Swallowed up and spit back out into sunshine

Hello friends.

It’s been a while. I got swallowed up. Life got the best of us for a bit there … some sad but navigable family health news, an impromptu visitor from out of state, a faulty furnace, parent/teacher conferences, and regular momming took over. But, the good news is that we got spit back out and landed unexpectedly in Florida!

The story goes a little like this: we said good bye to my parents in January. They were off to Florida for the winter and spring, and we were happy for them! Two years of this pandemic prevented them from enjoying their winter respite. However, two years also gave them a lot of time to think.

Their thinking lead to the decision to sell their Florida house. Ten years had been enough time … they were getting older … taking care of two homes was stressful and costly … and, let’s be honest, who wants to live in a state run by Ron DeSantis? Ouuuttttttttaaaaaaa there!

Yet, they wanted to spend one more spring among the palm trees and sunshine. But, you know how real estate goes. Lately, quickly. So sure enough, here they are with a February closing date and a drive back to Colorado planned sooner than later.

So we decided to go crash their Florida house one last time. We had a lovely little time and even had a little “extra,” too.

Well hello there sweet Mama.

I can see why having a palm tree in your yard is appealing.

On our visit, we did a lot of chatting and relaxing, golf cart riding and snacking. One afternoon, we took a little walk to the nearby nature refuge. We were excited to see some sleepy gators.

We had time for some driving lessons.

And for mini golf.

We also enjoyed a Hibachi supper. I only wish I’d had gotten a video of Jason catching Sake in his mouth. It was an impressively long shot.

In years past, we traveled to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Florida for our spring break, which almost always coincided with Easter. Before leaving for this quick visit, Harper requested an egg hunt, because “it’s tradition, Grandma!” And so on January 31, long before Easter 2022, we hunted for eggs.

Grandma and Grandpa’s Florida house is special and sweet. We are so happy we had the opportunity to visit again. But, as all do, this chapter is closing. And we are more than happy to have them near us here in the mountain sun instead.

As we booked this little getaway, Jason and I decided to take one extra day to take the kids to Disney. So, we said goodbye and “see you soon” to Grams and Gramps and headed toward the House of the Mouse. Epcot, to be specific.

I have the fondest memories of Epcot as a kid. I adored the different countries, their restaurants, and their little goodies. I couldn’t wait to be back! The sun was shining, and it was a perfect 70 degrees as we stepped back into the magic. First stop: France. We were hungry (as per usual), and we had tickets to the new Ratatouille ride there. I was so happy that I actually allowed my family to eat croissants and macarons for lunch before catching our spot in line. The ride was adorable, probably my favorite of the day.

After France, we went exploring. Some of our favorite countries were:

Morocco,

Japan,

and Mexico.

Besides the International Showcase, the park kept us busy until well past nightfall. It was one fun and long day!

As our day in Epcot came to end, our minds were doing a little spinning. The airlines had been messaging us with weather alerts in Denver. A snowstorm was predicted the next day, our day to fly home. And so, what is one to do? Probably should get home, get the kids back to school, get back to teaching, be responsible.

Bleh.

Or, stay another day!

Okay!

Now, this was a very non-Katie like move. My type A personality was talking back to me and saying things like: You’re not planned for this. Missing MORE school? You complain about those parents and kids all the time, and now you are them! You are going to pay for one more day at Disney … that’s like half a mortgage payment. Jameson has no clean underwear.

I got over it, though. And fairly quickly. Perhaps I’m turning over a new leaf.

And so, off to the Magic Kingdom we went! We truly lucked out. The day was beautiful, sunny, and warm. The lines were long, and the park was busy as always. But, it is truly a one of a kind place.

Unfortunately, due to the crowds plus trying to chase around certain lines on the less than excellent Disney app, this day was more tiring! By 3:45, the kiddos were ready to retire to the pool. We very nearly did not pack suits, but at the last minute, we threw in the kids’. Hooray!

Jason and I watched happily from the beach chairs. For these few days, life was on hold. The snow was far, as were the big stressors.

Thank you, Grams and Gramps, for taking a leap for yourselves ten years ago (another very non-type A move). You gave yourself a gift and, in turn, shared it with us. I hope your next chapter is magical, too. And we are happy to be near you while you write it!