Beach bums!

Summer is here and has been crazy busy.

Here are a few photos of my little "beach bums", pardon the pun. Both my kids would live at the beach and pool if they could. We actually spent so much time in the sun, the last couple of weeks, I welcome the rain and cool upper 80's we've had since the fourth of July holiday.

The Bevins family has joined us on many occasions. They can hang tough with the best OBXers. their conversion is complete.

Ezra has been surfing on daddy's back... WITH a life jacket.

.

Jaida loves to play with and eat the sand

Jaida and me @ the YMCA pool, just chillin.

A great side effect is they are completely toast on the car ride home.

Aunt Nikki and Jaida.

I think my favorite part of a beach day is after all the fun and the nap on the way home and a hardy meal of spaghetti or La Fogatas. Everyone gets all cleaned up. Showers; baths; lotion; fresh clothes. You feel all warn out, in that really good way. Your belly is full and your all fresh and clean and....ready to go to bed. You can even see the feel good on your babies faces. They are so happy.

Ezra and Jaida on just such an occasion. Happy Summer!!!!

Buffy warning look no further!!!

This critter, rest his soul, was living under our sandbox. The biggest fattest black widow I have ever seen. Not that I've seen a bunch. O.K. I have only seen three, including this one, this is the fattest. Just a nasty little surprise in my blog for all you arachniphobics. (that word was so big that the spell check had no suggested spellings).

that weird globb above the spider is one of two egg sacks.

Trip to Myrtle Beach

Recently we were invited to go to Myrtle Beach by Walking on Water to do a Luis Palau event. Noah and Jesse had the opportunity to speak briefly at this big "Beach Fest" event. Kinda looked like a christian lalapaluza. They had BMX demos, skate demos, surf camps, Bands, various pro athletes to share. Pretty cool. Here are a lot of pictures from that trip. We took this chance to also have our first Snyder family Vacation. All made possible by God and Walking on Water/Luis Palau ministries, cause we could have never afforded to go and stay in Myrtle beach, other wise. We had such a good time. Ezra is still talking about how he "loved that hotel in myrtle beach".

Nascar Speedway Park

We knew we could not avoid Ezra's dream come true...the Nascar Speedway Park! He was absolutely so thrilled to the point of being totally overwhelmed. He was just so happy. This is the part, as a parent, where you just enjoy life, and things you may not have ever done on your own, through your child's eyes. I mean Nascar!? Never in my weirdest dreams did I think I would know anything about nascar let alone go near a race car. Ezra is educating me quickly. Tony Stuart drives for Home depot, for example.

Not sure who was having more fun Ezra or Noah.

Ripleys Aquarium

On Fathers Day we got up and went to the Ripleys Aquarium. So much fun! I think I loved it more than anyone else. But I have always been a national geographic nerd. Ezra went from wonder and excitement, to terrified and back again. We had to keep reminding him that the fish could not come through the glass, especially the sharks.

What amazing creatures God made in his infinite creativity. Awesome Beauty!

Jaida was just taking it all in. Daddy enjoyed his family at the aquarium. What a good Dad to endure the kayos on fathers day.

Car Show
Ezra got to go to his first car show. Also a dream for the lil' man.

The amenities

They put us up at an really nice condo off a golf course. It had such a beautiful view, and was so nice and quiet. We had our own living rm and kitchen, which is a blessing when you are traveling with kids on a budget. That alone was so fun for us and our chick peas.

Also Jesse and Rachel's dad Rick and step mom Jenny had us over for a delicious steak dinner at their beautiful home one night, for fathers day. Rachel, Brad and kids were there, Jess and Whit and many Dogs, Chickens, and frogs. Ezra, Seth, and Emily had a blast!

I told Ezra Courtney's duck story, see courts blog, and he was convinced that they were the same ducks that lived @ our condo.