tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22358576364916613692024-03-05T23:30:19.860-06:00Wherever the Road LeadsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-59065920576908043722015-03-29T19:57:00.000-05:002016-02-28T20:52:05.259-06:00Visiting Tallahassee Day 2<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUrtZ335tzTPGoUHEOpFd5QGOID4co2Unfx6fUmCHVM6VIGptCPg4zeG_dMsgN6DtEAoiLx91D6q0lxF_PANGmf4m0xA7OKyqUBfl3Fc48AUVSp9o07PfvPmTkC3v_YmpZuxAcRmj3rcn/s1600/20150329_112443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUrtZ335tzTPGoUHEOpFd5QGOID4co2Unfx6fUmCHVM6VIGptCPg4zeG_dMsgN6DtEAoiLx91D6q0lxF_PANGmf4m0xA7OKyqUBfl3Fc48AUVSp9o07PfvPmTkC3v_YmpZuxAcRmj3rcn/s640/20150329_112443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After checking out of the hotel, we drove to Wakulla Springs to check out a glass-bottomed boat tour to see manatees, as recommended by a friend. We were disappointed to hear when we arrived that the waters were too murky for the glass-bottomed boat tours, and that the weather had warmed up too much for it to be likely that we'd see manatees. But...we were still able to go on the 45-minute riverboat tours. So, we did! And we found out that the glass bottomed boats haven't run for 3 years, so it's not like we just missed them. <br />
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The littles had a blast on the riverboat tour. Jake was sooo incredibly excited, & the guide quickly learned his name & helped make sure he saw all the biggest gators. Katie was enchanted with the guide as well & endlessly waved at him, pretty much the entire time! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3zMvHfL5wFJJ1h_X-1DYoU3bkkQpd9FeJNjEJB8_FGYKJ7whlTE5rggi6l8jSl2Z89i6KWPk1y3iU1oPRlMSX6spHZOd6_0b-1Pc9ADpMVYCR9PpLc-U_eE0rixzagdKVnAarDOtphZ/s1600/20150329_113453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3zMvHfL5wFJJ1h_X-1DYoU3bkkQpd9FeJNjEJB8_FGYKJ7whlTE5rggi6l8jSl2Z89i6KWPk1y3iU1oPRlMSX6spHZOd6_0b-1Pc9ADpMVYCR9PpLc-U_eE0rixzagdKVnAarDOtphZ/s640/20150329_113453.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake was mesmerized by the abundant wildlife</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzkgJg49nwhMAxOPpJShyphenhyphenJx9nsyZbN2tOjKlLog-knSPjBj7dhYzmj1TuKdyQU-bn8nsoXkVTkGVVyDo7DjUSE9938etTwrGu0FD-RqnDpgL_ZNFBHo1rccSahyphenhyphenpnoO3J6HRYvkrV5Xf7/s1600/20150329_113959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzkgJg49nwhMAxOPpJShyphenhyphenJx9nsyZbN2tOjKlLog-knSPjBj7dhYzmj1TuKdyQU-bn8nsoXkVTkGVVyDo7DjUSE9938etTwrGu0FD-RqnDpgL_ZNFBHo1rccSahyphenhyphenpnoO3J6HRYvkrV5Xf7/s640/20150329_113959.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another big gator</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKUjMzWcVr89WaRfYbjOE6JXq8JVC0XT8Vb3IE11SIcX4f5x7shevCVHFPeQMZ6rJaJKk3WVFq_6fsNKv9eCuZSWJIHxnA9r5Gvip23rKkqCs4N-BL9BrzMADNVH3Y20LRM-vF6a01jV6/s1600/20150329_113457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKUjMzWcVr89WaRfYbjOE6JXq8JVC0XT8Vb3IE11SIcX4f5x7shevCVHFPeQMZ6rJaJKk3WVFq_6fsNKv9eCuZSWJIHxnA9r5Gvip23rKkqCs4N-BL9BrzMADNVH3Y20LRM-vF6a01jV6/s640/20150329_113457.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This smile tells us the trip was worth it</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi4F_ZvbuI3Fx5IqLALRYIjlIAsKuWmFq4t4f7k7yizzCPKBjjExEcysJxjE7B4nPdwjmXrx-e9Kz9m_YWKUEvN7LgTRnbChW_CDH_7_uJPmp0GZCZFUFF3CMifD1Tk0-nPDNnE_VbEOM/s1600/20150329_113215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi4F_ZvbuI3Fx5IqLALRYIjlIAsKuWmFq4t4f7k7yizzCPKBjjExEcysJxjE7B4nPdwjmXrx-e9Kz9m_YWKUEvN7LgTRnbChW_CDH_7_uJPmp0GZCZFUFF3CMifD1Tk0-nPDNnE_VbEOM/s640/20150329_113215.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This smile as well</span></td></tr>
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After the riverboat tour, Steve told the big girls he'd give them each $5 if they jumped off the high observation/diving platform into the cold springs. Although there was a bit of wavering, they did it--not once but three times! And earned their $5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UXHjLbz3CRcKEe16w97gJw5g8KaziootAdB9LBLCkuxsVbGK0KzZZuv9cbTpZ9VrH_VUfBrsplwrgv57cuOGAkX_HUu9BTBcl1s2AhCj3MGPOnSO7ErhnhrKie0ONKBoiFKKy_7WXdD5/s1600/20150329_125933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UXHjLbz3CRcKEe16w97gJw5g8KaziootAdB9LBLCkuxsVbGK0KzZZuv9cbTpZ9VrH_VUfBrsplwrgv57cuOGAkX_HUu9BTBcl1s2AhCj3MGPOnSO7ErhnhrKie0ONKBoiFKKy_7WXdD5/s640/20150329_125933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMy3f2VMeHVY57NbhPFC7NOrIrVVdKIcLb3r1YG7fqc1mozTQSk5-_sz2jUZHIjIT3jOPp2aTAEEQ3hvK1gg4Yu4kegm6nckfKyaisuzOKti-atRhAAjtiCGiOn0CqieXEBBZyl7XHfcX/s1600/20150329_125006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMy3f2VMeHVY57NbhPFC7NOrIrVVdKIcLb3r1YG7fqc1mozTQSk5-_sz2jUZHIjIT3jOPp2aTAEEQ3hvK1gg4Yu4kegm6nckfKyaisuzOKti-atRhAAjtiCGiOn0CqieXEBBZyl7XHfcX/s640/20150329_125006.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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We were a bit bummed to not have seen a manatee, but we still made the most of our visit here & had good times.<br />
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Back on the road again, we made our way to Falling Waters State Park. We took the hiking trail to the sinkholes. Jake, poor guy, has an exceedingly great fear of heights. It's actually slightly amusing. He kept encouraging us to turn back & head to safer ground. Mind you, it was entirely safe--the fence was positioned far away from the sinkholes & there really was no.way.at.all to fall in. He survived. :) And, if it was a foraging for food in the forest contest, he would have totally eaten everything he could get his hands on, without regard for safety or possibility of being poisonous. He is definitely a daredevil in other ways...but heights reduce him to quaking in his boots. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We continued along the trail to the waterfall, not impressive really, except Jake's fear that prevented him from really even looking at the waterfall, much less getting anywhere close to it. But, since there had been rain, there was at least water flowing. We continued walking the trail until it looped back to the parking lot & playground. These days, we try really hard not to pass up a playground since they're just not as commonplace here in Florida as we were used to from Utah & Texas. We all had fun & burned a little energy before making the trek back to Milton!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another great getaway making fun, family memories!!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Wakulla Springs, FL 32327, USA30.2335355 -84.305175930.0145575 -84.62789939999999 30.4525135 -83.9824524tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-88850916067607034442015-03-28T19:56:00.000-05:002015-05-23T22:39:35.538-05:00Visiting Tallahassee Day 1 <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQetBEPXFm4682HGXldINmzexxiHKckqF244taE6H9ldfuPY83PgcV70Hn4fhcPvSBooN2vxbH0BfooRQfp72HNe5x0jMDfMyxBaG6C1pKGoCRCtfW2S3hxXkP5LkjinMruGkk2Bs2C8m9/s1600/20150328_121401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQetBEPXFm4682HGXldINmzexxiHKckqF244taE6H9ldfuPY83PgcV70Hn4fhcPvSBooN2vxbH0BfooRQfp72HNe5x0jMDfMyxBaG6C1pKGoCRCtfW2S3hxXkP5LkjinMruGkk2Bs2C8m9/s640/20150328_121401.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As it's been awhile since we went on a "true" family vacation, it's been such a big blessing to be able to get away sometimes for the weekend. We decided to explore Tallahassee, about a 3 hour drive from where we're staying.<br />
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Since we were driving right past Ponce de Leon again, we decided to stop for dinner at Sally's Restaurant as a nice way to break up the drive. We arrived & checked into the hotel & enjoyed some lightning fast wifi. ;) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie did the slide over and over and over again.</span></td></tr>
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We spent Saturday morning at the Tallahassee Museum of History & Natural Science. It doesn't really feel like a museum--it feels a bit like a cross between a small zoo & a living history venue. It was a great place to enjoy on a cool morning, with painted dinosaurs made out of old car parts that delighted Jake, people dressed in period costumes, & old buildings to explore. We took advantage of the playground, too! A ropes course runs through the grounds, & it enticed us to consider returning for a chance to try it! They even have a small course designed for the little ones.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Can I hold your hand</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful Alyssa</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0Ks-lj_LT1E5XZfDhmtKvf5hf32VJi8DcjzYeLLc6n9o2z5YrQRuaA-5mbmgnHw5O0nxzyDXGbqovFVkQZX5lxy6818KWPa2kXmwTtaMrdOnOq9pbv8IxncMqx8EctKSU_fT2wS16GBe/s1600/20150328_113458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0Ks-lj_LT1E5XZfDhmtKvf5hf32VJi8DcjzYeLLc6n9o2z5YrQRuaA-5mbmgnHw5O0nxzyDXGbqovFVkQZX5lxy6818KWPa2kXmwTtaMrdOnOq9pbv8IxncMqx8EctKSU_fT2wS16GBe/s640/20150328_113458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Friendly Cow</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKu5n2tOceefN85MFE4qXRXS74bkG4sfBLzM2oe0A-m-BnLb-9TT1zxoYJRMSS4s0nlimvxowGIlgUE4g4QmO3KEgxsWWXMyI_vb3yZWSwXPrt-Xje-FPeyjlBHob7GsoIA3jD1Zdv32r/s1600/20150328_114513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKu5n2tOceefN85MFE4qXRXS74bkG4sfBLzM2oe0A-m-BnLb-9TT1zxoYJRMSS4s0nlimvxowGIlgUE4g4QmO3KEgxsWWXMyI_vb3yZWSwXPrt-Xje-FPeyjlBHob7GsoIA3jD1Zdv32r/s640/20150328_114513.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake making cornmeal</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWgYPVY7FDyKb7AmrvGDDgLhjCshj1uVots4D_KV3egNDNvCwLH0MzcueyjrG-hKAglskRQWi1hPzISvsm8qWLnL64qvtLSI3ElKLBMIPDVIW2t0kC_ojV1uwBhXWXv4Kz9epHp08f1UP/s1600/20150328_122634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWgYPVY7FDyKb7AmrvGDDgLhjCshj1uVots4D_KV3egNDNvCwLH0MzcueyjrG-hKAglskRQWi1hPzISvsm8qWLnL64qvtLSI3ElKLBMIPDVIW2t0kC_ojV1uwBhXWXv4Kz9epHp08f1UP/s640/20150328_122634.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Very cool to see this Florida panther active</span></td></tr>
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After working up an appetite, we went in pursuit of food. Steve had told everyone we'd eat pizza slices as big as our head for lunch, but alas, Momo's near the University was simply impossible for our crew. There were some sorely disappointed children! Our second choice, also recommended by a friend, Vertigo's Burgers, was also absurdly crowded, but we were able to get in. We did not anticipate it would take sooo long to get our food, but no one passed out from hunger while we waited. Well, Jake did fall asleep in his chair, & Katie finished her nap she'd begun in the car. The food was worth the wait, I think...as in, the food was yummy, but the wait was ridiculous. Shanan & I tried the Thai chicken burger, & it was really good. Steve ordered the vertigo, & when he took his first bite, the egg burst & literally shot out the side of his burger, somehow nailing Katie's nose & cheek, as well as the front & sleeve of my sweater! Seriously, what are the chances of that happening??!! I was so tired & hungry, I *might* have overreacted, but I quickly saw the humor in it. </div>
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Feeling better from food & rest, we decided to bypass the art museum on the Florida State campus that we'd initially planned to go to, and we headed toward Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. It's kind of like an arboretum. The Maclay family came here from New York each winter, so most of the plants flower from January to April. The azaleas & rhododendrons bloomed early this year, so the peak was already over, but it was still really pretty. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct-d6gU38IvMkaIf6Dj8iDvEJVnBWas71O35gWpgXAFDwMkz-ubyjuBIHbRxvhlt5kCSZJZ8P06GRlzskiVmoKI6jI_Lf_WiTG0Gw2SK6HLquG-JwWWzVPh_76Lb19HkILPtEtLFJ3nbx/s1600/20150328_162011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct-d6gU38IvMkaIf6Dj8iDvEJVnBWas71O35gWpgXAFDwMkz-ubyjuBIHbRxvhlt5kCSZJZ8P06GRlzskiVmoKI6jI_Lf_WiTG0Gw2SK6HLquG-JwWWzVPh_76Lb19HkILPtEtLFJ3nbx/s640/20150328_162011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The gardens were nearly perfect</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW2jMxb1q8WfIScYxePBzp6pFMFgdpe3mV9z15OE-LTffuao5_SecwYRueD0oDWWBUFyBNIPb9vJNX91BmX0S6FVXuN6kupqpEvOpEUg5FdW31PBa9ewkMLoWSOcA8HwxDbKWB3KlePed/s1600/20150328_155831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW2jMxb1q8WfIScYxePBzp6pFMFgdpe3mV9z15OE-LTffuao5_SecwYRueD0oDWWBUFyBNIPb9vJNX91BmX0S6FVXuN6kupqpEvOpEUg5FdW31PBa9ewkMLoWSOcA8HwxDbKWB3KlePed/s640/20150328_155831.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We spent a lot time relaxing and building up an appetite for pizza </span></td></tr>
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As we were leaving the Gardens, we decided to try one more time for pizza at Momo's, the location *not* by the University. This time, success! Jake was hopelessly asleep at the table, but that worked out just fine because he was exhausted, & we had to wait awhile for our food. The crazy huge 30" pizza was super yummy, a great ending to the day. And no, we couldn't finish it all, but it is kind of crazy how much food this family of seven can consume when starving!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOto1x3snolrZ-5cXPe5TxOwRbemuQkuTXLCN6RhdK4Hw1FeRKnStwyxBtvIkTCltwXj2H_N7MaMa0QMQLPTQGIHQK8s7R__cNTdHpSfissdF8C7zhY71ZtHm-PP7ReEJ74kLfYp_9sU6I/s1600/20150328_191424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOto1x3snolrZ-5cXPe5TxOwRbemuQkuTXLCN6RhdK4Hw1FeRKnStwyxBtvIkTCltwXj2H_N7MaMa0QMQLPTQGIHQK8s7R__cNTdHpSfissdF8C7zhY71ZtHm-PP7ReEJ74kLfYp_9sU6I/s640/20150328_191424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">THIRTY INCHES of Pizza</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjN64p2TXcIhFygL6Nx62RWPR14-cUoGZeiCqCMUJNwGj7Y8uKzI9IPgPpItFah5QWg7CF2-J8D9fZBlgt7T_xtpLYGljvW7BTHugzcP3brvNVnlgEf4F2r6RNW6FzO1F4V1Ba5rgV7ib/s1600/20150328_162518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjN64p2TXcIhFygL6Nx62RWPR14-cUoGZeiCqCMUJNwGj7Y8uKzI9IPgPpItFah5QWg7CF2-J8D9fZBlgt7T_xtpLYGljvW7BTHugzcP3brvNVnlgEf4F2r6RNW6FzO1F4V1Ba5rgV7ib/s640/20150328_162518.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Genna having fun exploring the gardens</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPCAyqWMsEjMXmaYrq2J0rTJhfHKhNd65K-7h3qf8rXVnBroOUBdQdV5zMCcZ7dz-b29Ivl3v93ZEVdDG3l1uwNRAwLAL13MyhkcOBDhU3LYKOBhlJpJMFJjGaIbLaE-S6L7FsLlo04Me/s1600/20150328_164035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPCAyqWMsEjMXmaYrq2J0rTJhfHKhNd65K-7h3qf8rXVnBroOUBdQdV5zMCcZ7dz-b29Ivl3v93ZEVdDG3l1uwNRAwLAL13MyhkcOBDhU3LYKOBhlJpJMFJjGaIbLaE-S6L7FsLlo04Me/s640/20150328_164035.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Love that smile</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9ZZn-i3DJ_J5EilqS3ynJu2VadeQzYWQecgtt1QN76WsYML6ByGRCVAAUL7Z2N2uIWMhkssR7jtREnYTwJfAuYG9l4vPGt5XBh-PhiiiygXxICCvA-TxvfKlcnVkap3DxvQ-3jLtLhBx/s1600/20150328_165506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9ZZn-i3DJ_J5EilqS3ynJu2VadeQzYWQecgtt1QN76WsYML6ByGRCVAAUL7Z2N2uIWMhkssR7jtREnYTwJfAuYG9l4vPGt5XBh-PhiiiygXxICCvA-TxvfKlcnVkap3DxvQ-3jLtLhBx/s640/20150328_165506.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake in front of the rhododendrons</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Tallahassee, FL, USA30.4382559 -84.28073289999997530.4382559 -84.280732899999975 30.4382559 -84.280732899999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-19196929151365083082015-03-01T20:02:00.000-06:002015-05-12T20:16:00.868-05:00Weekend Trip to Montgomery, Alabama<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tMPh0a9iNlqt_mNJOy0fZDedzYM7CwP48O98uPk_jmf09p0nRwwEwJmBGAb6LrPpksH8srVA6hZYdPGjDvddVLh0xGQcn7Wm4aViB2XWbCHvA4HDK4omAuaH9kNiF1ZwpgJJ7kpta88w/s1600/IMAG0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tMPh0a9iNlqt_mNJOy0fZDedzYM7CwP48O98uPk_jmf09p0nRwwEwJmBGAb6LrPpksH8srVA6hZYdPGjDvddVLh0xGQcn7Wm4aViB2XWbCHvA4HDK4omAuaH9kNiF1ZwpgJJ7kpta88w/s1600/IMAG0181.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We decided to get away for a weekend to Montgomery, Alabama & take advantage of all the Civil Rights Movement learning opportunities. We were happy to find a hotel with an indoor pool as it's definitely still too cool for outdoor swimming! We carefully planned our Saturday as most of the sights are closed on Sunday. And, we were all delighted to have Steve get off work early on Friday! He's been working so much that it was a real treat to have him come home early, so we could get an early start on our adventure!</div>
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After our arrival on Friday, we checked out the local restaurant with great reviews, Southern Comfort. It's just a little place, and we clearly timed our arrival just so, as it got crazily busy after we were seated. As the name implies, it's not a place for gourmet offerings; it's a place to enjoy what is deemed typical Southern fare. (And how, after moving away from the South, did I not remember how much fried food is *the* staple fare???) Since the chicken fried chicken got rave reviews, Steve & I both tried it. And, it did not disappoint! It was by far the most tender, moist, & flavorful chicken fried chicken I've tasted. The gravy on it was just the right amount (I'm not a fan of drowning it in gravy), & it was not heavy & greasy! Out of all the things we ordered, it was definitely the best! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiixFnW-Ny57llhTk5LRGXf2IU-IhsXAnyT0SfOMPy-UUT_vaWTPRbmi5IbGdFkaXat5WBpqgehkBgF_9gp5yxXhIQLN4xDD2IPDoYGWlPvX_6YH5SsGikMRqzmlrobd9OvRFZk2cFWaic/s1600/IMAG0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiixFnW-Ny57llhTk5LRGXf2IU-IhsXAnyT0SfOMPy-UUT_vaWTPRbmi5IbGdFkaXat5WBpqgehkBgF_9gp5yxXhIQLN4xDD2IPDoYGWlPvX_6YH5SsGikMRqzmlrobd9OvRFZk2cFWaic/s1600/IMAG0147.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The kiddos sitting on the front steps of Martin Luther King's home for six years</span></td></tr>
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We got an early start (for our crew) on Saturday morning & began our day with a tour of the MLK parsonage. It was really neat that our tour guide, Ms. Foley, was actually a member of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church that Dr. King pastored, while he was pastor! For some reason, that helped bring home the reality that all of these events took place in the not-so-distant past! It was also neat to be standing in the very kitchen where Dr. King, considering the possibility of stepping down from his role in the Civil Rights Movement, felt like God was telling him to stay strong & not give up!</div>
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After touring the parsonage, our next stop was the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. King was pastor. Our tour guide, Ms. Wanda Battle was amazing. Seriously, she embraced the verse in the Bible that tells us to do everything as unto the Lord. She is such a people person & did such a phenomenal job of not just telling the history behind the church, but also of loving on & ministering to the people on her tours. What an amazing lady! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQzjAru6Se__y-xq5tAkY4YOF6Xhcawe67w4fHcIF_d2DJYe-GElJ2_bZxLOk6ysl8-1x473dYB8LvK2VDvbqbkTDIEQY59ojVmtJ2z9iVFjrRHok_QgGS1nO_BBb_aFtwL62wr2hOZuA/s1600/20150228_122026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQzjAru6Se__y-xq5tAkY4YOF6Xhcawe67w4fHcIF_d2DJYe-GElJ2_bZxLOk6ysl8-1x473dYB8LvK2VDvbqbkTDIEQY59ojVmtJ2z9iVFjrRHok_QgGS1nO_BBb_aFtwL62wr2hOZuA/s1600/20150228_122026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our family (except Dad) with Miss Wanda inside the sanctuary of the Dexter Ave Baptist Church</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGup33Aqf0fF1evProQUXafQT70GBOuFSGCltnIeEk4Qqy4QrhRPKv-6wdOZaoL5oAtIzlDxV210J5ZZjkmYtTemQ9-kQsNNYC9CcqjGlC7bQKy63EA9GFYGnVzz-D9PJD3CuqC7TyLl2N/s1600/20150228_113218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGup33Aqf0fF1evProQUXafQT70GBOuFSGCltnIeEk4Qqy4QrhRPKv-6wdOZaoL5oAtIzlDxV210J5ZZjkmYtTemQ9-kQsNNYC9CcqjGlC7bQKy63EA9GFYGnVzz-D9PJD3CuqC7TyLl2N/s1600/20150228_113218.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Peeking in the mail slot of MLK's former church while we wait for our tour</span></td></tr>
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Our next tourist stop was the Rosa Parks Museum. We were rapidly running out of time, so we didn't have time to see the children's museum section, just the main portion, and we couldn't linger after the "tour" was over. It was indeed very well done, but it was also a bit pricey! And? I couldn't help but think that a certain brown-eyed spunky girl of ours (whose name begins with A) has a similar combination of bravery & sense of justice as Rosa Parks...<br />
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We hastily made our way to the Little White House of the Confederacy, where the littles had great fun exploring as each room was set up like the days of old. I spent my time chasing after them & making sure they didn't push past the roped off areas, so I couldn't tell you much about the place! But...I bet Shanan could because she's such a thorough sign reader & learner!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A Liberty Bell without the crack in front of the Alabama state capitol</span></td></tr>
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We rushed out & made tracks across the street to tour the Capital building. Sadly, after arriving, we learned that only guided tours are offered on Saturdays, & we had already missed the last one. However, I wasn't too disappointed because, by this point in the day, a guided tour didn't seem like it would have gone all that well. Instead, the kids had a blast exploring the well-manicured grounds around the Capital. And?? Someone discovered that the steep, grassy slope leading down to the sidewalk served very nicely as a slide. Only one child didn't participate in the festivities...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPyqbzaLw6MsdQpAPKJmmDqN4qgiRvqHI9BNtsqdhEef6nFnObYLixlJ3tRaGtuJbtFAYHAYeQAOcR5_-1Vw1cNYuzt45AvW-I5Q_9gVLHWC493nlVjuqM_w7sN9I18BaZOIYt4TlFc4h/s1600/IMAG0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPyqbzaLw6MsdQpAPKJmmDqN4qgiRvqHI9BNtsqdhEef6nFnObYLixlJ3tRaGtuJbtFAYHAYeQAOcR5_-1Vw1cNYuzt45AvW-I5Q_9gVLHWC493nlVjuqM_w7sN9I18BaZOIYt4TlFc4h/s1600/IMAG0178.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Zavocki Family First Lady</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvotDQHhCAJjIY51l3CRSRwlyJWzh-B0JLQc_Xqrcz7wDvo7NxqDzRQY9oLUtLilSrIjW8Hh0iEtxFe0xu09293Jk82PVZvwxxAw1_aVt8a_q9gi-zElXu0H8Of_XoRX7HTnaEWP_rQ-F/s1600/IMAG0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvotDQHhCAJjIY51l3CRSRwlyJWzh-B0JLQc_Xqrcz7wDvo7NxqDzRQY9oLUtLilSrIjW8Hh0iEtxFe0xu09293Jk82PVZvwxxAw1_aVt8a_q9gi-zElXu0H8Of_XoRX7HTnaEWP_rQ-F/s1600/IMAG0170.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cute kids grow on trees in Montgomery</span></td></tr>
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Thanks to Steve's research, we ended up at Taste of India for dinner. After living in places with a plethora of Indian restaurants, there are none where we now live, so this was a really special treat! Our waiter said they close one day a week in order to travel to purchase goat meat & the spices they need. The samosas, tandoori chicken (best I've ever had), chicken biryani, and tikka masala were so incredibly yummy & enjoyed by all! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrETxKe8CQ0j4n-fF1PAK0u9hZn1cPPlB7IuH426s-_MCBxVB0KLeENaXX4R4aUbYTxHDifPcVi6UY-77tXAwO48x5s0EOCxf7OCj1qePtUcpZT33XGI9zqmon3zHiqo5e9fSTJEPV3xcU/s1600/20150228_190353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrETxKe8CQ0j4n-fF1PAK0u9hZn1cPPlB7IuH426s-_MCBxVB0KLeENaXX4R4aUbYTxHDifPcVi6UY-77tXAwO48x5s0EOCxf7OCj1qePtUcpZT33XGI9zqmon3zHiqo5e9fSTJEPV3xcU/s1600/20150228_190353.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Might be the best Indian Food we ever had</span></td></tr>
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After more swimming & sleep, we packed up & headed to the Modern Art Museum, pretty much the only thing in Montgomery open on Sundays! It is free, always a bonus with a crew our size! I *think* a prerequisite for working here might be to make sure you never smile at the patrons & never, *ever* give the patron the impression that you're glad they're visiting... Seriously, we walked in the entrance, & the guy manning the front desk literally just stared at us (none too warmly, I might add) & never opened his mouth to say anything except, "Children are not allowed to push strollers!" He did not welcome us, nor did he explain the layout of the museum or tell us where we might find maps of the museum; he didn't even brief us on the rules, except that children are not allowed to push strollers. When I asked one of the guards whether pictures were allowed, she told us they were allowed everywhere except the room we were in, but when we took pictures in a <i>different</i> room, she found us & informed us that pictures weren't allowed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2EK4X6efZ5PTzcvYZIw8NrVHbO5vwBeYG7d_UxO3x3LHuBgKdbFpe9HJDKsVX16q5hSoPMN_kw5wdiCckOShS01dFT6QEqVl5eleA_fdk2ahinu_XiQRBBuiMe3HLi5JfhlXsXA7rdaK/s1600/IMAG0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2EK4X6efZ5PTzcvYZIw8NrVHbO5vwBeYG7d_UxO3x3LHuBgKdbFpe9HJDKsVX16q5hSoPMN_kw5wdiCckOShS01dFT6QEqVl5eleA_fdk2ahinu_XiQRBBuiMe3HLi5JfhlXsXA7rdaK/s1600/IMAG0197.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Love this painting, photo doesn't do justice</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6ym3HpCq3Mi1oakt1Oz0tCCFJTjHJZupqkoFbPdU3Fe_5bor5z_ARr8dvmNZ4bEkiQOKaLe584ddKwMbVn9SGhBsGjsRQTamx9vHGd_ufrEHIwFUYReivv6Nf2WlvJNKJu84nRskFeN2/s1600/IMAG0198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6ym3HpCq3Mi1oakt1Oz0tCCFJTjHJZupqkoFbPdU3Fe_5bor5z_ARr8dvmNZ4bEkiQOKaLe584ddKwMbVn9SGhBsGjsRQTamx9vHGd_ufrEHIwFUYReivv6Nf2WlvJNKJu84nRskFeN2/s1600/IMAG0198.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We mostly had the place to ourselves</span></td></tr>
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In spite of their lack of warmth at the museum, we still stayed for quite a long time & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The children's section was fantastic; the kids played & played & Steve stretched out on the floor & caught some zzzz's. His ability to sleep anywhere, at any time, is clearly a gift that I simply don't possess!<br />
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The littles were super bummed to leave. Genna even shed a tear or two when it was time to go & announced that she wanted to come back on her birthday! High accolades, I say! The weather was crummy when we were there, but on a beautiful weather sort of day, you could totally make a day of it by packing a picnic lunch & enjoying the surrounding park area!<br />
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We definitely made good memories in Montgomery!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOyl71i40kKA5iETJ0RskPPSjriFiVFwyJmymA-2GaoJ9gsnteOxIdN-F4X98wCbEO0xPTbHnorFDy_Y9ctoF49pnYGIiIcAPwGACb2PB-9Spv03wQFt4FCdFy0TyMbi7h1TWghIWda_N/s1600/IMAG0200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOyl71i40kKA5iETJ0RskPPSjriFiVFwyJmymA-2GaoJ9gsnteOxIdN-F4X98wCbEO0xPTbHnorFDy_Y9ctoF49pnYGIiIcAPwGACb2PB-9Spv03wQFt4FCdFy0TyMbi7h1TWghIWda_N/s1600/IMAG0200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Don't know what to call this wood donut, but it was very impressive</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTdZrmmugjR9b7k69r5AHCud_UscN4m_g_KZqm91a2vhjsWuPDai3z6HqZZP5iBuUr2WsyLRp3W8a0JiojN7rEuUW0bpZXoMQwgUosd1FOPiGi5DFWGKwqc52DlwqN9m9XrhxqMv0m_gQ/s1600/IMAG0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTdZrmmugjR9b7k69r5AHCud_UscN4m_g_KZqm91a2vhjsWuPDai3z6HqZZP5iBuUr2WsyLRp3W8a0JiojN7rEuUW0bpZXoMQwgUosd1FOPiGi5DFWGKwqc52DlwqN9m9XrhxqMv0m_gQ/s1600/IMAG0201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is a close up of a mototcycle</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Montgomery, AL, USA32.3668052 -86.2999689000000132.152163200000004 -86.6226924 32.5814472 -85.977245400000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-43789957670355503922015-02-21T09:23:00.000-06:002015-04-06T18:58:16.915-05:00Shanan's 14th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSvea7SJ0jyaHJQdhHOPJsu9WJFAhpMFUlHR8YkiJzdZr2KG9XnqfWs3-jpjzeHpPWF-KdhrR19pAGbx-CzG7EbvTfOtqxHI1LL2ez-TYI3cGHfWqQWXir0z-jRpyNhlQ9dLcqNdNjUQd/s1600/IMAG0136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSvea7SJ0jyaHJQdhHOPJsu9WJFAhpMFUlHR8YkiJzdZr2KG9XnqfWs3-jpjzeHpPWF-KdhrR19pAGbx-CzG7EbvTfOtqxHI1LL2ez-TYI3cGHfWqQWXir0z-jRpyNhlQ9dLcqNdNjUQd/s1600/IMAG0136.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></div>
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(Written by the birthday girl Shanan)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Zavocki family has several venerable birthday traditions. On a typical birthday, the birthday personage chooses the menu for the day, including a meal out at a restaurant of their choice. They are allowed to schedule the activities of the day, at least to a certain point. The birthday cake is per their desire. In past times, the birthday girl would go on a special outing with her father to pick out a bouquet of flowers, and when she was younger, an accompanying balloon. A day off from chores is an added benefit. </span></div>
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Now for the reality! Hypothetically, it all unfolds without a hitch, but sometimes real life throws a bit of a monkey wrench. Each year my birthday (and everyone else's) has its own twist. Thankfully, in spite of the stomach bug that knocked down everyone but Genna just days before my birthday<b>,</b> this year's birthday experience turned out to be outstanding! </span><br />
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My birthday started out on a great note. Dad made my day by helping me set up my own Facebook account, to my utmost pleasure. The festivities quickly accelerated when Mom and Dad presented me with a purity ring decorated with the Bible verse "True love waits," and my birthstone, Amethyst. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stomachs rumbling, I and the rest of the Zavocki clan piled into the van for the remaining birthday activities. In my search for a comparable substitute in place of my favorite Vietnamese Pho, I decided upon Wasabi House in Pace. I ordered a shrimp tempura, per Dad's recommendation - and boy was it heaven! I don't have to be a genius</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"> </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">to tell that </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">everyone</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> highly enjoyed the restaurant experience. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3EuMvQgFwzVsm6Wr1FrMQ62JWev0WiBmh-i7bCTn63fVyW7EHlc1ixtZfFDdT2ngsVcPs0Sdy5lNNA1fRhsidfIG7g1urOGLXu5DIw9tWQ_QoMnH8grf7GMZkBJ-Z1lxdcp2VP2jak25/s1600/IMAG0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3EuMvQgFwzVsm6Wr1FrMQ62JWev0WiBmh-i7bCTn63fVyW7EHlc1ixtZfFDdT2ngsVcPs0Sdy5lNNA1fRhsidfIG7g1urOGLXu5DIw9tWQ_QoMnH8grf7GMZkBJ-Z1lxdcp2VP2jak25/s1600/IMAG0133.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying my birthday lunch!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ8hKPZmQhPb8mF-nej6BxU3nIREXPdnzwfol6xEd9rqOA_Lj49kt993b4FQFvm53CFnLkZualyeM5e0j7mRVKuIGXujvVBnOVsQM6FufX8wAr7GG-woxegd9dynSH5H-4wjk7ZUZOSeh/s1600/IMAG0135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ8hKPZmQhPb8mF-nej6BxU3nIREXPdnzwfol6xEd9rqOA_Lj49kt993b4FQFvm53CFnLkZualyeM5e0j7mRVKuIGXujvVBnOVsQM6FufX8wAr7GG-woxegd9dynSH5H-4wjk7ZUZOSeh/s1600/IMAG0135.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My tasty shrimp tempura.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was my lucky day! Alyssa's sharp eyes spotted the Sally Beauty Supply a few stores over from Wasabi House, and that promptly became our next stop. I think it's safe to say that beauty stores are generally girl paradise, and although I'm not quite as enthusiastic about them as the majority, Alyssa easily makes up for whatever I lack. Alyssa, Genna, and I happily browsed the clearance section, scrounging for any sign of a good deal. As we exited the store some time later, I carried the rest of my birthday presents - even Jake had found a gift for me that was to his liking. I believe I am now equipped for a hearty nail painting spree! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our following occupations were mostly uneventful, until Dad made a surprise stop at Village Inn, a common<b> </b>Saturday evening dinner haunt for us. But this time we weren't there for dinner! Dad and I went in alone to pick out my special treat. I couldn't help choosing the heavenly key lime pie, with its fluffy cloud of whipped cream!</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5nw112dwS14rDaY9IQfj-nsR1GmowVp3OtAX4pJEN3823L8lXe22hO6ETPjSyLH1uN6spyHyJ6X1O8IVmS7kjL8u94PAVac_yvX8KndrrhBFvYUE-dR1UbPXXQTPEq1R0cHRAtNvCIEv/s1600/shanan's%2Bbday%2Bkey%2Blime%2Bpie%2Bfrom%2Bvillage%2Binn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5nw112dwS14rDaY9IQfj-nsR1GmowVp3OtAX4pJEN3823L8lXe22hO6ETPjSyLH1uN6spyHyJ6X1O8IVmS7kjL8u94PAVac_yvX8KndrrhBFvYUE-dR1UbPXXQTPEq1R0cHRAtNvCIEv/s1600/shanan's%2Bbday%2Bkey%2Blime%2Bpie%2Bfrom%2Bvillage%2Binn.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was the delicious key lime pie that had entranced me.</span></div>
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I determined to postpone my homemade birthday dinner of chicken posole and chips with guacamole, so I could save the delectable taste for my fully recovered stomach. Instead, Mom cooked tomato soup and cheese quesadillas, which was a tasty alternative.<br />
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That evening we got to test Village Inn's promise of "Best Pie In America." Was it true? you ask. Nope. Homemade always beats store-bought. But if you think that means the pie tasted awful, you're totally wrong! It was divine. Thanks Dad, for buying it for me! </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB4AdRN1VGlUNbc_W5A9JeBLW6f2N5uRKGhop4f8RSWjnUyAsU0f1wlRGaTPLW1uXTck0S8vO6RXl1srP0m3HhwjjvCXUOBY6ON5lRDHu4HI2UclqSQlgNwio5RgD0yESBWj7NCfRSEJc/s1600/IMAG0138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB4AdRN1VGlUNbc_W5A9JeBLW6f2N5uRKGhop4f8RSWjnUyAsU0f1wlRGaTPLW1uXTck0S8vO6RXl1srP0m3HhwjjvCXUOBY6ON5lRDHu4HI2UclqSQlgNwio5RgD0yESBWj7NCfRSEJc/s1600/IMAG0138.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I couldn't wait to taste it!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About two weeks after my actual birthday, Mom baked the miracle known as my birthday cake. Now, I've had birthday cake before. Many times. But <i>this</i> birthday cake was another story. Let me rephrase myself: It was another book! This year I couldn't resist choosing a white chocolate cheesecake, because<b> </b>the one Mom made for my 13th birthday<b> </b>was so amazing. I am so glad I did! Mom used a <a href="http://socialpowerhour.com/white-chocolate-no-bake-cheesecake/">no-bake recipe</a> (with an Oreo crust) this time around, and we served it up with chocolate chips and sugared strawberries - there is <i>positively</i> <b>no way</b> to go wrong with that! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_44aKPg7vQd8FV0aAoroBe0NyBSODGGzP3ILcT6vZMlaNo8ReD-V755URJHMLPTBAToq8QyksqdiU1mXPjhAMuG0wB_mt-LQ1J_jBtVxFLyon3W5LRN7SWNi4i8C4ODcztx0Lr2Aj7Le/s1600/slice+of+cheesecake+for+shanan's%2B14th%2Bbday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_44aKPg7vQd8FV0aAoroBe0NyBSODGGzP3ILcT6vZMlaNo8ReD-V755URJHMLPTBAToq8QyksqdiU1mXPjhAMuG0wB_mt-LQ1J_jBtVxFLyon3W5LRN7SWNi4i8C4ODcztx0Lr2Aj7Le/s1600/slice+of+cheesecake+for+shanan's%2B14th%2Bbday.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Doesn't this make your mouth drool?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnZgdj0s9Xvn4GXBJ2r4-HYraij4P00q1nE2NW6CFEsCQPbc2WkpNBfquF6tnDIEOFsUQpssKKspfoNaHRO4lzIzaEzOFjrs7vsLyS_HKAJKpR11ki5HK2jjIiIM-jzGHESLkq0vA09sj/s1600/IMAG0208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnZgdj0s9Xvn4GXBJ2r4-HYraij4P00q1nE2NW6CFEsCQPbc2WkpNBfquF6tnDIEOFsUQpssKKspfoNaHRO4lzIzaEzOFjrs7vsLyS_HKAJKpR11ki5HK2jjIiIM-jzGHESLkq0vA09sj/s1600/IMAG0208.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Everyone was excited for the cake!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIsGS7feOHmfOJVerKGREIEfEMqcnBCXG4nLHQ_dD2Ek537fENRyfqXUVU1XXcG5sXo4i7zIyIr6vAZe5YsnWMQS-jVPOteeDCDUFPO6y5tt_i0wCiJSYEeYVwabC9oJ62H-v1fovVLav/s1600/IMAG0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIsGS7feOHmfOJVerKGREIEfEMqcnBCXG4nLHQ_dD2Ek537fENRyfqXUVU1XXcG5sXo4i7zIyIr6vAZe5YsnWMQS-jVPOteeDCDUFPO6y5tt_i0wCiJSYEeYVwabC9oJ62H-v1fovVLav/s1600/IMAG0206.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Blowing out the candles...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because we barely escaped getting caught in the worst of sickness over my birthday, I consented to spread out my birthday meals instead of having them all on one day like usual. Although I wouldn't choose this option every year, I must admit it was a real treat to enjoy the last remnant of my birthday a whole 2 weeks after the date. That's one long birthday celebration! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Wow. I am so unbelievably grateful that I have a Mom and Dad who love me and are willing to put such effort into making me feel loved and special. I love my family and wouldn't ever want anyone to take their place! Thank you all for such an incredible day, there's no one I would rather spend it with! </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Pace, FL, USA30.5993603 -87.16108070000001430.5446883 -87.241761700000012 30.6540323 -87.080399700000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-52072099813376682942015-02-15T07:05:00.000-06:002015-04-04T15:46:05.761-05:00Meeting the Hubachers in Savannah<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm_NmSp3H-XfBweuY23XQ7UZCnlpj4cKWqXtwlXbsQssFXFS1SkP15RX3eCxlkBILEdM1M6kTidaejIYPgK4PQFFxtgSq7yoj36WMw8NHiZ4109gLC5E1HKanm-zG2SvEbNZpKggQLzlT/s1600/IMAG0091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm_NmSp3H-XfBweuY23XQ7UZCnlpj4cKWqXtwlXbsQssFXFS1SkP15RX3eCxlkBILEdM1M6kTidaejIYPgK4PQFFxtgSq7yoj36WMw8NHiZ4109gLC5E1HKanm-zG2SvEbNZpKggQLzlT/s1600/IMAG0091.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://wherevertheroadleads.blogspot.com/2012/06/civil-war-reenactments-and-unexpected.html">Our friendship with the Hubachers goes all the way back to our time spent traveling full-time.</a> How our kids formed great friendships in just the blink of an eye is nothing short of miraculous! And...how they have actively maintained those friendships over the last two and a half years is amazing! <a href="http://wherevertheroadleads.blogspot.com/2013/09/hubacher-visit.html">When Katie was born, they made the trek cross-country to come see us & meet our little miracle.</a> Now that we're living much closer, we decided to meet up somewhere in the middle over a long weekend. Having agreed upon Savannah, we began to make our plans.<br />
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When the Hubachers finally arrived on Saturday afternoon, it was so cute to see how some of their kids were amazed that we had coincidentally ended up in Savannah, at the same place, at the same time as them! ;) They had opted to completely surprise their kids about meeting up with us, while we had opted to tell our kids in advance. Both ways worked for both families!<br />
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The remainder of Saturday & Sunday consisted of much, much play! Thanks to Shannon's Marine status, she was able to secure a hotel room for us on base, which was super nice! Unfortunately, while she & Steve were getting checked in, Katie threw up in her seat. The remainder of the weekend for her was spent on the puny side, with more puking & generally not feeling herself. Fortunately, that didn't ruin the fun for the other kids! Jake, Genna, Philip, Levi, & David all played war endlessly outside the hotel rooms, while the big girls holed up in their own hotel room getting reacquainted & doing girly stuff! <br />
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While I stayed back with a sick Katie, everyone else took a drive around base & got the chance to do a little rope climbing. Steve offered monetary rewards for those who climbed. There was a frayed rope hanging about 2 feet from the top. Anyone who could touch the frayed rope would earn $5. Most everyone tried, but Rachel and Alyssa were the only ones who won the reward.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Later in the day we met up at the <a href="http://www.coastalgeorgiabg.org/">Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens </a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">with some of the Hubachers' old friends who live in the area. It's definitely still in the planning stages, but it will be amazing when it's complete! The kids had a blast running around, but their favorite part was climbing the giant dirt piles! Watching them all scramble when Shannon cried, "Snake!" was pretty priceless. ;)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">After breakfast on Sunday morning, we said our goodbyes. It was a short but fun visit! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eBM3EKg8NXmMTbhU2QAfubp6Yjk9L052xgamdDOYGFsFcYdD564p17hWBBTiM4cqfx51VVXazP8Qov5xALq_prdfVnfCtJ0wpg1YoIApO5Lvw2mZG03p2qh9ZtiswkKOw3jLRvLbVPF6/s1600/IMAG0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eBM3EKg8NXmMTbhU2QAfubp6Yjk9L052xgamdDOYGFsFcYdD564p17hWBBTiM4cqfx51VVXazP8Qov5xALq_prdfVnfCtJ0wpg1YoIApO5Lvw2mZG03p2qh9ZtiswkKOw3jLRvLbVPF6/s1600/IMAG0071.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sleeping beauty at the park while waiting for the Hubachers</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzHBJfblRd_xiOf94z0y9XN7zdILk48b0Nhk3iQslVrzxFk7ZF1o3nibSq8iOVdyds3rerZt16HLbTze6Fet75vuo6R4tW1T7OA_sSSJraNHK0tlO99MJam8aMwm30Z2RgdnxYesm_XK7/s1600/IMAG0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzHBJfblRd_xiOf94z0y9XN7zdILk48b0Nhk3iQslVrzxFk7ZF1o3nibSq8iOVdyds3rerZt16HLbTze6Fet75vuo6R4tW1T7OA_sSSJraNHK0tlO99MJam8aMwm30Z2RgdnxYesm_XK7/s1600/IMAG0073.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The girls were excited to see each other</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIjVH5NNJd7VTOR0b2qescP8MUypjMEXaSrwIOCaCiKSDviOEurK0OdjzQ7se62efp_Wb542AF0dvxRu7MibXIqOj5LJbx77-QJz5WuB3nmZMR4kEbhwpeeJt1d7dWI6edvaFsirwimJc/s1600/IMAG0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIjVH5NNJd7VTOR0b2qescP8MUypjMEXaSrwIOCaCiKSDviOEurK0OdjzQ7se62efp_Wb542AF0dvxRu7MibXIqOj5LJbx77-QJz5WuB3nmZMR4kEbhwpeeJt1d7dWI6edvaFsirwimJc/s1600/IMAG0080.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shannon helping Phillip and Genna copy what the big kids were doing</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGfO3Zimliufjohm3Dgfx8u5rDGX0I2ahojZn3hELzoE3RkXLwMK5aqQIgLW8jDlfLM9LOXvkuPcvp8ANhps4SbnC9iBO6j3l7HMrVeApMH2LhrzRX7Yrp9CUPE7_hg7QA5Lbvd8TupqF/s1600/IMAG0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGfO3Zimliufjohm3Dgfx8u5rDGX0I2ahojZn3hELzoE3RkXLwMK5aqQIgLW8jDlfLM9LOXvkuPcvp8ANhps4SbnC9iBO6j3l7HMrVeApMH2LhrzRX7Yrp9CUPE7_hg7QA5Lbvd8TupqF/s1600/IMAG0083.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dwight and Phillip relaxing after dinner in their hotel room</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktqn1VsIq3jxED2F7BPLdR7ryvCFtablSvtqZbv2GDsbas1f4C3zOZeEOGKpSOiNbTRbo0b6A_dHb6emhJAId1E0zZZrB4HrdZAfYAT6k_bRgYWVtkYKc4bsODIsUj6BLIcUEiiwqi3Pk/s1600/IMAG0087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktqn1VsIq3jxED2F7BPLdR7ryvCFtablSvtqZbv2GDsbas1f4C3zOZeEOGKpSOiNbTRbo0b6A_dHb6emhJAId1E0zZZrB4HrdZAfYAT6k_bRgYWVtkYKc4bsODIsUj6BLIcUEiiwqi3Pk/s1600/IMAG0087.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Drawing and makeup were the main activities in the girls room</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3s2IC9Z5x_r0MDwnkA8PFqQqSbdu5J0YPtQSbKvgKrT6AUsvh85j37zBCDOkc95mF-cgOPPXJpQS1TkV8phQnjmAaTHz-u-IOdov4mrWDMPJ2iu2t8lz6rQf84TN6IP76lJ2Lr7LRXyw/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3s2IC9Z5x_r0MDwnkA8PFqQqSbdu5J0YPtQSbKvgKrT6AUsvh85j37zBCDOkc95mF-cgOPPXJpQS1TkV8phQnjmAaTHz-u-IOdov4mrWDMPJ2iu2t8lz6rQf84TN6IP76lJ2Lr7LRXyw/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Someone" loves playing with makeup</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFGYZ0GDQIEuWwsqEZPDCpozOHaGsqBNBhZYU8eNwZIYEDU34j9yMl03oiGe1Q2iEbhgBV5OxFJD7rtey1xHvSeZ2SSqOyfSmx74Inq7Thiy_SkAvsldnlHW3AWvMNBHDNG7FTsWSY7pl/s1600/IMAG0097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFGYZ0GDQIEuWwsqEZPDCpozOHaGsqBNBhZYU8eNwZIYEDU34j9yMl03oiGe1Q2iEbhgBV5OxFJD7rtey1xHvSeZ2SSqOyfSmx74Inq7Thiy_SkAvsldnlHW3AWvMNBHDNG7FTsWSY7pl/s1600/IMAG0097.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Phillip and David in front of a Vietnam-era attack helicopter</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3H6QrlvAc9qnnoRcWxFOJUTyJ6muh2o6dyM_3hdsY0SX0ydW0oLF_hFT4cuGWiU_blOYe_LXFSH5xMP7deLv1w-30EHdqeswIPPLKrIVLuID80Z6NGljyhrO8PlYx7hcMafDEu8QUwDU/s1600/IMAG0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3H6QrlvAc9qnnoRcWxFOJUTyJ6muh2o6dyM_3hdsY0SX0ydW0oLF_hFT4cuGWiU_blOYe_LXFSH5xMP7deLv1w-30EHdqeswIPPLKrIVLuID80Z6NGljyhrO8PlYx7hcMafDEu8QUwDU/s1600/IMAG0111.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nearly everyone took the rope climbing challenge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sj0qE5MZkMtoekhHqE2N00FY7zwGLlfbU2iw74wZX1-Du9wqDCHVK15fZZPFfxEn3qlUhh8byPIc12SAXRlVj0JF277AjBL6iZuj9FfRSBwHsDtFdGMPJVpLRmtuIjZ28YlGl3G6x0Fr/s1600/IMAG0115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sj0qE5MZkMtoekhHqE2N00FY7zwGLlfbU2iw74wZX1-Du9wqDCHVK15fZZPFfxEn3qlUhh8byPIc12SAXRlVj0JF277AjBL6iZuj9FfRSBwHsDtFdGMPJVpLRmtuIjZ28YlGl3G6x0Fr/s1600/IMAG0115.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shannon showing off the proper technique to rope climb, leaving her with some battle wounds on her feet</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl8OAzFnL5pHme8nljIZxhZe6WrdKy9Idih_f-A8ixLtcaIUIYtRNVNqLO927AZuGKviyz9hSoNJUzUwL39Adi3sqVE1MWUNnOdThwfPzuDfCyDHbREakgdlMRdYeKI_N3LEyFjL3ycqX/s1600/IMAG0117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl8OAzFnL5pHme8nljIZxhZe6WrdKy9Idih_f-A8ixLtcaIUIYtRNVNqLO927AZuGKviyz9hSoNJUzUwL39Adi3sqVE1MWUNnOdThwfPzuDfCyDHbREakgdlMRdYeKI_N3LEyFjL3ycqX/s1600/IMAG0117.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rachel touched the frayed rope and won a $5 dollar reward</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkY1tzDccyEvansowk1RbpSNvUhJGdotzcY2VUPgiC2TkqyqTyasA2PERfdmX4Xy43tJNseunfxZ7XkwIHlpLkT66IOcM1gWQPcW0LAzORqOG6pdslcXxEknL3wyF1mWx6RqIdIYKsFKa/s1600/IMAG0119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkY1tzDccyEvansowk1RbpSNvUhJGdotzcY2VUPgiC2TkqyqTyasA2PERfdmX4Xy43tJNseunfxZ7XkwIHlpLkT66IOcM1gWQPcW0LAzORqOG6pdslcXxEknL3wyF1mWx6RqIdIYKsFKa/s1600/IMAG0119.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alyssa also won a $5 reward</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo52uorMIdMDft2EV1Tw08gKY3GpKA4e5qp4ZR6ne4IpiA-S7OiASw9l2RAS3RK3gnLRJp1rfrZF_WALyZyTWhNepcSWo21BinDTXr2SR9gynuOvjCYjon_aTHla91TG88JsPk-bjzp_BB/s1600/IMAG0124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo52uorMIdMDft2EV1Tw08gKY3GpKA4e5qp4ZR6ne4IpiA-S7OiASw9l2RAS3RK3gnLRJp1rfrZF_WALyZyTWhNepcSWo21BinDTXr2SR9gynuOvjCYjon_aTHla91TG88JsPk-bjzp_BB/s1600/IMAG0124.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The fruit of the child tree is almost ready for harvest</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Climbing dirt piles was the kids favorite thing about the botanical gardens</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Hunter Army Air Field, Savannah, GA 31409, USA32.0257862 -81.13297779999999232.0132992 -81.153147799999985 32.0382732 -81.1128078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-79931649193800698142015-02-13T07:03:00.000-06:002015-03-24T20:58:45.193-05:00Beautiful Savannah Georgia<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bO07HPwA17QYx6asnKXUMnE5CloeuT5cbAwmkKAvBN7fYBzBLTpxueMlF1oXx4e9SxC1LhYDLqAGsiTX1AiW8fA97QJsFy8bz-XSEnj39SZCe5F50SCiwMqIz_SS-Il0qavjgBbYRWGh/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bO07HPwA17QYx6asnKXUMnE5CloeuT5cbAwmkKAvBN7fYBzBLTpxueMlF1oXx4e9SxC1LhYDLqAGsiTX1AiW8fA97QJsFy8bz-XSEnj39SZCe5F50SCiwMqIz_SS-Il0qavjgBbYRWGh/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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A trip to meet up with our old friends the Hubachers, provided us with the perfect opportunity to visit beautiful Savannah, Georgia. Steve has been working long hours, so it was really nice to get away for some family fun. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgc41Ndh92ydiN2azA4HpbtgSpTf1ftKkMx41NIrk_VAA8o4OCw3X6X17LSN-bMsn3L1RXvyA7DWU8uJra9hClbvWR_8Vg7gYmLOL0xJHc7e4581euVHdOnxIf7E8xEyb2FAOk920TaxY/s1600/IMAG0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgc41Ndh92ydiN2azA4HpbtgSpTf1ftKkMx41NIrk_VAA8o4OCw3X6X17LSN-bMsn3L1RXvyA7DWU8uJra9hClbvWR_8Vg7gYmLOL0xJHc7e4581euVHdOnxIf7E8xEyb2FAOk920TaxY/s1600/IMAG0005.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The donut-holed ottoman in the Savannah visitors center was very much enjoyed</span></td></tr>
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We decided to leave after work on Thursday to make the drive a little less painful. Sadly, Katie has reached the stage of being altogether disenchanted with being strapped in her seat for very long. We thought it would be no problem to just snag a hotel along the way when we got tired, but we were wrong! Plan A didn't work, nor Plan B, nor Plan C. Steve finally found a Red Roof Inn with availability, & it was indeed a place to stay, but by no means did it encourage us to ever stay at another Red Roof Inn again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56uwCBhinwE0neo7JSAhyOYu6GXod8K7iETo-b315vDJmwscKkZHeBRRT7hN2sY8jjVaEF0wc0FMbr2Cr2UO6BNWEZfwK5Dul_Up9l2QPs9iMMfAFSwbHKSzDHZHt5kEMxJ55foTkyiLj/s1600/IMAG0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56uwCBhinwE0neo7JSAhyOYu6GXod8K7iETo-b315vDJmwscKkZHeBRRT7hN2sY8jjVaEF0wc0FMbr2Cr2UO6BNWEZfwK5Dul_Up9l2QPs9iMMfAFSwbHKSzDHZHt5kEMxJ55foTkyiLj/s1600/IMAG0020.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">February means the Camellias are blooming</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mega-cuteness</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bO07HPwA17QYx6asnKXUMnE5CloeuT5cbAwmkKAvBN7fYBzBLTpxueMlF1oXx4e9SxC1LhYDLqAGsiTX1AiW8fA97QJsFy8bz-XSEnj39SZCe5F50SCiwMqIz_SS-Il0qavjgBbYRWGh/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bO07HPwA17QYx6asnKXUMnE5CloeuT5cbAwmkKAvBN7fYBzBLTpxueMlF1oXx4e9SxC1LhYDLqAGsiTX1AiW8fA97QJsFy8bz-XSEnj39SZCe5F50SCiwMqIz_SS-Il0qavjgBbYRWGh/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The squares of Savannah set it apart from most any other city that we have ever seen</span></td></tr>
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Getting to Savannah earlier on Friday helped make the drama of the previous night worth it though! It was crazy cold, but it was beautiful! We had a lot of fun just walking around the downtown historical area. It was clean & quaint, reminiscent of European cities. We founded an amazing-- <i>seriously the best we've ever seen, I think</i>--playground. Considering the dearth of playgrounds in the area we are now residing, the kids had an absolute blast, even the big kids! It was so cute to see how Jake just finds any boy, then latches on to him & makes friends with him. He's such a fun-loving, outgoing little man! An old friend of Steve's from our summer camp days met up with us after he got off work while the kids played & played.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ94AU_NBLqIe-r3-ER-aBq64pSCgAPJKZoBGtcOBQwsmC08l6RNm75dzNhn-tBvomF65JdmC7LZzl5rQJtuckVzStHDf4_pt20QyH3KKJMkfIP7Rmv_a6R6EFVlnf04oTmti_jKxIS_fR/s1600/IMAG0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ94AU_NBLqIe-r3-ER-aBq64pSCgAPJKZoBGtcOBQwsmC08l6RNm75dzNhn-tBvomF65JdmC7LZzl5rQJtuckVzStHDf4_pt20QyH3KKJMkfIP7Rmv_a6R6EFVlnf04oTmti_jKxIS_fR/s1600/IMAG0015.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I don't know if there is a place in the South with more Spanish Moss growing than Savannah</span></td></tr>
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On Saturday, we returned to Savannah to explore a bit more while we waited for the Hubachers to arrive. We found a Cuban restaurant that was incredibly yummy for lunch! And, we played at the playground some more, although it was crazy crowded because the weather was nicer & it was the weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful Fountain in Forsyth Park</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Such a beautiful spot</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A good place to kiss</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32K9k3EOnSFR0ubyxaRDpWnlapZWWvCbL9DW7xitJmTOpiBgQSCGXC79K1t9aQQUh3RMmBV_CcqwU4xHMbBPB4U8D24fLzbsrRgZp_3ROmD1AkCXMvZrnDOl7ETn_zqLjwCCnUoGpkstI/s1600/IMAG0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32K9k3EOnSFR0ubyxaRDpWnlapZWWvCbL9DW7xitJmTOpiBgQSCGXC79K1t9aQQUh3RMmBV_CcqwU4xHMbBPB4U8D24fLzbsrRgZp_3ROmD1AkCXMvZrnDOl7ETn_zqLjwCCnUoGpkstI/s1600/IMAG0056.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to one of the visitor guides, we were able to find this delicious Cuban restaurant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Next to the Cuban restaurant was this store selling dinosaurs and other unusual items</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Dad, take my picture with the horse in the background"</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Savannah, GA, USA32.0835407 -81.09983419999997531.6528257 -81.74528119999998 32.5142557 -80.454387199999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-31871707322909650492015-02-07T21:00:00.000-06:002015-03-22T09:25:54.646-05:00Fun in Fairhope<div style="text-align: center;">
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Having unsuccessfully attempted to visit Fairhope, Alabama on New Years Day, we decided to head back for another attempt. Everyone loved the beignets at <a href="http://www.paninipetes.com/">Panini Pete's</a> in Mobile, so we were excited to go to the original location in Fairhope & score more beignets!<br />
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It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were all starving! As we arrived in Fairhope, it became obvious that something was going on because there was crazy traffic! Parking was an issue & we were getting worried about being able to execute our plan. Turns out there was a big Mardis Gras celebration, with a dog parade happening as we arrived and another huge parade scheduled for the evening!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tCFkT6FLGBjI29GA0DUnoIeo692mOjX7Qv7rxT-0nqwddBq7VTqhxlX6yfRvSYP8ccAAcJoplfu2fA-RTWoPIJOxHUAAl2Kp6bgKZzScmO8mF-qkQ-wTtawgEMm8Y-cYLwr_9QRzeWds/s1600/IMAG1265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tCFkT6FLGBjI29GA0DUnoIeo692mOjX7Qv7rxT-0nqwddBq7VTqhxlX6yfRvSYP8ccAAcJoplfu2fA-RTWoPIJOxHUAAl2Kp6bgKZzScmO8mF-qkQ-wTtawgEMm8Y-cYLwr_9QRzeWds/s1600/IMAG1265.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">These two beauties enjoyed their burgers. Dad was the only one who actually ordered Panini at Panini Pete's</span></td></tr>
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It was a long drive, so we determined to make it work. Steve found parking on a side street & we walked through the dog parade traffic & found Panini Pete's. Although there was a pretty big line, it was moving fast. We managed to get seated & ordered...only to discover that this particular location doesn't guarantee beignets after 10 a.m. Seriously??? Oh well, the burgers were great, and everyone ate happily.<br />
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After lunch, we decided to wander around the shops. Steve bravely entered the Wild Olive, a shop with specialty olive oils and vinegars. You could sample everything, so sample we did. And, we did not break anything! Aren't you impressed? ;) Actually, I was super impressed with the people who ran the store, because they did not seem bothered at all that we were in there with all 5 children! Their products were amazing, and their attitudes towards us were fantastic, so they scored our business. :) I highly recommend them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQJWa7xH8gj-qSUdqz7FnuinHRvysFutRZpx19dkUtUqC1EG6IRB_n0XXLGet5y-fve2dnLmEg9Tk69gPk5buF-BhcV70REkRt1rX6V0KG_lbmyk_A598QIXXcy8Tj4ml96OxXUX1we3P/s1600/IMAG1269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQJWa7xH8gj-qSUdqz7FnuinHRvysFutRZpx19dkUtUqC1EG6IRB_n0XXLGet5y-fve2dnLmEg9Tk69gPk5buF-BhcV70REkRt1rX6V0KG_lbmyk_A598QIXXcy8Tj4ml96OxXUX1we3P/s1600/IMAG1269.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We all enjoyed hanging at this eclectic art/furniture gallery.</span></td></tr>
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We wandered out of the Wild Olive & down the street. Steve found this unique artsy place, with lots of cool outdoor stuff. Steve was chatting with the owner, an art teacher. We wandered around her place, & the kids discovered a bathroom at the back of the place & took advantage of it. Before leaving, I decided I should take Jake, so off we went. In the front of the store, there were colored glass marbles & floral stones on the ground as decoration, & the owner told the kids they could each choose one. Jake, of course, managed to drop his in the toilet...and so I had the pleasure of digging it out of the toilet. My favorite... And, there was no lock on the bathroom door, so after he went, I gave him strict instructions on where to stand while I went. Of course, no sooner than I had my pants down, he leaned against the bathroom door & it popped open, and of course, there were other customers giggling at my predicament. And? When I admonished him to grab the door & close it, he just stood there...whilst my pants were down. Sooo...I had to yank my pants up & grab the door closed myself. Haha...making memories!<br />
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Steve had given the kids each $5 to spend on whatever they chose during our time here (not to be saved & used at a later date), so of course, it became a challenge to find something that they could buy for just $5, no easy task! Finally, we found a bookstore that provided what we needed. Genna chose a Frozen coloring book, Jake got a dinosaur sticker play kit, and Shanan found a <a href="http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/">Nick Vujicic</a> book that came with a free t-shirt. Of course, the Nick Vujicic book cost more than $5 dollars, but we paid the difference because she can share the book with us. ;) Alyssa, on the other hand, held out & didn't find anything worthy of her $5. ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vuv-Uc8CKevNcEJ69ZULIUuadywQ2aIFUPQULdawzx-sIA3kw_x5EvJ7QbP70vdFEtJNEyZl_5A_S23f5KneV45KQQkeklxn8FVM_BnkuMq4iGl_5biyn7NBSE_MEnCfKq_LpbsuCtIE/s1600/IMAG1284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vuv-Uc8CKevNcEJ69ZULIUuadywQ2aIFUPQULdawzx-sIA3kw_x5EvJ7QbP70vdFEtJNEyZl_5A_S23f5KneV45KQQkeklxn8FVM_BnkuMq4iGl_5biyn7NBSE_MEnCfKq_LpbsuCtIE/s1600/IMAG1284.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">They had Yuengling on tap (center), so Steve asked for some, and they obliged. Free beer? Why yes please!</span></td></tr>
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As we continued to wander, Steve found a couple art galleries that we browsed. I don't know if I had ever browsed through art galleries before I met Steve, but that's something we've always done together when we come across them. And? I certainly would have probably never chosen to take our littles through art galleries because well, littles are so unpredictable, and art is so expensive. But, Steve has never hesitated, and I'm actually grateful. It's helped our kids develop an appreciation for art, and it has helped them to learn how to keep their hands to themselves & show respect for property. It's been a really good thing. I was super impressed by the people working at the art galleries here because again, they didn't seem bothered by our kids. And? We happened upon one art gallery that had free beer on tap! Wow! What a neat concept! And yes, we took advantage of it...and had to explain to Jake that no, he could not taste the "beerd."<br />
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We realized that shops were closing early in preparation for the big Mardis Gras parade, so we hastened to make our way back to the van. However, Alyssa still hadn't spent her $5. As we were leaving the shops area, we saw a chocolate shop still open, so we decided to check it out. Her $5 bought her 4 gourmet chocolates, and she was happy! :) Although our day in Fairhope didn't turn out quite like we anticipated, we had a great time & would definitely go back!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj167Dk9KIGoPRj2xGB_M-8v7KLTtDfzeqG8AW4n5qqFbFU4snTcDFBMlT-CvCdSzxVt7Mk3JZf6fdP0EehyyKie4_Wo9xcUgw4ICMLEWVXWdAPrJXOaowCgE5sod5LvPyQ66aZUWCGlhr3/s1600/IMAG1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj167Dk9KIGoPRj2xGB_M-8v7KLTtDfzeqG8AW4n5qqFbFU4snTcDFBMlT-CvCdSzxVt7Mk3JZf6fdP0EehyyKie4_Wo9xcUgw4ICMLEWVXWdAPrJXOaowCgE5sod5LvPyQ66aZUWCGlhr3/s1600/IMAG1280.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Loved these watercolors</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt4iebWC12q1KQWNKb9kf22YQO4lsPkj6Y8wA9uGWkw779l6zRMNhSDmPCyuxOCZnxetzid7o2m4YNN-kUOPRlDib4K5dW_gISht1w0PvVVVjhJkkzUBXxEq5nxfae6wvCGLoVTtW6_bn/s1600/IMAG1281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt4iebWC12q1KQWNKb9kf22YQO4lsPkj6Y8wA9uGWkw779l6zRMNhSDmPCyuxOCZnxetzid7o2m4YNN-kUOPRlDib4K5dW_gISht1w0PvVVVjhJkkzUBXxEq5nxfae6wvCGLoVTtW6_bn/s1600/IMAG1281.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The pictures don't do justice on these paintings</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-24661438774848527332015-01-18T20:10:00.000-06:002015-04-04T11:11:48.353-05:00Eagle's Landing RV Park in Holt, Florida<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfsVr-a9rCYQsTPHuzHLaZoGodqaQz6D5-0WujVYUMPs6MK4oNTj5sd7LGf2fudeeSJ-1dfD_Q_X80YEA0GNf-LOR0LA8VScrBsKWtyZ09UoSgbFk57PK2FjbA3hsP-eVxXfmu3kx2ROs/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfsVr-a9rCYQsTPHuzHLaZoGodqaQz6D5-0WujVYUMPs6MK4oNTj5sd7LGf2fudeeSJ-1dfD_Q_X80YEA0GNf-LOR0LA8VScrBsKWtyZ09UoSgbFk57PK2FjbA3hsP-eVxXfmu3kx2ROs/s1600/030.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eagle's Landing RV Park in Holt was "home" for 5 months! We had a "sweet spot," just across from the clubhouse, the bathrooms, & the laundry. This is a very clean, tidy park with reasonably sized sites and very nice owners who take great care of their campground. Electricity is included, definitely a bonus on super sunny, steamy summer days. Although there are no amenities to speak of, there is an area to walk your dog or run your kids. ;) It is conveniently located right off of I-10, but is not excessively noisy in that respect. Because of its location, it was any easy commute to Milton for Steve and easy to get to Crestview for groceries & datenight. The clubhouse (after having no use of a clubhouse at our previous campground) was perfect for our older girls to do their individual schoolwork everyday. And, there was an unending supply of puzzles there, as well!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Reasonably priced laundry is another great thing about this park! </span>With just $1 to wash and $1 to dry, I didn't feel the need to haul our clothes to the laundromat the whole time we stayed here. Loved that! During high Snowbird season, however, you have to time your laundry carefully as there are only 3 washers & 3 dryers, so it seems the laundry room is always hopping! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F5ziL0jRpY8uhhSF3WYR0TMiz2Gmp4iynaa8MWl-TOLlCtFfdVrn11opC6BjCIz2scHkkfjf-bODVZix3Zu9vAUaONvigyWbGfeVYMp3FWPFypy6iTSq71Yd0meHZT2yXkjP0xnTlbAk/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F5ziL0jRpY8uhhSF3WYR0TMiz2Gmp4iynaa8MWl-TOLlCtFfdVrn11opC6BjCIz2scHkkfjf-bODVZix3Zu9vAUaONvigyWbGfeVYMp3FWPFypy6iTSq71Yd0meHZT2yXkjP0xnTlbAk/s1600/020.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Part of the half mile walk around the RV Park, our favorite form of exercise/entertainment</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoN0dK-rky9hXOAVXSjmaXsr8HFblLnohRNOC8xKNFJhZENR3653_a0iW0WDf23t2Me4ucuew3CbtjYo29BXdv8DvlRLabkH9Bgwo_VmGEPEDFem5PLWCcpkkxn3WHCSYfCnWbtcsvZcE/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoN0dK-rky9hXOAVXSjmaXsr8HFblLnohRNOC8xKNFJhZENR3653_a0iW0WDf23t2Me4ucuew3CbtjYo29BXdv8DvlRLabkH9Bgwo_VmGEPEDFem5PLWCcpkkxn3WHCSYfCnWbtcsvZcE/s1600/033.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The biggest downside of this RV park, for us, would have to be that it is a campground geared primarily for Snowbirds. I think we were the campground entertainment. And, because the other people there were older than us, I felt a lot of pressure to keep the kids from being too noisy & unruly. To be fair, everyone was very nice, and we received a lot of compliments on our kids, from multiple people. (I did wonder if the ones who said they never heard our kids actually needed their ears checked...And, on various occasions, people sought us ought to offer things to us because they knew we were "the" family with kids in the whole campground. Still, when it was time to move on from here, it was nice to move to a campground with a big yard & plenty of wide open space for the kids to just be kids!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrwZ29w54Rdx5KDFwsMM3yEL1a49zaJraOe_b1sRuZ-xNMoeWCMbFigwrXUrFyMRqsoqLdnIkjAkSm1I0znC2x-L2bIP3D-yF7xmeUNXIrMWbzp_D0DMxc0yNAuP41_dkRN4C6w3iSjxj/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrwZ29w54Rdx5KDFwsMM3yEL1a49zaJraOe_b1sRuZ-xNMoeWCMbFigwrXUrFyMRqsoqLdnIkjAkSm1I0znC2x-L2bIP3D-yF7xmeUNXIrMWbzp_D0DMxc0yNAuP41_dkRN4C6w3iSjxj/s1600/016.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One lesson learned: If you take funny selfie's they might end up on the blog :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8fqrgxKrT84p65LpawQwU8BEqSDS9IcCEqT5XhKIV45IFa8WfbjSApFMGRXdjx8LEFon1O_zcPYJNk8oqFPw2VYXxhGKiI0YFPbxHUgneAEhKkJga8Xx6BQb7pvTvfJN1c1Dug4dvqSB/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8fqrgxKrT84p65LpawQwU8BEqSDS9IcCEqT5XhKIV45IFa8WfbjSApFMGRXdjx8LEFon1O_zcPYJNk8oqFPw2VYXxhGKiI0YFPbxHUgneAEhKkJga8Xx6BQb7pvTvfJN1c1Dug4dvqSB/s1600/017.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We are so happy to live at Eagle's Landing, taken October 10, 2014</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-dC198-D_ZxR-Hq8kNw4J9V-95R3X4whZ2MQW2RxU5JSc04IJBTZGwfG4PUJGrEghaU109d8JL7CAMiRzfFs7iFNLzy_UDUrZjrSvfSZlUV-NyxpqEjqaOc7VRFOJFgphEd-HWgWEHNg/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-dC198-D_ZxR-Hq8kNw4J9V-95R3X4whZ2MQW2RxU5JSc04IJBTZGwfG4PUJGrEghaU109d8JL7CAMiRzfFs7iFNLzy_UDUrZjrSvfSZlUV-NyxpqEjqaOc7VRFOJFgphEd-HWgWEHNg/s1600/018.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Let's look into the sun, and try to take a serious selfie</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Holt, FL 32564, USA30.7157457 -86.7457896999999895.1937111999999992 -128.0543837 56.2377802 -45.43719569999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-23029119619186848672015-01-11T20:39:00.001-06:002015-03-11T17:57:07.878-05:00Meeting the Biles family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC97Xj0FS2Xu7rbvQdlvOkRQaaMef7_KQuS8Y1rit0f_LvYXc56M4eRRoQMwrt3iuIf2EJbg59h-xZq73hoctcUMKOkIwDdm5B9d3xrKPwuuYICgLa1imB97BwxfDf03khpi9bl5crm0fA/s1600/IMAG1232%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC97Xj0FS2Xu7rbvQdlvOkRQaaMef7_KQuS8Y1rit0f_LvYXc56M4eRRoQMwrt3iuIf2EJbg59h-xZq73hoctcUMKOkIwDdm5B9d3xrKPwuuYICgLa1imB97BwxfDf03khpi9bl5crm0fA/s1600/IMAG1232%5B1%5D.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since our traveling days as a fulltime family, we always try to meet up with other fulltime families that happen to be passing through. We found out the Biles would be passing through & staying the night at Eagles Landing, so we planned to meet up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtZhmIBEDlzE0aaovGxtldjM0upszPhkiEjF50w5eASfoTu3jkEIzT7lzjO8ujzd6mxzwOUA1rpI_hd5U6BH_dqFcphH3iefBpi1asv_zsYGghESd6mbm-VbHUWM1ls5YHhS-CdaVD0_o/s1600/IMAG1230%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtZhmIBEDlzE0aaovGxtldjM0upszPhkiEjF50w5eASfoTu3jkEIzT7lzjO8ujzd6mxzwOUA1rpI_hd5U6BH_dqFcphH3iefBpi1asv_zsYGghESd6mbm-VbHUWM1ls5YHhS-CdaVD0_o/s1600/IMAG1230%5B1%5D.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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The visit was short but sweet! With just one evening together, we hung out & swapped a few stories while our littles got down to the serious business of playing with their kids. Fun times were had, memories were made, and we hope to cross paths again one day! We're so glad you chose to meet up with us, Biles Family!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Holt, FL 32564, USA30.7157457 -86.7457896999999895.1937111999999992 -128.0543837 56.2377802 -45.43719569999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-47349898366241025402015-01-06T18:43:00.000-06:002015-03-07T09:30:58.041-06:00Jake's 4th Birthday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir477Cw9iS0_iWOdTrnoSOMyMvbK30aLoHqoV4SOYwVQp6VS-7L98C8sRPOTMEhwsS2wepc5RlbzyLjqX7b7j_C6Cn7QCWdxK8xwlo0DKl-nlW-HFnHTJe3wAoeGD-eM-PN5bl7VWJhlNS/s1600/IMAG1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir477Cw9iS0_iWOdTrnoSOMyMvbK30aLoHqoV4SOYwVQp6VS-7L98C8sRPOTMEhwsS2wepc5RlbzyLjqX7b7j_C6Cn7QCWdxK8xwlo0DKl-nlW-HFnHTJe3wAoeGD-eM-PN5bl7VWJhlNS/s1600/IMAG1212.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake got his own chocolate malt, fulfilling his request for "a drinking birthday" :)</span></td></tr>
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Five years ago today, we found out that the baby we'd prayed for & already had hopes & dreams for was not going to be ours to have & hold this side of heaven. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but it's always hard to surrender hopes & dreams & plans. We know Romans 8:28 to be true, and we trusted that God was working all things together for good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVda0iDOPjKm6pXPPczYl1qtBPQPBFvc_uWYo629jkfcAs9JXPoH9wwgXgiYS3DashDbzB1vzeBO0Z6bM4ATV7u8PpfnMv53tBPRG7PX1ydtrtCBfQmRJu8OJT8w2Ftio1H3aV3aXMkkOl/s1600/IMAG1209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVda0iDOPjKm6pXPPczYl1qtBPQPBFvc_uWYo629jkfcAs9JXPoH9wwgXgiYS3DashDbzB1vzeBO0Z6bM4ATV7u8PpfnMv53tBPRG7PX1ydtrtCBfQmRJu8OJT8w2Ftio1H3aV3aXMkkOl/s1600/IMAG1209.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Everyone really enjoyed the Gator Cafe</span></td></tr>
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Four years ago today, we welcomed a bouncing baby boy into our family. A lot can change in just one year! It was a bit of a challenge wrapping my mind around the idea that we couldn't have had both babies--the one we never had the chance to meet and the one now in my arms. We didn't exactly plan for him, but in his goodness, God gave us an incredible gift in Jake. He was, in many ways, my easiest, least queasy pregnancy. Before our ultrasound, Shanan & Alyssa both dreamed they were getting a baby brother! In so many ways, he has been a surprise, from the moment I realized I was pregnant, to discovering we were in fact going to have a boy, to getting to experience what it's like to raise a boy after three girls! God knew it would take a very special boy to grow up with so many sisters. ;) He is incredibly hilarious, incredibly charming, incredibly stubborn, and he's going to an amazing young man one day! He makes me laugh daily, and he also contributes to the growing number of gray hairs on my head! I'm so glad you're part of our family, Jake! We love you to the moon and back again! <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3gBxIEaJ7SnTg5-b590EHIhS0SRkR4TztuF-2qVVhRib2TRkbm_etJkJwnpinUwPRg4ka2ooDfO6gcfNdP7LYr5trzh4BwB3G1twxQ8nA95_1UNpRxtjYM8DCcnWgHV3JM2wxKPbJ8R3/s1600/IMAG1217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3gBxIEaJ7SnTg5-b590EHIhS0SRkR4TztuF-2qVVhRib2TRkbm_etJkJwnpinUwPRg4ka2ooDfO6gcfNdP7LYr5trzh4BwB3G1twxQ8nA95_1UNpRxtjYM8DCcnWgHV3JM2wxKPbJ8R3/s1600/IMAG1217.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake was so excited to open his big present</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxIkEJlZWpBEFmeOEbWgPudU92J-Oy6AfMbgQjIUzw4nqnhTuOnJGkJsIi4q5pXILk29Wt5IDnLBpiW3pR-xch8pgd23veANvtPgWQmloSzY4S6uXg6Ew6gFoy7J2Q0KMFTP5-rmo9vHX/s1600/IMAG1221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxIkEJlZWpBEFmeOEbWgPudU92J-Oy6AfMbgQjIUzw4nqnhTuOnJGkJsIi4q5pXILk29Wt5IDnLBpiW3pR-xch8pgd23veANvtPgWQmloSzY4S6uXg6Ew6gFoy7J2Q0KMFTP5-rmo9vHX/s1600/IMAG1221.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Build-a-ma-jig that we got for Jake was a big hit</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Baker, FL 32531, USA30.7971318 -86.6813439999999675.2750972999999988 -127.98993799999997 56.3191663 -45.372749999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-17654745380265233292014-12-28T19:13:00.000-06:002015-03-05T17:35:32.432-06:00Christmas in North Georgia<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXmnZLkrZRrS7A9fslr9FGbRleEWwePzx0iA7-QmQYLQJsJ6d7Ww7X3tSc4RCdXaw3jfQ3NDgfc50jmaSarDles3oiaHOO7tbHhf1HqAN1hD_W_U4mK9UHsiTkSaA9j6fSQtF_Nd2NjQn/s1600/IMAG1085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXmnZLkrZRrS7A9fslr9FGbRleEWwePzx0iA7-QmQYLQJsJ6d7Ww7X3tSc4RCdXaw3jfQ3NDgfc50jmaSarDles3oiaHOO7tbHhf1HqAN1hD_W_U4mK9UHsiTkSaA9j6fSQtF_Nd2NjQn/s1600/IMAG1085.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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After visiting family, we decided to make use of our timeshare in Clarkesville, Georgia before heading back to "real life." The area is beautiful!! We enjoyed a quiet day with just our family on Christmas Day--bagles with cream cheese & smoked salmon for breakfast--yummm--and an assortment of other treats with stuffed shells for dinner. Steve & I enjoyed watching our kids give gifts to each other. Coming from a non-gifting kind of family, I'm astounded at how good our kids are at giving gifts! Watching the joy on their faces as they watched a sibling open a gift, looking just as excited as if it were their own present, is priceless!! <br />
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Afterwards, we played a round of mini-golf that the littles could not possibly have enjoyed more! Seriously, Jake & Katie had soooo much fun! Katie kept swiping the balls on the course, and Jake somehow managed to find a way to wade through the streams winding through the course, all in pursuit of the ball, of course. ;) We also enjoyed (at least some of us did) a little tennis while the littles enjoyed playground time. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3MXTDoWevmJlXzcdfPnib8jOhyphenhyphenbyYUMQToo45xN07MGOc8eGkOUtAZaz7wUi3Nc6O2pD56L5a2zAWJ4Kvv1gx7BVpL2ws3AwNSZshanwql-edxczTU8aaR20UKPYsesSmuTUrjCofEi7/s1600/IMAG1092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3MXTDoWevmJlXzcdfPnib8jOhyphenhyphenbyYUMQToo45xN07MGOc8eGkOUtAZaz7wUi3Nc6O2pD56L5a2zAWJ4Kvv1gx7BVpL2ws3AwNSZshanwql-edxczTU8aaR20UKPYsesSmuTUrjCofEi7/s1600/IMAG1092.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Somebody can't wait to open the presents</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBjHN4ua-ycX97lqPFElhIydZ1oAM-kG8cyavMLg9zbkm6_IDdQdRRGgpdKXwSvVTlDmvaOEMi1uTz4_h1afV3hcs8MKKaFnnjsmFoxuj_uBnPwj4Gc1oioi_MjkbdNHoga9vweflWidC/s1600/IMAG1091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBjHN4ua-ycX97lqPFElhIydZ1oAM-kG8cyavMLg9zbkm6_IDdQdRRGgpdKXwSvVTlDmvaOEMi1uTz4_h1afV3hcs8MKKaFnnjsmFoxuj_uBnPwj4Gc1oioi_MjkbdNHoga9vweflWidC/s1600/IMAG1091.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Smoked Salmon and bagels were a special treat on Christmas morning</span></td></tr>
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On the best weather day, we decided to go to Tululah Gorge briefly. Really the best thing about this gorge is hiking down into the gorge, with the next best thing to just go down all the stairs to the suspension bridge & back up again, but we decided against all those stairs with all the littles in tow. The visitor center is a lot of fun for the kids though, will lots of animal displays on the bottom level & replicas of what the area used to look like in times past on the upper level.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Rx8IPmp7IiewvGkRk_uMQQJ0FwK_J-E_EUYaj6A_5MmzQTAXGBt39nQv-UpJJgXs_HXWRK-wEIv4LiOU3Qh8o6VxlV1ac6ZuvuWQiL3hvOcfyBH9tINz_Mq8XRPcsiBPriGgmslHe1WB/s1600/IMAG1114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Rx8IPmp7IiewvGkRk_uMQQJ0FwK_J-E_EUYaj6A_5MmzQTAXGBt39nQv-UpJJgXs_HXWRK-wEIv4LiOU3Qh8o6VxlV1ac6ZuvuWQiL3hvOcfyBH9tINz_Mq8XRPcsiBPriGgmslHe1WB/s1600/IMAG1114.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was a very pretty December day for visiting the gorge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qB4JKUFUZzqOOCTpArNpCCJcdXo7Wm0k3QFwJpDVE1yEJpfUGU03j3CQGRCAfvIFtJ1TK5mSeZhE6nGwEKFz6rwxHrPbuwxDymjFQZZGtAWXYGjpAuR8qdUoEG2Yk5FLQEqwfUKI6eFx/s1600/IMAG1117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qB4JKUFUZzqOOCTpArNpCCJcdXo7Wm0k3QFwJpDVE1yEJpfUGU03j3CQGRCAfvIFtJ1TK5mSeZhE6nGwEKFz6rwxHrPbuwxDymjFQZZGtAWXYGjpAuR8qdUoEG2Yk5FLQEqwfUKI6eFx/s1600/IMAG1117.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some people are so cute they can't help themselves</span></td></tr>
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After a picnic lunch, we were off to see Minnehaha Falls. The drive to get to them was amazing--winding roads alongside the river with absolutely spectacular homes! Even the kids were delighted by the sights! The hike to see the falls is short and the falls were totally worth the trek. It was definitely chilly, but the falls were beautiful & watching Jake & Genna hold hands while blasting down the hiking trail warmed my heart!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvysg0rxfjJzp-eFMSYtQVspNIVecrFRF0ggh59fMQQ_WqAkA5nPHPKRlbBP79l0Nvnetbjo6ukatu3cIugGDETWAwBJHiqUlLdJI8kIZ5AS15IYynhCkqZlSWrnt4O55vzDwhL_C7HliK/s1600/IMAG1127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvysg0rxfjJzp-eFMSYtQVspNIVecrFRF0ggh59fMQQ_WqAkA5nPHPKRlbBP79l0Nvnetbjo6ukatu3cIugGDETWAwBJHiqUlLdJI8kIZ5AS15IYynhCkqZlSWrnt4O55vzDwhL_C7HliK/s1600/IMAG1127.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful Minnehaha Falls</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXKqAh58XdmNaIgewFjQJBaaa48qi7M0rzwQZ92oSplKd6ydqHZjkfQRsLhBFdkOJUnZArJXSeOFUXIYBHHsTa094b0gpCYV7ig_LrdkRFCURqZelJomv2099BCVTT0UKZKwnUYlnDMos/s1600/IMAG1136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXKqAh58XdmNaIgewFjQJBaaa48qi7M0rzwQZ92oSplKd6ydqHZjkfQRsLhBFdkOJUnZArJXSeOFUXIYBHHsTa094b0gpCYV7ig_LrdkRFCURqZelJomv2099BCVTT0UKZKwnUYlnDMos/s1600/IMAG1136.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">He still wants to marry her ;)</span></td></tr>
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We also enjoyed the fantastic playgrounds at Sam Pitts Park in Clarkesville. For some reason, the area of Florida we're in just doesn't have many playgrounds. It was so much fun to see all the kids run & play, but it was especially delightful to see Katie discover the joys of slides for the first time!<br />
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We thoroughly enjoyed our time here & hope to come back exploring again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNR39uEftc7AAqvdMfgXy9rkAKs5sKoltr6hoevrAG7JxiNzojd3u2zaKxe8Jb15NxykTlYRorQAAicGS1WaBEB5p49xlLICfwTZgFUJHJ0qOvViDw6gpOA9fgoEagmwfzKXs2rqhubPP/s1600/IMAG1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNR39uEftc7AAqvdMfgXy9rkAKs5sKoltr6hoevrAG7JxiNzojd3u2zaKxe8Jb15NxykTlYRorQAAicGS1WaBEB5p49xlLICfwTZgFUJHJ0qOvViDw6gpOA9fgoEagmwfzKXs2rqhubPP/s1600/IMAG1079.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Clarkesville town square had a gazebo and lots of pretty Christmas lights</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDGoSwMdTdoKx1x7IdAfHW-bOWvef1clYNVeR3iAZ5SyI5VPo2SsOF_aCN4LBRtGGgFW47D9moxZOzvvkPjDOP1gTiamVWAbzspeC31tUl4dNoaf0_ESbqpH9Mkb9nBDNkNc0HvXarFjf/s1600/IMAG1089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDGoSwMdTdoKx1x7IdAfHW-bOWvef1clYNVeR3iAZ5SyI5VPo2SsOF_aCN4LBRtGGgFW47D9moxZOzvvkPjDOP1gTiamVWAbzspeC31tUl4dNoaf0_ESbqpH9Mkb9nBDNkNc0HvXarFjf/s1600/IMAG1089.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie did not 'allow' us to have a picture with just the parents</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fOkve8XfmumZ-DHD6tLOUdV0_iQDFUh6NwlUl-IwMYe3PIATQdeQT3DBKbPyj00wTT0IDfy9jSHJN8zq4EhW7SAROKj1PuJ6e_3MMHCy8gf5Xv5CXChZKUNOni7sDctUkFALiK6-f-pX/s1600/IMAG1147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fOkve8XfmumZ-DHD6tLOUdV0_iQDFUh6NwlUl-IwMYe3PIATQdeQT3DBKbPyj00wTT0IDfy9jSHJN8zq4EhW7SAROKj1PuJ6e_3MMHCy8gf5Xv5CXChZKUNOni7sDctUkFALiK6-f-pX/s1600/IMAG1147.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dad has this merry-go-round spinning quite fast, but not with Katie on it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqPJ-cziJUfQbsoyRYKWIcaEEdJZOakZNawzbUqckYk1NKcPxzj_C1YXQfwn02jyQgQqWYxQskzUvU8rsn4bBpJDCjhygARF_LJ3aNmElZ29hP2c0yxRZibHOfyeV9Z5MSY9q5EEcHWaT/s1600/IMAG1155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqPJ-cziJUfQbsoyRYKWIcaEEdJZOakZNawzbUqckYk1NKcPxzj_C1YXQfwn02jyQgQqWYxQskzUvU8rsn4bBpJDCjhygARF_LJ3aNmElZ29hP2c0yxRZibHOfyeV9Z5MSY9q5EEcHWaT/s1600/IMAG1155.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Somebody really enjoyed themselves at the park</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoZvJ6pqz8uLgs1lggEBnG46jtj5ZGkpqnW4nR5Qg2mbt6CQM_RyRGo-uZLhNnTrmezhrNonQ3wHHNN4ESqQVc70lxRC5dIsI4QwThfbeWCtj1lNvlWFRLLZUkxNMHAQ7oYNjQ4M0o_8k/s1600/IMAG1165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoZvJ6pqz8uLgs1lggEBnG46jtj5ZGkpqnW4nR5Qg2mbt6CQM_RyRGo-uZLhNnTrmezhrNonQ3wHHNN4ESqQVc70lxRC5dIsI4QwThfbeWCtj1lNvlWFRLLZUkxNMHAQ7oYNjQ4M0o_8k/s1600/IMAG1165.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Giving Mom a kiss</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDzowTvv4eKZVRQl3MaNWApB4YT-ilU2149itMzLzkNxwxhNfXkke5JOo4XtU7cZVOzXcP8YeGX3XyQ1iTfrPSE2yil1OH5bpNLGm8KSYEZb22cch4m7mj90tVEkGpL8FqGWWFV6qS2q-/s1600/IMAG1184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDzowTvv4eKZVRQl3MaNWApB4YT-ilU2149itMzLzkNxwxhNfXkke5JOo4XtU7cZVOzXcP8YeGX3XyQ1iTfrPSE2yil1OH5bpNLGm8KSYEZb22cch4m7mj90tVEkGpL8FqGWWFV6qS2q-/s1600/IMAG1184.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is always a treat to take a bubble bath in the jetted tub</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Clarkesville, GA, USA34.6125971 -83.52489330000003134.6125971 -83.524893300000031 34.6125971 -83.524893300000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-89261308870252076872014-12-24T19:12:00.000-06:002015-02-26T20:36:24.960-06:00Visiting Family in South Carolina<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr0Y-f8G_3x724qw3nwH62OXFbc9HM-u10Lq5YIFDwjaUoyCUJdrX-NvfCKY1ufo5nJKsP2wNxJWOxsueCQdfNahY2eacap1JdjGnVDMKzC2Ozpg-1fdmqDSd0zfi4yqbcd_7reQtR-YA/s1600/IMAG1041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr0Y-f8G_3x724qw3nwH62OXFbc9HM-u10Lq5YIFDwjaUoyCUJdrX-NvfCKY1ufo5nJKsP2wNxJWOxsueCQdfNahY2eacap1JdjGnVDMKzC2Ozpg-1fdmqDSd0zfi4yqbcd_7reQtR-YA/s1600/IMAG1041.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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After living far, far away from where I grew up in South Carolina for the last couple years, we finally live within reasonable driving distance (8 hours) to my parents & my oldest brother & his wife. We decided to come visit over the week of Christmas because Steve's office would be closed for part of that time. I had the crazy idea of bringing Shanan & Alyssa to stay with Glen & Cindy for the week prior to the rest of us coming to visit. I figured they probably weren't ready for the whole crew just yet. ;) I proposed my idea, & they took me up on it, offering to meet us partway even! <br />
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After burning off a little energy from the long drive, we enjoyed a late lunch at Cracker Barrel just outside of Atlanta, & then our big girls drove away to South Carolina & the rest of us drove back to Florida. From the reports I've heard, I think Uncle Glen & Aunt Cindy made some great memories with my big girls & may have spoiled them just a little. ;) Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I mean RV, I spent most of the week purging, sorting, organizing, & being amazed at how different the dynamics are without my big girls around! Jake & Genna got into an argument about which one of them missed Shanan & Alyssa more. :) And I know Shanan & Alyssa were shocked to hear that I survived without having them around to do their chores. ;) Somehow, I managed! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4drH9FEUGqF70YRxNkOiDY3JY2GA7bj09BkVx0byaIxF7lboVkHVOZSB3khpgDpHM2SSAFHmM3gYhU6sMZmGbqykochYb9cAIQPqF8XXOdZ84Y7KFuVylmOeyCpsxyUd-w7vMwqlLWtvg/s1600/IMAG1039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4drH9FEUGqF70YRxNkOiDY3JY2GA7bj09BkVx0byaIxF7lboVkHVOZSB3khpgDpHM2SSAFHmM3gYhU6sMZmGbqykochYb9cAIQPqF8XXOdZ84Y7KFuVylmOeyCpsxyUd-w7vMwqlLWtvg/s1600/IMAG1039.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake and Genna had fun playing with the goats</span></td></tr>
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The next weekend, Steve & I drove back all the way to South Carolina with the littles to visit. We got a chance to stay in Glen & Cindy's new cabin, which was awesome! The weather for the majority of the visit was pretty rotten, but before it got too bad, the littles enjoyed helping to feed the goats & horses on "the farm." We enjoyed yummy South Carolina bbq chicken from Maurice's, a visit to Shealy's, & Cindy's hot, buttery french toast & pancakes. Somewhere in there, Alyssa made homemade rolls twice, & Shanan made cookie dough truffles dipped in chocolate. I think we might've all gained weight. ;)<br />
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We also got a chance to attend my extended family's annual eve of Christmas Eve dinner. I enjoyed the chance to see my aunts & uncles & many of my cousins. Time keeps marching on, & no one is getting any younger, so it is good to take advantage of the chance to visit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrE6OSPhjcWsd4DiWtHk9zS-lEpHspYuemCZ6fEf3CRvbPNR0pkJ7eycncBWXo3skNXEnui7Tsv2CRYkPso9zJNmSVAXkk7lQu0YAYqC0nQssnMjNi36EzH5sgSUnWmCblxUJKPdEY7xo/s1600/IMAG1060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrE6OSPhjcWsd4DiWtHk9zS-lEpHspYuemCZ6fEf3CRvbPNR0pkJ7eycncBWXo3skNXEnui7Tsv2CRYkPso9zJNmSVAXkk7lQu0YAYqC0nQssnMjNi36EzH5sgSUnWmCblxUJKPdEY7xo/s1600/IMAG1060.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie had a blast at the family reunion</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUaH_zV5SB26I7LVJIKVCAzm_h-lLEZxfVVv6fdfk_g7u8hXp86SjgJjsE5dttWu7Bc0d5mdFp94DVhyphenhyphenEmvaMK-nBDkNtcasO7Q8hSsr0f2Rnlopo7ZnJOXvPTsv_kktKt_buegXzKaQw/s1600/IMAG1071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUaH_zV5SB26I7LVJIKVCAzm_h-lLEZxfVVv6fdfk_g7u8hXp86SjgJjsE5dttWu7Bc0d5mdFp94DVhyphenhyphenEmvaMK-nBDkNtcasO7Q8hSsr0f2Rnlopo7ZnJOXvPTsv_kktKt_buegXzKaQw/s1600/IMAG1071.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie and Linda's cousin Marty had some bonding time together</span></td></tr>
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One of the best parts of our visit was watching my mom pass on her passions/hobbies to her granddaughters. My mom can crochet better than anyone I know, & she worked with Shanan, Alyssa, <b><i>and</i></b> Genna, teaching <b><i>all</i></b> of them to crochet! It was priceless to see Genna so enthralled with the chance to learn to do something that her big sisters were also learning to do! She was focused & determined! My mom also taught Alyssa to embroider, something she'd expressed interest in learning. Knowing we'd be visiting, I asked my mom to teach her since I remember her embroidering all the time when I was a kid! When my mom found out that Alyssa's current favorite pastime is drawing women's faces, she provided her magazines with lots of face shots to study & attempt to duplicate. It was truly a treat to watch my mom & my girls bond over something my mom is passionate about! I think she's definitely passed on the creative, crafty gene!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6UBB63f8Mnj-OVV_YfcLdNPv5B696dLz7J0Aifcj9LNB8B56M5z5D7bKZ4T1BfWgSUhUZEkw1oasa3FklyL0OOg9_9FMOMhE4UIHhvKq4_QLW4qM2E22LFxTqUk3uK1LGt5PucZzfuqb/s1600/IMAG1043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6UBB63f8Mnj-OVV_YfcLdNPv5B696dLz7J0Aifcj9LNB8B56M5z5D7bKZ4T1BfWgSUhUZEkw1oasa3FklyL0OOg9_9FMOMhE4UIHhvKq4_QLW4qM2E22LFxTqUk3uK1LGt5PucZzfuqb/s1600/IMAG1043.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of course a visit to Shealy's BBQ is a must </span></td></tr>
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I also really enjoyed watching my littles enjoy & roughhouse with Grandpa & Uncle Glen! I think my brother enjoyed them, too, although after we left, he also probably enjoyed the ability to sit in peace & quiet without being attacked by the littles. :)<br />
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All in all, it was a great visit! Thanks so much for the hospitality & allowing us to add much chaos & noise to your lives, Glen & Cindy, Mama & Daddy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw-rlQ6eZlRXt0pS2C2pRZPU8VAJ9j9tH-J0AzW4SgnBzKHEK3ZJarHUbJfVVJEqK_hWxSLNrmMIYFAPWBRSDiWbYGfUTMTGbTLFQ0CejJDyUI3maa7KByFFW17BfMUVtlJyW_P9qlvrz/s1600/IMAG1052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw-rlQ6eZlRXt0pS2C2pRZPU8VAJ9j9tH-J0AzW4SgnBzKHEK3ZJarHUbJfVVJEqK_hWxSLNrmMIYFAPWBRSDiWbYGfUTMTGbTLFQ0CejJDyUI3maa7KByFFW17BfMUVtlJyW_P9qlvrz/s1600/IMAG1052.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There was lots of roughhousing with Uncle Glen and lots of Jake nosepicking, this shows both</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79veFBeKjuZHu60IXaVFzXLyb536WLEWWPo1u02Lr5mmmypiqJzzAFaNupVyBtFDeaoK5lw-wWdLTYT6lZI-u0CRHU_fs8Ch8BLencFDFuYEWraYWayb3kLegcAjFflYoQa_Ii84rwhMB/s1600/IMAG1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79veFBeKjuZHu60IXaVFzXLyb536WLEWWPo1u02Lr5mmmypiqJzzAFaNupVyBtFDeaoK5lw-wWdLTYT6lZI-u0CRHU_fs8Ch8BLencFDFuYEWraYWayb3kLegcAjFflYoQa_Ii84rwhMB/s1600/IMAG1075.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Time to say goodbye</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibH4tiKkRUFoLy5Etz-aygfECLC1M8pgljUKmw4jrnxHp29mS3tPTSvajDandYC8Wl0TXWfsBtB9aj6Gr_aO0MP3rVWrDq1SRz6k2tbHoem4zUX1o-r-Q-e_5JYMU1LPsu_8Oskkjw8nkH/s1600/IMAG1077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibH4tiKkRUFoLy5Etz-aygfECLC1M8pgljUKmw4jrnxHp29mS3tPTSvajDandYC8Wl0TXWfsBtB9aj6Gr_aO0MP3rVWrDq1SRz6k2tbHoem4zUX1o-r-Q-e_5JYMU1LPsu_8Oskkjw8nkH/s1600/IMAG1077.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Until next time...</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Pomaria, SC, USA34.2684778 -81.419822734.2684778 -81.4198227 34.2684778 -81.4198227tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-23934130684545085652014-12-06T20:08:00.000-06:002015-02-22T06:56:16.021-06:00Ponce De Leon Spring State Park<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3E2-oqEAhvMfPtODT0QjIbMUIgDIx4Fu_X7xOwnhCuUubF-PLo_4rzmhOYLYNQ9bW9rJ2pLoGl5L8YWjmv5ugJ4TA9D3qAJ65sQ0CPyNw9EIYDBPnwvnj5q1qRuDp0Ya_4fNiML85vhsk/s1600/IMAG0980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3E2-oqEAhvMfPtODT0QjIbMUIgDIx4Fu_X7xOwnhCuUubF-PLo_4rzmhOYLYNQ9bW9rJ2pLoGl5L8YWjmv5ugJ4TA9D3qAJ65sQ0CPyNw9EIYDBPnwvnj5q1qRuDp0Ya_4fNiML85vhsk/s1600/IMAG0980.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the weather has cooled down, we've had to get a bit more creative in finding things to do together as a family on the weekends. It's still super important to do something, as we've found quite a bit of cabin fever setting in otherwise! We heard about <a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/poncedeleonsprings/">Ponce de Leon Spring State Park</a>, just a bit over an hour's drive away from us, and decided it was worth the trek. The weather looked good for the weekend, with the lingering days of Indian summer, 70s & mostly sunny. After everyone having been sick, we were all itching for a chance to get out!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrypt-3WLz2JMKG4OcGaF-XDeA_cLc6pCySSSlVfTJIh5ospS6gMyar4oLSqoSaLkCvixGSg93fDXmFrxTaQ7eh8GbnjcmrOkHuR3J_PQmhsMApKtUiLns3ltTGSDZtYslwd220Q2BiA_/s1600/IMAG0962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrypt-3WLz2JMKG4OcGaF-XDeA_cLc6pCySSSlVfTJIh5ospS6gMyar4oLSqoSaLkCvixGSg93fDXmFrxTaQ7eh8GbnjcmrOkHuR3J_PQmhsMApKtUiLns3ltTGSDZtYslwd220Q2BiA_/s1600/IMAG0962.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We found this delightful hole in the wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-BGiPenuNr89Wy0-NMY9lRi_k8fNa0J9dn6O5kevzFSqgN2f_oEdaQ5GmZGXOrrCJJRQOvfhRBP3ARy8RAV5sSvNefXwOCujy1EE_UjUNR2wIKo1exYG1OkYe3XIHKxN5dsxClTXBXg-/s1600/IMAG0965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-BGiPenuNr89Wy0-NMY9lRi_k8fNa0J9dn6O5kevzFSqgN2f_oEdaQ5GmZGXOrrCJJRQOvfhRBP3ARy8RAV5sSvNefXwOCujy1EE_UjUNR2wIKo1exYG1OkYe3XIHKxN5dsxClTXBXg-/s1600/IMAG0965.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nothing like thick, hand-formed, never-frozen burgers</span></td></tr>
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We arrived in the area & scoped out Sally's Restaurant. Alyssa had requested that we eat out as a family, and Steve's online research netted this gem of a hole-in-the-wall. Don't go to Sally's if you're in the mood for gourmet offerings or health-conscious choices. However, if you're in the mood for a simple *really* good burger made from fresh, never frozen, meat, with hand-formed patties, you won't be disappointed! The sides were nothing special (though the kids were pretty enchanted with the corn fritters), honestly, but the burger is worth going back for if you're ever in the area. The fish sandwich got rave reviews from the kids, too. The doll displays & the clocks on the walls provided lots of interest factor for the littles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RNnnNpXxnLq0NtMhzl7mDimvfs0lJebN-2HWZvj5uMz2yzp9D9RZco_ldWTqn5LlY5kuCvj_Kf2tMfuh1g4a0ueNPKWwpJoWpAQQVw4DbCQB8k1D3UFdmEL9kSbIcDwCIfgvdB78BH5k/s1600/IMAG0981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RNnnNpXxnLq0NtMhzl7mDimvfs0lJebN-2HWZvj5uMz2yzp9D9RZco_ldWTqn5LlY5kuCvj_Kf2tMfuh1g4a0ueNPKWwpJoWpAQQVw4DbCQB8k1D3UFdmEL9kSbIcDwCIfgvdB78BH5k/s1600/IMAG0981.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It took a while to get these two in the water</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpOfWrGscBJKNe2DnpsVfOZ6sN6QABaeipQUrzYAPhDnmZn0Dm3JyTtFC0wEx45PXE4-8rQ04lk_nbwGSjLFWEmAOFim99tyj7pcGNi_QWgp5RLheqv992prmWadQVYUv2HjqwLznaUaJ/s1600/IMAG0982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpOfWrGscBJKNe2DnpsVfOZ6sN6QABaeipQUrzYAPhDnmZn0Dm3JyTtFC0wEx45PXE4-8rQ04lk_nbwGSjLFWEmAOFim99tyj7pcGNi_QWgp5RLheqv992prmWadQVYUv2HjqwLznaUaJ/s1600/IMAG0982.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But they did finally jump, the splash on the right is Linda</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Guess I can't walk on water</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just one of the ten times or so that we made the plunge into the 68 degree water</span></td></tr>
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There's not a whole lot do at Ponce de Leon--a nature walk, fishing if you remember your gear (we didn't), and a dip in some pretty chilly water--68 degrees always. We worked up the nerve to all go for a dip, even those of us who are a little less adventure-seeking than others. It was an example of how sometimes the difference between having an ordinary time & having an extraordinary, memorable time is being willing to stretch yourself & act a little silly! :) I'm happy to say that everyone chose to make memories. :) Good times were had by all!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The spring lets out into a creek, on the left is the path to the nature trail</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Ponce De Leon Springs State Park, 2860 Ponce De Leon Springs Road, Ponce de Leon, FL 32455, USA30.7120484 -85.92681119999997530.6847454 -85.967151699999974 30.7393514 -85.886470699999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-41573627725771981442014-11-27T16:47:00.000-06:002015-02-21T05:20:54.412-06:00Riding the 30-A Bike Trail on Thanksgiving Day<div style="text-align: center;">
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(By Steve) On Thanksgiving morning I took a few hours to explore the 30-A bike trail. The house we rented had seven bikes in the garage for renters to use. I took the least crappy bike, which in actuality was still fairly crappy, but to be expected with a rental. It was a mountain bike with loose suspension, which caused <span style="background-color: white;">the first part of my energy to be spent moving the suspension.</span> If you ever mountain biked, this might make sense.<br />
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he <a href="http://www.30agear.com/">30-A</a> is a fairly well known part of Florida that consists of many villages along the 30-A highway. It's about 18 miles in length and sits between Destin and Panama City Florida. The whole road has a well developed bike trail alongside of it. The house we rented was in Blue Mountain Beach, which does have a beach, but no mountain, of course; this is Florida, after all! We were halfway between mile 5 and 6 of the 30-A.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The trail runs near Greyton State Park</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I kept looking for gators in the lakes but saw none</span></td></tr>
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I didn't get an early start on Thanksgiving morning, so it wasn't until 11AM that I actually left. The temperature was pretty chilly that day with a high of 59. Despite being chilly, it was bright and sunny.<br />
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I promised Linda that I wouldn't be out too long; it was Thanksgiving Day after all, & she was slaving away in the kitchen. I set the timer on my phone for 1:20 and headed West. I had hoped to make it all the way to the West end of the trail, but I stopped around mile 17 in the town of Seacrest Beach. When I turned around, I discovered the dreaded head wind and knew that it would be difficult getting back in time. The wind was vicious and cold, and I really began to hate the bike. I felt like I had to pay the first tenth of my energy to the stupid suspension.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOmUss_qEsNEcYKbSC5qLhcwhTlDjpJiO-c-KbJp5UbD__7Ir9r3xkpzWqAQbFj0bMFnvR99lXO3qnvPJjuSOsQLuw9KTFSfKgJ0Qp3tJAVH8i-XNx-uifOuewMC4N8mmhlnhEyR8aKnJ/s1600/IMAG0900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOmUss_qEsNEcYKbSC5qLhcwhTlDjpJiO-c-KbJp5UbD__7Ir9r3xkpzWqAQbFj0bMFnvR99lXO3qnvPJjuSOsQLuw9KTFSfKgJ0Qp3tJAVH8i-XNx-uifOuewMC4N8mmhlnhEyR8aKnJ/s1600/IMAG0900.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The much photographed post office in Seaside</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In places, the trail runs very close to the beach</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There are no dunes here, and a longer stretch of sand than the beaches farther West.</span></td></tr>
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It took me about 20 minutes longer but I made it back okay. I managed to ride 24 miles on a crappy bike depite being out of biking shape. I was pretty sore for the rest of the day, but then I got to enjoy my football team the Philadelphia Eagles beat the snot out of the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, after the game, I was more than ready for a delicious <span style="background-color: white;">Thanksgiving Dinner.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW6jHUT1HpcVSwJPsdZMceyVrWW7ND3qFcJcF51XbSGZXFRvTEFlF2FfCHg8EI88Ojm0hZJ1Q_mC33ayTIQym5LFFP4KDDDoxFd-2JMh0SLVHXi7MRUYPvSKOik-F4NhT0-6vcuy8xHoF/s1600/IMAG0908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW6jHUT1HpcVSwJPsdZMceyVrWW7ND3qFcJcF51XbSGZXFRvTEFlF2FfCHg8EI88Ojm0hZJ1Q_mC33ayTIQym5LFFP4KDDDoxFd-2JMh0SLVHXi7MRUYPvSKOik-F4NhT0-6vcuy8xHoF/s1600/IMAG0908.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alys Beach struck me as a pretentious kind of place</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Santa Rosa Beach, FL, USA30.3960324 -86.228832230.3960324 -86.2288322 30.3960324 -86.2288322tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-42325853646042863422014-11-23T16:42:00.000-06:002015-02-12T15:46:06.368-06:00Thanksgiving Week with the Bradfords<div style="text-align: center;">
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My sister Wanda & her family decided to come visit us over Thanksgiving. It seemed like an awesome idea--going halves on a house close to the beach, fun times with family, & a chance to have a special Thanksgiving! Little did we know all the *fun* times that were in store for us!<br />
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The house...was great, really! Our bigs enjoyed having a big, soft bed to sleep in and a room to share, just the two of them. Genna & Jake loved having a nightly slumber party with their cousins -- 4 bunk beds shared amongst 5 kids, with a different combination sleeping together each night and more often than not, one bed completely unoccupied! The huge master shower with two shower heads was a unique experience, too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The house was called Cabana Blu</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZGASU0tb0ydjtcQNDF8gaGmU4OnhH_7XTMy2VmReflavRnHNvONij205ohuhFvzuge6auEgyWObcwhrF0D8DlCOH9CKJnA0fr8_po7Il5KnKWb3j3n8AxnxZwcojx2Ngkeio2UWf3kyH/s1600/IMAG0885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZGASU0tb0ydjtcQNDF8gaGmU4OnhH_7XTMy2VmReflavRnHNvONij205ohuhFvzuge6auEgyWObcwhrF0D8DlCOH9CKJnA0fr8_po7Il5KnKWb3j3n8AxnxZwcojx2Ngkeio2UWf3kyH/s1600/IMAG0885.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The beach here was just OK, not near as nice as Navarre</span></td></tr>
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The weather...not really so great. Two full days of rain, many cold (50s) sunny days, and one partly sunny, warm day. Now, if you're from up north & dealing with below freezing temps much of the time, that might not seem so bad, but if you're hoping to actually play in the surf, the weather was a tad disappointing.<br />
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The beach...not as awesome as what we've experienced for the most part around here. It was okay, but the sand was not nearly so fine & white, and the water not as clear blue & green, although the water color may have been due to the time of year. The beach was a solid 5-10 minute walk (depending on the eagerness & energy levels of the little people in tow) from the house. The kids still had lots of fun playing in the sand & at the edge of the surf on the tolerably warm day(s).<br />
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Cousin time...was definitely a win! I love watching my kids enjoy their cousins; there's something heartwarming about watching family bonds grow & strengthen. The most hilarious interaction would have to be between Thavyn & Genna. It all started when Thavyn asked Genna to sit next to him at mealtime. In Genna's words, "I had no idea that everything Thavyn says would be sooooo funny! I can't stop laughing!" There were endless giggles & merriment. I think it was a classic case of a cousin crush! ;) Shanan got some new subjects for practicing her hair braiding, and Alyssa rounded up Aunt Wanda for a makeover. Fortunately, those took place before the yuckies surfaced in full force!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHSAStG4NjIH4RPz7RZbG3I93s_HPRRMjuRVySk67fGo9rsrj7zlUzr2dxyHyrmk05yhkE4E49IlHHFEBAelnFXKWQXynrHNnkm5UNelxlP03EiGcVvxLn1nGA5tVosndkpAdm_DL3gT1/s1600/IMAG0887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHSAStG4NjIH4RPz7RZbG3I93s_HPRRMjuRVySk67fGo9rsrj7zlUzr2dxyHyrmk05yhkE4E49IlHHFEBAelnFXKWQXynrHNnkm5UNelxlP03EiGcVvxLn1nGA5tVosndkpAdm_DL3gT1/s1600/IMAG0887.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">These three couldn't resist getting in the cold water</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBGugnaF7PA4lcN8VSGUR3_X7-4iBMhj4PhyB8t8S43gfq51MKjSv9lsya5uYtaIdGGEzuAVro1Fn69eO87Ck7t7mChPVsa09bptMoMPjtoaQFYYv0SY0iEjsyQzYcobEibjflhtxPDdN/s1600/IMAG0892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBGugnaF7PA4lcN8VSGUR3_X7-4iBMhj4PhyB8t8S43gfq51MKjSv9lsya5uYtaIdGGEzuAVro1Fn69eO87Ck7t7mChPVsa09bptMoMPjtoaQFYYv0SY0iEjsyQzYcobEibjflhtxPDdN/s1600/IMAG0892.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Might as well jump</span></td></tr>
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The bike trail (the 30-A)...well, I couldn't tell ya since I didn't get to check it out. The Bradfords did manage an outing with our two big girls and all of their crew & they survived! Steve also managed a solo outing.<br />
<br />
The hiking trails...on Thanksgiving Day, I did manage to go on a short little jaunt on a hiking trail "through the fawrest," just along the edge of the subdivision with the well, or mostly well people. It was a fun little diversion!<br />
<br />
Grayton Beach State Park...on our last full day, we visited and had good times...in spite of my less than stellar condition. The kids had a blast playing along the hiking trails, & there was also much fun to be had on the beach. The ocean was literally like glass here! Jake had so much fun trying to catch seagulls, of which he informed me, "We don't eat seagulls." True that!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-4qOAO9IX1BUTFZzurGzNKO7wIkCFTMhRriwzIndI4q4f-9JKERQKajJhinRRNSL2s-ZNwYMz9CPlDtsINCTRjlUmUTWDglpl-FWbIpUWDSAyk-5BZwM9WNJnsudJeXcIfKCPDBrF5PD/s1600/IMAG0922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-4qOAO9IX1BUTFZzurGzNKO7wIkCFTMhRriwzIndI4q4f-9JKERQKajJhinRRNSL2s-ZNwYMz9CPlDtsINCTRjlUmUTWDglpl-FWbIpUWDSAyk-5BZwM9WNJnsudJeXcIfKCPDBrF5PD/s1600/IMAG0922.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Group photo at Grayton Beach State Park</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUHvw_ZhmbuxZIDXt4_eDYpubVjEJSqSnZiNq85F6MDTi-Ycry0FNJfpkZDMDDsbT9JSneb2KBYLKCYLeoUaAUuJWjiYFNJmDkZIxTUur0QjkAv2vipLmXmWWhN7zm6n1sOKRePMR7ISh/s1600/IMAG0913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUHvw_ZhmbuxZIDXt4_eDYpubVjEJSqSnZiNq85F6MDTi-Ycry0FNJfpkZDMDDsbT9JSneb2KBYLKCYLeoUaAUuJWjiYFNJmDkZIxTUur0QjkAv2vipLmXmWWhN7zm6n1sOKRePMR7ISh/s1600/IMAG0913.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The nature trail was fun for all</span></td></tr>
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The health of the Zavockis???....Ummm...at an all time low this visit. Seriously, if you ask a Zavocki or Bradford about Thanksgiving 2014, the predominant memory would have to be how many times a Zavocki got sick. When we arrived, Genna & Katie had colds, snot & coughing. No big deal, really, just that time of year. However, after Steve left to return for work on Monday & Tuesday, I came down with some 24hour crud, headache & body aches. Kudos to my sister for feeding everyone, & my bigs for watching Katie while I essentially went to bed at 4:00. While I was down with this crud, Jake woke in the middle of the night screaming, holding his head & proceeded to throw up. Fun times, I say! Again, thanks to my sister for helping him get to the bathroom, grabbing a barf bowl in a timely fashion, & helping clean up the puke on the floor! Fortunately, by morning, his head & stomach were fine, and I felt much improved. Tuesday proved rather uneventful, if you don't count the rain. <br />
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Wednesday morning, Katie woke with a bit of crud in the corners of her eyes. I didn't think much of it because she'd had cold symptoms & occasionally, those go hand in hand. By evening, however, it was starting to look like a classic case of pink eye. Hmm...lovely, really. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, dawned with Thavyn & Genna looking slightly pink in one eye, & Katie looking altogether miserable. Having used eye drops for pink eye with the bigs when they were little, I wasn't anxious to do so again. Shanan fought the drops so badly she burst a blood vessel in her eye which looked worse & took longer to recover from than the pink eye itself, so this time I used some remedies I have since used with success--tea bags & breastmilk (benefits of not having weaned yet!). Alyssa also woke with the same headache, body ache crud that I'd had on Monday, so she was out of commission for most of the day. Sharing is caring, right??!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eNeCFj6N-UuAHre_U7GZ_ikoFraS4pvJ26J1Az_tCWvM4zOXHvYWZOsGIegj_M2o0FLkuaQ0IMN_J9vepjx_2yDJ0SyaAjAhKEiR76126mTNM5VolTG_Q__ZPIetkSjLvFx7ob9vPXuH/s1600/IMAG0894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eNeCFj6N-UuAHre_U7GZ_ikoFraS4pvJ26J1Az_tCWvM4zOXHvYWZOsGIegj_M2o0FLkuaQ0IMN_J9vepjx_2yDJ0SyaAjAhKEiR76126mTNM5VolTG_Q__ZPIetkSjLvFx7ob9vPXuH/s1600/IMAG0894.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Despite all the yuckies, we managed to pull together a yummy Thanksgiving meal--Turkey & stuffing, grilled lamb, mashed potatoes & gravy, roasted cauliflower, carrots, cranberry chutney, brandied cranberries, beet casserole, sweet potato casserole, & pumpin pie, pecan pie, & one of Tracy's famous cakes! Even Alyssa was feeling better by the time dinner was served & was able to be up & enjoy it! Definitely a win!<br />
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With one full, sunny day remaining, we had high hopes of all being well & enjoying some activity together before the pack up/clean up that was looming! Friday morning, Katie was looking better, though still pretty rough, but Thavyn & Genna were looking better! I awoke with a bit of crud in the corners of my eyes, but I was optimistic. We began the process of packing & cleaning & by late in the afternoon finally made it out the door to go explore Grayton Beach State Park. My eyes were continuing to bother me, but again, I was hanging in there. The state park was such a great outing, the kind of the thing we had all hoped we would be doing most days while we were "on vacation." But...it was becoming clear that I was definitely getting pink eye...and a pretty rotten case at that. Lovely, so lovely. I'm sure you're all grateful that I'm wearing sunglasses in all the pictures; I know I sure am!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJL7kiVp5YGpddEdDooqpe3QgVc56kqreXziy66jkmjtPXX8u1Nn-cLlAVaNfgjDPfpFo1le9yKSBmSI-pWvoJDHuGI1EU0E2etcMhodbXNyMCw08U2ufJUUv1UnsbOJGWBfroy4BUqET/s1600/IMAG0955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJL7kiVp5YGpddEdDooqpe3QgVc56kqreXziy66jkmjtPXX8u1Nn-cLlAVaNfgjDPfpFo1le9yKSBmSI-pWvoJDHuGI1EU0E2etcMhodbXNyMCw08U2ufJUUv1UnsbOJGWBfroy4BUqET/s1600/IMAG0955.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sisters-good thing she loves me through thick & thin!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEYr_dg85I7mTQ3GdObchek8WQc0kCQR6hKLcz9uRnARcvmMatRwtL7Sx5T4w8dlR9SWLONTsv0zXmk3TVFrvKSTBsYRz7IIVY5snJVPvpdUWnNp5dWXckWbO8TB2CMEZm244fTYAi8F9/s1600/IMAG0948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEYr_dg85I7mTQ3GdObchek8WQc0kCQR6hKLcz9uRnARcvmMatRwtL7Sx5T4w8dlR9SWLONTsv0zXmk3TVFrvKSTBsYRz7IIVY5snJVPvpdUWnNp5dWXckWbO8TB2CMEZm244fTYAi8F9/s1600/IMAG0948.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Steve and I on the last full day</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ909go4kyj1o7h4iVxBMym-DZzWFPLdbARTYsZgKSebIRdvaILUkUChNE3yB5SqwcZg6HFHceuwPUGLBGTYM-rffhqKj8ZTnOzjvSeM96LMzqaOQB2QHQftSYlOeQC669Wam0mDPmcj_Z/s1600/IMAG0927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ909go4kyj1o7h4iVxBMym-DZzWFPLdbARTYsZgKSebIRdvaILUkUChNE3yB5SqwcZg6HFHceuwPUGLBGTYM-rffhqKj8ZTnOzjvSeM96LMzqaOQB2QHQftSYlOeQC669Wam0mDPmcj_Z/s1600/IMAG0927.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></div>
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We returned from our final (& only "everyone together") outing to eat more leftovers & try to make more headway to get ready to leave by checkout at 10am on Saturday. Jake skipped dinner, then complained his head hurt again, and proceeded to throw up (albeit a miniscule amount) again, before falling asleep on our bathroom floor. This time, I'm reasonably convinced that with me being sick, he was definitely overtired & possibly hadn't drank enough during the day, & either one, or both, could contribute to feeling pretty crummy. Or...he could have been fighting some bug. Then, Genna was partying hard with her cousins when she also randomly threw up on the floor. Again, not much, but seriously?? Meanwhile, I was growing increasingly miserable. And, we still had to prepare for our 10 am checkout, followed by a mere one and a half hour commute for us, and a good solid ten hour drive for the Bradfords....<br />
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The good news...we survived *and* we made memories! :) I was pretty sure that the accompanying symptoms indicated our pink eye was probably viral, so we didn't rush off to get prescription drops. Somehow, we did indeed make it out by our checkout time. So grateful that we don't typically get slammed with sickness like we did this time! Upon arriving home, the pink eye continued to spread throughout until the all the Zavockis got it, some very mild cases with mine & Katie's being the worst. A few Bradfords got it, too, but since they're family, they still love us anyway! :) Ahhhh...it's good to vacation...but sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation, lol! :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-83prn-L5UL2xZ_DiguWuHPIfkShBGR95E-9vHK7sCFzb2w4J9cCbMmHfUtsNsvWyZoS_qiR70okJR4bTYednnqq-DgSijbrW9Y72E5lO_HGzyCiudTMFnojr6l2U_J64Sbv4OBLXT9Sx/s1600/IMAG0874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-83prn-L5UL2xZ_DiguWuHPIfkShBGR95E-9vHK7sCFzb2w4J9cCbMmHfUtsNsvWyZoS_qiR70okJR4bTYednnqq-DgSijbrW9Y72E5lO_HGzyCiudTMFnojr6l2U_J64Sbv4OBLXT9Sx/s1600/IMAG0874.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The night the Bradford's arrived, Steve took the girls to see the Christian band Third Day in concert</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkP1q2u2Y8jRC2HP3dxmjk35A0aSbDnYTnC-h8mJSzwyoA81lYuzEAPqvw_ZrwmcumNnPEGdl4eh4y8-_wZA4OUR2W1z2E-hGq4Z4nBKxX1OmtTnT6jdz9mB74u5_Mb-e_VM-YRiQ2McV/s1600/IMAG0878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkP1q2u2Y8jRC2HP3dxmjk35A0aSbDnYTnC-h8mJSzwyoA81lYuzEAPqvw_ZrwmcumNnPEGdl4eh4y8-_wZA4OUR2W1z2E-hGq4Z4nBKxX1OmtTnT6jdz9mB74u5_Mb-e_VM-YRiQ2McV/s1600/IMAG0878.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The concert was awesome, we highly recommend see Third Day in concert</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Blue Mountain Beach, Florida 32459, USA30.3366159 -86.19748214.8145814000000016 -127.5060761 55.8586504 -44.8888881tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-72325275175233249352014-11-02T18:50:00.000-06:002015-02-01T10:24:21.421-06:00Navarre Beach<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YORkAzDWNPEAP9kEQBd5LHqnyJhFfkmZOYDbpvKA-J_M9yfcbAsgH6qquTCKIzMy5c6StwPKXCNKiHuoLph5s74lkaBMgpN8J3VmaeRgD83Md69yQ8RMRAYCxMV3pgxxKDPpjJxPCQGF/s1600/IMAG0640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YORkAzDWNPEAP9kEQBd5LHqnyJhFfkmZOYDbpvKA-J_M9yfcbAsgH6qquTCKIzMy5c6StwPKXCNKiHuoLph5s74lkaBMgpN8J3VmaeRgD83Md69yQ8RMRAYCxMV3pgxxKDPpjJxPCQGF/s1600/IMAG0640.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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The beach...the whole reason that the idea of coming here seemed so appealing...has not disappointed. We have had sooo much fun at the beach this summer.<br />
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Navarre Beach is a bit less touristy than Destin & Pensacola, but it is still spectacular! The water--so clear & amazing! The sand--so pristine & soft! Parking is free, and there are bathrooms and outdoor showers to rinse off, as well. There are also pavilions that you can picnic in away from the sand as long as they're not reserved. What more could you want or need? We've experienced yellow flag days with gentle surf and red flag days with crazy surf & murky water that we didn't let the littles play in. Steve apparently attracts fish, so he had a day or two where he was super paranoid about fish swimming around him, nibbling on his feet. ;) We even got a chance to swim in the rain once, which was actually pretty cool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IJValIAWB5OYQfvKGQr5Q6fDH0SKsh-7JMUwfr3IDcsNtfsFltgv_8EJ76SwR8LfAGHvqblCkwnZpgK_-hG8RlasXHpM0OucNzb8q0wPzFix3D_clxCdu83t7DZlUbkZkj7NMwaGR_My/s1600/IMAG0631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IJValIAWB5OYQfvKGQr5Q6fDH0SKsh-7JMUwfr3IDcsNtfsFltgv_8EJ76SwR8LfAGHvqblCkwnZpgK_-hG8RlasXHpM0OucNzb8q0wPzFix3D_clxCdu83t7DZlUbkZkj7NMwaGR_My/s1600/IMAG0631.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I can't see how there could be a better beach than here</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7QUx74symAVFo2Yf6MWt3j6IdMZBRJln24Yr8hm2p4J_wEZM72h5z6HT5ZmCKI9qt5HSrSvRRr6VwehvS_PE3R1SWcYkoDcnCMErOyXvlVX49r5UzSLjBXfLldJL_2MkuAo92s8QSn32/s1600/IMAG0634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7QUx74symAVFo2Yf6MWt3j6IdMZBRJln24Yr8hm2p4J_wEZM72h5z6HT5ZmCKI9qt5HSrSvRRr6VwehvS_PE3R1SWcYkoDcnCMErOyXvlVX49r5UzSLjBXfLldJL_2MkuAo92s8QSn32/s1600/IMAG0634.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The sand is also perfect</span></td></tr>
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We'll certainly be sad when the temps drop enough to make swimming no longer an option! The beach is definitely the best thing about this area!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake's feeble attempt to bury Mom</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5LjHJfKR9wQBqJPKkYO1FfTs1kvJk829zNu_vV-1RMxsEcvwa5e6k4aZiyPeIZOwYdPGq0HfM1A4eAz7QalzulMYA7JP25esRtKHZ14hwM53CVmJVKTPbtSBOuFdp44nmQN2r6zmD_MJ/s1600/IMAG0639.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5LjHJfKR9wQBqJPKkYO1FfTs1kvJk829zNu_vV-1RMxsEcvwa5e6k4aZiyPeIZOwYdPGq0HfM1A4eAz7QalzulMYA7JP25esRtKHZ14hwM53CVmJVKTPbtSBOuFdp44nmQN2r6zmD_MJ/s1600/IMAG0639.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach, FL 32566, USA30.3819528 -86.8623721000000164.8599183 -128.17096610000002 55.9039873 -45.553778100000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-14587720150184453162014-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:002015-01-23T18:42:41.600-06:00October Walking Wars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBNqdq0F4bPS_3Ged9lz1YL2zhvuiKAOPVq_1QTJbuY_AXDvVhQJutiYUBZsk8J1gHZSPeIDSIs3ZrWvLFEOfSTU-PMAOg-u2Ye_gRCYgnzkI29W97JG8FRkyIidWC6MZtFas3lXKaOwF/s1600/IMAG0850%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBNqdq0F4bPS_3Ged9lz1YL2zhvuiKAOPVq_1QTJbuY_AXDvVhQJutiYUBZsk8J1gHZSPeIDSIs3ZrWvLFEOfSTU-PMAOg-u2Ye_gRCYgnzkI29W97JG8FRkyIidWC6MZtFas3lXKaOwF/s1600/IMAG0850%5B1%5D.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you live in an RV & you're not travelling, the walls can start to close in on you! In an effort to help keep morale up and also just get out & get some fresh air every day, Steve devised a walking contest for the month of October. The RV park we're staying at has a half-mile loop around the perimeter, so Steve decided that everyone should walk a minimum of 100 laps, or 50 miles, for the month. And by everyone, he meant everybody but Jake & Katie. If we all meet the minimum requirement of 100 laps, he promised we could go out for doughnuts at the end of the month. The winner, the one who walked the most laps, could get as many doughnuts as they wanted. Of course, we all knew that when you don't eat doughnuts very often, you can't eat very much at once! (And that's a good thing!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The circumference is exactly a half mile</span></td></tr>
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The good news is that we all met or exceeded our 100 lap minimum, and Jake managed to complete 50 laps! Three year old Zavockis notoriously have whining issues regarding walking/hiking. The same boy who hiked Delicate Arch at two with no complaining dreamed up a million reasons why he couldn't walk any more for this contest. ;) Although Steve is a staunch competitor, he was unable to stir up that competition amongst the girls. Mostly, he just stirred up bad attitudes, at least initially. Nonetheless, everyone ended up doing well, and it was a "win" for everyone for various reasons.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alyssa pushing Katie's stroller on one her laps</span></td></tr>
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Genna, at the age of six, competely rocked the competition! She loved going for walks and often ran, swinging her arms like a windmill, and chattering endlessly! She always had the best attitude about going, hardly ever passing up a chance to get just one more lap in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The long back stretch of the walk around Eagle's Landing RV Park</span></td></tr>
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Shanan & Alyssa had some time management issues to work out. Between chores (dishes, trash, etc.) & school assignments, they would periodically get behind, but there were some benefits they gleaned. Shanan discovered that an easy way to catch up was to go jogging with Steve....and, she discovered that she is actually pretty good at it & really enjoys it! Definitely a win!<br />
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Alyssa discovered that her natural strength may lie more in the area of gymnastics & other strength, flexibility & agility type sports as opposed to distance running...but, she is such a persistent, determined girl, & I love that about her. She pushed herself & jogged some, even though it wasn't easy for her!<br />
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As we headed out for our final celebratory lap before heading out for doughnuts, Katie insisted that she walk with us, instead of riding in the stroller. I couldn't believe she walked the entire lap, a whole half mile! She was ecstatic to be doing what everyone else was doing! She is one super cute little girl, growing up so fast! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie was just learning to walk when we arrived at Eagles's Landing</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Holt, FL 32564, USA30.7157457 -86.7457896999999895.1937111999999992 -128.0543837 56.2377802 -45.43719569999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-45491461976369725852014-10-25T11:06:00.000-05:002015-01-21T20:33:14.812-06:00Sweet Seasons Farms Corn Maze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJICmp-uY2Fum9Sgpb355sJe5rd8waNkfCfNmFxdevC3RyUNcG50REw4ywvhY8G9Y7CK6Ow2gO-T4e4hlc4JV3jbvQBzMjDLk0LZ9iY75bcTC5OxaxCEO2rg1JzX8Kav5KJmOqmDCrSE2S/s1600/IMAG0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJICmp-uY2Fum9Sgpb355sJe5rd8waNkfCfNmFxdevC3RyUNcG50REw4ywvhY8G9Y7CK6Ow2gO-T4e4hlc4JV3jbvQBzMjDLk0LZ9iY75bcTC5OxaxCEO2rg1JzX8Kav5KJmOqmDCrSE2S/s1600/IMAG0815.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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RV life has heightened our awareness of fun things to do together as a family. The importance of getting out each weekend for family fun has proven itself time & again. Each work/school week goes much more smoothly when we devote attention to this detail! As the weather is becoming less swim-friendly, the beach & river are beginning to lose some appeal!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie's first cow train</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake was scared</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The cow train is off</span></td></tr>
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Fortunately, Steve found out about<a href="http://www.sweetseasonfarms.com/"> this corn maze</a> & was able to get discount tickets through his work. The weather was perfect (if not exactly fall-like)--warm & sunny! We arrived later than we planned because it became apparent that Jake desperately needed a nap (he's been staunchly refusing to fall asleep 75-90% of the time that I put him down), & despite the fact that the address for this place is Milton, it's pretty faaaaar out!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The maze from the sky</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie enjoyed the Zinnas, some as big as her</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">"This way everyone"</span></td></tr>
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We did the corn maze together as a family, solving the Bible clues as we went. Since the car ride to get here was pretty far, Jake was completely convinced that we must have gone all the way to South Carolina & he asked several times in the maze, "Where's Grandpa Frick?? Where's Uncle Glen??" Can you tell this guy is all about the boys?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJNqa-ZhpkAZCkTMpPFoUXi_WREZYcDVcZvcln6LB4_9X1KdkON_BauQGRbHlJJb-sE0fBDE-Nbr9du86gbmgNbyxH-1SaFduovwFaPpwgxMuuxk14Hq7YyveDLoOmI2LWrFb2bhRVIfK/s1600/IMAG0808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJNqa-ZhpkAZCkTMpPFoUXi_WREZYcDVcZvcln6LB4_9X1KdkON_BauQGRbHlJJb-sE0fBDE-Nbr9du86gbmgNbyxH-1SaFduovwFaPpwgxMuuxk14Hq7YyveDLoOmI2LWrFb2bhRVIfK/s1600/IMAG0808.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bike races were lots of fun</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_topdS6IkK-jqZ5ZqO5ePEJBmnm0PMho9M96anms17fCYGzSeoJuvKPqqVR-qd2F6r64VK2YqWT8G1zCK40mk8p6Jhp0liuaHAE1-bO1EctIDlsQvB4hb43GOuWUxf7wHLkNn5vCkqTz/s1600/IMAG0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_topdS6IkK-jqZ5ZqO5ePEJBmnm0PMho9M96anms17fCYGzSeoJuvKPqqVR-qd2F6r64VK2YqWT8G1zCK40mk8p6Jhp0liuaHAE1-bO1EctIDlsQvB4hb43GOuWUxf7wHLkNn5vCkqTz/s1600/IMAG0809.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mom just got passed by a kid</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30igLUZzG56rnOpMkM6fmGreY7-4RivKt-XWd-iQwpV7qW62hQSUn0phOQ5hGhZ9vkDvKKk06s467q_yxsU87Gg29Hi2yRvlLdQYwi5tckL4De3fxyqvR7TdrRgvJYJUcrae5KR_TIRSY/s1600/IMAG0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30igLUZzG56rnOpMkM6fmGreY7-4RivKt-XWd-iQwpV7qW62hQSUn0phOQ5hGhZ9vkDvKKk06s467q_yxsU87Gg29Hi2yRvlLdQYwi5tckL4De3fxyqvR7TdrRgvJYJUcrae5KR_TIRSY/s1600/IMAG0810.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alyssa trying to hold off Shanan at the finish line</span></td></tr>
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Steve & the big girls waited in what turned out to be a long, veeerrryyyy slow-moving line to shoot the corn cannon. While they were waiting, I took Jake to play on the slides, & wow, he had sooooo.much.fun! He must have gone fifty times in a row without a break! Living out here in Holt, there are no playgrounds close-by! And I miss them. A lot! This little guy of ours is completely normal in that he has oh-so-much-energy to burn, so that he has less energy left over to harangue me. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ln1ZLuBAqwlTMeOUU41g0QHKgb1hlnlBNLxGgMGa5CFT10DNB7_p27cYdivFskVjNqxm4niPLR5m7l7qegxBBvMrIMjEs7XeZ9EWB3mzyOorSnwXUYs4fCo64xpyAv1gXZ66PF7FTDMc/s1600/IMAG0811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ln1ZLuBAqwlTMeOUU41g0QHKgb1hlnlBNLxGgMGa5CFT10DNB7_p27cYdivFskVjNqxm4niPLR5m7l7qegxBBvMrIMjEs7XeZ9EWB3mzyOorSnwXUYs4fCo64xpyAv1gXZ66PF7FTDMc/s1600/IMAG0811.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Genna shooting the corn canyon</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgPxpBnqEKFJzGfXaOZn7rur_l4cvg62XeM6Y8j58SjMIhC7JbPe-ScgE-a8LV6PRuvKjziOVnZx003P4GeNOuPq6UdczLhMTlhu02U1Oy12CcOgqKJx77ywuIn35p6rJfWI-z9Li9hEP/s1600/IMAG0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgPxpBnqEKFJzGfXaOZn7rur_l4cvg62XeM6Y8j58SjMIhC7JbPe-ScgE-a8LV6PRuvKjziOVnZx003P4GeNOuPq6UdczLhMTlhu02U1Oy12CcOgqKJx77ywuIn35p6rJfWI-z9Li9hEP/s1600/IMAG0812.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The cannon shoots actual corn cobs</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_aXj0ZJ3TDWGEDqr4PzmfU86tWE2dcvNG3oJj30frwXOiSP7czxASJmDTAiuZlP_PBkNef3fqLsTBKTOH26-WQQ6kKb_VoqlvsqmeBbIPMN5odOc3TlifqNQoEvL60bRI7Tej1tbZpqk/s1600/IMAG0813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_aXj0ZJ3TDWGEDqr4PzmfU86tWE2dcvNG3oJj30frwXOiSP7czxASJmDTAiuZlP_PBkNef3fqLsTBKTOH26-WQQ6kKb_VoqlvsqmeBbIPMN5odOc3TlifqNQoEvL60bRI7Tej1tbZpqk/s1600/IMAG0813.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was debatable whether the long line was worth it.</span></td></tr>
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Thanks to the corn cannon line moving at a snail's pace, we were scrambling to fit as many of the other activities in as we could before closing time. We did well! We finished our time on the jumping pillow, which they graciously kept open past the official closing time. Jumping pillows will forever bring back fantastic memories of Small Country Campground in Louisa, Virginia & our friends the Hubachers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrcoFD_rkwQdzSdkMJLo6hyCY9VmMdClyc1rfTkEf2J99XLrF_nTJ2AEz0IdDP2YKLtnY6fvqBE66ojbyLM6mQxBa7ax3EoFRmIgyz9Q1Sh353St6BnAZPWI-yXxzoF4mOtEt9OyDHvnj/s1600/IMAG0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrcoFD_rkwQdzSdkMJLo6hyCY9VmMdClyc1rfTkEf2J99XLrF_nTJ2AEz0IdDP2YKLtnY6fvqBE66ojbyLM6mQxBa7ax3EoFRmIgyz9Q1Sh353St6BnAZPWI-yXxzoF4mOtEt9OyDHvnj/s1600/IMAG0814.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The girl enjoyed rolling these huge pipes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGknECL4dg1O2SPhVcS39Smx-ka0B6X1kypd9FkCbeh4nkaJHO8SYGlMFYOOyUosjS-oJIQbEo-B0E2u9eJ7L-0Ie1TXG1rWiNq60hiUQ0IKxiOd0Y8WZHIKe9CZC-cMZp46n-kElZzfWo/s1600/IMAG0816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGknECL4dg1O2SPhVcS39Smx-ka0B6X1kypd9FkCbeh4nkaJHO8SYGlMFYOOyUosjS-oJIQbEo-B0E2u9eJ7L-0Ie1TXG1rWiNq60hiUQ0IKxiOd0Y8WZHIKe9CZC-cMZp46n-kElZzfWo/s1600/IMAG0816.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It wasn't easy to stay upright inside the tubes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alyssa catching some major air on the bouncing pillow</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Milton, FL, USA30.6324149 -87.03968809999997830.5774659 -87.120712099999977 30.6873639 -86.958664099999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-65523114184191894182014-10-18T06:56:00.000-05:002015-01-09T22:07:17.534-06:00The Lindholm's Visit nearby Destin<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAIlPeDLltV-3lFjYTE9oOoCu4SbEvFscXEaVlOn9aYycxJit7k3ohOxU05frFTXp4ML7F04PgNX4bXtZNtOVlGg0Sa0eJYWaT_bBX2Zr1l62MrOt8j5B89qKL2DVPRWdMnEYDzoV2uix/s1600/IMAG0787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAIlPeDLltV-3lFjYTE9oOoCu4SbEvFscXEaVlOn9aYycxJit7k3ohOxU05frFTXp4ML7F04PgNX4bXtZNtOVlGg0Sa0eJYWaT_bBX2Zr1l62MrOt8j5B89qKL2DVPRWdMnEYDzoV2uix/s1600/IMAG0787.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was delighted to learn that my oldest sister and her family would be coming to Destin in October! My oldest sister Hope is fourteen years older than me and was definitely my second mom when I was a small child. Now that we're both "all grown up," that age gap seems much narrower, but I love that she has nuggets of wisdom from having traveled further down the road of parenting and life ahead of me! Since she lives in Minnesota with her family, and we don't and never have, it's always such a treat to get to hang out together!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Genna loves her cousin Hannah</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmXaXA_DvRPOt2YcLwWLkkyOIKZKfrnNQERyJjmaYNVw7CbVhzC4IRxYwHUkg94czZCqpU3Kfc5KpWH7AgdaxeBcRZP8rl1GzfWtrJk3cAuTpVhzB_5QcdgLOiDOEZ0XlRuIBKELhPmlY/s1600/IMAG0758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmXaXA_DvRPOt2YcLwWLkkyOIKZKfrnNQERyJjmaYNVw7CbVhzC4IRxYwHUkg94czZCqpU3Kfc5KpWH7AgdaxeBcRZP8rl1GzfWtrJk3cAuTpVhzB_5QcdgLOiDOEZ0XlRuIBKELhPmlY/s1600/IMAG0758.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our girls enjoyed meeting other girls their own ages</span></td></tr>
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While the Lindholms were in Destin we soaked up as much family time as we could while enjoying the last of the really great beach weather of the year. I enjoyed lots of sister time, such a treat! And, it's always heartwarming to see my kids bond with and strengthen relationships with their cousins. It is so neat to see my nieces growing up into such beautiful ladies, inside and out! They are such a great influence for our girls! With our rather chaotic life of the last several years, it is always good to see my big girls enjoy girl time. Nadia is just a few months older than Alyssa, and they bonded over cartwheels and such on the beach. Hannah won Genna over in no time at all by playing with her one-on-one. Hannah also showcased her impressive makeup skills by sacrificially donating her time to give the girls makeovers, and Alyssa manned the photo shoot after. Jake and Kaden were two peas in a pod, really, getting along fantastically. Genna is pretty adaptable and had fun playing with the boys, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A lot of girly things happened in this room, makeup, nail polish, wrestling, etc</span></td></tr>
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When they left Destin, they drove through Holt & treated us to a farewell dinner at Wings of Fire in Crestivew. Ice-cold Angry Orchard on tap and phenomenal wings paired with even better company was a fitting end to a great visit! We were sad to see you go, Lindholms, but oh-so-grateful you visited and blessed us with your generous and fun-loving ways! Till next time...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hannah giving a ride to Alyssa <i>and</i> Nadia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">General Sillyness before saying good bye </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie and her cousin Nadia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lindholm Family Portrait minus Andrew</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Zavocki Crew </span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Destin, FL, USA30.3935337 -86.49578329999997130.2839672 -86.657144799999969 30.5031002 -86.334421799999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-4038878130323647702014-10-12T07:36:00.000-05:002015-01-02T18:45:20.699-06:00Deep Sea Fishing<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9hOz8o-bnd5G5aCJB3wa4mGSiECZwVbMoMl1p5OiOixLubAC9NwUNdGZB3NG90jBK4_SG4XycsO4RbFUCmkyksVzk0vStr6wC7H5Aa5BSllnjzDGJEfsE9jV1r3JVkPmgg8GCqhvRptF/s1600/IMAG0764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9hOz8o-bnd5G5aCJB3wa4mGSiECZwVbMoMl1p5OiOixLubAC9NwUNdGZB3NG90jBK4_SG4XycsO4RbFUCmkyksVzk0vStr6wC7H5Aa5BSllnjzDGJEfsE9jV1r3JVkPmgg8GCqhvRptF/s1600/IMAG0764.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R7d7R3f8fmfx8MwAhnpl5rqATW99xP9QN_nR4_unT9314BDIBtOLN0sugfhyjGrcHODanrgHvGTjGF0K7wVMem_GlOh0ElDSLl57HTgZHNt18gYFm-ge98mmFtc1SVIP2t22iPWydPjy/s1600/IMAG0761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><i>Written By Shanan age 13:</i><br />
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While we were visiting with our cousins in Destin, Uncle Tim graciously offered to treat Dad & I, (really anyone who really wanted to go--he's one generous guy!) to a day of deep sea fishing! Fishing is something I really enjoy but hardly ever get to do, and time with Dad & no siblings is also a rarity, so I jumped at the chance!<br />
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Our day began very early as we had an hour drive from Holt to get to the pier in Destin by 7:30. Mom dropped Dad and I off while the rest of the family continued to the Lindholm’s condo, where they would spend the day hanging out with them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Uncle Tim</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Leaving the Destin Harbor</span></td></tr>
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Not long after arriving at the pier, it was time to board the fishing boat, the Swoop 2. The first thing I noticed once I stepped foot on the ship was the smell; the odor of fish – lots of it. The next thing I saw were the huge buckets of chopped up squid. Now, I’ve put earthworms on a hook before, but the idea of using real squid made me feel a bit squeamish, to be honest... I put the thought out of my mind as Dad and I set our cooler down in the inside cabin area. We found an empty spot on a bench in the bow of the boat and sat down, despite the wet condition of the seat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My cousin Caden rested his head on my lap</span></td></tr>
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It took a good hour and forty-five minutes to arrive at the fishing grounds, and by then it was shortly after 9:30 am. During the trip, we saw some flying fish! It was super cool, as I had never seen them before. There were also a few jellyfish floating in the wake of the boat. And once we reached the fishing grounds, I even spotted a pair of dolphins! They were really amazing to see.<br />
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When the boat stopped, despite my misgivings, I baited my hooks (there were two of them -- just my luck! ;D) and dropped my line into the water, per the instructions. It took a while, but I caught two Red Snappers, one average-sized and one large one, along with another small fish I had to throw back. Meanwhile, Dad reeled in a HUGE fish called an Amberjack, which unfortunately we were not able to keep, as it was not in season :( He also caught a few more Red Snappers to add to our catch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxa3bfx2ejM6JkbrPAvrVcxnoowkywWa5YJrDaZyg7A8joLND83vve5_rQjKIcoM6gjinr97_M0gXB0x2wDwUDi53CPmszjhEo62VuzJce24dqjPP3TDmIUA0yC0k2Oj9Zq17luq6iAXN/s1600/IMAG0770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxa3bfx2ejM6JkbrPAvrVcxnoowkywWa5YJrDaZyg7A8joLND83vve5_rQjKIcoM6gjinr97_M0gXB0x2wDwUDi53CPmszjhEo62VuzJce24dqjPP3TDmIUA0yC0k2Oj9Zq17luq6iAXN/s1600/IMAG0770.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The huge fish that Dad caught</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">These are all the fish I caught....actually these are what our whole group caught :)</span></td></tr>
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To my dismay, it appeared that I had inherited Dad’s seasickness genes, because I felt rather queasy when the boat was stopped. But I managed to get my stomach settled without ever once throwing up over the side, thanks to liberal use of peppermint oil & nibbling on candied ginger (Uncle Tim went above & beyond providing everyone with all kinds of ginger to quell our queasiness). Despite this setback, I thoroughly enjoyed the day on the water, and would happily do this adventure again! Thanks for an awesome time, Uncle Tim!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Destin, FL, USA30.3935337 -86.49578329999997130.3935337 -86.495783299999971 30.3935337 -86.495783299999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-25586664306092394992014-09-23T09:22:00.000-05:002014-12-16T16:51:36.952-06:00Change on the Outside, Change on the Inside<div class="yiv7658326586" dir="ltr" id="yiv7658326586yui_3_16_0_1_1411399823777_3883">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although we use the blog these days to record happenings in our family, mostly for ourselves, we also keep it public to allow others that are interested a sneak peek at our lives. Occasionally, I feel inspired to wax eloquent on the internal processes that go on in myself & that I witness in those around me. These posts are always a little harder to write & post because it involves a bit of baring of my soul. Admittedly, there are times when the change & chaos on the outside, monkey with our contentment on the inside. This is true for me, but it is also true with each one of us. Just three and a half years ago, we were still living in our house in Flower Mound, Texas, with a full-price offer on the sale of our house of the previous nine years, scurrying furiously to get our house empty & move into our rv fulltime. Since then, we've traveled the United States, all the while learning things about ourselves and this world we live in that we never could have accomplished whilst staying put in our "good" life we voluntarily left behind in Texas. We renewed old friendships and forged new ones as we went, learning/relearning to put relationships & experiences over and above things. After 14 months of travelling, we settled down in Sandy, Utah for Steve's career. We made this area our "home" for nearly 22 months, but in spite of the time we spent here, it admittedly never felt like home. During this time, we made the decision to do something we never thought we'd ever do...have a fifth child! If you don't know the story behind our sweet Katie, <a href="http://wherevertheroadleads.blogspot.com/2013/04/surprise-surprise.html">you can read about it here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, although we were absolutely, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt confident that God had led us here to Utah, we were also convinced that it was only for a season. It truly is beautiful, with awe-inspiring views of the mountains nearly everywhere you turn. Our first winter was a bitter one, and we were shut indoors with cold temps, lots of snow, & endless inversion which ruined the air quality, which admittedly got old. However...really what we were craving was relationship! We were spoiled from our season of traveling, where we intentionally met up with family & old friends & spent the sweetest of times together, and where we connected with others whom had made the same radical change we'd made & thus were always ready to connect, without the usual reality of dealing with complex & overloaded, overbooked work, school, & social calendars. Truth be told, I wasn't that scared of settling down & trying to make new friends, because I had already been stretched & had gotten much better at choosing vulnerability & transparency with others early on in meeting others. I had radically improved my ability to quickly create & enjoy community with a wide array of personalities. I was altogether unprepared for the difficulty of creating & enjoying that kind of community in the area we were now living in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> At the time, I admittedly blamed both Western culture & the Mormon culture, of which we simply didn't fit into, despite our family size. (I know some of you thought that was a shoe-in, but it wasn't!) And, I confess that I grew cynical, not a good thing. I grew to expect that I would be ignored or spoken to rudely when out & about, shopping, running errands, at the park & playground with the kids,etc. And...I discovered that I began to adopt some of those same manners that I despised in those I met or crossed paths with. Now...let me be clear, not *everyone* was rude or unfriendly. There were a few that were friendly, but I think by the time I met them I began to suspect ulterior motives, and that made me uncomfortable; I had already begun building my little wall of defense. By the time we were ready to actually leave Utah, I had made a personal vow to attempt to always smile & choose politeness with whomever I meet out & about, no matter how they act or react. And guess what? That's still a challenge here in the South! There's far more friendliness & politeness here, but I'm also challenged by how much rudeness there is! Had we moved to Utah after being stationary most anywhere, I think that I would have still noticed the rudeness in Utah, but I also think it wouldn't have been such a slap in the face, so to speak. Moving to Utah after our time on the road made the contrast especially noticeable. I'm holding fast to my personal commitment to choose smiles & politeness, but it isn't always easy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward to the present, we're back in the RV again, waiting to close on the sale of our house in Utah<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[We closed on Sept 23 !!!]</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, which has been fraught with drama, honestly. It's definitely been a test! This latest change was a big change, no doubt! Our littles are pretty easy going, so I'm not saying they're not affected by the change, just that, as long as "home" is a peaceful, happy place, it really doesn't matter so much where that home is or what it looks like. The bigs, well, they're older, so it does really affect them, and I'm delighted that they're actually willing to talk about it! As the saying goes, "don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got till it's gone." Fortunately, I'm a little wiser, more experienced in the ways of life, so I knew & prepared the kids ahead of time, for that reality. Leaving Utah was hard, really hard. The endless showings (did I mention...endless?!) were taxing. I don't miss them.at.all. The endless need for perfection that honestly took monumental effort to achieve, with 5 kids & 3,000 square feet of space, was challenging. Even so, we did indeed make lifelong friends in the last few months before leaving, so saying goodbye to go to another area with no friends was also difficult.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though Steve did try to mentally prepare me for what awaited in Alabama/Florida, the kids & I were altogether unprepared for leaving suburbia where everything we could ever need & want were just minutes from our house, to live in areas where a 20 to 30 minute drive was necessary for "a" grocery store, and not necessarily one you like. Shopping for other items besides food was an even longer trek. Leaving all the kids at home for a quick 15 to 20 minute round trip to the store for milk, eggs, etc. was no longer an option. That, combined with the lack of friends (after having just made great friends) & the crazy humidity (after living nearly 2 years with hardly any) & the ferocious fire ants that made it difficult to impossible to let Katie play on the ground made us all feel a little stir-crazy & isolated...& a few "Oh no, what have we done now???" thoughts flew through most of our heads & hearts during those first few weeks, especially! All of this combined with a house that just would.not.sell certainly compounded those feelings! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.7272720336914px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was taken on June 2 just before taking Steve to the airport, same day I left the house for good.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And...in light of all of these things & a job that wasn't exactly as anticipated, we did question whether we had done the right thing, whether we had chosen wisely. We had some interesting discussions with our bigs. I was reminded of the importance of *showing* our kids how to weather the storms in life, because rest assured, it's not a matter of *if*, but *when*, they will come! It has been a great season to remind ourselves & each other that God is faithful, that he works all things together for good (Rom 8:28), that He is worthy of our trust always, even when things don't seem to be working out according to our own (seemingly great) plans. We've had the chance to reflect on our time in Utah & remember why we chose to leave (and all those reasons still hold true today). It might be easy to second-guess, but this is the path we've chosen...and, here's the reality, there is so.much.good that we would have missed out on had we stayed. Yes, you read that right! It is through challenging times that we often learn to focus on true contentment, on our relationship with God & with each other. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some of the *good* things that we have been blessed with *because* we were willing to sacrifice much of the familiar & good things we already had.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First & foremost, a stronger marriage, so much stronger than we had when we were still living our good, familiar life in Flower Mound, Texas. I confess that at that time, Steve was no longer my "best" friend. There's a lot of reasons for that, and certainly not ones for this post, but there was definite emotional distance that had crept in over the years. Even the difficult season of being separated, with the kids & I in Utah, while Steve was here in Alabama/Florida, was *really* good for our marriage. This has to be the *best* benefit of all the change we've been through. A stronger marriage makes a stronger, healthier, happier family. And that...is p.r.i.c.e.l.e.s.s. I married a good man, imperfect, yet who has matured & learned to be a better husband & father through the years, & is unequivocably my best friend. Falling in love all over again is a really good thing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another benefit? Maturity...on most of our parts, I think. When Steve was 2,000 miles away, I was left to manage our household on our own. I learned some important lessons that I wish I could have taught my former self. When you are the only parent, you can't exactly get annoyed that the "other" parent isn't helping as much or in the way that you wish! I had no choice but to give 100%, all the time. My appreciation for Steve grew, and I also realized how much he has grown in his role as dad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Given the reality of trying to sell our house & pack up/empty it, with ceaseless showings and no husband/dad around to help, I really had to rely on the kids to step up & help out more than ever. It was crazy hard, but with very few exceptions, they rose to the occasion! And...I saw some maturity surface that made my momheart proud! I watched one of my more naturally selfish kids observe my efforts & my weariness, mentally calculate the cost of helping out, and then volunteer to ease my burden! And, it happened repeatedly! Not only was it a huge help, it gave me a glimpse into the amazing young lady that she is becoming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our family has grown stronger. I think that I've had more thought-provoking discussions with my bigs, whom I'm realizing are growing up way too fast! We've talked about hard stuff, funny stuff, interesting stuff. Sure, they still drive me crazy, but I truly love my kids & so enjoy being with them, doing stuff together, & processing life together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet another benefit is more quality time. Our commitment to do something fun together on the weekends has been great for our family. Not only are we truly enjoying the area, but we are really enjoying being together. Honestly, our weekends when we were in Utah often consisted of everyone kind of doing their own thing. Quality time is my love language, so this is awesome for me! Even the kids have commented on how much they appreciate that we've made this a priority. I think it's super important for the strength of our family, but also for the kids' relationships with their dad. Since he's gone to work every day, he doesn't get nearly as much time with them as I do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking back, I realize that our "good, normal" life in Flower Mound, Texas was actually rather provincial in some ways. There was a lot of "keeping up with the Jones" mentality that we fell prey to. Traveling around and now living in what definitely feels like the middle of nowhere has opened the eyes of our kids to the reality that we fit somewhere in the sea of socioeconomic status. There are many that live much more extravagantly than we do, and simultaneously, we live oh-so-extragantly compared to many. It's a good perspective to have & hopefully helps keep the focus off of our own selfishness & materialism. We are human, so no doubt this will always be a struggle, but I think it is a really good thing that our kids' eyes have been opened to this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have also learned some interesting things about what is important to us. I'm proud of my girl who has adopted the "I choose contentment, no matter where we are" attitude! She informed me that when we first left Utah, she was really struggling with this. She told me she prayed & asked God to give her contentment, & he has! This is beyond beautiful & the best example to all of us! Another girl has decided that she is a city girl & misses it immensely. I've learned that my preference is to either live in suburbia...or live where I can have a small homestead. I don't prefer living further out from town & all it has to offer without the ability to have our own space, including a garden & the ability to raise animals. But...most of all, I'm learning the skill of choosing contentment & choosing to laugh more & have more fun with my family daily. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice & be glad in it. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-72977295579189792072014-09-20T08:58:00.000-05:002014-12-13T21:13:32.991-06:00Fort Pickens and the beach at night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While staying here in this part of Florida in the RV, we have a "rule" that we must leave the RV and "do something" every weekend. It's super important for morale and sanity. Monday through Friday are for work and school, and weekends are reserved for fun, family bonding, sunshine & fresh air/exercise. </div>
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We've been entertaining the idea of attempting to float the Blackwater River on tubes with the whole family, but it's been a bit tricky to actually coordinate. We planned to go this weekend, but the weather seems to have shifted, and it was simply too chilly to risk being on the river for 4-5 hours with the littles. Soooo....we decided to go explore Fort Pickens instead. We decided to drive along Santa Rosa Island, so it took nearly an hour and half to get there, but the drive right next to the beach and surf was so beautiful!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ready to enter the ruins of Fort Pickens</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.7272720336914px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A good view to show how close the fort is to the ocean</span></td></tr>
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Fort Pickens was built in 1829 to 1834, the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay, Florida, and its Navy yard. It is one of only four forts in the South that was never occupied by Confederates during the Civil War. You can explore the fort with self-guided tour brochures located just outside the visitor center. It was nice & cool inside, with a pleasant breeze blowing through the fort, and warm & sunny outside. The ants were kind of crazy, so you had to be careful not to stand still for long because they'd climb on your feet & up your legs! The kids had fun exploring the dark tunnels & such with flashlights. Steve tasked Shanan with taking pictures, and she might have taken a few...or a gazillion. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You were free to roam the whole complex as you wished</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvZrSnlQAIhp_zCS-EPgzh47qVnGRTIYdv1262x6ubjfiSAAfTR0scz0TYVGadpMKrRw1UsPD-P9hNl71UMSePojAkKwo46HS8hFWrvu7_dzzEairtLqjizHuGhUWUREqSPOFN_MATYF9/s1600/9-20+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvZrSnlQAIhp_zCS-EPgzh47qVnGRTIYdv1262x6ubjfiSAAfTR0scz0TYVGadpMKrRw1UsPD-P9hNl71UMSePojAkKwo46HS8hFWrvu7_dzzEairtLqjizHuGhUWUREqSPOFN_MATYF9/s1600/9-20+(15).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Except for drills these guns were never fired; the fort was never used in any active battles</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeJmX-wKiC1HL_BIIsKW5Qib2AGX4LeGDF0P_QSm9z34qPPaUjUW6xGjBHdPCvvYbsTsvWyKvL6-__0gU5w2GKYGki781K40jfRjkObbOzVTtLpqhhtJ_ia6IEjmrCHHLQzxoQIAv4HZH/s1600/9-20+(42).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeJmX-wKiC1HL_BIIsKW5Qib2AGX4LeGDF0P_QSm9z34qPPaUjUW6xGjBHdPCvvYbsTsvWyKvL6-__0gU5w2GKYGki781K40jfRjkObbOzVTtLpqhhtJ_ia6IEjmrCHHLQzxoQIAv4HZH/s1600/9-20+(42).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The fort is very much intact (for being 170 years old), except for the section in the upper right that was destroyed in an accident</span></td></tr>
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<div>
When we felt like we'd seen the place well enough, we left & decided to eat dinner at Thailand's Best in Navarre, thanks to a coupon that Steve had. Steve was quite enchanted with the iced Thai coffee. Jake was a little too loud (isn't he always?? & aren't most 3 year-old boys??). Food was good, but it wasn't exactly Thailand's best. ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Every photo has Jake making some kind of silly face</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPg_Srdk9P4TJ46MHL9qARP8gO8JFKOGq-an7H9QSjiIYmJhiQjfT0RoySlJaSpyj6h0vpb2tpMdvQa4JZXYaL-GEnE5kgFf5H0zBRz83lhvK4ytzQn_QRa3K_yFj_pBX8Ff79aPtYiDvp/s1600/9-20+(25).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPg_Srdk9P4TJ46MHL9qARP8gO8JFKOGq-an7H9QSjiIYmJhiQjfT0RoySlJaSpyj6h0vpb2tpMdvQa4JZXYaL-GEnE5kgFf5H0zBRz83lhvK4ytzQn_QRa3K_yFj_pBX8Ff79aPtYiDvp/s1600/9-20+(25).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A family that goes to jail together...</span></td></tr>
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<div>
Steve surprised us all by suggesting we go back for a walk on the beach after dinner. Of course, he admonished everyone to not get wet or sandy. Who do you think listened? Who do you think disregarded that bit of instruction? Jake decided to run....and fall down...and run...and fall down...and get very sandy & wet! He had oh.so.much.fun and made so much noise, but that's totally okay at the beach! I had a blast chasing him & trying to keep him from actually going in the water--no small task, I might add. Steve was a good sport & didn't get annoyed by Jake's thoroughly sandy, soaked apparel. I <i>might</i> have stripped him naked for the ride home....Jake, that is. ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We enjoyed a surprise stop in Navarre Beach at sunset</span></td></tr>
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Intentionally spending time together with the whole family on the weekends is definitely something that we all see as a big positive for living in the RV again. RV life isn't a perfect life, but it's definitely a good life!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pure cuteness</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Starting to feel Fort weariness at this point</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Fort Pickens, Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA30.328206299999991 -87.29256809999998330.321316299999992 -87.302696099999977 30.335096299999989 -87.282440099999988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-57001774547777379712014-09-14T21:35:00.000-05:002014-12-09T21:53:24.670-06:00The Grandparents' Annual Visit<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K-q-m3A3P8eN_Yq_SoCkCnNps08fCJhHw2gpM4XXUHALCnP2ziaGz_r4T-nuELmL2klYLW8YzgHb2f8L3dASvUzLBNclOVvMuTbCXN7is2WDCiThB9ovYDo656lbDzezJY5SB3oUEsLp/s1600/IMAG0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K-q-m3A3P8eN_Yq_SoCkCnNps08fCJhHw2gpM4XXUHALCnP2ziaGz_r4T-nuELmL2klYLW8YzgHb2f8L3dASvUzLBNclOVvMuTbCXN7is2WDCiThB9ovYDo656lbDzezJY5SB3oUEsLp/s1600/IMAG0697.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></div>
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One thing we can always count on....no matter where we are or what our current living arrangements are, Steve's family will always make the effort to come visit us & see their grandkids, no matter how great the sacrifice. This year was no exception! They willingly drove 1117 miles to visit us here in Florida, or Lower Alabama as people often call this area of Florida. There really isn't a whole lot to do here in this area, but we still convinced them to go galavanting with us to see the best of the area & also not go crazy trying to cram all ten of us into one hotel room or the RV to just hang out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznOV_WGvGz13prEbE1OQKZQZ11zLb6r3TxCQWQOCeTyK6Xpg4ChkyxG-9Hsm2wEGVSP4_tm8pI9f48rlVcFVmbGAR58xNUv9HXbQp_T6cgXpnpqQMZMl7TeRG_hJU4EnWD6eIj84K9NDu/s1600/IMAG0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznOV_WGvGz13prEbE1OQKZQZ11zLb6r3TxCQWQOCeTyK6Xpg4ChkyxG-9Hsm2wEGVSP4_tm8pI9f48rlVcFVmbGAR58xNUv9HXbQp_T6cgXpnpqQMZMl7TeRG_hJU4EnWD6eIj84K9NDu/s1600/IMAG0685.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake and Genna did not take it easy on Uncle Jon</span></td></tr>
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The Hampton Inn they stayed at in Crestview had an awesome pool & hot tub that the kids and Steve & I thoroughly enjoyed. We did convince Grandma & Uncle Jon to join us for a little fun in the pool one time, but we were never succeeded in convincing Grandpa to even get his feet wet. Grandma invited the big girls to spend the night one night, and Genna & Jake invited themselves to spend the night another night. ;) Jake could not have been more excited to get a chance to have his first sleepover with "the funny guy," aka Uncle Jon. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJIUynK76hJzzDq_cAKTjaLNSvDCy_QLrpLdM-C2_bzlHIPlPPmTcefqMGD1QYEcyBi6r9yRGowy-yPSCpYa5ktrjJ0LqB5AlX_Psoh9PPhPupfwjnKbZ4cfZypX6uzVCxDRzBlnphm2Z/s1600/IMAG0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJIUynK76hJzzDq_cAKTjaLNSvDCy_QLrpLdM-C2_bzlHIPlPPmTcefqMGD1QYEcyBi6r9yRGowy-yPSCpYa5ktrjJ0LqB5AlX_Psoh9PPhPupfwjnKbZ4cfZypX6uzVCxDRzBlnphm2Z/s1600/IMAG0686.jpg" height="640" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Grandpa holding Katie for the first time at the hotel pool</span></td></tr>
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The kids and I went to the<a href="http://www.ecwrzoo.com/"> zoo</a> in Crestview with them while Steve was at work. The littles were excited to go back to see the little patas monkey that they had seen when the big girls were at summer camp, but she was already out in her transitional cage. The umbrella cockatoo, Derian, was probably the highlight of this visit. He was so incredibly loud, but he did talk, laugh, & even cry. He definitely entertained us for awhile. The kids were also delighted to see a lemur with a tiny baby lemur on its back and another on its chest. They were incredibly cute! There's just something about babies...humans and animals!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnHKb5PHv-HaZ_UTyJMsleaTMHmenc1i_BNlLCAp1lntwpMO3gDUIyj-QUfd_ag8bZ3CvQqU1y-LM2KTqYBgossEWldwgJQGuiq4pkny1F1dJJuCQ1yeaK-v8lqC9s0WP_C95OFK24H8B/s1600/IMAG0682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnHKb5PHv-HaZ_UTyJMsleaTMHmenc1i_BNlLCAp1lntwpMO3gDUIyj-QUfd_ag8bZ3CvQqU1y-LM2KTqYBgossEWldwgJQGuiq4pkny1F1dJJuCQ1yeaK-v8lqC9s0WP_C95OFK24H8B/s1600/IMAG0682.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mia's Italian Resturant on the first night</span></td></tr>
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Somehow, we persuaded (maybe forced?) them that if you're here in this part of Florida, you simply must go to the beach. Jon said he hadn't been to the beach in about 25 years, so I think he was actually excited. Navarre Beach is less than an hour from here, and it really is spectacular! The sand, the surf, the color of the water...it's all as good as it gets in the beach world. We packed lunch, water, beach toys, and two chairs for those that thought they needed them...and off we went. It was a yellow flag day, so the water was clean and clear, gentle with very mild waves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesEgicEdbeKsHaiOuxUVQTTD15d_TGREOIsezVBxL3EuYOpGp6ca1Oqtfe79z_IHoDfo1VlUC07X6-Kr55CiKJLOZR4ILvbFAciOnKIW8McKs79FbVqczgv1hnnDKMAv_GBSda1SINSNC/s1600/IMAG0691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesEgicEdbeKsHaiOuxUVQTTD15d_TGREOIsezVBxL3EuYOpGp6ca1Oqtfe79z_IHoDfo1VlUC07X6-Kr55CiKJLOZR4ILvbFAciOnKIW8McKs79FbVqczgv1hnnDKMAv_GBSda1SINSNC/s1600/IMAG0691.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was the farthest we could get them in the water</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IhiC9_jD2_56VYpNl62AgK1qn-tM4jJmgPEackjD5Uo0T0wL-HQbCoYKh8pK8mJe3T2OsMcOD0It29qSgfCMJutEoWDeBxW0lgM-PeM7JvlKSOtQO3CA_iCQjgn3jTbF_e-SZfjfDhVR/s1600/IMAG0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IhiC9_jD2_56VYpNl62AgK1qn-tM4jJmgPEackjD5Uo0T0wL-HQbCoYKh8pK8mJe3T2OsMcOD0It29qSgfCMJutEoWDeBxW0lgM-PeM7JvlKSOtQO3CA_iCQjgn3jTbF_e-SZfjfDhVR/s1600/IMAG0694.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Uncle Jon making castles with the kids</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJMxRS4E5GMVAl6J-J0oGLIx1xU3PHpySC_JgLATJx8LnZk1g1KrL1KiMyKuP1eTQBa5lm5Ahk5D3hLLbpHhNVCkOUbYw1iTvt-cdzJv1EvyZ81fn4Cwe6aPL2KQpNaszh3MsJxhNKW_6/s1600/IMAG0688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJMxRS4E5GMVAl6J-J0oGLIx1xU3PHpySC_JgLATJx8LnZk1g1KrL1KiMyKuP1eTQBa5lm5Ahk5D3hLLbpHhNVCkOUbYw1iTvt-cdzJv1EvyZ81fn4Cwe6aPL2KQpNaszh3MsJxhNKW_6/s1600/IMAG0688.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Navarre Beach was beautiful and uncrowded on this gorgeous September day</span></td></tr>
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We arrived, ate lunch, then the littles got busy playing on the beach with Uncle Jon, while the bigs promptly got in the water. Steve spent quite a bit of effort trying to convince his mom & dad that the water was, in fact, really awesome, not scary or rough, and also very shallow...but alas, ankle deep was as far as they were willing to go. Apparently, it was fun to watch us have fun?? It wasn't exactly what we had in mind when we invited them to come to the beach, but that's okay! Uncle Jon, however, clearly really did have fun playing on the beach with the littles, in spite of the fact that he got scorched pretty badly, even though he had sunscreen on. I was relieved to hear him say that it was worth it! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">On Sunday we visited the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying the limo service</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake enjoying the ride</span></td></tr>
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We had planned to spend our last day together on the Blackwater River because it is the other truly awesome thing about this area. However, the forecast was calling for bad storms all day, and we had driven through a real gullywasher the day before on our way home from the beach. And honestly, it seemed like another swimming activity would not be the best way to spend our last day together. Sooooo...we re-evaluated what we could/should do, and we finally decided to visit the <a href="http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/">Naval Aviation Museum</a> in Pensacola. Not only is it free, but they also provide free wheelchair loans, which we definitely needed. Although Shanan & Alyssa were initially hesitant about pushing Uncle Jon and Grandpa around, they actually had a lot of fun with it. The weather, of course, turned out to be stunningly hot and beautiful, with nary a storm until late in the day, but we still had good times at the museum.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie enjoying spending time with Grandma</span></td></tr>
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We all had a lot of fun this visit, but I think we might have worn out Grandma & Grandpa. ;) Thanks so much for always being faithful to come visit us every year, Grandma, Grandpa, & Uncle Jon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Time for goodbye</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCATLgp3Gj4ohEia0MXaE62sVDjB7mNADKx-cE4IKMmHq4TSv8fg93eUh1lgLdZtJ8H6HfqBsDPuBmmuaU9xlF_bk4pHwyEgpLiEGNS0MVpi_CASiv-jsnAr8cnx3iMSsJOzv3vVYKi7K/s1600/IMAG0702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCATLgp3Gj4ohEia0MXaE62sVDjB7mNADKx-cE4IKMmHq4TSv8fg93eUh1lgLdZtJ8H6HfqBsDPuBmmuaU9xlF_bk4pHwyEgpLiEGNS0MVpi_CASiv-jsnAr8cnx3iMSsJOzv3vVYKi7K/s1600/IMAG0702.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake playing hard to get when it is time to say goodbye</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Until next time Grandpa</span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Crestview, FL, USA30.7541808 -86.57279949999997430.6450083 -86.734160999999972 30.8633533 -86.411437999999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-15798466033668282442014-08-31T12:41:00.000-05:002014-12-08T19:46:25.954-06:00Our Anniversary Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In honor of 17 years of wedded adventures, Steve went to a conference for his career in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Just kidding... He did go to the conference in Michigan, but it had nothing to do with our anniversary, except that he flew back the day before it. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since we had to pick him up in Pensacola on Saturday, we took advantage of it & spent the <strike>day</strike> afternoon there, thanks to a delayed flight. At Steve's urging, we went to <a href="http://www.phillysonline.com/">Philly's</a>, a pretty authentic philly cheesesteak hoagie place. Beware, there's no atmosphere here, but if you like authentic philly cheesesteaks like you get in Philly, it's a good choice. Then, we went to the Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum. Jake & Katie weren't allowed to climb up (or go up in any sort of carrier), as the rules are 44 inches tall at least, no exceptions. Honestly, it wasn't so tight as to prevent babies in slings & other soft carriers. Jake could have totally done it, too, and burned lots of energy in the process; nonetheless, Steve & I took turns because rules are rules. Afterwards, we walked out to the beach just opposite the lighthouse and discovered that just because a beach is in Florida does not mean that it is spectacularly beautiful, with light blue & green water & pristine sand. The water was rough & not safe to go in, so the kids just played in the sand while Steve took a nap. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The lighthouse basement had some kid exhibits</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The lighthouse mirrors</span></td></tr>
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On Sunday, we decided to go to the beach in Navarre because the two best things to do around here are to: 1) hang out at Navarre Beach & 2) do something on the Blackriver. When we arrived, the red flag was flying, meaning the surf is rough &/or there are strong currents, so we decided to just head over to the no surf area. I'm glad we did because we hadn't been there yet, and it was great for building sand castles (much wetter sand than on the "better" beach). It was super shallow, too, although it was a little too warm & a little smelly, for whatever the reason. We decided to go check out the rough surf side of the beach before leaving & discovered it was indeed rough! We didn't let the littles go out at all because it just wasn't safe for them, but Steve & I took turns with Shanan & Alyssa. It was fun, but the water was so rough that it wasn't the usual pretty, crystal clear blue & green that it normally is. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was quite windy at the top of the lighthouse</span></td></tr>
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We headed back to Holt to deposit a few kiddos safely while Steve & I went out for our anniversary. We were starving after a day at the beach, & Steve enticed me with promises of going to the best restaurant in Crestview, a mediterranean restaurant with great reviews. Alas, remember the saying that goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail..." It turns out, pretty much everything in Crestview in the restaurant realm was closed! We might not be in Utah anymore, but we are in the Bible belt & not big cities, sooooo....there was a lot of driving around, until Steve decided to go to this Mexican restaurant right off of I-10 called El Rumba. The food wasn't very memorable (and what's with the Floridian custom of giving three small tortillas with your fajitas and then charging you for extra when it's needed for the rest of the fajita filling??). However, Steve splurged & ordered a margarita to share. We noticed it didn't have the usual salted rim, so we asked our waitress if that was the way they're usually served in this restaurant; she acted flustered & said she'd bring another one. Not exactly what we were aiming for, to be honest. It took her awhile, but she did indeed bring another margarita, with a <strike>poorly </strike> lightly salted rim & apologized, saying it was her first margarita she'd ever made. Sooo...we had two large margaritas...and there *may* have been some giggling, especially after Steve announced as the fifth thing he loves about me that I'm good in math, lol. So, our 17th anniversary will go down in history as the year of the margaritas??</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Pensacola, FL, USA30.42130899999999 -87.216914930.42130899999999 -87.2169149 30.42130899999999 -87.2169149tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235857636491661369.post-84305034926570183122014-08-18T06:54:00.000-05:002014-12-07T19:52:49.383-06:00Rivers Edge RV Park, Holt, Florida<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Change---a common theme around the Zavocki household. Even when we <i>think</i> we have a reasonably clear picture of what is next, it seems to morph into the not-so-clear. After moving to Alabama to work just across the state line at his job in Pensacola, Florida, Steve learned that there was a good chance he would be moved to Milton, Florida. That <i>good</i> chance turned into a certainty, so we had to surrender our opportunity to stay for a month or two at a really awesome RV park with a waterpark and be content with our 5 days/6 nights there. Steve explored the area near his new office (far from new, just new to him) & tried to find an RV park that would work well for our family and still be a not-so-bad commute for him. And so, we moved to Holt, Florida and settled in at RiversEdge RV park. The great things...very spacious sites & not an excess of rules, plus river access if you fish and/or have a boat. The not-so-great things...electric is not included, the bathhouse is definitely not awesome, and there are no amenities. There is a clubhouse onsite that we had hoped to be able to use for homeschooling, but we discovered it is only used for coffee, doughnuts, & news in the wintertime. I'm pretty sure that the coffee, doughnuts & news is not targeted towards our demographic! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">*<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Qt3uLmQsXqpfDeYWJ6mEVZ29zLDtpt92IWqDgNcKrUj9q8l6eiwl-XX7QzuG6SHjJdqSiA3XBuSuuJnH-a-XwoUlGPlqYYPrkFsXCkQMkQhsdoL_BptwlKWQ0-FMGMgtA1e8xZK1CCAF/s1600/IMAG0509%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Qt3uLmQsXqpfDeYWJ6mEVZ29zLDtpt92IWqDgNcKrUj9q8l6eiwl-XX7QzuG6SHjJdqSiA3XBuSuuJnH-a-XwoUlGPlqYYPrkFsXCkQMkQhsdoL_BptwlKWQ0-FMGMgtA1e8xZK1CCAF/s1600/IMAG0509%5B1%5D.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Katie being her cute self</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkveSGRlFLGxH4w84jSOVZCm9EenIGxvKeSHDlmsoRZ4QsqhrHF7PJc_62LZtYOMH2QRZU6aBHyc4gsR_QhJ7vKY_39M3rqBhwCTIh5hLtjRHy5MCP0yQJAlvVUR_lbV8peOF9kCkZwVc/s1600/IMAG0548%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkveSGRlFLGxH4w84jSOVZCm9EenIGxvKeSHDlmsoRZ4QsqhrHF7PJc_62LZtYOMH2QRZU6aBHyc4gsR_QhJ7vKY_39M3rqBhwCTIh5hLtjRHy5MCP0yQJAlvVUR_lbV8peOF9kCkZwVc/s1600/IMAG0548%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake loves dirt</span></td></tr>
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Nonetheless, we did end up with a really sweet site in the end, with a spacious yard for the littles to play in. It helped it feel a lot less RV-parklike. And the sand??? Wellllll, as Jake would say, it was completely awesome. For those of us that like to keep the inside of our place reasonably clean, not actually so incredibly awesome. But, I will say that watching Jake & even Katie have sooooo much fun playing in the sand & at the edge of the river was, in a word, fantastic. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aW9m4f-m7xTBpYvuN1-Eb1Mlak-wAFHgzBkbdJdC4z02W7jukYX9qcR5dopvXS5wQTKWSs5fdmCeQ8fFAhfCKtdImqAk4on0VvKnI-p_17rZEcPm9Rw68t6TpYHacpTwXlhhN0ZuvwLv/s1600/CAM01591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aW9m4f-m7xTBpYvuN1-Eb1Mlak-wAFHgzBkbdJdC4z02W7jukYX9qcR5dopvXS5wQTKWSs5fdmCeQ8fFAhfCKtdImqAk4on0VvKnI-p_17rZEcPm9Rw68t6TpYHacpTwXlhhN0ZuvwLv/s1600/CAM01591.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Playing by the Yellow River</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy0fbyd2ML6oXMaY35vEncNsPIbwhB5oAVtgyNl2tDOAHwR1mL14VoaJzE_O_vs4LVVE4xoq7DjyyeuxEktvaHd7npHIewNrp_ezEMmXY2yQEmkACz8tvphDs5dEubtrvqFGriczgIFX7/s1600/nathaniel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy0fbyd2ML6oXMaY35vEncNsPIbwhB5oAVtgyNl2tDOAHwR1mL14VoaJzE_O_vs4LVVE4xoq7DjyyeuxEktvaHd7npHIewNrp_ezEMmXY2yQEmkACz8tvphDs5dEubtrvqFGriczgIFX7/s1600/nathaniel.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jake teaching Nathanael how to be rowdy, but he seems to have it figured out already</span></td></tr>
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We also met another fulltime family with a little boy a year younger than Jake. Jake & Nathanael made friends & played trucks together almost daily. Daniel & Toni and Steve & I enjoyed swapping stories from our experiences on the road & sharing homeschooling wisdom. We were sad to see them leave but happy to know we have new friends on the road! </div>
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We did really enjoy our time here, but we ended up only staying one month...mostly because of the lack of clubhouse use & nice bathhouse combined with the metered electric. I still sometimes miss those big sites though.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0River's Edge RV Campground, 4001 Log Lake Road, Holt, FL 32564, USA30.67507689999999 -86.7485517000000075.15304239999999 -128.0571457 56.19711139999999 -45.439957700000008