Spring Break Re-cap: Part 1

PHEW! I finally have everything unpacked, washed and put away. I am still trying to figure out how on earth we ended up with TWICE as much stuff to unpack than what I originally packed to begin with. How does this happen!?!

We went to Houston, TX for our Spring Break to visit with old friends from when we lived there. It was so wonderful to go back! My cheeks seriously hurt from smiling so much! Oh, how I miss my friends there. *sniff sniff*

Our trip was GO GO GO nonstop for 10 days! We got a lot of really fun things done while we were there! I'm spitting this into 2 parts because otherwise the post would be a mile long!

First stop was the Galveston area. We stopped by Sea Wolf park to see a submarine and a destroyer escort. The boys got a huge kick out of it.


And I have to admit...it WAS pretty darn cool.

Things like this ALWAYS make me tear up and say a silent grateful prayer. Especially now because my little brother, Brett, just joined the Marines. I LOVE YOU, BRETT!

Aaron could hardly hide his excitement to see torpedoes...

and the 40mm deck guns...(Whitney was a little TOO excited)

and the depth charges...*sigh* SUCH a boy. :)

Awwww. :)

Next stop was Stewart Beach. The weather was GORGEOUS, and it was just the perfect day for the beach!


The girls had fun looking for hermit crabs and sea shells....

While Aaron "ran away from sharks"...

It was lovely. :)

Day 2, we were going to go to NASA, but then we found out that you can pay half price for admission to places if you buy the city pack! We were already planning on doing the museum, NASA and the Zoo, so we decided to go to the Battleship Texas instead.

This is what you see as you pull up to it...HOLY COW, that thing is HUUUUGE!!!

This battleship served in WWI and in WWII and played a vital part in winning the war. It was there at the Battle of Normandy as well, supporting the troops. She was also at Pearl Harbor in December of 1944, and at Iwo Jima and Okinawa providing gun fire support. This ship and it's crew did some amazing things and I was honored to get to tour it. I tried to take pictures below deck, but apparently I really stink at taking pictures in low light and the flash just reflected off of the glass windows that you look through to see the rooms. It was pretty amazing! I would absolutely DIE of claustrophobia on those things, so I have a new profound respect for the Navy. WOW. I couldn't help but think about Pearl Harbor while I was on that battleship, getting goosebumps as I thought of how horrible it would have been to drown in one of them. Being trapped would have been just horrible. :( God bless AMERICA, and all those who gave so much to keep us safe and free.


Michael got to take a private tour from one of the nice tour guides who was closing the ship when it was closing time (curses, I was wearing a cute dress from Old Navy AND it was windy so I couldn't go up! I'm sure that would have been quite a show!) The spot where they are standing is where a 280-mm shell from an enemy ship fired at them and blew up, killing 1 and wounding many others. He was very humbled to stand where someone serving our country lost his life.

Then it was out to dinner and back to the hotel for a little R&R. :)

It was a great (and very educational) first part of our vacation!