Key West

JULY 31 - First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM cha-cha-cha!!! We Love You!!!

This summer we decided to take our first family vacation with just our little family and my niece, Haleigh, who flew in from Cali to stay with us for three weeks.

We packed our bags

for this MONUMENTAL occasion

and headed for the "Conch Republic" aka Key West, FL.

Our first stop was the Lion Country Safari, near Palm Beach.

It promised close encounters with African animals!

Haleigh getting a little tooooo close to the animals.

They gave us a CD to guide us through different plains. Explainingthe different types of animal that roamed freely there.

Jim loved the ungulates, aka cloven hoofed animals.

We all loved having the animals roam right outside our windows.

The safari ended in a little amusement park with a splash zone. After looking at all those animals, we had a chance to ride some! :)

We left around 5pm and then headed to Miami for dinner. We stayed the night there and loved the chance to go for a night swim at the hotel. The water was warm, the night skies clear, the stars shining and the coconut trees swaying. It was a real tropical paradise!

Then it was off to Key West and the crystal clear waters of the Bahia Honda Beach. The sand was super soft and the water was warm, but it wasn't very deep.

We found a surfer,

some mermaids,

sailboats,

and fish!

Can you find the fish?


We just had to have a piece of Key Lime Pie!

I thought it was a little tart, but Aimee loved it!

We toured the sights,

strolled down Duval Street,
and watched the sun set at Mallory Square.

I didn't get the pic, but they had people standing on surf boards, paddling with an oar. It was sooo cool. Nathan loved it. Lindsey loved, "that Aimee didn't fall in the water!" :)

We finished our trip at the Cemetery, how appropriate. :)

We found the sailors graves,

above ground cement coffins,

the Adam's Airplane letter box,

and some coconuts!

We went as far south as we could possibly go and then it was time to head back north to home sweet home. It was an amazing vacation!

The Southernmost Point in the U.S.A.

July 4th 2008

Jim and I were reminiscing the days when we'd have a picnic and go to the rodeo for the fourth of July, but agreed that we really enjoy our Florida Fourths too!

For us the fourth of July is about:

family,

friends,

running the river,

having fun,

playing in the sand,

playing with friends,

picnicing in the park,

and desserts!

Oh the joy of desserts!

Everyone loves a little ice-cream

and a little American tradition brought to you by:

O

R

E

OH!
That was good!

Somebody wasn't at all shy to ask for more!! :)


We hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July!!