We have been home from our trip from Florida for a week now and I’ve been scrolling through my iPhone pictures and smiling at the memories ever since. It was such a special time getting to know my oldest niece and y’all…she’s incredible. Smart, funny and full of personality. I shared some scenes from Christmas with you last week but we had so much fun after that! Here are 15 of my favorite moments from the trip.
1. Girl’s day out. I took Jaidyn shopping for a bathing suit and flip flops and we got mani/pedis. She was so sweet to the lady who was doing her nails and told her it was, “the best service she’d ever had in her life.” Look at that smile! (on both of them)
2. Watching these two together. They were using the binoculars to look at something in this photo.
3. We spent a good bit of time at the pool. While I wouldn’t call the water “warm” (even though the pool is heated), it was tolerable. I even let her convince me to get in with her to play sharks and minnows.
4. Family dinner date to our favorite seafood spot. I had blackened grouper and all the hushpuppies. So good. Jaidyn declared she wanted gumbo and also ate grilled shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce…which she said was her favorite. I was impressed by her willingness to branch out.
5. Foggy beach morning.
6. Chinese checkers with Mema. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent playing this came with her too when I was a child.
7. Four days of consecutive running. Love that Florida winter weather. I even got four miles in on the sand, which I never do down there. It was TOUGH!
8. My mom and Jaidyn in front of the big tree on the waterfont in downtown Fort Walton Beach.
9. Matching PBJ lunches for me and Jaidyn.
10. Playing in the sand. I taught her how to make a drip castle…which she then turned into a “foot spa” by sticking her feet in the hole I dug to get to the watery sand.
11. Playing with the Furby Connect. It pairs via bluetooth the iPhone and had us cracking up with all the things it was saying and doing all week long.
12. Sunset.
13. Movie date to see Moana. My mom, dad and Tanner went to see Rouge One but us girls were not interested. I LOVED Moana.
14. The face of an 8-year-old who hit the wall at dinner after eating an entire box of chocolate chip cookie dough balls and a Mister Pibb at the movies. (insert cry face emoji)
15. Our 11 hour road trip back to Charlotte. This was seriously a highlight of my trip because Jaidyn entertained us for the six hours we had her with us until we dropped her off. We stopped at Chick-Fil-A at lunch where I had the original chicken sandwich and their super foods salad, which was surprisingly delicious!
Did you see any movies over the holidays?
Favorite activity to do with your nieces and nephews?
Favorite childhood food that you still love as an adult?
Running in the sand…love it or not so much?
