Florida Family Vacation

May seems to be a great time for us to take a family vacation.  The kids aren't in school yet, James is done with busy season at that point, and there aren't huge crowds wherever we go being that it's not summer yet.  This year we decided to do a little more low-key vacation and went out to Florida with little to no plans, aside from going to the beach.  The resort where we stayed had all sorts of activities for kids and families, so that was basically what we planned our days around.  Beach, pool, nap/read, dinner, take a walk down the beach, and bed -- that was about everyday!  James couldn't have asked for a more relaxing vacation after being so busy.  It was the perfect getaway.  Dennis and Barbara were able to join us for most of it, and I think they had a great time too!  We loved having them with us.

We got there on Mother's Day, and I couldn't have felt more blessed. 

 1st day on the beautiful beach!  We very much appreciated the cool walkway and complimentary sand toys.  Grayson was funny though.  He liked playing in the sand but wanted a bucket of water nearby to rinse his hands off every few seconds.  We buried most of the family in the sand as well but decided that was a one time deal after it took forever to get the sand out of our swimsuits.  

Hazel loved the kid room.  She collected seashells on the beach and then got to paint them.  Then she made a frame out of her favorites.

The other activity she did was make her own bubble gum!

 At dinner one night, I got a good cuddle from Grayson because "mine tummy hut". 

One morning we went to the Loggerhead Marine Center and learned about all different kinds of turtles and what this center does to help the injured turtles return to their homes.  

I didn't even know about leatherback sea turtles.  They're huge! 

One morning James got up so he could see the sunrise.  Beautiful. 

The beach was super fun, but we also had a great time at the pool!  Barbara and I even tried out water aerobics one morning.  The best was when they had pool side treats like sno cones and mango sherbet.  

We enjoyed the after dinner snacks too like fondue, popcorn, and smores.

One of our favorite activities was walking along the beach at sunset.  It was gorgeous and relaxing.  The kids loved looking for crabs along the way, so everyone was entertained.

This place had great scenery and yummy fish tacos.

 My friend Heather lives in Florida right now because her husband is doing his Residency there, and somehow we lucked out by only being an hour away!  She was so nice to come to our hotel and spend most of the day with us.  Our kids played great together, and we had a blast!

The whole crew! (Heather, James, and Mick)

We miss it already, but we'll probably go back in the near future.  What a great vacation!