4th of July 2014

We were still in Galveston for 4th of July. We took the kiddos to the Aquarium at Moody Gardens on the morning of 7/4.

Gage LOVES aquariums. Loves them. And I love that about him.
:)

When Gage was little, we jokingly called his crib "the Gage Cage." Now that he's older, perhaps this is a more appropriate Gage Cage??

Oh sweet boy! We won't put you in a cage.
:)

While we enjoyed our aquarium visit, I have to say: it pales in comparison to some other aquariums we visited.... I'm just sayin'.... it's not "all that."

After lunch, we took the kids to what we thought would be a super-fun lunch treat...

Initially, Eliette wasn't having any of it!
We worked so hard to get some pictures....

This guy???
LOVED it.

Sister eventually warmed up to the place...

...just in time for THIS awesome dessert:

How did we end our 4th of July lunch? By building a hippo, of course.... You know---like you do on 4th of July!

In this first picture, he's putting love, wishes, and prayers into the hippo's heart. He's got the little heart in his hands. How SWEEEEEEEEEET is this child????? 

He had so much fun going through all of the little stations and creating "Hippie" the baseball playing hippo.

:)

Eliette didn't get one. Maybe when she's a little older....

Later that day there was some swimming in the pool, and more time on the beach...

There was plenty of time to hang out on the balcony....Eliette particularly enjoyed doing that.... I know there was a loooooong nap for all members of our family on that day.... there must have been dinner, though I can't remember it.... there was driving and traffic. I remember that....

.....and in the end, I soaked in a long, hot bath, and we sat on the balcony in pajamas in the dark and watched fireworks over the city, over the water, and in the distance.