Survivor: Florida Style

So after surviving ten years of marriage, we decided to go back (as my husband so romantically put it) to the "scene of the crime." :) Key West, Florida. We were there for our honeymoon in 2001 and always said that we'd love to go back. So we flew down to St. Petersburg, rented a car and made our way down to Fort Myers then to Key West. We somehow managed to exist on just three basic human needs: food, water and shelter. . .

1. Food
I'm blessed to have a husband who not only loves to cook, but also loves to experience food. He sounds like a bit of a food snob (which is SO not him) because he hates McDonalds, digs the Food Network, and refuses most chains (especially in new cities.) He likes to get off the beaten path and try the local joints--which I admit can be a bit scary sometimes! ha! So traveling and eating with this guy is just fun.

We had sushi a few times. (Not always a kid friendly choice so we took advantage of being girl-free!) Obviously it was good stuff--in the words of the little Asian guy who came to clear off our table: "You eat da ho boat!" Yes, yes, we did. Da ho boat was amazing.















In Key West, we tried some Cuban food (big Cuban influence there) which involved panini-type pork sandwiches and plantain chips. I wasn't sure what to expect (Isn't a plantain like a big banana?) but they were awesome. Kind of like a fried wonton strip at a Chinese place.




Of course, we also had to do Key Lime Pie and walked what seemed like forever (the island is really only 2 by 4 miles) to THE spot for pie: Blue Heaven.


It did not disappoint. Check out that meringue!!!


















And we also had to do some fresh seafood. We had grouper and shrimp one night and went to Turtle Kraal's (a Key West legacy) another night for mahi mahi. I think I licked my plate. SO good. Or was it because we had just gotten off the Sunset Cruise (see below. . ) Definitely can't get seafood like that in the Midwest.












And there's something about eating right on the seaport that makes it taste even better.



We also tried out a yellow taco hut late one night. This one really freaked me out (I mean, seriously, a yellow taco hut?) but luckily, R ordered me a burrito and it turned out to be a lot like Qdoba or Chipotle--only better. Of course, maybe that was just because it was late and I was starving. . . ha! Funny story--we go to a local pizzeria the next night (amazing tomato, basil and bacon by the way) and after R starts telling the pizza guy about this taco hut that freaked me out, we find out that same guy made our burritos the night before. Umm, before you spit on my pizza can I say that I wasn't THAT freaked out by the taco hut? It was lovely. Really. Perfect shade of construction-hat yellow.

2. Water
When you're in Florida and you're a tourist, most of your time is spent in the water. We were no exception. This is where we spent most of our time in Fort Myers.


We had our beach stuff, books, magazines, cooler (I'm actually shocked at how many times we had to refill it...) and of course, our tunes.



Best invention ever. A waterproof speaker for a phone or MP3 player. We use it a lot at home on the rivers and it turned out to be great in our little "cabana" too. We were blessed with beautiful weather while we were down there. I worried about it raining a lot--after all, ten years ago, a pop up shower blew in EVERY day, but we had gorgeous blue skies except for an hour one morning. Perfect for beach time.






On Friday, we took the Key West Express to Key West for the weekend. It's a three- story, high speed catamaran that gets you to the island in about three hours. Definitely the way to go.



On the way back, we had some technical issues. . . not something you want to hear while in the middle of the ocean! Aside from the trip taking longer because they couldn't go at full speed, it actually turned out to be a good thing because we could stand on the upper deck without getting blown off. And there was a gorgeous sunset to take in.





While we were down in Key West, we did a Sunset Cruise. You go out on a sailboat for several hours of "all-you-can-drink" until the sun goes down. (Our kind of excursion!) We did one for our honeymoon, but this one was SO much better! Our catamaran was smaller but it didn't feel as "commercialized" because there were only about 15 of us--it felt more intimate. We met another couple and really got to know the crew. Captain Tim and Alexa were great--in fact, one time, Captain Tim came out with a new cold one for R because he said the can crunching was driving him crazy--a man couldn't sit with an empty beer on HIS boat! ha! As usual, the Key West sun was gorgeous and I think I got some postcard worthy shots. :)







One of our hot spots at Key West was the pool at our bed and breakfast. Every afternoon, Innkeeper Tracy hosted a complimentary happy hour with snacks and drinks. It was SO fun. We got to meet all of the other couples there (No kids allowed at this B&B) and just hang out and enjoy. We met one couple from Orlando who said they'd help us conquer "THE" Disney trip someday. Bruce also owns an airboat--from which he GATOR hunts (holy cow)--and he said he'd love to take us all out for a ride. It was just really nice to get to know everyone.

Finally, when we got back to Fort Myers, we did a wave-runner dolphin tour. Jake took us out through the Gulf and into several coves around Lovers Key. I really don't know where we went. . . but it was a long tour! R's hand was killing him and my backside was sore from bouncing around. (I swore there was enough cushion back there. . . ha!) At one time, we were up to 45 mph out in the ocean which was just awesome.




Even better, we found some dolphins and I was amazed at how they would come RIGHT up to us. In fact, one group swam right under our wave runner--I was yelling at R not to hit them. ha! I wasn't fast enough with my camera to catch them when they came up for air, so this is about all I have.





All week from the shore, we kept seeing them jump out of the water for air, but it was so amazing to see them up close in their natural environment.

3. Shelter

We stayed at two very different places. Our suite in Fort Myers was more "luxurious"--definitely the resort experience. And right on the beach. It doesn't get much better when both your front and back balconies overlook water. We stayed there three years ago for a wedding and loved it. We hope to go back sometime with the girls. It's very family friendly--which isn't always the case in Key West. . . ha!











In Key West we did a bed and breakfast (but not the one from our honeymoon.) We had a little "cabin" off the back of the main house and we LOVED it. It was very private and secluded and we had our own little sitting area out front. The room was pretty tiny, but it was very "Key West." Tropical, quaint, airy, hardwood floors, just cute. If we go back to the island, we will definitely stay there--we were two blocks from Duval Street and one block from the seaport. Not to mention Happy Hour at the pool! :)









At any rate, we managed to survive on those three basic necessities: food, water, and shelter. :) Actually, we thrived. We had our best vacation yet and it was really fun to visit the place where our story started and to add to the memories we already had.



It was even better to get back to where the story continues--to the two little people yelling, "Mommy! Daddy!" and jumping into our arms. I missed those little stinkers.

Our First Decade

Ten years ago today, I was the stereotypical bride all caught up with decorations and flowers. I rattled off my vows, laughing because R tried to say mine too. We had a beautiful wedding and a great party.


And then real life began. No one, especially Hollywood, prepares you for real marriage. It's not all roses and romance and happily ever after. It's taking out the trash, paying the bills, having NOwhere to go when you have your first fight. (Oh, this is YOUR bedroom too, isn't it? Fine, come in. Just remember, I'm mad. REALLY mad!) Unfortunately, I think too many brides get all caught up in ONE day, instead of all the others that follow. You forget that marriage isn't a big white dress and a cake covered in buttercream. One day, you finally realize that life isn't the movies; it's not some Hollywood script where every dream comes true. But that's only because other dreams that you didn't even know you had HAVE. You have this house with sippy cups in the fridge, a handprint-smudged hallway that you refuse to paint AGAIN, and a pantry full of fruit snacks and Goldfish. It's the most romantic setting in the world--HOME. And you have something way better than roses. You have this guy who cooks breakfast for you every weekend (yes, every weekend!) and who doesn't even drink coffee but sees caramel creamer while he's grocery shopping (yes, he shops too!) and buys it for your next cup.

We recently renewed our vows and I could hardly get the words out because I was crying so hard. Ten years later, I love this man so much more than I did on our wedding day. It's a different love--a love that comes from building a life together. It's from bringing two babies into the world, from crying together when we had to say goodbye to loved ones, from dealing with all the ups and downs that can't be squeezed into a 90 minute comedy on the big screen.

I know that the next decade will bring even more joys and sorrows. That's real life. But we're both willing to stick it out until the credits roll at the very end. That's what married people do.

Seven Days

My dad has always said, "Summer is over at 4th of July." Growing up, I hated him saying this. What a party pooper! July 4th is far from the end of summer, dude! Way to spoil all the fun! However, as with many things, the older I get, the more I realize how right Dad is. . . (Added bonus for Dad--here it is in writing that I admit you're right--ha!) Honestly, it doesn't make much sense. I mean, really, July 4th is only the halfway point of our summer. I still have a whole month off before going back to work. But man, something about hitting the birthday of our nation makes the second half FLY. I'm sad that there isn't much time left, which is really selfish of me since there are few parents who get two months off every summer. And I have to remind myself that we pack a lot into those two months--which makes the most of our time together. This next week is no exception. In seven days, we're squeezing in:

a playdate
___? loads of laundry
packing
a Walmart trip for everything we thought we had but realized we don't
a girls-only road trip (while Daddy does a boys-only canoe excursion)
stops at two aunties'
swimming
a zoo trip
a picnic
meeting a brand new nephew!
a splash pad
a memorial car show
another picnic
___(?) loads of more laundry
more packing
two (hopefully FINAL) orthodontist appointments
meeting another auntie to pass off the girls
a 10th wedding anniversary
a flight to FL

Whew. Good thing there's 10,080 minutes in a week. We may need every second. On one hand, I'm a little sad because I know that these next few weeks of fun will fly. But on the other hand, I'm so excited for the memories we're making. I refuse to believe that it's all downhill from July 4th. Instead, we're going out with a BANG!!!

Firsts and Lasts

We've had an opportunity come up that involves moving to the town where I work. Nothing is definite (which doesn't sit well with this planner--I mean, as a teacher, there's a reason both of the girls have June birthdays) but I'm trying to be patient and know that everything will work out. It's hard because the decision is someone else's. Ultimately, we can tell the possible buyers "no," but like I've been telling R, it's not every day that someone asks to buy your property. In five years when we want to move closer to town, we may not find a buyer. Strike while the iron's hot, right? The good news is that either way it's a win/win situation. If the buyers can't do it, the "worst" that happens is we stay in a house that we love. And while I complain a lot about it (especially my blue toilet. . . yes, I really have a blue toilet. . .) I do love the home that we've created. We've put a lot of sweat and tears into this house. It's been hard to think about moving when this is the only home my girls have known. This is where we first brought them home, and where they have continued to amaze us with their firsts. Where they first smiled, crawled, and walked. It's hard to imagine that last December may have been our last Christmas here or that this weekend was our last get-together around the fire-pit. It's made me think about all the "firsts" in life that we anticipate and celebrate, while we sometimes miss out on all the lasts. The problem is that we can easily acknowledge a first smile or a first time of sleeping through the night. It's harder to pinpoint the lasts. You don't know at the time that it's the last time your baby will crawl or call you "Mama" instead of "Mom." We can't know until later when life has thrown us a curveball that it was a last Christmas, a last phone call, a last hug. I guess it's probably best that we can't know everything.

So, I decided to start celebrating some of the "lasts" I DO know about:
our last summer with a preschooler
my last day with braces
our last day with two in daycare
our last family get-together with all nieces (can't wait to meet our new nephew!)
our last summer (hopefully) of diapers
our last day of being in a crib (though honestly Stinkus may stay there til she's 15. We tried a sister sleepover last night and after I saw her five times in three minutes, she found herself caged up again--much to her dismay)
our last summer with baby stuff filling our basement

If we move, there will be even more lasts around the corner. But on the flip side, that means a whole new world of firsts. A first night in a new home, a first bike ride in a new neighborhood, a first meal in a different kitchen. The great part is we don't have to move to experience exciting firsts and bittersweet lasts--we can just stay put and keep living this thing called life.