Florida 2016

Gotta start the vacation post with an airport photo!

Very excited about waiting for our luggage!

We took a nice long walk down to the pier.

Two very tired kiddos from our travels.  Colin is actually sleeping like that!

Siesta Key beach time!

It took years, but we finally caught a lizard!  Colin gets the credit for this guy!

More beach time.  You can't tell from these photos but it was only 65 out.  The kids were building cochina hotels.

We surprisingly found a live seahorse on the beach.  Brought it back to the kids then tossed it into the waves.  Hopefully it had a happy ending!

Jordan and I took a side trip to Cayo Costa State Park and enjoyed our little cabin on the beach.

Met up with our resident gator.

Took the kids to Weeki Wachee where I remember going as a kid because they have mermaids!!

and alligators!

and lots of peacocks which were just so much fun to chase around.

Daddy and Colin on the boat ride

More cold beach time

And now we leave for our next Florida trip in a week!

Jan/Feb 2016

Kayla attended her first Girl Scout Camp this past winter!  I helped chaperone and we had a great time with the girls.  They helped make lunch, tie dye t-shirts, crafts, scavenged outside, and had smores by the fire.

Pool Party!

Having fun at 4K

Kiwicrate treasure chests and maps the kids made

Snow tubing in the Dells!

Valentine's party, girl scout cookie sales, 3D movie, and minions

California 2016

Our first vacation in 2016 was out to southern California to visit Papa Sal and Linda in Palm Springs.  As usual, we started our trip in the airport playroom to burn off some energy.  :)

Had a layover in Denver where we got off the plane outside.  Plus Colin got to check out the cockpit with the pilot!

Met up with a local cousin!  Oh yea, and met Auntie Dana too!!

View from the patio.  It's snowy up in the mountains!

Auntie Dana and Kayla

 

Remember all that snow at the top of the mountain?  Well here we are!  We took the tram up to the top and had some fun hiking and sledding in the snow.

At the bottom, the kids and I went on a rattlesnake hunt!

Nice car!

That's a lot of bushy pokey cacti!

They grow the rocks big in California.

Water in the desert?!

Last hike of the day and someone is getting tired.

The sun is so bright!  Luckily we got one good one.

Our junior rangers!

Next up...a jeep tour!

Checking out some native American artifacts

Climbing a sand mountain

Exploring the slot canyons along the San Andreas fault

Hanging out at the zoo

Ahhh....a t-rex!!  Lucky for us it was very friendly.

Took a drive up to a little mountain town.  Beautiful views all over but the wind was crazy!

Stopped for some world-famous cinnamon rolls.

Mommy and Daddy even got a chance to go on a hike without the kids!