After Thanksgiving we enjoyed a few day trips around Miami with the children. I used to complain to Scott that I didn't enjoy traveling all the way to Florida without experiencing true "Florida" activities, but I cannot complain about this after the fun outings we had in Miami this year.
First off was the zoo. Scott, Shawn, grandaddy, and I took three of the four cousins to the Miami metrozoo on Friday after Thanksgiving. Abby (almost 9), Amelia (6 and 1/2) and John (almost 4) enjoyed seeing the animals at the zoo. Below is a photo of the children with grandaddy riding the camel.
Another highlight from the zoo came after lunch when we rented a touring bicycle. This bicycle held the seven of us - four adults and three children, which we used to zip around to see the farthest parts of the zoo that we hadn't been able to reach on foot in the morning. Let's just say that steering this thing was more difficult than it looks! But we sure got around the zoo quickly to see various animals.
Saturday was another awesome day because Shawn took us out on his boat! How thrilling this was! Afer several annual trips to Miami in years past we finally (FINALLY!) got to go out on the water as a family. It was heavenly! I personally loved being out on the water in the fresh air and gentle breeze, and after this day John thanked God each night in his prayers for "Uncle Shawn's racing boat!!" So you can tell that the children had a great time too. Overall, let's just say that our day on the boat was delightful. Below is Shawn putting the boat in the water at the dock.
This is the view we were rewarded with once we reached Boca Ciega Key, an island several miles off the shore of Miami. How much more pristine can it get?? There were docking stations for about 15 boats so the action on the key was limited to that many people. Note the lighthouse, as there are more photos to follow from there.
The children enjoyed walking along the beach, where they collected shells and waded in the water. Below are Abby, George (also 6 1/2 years old), and Amelia.
A highlight from this trip was that we all climbed the stairs to the top of the lighthouse. Shawn remarked that in all his years of boating over to Boca Ciega he had never seen the lighthouse open before. So were all thrilled to have the opportunity to go up and enjoy the view from above. Doesn't this photo look like a postcard?
And here are several shots of the children that we took at the base of the lighthouse after we had all climbed to the top.
Alas, as all good things must come to an end, so did our good time in Miami. We returned uneventfully to Dallas on Tuesday. And while it always feels good to come home, we experienced a bit of weather shock upon our return. We left Miami when it was 80 degrees and sunny - think flip-flops and shorts weather - and returned to Dallas, where the temperature was in the 40's and the skies were overcast. Then to top it off, Wednesday morning as we were all getting ready for our first day back to work and school, we experienced beautiful snow flurries! The snow lasted for several hours, enough to be a bit pretty and to accumulate on some surfaces. I know it's not much to folks who live in colder climates, but check out the shot of our backyard below where you can see some accumulation of snow. We only get this once or twice a year, at best, so I think it's bet to celebrate the little moments, especially because the kiddos love it! Amelia and John were thrilled!
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