FLORIDA

When we got home from Utah we had a few days to prepare for our trip to Florida. Casey had work meetings in Orlando so we decided to go with him. My mom and Braydon flew in to join us on the trip. It was a long drive, so everyone brought along plenty to do to keep entertained on our journey. And some of us used the time to catch up on some much needed R & R.

We stayed in the hotel where Casey's meetings were being held. We weren't disappointed...

It was a beautiful hotel with a huge pool complete with slides for the boys to enjoy, as well as a hot tub and a snack shack. It was really nice with tons of amenities, one of which was a really cool laser show each night. If there wasn't a gigantic thunderstorm(which happened almost always) we would take the boys down for an evening swim and watch the show.

We celebrated my birthday while we were there. We were going to go out and find a place to eat, but the raging storm detoured our plans. We opted to stay dry and ate in the hotel restaurant. It was good, and Braydon made sure they knew it was my birthday(thanks Braydon), so they brought out a special dessert for the birthday girl...lighted candle and all!

One night we ventured out to Gatorland. Casey's group was putting on a dinner there that night, so we went along to eat and enjoy the shows(and yes, it rained/poured that night also).

What's a trip to Florida without a day at the beach?? We weren't really close to any beaches, so we dedicated a day to travel and enjoy the sun/sand/water in Clearwater, near Tampa. The further south you go, the more beautiful the beaches become. The sand is a dusty white and the water looks clear blue. It was very hot, so we stayed in the water most of our time there.

After a few hours everyone but grandma was ready to leave. So we took her kicking and screaming(not really - but sort of) and found a place with some fresh seafood to eat. It was delicious!

Our last tourist stop was (of course) Disney-world. What's a trip to Florida without Disney? I will warn you ahead of time, I'm not really a fan. First problem was that it was just too hot. The middle of the summer is not the best time to walk around a gigantic park trying to navigate places you've never been. We spent one day in Animal Kingdom and another in Magic Kingdom. We went on rides(fun)...except for Everest(picture with snowy mountain)...where I seriously thought I was going to die. We toured the safari, went inside a haunted house, found the dole whip drinks everyone talks about(yum), and we saw shows. There were a few times in magic kingdom that took me back to my childhood. I really was moved to tears because of the nostalgia that I felt watching the fireworks in front of the Disney castle. That was a good moment at Disney. If you ever go, plan ahead...get those fast passes, because otherwise you could stand in line for (literally) hours. Overall I would say it was too hot, too crowded, and too expensive, but I'm not one for crowds, or extreme heat, and I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. So, if you love Disney that's great. It's just not my favorite destination and did not prove to be the happiest place on earth for me.

We had a busy and fun week in Florida. Every day was an adventure and we loved our time together. It was another long drive home. We did some laundry, and quickly headed off to spend a few days with Andy and his cute family...Next post - coming soon!