Falling in Love with Florida

Oh Florida, how good you were to us. 

I decided it would be good for our souls to take a little trip.  But since Levi is not at the "trip-taking" age yet, a girls trip was the next best thing....or maybe it was the best thing!  So I nervously booked our tickets to go visit Mimi and Pop.  Of course we wanted to go to FL when it was bitterly cold here so we could really enjoy it.  Which also meant it was the height of sick season.  We all battled fevers, aches, coughs, for weeks leading up to it.  But we weren't going to let that take us down!  

Our day to leave finally arrived.  And boy were we ready!  It's cold, I'm ready for sun and sleep.  we said our goodbyes to our boys and made our way to paradise.  What a champ you were during the flight!  I had everything prepared for you to watch movies and me getting to read a book which hasn't been done in a  year.  Buuuuut thanks to technology that wasn't the case.  So you and I got to talk the ennnnnntire 2 hour 20 min flight! 

When we arrived it was just perfect.  Warm and peaceful.  On our first night Mimi got us pizza and we enjoyed eating on the balcony overlooking the pool and Gulf.  Perfect.  Almost as great as our first slumber party together.  We snuggled and slept so good.  

Day 2- After waking up after EIGHT!  We got our lazy selves up and out the door to go visit Pop's new work at the rehabilitation marina to see dolphins, turtles, stingrays and birds.  How cool it was to see these creatures!  You and Bennett even got to touch the stingrays!  Our rumbling bellies then lead us to to lunch on the beach and we got to meet up with Amy and the boys.  Realizing I was on vacation, I didn't hesitate to order a fruity drink on the beach.  One day, you'll learn that those treats are what make a tired mom's DAY!  We enjoyed the ocean breeze and the birds at our feet.  Well, maybe you didn't like the birds as much as mommy did.  It was a little cool that day so we didn't bring our suits, but that didn't stop everyone from wanting to go see the ocean.  Watching you run so free in the sand towards the roaring water is an image I will never ever forget.  Perfection.  Heavenly. Love.  We spent the afternoon building sand castles, playing the freezing water, even in your underpants because your dress was too much of a hassle with the waves.  You'd hit your max with being chilly and then come snuggle in a towel on my lap.  If I could keep you bundled up on my lap sitting by the ocean forever, believe me I would.  After hours of playing and covered in sand, a fog blew in and it was time for us to head back to Mimi's for her delicious tacos with Amy and Kristin and all the boys.  After yummy food and a few shows, it was time to call it a day.

Day 3-THE BEST DAY....our BEACH DAY!

Today was a warm and sunny day which meant it was perfect for the beach.  We started off by sleeping in and being lazy.  Then suited up, lathered up, and went to lunch at Frenchy's.  We listened to some of my favorite music, had some more vacation cocktails, then headed to find a cabana to post up for the day.  We didn't waste any time before building lots of sand castles with Pop.  Although the water was cold, it didn't stop us from enjoying the Gulf.  You even got to use it for a bathroom which was a tricky concept to grasp.  You played frisbee, played in the sand for as long as you could, tested out the body boarding, collected sea shells, and took it all in.  Watching you love this place so much was food for my soul.  After the beach and getting some awesome sun on our skin, we headed for ice cream, as if the day couldn't get any more perfect.  

We head back to Mimi's and continue our wonderful afternoon with pool time in the "warm pool not the cold one" and grilled out on this beautiful day.  How could we possibly go home tomorrow!?  

Day 4- Our last day.  So depressing.  Why do we live in Missouri again?!  We couldn't think of anything more fun to do other than spending time at the beach again.  More sand castles, more seashells, more snacks, and more sun.  The perfect way to spend our last day.  We had big plans to go on Pop's boat but when we made it back, it was broke!  You weren't too sad because that meant more pool time!  (Which you say is the best part of the trip!).  Splashes with Mimi and games with Bennett and Will before it was time to pack up and head to the airport.  When I travel, I'm always ready to go home,  But this time, I just wished we had one more day.  

The weather, the food, the beach, the food, the pool, the food, the company....all of it was so great.  But the time I had with JUST YOU.  I will cherish it for every single day.  Falling in love with you all over again was exactly what we both needed.  I hope we have this trip to look forward to every year.  I will never forget it, and although you may, I will talk about it forever.  

You are my sunshine, Charlotte Ann.  It is a gift to be your mom.  

Love you,

Mommy   

Ghost of Christmas and The Adventure of Toofers

"She's going to give you guys a run for your money"....that's a phrase we hear a lot of when it comes to Charlotte.  You have what we like to call strong leadership skills.  Which will take you really far one day.  It will also take your hiney to timeout a lot as a 3yo.

Today, mom decided to laugh more than considering the time out.  That's because your creative skills were top notch.  While she was rocking Levi to sleep, thinking you were in your room playing/sleeping, she all of a sudden sees a tiny little girl, about the same size of Charlotte, walking by oh so slowly with a blankie over her heard, arms out so do you don't run into anything.  What you could be doing, no one knows.  And of course mom couldn't get up to see, since she was rocking brother.

A minute later, she sees a shadow reappearing out of her room and the ghost is making its way much quicker back to her room, almost as if she had gotten what she needed and needed to get the heck back to home base.

Mom thought she could do one of two things:  come in your room and retrieve whatever it is that you not so slyly took or let you have because of the A+ effort you put into stealing it.  She choose the latter.  Lucky you.

Mom's day also continued with the comedy when she looked down and saw a red dot on Levi's gums!  8.5 months in and he finally has a tooth (not red pepper flakes or trash off the floor like the originally thought).  This would explain the up every 90 minutes, extreme fussiness, and unable to even be set down.  One tooth down, only like 25 more to go.  This should be fun....

Thanks for keeping the days so spicy you two.

Love,
Nelson  

The end of 2017.  By the lack of documentation, you may think not much has happened.  My resolution will be to be a better bookkeeper in 2018.  SO in a nutshell.  We gained a dog, gained a baby, gained a horse  named Poppy and Austin.  We've lost a lot more sleep in the last months and I hate to say it but my walks don't seem nearly as long.  

We've learned that having a sibling is pretty darn cool.  Both the human and furry kind.  So, to sum us up...

Charlottes loves of the year are shopping, dresses, doing things herself, being a tornado in a room, horses, dogs, playing with her favorite people (Bennett and Will), and eating anything with sugar (M&Ms please!).  She's grown up so much and even sleeps in a big girl bed.  But she swears to mom that she won't get too big so she can be her little girl forever.

Levi loves mom and Charlotte.  He laughs at anything Charlotte does and is in awe of all her awesomeness.  He loves to be held by mom whenever he can.  Which may not be much longer because he's what we call a giant baby.  He enjoys our daily walks, treats at the coffeeshop, riding around mom in the carrier, a snuggle blankie & binkie, and FOOD.  Lots of food.  

Dad, well he's surviving parenthood.  He loves to fall asleep in Charlottes bed now that it can fit them both.  He finds Levi to finally be cool...he's not much of a baby phase kind of guy.  

Mom loves being home with us...most days.  I've heard her say she should go work at Target some days just for an excuse to get out of the house.  Weird.  She's a little more tired than the average person but she says she knows one day she will miss all the sleepless nights.  Babies growing up is a crime.  

Me and Cindy became friends.  I still look like the golden child, but what's new.  Cindy has much more patience with the kids than I do but I also don't get in everyones way like that big girl does.  But I hear people tell mom all the time that we are such amazing dogs. Duh.  

Overall, we are blessed beyond words.  I'm so grateful for my family and love spending every day with the.  They are my people and my pack, I wouldn't change it for anything.  

Love, Nelson