Florida Family Vacation 2019

We had such a sweet and memorable family vacay to Florida.

I really want to make this last summer of just the three of us extra special, so I was so thrilled to be able to plan a few days in Florida. It was a joy seeing Canaan and Shane have so much time together, and I am not exaggerating when I say that Canaan is OBSESSED with his daddy! It is so sweet! Everyone commented on Shane's little shadow.

We left Wednesday morning before 5:30 am. We were hoping that Canaan would doze back off in the car, but we had no such luck! My Aunt Cathy and Uncle Jack live in Newberry, so the first leg of the trip was just over 5 hours which wasn't too bad. We got there just in time for lunch and nap time! I loved visiting with Cathy while the boys slept!

That night we went across the street to feed horses and cows, and Canaan still talks about this fun experience! (I am already coordinating a day for him to go see horses nearby!) We had some DELICIOUS pizza that I am still craving, and had a blast spending quality time with "Taxi and Jack" :)

The next morning we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and played in the sprinkler to try and wear Canaan out before the car ride to Tampa... also no such luck! What happened to babies sleeping in cars?!

We arrived to our friend Deb's condo around 2:30 and enjoyed time by the pool before my mom's cousin, Missy and her husband Hal, and my great Aunt Ellen joined us for yummy lasagna. The condo was small, but really we had everything we needed! We were so thankful that Deb opened her home to us, and she was such a wonderful host! We set up Canaan's pack n play in the bathroom so he wasn't in the same room as us, and it worked out great!

Friday morning we headed to a beach near St. Petersburg. Canaan was NOT. A. FAN. I was fully aware that it could all go downhill quickly, so I wasn't disappointed that we only lasted an hour. We got some cute pictures and embraced his experience for what it was! There was a tractor on the beach, and that is really all he cared about. He liked seeing the planes and boats, and a few birds seemed to distract him from that pesky sand that he hated, but we definitely had more tears than smiles so we loaded up and headed to Woody's for lunch! It was delicious! We left just in time to avoid the early Friday traffic before the holiday weekend and got Canaan home in time for his nap. Shane and Canaan snoozed in the condo while Deb and I relaxed poolside! What a treat -- an adult conversation at a pool with no child in sight -- talk about a vacation for this stay-at-home mama! It was so nice!

That evening we headed over to Missy and Hal's house and chowed down on some yummy shrimp. Canaan ran wild and loved all of the praise and attention from everyone! (Go figure!) Saturday we spent the day at the pool with Missy and Deb, and then the boys took a nap while I finished up laundry and got everything packed for Shane to load in the car. We headed out about 3:30 with one more fun stop! We met my cousin Tricia and her family at a phenomenal Mexican restaurant! Queso is my love language (especially when I am pregnant) so I was thrilled to fill up on yummy food and visit with them before we hit the road back to Atlanta. We figured if we got Canaan good and full that he would sleep a majority of the ride as long as we left close to his normal bedtime. Again... no such luck! He slept maybe 2 hours of the 8 hour ride. We got home a little after midnight, and we were all grateful to be back in our own beds!

Shane's favorite part of the trip was the quality time he got to spend with Canaan. Canaan would say "Swimmin' with Daddy, yes. I do!" He was like a little fish in the water! My favorite part was seeing so much family, and I LOVED witnessing Shane and Canaan's sweet bond!

It was definitely a memorable trip that I know we will cherish!