Happy Birthday Bauer!

 Happy Birthday to the B-boy! our sweet little guy that loves kindergarten. His birthday was on the 8th and so  I am a little late. He did have a pretty cool birthday in Florida though. Bauer is the easy going one of the group, he loves to play outside, watch movies, play dress up, super heroes, swim, play with his friends, Gentry, Dallin and Avery. He has a little friend in his class that is a girl he really likes to talk about her name is Ruby and she lives in our ward. He loves to eat fruit, bananas, apples, oranges, he loves vanilla yogurt, peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He loves to have popcorn and chocolate milk on Sunday's. He loves Hulk and Iron Man. He is our early riser and the one who always falls asleep in the car. He has the sweetest cry, it still rips my heart out when he cries! He plays really well with Kessler and is currently so excited to go to school next week and have school lunch.

Florida 4-9.2012

 This trip to southern Florida, Miami beach specifically was fun, I said today one visit is enough. I didn't fall in love like I did in Hawaii.

Alivia our expert resident on toad and lizard catching, she was hunting as much as she was swimming.

 Not a really interesting picture, but one thing about Miami, is you have to pay FOR EVERYTHING, parking, driving on the roads, getting into places. I thought to myself this city must make a lot of money on all of us and I wasn't sure where it all went, it seemed to be one of the "dirtier" cities, don't get me wrong it was beautiful but frustrating sometimes!

 One thing we did the memory is forever ingrained in my brain was a trip to Key largo. Our original plan was to go to Key West. The drive was a little to long so we stopped at the first Key.

There were so many positives including the drive and the scenery. I loved going there so much! we took the kids to a place that is the first and only underwater state park. We took a boat ride through the waterways in the keys, THAT was awesome the wildlife was so COOL! All kids got out of the boat and snorkeled. 

 The key largo pics are at the bottom, Kessler tried to look through his goggles and see the fish, but the saltwater was too much to handle so he just floated around in the ocean I was surprised he did so well.

Bauer got really cold and wanted to get out after about 35-40 minutes and then Alivia, Cooper lasted the whole time and did so well wearing the flippers, goggles and snorkel. He loved the fish, he favorite the barracuda, because it was big and it looked mean.....

 Sorry for the blurry pic! the worst mistake I made was I forgot my tripod, I knew I would need it and then didn't bring it.

 The many frogs!

 One scary moment we had, was Cooper was out riding the waves on a a boogie board and long story short, he was out swimming and playing and kept getting a bit farther and farther, we weren't too worried because there was a nice sand bar to protect the kids from the big waves but he got just left of the sand bar and got pulled out by the rip-current. He LUCKILY had his board and was hanging onto it, but kept going under and coming back up, I asked him if he was scared he said he was just trying to swim and he said I couldn't go anywhere. I knew right away when he went under the first time he was in trouble and started FREAKING OUT!! Ben calmly gets up and wades out into the water, then I see lifeguards racing down the beach on their ATV's just about to jump in the water and go get Cooper, it was then I thought I was going to pass out. I got really sick to my stomach and felt really light headed. He made it back safe, didn't seem too scared.  I think he then got scared he could tell I was upset.

 There were these amazing water ways in the keys, it was like a maze getting out into the open water.

 A little nap before a swim in the ocean.

 On top of the boat. After our swim.

 The reef was called Grecian Rocks.

 Ben and Cooper.

 Our last night there, some evening showers made for a beautiful rainbows!

 I love this picture of Cooper, it cracks me up every time I look at it.

 I tried to mimic it with Bauer, he couldn't do the same expression.

So all in all Miami was a success. It was really nice to get to know the city and see they amazing architecture, scenery, people, water, boats, mansions and yachts.

back to life now, loads of laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, finishing all the homework we didn't finish on vacation oh and YARDWORK! major weeds.....sigh........  I am SO glad to be sleeping in my own bed, that is one thing the hotel really lacked was a nice bed. My back is killing me! 

Now to start planning the next vacation......:) ok maybe not for a few months......

3.Florida.2012

Today was a pretty low key day, the kids have been sleeping until about 11am EST. Haven't switched time zones yet. Tomorrow we make our way a little bit more south down to Miami beach, we went there tonight for sneak peak of our hotel and the location. Not too bad. more to come.