Corpus Christi - South Padre Island

While in Corpus Christi, the weather was not great the morning we wanted to hit the beach, so with some quick planning, we ended up at the Texas State Aquarium.  Unfortunately we forgot the battery to our camera, so these pictures are not great from the disposable one we used, but it's the best we can do!

The aquarium was mostly indoors and the kids loved looking at all the fish under water.  They even got to jump into a booth for an 80 MPH hurricane wind sample and loved getting blown away!

 Outdoor part of the aquarium which was right next door to the USS Lexington

 We watched their 30 minute animal show and had fun watching for alligators and sharks!

 The lineup:  Bex, Matt, Emily and finally Katie

 We got to pet a turtle named Walker (which we quickly deemed "Walker, Texas Ranger)

 Loving the dolphins! 

 Petting the sting rays

 In the afternoon, the sun came out and we were all ready to hit the beach!  We drove about an hour out to South Padre Island and found the perfect spot!

 We built a sandcastle

 Took turns burying eachother in the sand

 Went out as far as we could in the big waves!

Sam, Bex and Matt way out there!

 Played

 and played
(I love Sam posing in this pic which he thought I was taking of him and not Bex)

 AND played!!!

 Katie ready to run out in the waves again!

 Emily digging and scooping with our beach toys

 Matthew and Bex heading back in

 Katie would go so far out in the waves and when she would come back in, she would end up so far down the beach from us!

Matthew loved running and chasing the gulls!

 Bex had fun filling buckets with water, sand, anything she could find!

 We had so much fun in Corpus Christi!  We got to see some of our favorite friends in the whole wide world, swim in the hotel pool, tour the aquarium and spent hours at the beach!  Driving home Sunday night, we were beat!  It was a long trip but well worth the fun memories we made there!  We will definitely have to plan another trip down there!