On every vacation I've ever been on, certain memories remain and take me back to that particular place in time. In reality, only a moment here and there have survived the test of time. Fortunately, I have this blog to document all of those little things I don't want to forget. And, although I took a ridiculous number of photos while we were in Florida, most of those special moments don't have a picture to go along with them.
A few of my favorite things...
Grace's rendition of "Hey, Good Lookin'" -
"I got a flip-flop Ford and a two dollar bill, and I know a spot right over the hill." was my favorite line, and how she got a real twang going when she sang,"brand-new recipayyyyy." If there was a soundtrack to our trip, that was it.
Morning walks on the beach and the excitement of going out at low tide to look for shells and sharks' teeth.
Grace's new love of waitressing. She used Dad's laminated, tri-fold Florida shell, fish and sea life guides as menus. She often times wouldn't let us order what we really wanted. She'd shake her head and say, "No, we don't have that." But, she always had chicken tenders and bird food to offer. When she wanted her order taken she'd
demand say, "Order me, Grandma! Order me!" Grandpa even bought her her own little notepad and pen for taking orders.
The fresh seafood. My favorite meal was at Pelican Alley, where we frequented almost daily. Blackened Mahi with black bean puree and garlic aoli. So good.
Spending time with Aunt Kay and Uncle Dick. We were all amazed at Dick's talent for singing and playing the guitar. Grace was very quickly smitten with them both.
Cool discoveries like a real, live Florida horse conch in its shell that Grandma spotted at low tide one day. The jelly fish that Dad maneuvered onto the beach with a large stick, just so I could get a good shot with my camera. The dolphins that swam around by the jetty.
When I asked Grace what her favorite part of the vacation was and she simply said, "Papa." ( Dave didn't arrive until Saturday evening- He missed his flight early Friday morning). Although I was really ticked at the time, we were all so happy he could at least spend one full day with us.
An original song by Grace entitled "Privates in the Morning." She cracked herself up with it on the plane ride down to Florida. A little embarrassed by the lyrics, I tried to encourage her to sing quietly, but she just sang it even louder. She already likes to embarrass her mother.
Orange ice cream at Nokomis Grove
The "Lorny-Dale" - an open-face, olive loaf sandwich (Dad ate one daily)
Lots of fun with my camera.
Sunsets.
Pepe the parrot, who lives at The Crowe's Nest restaurant . Grace was so fascinated that a bird could actually talk. He always had a lot to say to her.
A few more challenging things:
A two year old with a real attitude at times.
Blisters.
The aforementioned missed flight.
Picking up a stomach bug on the way home.
We had such a great time with my parents in Florida; I wish I could sear each day into my mind forever. I'm so grateful to them for inviting the three of us to join them in Florida-something we could have never done on our own financially. God used the time to bring us closer together as a family, and to remind me of His awesome power and love. What a blessing...
