Florida, Part I

We're back from Florida, and we have fun memories and lots of pictures as a result.  We are so very blessed to be able to do this trip most every year.  I still remember the first time Shaun and I went together to visit his Nana in St. Petersburg....we'd been married just a year or two.  I could look it up because I know Shaun's birthday fell on Easter Sunday.

I remember that Nana left a rather large Easter basket outside our door and I didn't even know what it was for...if you can believe it, I didn't know a thing about Easter baskets.  All I'd ever known is that you got a new church outfit and the special food of the day was whatever was being served at the sunrise service breakfast.  Ah...the life of a pastor's kid.  :)

Anyway!  I have no idea how many years we've gone down, but we're grateful for each one, especially now that we have kids who can know and have a relationship with their great-grandparents.  What a gift!

We opted to drive again, which I really enjoy.  The kids are amazing travelers and Shaun is a driving/staying awake machine, so, at least for our family, it works well.

The original plan was to leave around 6:30 PM when Shaun got home from work, but he didn't get home until almost 9.  The kids attacked him with birthday cards and we sang to him.  

The kids (headed by Avery) had already loaded up the car, so we were off by 9:30.  Shaun got us through D.C., then we switched drivers in Virginia at 5 AM, after I'd slept the entire night.  We stopped as needed, but not excessively.  The kids read, watched movies, slept.

I looked back at the Florida post the first year I was blogging...it was brief and concise.  This year, not so much.  But, you wouldn't still be reading my blog if you were looking for concise so I don't feel too bad.  Unless, of course, you are family and feel a bit of an obligation to keep up with what's going on.  Then...well, you're stuck with us.  :)

 Avery lost a tooth, just sitting in the car!

 We arrived just in time to watch the sunset along the highway.

 The next day, we hit the pool at the over 55 community pool.  Some were thrilled and delighted by the excitement of youth, others were not.

Throughout the day the remainder of the family arrived.  We had Shaun, his sister, two brothers, his dad and all their families.  Together, we made of group of 20!

 Hunting for lizards.

 After dinner, we hit the pool at our hotel.

 And the kids put on a talent show for us.