Month: July 2009

Well, isn’t that interesting that I now have a new photo on the home page, and it is just me and Jeb! How sweet. Oh, my goodness, I went back, and now it’s me, Ted and Carol. What is happening to the blog home page?

Anna Maria Beach was the location and it was the 6th time we have spent our Family Vacation there. We have never stayed in the same houses twice, and really never know what our accommodations are going to be like. Well, we hit the jackpot this time (thanks to Carol). We stayed on the north end of the island and on the bay side. This turned out to be just great. We were a couple of blocks from the pier on the north end and discovered we could see both sunrises and sunsets there. The bay was a new adventure every day with manatees, dolphins, turtle eggs that had been washed out of their nest, fish, birds and even a crab. The grands had a grand time playing in the bay and digging in the sand.

Some of the highlights of the week were:

sing alongs with Jami on the guitar,

story time with Grandaddy’s recorded voice telling 3 stories (by candle light), (invitations to this event were by Carol, Fiona and Michael.)

some creative original stories told after story time with a prize for the best. (The prize was a puzzle -maybe 250 pieces-, and nothing to go by, but it turned out to be Grandaddy on Anna Maria at the park right next to where our houses were this year.) (Story time and prize were compliments of Carol with Bob’s help)

bike and kayak rides

making tie-dye shirts (Carol brought 2 kits and shirts for everybody)

breakfast at Manatee Beach

riding the trolley

visiting Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop

celebrating my BIG birthday by going to the Sand Bar right on the beach. There were 2 weddings on the beach while we were there. The dinner was compliments of Jeb & Kathy, Carol & Bob, Ted, and Grant & Jami.

swimming in the pools at the houses

Risk games with Ted, Grant and Andrew

touring New College of Florida where Eric will go to college in August

lots of good meals furnished by

Saturday – Bob & Carol

Sunday – me

Monday – Jami & Grant

Tuesday – Kathy & Jeb

Wednesday – pizza by Ted

Thursday – Sand Bar for adults and the kids stayed home and made cassadias.

Friday – cleaning out the refrigerators

There were 15 of us this year and we missed Danny and Nicole.

Another wonderful Family Vacation. We are truly blessed!!!!!