Florida Florida Florida!
I hate when I fall behind on blogging because then there is way too much to catch up on. So this one is going to stay simple. A few words… and a lot of pictures.
Friday Night
The night we arrived, after dinner with family, we headed to the dog track.
It was actually Shane’s first time ever going to one, so of course he had to place a bet. Watching the races was pretty fun, and it was a great way to kick off our Florida visit.
After the track we went to see my friend Kaity. It is always so good catching up with my girlfriends when I’m back in town.
Saturday
Saturday was extra special because I finally got to spend time with my beautiful new niece. One of the most wonderful women I know welcomed her gorgeous daughter four months ago, and I had been waiting forever to meet her.
Her name is Alexie Charlotte, and I already can’t get enough of her.
Later that night we headed out to celebrate my youngest brother Joey’s 21st birthday at a country bar.
Happy Birthday Joey!
The night included plenty of pool, cold drinks, and line dancing. I didn’t manage to capture all of it in photos, but it was definitely a fun night with lots of good memories.
Sunday
Sunday morning I slipped out early to spend more time with Kim and baby Alexie. I had been dying to take some pictures of her, so we ended up having our own little baby photo shoot.
I used Kim’s camera, and I realized something during that shoot… I absolutely love taking baby pictures. I might need to invest in a nice camera someday.
We had so much fun doing the baby shoot that we later went back out for a family photo session as well.
That evening was also really special. Since Shane and I missed Thanksgiving, my wonderful mom actually waited to celebrate until we arrived so we could all have dinner together.
The food was amazing, and it meant a lot to be able to spend that time with my family.
Monday
Monday was a bit of a blur.
Shane and I took a drive along the beach during the day, then spent time hanging out with my oldest brother Sam. Later that night we grabbed dinner and drinks at Applebee’s with my good friend Billy.
Just a nice relaxed day.
Tuesday
Tuesday was a big adventure day.
We drove up to Orlando early in the morning to meet one of my oldest friends, Elena, and spend the day at SeaWorld.
The park was a lot of fun. We saw the sea lion show, the Shamu family show, and wandered through all kinds of exhibits. It ended up being a really great day.
After SeaWorld we headed over to Disney for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Disney during Christmas is one of my favorite things ever. The castle is lit up, there is fake snow falling on Main Street, and they hand out unlimited cookies and hot cocoa.
What more could you ask for?
One of the best parts was that they only sell a limited number of tickets for the event, so there were almost no lines anywhere. We could just walk onto rides and enjoy everything.
My favorite part of the night was definitely the fireworks show. I absolutely love fireworks.
It was a perfect way to end the day.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a bit less magical.
We drove home from Orlando, and Shane ended up running a fever most of the day. I actually considered changing our flight because I was worried about putting him on a plane, but we had already been away from home for so long that we decided to push through.
He rested most of the day while I made the rounds saying goodbye to everyone.
Saying goodbye to family is never easy, especially to my sweet little niece and my mom.
Thursday
Thursday morning Shane was still running a fever, but we managed to make it onto our flight back to Tucson.
His mom already had a doctor’s appointment set up for him when we got back, and it turns out he had an ear infection, so he was able to start antibiotics right away.
The best part of getting home was finally seeing our sweet cat Chewbacca again. We both missed him like crazy.
Now we are home safe after an incredible trip. Vacation may be over, but we truly had the time of our lives.
And honestly, if anyone asks about the trip, I might just send them to this blog… because I’m pretty sure I covered everything.
Adios!
