we had booked and asked if there were any other properties they owned and rented out with vacancies, no damage and had power. There was just one that fit us all!! Vacation mode activate!

The funny thing is I had already looked at this beach house while we were searching for one that fit the whole family and liked the look of it. But my dad didn't like it because there is technically a private drive right in front of it you have to cross to get to the actual beach. It's sooo short and not very busy, but he was right. It was sort of a hassle compared to the ease of previous years because we had to make sure the kids were looking for cars before crossing each time. (you know kids, they see the beach and start running each time!!) Again not a big deal at all. We just like the convenience of no streets of any kind between us and the ocean. We also make sure the beach house we book is on a part of the beach that is private, meaning no one is allowed to drive on the beach or park on it, for this reason too. What we didn't realize before saying yes to this property for our beach stay was that the 4th bedroom was beach level, separate from the rest of the beach house. Sure it had it's own bathroom and all, but it was weird for it to have it's own entrance and to be so separated from the rest of the house. We were there to be together, not separated. Plus it was a bit weird deciding which family unit would stay down there. It worked out ok, but not ideal.

Ok, now that I've divulged the logistics of our beach house roulette, let's back up just a tad to the excitement of getting to the beach!! That first picture above is of the kids waiting to get picked up by Marmee and Pappaw. They could not wait! I also rode with the kids and Sam drove up on his own. He wasn't sure with his leg if he would be able to stay the whole 4 days we had planned to be there. We stopped at the Spot for lunch which had regained power just in time for us to eat there before arriving at the beach house.

After we settled in to our rooms we hit the beach for the remainder of sunlight that day. Ended up being a good 2 hours. We found a ton of hermit crabs which the kids loved! Honestly, I did too. So cute! Sam and Atlas kicked the soccer ball around, Xan enjoyed smashing sand shapes, Jane flew a kite with Pappaw and Flynn loved the water funnel and seemed to enjoy getting sandy/muddy. It was a lovely evening that finished with playing on the porch with a beautiful sunset. Sometimes I wonder what I would remember if it weren't for the pictures I take of trips because I definitely was reminded of a lot of things that first evening just by looking through the pictures.

Some happy kids crab hunting with Pappaw and Uncle Scott! Afterwards the kids went to sleep and the adults played some board/card games. I never seem to take pictures of that. I remember we played a new game Scott had gotten me for my birthday, Blockbuster and we also played a new game I got him which was the Hot Seat. We enjoyed them both! I don't remember which nights we played what though. (found out through the next series of pictures that we played old games the first night and the new ones the second night)

Day 2 was filled to the brim with beachy fun! One thing about a hurricane having just came through is that it made the water a lot clearer than I'm used to seeing in Galveston. I could see my toes in the shallow water and it almost looked blue out on the horizon. That never happens! Xan's pony tail curls were my fav. Flynn seemed the most at peace with sand all over his face. He kept trying to look in the popping bubble holes. When we took an afternoon break for naps that day we also did presents, cake and scotcharoos for a little birthday celebration. Rested up we were ready for round 2 on the beach. Atlas was happy to find a frog on our way back for the evening. We ended the beachiness of the day with night crab hunting again, but this time Sam joined us. The kids loved having him come with us. Xan especially loved looking at the crabs up close. After the kids were in bed we played some more board/card games.

We spent as much time on the beach as possible on day 3. It's out last day to really enjoy it because on check out day we don't have enough time to get back out on the beach except for a quick walk before we have to leave. So much family fun was had! Beach snack breaks, digging holes, kite flying, lunch at Nate's, burying Jane and shaping her into a dress, wave jumping and Flynn just kept watching those bubbles popping out of the holes on the beach. Sam ended up leaving midday on this day. His leg was starting to swell up more from all the activity, so he decided to play it safe. From what I remember we were all too tired after day 3 to play any games or crab hunt. My mom, Scott and myself stayed up just a bit to chat and all went to bed not too long after the kids did.

Checkout day is always so fast. We're not early risers. By the time we're up and moving, we barely have time to eat breakfast before it's time to pack up and hit the road. I try to pack up our stuff as much as possible the day before so I can get it all together quickly the morning of and get out of the way with my 4 crazies as everyone else packs up. While we're staying out of the way, we try to fit in a quick walk on the beach. Inevitably, someone goes a bit farther into the waves than planned and gets their shorts wet. Thankfully there were extra shorts easily retrieved from the back of the car. We found a dead jellyfish and fish on our walk this time. We almost stepped on the jellyfish! Once we made it back to Kingwood we stopped at Cilantro's to have lunch to end our trip. It was a little different than the trip we had planned at a beach house with a little more space and no road between us and the beach, but it was still a great time filled with wonderful family memories. <3

Psalm 93

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;

 you are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,

the floods have lifted up their voice;

the floods lift up their roaring.

Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the Lord on high is mighty!

Your decrees are very trustworthy;

holiness befits your house,

O Lord, forevermore.