Florida Trip

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Ruskin, Florida to visit family.  We were supposed to visit at Thanksgiving but illness kept us home.  We stayed in a hotel near the retirement park that my grandparents and two aunts live in for the winter and my parents drove down from their snow bird horse property about an hour away.  Here's a great four generation photo with my Grandpa. Elsie on the left.

 

And a family photo of Grandpa with all of his girls (My 3rd Aunt came for a visit with her daughter too)

 

The first day of our visit was an open house at the nearby Manatee Viewing Center where most of my family volunteers.  The girls enjoyed the arts and crafts activities as well as the nature trail and manatees.  Here they are making manatee masks at one of the craft stations with Aunt Sandy. Elsie is in green.

 

Next we visited the interpretive center where my Grandfather was stationed.  The girls enjoyed these manatee puzzles.

 

They also enjoyed this water painting station with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Bill.

 

 

Back at my Aunt's house the girls helped Grumps try to fix one of their toys.

 

 

And enjoyed helping my cousin Rosie play her new guitar.

 

The next day we visited the Florida Aquarium with my parents.

 

We got to the aquarium early and were able to hit the touch tanks before the crowds.  I didn't get any photos at the sea jelly touch tank but here's Elsie with an anemone.

 

Leonie at the ray and shark touch tank.  Both girls were a little too nervous to touch these guys.

 

 

Watching the rays go by.

 

 

Grandma and Elsie with a duck.

 

The river otters were a hit and I managed to get a photo of them swimming right by us!

 

 

The girls with a large tank of offshore fish and a coral display.

 

 

Leonie relaxing with a grouper.

 

 

Finally, a short video of Leonie and Grumps being silly after we went out to eat lunch.  We spent more time with family in the afternoon and then went home the next day.

 

 

January

Happy New Year!  As I'm sure you've noticed already "outside" is a common theme for my posts and January 2020 is no exception!  We started working in the garden to prepare it for planting soon.  Garden beds make great sand boxes too! Leonie on the left.

 

Playing in the kiwi water rings is also a fun game.  Shere Khan enjoys accompanying us into the garden as well.

 

One day Elsie decided to buckle Ellie her elephant into her high chair.  She then fixed her a plate for breakfast!

 

Elsie also had fun with some used pieces of tape one morning.

 

While dinner is cooking we usually play outside and wait for daddy to come home.  The girls love to meet him at the end of the driveway and will run after him as he drives in.

 

Playing in leaves never gets old!  Elsie in pink.

 

On rainy or chilly days we spend time playing inside and making art.  Both girls are getting good at circles and learning to make L's and E's.  Here's Leonie.

 

And Elsie.

 

Back outside in the sand.  We spend many hours in the driveway digging, piling, and drawing in the sand.

 

Shere Khan looks forward to us playing outside almost as much as the girls.  He's even starting to climb into laps when the girls are quiet.  Here he is with Leonie.

 

 

A silly photo of the girls I took one morning.  They can barely fit in a basket together now! Elsie on the left.

 

At the end of January we planted some snow peas in the garden.  The girls did a great job putting one seed in each hole.  Now they ask almost every day if the peas have grown yet!

 

Peanut gets lots of hugs whenever we visit him in the pasture as well.

 

 

Finally, a cute video of Leonie playing the harmonica while Elsie dances.