Florida Finale!

Finally, here’s an end to my Florida posts!  For someone who is pretty content to stay at home, I really enjoyed our time in the tropics!  These last few pics are just a bit of the beauty that we enjoyed everywhere we went.  The palm trees were gorgeous!  We even saw several Palm tree farms.  This palm was in the keys, and I thought it was unique…it looks like a pineapple!

And there were so many different varieties of palm fronds…

The flowers were gorgeous.  I kept thinking this was crepe myrtle, but my Mother-in law was pretty sure it was not.  I knew I had seen it before and could not place it.  Then just the other day, here in Colorado I saw the plant being sold!  It is bougainvillea.  I’m pretty sure it will only be a summer annual here.  But it was stunning all over Florida!

This is  pretty hibiscus.

And this is just a beautiful flowering tree!

Ben and Andrea left us on Thursday and we had one full day left with Kenny and Becky.  Wesley wanted more sun so we went to another beach.  I think it was Hollywood Beach and it was actually a state park.  It was very clean and and very vacant.  Nice.

It was also another perfect kite day.  We just tied it to a stick in the sand.  Then Kenny and Wesley did some snorkling and Wally and I took a long walk.  It was a nice last day.

We had a great time in Florida, being with family and sunshine!  Becky and Kenny were more than great hosts!! Becky frequently shares beautiful  pictures of sunsets on facebook that she takes from their back yard.  I got to witness one myself before we left!  It makes for a great Florida finale!

From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

Twinsies

This post is all about the twins.  They arrived in FL not feeling too good, trading nights to be fussy, have a nasty nose and run a temp.  But they still had plenty of smiley cute moments to share and by the end of our time together they were better.  I snagged them from their bath our last morning together and did the lotion and diaper thing.  Then they helped Grandpa get packed…sort of!

The twins turned one on April 30.  We took advantage of being together and had a mini celebration!

Andrea had requested summer dresses for Liberty and a little suit for Nehemiah.  So when the paper came off she enjoyed saying “Oh look, it’s a Birthday suit!”  Typical of little ones, the twins just wanted the paper!

Then the cupcakes came out.  Once the candles were blown, they dug into the good stuff.  Liberty led the way…one taste of the sweet stuff and she thoroughly enjoyed her cupcake and helped herself to some of Nehemiah’s!

I love her “happy feet!”

Speaking of happy feet, Andrea recently shared a video on facebook of the busy twins.  Both are walking now.  They seem to grow so fast once they discover they can walk. They are coming to Colorado later this summer so we will get another opportunity at enjoying them before they toddle too far away from being babies!

Let’s Go Fly A Kite!

I have had this kite hanging around for awhile.  Wally said we picked it up when we visited Mackinac Island three years ago weekend away somewhere, thinking we would fly it, but never did.  When I got the suitcases out to pack for our Florida trip, there was the kite, still new, leaning in a corner.  I put it in the bottom of my suitcase on a whim.  One day in the Keys, Kenny, Becky and Wesley wanted to head down to Key West, another hour and half away.  Rather than getting the kids into the car again,  the rest of us decided to explore the resort.  We found a nice grassy patch with a nice breeze blowing.  That makes for nice and easy kite flying! 

 

The secret ingredient to kite flying is…grandkids!

The Florida Keys

A couple in Kenny’s church have a home at Hawks’ Cay Resort on the Duck Key.  They let us stay in their beautiful home!  It was truly beautiful! 

I could have sat by the pool in the lovely tropical plants the three days we were in the Keys.  It was pleasant to  sit here in the morning to read my Bible and have cup of coffee ! 

The pool was also handy for the kids, who made good use of it!

We brought our food and ate together.  I still lick my chops when I think about the fish we caught in the Everglades which we took along.  We thought there would be a grill to cook on and sadly, there was not.  So we googled a recipe, improvised with the spices we had available and before long had a delicious meal!  And I do not even like fish that much! 

Grams brought some gifts for her great-grands and had a good time wrangling hugs from Nolan and Elaine!

We did go to another Key on Tuesday to hit a beach.  My personal opinion is that sand is highly overrated.   So I was not that impressed with the Keys overall.  I think you must need an expensive boat or other water toy to want to spend a lot of time there.  But kids just need a plastic bucket and shovel to be happy!

Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor

Kenny wanted to take us to a unique ice cream parlor in Hollywood, FL.  It is a very popular place known for their ice cream, burgers and dogs! 

We waited in line about thirty minutes.  When we came out, this was the line.  There was another line just as long for the walk up window. 

They have lots to keep you entertained while you wait though…a kid’s merry go round, a one man band playing music, and this little monkey who would gladly take a quarter from your hand!

Plus, we brought Wesley along!

Inside the restaurant is decorated in Americana nostalgia. Old and unique license plates covered the walls. 

The best part was just being together again!

Tired Mama, it was a long day of travel and littles!

Our next stop was the Florida Keys!