South Padre Island Love

This is a picture that sums up who I am.  On the beach, in a swimsuit, seagulls all around, and the water nearby.  I fell in love with the ocean on my trip to South Padre Island, when I was a little girl.  It was a shared passion with my Dad and I.  We would go and jump waves.  As I got older we boogie-boarded.  The ocean has always been my thing.  My pause, my peace, my time to just be.  I find it fascinating how I find so much joy in being in the water and watching each wave go by deciding if I'm going jump over it, swim through it, or lift my feet and ride up with it.  I can spend hours doing this, and I'm not even joking.  So...South Padre.  My grandparents are snowbirds and have been making the trek from their Nebraska farm to their place in South Padre every winter.  In the past few 10 years, my extended family decided to create a February reunion down at South Padre Island.  They would get a huge house, and everyone would get a room.  Of course not everyone could come, so usually it was my aunts and uncles and whichever of their offspring could make.  Our family is huge.  See attached list of all of my family (my uncle put this together!)   I had yet to make this trip, but each time was so wishing I was there.

This year I told Russell was the year we were going.  All of us!  I wanted to show Russell and the kids where I fell in love with the ocean.  I wanted to spend some time with my grandma and grandpa and my other family.  Russell did some travel hacking and we made it happen.  It was hard not feel guilty about leaving work, but at the same time family and travel is important.  The whole thing was such a blast.  From the plane rides there, to joining up with Grandma and Grandpa, to the amazing place we stayed, and the family time!  We didn't get the best weather (of course!) and the ocean water was freezing but we persisted!  Here are some of the photos of our journey.

Love my family, love my ocean!

Momma