Fun in the Sun

We took a trip to Sarasota, Florida at the end of July...our first visit to Florida during the summer months (we usually go in the winter or spring). It was a very busy visit for us, because this time we not only had Pop, Mimi and Uncle William to spend time with but also Nana and Gran! We had such a great time! The weather was wonderful, the water was GLORIOUS, and the beaches were absolutely beautiful.

We stayed very busy...lots of beach time, some serious shell collecting, a bit of pool swimming, many tasty meals (like those had at Avery's favorite place: "Pop's Restaurant," a.k.a. Sam Snead's Tavern), two trips to the Mote Aquarium, a little shopping, and a boat ride or two.

Our kids loved swimming in the ocean. The water was soooo warm...and freakishly calm. Avery and Noel both wore water wings while in the ocean, so they got to swim on their own a little bit...which was great since Noel was constantly insisting he could "do it SELF!" They also really liked playing on the beach. They spent hours digging holes in the sand and then filling them with ocean water. Different from beach trips in the past, both kiddos pretty much hung out right in front of where we set up our umbrella and chairs. It was so relaxing to be able to SIT! and play with them (or watch them play) rather than chase them up and down the beach.

We also really enjoyed our trips to the Mote Aquarium. During our first visit, we got to see the dolphins do a little, informal show during their feeding. Avery thought it was totally awesome. She was fascinated by the dolphins' cool tricks and enamored with their relationships with their trainers. Avery and Noel also got to pet sting rays, which was a huge (wet!) hit. Avery left our first visit declaring that she was going to be "a dolphin trainer and a sting-ray petter" when she grows up. Noel's favorite creatures were the manatees, which he called "hippo dolphins."

Here are some (30+!) of our favorite photos...

Our first trip to the beach...

A boat ride with Pop and Uncle William...

Swimming in Pop, Mimi, and Uncle William's pool...

Our (first) trip to the Mote Aquarium...

A family trip to the beach...

Another visit to Mote Aquarium...

Out to dinner with Pop, Mimi, and Uncle William's friends...

Our last day and last trip to the beach...

We had a terrific time. Our trip was surprisingly relaxing for a vacation with two young kiddos. Jeff and I even got to make a solo visit to the beach (thanks, Pop and Mimi!)! We really enjoyed the time we got to spend with family and thank them for making our visit possible...and so much fun!