Feels like Summer!

I know that Spring has just "sprung", but the past few weeks in Florida have been in the 90's... making it feel as if Summer is already here!

And we love it!! Last weekend was our first official weekend at the beach, and what a beautiful day it was to hang out with friends, soak up the sun, build and dig in the sand, and splash around in the warm ocean. I can't wait, and seems neither can the kids, to go back for round 2... I have a feeling we'll be trying to figure out where to go when the weather is consistently hot -- will it be the beach, or will it be our pool (which is a pretty nice option too)? Okay, so not such a rough decision to make :)

Caitlynn making sure her tan is even -- time to flip over! :)

A few jelly's washed onshore -- kinda scary, certainly have to watch where you step. I've always heard they can sting you even when washed up, I don't think I want to test to see if that is true!!??

Tylar riding a wave in... he says he wants a real board -- perhaps this is the year for surf lessons?

Waiting for the wave to take him away...

(guess I did these backward...) Tylar headed out to catch a wave in.

The boys dug a few holes... even found water as they dug deep enough! The hole then served as Caitlynn's own little "hot tub" :)

Diggin' ditches... hopefully not a sign of things to come :)!!

Monica and Caitlynn playing with the bubble wands -- She LOVES her "auntie Mo"!

Not sure how Caitlynn got stuck carrying the boogie board back to the car -- oh well, she's a trooper!

Mixing business with pleasure! -- adventures in St Pete...

Question... what do you do when your kids are on Spring Break?

Answer... go to St Pete, FL on a work trip with your husband!!

Okay, so probably not what most parents do, but when you've got an adult son and his wife who are willing to play "mom and dad" for an extended weekend, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID!! I've been participating in a year-long leadership training endevor, one that has taken me on many trips away from home on about a monthly basis. It just so happened that for the March session, those travels took me directly across the state to St Pete. And the best part, we were able to sync it up with the kids spring break and get Chad some vacation time so he could tag along with me!

So, last weekend we departed Jacksonville, Fl on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn, and arrived in St Pete, Fl in time for breakfast at a local Cracker Barrell :). We then headed to our hotel to check in, change and make a beeline for the beach! The weather was simply gorgeous! After about 4 hours at Anna Maria Island (and a slight sunburn later), we joined one of my co-workers for a sunset dinner cruise into the Gulf of Mexico. Sunday was truly a day of pampering... we spent the morning at the hotel spa getting massages, facials, and manicures/pedicures. Then, yet again, headed out to soak up the sun at the hotel pool.

The week-days (Mon & Tues) were "work" days for me. That didn't stop Chad from enjoying the hotel amenities, and ofcourse we were able to spend our evenings together having great dinners at some local restaraunts. We departed on Wednesday afternoon... and actually felt like we were ready to get home to our kiddos and our own beds. It was a really fun few days to spend together in what felt and looked like paradise :)!! See pics below...

Had to throw a pic in with my work "peeps"... These are 7 of my best work friends, I've spent the past (almost) year working on leadership skill development with... they are an amazing group of people!

The pool at the Vinoy Hotel & Spa (where we stayed)

The view of the marina right outside of our hotel

Chad and I on the Sunset Dinner Cruise

The most beautiful sunset -- Gulf of Mexico, view from the boat