Florida Vacation 2012, Part IV - The End

On our last evening in Florida, Doug and I got to go out with my brother and sister-in-law, Phil and Leah. It was such a fun night out. We split a big platter of fresh steamed seafood. Yummy crab and shrimp were my favorite. Appropriate last meal out eating overlooking the water and chatting while cracking open fresh seafood. Mom and Dad babysat all the kids, which most of them slept while we were out. When we got back we got the report of the kids and then said goodbye to Phil and Leah. I don't do well saying goodbye to my family! It was step one in ending the vacation. Ugh. No complaints though, it was an amazing break from the norm, time with family and escape to the sunny beach.

The next morning we got all packed up. Doug had one last jog on the beach and I had a final walk with mom. We said goodbye a little before 10AM. This time I got teary of course. Then we drove off. Yep, really over. After some on and off crying in the car, I rebounded pretty well as we looked forward to another stop in Nashville and a few more hours of hanging with our friends there. Not to mention I made several lists thinking about things to do when we got home (grocery lists, menu list for the week, things to do at the house, etc. - lists are very therapeutic!).

We made great time again and stopped only once on our way to Nashville making it a 7 hour trip. We got to Chris & Molly's at 5:15pm. The boys were so thrilled to get outside and play with some little people their own age. Amelia had just finished making a slide show and wanted to do a performance for Molly and I. She put Koen right to work as her "helper." She told him to point to the pictures as she acted them out. Pretty adorable.Tavin went outside with Sadie pretty early on while Doug helped Molly grill the burgers for dinner. Sadie loves bugs and worms and was happy to have a friend that enjoyed digging too. Tavin didn't realize she had a real goal in mind, but he didn't seem to care. He was so happy to be outside after a day in the car seat.Sadie and Amelia have some great toys and a wonderful backyard. The boys had a blast with the girls and their stuff and the girls were very willing sharers.After about 45 minutes of playing, we had a nice family cookout, then the boys got to play a little more until it was time to get Tavin to bed. Koen got to stay up a little later. It was Sadie's birthday that day, so we had a special time to sing her "Happy Birthday" and have yummy strawberry cake. Molly is such a caring and thoughtful mom. Sadie was really excited about her cake and Koen was thrilled to be involved in the celebration. Thanks for letting us crash your birthday, Sadie! After cake time, the kids played a few more minutes, then we got them cleaned up and in pajamas with teeth brushed and "Uncle Doug" read everyone a few stories. They loved it. I thought it was funny that Molly, Chris and I just sat to the side and basically watched. I guess we were all enjoying storytime. =)The boys slept well and then were happy to play for a few hours before we hit the road for our final trek home. We left a little before 10am central time. We arrived home around 8pm Pittsburgh time. Again, we made good time. The boys did very well. We were all (especially Doug and Tavin) a little sick of being in the car, but we all pulled through with good attitudes. It felt great to get home and stretch our legs. Koen helped Doug unload while I put Tavin to bed. Tav was so excited to be in his own room. I think it took him 2 seconds to fall asleep. After Koen finished helping Doug I laid him down and after a refreshing shower and just one book, he crawled into bed exhausted as well. Yes, the vacation is really over. And although I miss my family terribly, there is something great about coming home (even if we don't live near the ocean). We are so thankful for the beautiful weather week, the time with family and the visit with friends. Maybe we'll have to do it all over again next year!

Florida Vacation 2012, Part III

These have been such positive posts. It's refreshing. I try not to be negative much on the blog, but you know, I have my days! But these certainly do not fall into that category! This vacation has been everything Doug and I had hoped for. The weather has cooperated, having family here has been a blessing to us and been such a huge help with the boys. It really has all been ideal (well, except for the rowdy Spring break crowd, but earplugs and fans make that a non-issue). So, what have we been up to the last few days? Check it out...

Monday night we had a cookout over by the pool. It was beautiful out with the sun going down and a breeze, making it refreshingly cool after a day in the sun. The boys developed some fun games with Aunt Abbie and pool toys. Here's a video of the parade idea they came up with. Aunt Abbie is such a good sport (Koen wanted her to be the one that plays the tambourine).

Yesterday morning Doug and Koen made a big family breakfast - omelettes, bacon, toast and OJ. As you can see, Koen had his own responsibilities (also check out his bed head!). Koen poured the OJ, mixed the eggs, set the table and made the toast. He's so good in the kitchen. I love it! Imagine what he will be cooking for all of us by the time he's in high school!Since it was a big breakfast, it took awhile, which gave Grampa time to read Tavin almost every book we brought.Koen and Aunt Abbie joined the reading fun while the omelette was in the final stages.I guess I forgot to take pictures on the beach yesterday, but that's where we spent our whole morning. We were out there so long we actually ran out of time to go to the pool. So when we got back I made the boys a fun snacky lunch and then Doug and I got to clean up and go out on a lunch date while Gramma and Grampa laid the boys down. Ahhhh. We went to Pompano Joe's and it was fantastic! Great food, a beautiful beach view and some alone time for Doug and I.

After naptime we kept the boys busy outside. Mom and I took Tavin out on a walk and Koen was on his bike. Grampa has been working with him again on getting started all on his own and he is so proud of himself every time he is successful. It's fantastic. So cute! And by the way, thanks Grampa...it will be a lot easier getting to the playground at home if I don't have to get him started at every juncture and intersection.

After a nice family dinner of homemade pizza (thanks, Doug!), the boys each got to open a present from Gramma. We've been having so much fun and such great weather we really hadn't needed this distraction. But they were both very excited to get some new activities to work on. Tavin got a magic eraser drawing kit. His favorite part is erasing of course. Look at the concentration on the coloring though.Koen got a game called Rush Hour Jr. that my cousin had recommended to my mom. Her kids love it. Well, we've found out already that Koen does too. He continues to amaze us with his level of concentration and great attention span with these new games. He figured it out just as fast as Aunt Abbie and has been playing it over and over again ever since he opened it. He literally played it for over an hour in his room this morning before we got him up.Today is Wednesday. Our last full day in Florida. Aunt Abbie had to leave this morning (very sad!) and my parents took her to the airport early, so it was just the Melders around the house for awhile this morning. We eventually got the boys ready and out the door for the beach around the time Gramma & Grampa were getting back from the airport. Before they joined us at the beach, I tried to get some good last day pictures. Here's my attempt at one of Doug and I (you can see my arm and the camera in his glasses!)...Then we gave Koen the camera for the first time ever and look at the nice pictures he took!It's pretty funny how you can see Tavin in the background. If you are wondering why he is in the color-coordinated, but pattern-clashing Madras shirt, it's because he has uber sensitive skin and after the first few days in so much sun, it was apparent we needed to cover up his sun-rashed arms and feet. He's a lot happier and I'm a lot less frustrated.

After Koen's surprisingly good shots, a nice woman came over and offered to take a family picture. Her first attempt was met with Koen's tongue-out pose...so we sternly asked him to be serious for the nice lady and got this as a result. Not bad! Check out the baby bump too. I've barely taken any pictures of my growing belly this time, but you can see it with the wind blowing my dress up against me no problem (I've pretty much felt like a beached whale all week, but it's been a nice vacation for this mamma whale, so I'm not complaining!).After picture time the boys got to work on another road construction project. Koen was all about it as usual (but Doug continues to be the one leading the charge, I think it's one of his favorite activities with the boys).
Tavin gets involved by shadowing his brother or by using the roads they make too early, frustrating his brother. I eventually distracted him with some other activities. But man, he is a cute beach bum!Gramma and Grampa joined us eventually and Koen was excited to work on using the boogie board with Grampa again. They've created their own way of using it, but it's a blast for Koen and a workout for Grampa.At one point, Koen and Doug just enjoyed some chill time in the big hole they made. Doug made up two amazing fish tales that took about 15 minutes to tell. Seriously, quite the super daddy!
Later Doug was trying to teach Tavin to catch (with a broken football they found in the waves). I had to take a video because it is so cute to watch Tavin follow the instructions (not to mention Doug is very patient and good-natured).

After a lot of playing in the waves, Koen got quite cold. Tavin usually follows his brother's lead, so he was also saying, "cold, cold," so we headed back to our little vaca community. Here's a shot of the boys warming up in the sun eating some apples before their quick bike ride back.Well, it's been another great day. I hope to take a few final pictures tonight of the family, etc., so there will probably be another post coming in a day or so recounting our final Florida fun and our stop with friends in Nashville. Stay tuned!

Florida Vacation 2012, Part II

Vacationing is still going quite well. =) The boys are loving the beach, the pool, time with Gramma, Grampa, Aunt Abbie, Uncle Phil, Aunt Leah and Eleanor, not to mention having Daddy around all day every day is such a perk! (I'm no big deal as they get me all day every day anyways). We've been playing pretty hard and the boys are doing very well with it, but they sleep and nap hard. Here's a picture of them both after naptime yesterday, still both not quite ready to fully wake up. Doug let them watch a quick Chuggington episode (look they are holding hands!).They had the right to be tired even after nap though. We had gone to church, then to the pool. During their nap time I went to the beach with my Dad and sister. We felt like we certainly packed in a lot, but how can you not when the weather is 80 degrees, the sky clear blue and a pool around the corner and a beach 2 blocks away? After naptime, we headed to The Crab Trap for dinner. It's such a great location right on the beach with a sandy playground for the kids and great service that brings the food fast - super kid friendly. This is our second year in a row getting a meal here with our boys and both times it has been a great success. Highly recommend it if you are vacationing with little ones and want an amazing views, open air dining and something the kids will like too. Here are a few pictures we took on the playground before the meal.Here's a candid of most of the family (Leah and Eleanor couldn't make it). Mom and Dad weren't looking, but Mom said to include it anyways, she likes pictures best that barely show her anyways (Oh, Gramma!).Koen is really enjoying seeing his Uncle Phil and I am always amazed at how my brother has grown into a dad and a guy that does so well with kids. This would've been a fantastic picture, but Koen got a mind to be silly and was about to make a crazy face, hence the hand coming up. I'm not posting the pics that came after (lots of sticking his tongue out - classic 4 year old).The boys got restless when the meal was over, so Doug took them down to the beach while we settled the bill. He took what will probably be one of the best pictures of the entire vacation. Koen is such a sweet big brother and Tavin emulates him so. Not to mention the amazing setting for this sweet brother moment.We got home at bedtime, but the boys still squeezed in some snuggling and wrestling with Grampa. Now you see the silly Koen face, but I had to put this in, it's great of Dad and Tav.As I mentioned before, the boys have had no problem sleeping and last night was no exception. They sleep hard after all this great ocean air, sunshine and activity! Today we spent most of our morning at the beach. Koen was a little impish at first and Tavin was whiney, so days of all of this out-of-the-norm Florida fun might be getting to them, but they still stick it out, distract easily and seem to have a blast. Here's Tavin and I watching the waves "get our feet." He loved it.I love that Doug is quite the beach bum. It's really perfect weather here for it. Not too hot and the water is refreshing, but not too cold. He's great about letting the boys get him all wet and sandy. I have to say, he's pretty amazing as a Daddy. He is really involved with the boys and it's a great break for me to not be constantly entertaining them. Doug, you are a great Daddy and so much on vacation, thanks for all the ways you love on our boys!Well, the boys are napping (although the insanely loud ice cream truck just went by so naptime might be ending sooner than I'd like) and then I'm sure we are off to the beach or pool again. Love it! Stay tuned for more updates. We are just enjoying the blessing of family time and this beautiful week in Florida.

Florida Vacation 2012, Part I

We are officially on vacation! We left Wednesday at noon and headed for Nashville. With only one stop to quickly get food for dinner and use the bathroom, we made it to our friend's Chris & Molly's in 9 hours. Almost 2 hours better than last year! It's great breaking up the trip at Chris & Moll's. It makes it seem like we are destinated and not just looking forward to another day in the car. We even got there in time to lay the boys down and then hang out for awhile with our dear college friends. Thanks for a great quick stop, Chris & Moll. We are looking forward to our longer visit on the way home!

On Thursday we left a little before 7am. The boys were fantastic on Wednesday and Thursday was no different. I am so impressed with our patient travelers! Koen is very impressive as he treats it like we are doing him a favor by strapping him down to watch DVD's for most of the day (DVD's are a rare at-home thing these days). Tavin isn't really into DVD's, so he glances at them every once in awhile, but keeps busy entertaining himself, drawing pictures or reading books with me or just hanging out with his blanket and stuffed dog, Barkers. Here are the happy boys as we got close to our final destination on Friday. Again we made great time arriving in 7 hours from Nashville to Destin.The first night we made it over to the beach. Koen was desperate to see the reason we spent all the time in the car and get back to his beloved sand and waves. Tavin was a trooper. Without a nap for two days, it was a lot for him to get out to the beach, but he did well and seemed to enjoy it. Uncle Phil and Aunt Leah came by with Eleanor that first night as well. We had laid the boys down already, so we got to give Eleanor some special attention and give her some personal copies of some of our favorite bedtime books.Friday was an overcast day, but we still ventured to the beach in the morning (no pics, but don't worry, by the end of the week you will be sick of pictures of my little beach bums). It was actually really nice even though the water was rough and the wind was blowing like crazy. The fresh, salt air was great for all of us and the break from the sun always makes a visit to the beach a little less intense for the boys. It thunderstormed during naptime (perfect for a hard sleep!) and then when the boys woke up it was clearing and we were able to go and check out the community pool. Koen was very excited and loved swimming around despite no sun to warm him up. Both the boys got quite chilly, but were very happy with the experience. They are little fish like myself. I love it!Phil & Leah and Eleanor joined us for dinner that night. So great to be all together. It's been since the Christmas Tavin was born since we were all together like this. Doug graciously took this picture, squeezing us all in around the chaotic dinner table!Koen and Tavin are loving their little cousin, Eleanor. They really dote on her giving her tickles and are constantly in her face saying hello or showing her toys. It's actually quite encouraging to see. Looks like these two brothers are getting some good practice for their sibling on the way.Today is Saturday and it was a quintessential vacation day. We headed out to the beach at a little after 9am and stayed until noon. It was beautiful! Completely sunny, cool breeze, about 80 degrees. The water was still quite rough, but that didn't stop Koen from chasing the waves and definitely didn't stop the boys from all digging walls, forts and pools together. Doug is amazing with the boys on the beach. I think he gets more into some of the engineering projects than the boys at times. =)Koen is really enjoying reconnecting with Aunt Abbie. They have a very special bond. Today they sat in the water letting the waves get them for about 20 minutes. They were having so much fun laughing and playing, it was so precious. Abbie, you are an amazing aunt!Despite the fact we live so far from my parents, Tavin is showing such a comfort level with them even though we've only had two visits in the last 4 months. He gains a lot of trust and confidence from the wonderful relationship they have with Koen and I think he desires the same for himself. I love seeing him walking on the beach with my Mom and Dad.After the morning at the beach, we went back to the house and got lunch together and then headed to the pool for more swimming, playing and a picnic. Just packing in the Florida fun! The boys obviously took great naps and then afterwards (once we finally got Koen awake enough, he really wore himself out!) Doug and Dad took the boys on a bike ride and I had a nice stroll. Then around dinner time Eleanor came over to hang out while Phil & Leah got to have a date night. Here's mom feeding the little cutie.I've been dying to get my hands on Eleanor and tonight was my chance! She and I made great progress and we had a lot of fun.Gramma and Grampa are loving getting to know their newest grandchild more and more with every visit and tonight was no exception. Dad loved getting some snuggle time. They are such sweet grandparents.
Well, the trip is going great. Thanks for all your prayers for safe travels and health. We are having a wonderful time enjoying Florida, but much more so each other. Family is such a great blessing. Stay tuned for more updates!