Business and the Beach

 Wachter chose Ft Lauderdale to have it's big kick-off this year. Last year was Miami and I was in the middle of keeping teenagers whole and healthy, so I didn't go. That left Mark walking the beach alone with nary a hand to hold. Still, he had to go to meetings and mixers and I got to take naps and explore the shops and collect seashells.

We are so obsessed with birdies these days! Look how they all face into the wind and enjoy the sunrise.

It should  be noted that it is SO VERY COLD back in Kansas City. It seems impossible that not everyone is freezing in February. Which explains why I couldn't imagine needing a pair of shorts and therefore didn't pack anything lighter than jeans and a t-shirt. Mark was in meetings all day, so I finally found a row of gift shops and set about purchasing shorts and a tank that weren't crazy expensive and that I might possibly wear again sometime. I found a public restroom on my walk back and crammed my Kansas clothes into the gift shop bag. 

It was so nice to get away and feel the sun on our faces. 

Tomorrow we return to the polar votex! Fun!

Moon Lake Monday

We had a lot to fit in today. We gotta make the most out of all that Moon Lake has to offer. We leave in the morning!

But first! We need to drive down the road a ways so we can get a signal, call dad, check our emails and not loose our daily streak on Lingvano and DuoLingo. The little girls don't have phones, so they weren't up for the drive. 

We made our way to the beach. Jordan leveled the sand for Mom's camp chair. He's a good egg. 

I'm forever amazed at how kids can acclimate to cold water. 

My feet go numb after a few seconds, but these two are happily excavating this huge log. 

The cousins spent every cent of their allowance at the lodge. I remember how wonderful that freedom was when I was a kid. Sneaking off and coming home with a candy bar or can of soda just for me. Kit Kat and a rootbeer. That's the taste of Moon Lake.   

We made to feed our little porch pirate before we got too involved with our own activities. He's wasting away to nothing!

More games with Aunt Bri! 

I did my best to broil some cookies (flipping them like pancakes works pretty well!)

And the kids settled in with a generous supply of paint pens and the flat rocks I illegally swiped from the dry Roaring River bed last week. 

We exude coolness. 

Ethan missed the whole thing. And I'm pretty sure he's not mad about it. 

Doing all the Moon Lake things

This is one of my favorite views. Right out the door of our little cabin. Breakfast cooking and the sun shining on the lake 💕

We planned to go on a horseback ride this morning. We had hoped that Ethan would be here with us, but he had some car trouble on the way up last night and didn't get her in time. Halli came along with us in his spot. 

Everly was NOT feeling confident about being on that horse. The only reason she ended up coming was the guide taking her horse on a lead line. 

And there was really no other choice. We were all heading out on horses and we couldn't leave her behind. 

That's a nervous look. 

There was a forest fire a couple years ago. The vibrant green saplings, the black trees and the bright blue sky were tragic and hopeful. It's so sad that all of those tall pines burned. It will be decades before they replace the old growth. But they will. 

We had to be careful not to let the horses pass to close to the burnt trees. The remaining branches were like knives. 

It was fun! I think we'll go again next time and see how much the saplings have grown. 

We spent some time down at the lake. Lara had a floating chair she wanted to try out. 

So, naturally, she stood on the beach and held a rope so the little girls didn't drift away. 

Meg and Laney found a quiet spot to do some sketching.

And Ethan finally arrived!! He wasted no time setting up a questionable target practice out the front door. He never got caught, so it must be ok!

Back down to the beach for a little hole diggin.

Some wildflowers from my firstborn pup!

Showing the cousins the wonders of color-flame packs!

Redneck's got redneck...

It was Kaira's night for a treat and she introduced us all to mango coconut rice. 

Live changing!! 

And the perfect ending to the perfect Moon Lake day. The sound of the heater making me feel perfectly happy. 

Rosemary Beach: Day 2

Early morning view from the top balcony

Mark will aways find a local CrossFit!

All we wanted to was to spend another day on the beach!

A pop-up storm rolled through, but the minute it passed, we decided to walk down to the shops.

And the only way to end a Florida vacation day....