Vacay Pics!

Customize your own free picture slideshow

Here are the much awaited vacation pics! I tried, I really did, to pare down the number of pictures, but we had so much fun that it was really hard! I will admit, that there are times in which even I wish I didn't take as many pictures, but sometimes you just gotta do it!



Here is a brief synopsis of our vacation so that you can follow along easier with the slideshow! ;)
We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and took full advantage of the mid 60 degree weather! We quickly donned swimsuits and hit the beach. Sophia was really more interested in the pool and since it was heated to a nice 85 degrees, we happily obliged. After exploring, swimming, and a bath for the kiddos, my Uncle Owen, who lives there, took us out for dinner. We hit up one of his favorite Cuban places and it was super delicious! I am a believer in trying to eat local as much as possible and we didn't want to go to any chains while we were there.



Wednesday it was rainy so we traveled out to Butterfly World. Just as you would expect, it was a great big place with various open-air, free flight butterfly rooms. Sophia LOVED it! We had a great time. Charlie was brave enough to feed some parrots, who really adored him, and we also saw lots of other birds and bugs too. We even bought Sophia a butterfly decoration to hang in her room. It's adorable! That night, we went to the Taste of the Beach. My Uncle works for the Chamber of Commerce, so he was working this event and we figured it was a perfect way to try all the local cuisine! It was a great deal because all the food and drinks came with the ticket price (which don't tell..but we got a REALLY great deal, wink, wink!)Lots of the vendors also had beer, wine, and/or cocktails, so we had a great night eating and drinking our way through the city! There was also a DJ/one-man-band and Sophia loved him too. She danced and danced all night. At one point, she looked at me and said, "sing with us, Mom!" Hilarious. It was great to see Owen dancing with Sophia. It made me happy and sad all at the same time. I really missed Dad in that moment, but this was pretty great. Owen is so much like my dad, in both looks and personality, that I knew I would have my moments, but I'm so happy that at least my kids have both Owen and Ellyn to grow up getting to know.



Thursday we spent the whole day hanging out as a family. It was pretty chilly in the morning so we walked to the little shopping/touristy district and had a Dunkin' breakfast and then shopped and visited the pier. After naps, we hit the beach and the pool and once again. That night, we hired the best babysitters in town (okay, maybe they volunteered!) to watch the kids while we celebrated our anniversary. We figured since we were leaving so early on Saturday, Thursday would be an easier night! We even got to cuddle in the hot tub before retiring to the hide-a-bed (Sophia lucked out and slept in our room that night!)



Friday was the nicest day of the lot, so we decided to forgo other plans and stay on the beach all day. We all made sandcastles and just generally had a fun time. It was the perfect way to spend our anniversary, with each other and our beautiful children! That night, we went out to dinner with Ellyn and Owen once again at one of his favorite places. The food was great, the margaritas were even better and it was the perfect way to end our trip.



We had such a great time! I really like being able to combine our vacations with some family time. We haven't seen Owen in over a year and it was a lucky coincidence that Ellyn was visiting at the same time. Charlie and I were able to have a perfectly rounded get-away...we each got a little alone time, some time alone together, and plenty of time with our kiddos. It was so relaxing and really just so much fun...I know I keep saying that, but it's true! ;) It rejuvenated us for our busy spring ahead...now only if we could have brought some of that warmer weather back with us!