The Kalal Family

Florida Vacation Day #3

This morning Cooper and Izzy were up with the sun, so instead of staying in bed and watching cartoons, I took them out to find some seashells. They were curious why first thing in the morning is the best time to go shelling, but they soon realized how few people are up and about that early!

Check out the beautiful setting full moon!

These two!!

We found a bunch, but we're still looking for a full conch shell :). The one we found this morning had a hole in it.

Cooper liked jumping the waves.

Cooper found a clam shell still connected together! It was broken up but still connected.

Izzy was so excited to find a "writing shell."

After about an hour, we headed back up for pancakes and to put on swimsuits.

Then it was back to the beach for the morning.

Mr. Hollywood

Cooper and Izzy were so excited to go Boogie Boarding. Mostly I think Cooper loved to say, "Boogie Board." He probably said it fifty times before noon.

He wanted to give Izzy lessons. You know, because he's pretty much an expert :)

Gosh, I could get used to this! Especially on a Monday!

Mommy's beach buddy

Snacking on the beach is tricky with all that sand!

Izzy loved finding what she called butterfly shells, tiny shells connected to one another. And she was very good at it! I think it's her patience... Here is a pic of maybe half a dozen, I bet she found at least 20 before she was done!!

The foot sprayer is Carson's favorite thing. He just stands there with it spraying his butt. No smile, just serious as can be. But I think he'd stand there all day!

Between lunch and naps, we played hide and go seek. There are a lot of hiding places in this place, and Cooper and Izzy

really get a kick out of it. Cooper decided he wanted to record a tour of the condo: https://youtu.be/XRpUk1GeU20

After another afternoon of long naps, we headed to Clearwater for dinner. We ate at a fun restaurant near the most amazing beach and were able to catch the sunset!

The beach was so wide! And it looked like it went on forever. We are definitely going back there one of the days this week!

Family sunset selfie

Races on the beach! Izzy said, "Dad, you're losing again!"

My baby

Here it is! He did NOT want to get down in the sand!

These two have been best buds since we left home!

Smootchies from the beach!

Izzy stopped and wanted this pic taken by the dolphin... She even told me where to stand to take the photo!

When we got back to the condo, we went night swimming and had the pool to ourselves! The kids really thought they were getting away with something :)

Tonight at bedtime, Izzy said her favorite part of the day was night swimming, and Cooper said his was getting wet :)

Tomorrow is sure to be another great day!

Florida Vacation Day #2

Ahhhh. Waking up with no alarm and no plans for the day. That's enough for me!!

Our first real day of vacation was just perfect. The kids loved loved loved playing on the beach.

Cooper ran right in and was a fish from the start! Izzy loved to dip her toes in, and although she was a little nervous over the past few weeks when we talked about it, she wasn't hesitant at all to walk right in!

Carson was a little skiddish to begin with. He didn't love the sand on his feet, and he kept crouching up his legs instead of putting them down. It was funny, but I missed a picture of it. And then it seemed like he flipped a switch and he just wanted to "sim sim sim" (swim swim swim!).

Our beach is Awe. Some. It is super soft and powdery, the water is shallow for quite a ways out, and it is not busy at all. Those who are around are families, so we don't feel like we are bothering anyone running, splashing, and playing.

There are tons of shells, and the kids loved building with the perfect sand. We spent two hours on the beach this first day. We made a mental note that tomorrow we can definitely come down earlier. The kids could spend all day playing in the water and sand.

All the kids took loooong naps, and I even snuggled in with Cooper for a while. What a treat. I think the jet lag is still hanging on!

It wasn't until about 4:30 that everyone was awake, and we headed down to the pool. No pictures from there, because it definitely takes all four of our hands!!

We went back up to the condo for supper, and then we drove out to explore the area a bit--in search of ice cream!! We found it, and enjoyed our cones on a beach patio.

I feel so lucky. We are so blessed to have this chance with the kids. I am loving all the family time without the stress, mess, and worries of work and everyday life. We can wake up with no alarm, we have SMALL messes, we get to say "yes" more than no to the kids, we can take naps, we eat every meal together, and we get to just enjoy each other. While sitting out on the beach today, it really hit me. What an amazing blessing to work hard and be able to play hard.

Seize the day!!

Florida Vacation Day #1

The kids FAR surpassed our hopes for a good day of traveling!

We got them up just in time to leave at 5:15 AM. They were excited and all smiles!

We got through baggage check-in with no problem. Deep breath. We got through security with no screaming, fussing, or issues (just a lot of kid questions). Deep breath. We found something for everyone to enjoy for breakfast with only two different stops in the terminal. Deep breath. We had patient kids all the way up to boarding, and although we did not have family boarding on this flight, we still ended up with seats within two rows of each other. Deep breath.

We made it though all the stuff we were worried about and just had to make it through the flight. What a cinch!

Cooper was a bit nervous for takeoff and when we had a little turbulence, but the kids all did great. They read books, played silly putty, played a little iPad, are some snacks, and looked out the window. My favorite line of the day was Cooper's when he was watching out the window, "Whoa! Look at all that broccoli!" when we were descending into Atlanta. The kids also liked when we flew through the clouds!

Then came the layover in Atlanta. We found lunch and it was the perfect amount of time to stretch out legs. Deep breath. And yah for family boarding on this flight!!

Carson fell asleep within minutes of taking off :). Deep breath. That couldn't have worked out more perfectly.

We arrived in Orlanda around 3 PM, got our baggage and spent the most waiting time of the whole day to get the rental. Go figure :)

We had originally made plans to stay on the Atlantic coast near Capr Canaveral, but due to Hurricane Matthew, our resort sustained some damage, as did the town. So we changed plans at the last minute... But it all worked out!

Once we got the rental van, we were on our way to the beach! The big kids conked out while Carson chatted away.

And we finally made it to Indian Shores (just north of St. Pete Beach) just before sunset, about 6:30. It was a long day of travel, but the excitement when we finally got to dip our toes in was pretty great!

Cooper "accidentally tripped" in the water and then again in the sand once he was soaked. Soaking up the experience right away ;)

We spent the evening relaxing and getting settled in the condo. The kids fell asleep in seconds, and Jeremy went to get groceries while I finished unpacking.

It was a great start!

Florida Countdown!

I prepared a little Clue Box for the kids to share the vacation surprise with them. I may have been more excited than them... But it was still cute :)

https://youtu.be/sF2eSO5rEJE

They did love keeping up with the Florida countdown though!

Over the two weeks before we left, there was a lot of planning, packing, cleaning, questions, answers, and excitement!

Fall Fun

We love fall in Minnesota! We take the opportunity to do everything we can to soak up the warm days and cool evenings before we get covered in ice and snow.

Fun at MN Harvest Apple Orchard...

Cooper loves the apple launcher