Boating Day Adventure

Boating Day Adventure

Robb’s birthday was supposed to be our boating day, but the weather didn’t cooperate, so we rescheduled for today. We rented a deck boat from Anchor’s Away, which had GPS coordinates programmed for spots to check out. While we have boating experience, we realized that boating in the ocean is a bit different. Thankfully, Robb knew exactly what he was doing and guided us through the channels.

As we left the first channel, dolphins started swimming around the boat, which was amazing to see. We had music playing, and the girls were thrilled, saying it added to the experience. Watching the dolphins jump around the boat was definitely a highlight!

Our first stop was Alligator Lighthouse, a metal lighthouse out in the ocean. We anchored the boat and went snorkeling, and it turned out to be some of the best snorkeling we’ve ever done. The water was full of hundreds of fish, including schools so thick that you had to move through them to see. In deeper waters, there were larger, beautiful fish. At first, Emmy had a bit of trouble snorkeling, but once she got the hang of it, she had a blast and loved pointing out all the fish. Bryce got a little nervous after spotting a barracuda but kept snorkeling.

Poor Bryce started feeling seasick, so we went to a sandbar to give everyone a break and put our feet on solid ground. Emmy and Abby spent time looking for shells while Bryce searched for small fish, and Caleb just hung out.

Afterward, we checked out another snorkeling spot and then returned to Alligator Lighthouse. We spent more time there as a family snorkeling. This was definitely one of the coolest parts of the vacation. We then stopped at the sandbar again, where I took a short nap on the boat, and Abby tanned while Emmy joined in for a nap.

By this point, we were all starting to feel a little sunburned despite multiple applications of sunscreen. Our next stop was Hens and Chicks, where we snorkeled in deeper waters. We saw a large stingray, and Robb and Bryce even spotted some huge Tarpon fish.

Exhausted and hot, we decided to head back. We returned the boat and got a bottle of champagne for Robb’s birthday. On the way home, we made our usual stop for vacation ice cream. Once we got back to the house, I stayed in to rest while Robb and Emmy went to the pool. The other kids took turns driving the golf cart, and Caleb fished for a while.

It was a fantastic day on the water, and we ended the day feeling both relaxed and worn out.

Alligator Light House. One of the coolest places we have ever snorkeled!

Abby and Emmy spent an hour trying to crack the coconut open so that they could drink a drink out of it.

Happy Vacation Birthday Robb

Last night we had a crazy storm—thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour. No one slept very well, so we all ended up sleeping in a bit. It took us a while to get moving, but eventually Robb and I started getting things ready for the day and made a late brunch so we could head out and find something fun to do.

We decided to check out John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park since it was nearby and offers offshore snorkeling. When we arrived, we learned the snorkeling tours had been canceled for the day because of the heavy rain and poor visibility. We were a little disappointed, but we figured we’d still give snorkeling a try on our own.

The weather was cloudy, and after snorkeling in Hawaii, it’s hard not to compare—but we still saw a few interesting things. The snorkeling area was pretty small, though, so we didn’t stay long. We had heard there was a large statue underwater somewhere in the park, so we went in search of it. A very crabby volunteer informed us that it was too far offshore to reach from shore and could only be accessed by boat. That was a bit of a letdown, but we decided to explore the rest of the park instead.

We hiked a couple of trails and saw a bunch of small lizards along the way. After that, we headed over to Anne's Beach, a public snorkeling area. There wasn’t a ton of sea life, but we had fun searching for cool shells—well, everyone except Caleb. Shell hunting was definitely not his thing.

By the time we finished up there, it was getting late, so we headed back to the house to make fish tacos. Since it was Robb’s birthday and we had to cancel our planned boat day, we still wanted to make dinner feel special. We grilled shrimp, tuna, and snapper and made pineapple salsa and guacamole to go with it. Dinner turned out amazing.

After dinner, Abby and Emmy went swimming in the pool while Bryce and Caleb decided to try their luck fishing. Within minutes, Bryce caught a fish. It was a crazy-looking one, and of course we couldn’t find any pliers to remove the hook. Thankfully Caleb is fearless and managed to get the hook out while carefully avoiding those intimidating teeth. After looking it up later, I’m pretty sure it was a barracuda.

Just a few minutes later, Caleb caught a small stingray. Getting that one off the hook definitely wasn’t our finest moment. Armed with a fishing net and a tennis racket, we somehow managed to hold it still long enough to get the hook out. When it was time to release it, Robb gently volleyed it back into the water with the tennis racket.

It definitely wasn’t the day we had planned, but it still turned out to be a really great day.

Funny Things the Kids Said Today:

Bryce: “I made Caleb bait my hook because the shrimp scare me.”

Caleb: “Emmy is like an appetizer to an alligator. Like a fun-sized candy bar.”

Caleb: “Bryce’s room in the attic reminds me of Anne Frank.”

Emmy was a pro shell collector. 

Bryce caught a Barracuda fish. The teeth on this thing were brutal!

Caleb caught a sting ray.

Our supper was amazing!

While Norm didn't lie about how many rooms there were, it was questionable that you called the crawl space in the attic a room. Especially since it had to be accessed by a pull down staircase that you had to fold up at night to get our of the primary bedroom. Caleb said it felt like the Anne Frank room and he was not staying in it. He slept on the couch in the living room. Bryce was fine with it and owned the room that you had to crawl around on your hands and knees to get around in. 

Pickle Ball and The Fish House

Today was the kind of day you hope for on vacation—slow, easy, and spent mostly in the water.

We started the day swimming in the lagoon, which in Florida is very different from what we’d call a lagoon back in Nebraska. This one definitely wasn’t a muddy pond. The water was clear enough that we even went snorkeling and got to see Tony the Tarpon. He was huge! It was pretty cool to watch him glide through the water.

After that, we swam over to the beach area and relaxed by the pool. Well… relaxed until our pale Nebraska skin reminded us that the Florida sun is no joke and we got a little too crispy.

At some point during the afternoon, I learned how to play pickleball. Not only did I enjoy it, but I discovered I’m actually not terrible at it! Playing in the 100% humidity and heat made it feel like I had jumped straight into a pool. Gross! I eventually laid down to cool off and accidentally fell asleep, sneaking in a little nap. They won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure everyone else did the same.

For dinner, we went to the Fish House. Most of the places around here have a bit of an eclectic feel. The buildings are small and a little rundown, probably because with hurricanes there’s so much rebuilding that making everything fancy isn’t the priority. That’s just my theory, anyway.

The seafood was delicious. Robb had the mahi mahi, Bryce ordered yellowfin snapper, and I had blue crab stuffed shrimp, which was amazing. Caleb has had his heart set on eating as much fried shrimp as possible, so that’s exactly what he got. He also tried a hush puppy for the first time, which I realized my kids have apparently never had before. Abby and Emmy aren’t seafood fans, so they stuck with chicken breasts.

It was a really great day. Tomorrow is Robb’s birthday. We had originally planned to go boating, but with stormy weather expected we moved that to Tuesday. Instead, I think tomorrow we’ll try snorkeling at the beach and see what we can find there. 

Bryce thought he was really funny, I was wearing a skirt and a white tank top. He decided that I was wearing a wife beater tank top so he could too. Wrong son, wrong!

Family picture time

Eating at the fish house

The Lagoon looked pretty cool at night!

Fainting Episode Cancels Snorkeling

Day One in the Florida Keys

We all slept in and woke up on our own time. Abby and Emmy were up early, and by the time I got up, Robb and Abby had already snorkeled in the lagoon. Emmy and I spotted a huge iguana lounging on the rocks, basking in the sun like it was as common as a squirrel.

After that, we got ready and I made lunches, then we headed to Bahia Honda State Park for our snorkeling tour. On the way there, we kept seeing people running in what we initially thought was a marathon. Turns out, it was a Mega Marathon—a 100-mile race. We were drenched in sweat after loading everything into the car, so kudos to them, but that seems crazy!

We arrived at Bahia Honda State Park just in time to check in for our tour. We stood around for a while in the intense heat—sun-beating-down, sweaty-hot weather. As we were getting our instructions before boarding the boat, Abby told me she was hot. I agreed, but then she mentioned she might pass out. I had her sit on the ground, and we poured some water on her. After giving her a moment, I helped her to her feet, thinking the best course of action was to get her on the boat where there was shade. But as we walked up the ramp, Abby said again that she was going to pass out. Before I could react, she went completely limp in my arms. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she was like a ragdoll. At that point, it was clear we shouldn’t put her on the boat.

Bryce and I helped Abby back to the store where it was air-conditioned, and we found her a chair to sit in. On our way, the boat crew offered to call an ambulance, and a woman mentioned that her husband was a paramedic if we needed help. I was pretty confident it was just a case of Abby overheating and not eating enough before leaving. I deal with fainting incidents at work all the time, so I wasn’t overly concerned about handling it. Robb took the rest of the family off the boat and back to us. Caleb, it turned out, was on the boat and was going to head out with the rest of the group, but Bryce grabbed Abby’s water, her sandwich, and some strawberries from the car. Abby was feeling much better by this point, and we had her stay seated for about 45 minutes while she ate her lunch before letting her get up.

Although we missed the snorkeling tour, we decided to cool off by playing in the ocean at the beach. It ended up being a pretty good day for snorkeling, too. Bryce and Robb found a lobster they wanted to bring back for dinner, and Caleb found a crab. Emmy’s mood was hit-or-miss, though—she wasn’t a fan of the saltwater, which stung her eyes and tasted gross. So, she wasn’t thrilled with that part of the day.

After some time in the water, we had lunch in the van and then headed back to the house. The Keys are long, so it takes a while to get anywhere. We stopped for ice cream and a few groceries before heading home. Norman, the owner of the Airbnb we’re staying at, brought us a golf cart to use for the week, and the girls were excited about it. The kids took turns driving it all over the place.

For dinner, we made a meal and ate in the covered pavilion by the house. There were plenty of hiccups throughout the day, it is just a reminder that it's a trip, not a vacation. Still, we made some great memories.

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Funny Moments of the Day:

1. Caleb spent the whole day calling Bryce a "naked mole rat" after his new buzz cut. Bryce also had to buy a swim cap to keep his head from burning.

2. Caleb, in his typical style, pointed out that he made sure Abby wasn’t dead and then started teasing her about passing out—30 minutes after the incident. Clearly, enough time had passed to ensure she was okay, but the teasing didn’t stop and probably won’t for the next couple of years.

All these little fish came up to you when you went in the lagoon area. In Nebraska a lagoon is usually something to do with a waste water system. The lagoon here was an area where the ocean inlet to this area.

This is the pre fainting picture.

Ice cream to save the day

Emmy is a serious snorkeler. 

The views here are amazing!

 

Travel Day

The day started way too early! We were up and out of the house by 6:30 a.m., heading to Kansas City Airport. We had booked "cheap" tickets since we're a big family, which meant we had to pay for each checked bag. We decided we could manage with four bags. Well, it turns out we overpacked—crazy, I know! You wouldn't have expected that, right? The night before, at 10 p.m., Robb and I were still weighing suitcases and figuring out what we could remove or redistribute to lighter bags. I think all the bags ended up around 48 lbs each. We like to live on the dangerous side, with not much margin for error. Call it luck, fate, or possibly the lack of care from the airline staff, but all the bags made the cut.

We boarded the plane for our 3-hour flight to Florida. A couple of rows ahead of us were two girls headed to a bachelorette party. One was the bride, wearing a white cowboy hat with a veil. They were goofy, having a good time, and a little loud. Not a big deal. About 90 minutes into the flight, the older lady sitting by the window in their row had had enough of their shenanigans and started complaining. The flight attendant wasn’t sure what to do, and honestly, what could she do with two drunk girls mid-flight? As the older lady grew more upset, I offered to switch seats with her. They ended up finding her another seat. Caleb got a huge kick out of the whole thing. We probably should have put him in their row—he can put up with goofy behavior, in fact, he thrives on it! Other than that, the flight was smooth, and we arrived to a balmy 93 degrees.

Bryce and I went to get the rental car while everyone else retrieved the luggage. While checking in, I realized I needed Robb’s ID, so he ran it over to Bryce. As I paid, I ended up putting the rental in my name because the credit card we used was in my name. I then asked if Robb could also drive. The lady nervously looked up at us and asked, “Is that your relationship?” Bryce and I both started laughing as I over-explained that Bryce was way too young for me—he’s my son, not my husband. Awkward!

And then, we were off. We picked up the groceries we had ordered from Walmart and then went to Costco, where we were all starving. Traveling with someone who has celiac disease can be tough—you can’t just pop into a drive-thru. We bought a Caesar salad kit and a rotisserie chicken, and Abby ate that at Costco for dinner. We weren't allowed to leave with our half-eaten salad and chicken, though, because Robb had taken the receipt to the car. I’ll admit, I wasn’t my best self and complained about the person who didn’t realize that the salad and chicken on the receipt weren’t in the cart when he left the first time. What can I say? We were hot, tired, and hungry.

Now that we had an entire car packed with us, our bags, and a week’s worth of groceries from Walmart and Costco, it was time for the 2.5-hour drive to the house. It might have been the longest drive of my life. The speed limit decreased to 45 mph at dark due to animals crossing. In Nebraska, we deal with animals crossing too—but we just hit them and go on our way. Apparently, it’s not the same in Florida.

We arrived at the house at 9:30 p.m. The owner, Norman, met us to give us a tour. He was an odd guy—older, eccentric, and had a goofy sense of humor that I could appreciate. Robb, however, didn’t share my enthusiasm. We got the instructions and a tour in the dark. We brought all our stuff inside, and the temperature inside the house started to feel like the outside—muggy and hot! Caleb couldn’t cool down, so he wet his shirt and lay on the cool tile floor with it. The accommodations were fine, but not spectacular. I had to remind the kids that any place we stay in probably won't be a 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom house like they are used to. Now, it was time for bed so we could start the fun part of vacation tomorrow.

Shuttle from the parking lot to the airport

Eye patches on the plane so we don't look tired when we arrive.

Girls row

Boys row

New state, same ole Costco.

Last Day of School

Last day of School as a Junior. Now onto Senior year.

Last Day as a Junior. Caleb is ready for his Senior year

Abby finished her Freshman Year at Norris.

Emmy had a great 4th grade year with Miss Kernes!