All The Family Time + Delicious Food

I’m parked on the couch under a blanket with a big mug of hot tea and House Hunters on in the background. I am happy to be sitting down after being on my feet most of the day.

Finn and I arrived back in Charlotte around 8p last night (our flight got delayed a bit but all was good). I dropped him off at his dad’s and then headed home to get unpacked and set for today’s workday. I was at the gym at 6:30a and trained four clients back-to-back before heading to the yoga studio to teach a hot class. After class it was back to the gym for two more clients and then to Publix to restock on groceries. After lunch and some computer work, I had one more class to teach at Charlotte Yoga at 4:30p and then stayed to take the class after mine. I did a lot of running during my time in Florida so the yoga practice was needed.

Honestly, it was a good thing to be busy today and to jump right back into the swing of things. It’s always hard to leave my fam and also to go from having Finn with me on a trip where we’re together most of the time to a quiet house.

Before I let any more of this week get away from me, here is a recap of our time in Florida!

EASTER

This was our first Easter in Florida since 2019 when Finn wasn’t even one yet! It was SO great to be able to spend Easter with my fam and extend our trip a bit since Finn was on spring break.

Flashback to our last Easter in Florida. I have this photo framed in my house.

The first order of business was Easter baskets and an egg hunt. Finn wanted me to hide his eggs around my grandmother’s condo so that made for a fun morning activity. His Easter basket, stuffed duck and chocolate (minus the Russell Stover bunny) were from The Vermont Country Store. My grandmother ordered those things for him – they have really high-quality and delicious chocolate. He also got pugs on surfboards swim trunks (love this brand, the length and fun designs), pool slides (going to have to grow into them), scratch rainbow art paper and a toss and catch ball game.

And Finn and I put together a little Easter treat for my grandmother. She loves chocolate covered marshmallows and puzzles. We also did a Lindt bunny and an art project from Finn’s school.

I had to shoot some running videos for an upcoming project and then I went for a run.

And then Finn and I spent the afternoon on the beach and at the pool.

My dad totally spoiled us with TWO Easter dinners. He asked before our trip if we wanted ham or prime rib for Easter. I told him that Finn was more likely to eat ham and biscuits (here’s my dad’s biscuit recipe) so he said ham it was. Well, he ended up serving us the ham dinner on Friday and cooking a prime rib dinner on Sunday.

Along with his homemade popovers, which are absolutely to die for. We had a major win with this dinner – Finn agreed to try the prime rib and liked it! He let me put some on his plate and ate it all. It’s the first time he’s eaten red meat in a steak texture/form – go Finn!

And a red velvet cake! So grateful for the love of cooking and baking that my dad passed on to me, and the way that he cares for us by feeding us so well when we visit. <3

I guess while I’m sharing the dinners, I may as well show the last two! Homemade pizzas. (Another hit with Finn.)

And grilled chicken thighs, baked beans and grilled asparagus. I also had a side salad. I need to get my dad’s baked beans recipe and share it with y’all because they’re SO good and perfect for summer barbecues.

GULFARIUM OUTING

On the last full day of our trip we visited the Gulfarium with my mom. It’s a marine adventure park just a few miles from my parents’ condo and a great place to spend and afternoon. We actually ended up buying an annual pass.

This was our first visit with the new Dolphin Oasis open and it was so nice! We always love the Dolphin show at the Gulfarium. We also watched the sea lion show – they are so cute – and walked around for a bit.

The way he still wants to sit on my lap.

And the way he refused to open his eyes for a posed picture because of the sun (it was cloudy, haha).

MORE PHOTOS

The water temperature of the gulf was a balmy 66 degrees but that did not keep this child out of the water.

Since he was a little guy, he’s always been about the water and could care less about playing in the sand.

Snugglers.

Always hard to say goodbye but grateful for our time. My amazing Mema’s 94th birthday is next Tuesday, April 9! Y’all be sure to wish her a happy birthday in the comments. She reads here religiously. 🙂