Florida Installment

We're back! You know, I need a few days to recover...I'm pooped. But, I wanted to get some pictures up of our trip. We took 500 pictures. So, instead of doing one large post of the whole trip, I am going to do installments based on events...

The pictures below are from our last day and we are in The Everglades of Florida. We got off the cruise ship at around 8:45AM and our flight home wasn't until 8:05 that evening...so we decided to do a little site seeing.

We picked up a rental car that looked kinda like a mini Hummer. Cool. Speaking of cool...my trusty sweatshirt helped me out this whole trip getting away from AC from hell!!!

We headed DEEP into the Everglades to take an ECO-Tour of the glades. We were at the very tip at the Flamingo Visitors center and traveled by boat up to Whitewater Bay. We saw lots of fish, birds (see Osprey below), and even a black tipped shark!!! So awesome to see that in real life (outside an aquarium).

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These are the mangrove trees that build up and make hundreds of "islands". I use quotes because there is no actual land below them...it is just trees that have grown up out of the sediment below the water.

You're seeing 1/10 of Whitewater Bay here. Pictures don't do it justice.

From Eco-tour to Alligator Farm. I just had to ignore my inner voice of how wrong this place was so that I could learn a little and enjoy and experience on a airboat.

We saw a few "free swimming" crocs once we got on the airboat. It was actually a lot of fun whipping around in that thing across the marsh and doing 180's and 360's. Now we can say we've done it!

We stopped at this AMAZING fruit stand that had ALL kinds of fruits and veggies...tons that we have never even heard of. So cool! They made homemade milk shakes...with FRESH PRODUCE. Soooooo yum! Sunny got Key Lime, Clay got strawberry Key Lime, Josh got Passion Guava, and I got Coconut. MMMMM.

Our last pic together after a few hours sleep on the most uncomfortable plane in the whole wide world. Don't EVER fly Spirit Air! They DO nickel and dime you and there is NO room to move. But I digress...
The trip was fabulous and memorable and full of laughter!

Hasta

We leave you with a few pics...

Hand, foot, mouth disease. Ewww.

The duck Conner drew on accident.

Homemade pico.

SD Zoo Trip

All fresh and on our way...Conner is allergic to dogs and dog food with milk in it...which he encountered the night before- resulting in a dose of Zyrtec- which knocks him out. So, he fell asleep on the way down. He was a little groggy/grumpy and puffy all day.

Having a banana.

Having a banana.

Oh the wonders of sunblock...who knew it could transform a person into Jack Nicholson.

Now who's the monkey?

Conner is so versatile. He can do pouty and happy within seconds!

Grandpa taught the kids how to play kick the can.

Flying high over the zoo.

Josh's favorite picture of the polar bear (that he took). Can you imagine this big guy coming after you like this?

Toby and Rae.

Proof that self portraits don't always work.

Conner was SO snugly and lovey at this point in the day.

Josh's favorite animal in the whole wide world.

Fitting, don't you think?

I always wanted my kids to be like those kids on Funniest Home Videos that fall asleep in their soup at the table...this is as close as we get. Conner putting imaginary food in his mouth and chewing it.

Before Anything Else

Before I blog or post pics about anything else...I have to tell you that my left hand is burning off at this very moment from jalapeno burns. I have been on the Internet trying to find a remedy. I'm not talking just a little bit of pain here guys...I'm talking major burning that won't go away and actually seems to be getting worse. I'm off to try the rubbing alcohol method.
Read this guys story...
Thanks Gisela for the pico de gallo tutorial! My pico was a hit with Josh...but I am paying for it BIG TIME!

Sneak Preview

Saturday at Shaw's Cove

What a busy day. After the gym, we came home to find daddy was taking the day off. What a treat! He usually works Saturdays. We met Rae, Toby, Owen, & Sydney at Chipotle for lunch. Conner just ate chips and guac even though I ordered a chicken burrito for him and Wyatt.
Lunch done.
We headed down to Laguna to Shaw's Cove. Where they have tidepools with all kinds of sea life. On our way down Cliff Drive we passed Heisler park which is where Josh and I got married before we were sealed in the Temple. Lovely memories.
We set up our blankets and sand toys then went to explore the tide pools. Josh was a great guide. He got Conner and Owen to touch anemones. Conner wouldn't touch anything again after that. Not a big fan yet.
I struggled with Wyatt. Up and down, up and down. I couldn't let him walk without holding on to him because the ground was too treacherous. I would find tiny little pools that he would splash his hands into. I showed him larger ones with sea creatures. He stuck his hand in an anemone then kept trying to poke it...up we go again.
We went back to the blanket and the kids played in the sand. Filling buckets, pouring water, working together. Conner and Sydney played SO well together. Wyatt ate sand...a BUNCH of it. He chewed on muscles. Which I later felt guilty about because some lady told me they might be poisonous (meaning polluted I'm sure...which yeah, I agree, isn't good). Der.
Wyatt would roll over in the sand on his back. It must of felt good or something. I've never seen a kid that young do that in the sand. He was filthy and kept coming back to me to climb on me (he is going through major separation anxiety) so I was filthy too.
We packed it up. Drove to Ralph's for some steaks, corn on the cob, and potatoes (for potato salad). Then came home to shower and eat.

Showered.

Ate.

Put the kids to bed. I think they were OVER tired because they were crazy and awake for 2 hours after I put them down. Laughing, playing, crying. Conner came down, I went up. I think 6 or 7 times. Finally, one time when Conner came down, Wyatt fell asleep. I took Conner back up and rocked him in the chair (best investment ever...or freebie from Grandma in my case) and he was out in 3 minutes.
As we say in Conner land...NIGH NIGHT.
Pictures to come!

Write When I Can

So, I uploaded all these photos in the next 3 blog entries...took about an hour. I will write within the entries later. Phew.

Vegan Pizza

Gave it another try. Wyatt liked it. Yeah, you guessed right. Conner didn't. Double Grr. Guess we just stick to cheese-less pepperoni pizza.