F-L-O-R-I-D-A

Well, we are finally feeling settled in to Florida again!  The movers came last Monday and brought in box after box after box after box after box..... and that's when I realized, "Where in the world did all of this stuff come from???????"  I guess it's true that you fill the space that you get, no matter how big it may seem.  Our house with it's garage in Texas were significantly bigger and I guess we got stuff to fill it!   So, I sit in a room full of boxes, feeling very claustrophobic and very overwhelmed!  I was venting to my mom on the phone about how I had no idea where to even begin.  She is one of those kind of people who enjoys a challenge and said she wished she was there to help me.  At one point I think she even mentioned that organizing and cleaning our condo would be fun.  What???  She loves that sort of stuff and I have no idea why!!!  Long story short (well, kind of short), the next day I found a good deal on plane tickets and my mom and Ariel came to our rescue!  (I didn't even know you could book a plane ticket online for the same day you would be flying out!)  My mom has always been there to cheer me on when I lack motivation.  I always remember her saying, "Okay, well the best way to get it done is to start."  How simple, yet so true!  It's an easy thing for me to forget when I feel like I'm in over my head.  Anyway, it was WONDERFUL to have the help, and looking back, I'm not really sure what we would have done without them!!!  Ariel mainly took care of Gavin so Joe, my mom, and I could get things done.  A 2-year-old and sorting through tons of boxes don't really mix, so it was sooooooooooo nice to have Gavin happily entertained!  We kept joking that she was our nanny for the week!  Ha!  

After hitting it hard for several days we decided to head to the beach for a well deserved break!  We ate at this cool restaurant right on the Fort Lauderdale beach where the tables are all gliding rockers!  You can soak up the sun and eat some yummy food while smoothly swaying!  It's really a unique and fun place to eat.  Here's my mom, Gav, & Ariel sitting across from us...

We didn't end up staying very long on the beach, because it was sooooooo windy!  From the knees down the sand pelted us.  Ouch!  I'm sure it was a great exfoliater though!  It felt like it might have even shaved my legs for me too!  Here's Joe, Gavin, & I on the water...

Gavin did really enjoy the beach playground though...

Joe and Gavin are such a cute little team!  I couldn't ask for a better daddy for my son!  They ADORE each other!

One of the HUGE cruise ships that docked in Fort Lauderdale...

The city...the sky was so pretty because it rained on and off the whole day.

The air port is pretty close to us and Gavin loves pointing out airplanes!

Okay, so it still seems really weird to me to see palm trees!  It still feels like we're on some sort of strange extended vacation!

More beach pics...

I love Gavin's hair in this pic!  It was sooooo windy!!!

Ariel was trying to convince me that the water wasn't that cold... yeah right!  Look at her!

My poor mom!  Her hair and the palm tree are both suffering the effects of the wind!  Ha!

Gav also loved the swings!  He makes the funniest face if you push him to high though.  He grits his teeth and acts as if he can't catch his breath!  He's definitely like his daddy in that way!  It's so funny!  Easy does it and he's happy!

Here's some pictures of us hanging out at the pool at our condo.  I used the sequence button on my camera to get a play by play of Gavin jumping in! :)

Soaking up the sun!

The water was a bit too chilly for the girls, but the boys had fun!

I brought a coconut that had fallen off the tree inside to finish ripening.  I'm not sure if it will be good or not, but I'll let you know! :)

Well, I guess that about sums things up!  I'll post pictures of a "tour" of our condo, so check back soon!