FLO RIDA

Sometimes giving in to peer pressure is a good thing. Like, when your sister tells you she is going to spend a long weekend visiting another sister in Florida at the end of April and suggests that you go too. Once the idea was out there I couldn't get it off my mind. Thanks to a slew of variables falling into place we spent almost five days on the Gulf Coast of Florida and had a great time.

We caught an insanely early flight to Pensacola and then drove about 45 minutes to Melanie's home in Navarre, arriving around 11:30am. The kids were incredibly excited about waking up "when it was still dark."

Luckily they caught a little shut eye on the plane.

We were excited to see Leah, brand new cousin born February 17th, and see the area that Melanie and Andrew call home these days. We ate lunch and then were off to the beach!

We had such a fun afternoon at the beach! It was the kids' first time in the ocean and they loved it! I was worried it was going to be a letdown, we'd been talking about going to the ocean a lot in the days and weeks leading up to our trip, but they both had a total blast wading into the waves and playing in the sand. We only left because we were all exhausted and starting to wilt.

Even though we rinsed off in the ocean, then again in the showers on the dock, we still found ourselves covered with sand when we got back to Melanie's place. We all took a bath or shower, slept, then enjoyed a relaxing evening with the Staritas. The boys played baseball while the girls watched Tangled. Will was excited to find tiny frogs on the outside windows as it started to get dark.

We all slept well that night.

We started the morning off slowly and then headed back to the beach. The only unfortunate part of our stay was that thunderstorms and rain were in the forecast at least part of every day we were there, meaning we had to plan our beach trips around them.

 Lojo was a little too nonchalant for my liking around the jellyfish we found washed up on the shore.

Another great day at the beach! It was much hotter than it had been the day before, and the lost sleep was starting to catch up with the kids, so after a few hours we headed home.

It rained quite a bit that afternoon while we clean up and rested.  Lauren never liked to be far from Leah's side. She often referred to her as "Melanie's precious baby" during our time there.

Then Melanie and I headed to the airport to pick up Jill and then everyone went out to eat some delicious barbeque.

(A picture from their practice session)

Sunday we went to church and Melanie and Andrew treated us to an inspiring musical number. Our kids went to primary AND attended their classes. They are shy enough I wasn't sure they would go without knowing anyone in their classes, but they did. Melanie is in the primary presidency and she took this picture of the kids getting the "Hello Song" sung to them. Lauren still talks about people singing hello to her.

After Sunday naps and dinner we went to the beach with the intention of taking a gorgeous evening walk along the shore. Turns out it is harder to keep the kids dry at the beach than I thought it would be.

 I just can't believe this is a 5 minute drive from Melanie's house?!?!

Root beer floats in over-sized containers and visiting rounded out a fun night.

The forecast for Monday was pretty bleak, so we headed to the beach right after breakfast. We only saw 3 other people the entire time we were there.

 

The water was perfectly warm, but it was breezy enough outside you had to commit. Once you got in the water you pretty much had to stay in it because the wind cooled you off pretty fast. Will opted to never submerge and had great time. Lauren went straight into the water and then suffered in a towel the last half hour we were there. We heard thunder and lightning while we played on the beach and finally decided we better head back.

We were really hoping the storm would pass quickly and we would be able to go on a harbor cruise in the afternoon. Unfortunately once it started the rain never really stopped. The kids played with Leah and worked on puzzles while we decided what to do. We decided to check out the National Museum of Naval Aviation and headed to Pensacola for the rest of the afternoon.

By the time we got there we only had about 45 minutes to explore. You really needed a couple of hours to do the place justice. Will was fascinated by all the jets and asked tons of questions. 

The rain cleared up while during our drive home and as it was our last night we decided to check out the Navarre Pier.

 

According to Wikipedia, the Navarre Pier is the longest pier in Florida. We saw lots of cool sea birds, fish and even a sea turtle swimming off the side. There were tons of fishermen and we saw two reel in King Mackerels. The kids were both fascinated and a bit horrified.

That night the kids played with Leah, we ate some delicious homemade pizza, played nertz and had one last round of root beer floats.

Our flight was scheduled to leave Tuesday night, so we had one last chance to get on a cruise. Many thanks to Anthony and his diligent efforts in tracking down the ONE dolphin/shelling cruise that left and returned in time for us to clean up and make our flight.

Due to the storm we didn't see very many dolphins. Luckily there were just enough that the kids were able to see them.

The unexpected highlight of the cruise was the shelling excursion. Tony and I were silently wondering if the price we paid was worth it until we were able to get off the boat and explore the tide pools off of Okaloosa Island. To say the kids has a blast would be an understatement. Though initially nervous, Will very quickly got into hunting for hermits crabs. He ended up finding over thirty! Lauren loved basking in the sand and shallow water, calling herself both a sand monster and a mermaid.

 25 week bump

Hermit crab race once we were back on board.

After the cruise we headed back to Melanie's to clean up and then head to the airport. We were not excited to be leaving, but at least we had a great time! Many thanks to Andrew, Melanie, Jill and Leah for making our trip a smashing success!

Bye, Florida!

As with most of our trips to visit family, we always wish we lived closer together. But, having family live around the U.S. is giving us reasons to explore parts of the country we don't see often. Will in particular is very interested in United States geography and wants to visit every state ASAP. So, Minnesota, Utah, Boston, Michigan and North Carolina--we're coming for you!

2015 :: week 18

April 26

We had a fun Sunday with the Staritas and Jill. Just before eating pork chops and rice for dinner we found out that my mom had been admitted to the hospital and would be getting her gall bladder out the next morning. It was good to be with family when we found out the bad news.

April 27

It rained every day we were in Florida (except Sunday) but Monday was the worst. We headed to Pensacola to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in the late afternoon. The drive took longer than we anticipated, making our time there short. Even though we weren't there long it was a neat experience. Will is really interested in rockets, jets, planes and the like so we followed him as he ran from jet to jet rather than taking a traditional tour.

April 28

Tuesday was our last day in Florida. We booked a late flight so we could fit in one last beach trip. Anthony made several phone calls and found the only dolphin and shelling tour in available in Destin that morning. The forecast called for a storm that afternoon, but we never saw more than a light sprinkling. We didn't see a very many dolphins either, but we did see a lot of hermit crabs. Will alone "caught" 32. He wasn't sure he wanted to catch them at first, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for him, so I'm glad we went.

April 29

We took things as slow as we could Wednesday morning. We arrived home around midnight and only Anthony set an alarm. He had a midmorning flight to Boston (for work) so he worked from home before he left. The kids convinced him to put together some puzzles with him after they woke up almost an hour later than normal.

April 30

I took Lauren to get her hair cut while Will was at school Thursday afternoon. Nothing like a $7.99 haircut sale at Great Clips to motivate me to get it her hair trimmed. Will gets his hair cut every 6-8 weeks and Lauren has been jealous of all the attention and treats he receives when he gets his hair cut. She had waited a long time for this and was perfectly behaved while the stylist combed and trimmed her hair. It isn't much of a change, just a few inches off the back, but it looks a lot healthier than before.

May 1

It has taken me awhile to get caught up to speed post trip. The kids have been a bit grumpy and I haven't had quite as much energy so it seems like we're constantly at odds. Everyone was glad when TJ arrived back on the scene Friday night. After a fancy dinner at the Costco food court we took a walk and played outside. We've had a great spring this year.

May 2

Saturday night we went on another walk to build up the kids' endurance and ended with some playtime at the park. It was another gorgeous spring evening.

2015 :: week 17

April 17

Sunday evening we had dinner at my parent's house and we brought the kids bikes over for a quick pre-dinner walk. I have fond memories of taking Sunday evening walks with my family growing up and it was fun to do the same with my kids too. Will and Lauren were happy to show off their ever-improving bike and trike riding skills.

April18

We are taking a trip to Washington DC next month and will need to be in good walking shape as we are not renting a car. Monday morning I decided we were going to walk to library story time to test the waters. The library is exactly 1 mile from our home. While things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, we did make it there on time. Barely. And the kids didn't complain about the walk home either. We've tried to take at least a one mile long walk a day since.

April 19

 The first thing Will does in the morning is check the baseball scores from the night before.

April 20

We finally got around to checking out Mill Creek Park Wednesday afternoon. The kids loved it! Will rode the zip line over and over. It's fun to see him be more adventurous. Lauren ate some raspberries I brought for a snack and part of the berries smeared on her face. Other kids kept thinking she had blood on her face, and I didn't have any wipes to clean it off, so my attempts to clean it just made it look worse.

April 21

Anthony and the kids participated in his office's Take Your Children to Work Day for the second time on Thursday. Will and Lauren were probably the most excited about waking up early and riding the bus downtown. He and his co-workers did an awesome job of planning a fun day for the kids. I had a great day too! After dropping them off at the bus stop I took a walk, had a dentist appointment, went visiting teaching, drove downtown and had lunch with Anthony and the kids, then spent the afternoon cleaning.

April 22

We woke up incredibly early Friday morning, like 3:15am early, to catch our flight to Florida, but by lunchtime our kids were playing in the ocean for the first time. I've never been good at vacationing, planning trips or spending money, so I was a bit stressed about whether or not it would be worth it to go. But seeing the excited, giddy looks on my kids faces as they splashed in the water was all I needed to feel good about it.

April 23

Day 2 on the beach. We spent a few hours at the beach midday Saturday and had a really great time. I can't get over the fact that my sister lives less than 10 minutes from the beach.

fever pitch

The baseball season officially started less than a month ago, but our family has quickly picked up with the baseball fever that started last fall. Some members are more afflicted than others.

Will watching the game cast on espn.com. It's scary to me how quickly he figured out how to watch games this way AND that he will sit and watch games this way for extended periods of time. When he gets bored he goes off and starts playing baseball himself (see following photos) and comes back for an update every few minutes.

Will plays catch against the high wall in our front room and pretends he is making big catches in the middle of the game.

Though Lauren hasn't been bitten with the baseball-loving bug quite as hard as her brother, she fell asleep with her Royals' schedule by her side the other night.

Patient zero when it comes to introducing the baseball obsession into our home. His love of the game has caused him to stay up late participating in fantasy drafts, making his own league projections, and following the Red Sox.

I even find myself listening to the radio broadcast when I drive around in the evening and actually caring what the score is when Will asks me.

2015 :: week 16

April 12

What? You don't keep your tissues in your shoes? Lauren has taken to storing things in her shoes when she doesn't have a pocket, which is most of the time. It makes us laugh, because Will can hardly stand to have the seams of his socks misaligned and yet Lauren can walk or peddle a bike with tissues, coins or small pieces of paper stashed under her feet.

April 13

We are trying to reclaim this spot in backyard and debating on what to do with it. When we moved in there was a large bush surrounded by lots of small plants that died during the hot and dry summer of 2012 (before we learned how to take better care of our yard). Ever since it has been a hotspot for weeds and where we've kept the sand table. My mom gave the kids their own garden tools and they've enjoyed digging in the dirt over the past week.

April 14

Tuesday night Anthony and I accompanied Will to his elementary school's "Kindergarten Round-Up." To say he was exited would be an understatement. While the principal, PTA president, school nurse, etc., talked to parents about school policies and procedures the kindergarten teachers and PTA volunteers gave the kids a "taste" of what school will be like. According to Will, they got a tour of the school, played with a parachute, did a small art project, sang some songs and read a book called Dinner. He was ready to start the next day and was very disappointed both when I informed him he wouldn't be riding a bus (we live about a block away) and that we would be walking with him to school (at least to the end of the street to make sure he gets across okay).

April 15

We met the Sanners at a new-to-us park Wednesday afternoon after preschool. I almost cancelled the trip because it had been misty and wet earlier in the afternoon. It was a bit wet, Will went down the slide and soaked his backside before I had a chance to wipe it off and we had to quickly run home to get a new pair. After we parked we had to walk over a bridge to get to the playground which the kids thought was pretty awesome.

April 16

The kids have started "camping" in the upstairs hallway between their rooms. The first time they did it was after they had been put to bed the previous night and I turned the hallway lights out because they both kept getting out of bed. They moved their pillows to the hallway and had their heads in the hallway and bodies in their rooms (so they could honestly answer they were in their rooms when I called up and asked if they were in their rooms). Camping quickly got the kibosh that night, but they both played for hours the next morning and have continued to play in the days since.

April 17

We went to the Diggins for lunch Friday afternoon. It was the first time we had seen them in months. After eating the kids let their creative juices flow and worked to create kites and various bug-catchers. An afternoon with the Diggins is always fun.

April 18

We went on a date to Saturday night! We aren't always great about prioritizing date nights and this year set a goal to go on at least one date a month in 2015. Four months in and we haven't missed a month yet. Never mind the fact that our previous dates were on the 31st, 28th and 27th of month. We met up with some friends that are moving in just over a month and had dinner at Red Robin, then ran some super glamorous errands at Home Depot and Target.

2015 :: week 15

April 5

When we moved into our house 3.5 years ago we joked about how we still live in the same 750 square feet we used to, we just now have a lot of space to store things, because the kitchen, tv room and downstairs bathroom are by far the most utilized rooms in our home. Well sometimes it feels like the kids and I only take up same five square feet of space at any given time. Even though it is a bit suffocating at times, I appreciate that my kids like to be near me. I know that this phase won't last forever and I'll one day be wishing they would just want to be in the same room as me.

April 6

My mom gave Will a bug house and he has been actively looking for tenants ever since. I took this picture at about 8:15am on Monday. Will could hardly contain his enthusiasm to look for bugs and  wanted to skip breakfast. He hadn't even put on his glasses yet!

April 7

The kids love the play place at the mall. We went to another mini-build at the Lego Store and the kids were dead set on playing after we waited in line for about 20 minutes to get the UFO blocks. I'm still trying to figure out how the mini-builds work. They start handing them out at 5pm. We've gotten there at 5:10pm and walked right in, 5:20pm and they were totally out, and 4:45pm and the line was wrapped around the perimeter of the mall. Oh well, I shouldn't complain about free Legos. Will is going through a space loving phase right now so he was pretty excited about the UFO and Lauren likes to have whatever Will has so it was a win all around.

April 8

Lately Lauren has taken to using the lacing cards and telling me she is working on a "cross-stitch." Sometimes it scares me how much she wants to do the things that I do and thinks the things I do are worth copying.

April 9

Will has been begging to go to Black Hoof Park for over a week and Thursday morning we finally had enough time to make our first visit of 2015. Will loved leading Lauren around the wooded areas on a "nature hunt" (his current favorite thing to do outside) and pointing out the various things he saw. While we were there it got really windy for about 2 minutes, then the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. Spring weather is a little unpredictable.

April 10

It was a gorgeous evening Friday, so after dinner we loaded up and headed to Shawnee Mission Park for some fun. We walked and ran around a bit, played on the playground, and had some batting practice.

April 11

After a day of work around the house and yard, Saturday afternoon we hit up 7-11 and their "Bring Your Own Container day." Lauren and I shared (but did not finish) the wild cherry in a pitcher, but Will and TJ did finish the green apple that is hidden behind Lauren's head. It was the first time the kids had tried slurpees and they thought it was like drinking a popsicle.

2015 :: week 14

March 29

I love it when the dafodils in our yard bloom. We've done next to nothing to nurture them, but they keep coming back each year fuller and more beautiful than they were the year before.

March 30

Monday night we went for a walk and then played in the backyard for a bit. The kids enjoyed attacking Anthony and eventually knocked him to the ground. I'm glad the kids have a dad that makes them feel secure and they are comfortable "attacking" him.

March 31

Now that spring has arrived the kids are spending a lot of time outside. For the most part, this is a wonderful addition to our days. Tuesday morning it proved to make (my) life more difficult. While playing under our deck Lauren somehow ended up with a bucket full of potting soil on her head and back.

April 1

April 1st is opening day for the Deanna Rose Farmstead. I typically wait about a week or two after it opens before making our first visit each year, but this year the weather was gorgeous and Will was dying to go. Going to the farm in the afternoon has been the way I've avoided large crowds in the past, but avoiding crowds is not very realistic on opening day. We got there around 3:30pm after I picked Will up from school and stayed until closing time (5pm). The poor animals had been feed all day and were refusing the feed the kids tried to give them. The bison and longhorn are two of the kids' favorite animals to visit at the farm. I call this picture, "Home on the Range."

April 2

What do you do when the temperature drops and basball's opening day is less than a week away? Watch Royals youtube videos to pump you up for the season, of course.

April 3

The kids really like the child watch attendant that works at the gym on Fridays. He plays catch with Will helps both kids put together puzzles.

 

 

April 4

Saturday has been a quiet day. We had planned to get up early to see the lunar eclipse but none of us slept well, which was probably my fault. I turned off the heat and opened several windows throughout the house earlier this week and failed to turn the heat back on and close the windows when the temperature dropped into the 40s again last night. We were all freezing all night long and by the time we got up at 7:15am it was too bright to see anything. In the afternoon we met up with some friends at the park and the kids played softball.