We got some more sun the first week of May this year, when we got to go to Florida. Kevin didn't have a job yet, and hoping he would have something to come back to, we snuck away for some family time. My dad works out of Palm Beach so we were able to use the truck he keeps there. The morning started at 4:30 am, but the girls were better than we expected on the flight out there, even with a layover, but we ended up in Florida without our car seats (still ongoing with Delta, they seemed to have disappeared into thin air) but we got some loaners and headed to our condo. We were staying in Pompano Beach, which is about 30 mins south of Palm Beach. We wanted to get groceries that first night, and I had printed out directions but we got lost and ended up at a Walmart in a part of town that maybe we shouldn't have been in. I've never been the only blonde in an entire store before! The girls weren't used to the time change and sleeping in the same room so we were up before the sun the next morning and got to watch a beautiful dawn come up. We spent the first day at the beach and the pool, and met the old-timers, who sat in lounge chairs and drank beer from about 8 in the morning until 10 at night. The next day after a dip in the pool and naps, we decided to try and go to a place called Butterfly World, we got stuck in traffic and it took forever to get there, then they told us it was $25 per person to go in. I had no idea things would be so expensive so I decided we would pass on that, and then Kevin wanted to try a kid's museum, so after a few more wrong turns and lots more traffic, we got there and the place was closed! We were very frustrated and had 2 cranky kids, but we did get to walk around the largest outlet mall in the US. This place was massive, there was a Target, Burlington coat factory, CK outlet, and Gart Sports along with about a thousand more stores there. It was exhausting just walking to the food court. The next day was more relaxing at the beach and pool, Braelyn got used to the waves and would even jump over them or go out deeper if we would hold her. She loved the pool and started swimming by herself with just a noodle (really 3 noodles) and would dunk her head all the way under the water. All of the older people at the condos just loved talking to her and would even get in and watch her swim, and she loved having a captive audience. Berkley wasn't quite so easy to entertain but she would sit at the edge of the water and stuff as many seashells in her hands as she could fit, and put one in her mouth, but if she dropped one or wave caught one she would frantically try to find it, then cry if she lost one.
We went out for a nice dinner that night to a place called Cap's, where they claim Al Capone used to gamble illegally, and FDR and Winston Churchill used to meet for secret meetings. You have to cross the intercoastal waterway so we got to ride a boat down "Millionaire's Row" past all these huge waterfront mansions and giant yachts. The food was delicious and we had the best key lime pie I've ever tasted, our server told us, that if it wasn't swimming that morning, then we wouldn't be eating it that night.
We went into Miami the next day to hit the zoo. It was so hot I thought I was going to melt. They had misters and splash parks around and we would just soak ourselves so we could stand the heat and humidity. Braelyn got to meet Diego, and dance with sea otters, and had an extensive conversation with a tortoise.
The last day was more sun, and less sunscreen for me, which equaled a nice burn. I told Kevin I was tired of being whiter than Taryn, but I just ended up pink! But I do love warm weather. It was a bright and early morning the next day, and since Kevin had to drop off the truck, I got our tickets and went through security with two kids, stroller, three carry-ons and a diaper bag by myself! As soon as we plopped down Braelyn announced she had to go potty. I knew there was no way I could get all of us and our junk into a bathroom stall so I told her she had to wait. A man offered to hold the baby for me, and I felt like I could trust him, so I asked him to watch the luggage so I could take both the girls with me. He sat by us and talked with both the girls and helped keep them entertained until Kevin came. I was grateful someone saw a need and gave some help, it reminded me of what we can do for others. We were seated in first class for both legs of the flight home, and that already had me worried about how the other passengers would react to two little ones. We were split up across the aisle and Kevin had to struggle to get Berkley settled down. The man who came in to sit next to him made a big deal about which seat he was in, and tried to tell Kevin he had to move, until my friend from the gate told him that Kevin was in the right seat, and he grudgingly sat down. Berkley fussed and whined until Kevin finally got her asleep just after takeoff, when his seatmate decided he had to climb over him to use the bathroom! We were only 40 minutes into our flight and he couldn't hold it. The trip home soon proved to be just the opposite of the flight there as both the girls cried and yelled and fussed the entire way. They had moved some soldiers to first class, behind us and I felt as if we had actually punished them, but they were much more gracious than the other passengers around us. I was glad Kevin was willing to help and by taking turns holding them, and feeding lots of snacks we survived and were very glad to see the Salt Lake valley again!
