Summer Trip to the RGV

Our family made our second trip down to the Rio Grande Valley this year. We like to split the trip into 2 days of driving since it is such a far distance. So just like in March, we stopped in San Antonio for a night. We treated ourselves and stayed right on the Riverwalk and got to enjoy San Antonio's main tourist attraction to include a lovely dinner in the hub of the Riverwalk, enjoyed some ice cream and then took a boat cruise the next morning. The san Antonio Riverwalk is one of my most favorite places in this state and have lots of memories of my parents taking my brother and myself there. This was actually Nico's second trip to the Riverwalk, with the first being when he was only 2 months old and you can see those pictures here.







The day after arriving to the Valley, we headed to South Padre for the day. The beach was beautiful with white sands and blue water, much different than when I took Nico to Galveston. Nico had a blast once again playing in the cool water and making a mess in the sand. We ended the day with having lunch at an all time favorite down on the Island, Blackbeards.







One of the main purposes of heading to the Valley this summer was to be there to celebrate Nico's great-grandmother's 96th birthday. She was the absolutely best grandma I could have ever asked for while growing up and I was happy to be there for her, giving Nico another chance to see her. We took Ninny to breakfast, came home and then did presents and cake.

4th of July Weekend

The Friday before the 4th of July, Ed, his mother, Nico and I flew to Milwaukee, WI. Once arriving, we rented a car and drove three plus hours north to "The Farm." The farm has been in Ed's family for years and years. His grandmother, who recently turned 90 lives there and his family gathered to celebrate her birthday and the 4th of July. Nico and I got to meet lots of family members we never had before and Nico had a blast playing outside (since we certainly can't play outside in TX during the summer). We were actually in an area of the country in which going outside in July was very tolerable...with bug repellent.













Nico got to play with his 5th cousins, who were his age. They splashed around in the baby pool so much I thought the kids were going to turn into fish! Water fun did seem to be a trend for our little man. Nico and Ed, along with Uncle Louie and Kasey went swimming in a nearby lake. The water was so clear you could see the little fish swimming around.







Nico was able to have his first experience of fireworks while at the Farm! He got to stay up way past his bed time which was a rare treat for this little guy. Unfortunately, Nico was not a big fan of fireworks; however his experience was not a typical one. Being at the Farm, the fireworks were extra loud which scared Nico. He walked around all day saying, "oh no, boom boom!"






After the visit to the farm, we headed south to Chicago and stayed right outside the city for a night so Ed could run a race with a cousin of his. Then for the 4th of July, we traveled back north to Libertyville and spent the day and night with more family. Nico was able to squeeze in a lot more swimming and running around outside before heading back to Texas.




On the day of departure to return home, we decided to take a detour to Antich, IL, where Ed grew up. He showed his Nico the house he was raised in and they waded in the nearby lake. It was a nice was to end our trip up north.