Florida!!

This post will be a bit long as I have been away from the computer for a few days and then I was having trouble uploading pics to the blog. Everything is in working order now!

Last wed am I woke the kids at 5 am and loading them in the car to start our journey to Florida! It was my first trip driving so far with the kids. I was a little nervous at first but it went very well, no traffic and great weather. The first day we were on the road for 12 hours, the 2nd for 9 1/2! We pulled into grandma and grandpa's house around 7 pm thursday night!
After a good night's rest we headed to the beach in the morning to meet up with some old friends. Sage and ryan practiced skim boarding ...

And then Ryan and his friends built a sand castle. I have known Mary and her kids since our boys were 1. Her youngest daughter was an infant when we left Florida and we get together whenever we are back for the summer. I always enjoy spending time with her and her kids. It is fun to watch them grow up and it is great to have a friend in Florida.

Sage has a good friend here to right next door to my parents. On Saturday he hung out with us all day until we kicked him out at dinner time : )

Saturday night we got to visit with my cousin Pam and her family. Ryan and Arden played cars together - well sort of. Ryan also built some towers with the blocks so that Arden could knock them over. My dad cooked a great dinner and we had a wonderful visit.

SUNDAY morning my mom and ryan did some water color paintings. My mom is very talented -I will have to post some of her paintings. Ryan spent a very long time on his, it came out great!

In the afternoon, we headed over to my parents condo on the beach and spent some pool play time with Pam,Anders andArden. Can you tell they are having a good time.

I had to include this picture my mom took of us in the pool. I thought it would be good to see how relaxed and chilled out I am. I have not had to cook a meal yet, or clean a room - ahh vacation!!

MONDAY we went with Mary and her family to the Guana River Estuary Nature Center. Sage went fishing with his grandpa - more on that tomorrow once I get the pics on the computer.

The nature center was cool! The kids did a scavenger hunt and checked the place out. Then we had some lunch and took a bike ride. In all we spent out 4 hours there on a day when the heat index was 102 degrees! Sweat is good for the body - I am releasing lots of toxins.

Mary and Ryan answering questions about the wildlife.

scavenger hunt...

I think you can tell what we are doing here...

The trees down here are beautiful! So different from Connecticut trees - which are beautiful also.

We saw this gopher turtle on our bike ride.

Whew - I am finally caught up. Well except for Sage's deep sea fishing trip with grandpa, but that will come soon..

P.S. We love and miss you Tony, Heidi and Leo.