Friday, January 07, 2011

A Beachy Chrsitmas

I hesitate to even bring up anything Christmas-y at this point in January, but I would be remiss if I didn't share at least a couple of photos of our 4 day family Christmas excursion to Crystal Beach, Texas.

After hurricane Ike destroyed the entire Bolivar Peninsula in 2008, our family temporarily dropped our custom of renting a beach house for Christmas, but this year, the area has made a real comeback, and although there are still many, many scars from the devastating storm, die hard beach folk have rebuilt a substantial number of homes...and every one of them is brand new and beautiful. Here was our place...wowza, it was really nice...

They had it decorated cute for Christmas...love these beachy ornaments...

...on this faux palm tree...complete with little white lights...

We had ONE and only one day where it was decent enough weather to actually walk on the beach...and that was Christmas Day...it was COLD, but sunny and the wind was not as blustery as it proved to be the rest of the time...
The North wind kept the surf at a flat calm that day...love sparkly diamond-like water..it's one of my favorite things...
 The rest of the time however, the wind was out of the South at about 30 mph and the surf was terribly rough...and even though it was South wind, it was still quite cold, so, we stayed inside...which was actually a blessing, because we really had a chance to reconnect with one another, which is why we do this in the first place. We played LO Ts of games...Chicken Foot dominoes, Boggle, Catch Phrase, and so many more. Plus, everyone in my family LOVES to cook, so we split up the cooking duties and produced an awesome array of yummy dishes...everything from Turkey Taco Soup to Jalapeno Shrimp Pasta to Scrambled Eggs and Ham Quesadillas...and my yearly specialty...Biscuits with Sausage Gravy.


I am so blessed to have my sweet family. We love each other very much and even though we live fairly close to one another (all within an hour or so drive), our busy lives keep us apart more than we like, so we cherish this opportunity for intense time together...
OK, that's it for me for anything related to Christmas 2010, New Year's Day, etc...I'm done and beyond ready to jump into all the year 2011 has to offer! And with a strong wind at my back, a loving husband and family for support, and my incredible God in the lead, there's no telling what adventures await!

Hugs & Blessings friends!

7 comments:

  1. Love that beach house! My dream would to sit by the water and paint all day long...Happy New Year.

    come by and ssay hello,

    Dianne
    kitsch n Stuff

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  2. Love the beach photo! Sounds like a wonderful time.
    Deb

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  3. Oh I would love to feel sand and water between my toes. It is cold and snowy here in Michigan! Blessings!

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  4. Love this post, Becky! Sparkling water is also one of my favorite things!! Glad you had a good time in spite of the wind and cold. I can handle either one by themselves, but together...not fun for me!! However, I can enjoy the beach no matter what the weather!! The view alone is divine!

    Thank you for your comments on my fabric collage! It was so much fun to do since there are no rules! Go for it! You'll love it!!

    Hope your new year is wonderful!! Thanks for popping by!! :o)
    HUGS,
    Becky

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  5. Hi Becky,
    What a wonderful Christmas you spent with family. I am so glad you had a special time. The beach house looks divine and the fun with games and yummy dishes was the icing on the cake.
    Crystal beach looks incredible for a little vacation.
    Blessings to you my friend for a wonderful 2011 and I have no doubt with your talents and dear heart, it will be fabulous!
    Hugs,Celestina Marie

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  6. I don't know if I could feel Christmasy on the beach, but if the sun was shining I would sure give it a try!

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  7. It sounds wonderful!

    For years, Joe and I have wanted to rent a beach house for us, our 2 grown sons and 2 grandsons. Hasn't happened yet, but I'm still hoping! And the games sounded like lots of fun.

    Haven't been to Crystal Beach, but Galveston is my favorite place in Texas (Waxahachie comes in 2nd) and we hope to rent someplace on the west side of the island.

    Galveston has done a marvelous job of cleanup after Hurricane Ike. We were there less than a year afterwards and it was amazing.

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