Galveston Bay

After a fun summer of family visiting, we finally took an opportunity to be the visitors. For a fleeting 24 hour period, we visited the Harrison's house on Galveston Bay. It was so nice to have some time away from home. And we loved catching up with friends. And, of course, our weekend was really helped by some good friends of ours that helped out with Scout while we were gone. We're lucky. What can I say?

What would a weekend with the Shuler family be without me baking or testing out a new recipe? Last week, I helped a friend build her wedding registry at Williams Sonoma. To say the least, it was a dangerous environment for me. I bought a couple of small items (including decor for the new dining room table I get to pick up in ONE month!), but I steered mostly clear of the things I could have gotten in trouble with.

One of the items that intrigued me was a Brookster pan. It's a special pan that looks like an over sized muffin tin. It's specially made for these fantastic little brownie/cookie treats. You could even buy the mix if you wanted to be really lazy. Since we all know that I am cheap and like the more difficult route, I went home and made my own Brooksters from scratch. With a pan I already own. Winning recipe right here.

Cullen's greatest excitement about Galveston was getting to see boats, so we made the pier our very first stop. Cullen got to see so many boats, and he really loved watching them go on the water.  

James flourished in his dad duties by pointing out the fun things to Cullen.

Last time I was at the Harrison's bay house was almost ten years ago. A couple of hurricanes and the passage of time later, the house looked very much the same and so much more beautiful. Ann did an amazing job with the landscaping and decor. I took quite a few pictures this weekend of things that inspired me for our dream home.

 Of course, Cullen was thrilled to find a swimming pool in their backyard. As a mom, it was such a relief to know that we didn't have to get into the open water. Cullen was even a good sport for sunscreen application.

And he was so patient while we got ready to swim.

He couldn't be any happier here. Not at all. 

 

Of course, Cullen and James shared some deep talks before Cullen decided that it was time to go upstairs.

After a short passage of time, he passed out next to me on the couch. I cherish moments like these.

  We all know that Cullen looks like his daddy. He also snores like his daddy.

After Cullen's late afternoon nap, James wanted to take Cullen fishing. We didn't catch anything, but Cullen enjoyed watching the fish jump.

The next morning, we woke up to an amazing rainstorm. I took Cullen out to the seawall, and we sat in the car and watched the surf roll in. It reminded me so much of loving the beach as a kid.

Of course, Cullen enjoyed lunch over the water before we left town. I felt so classy walking into a restaurant holding the hand of the kid carrying a bag of Cheetos. He was happy, so I think it worked.

After his Cheetos snack, he played with a plantain. He loved making his sad face and happy face. His favorite was pretending to be Grandpa Wiley, because Grandpa Wiley has a mustache. 

 

Considering my remarkable job of feeding him earlier in the day, Cullen passed out of the car ride home with a jalapeno chip in his hand. I promise we feed him nutritious food... 

 

Last night, Cullen and I met my mom for dinner at Piatto's to celebrate her birthday. Cullen was such a great sport for a long dinner. He ate loads of bread and played with Wiki Stix. I've never seen them before, but I don't understand why every restaurant doesn't have them instead of crayons. I spent the entire meal making new shapes for Cullen while he played quietly. Such a precious boy and great time with my mom. 

 This weekend, James is headed to the deer lease, and Cullen and I get a quiet weekend at home. I'm holding out hope for a nap together on Saturday!

xoxo ashley