Tiger Tail Beach

We have been going to a different beach each Saturday this summer.  One we recently went to was Tiger Tail Beach on Marco Island.  Is is about 35-40 min. away.  Most the beaches we go to are anywhere from 10 min. to 45 min. just depending on which one we want to go to. 
Darren had never been to Tiger Tail.  It is an adventure to get there.  Basically, to get to the beach, which is on a big peninsula, you have to walk all the way around, which is pretty far, or wade through a big river.  We chose to take our chances with alligators, sting rays, manatees and wade through the river.  It was pretty fun- but a lot of work and a long way.   I don't think we will go to that beach again- with kids.  If it was just adults it would be great because you feel pretty secluded.  But with kids it's just to much gear to pack into.  The good thing is, is that because it is a pain in the neck to get to, not a lot of people go to it.  

There are tons of these crabs called Ghost Crabs- cause they disappear into their holes when you get close!

This is on our way back after a day at the beach- forging our way back across the river.

Paul, Kyle, Ellie, and Darren with Gabe, beach chair, and beach umbrella.

Kyle- the water is getting deeper!

And deeper!

Here he is swimming!  LOL I felt like we were in a different country!

He made it! There is Darren, Ellie and Gabe on the other side.

Here is a dead baby Sea Turtle we found:(

There is this really cool Burrowing Owl that lives by the beach.  He has been there both times we have been.

Ahhh, nothing like an Oreo after a long day at the beach.

Except a nap.

  It was just a good beach day.  The water wasn't clear enough to snorkel, (darn it) and getting to our spot took a good 1/2 hour, so it wasn't the most fantastic beach day ever- but it was still great.  The Ghost Crabs are fun to see, I saw a black snake, and there were a lot of great shells.  Which, by the way I have taken up "shelling" and have myself quite a collection.  I will have to share some pictures!  

Check out the video of the Ghost Crabs:
http://youtu.be/WrYwq8-g8-g

Or this one of us forging the river:
http://youtu.be/qnbHlNAn8Cc

Life is good and If it weren't for missing my family so much- I wouldn't want to move!  I honestly love it here!  Why couldn't Brigham Young have lead the Saints down here?! 

Boy oh Boy

Paul was known as the Destroying Angel in my family.  Gabe is a close second. He gets into everything faster than I can clean.  Here are some examples. 

Gabe pulled the lid off my honey and put both his hands in it then walked all the way over to where I was in the living room- leaving a long sticky trail of honey.

He didn't like it!  Get it off mom!

Wait, let me put my hands in it one more time.

Any time I try and take a picture he refuses to look at the camera.  At least he is still cute!

Our neighbor gave us a chocolate fountain, and my kids have been DYING to try it.  I have been putting them off for a year.  Finally I could delay no longer.  So we pulled it out for Family Home Evening on Monday. 

Hmmm, what is the best angle?

The kids were cracking up at this one!

Look at that cute little body!  I love it! Even with toothpaste and marker all over!

This was my favorite.  So the kids were just laughing so hard at Gabe.  He started to get into it and ham it up a little.  He turned to the mirror and was totally showing off.  It was hilarious, he put a show on for us!

Everyday I remind myself- I am getting something done.  I am raising kids, I am raising kids, I am raising kids...  And I love it.  I really do.  The time goes by faster with each one.  It seems as if Gabe has just grown before my eyes.  For now I'll let him smear honey, chocolate, marker, and toothpaste all over himself.  Because he won't be doing it for long.

Bathroomitis

Have you ever heard of Bathroomitis?  It is a serious medical condition when kids suddenly have to go to the bathroom when it is time to do jobs.  For example- its time to clean up after dinner and all your kids desperately have to go to the bathroom.  You get home from the grocery store and ask kids to help bring in groceries and everyone needs to use the restroom.  Thus the name, Bathroomitis. They all just disappear for 20-30 min.  Maybe your kids have bathroomitis too.  

I have come upon the discovery lately that Bathroomitis must be a gene.  It runs in our family.  What leads me to this conclusion?  Well, Gabe, at the early age of only 19 months suddenly needs to go to the bathroom whenever I am putting him to bed.  It's always the same.  We do our before bed routine and then seconds before I place him in his crib he points to his diaper and desperately yells, "poo! poo!"  I fell for it the first couple of times, but have learned this is a simple trick to get out of going to bed.  Was he taught this behavior?  No, its imbedded deep in his gene pool.  A natural instinct my kids have been born with to get them out of work.     

When I was a kid my dad would always accuse me and my  brothers and sisters of having Bathroomitis.   The thing is, when I was a kid- I really needed to go!  I wasn't faking it the way Mark was!  Or the way my kids do now.

Do your kids suffer from Bathroomitis?  This may be a much more serious problem than people realize.

Happy on The Inside

 Today was a good day- better than that, today was a great day.  Having Darren around makes everything better.  We went to the beach as a family this morning about 9 and spent the whole day there.  We planned on leaving around 1, but didn't leave till after 4 because we were having such a great time.  One of Paul friends (a boy in our ward) had his birthday party on the beach.  We are good friends with his family-Doug and Jill Lewis.  They are a great family, we love hanging out with them.  They had their Hobie Cat, 3 paddle-boards, footballs, frisbee, tubes, floaties, and some other fun beach stuff.  There were some other families from the ward there.  We started out fishing, snorkeled a little, played in the sand, played games, ate and just felt happy.  

I loved these cool pelicans hanging out.

And this cool bird

Gabe's beautiful face

Kyle!

Look at those swimtrunks!  He loves them! LOL

A cool needle fish we caught with a cast net.

Gabe!

 

Kyle and Ellie being cute

Ellie

What a life! 

Gabe is inseparable from Darren.  It is hilarious.  If I try and take Gabe when Darren is holding him he will push me away and say, "Don! Dont!"

Birthday boys on one of the paddle-boards

Paul getting ready to throw his cast net.  He has caught so many cool fish with that thing!

Good job buddy!

Gabe taking a much needed nap

We saw a sea turtle!  You can't really see it in the picture.  But it was cool.  It kept coming to the surface- and we would try and swim to it- then it would come to the surface somewhere else- and we would swim to it- and it would come to the surface in a totally different place.  So we never got really close to it.

Birthday party! Gotta love the shade tent- it makes me feel right at home!

Darren and the kids with the Hobie Cat

  A couple other fun things today:  Ellie stepped on a stingray and it swam away!  We saw some dolphins pretty close.  None that looked like sharks today thank goodness:) 

Here is some video of the dolphins swimming close to Darren

http://youtu.be/lsYYF4jAMFE

And Dolphins by the kids
http://youtu.be/q4FS1UiP3-Q

Cool seashells digging down in the sand with Gabe watching:
http://youtu.be/KFtgmNPyecI 

Gabe being cute:
http://youtu.be/DkFFE0aGcNQ 


You know, I am really falling in love with the beach.  It is going to be so bitter sweet to move.  For now- I just try to soak it all in.