If I could explain in one word what our vacation was like to Captiva, FL, I would say "perfect." My parents realized after this trip that life with two little boys gets easier each year. The airplane ride went smoothly, our sleep schedules were great (thanks to all of the outdoor fun) and the weather was wonderful all week. I can't wait for next April and a return visit once again. We took over 200 photos, but don't worry, they are not ALL included in this post :) I will try to write tidbits for each grouping. Enjoy!
Our first photos at the beach captures our excitement!
We love the beach, but the resort has multiple swimming pools. My parents agree that the beach is "fun" but the pools are so much easier- no huge waves, salt in the eyes, sand in every tiny place it can find, and of course, they appreciate they can see us when we are in the water :)
Cooper is TOO comfortable in the water. He would go right up to the edge, jump into the water (head submerged)...meanwhile, you could hear the gasps from the sunbathers nearby. He would surface, smile, and start kicking his legs to swim. Cooper and I are both little fish in the water and couldn't get enough.
One day, I took advantage of the young lifeguard on duty who allowed me to go down the waterslide despite the fact that I was 2 inches too short and had water wings on. The fun was short lived because the next day, some crabby lady told me I was too little for the slide, blah.
Papa and Grandma Sharon gave me some money to spend in Florida (thanks guys!). Mr. Turtle became an excellent swimming buddy. The best part, he squished into Daddy's golf bag so now I can use him at the lake all summer!
Piper from my preschool was ironically vacationing on Captiva Island too! We knew this about 3 weeks prior to going as Piper's Mom and my Mom were discussing vacation stays. I was so excited to spend a few days with Piper at the pool!
Shelling is a serious sport on Captiva and Sanibel Islands. Every morning while the Dads golfed, we walked the beach to find the perfect shell. Mommy delights in her shelling skills and was very excited to find a full sand dollar, a star fish, sea urchin and some other excellent shells.
This is her proud shelling pose (sadly, she even did a dance on the beach when she found the sand dollar)
As much as we would have loved to keep the starfish, he was still alive, so we all had a chance to hold it and I tossed it back home.
We love our beach walks and the beautiful Gulf coast. Some of our favorite photos are from the beach. At times, Mommy and Daddy even allowed me to take some pictures! Here are a few lovely ones.
While in Captiva, there are many of us staying in our timeshare units at the same resort. This was Mommy's 25th year in Captiva. Grandma Carla/Grandpa Jamie, Bruce, Stefanie, Sam and Lexi (Mommy's sister), Great Auntie Lynda, and cousins Jason, Kelly and their 3 kids were all there this year. We are excited for Uncle Jim/Aunt Karri and baby Lindell to join us next April. Papa and Grandma Sharon are nearby as they winter in Florida.
The grown ups had a date night while the grandparents babysat. They went to their favorite restaurant and pigged out on key lime pie, hmmmmmm!!!!!
Papa and Grandma Sharon (by their tanned faces, you should know who the natives are here) visited us for a full day. We spent the afternoon at the pool and went to dinner with them. It was great to see them both. Papa and Grandma Sharon return to MN next month for the summer.
One of our favorite stops is to the ice cream shop at the resort. We rode the trolley (another favorite) and had many yummy choices at night.
One night after ice cream, we returned to an intruder. Mommy heard something flapping and hitting the walls. She decided to brave it and "went in" to find a cardinal. Funny since no one has ever seen a cardinal in FL before. Daddy had to shoo it outside of the condo. The bird was smart as he only pooped in the bathroom, so there wasn't a big mess. After the commotion I stated, "I think the bird came in because I probably left that door open."
On our last full day, we hit the beach for sandcastles and some burying. Cooper and I loved it when Daddy covered us in sand. Mommy and the clogged bathtub drain didn't think it was too funny or cute.
Another one of our purchases with our Florida money were these shoes! Cooper has blue crocodile ones and I loved the frog with the fly stuck on it's tongue. We have been wearing them everywhere including with socks at home (fashion fault #7463).
So, we titled this post, "choices" and this is why... Mommy received sad news the day we returned from Captiva. Job-sharing will only be approved for next year as the new HR director will no longer allow this to happen. Mommy and Heather (job-share partner) have worked hard the past 3 years to make job-sharing a success. It not only has worked well for their students and families, but it has provided perfect balance for our family. How does Mommy decide on family vs. career? She has one year to figure it out, but when she looks at these photos, she knows what is most important...
In her words, at the end of the day, it is more rewarding to say "I am a Mom."
