On June 6th, the girls and I loaded up our van and drove down to Florida for a laid back vacation with my mom, my sister and her twins, and my Grammy! The fact that we had just gotten Beilyn's chromosomal test back the day before made the vacation even sweeter! (A few days before we left, Alex decided maybe he wanted to go along for the weekend and fly home on Monday. He said he was worried about Beilyn being in Florida without him for a week. I asked, "Are you sure it's not you worried about being in Indiana without Beilyn for a week?" ♥ She's a daddy's girl, and he is very protective of her.)
We took our time getting there with the six kiddos in tow, but it made for a
very long day!
 |
| Chick-fil-a stop in Georgia. We loved the chance to eat outside. |
 |
| The adults were growing weary by dinner time, but the kids were slap happy. And this had to be the. slowest. Steak'nShake. ever. |
 |
| The 5 older kids all crashed on the living room floor. |
The next morning, we didn't waste much time getting to the beach. It was Beilyn's first time sinking her little footsies in the sand. She loved it! We went to the little beach that's close to the house. (We stayed at my in-laws' vacation home in Port Charlotte.) It's on a bay so the water is really calm.
 |
| Four little gems. Four sisters, chosen and loved! |
 |
| Cousins! Brielle, Hadlee, Kooper, Brynna, Beilyn, and Braylee |
 |
| Brynna found a shell that was still inhabited. :) |
 |
| For a little girl who hated baths, she thought this was so fun! (This experience quickly brought her around on the idea of baths. She even loves showers now!) |
 |
| These two are best buds. |
 |
| She scooped (and tasted) for at least an hour before it was nap time. |
On Sunday morning, we drove up to Sarasota and had the privilege of worshiping with our dear friends, Greta & Shawn. (He was our pastor but was called to serve in Florida recently.) After church, we went to their new house and Greta pulled out her homemade salsa and chips! Oh yum! My mom said excitedly, "We haven't had chips and salsa since we got here!" Ha! (It had been less than 48 hours!) I think Greta quickly realized my obsession with chips and salsa came from my mom! ;) It was too short of a visit. We miss them.
 |
| We went to Siesta Key in the afternoon for another beach day! |
The next day, we went back to the beach near the house. It was an amazingly beautiful day-- One of those moments when you wish you could freeze time. Watching my little girl nap in front of me while my momma played in the ocean with my other girlies. It was funny listening to them out there... My mom was giving Marine Biology lessons and the kids were asking a zillion questions. :)
 |
| Braylee & Kooper. Such goof balls. |
 |
| Beilyn and Hadlee. They are built just alike. Long and skinny. |
 |
| Watching Brielle on the beach reminded me of the little girls we'd watch on the beaches in Hawaii. It makes me want to put a hula skirt on her or some flowers around her ankles. ♥ |
 |
| That night, we went to Sweet Scoops. It is so so good! Beilyn surprised me when she picked up the napkin and tried to wrap it around her cone like everyone else. Everyday, she does something new! |
We figured we needed a break from the sun and planned a shopping day. We stopped at a random exit and found this little slice of nacho heaven! It was so delicious. Beilyn loved the inside of my burrito! I couldn't get the black beans and rice in fast enough. She loved the spicy chicken too and wanted to dip her chips like everyone else. It made this mama proud. ;)
 |
| Wednesday was pool day! |
 |
| (That's Braylee under the water beside us.) |
 |
| A little girl at the pool was celebrating her birthday and shared with us! It was Beilyn's 1st cupcake! |
 |
| She bent over to try to eat it like a little piggy. ;) |
 |
| Mamaw & Beilyn. We saw so many changes in Beilyn over the week. A different calmness and comfort level. |
On our last day, we went to Englewood Beach. We visited there on our Spring Break trip the year before but the waves were much bigger this time! My mom and I would take the big girls out but then it was rough getting back in past those waves without getting thrown around. The girls just kept asking to do it again and again though!
 |
| Four Generations. My Grammy, me & my girls, and my mom ♥ |
 |
| Brielle asked me to take a picture of her with Beilyn and then asked to see it on my phone. She said, "Beilyn's eyes are closed. Take another." ha! I tried to explain that that's just how Beilyn smiles! :) |
 |
| Brynna lost another tooth while we were in Florida. |
 |
| Brielle was a little nervous at the Hibachi grill. She's been there before but evidently didn't remember it! |
At the end of the week, it was time to head back to Indiana. Grammy rode most of the way home with me. I loved hearing stories about when she and my Gramps were first married. I also love that she asked me how to change her password on her iphone so the girls could download new game apps to play on the long drive. She laughed about catching some waves the day before at the age of 78. She is a really cool Grammy.
 |
| Beilyn and her Great-Grammy sharing an ice cream cone on the way home. |
It was an amazing week! So thankful for family!
