Heather and the kids drove an ungodly 17 hours to spend the week after Christmas in Florida. Grandma and Grandpa rented a fantastic two story beach house to accommodate our large group. We spent lots of time on the deck and at the beach. The kids were so excited to see each other! The kindness and patience that Connor, Spencer, and Addy showed towards their little cousins was heartwarming. I am absolutely impressed by how much the older kids played and enjoyed the silliness of Brooklyn, Cora, and Dylan; it was such a week full of love and happiness.

The first night on the beach we saw a peek- a- boo sunset through the cloud, followed by a great first meal together on the deck and conversation way past bedtimes. I love how comfortable I feel in my immediate family; each of our strange quirks is well known and accepted. There is no pressure to be anything except just you as you are. Family is so special.

Meet the Bigfoots! Seriously, though, Connor has grown to 6 ft 3 inches and now is an inch taller than Adam. He cracked us all up when he called Adam “shorty” one night.

Addy and the girls slowly crept into the surf in their clothes. It was such a slow progression that at some point they were so wet they went in all the way.

The next morning Addy and the girls played school and it was sweet to see how hard the girls worked for her (the gummy bear rewards may have helped too).

The weather the first few days was chilly. We went down to the beach two chilly days and the kids swam for hours while the grown ups wore multiple sweaters yet still shivered in the wind. My girls were literally blue one day after swimming and the doctor ordered hot chocolate. Snuggling up to Grandpa was a must-do.

Snuggle bugs have occasional issues with boundaries. “Grandpa, where are you?”.

The last full day of the Armistead family’s stay was an absolutely gorgeous, warm day and we spent hours on the beach playing football, bodysurfing, and soaking up the sun.

Heather and Addy starting forming sea turtles and the entire family jumped onto the task and created these pieces of art together. It was so fun to watch these turtles take shape and it was fun to feel proud together when they were finished. This is a memory with family I will cherish. This warm sunny beach day and our turtle family creation is without a doubt the highlight of Heather and the kid’s visit. The ocean is just plain magical.

What beach day would be complete without children buried in sand? Moments after taking Connor’s picture the boogieboard/tombstone blew over and bonked him in the head lol.