A most unusual Halloween

 Here in Nevada Halloween Day is also Nevada Day...an official no school holiday.   That combined with a teacher prep day(s) and the weekend gives the kids 4-5 day of no school.  So for years several families in the ward head to Carlsbad Beach State Park in California for these days off.   This year with no family here and not visiting family elsewhere we decided to join in.

What a fun way to spend Halloween!

Friday night dinner...Shrimp boil. 

Nightly jamming around the fire. 

Saturday morning started with a 5k run through the campground.

Eddy Coranado

Lots of relaxing and just snoozing on the beach

Karl cooking is dutch oven potatoes for the BBQ Rib dinner on Saturday.

 

Sunset was just happening as Karl was cooking.

 The teenagers from our group were having a rousing game of something.

Then it turned in to a beach sunset photo shoot.

 

 

Halloween was fun. Campers strung lights and decoration and carved pumpkins. Kids and adults dressed up and went from campsite to campsite trick or treating. It was too dark for good photos so I just enjoyed the festivities.

 

 Sunday morning walk on the beach before church

 The stairs down to the beach were a workout.

It was such a fun weekend.   The only thing that would have been better would have been to have our kids and little people with us...then it would have been perfect!

More Spring break fun

Monday Chad headed off to work 

and we headed to Galveston to the Moody Gardens aquarium.
The girls and I had a great time looking at all the under sea creatures

while Janet chased little Benicio who just wanted to run.

The weather was surprisingly beautiful
so we headed to Galveston beach.

Have I ever mentioned...I love Galveston beaches.

You can't go to the beach without building a sand castle.

And collection shells

 So the girls and I built a sand castle

 ...while Janet chased Benicio.

Have I ever mentioned that I love Janet.

Houston Day 4

The Beach

 Saturday late afternoon there was a four Stake Youth Beach activity at Stewart Beach in Galveston.  Since Chad is the scout master and councs in the YM presidency he felt obligated to attend.  Perfect...we wanted to go to the beach anyway.     Of course the beach was crazy crowded (from my perspective)  with tons of teenagers...and a lot of really cute modest swimsuits.

 Our sand castle complete with moat.

 

 The water was so warm but the waves were really coming in stirring up the sand.

 We were so sandy from head to toe

...hence, why Chad  installed an outdoor shower.   

Strip'em down and shower them off with no sand getting tracked in to the house.

Has kind of a tropical resort feel...showering outside in the dark to the hum and buzz of all the nocturnal critters.

Checking out a new beach

 El Jardin Beach  on Galveston Bay,

 just a quick 10 minutes from Chad and Janet's new house.

 Somebody was not impressed

 But the rest of us really liked it.

 It's a nice little beach.

with nice warm water.

 A Pelican pole convention

 Hermit Crabs Violet gathered up.

 Enjoying the waves.

The  Hermit Crab get-away.

"Quick guys, scatter before the little girl comes back"

Watching a kite surfer.

I think we will be going back real soon.