Day 1 is a very very long day in the car. Day 2 is a shorter day in the car with a "field trip" to the University of Florida. At some point, I decided every chance I get to let the kids see college campuses might pay off later. It didn't hurt that Matt loves the Gators. He was a little peeved that we wouldn't tell him about our field trip but perked up pretty quickly when we asked him who plays in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as we pulled up in front of it.
In about 7 years, I'll be dropping the way taller than me teen off to a campus like this and begging for one last picture.
The stadium being unlocked was a huge jackpot!
Is he thinking, "Wonder what it sounds like when it's full? Will I play here or sit in the stands? Will my parents bring me to a game this fall if I beg them?" Yeah - all of that!
Mia was melting. The heat had not hit the rest of us yet.
They are so cute when they smile!
The only gator we saw in Florida!
ONE, TWO, THREEEEE!!!!
ONE, TWO, THREEEEE!!!
Finally, we get there! I wonder if this family will ever step foot on a beach and NOT wish we lived there. Probably not... Siesta Key, FL is an island off the coast of Sarasota. Only local stuff here and we loved it. The sand was fabulous, clear water, the waves weren't too big (it's in the gulf), NO oil courteous of BP's mishap and basically, it was just perfect and we didn't want to leave. I booked it about 36 hours before we left so we lucked into a nice condo. I'm ready to book next year's trip NOW!!!
Mia's first trip to the beach was loads of fun for her (and us). She gave the dry sand a look as it invaded her shoes like what is in my shoes. I took her shoes off, she looked at it again like what is that and just kept walking. Once she saw the water, it was all over. She ran straight to it and loved it. She has loved the pool all summer so it was no surprise she jumped right in.
Of course, the rest of us loved it. Chris is not a "sand" fan but enjoys the beach. I think he wishes they would concrete it. For the boys, it's all about fun in the water - boogie boards in the surf. Matt will normally take some time to dig in the sand but not enough time, to build anything elaborate. For me, I love it all - the sand, the water, the salt, the waves, the not-so-big wave days, the chair, the umbrella, the book, the towel, lol, the tiki hut, all of it - every single second - love it. It's the best place on earth.
So quickly, here are a few of my favorites and I'll post more later:
Ran straight for the water!
Getting a ride to the beach from the big brother!
Straight from pool to beach - So happy!
The big dawg - he's so cool these days!
The actor - always posing!
The princess - so pretty!
Hey guys - look what I found!!
Sibling love
Pretending to be sad as we leave the beach after watching the sunset - so pretty!
