Endless Summer

It's hard to believe it's already the end of summer. Going back in time for this blog was a head trip. These memories seem like yesterday yet some of them were 4 months ago! Where does the time go? It's true what they say, the days are long but the months are fast.

Summer started in April here in Florida. Temperatures started rising and we started baking long before school was even out. We made sure to make the most of it with plenty of beach trips and pool days. By May we were in full fledged summer mode but we still had our spring choir show to do. This year I had the biggest solo I have ever had in a CFCArts show and in front of 3000 people, no less. What made this particular solo so special was that it was the first time Gracie has ever seen me sing on a stage. She got to stay up late to come see our show all the way in Orlando. Words can't describe how special it was to see her little blonde head in the third row watching me as I sang through my nerves and delivered the best performance I could. It was a moment I'll never forget! Mom and Dad also came out for the show which is always such a treat. They also stayed to celebrate Mother's Day and then hung around an additional week to watch the kids so Bart and I could take our second honeymoon to Bonaire for a scuba adventure!

Bonaire. There aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe this place. Of all of the tropical places I have been in the world, Bonaire tops the charts. The water, the people, the landscape, the culture, the diving, the donkeys (THE DONKEYS!!!!!!!).....I could have stayed a month and it wouldn't have been enough! The water is the clearest, most beautiful turquoise water I have ever seen right up there with Venezuela, which makes sense as they are right next door. While Bonaire is considered the shore diving capital of the world, we only did 4 dives during our time there as we wanted time to explore the other things the island has to offer. Bart may disagree, but it's some of the best diving I've ever done. Not as wide a variety of life as some other locations, but the abundance of sea life is unmatched. It was truly like swimming in an aquarium. All of the reefs surrounding the island are heavily protected, and it shows. Beautiful colors, life around every turn, and visibility as far as the eye can see. Combine that with 85 degree water at 40 feet and it's perfection in my book! Aside from diving, we had many other little adventures along the way. We drove to a restaurant in the middle of nowhere that we heard about from a local so that Bart could try what was essentially the "mom's home cookin" of Bonaire - Iguana stew. I let Bart enjoy that while I enjoyed the beef. ;) But it was certainly an experience! We got to enjoy some of the night life at the one and only "after hours" bar on the island. Because it's the only one, things get CRAZY! We visited some of the rich historic sites like the salt flats and the slave huts where the salt flat workers used to live. The salt flats are absolutely stunning. It looks like mountains of white diamonds amid vast fields of more diamonds lined by pink lakes. It's a sight that can't be captured in photos or even on video. You just have to see it. Especially when you put it up against the landscape of the turquoise waters. I could have stared at that sight forever. The salt pier was also my favorite dive of our whole trip. SO much to see! We also made sure to have plenty of downtime just swimming, drinking, eating, beaching, hanging with the donkeys, and taking each other in. We have come to cherish these times together because they are rare and so rich. I remember many times on that trip expressing to Bart that I felt like I was experiencing true, complete, peace and joy. I look to the left and there's my husband, I look to the right and there is a perfect beach with crystal blue water. Not a care in the world, nowhere to be, and nothing but the sound of a warm breeze and lapping waves in my ears. HEAVEN. I know that life can't be THAT all the time, but I experienced a paradigm shift on that trip. I saw what life should be at it's absolute best and I realized that so many of those feelings of peace and calm can and should exist in our everyday lives. The people on that island live it every day and you can see it in they way they carry themselves. There is a sense of calm that exudes from people that live a simple life in a simple place. Our life isn't and never will be simple. But there are still ways to experience that level of joy in our day to day lives, we just have to find it for ourselves. It sure is tricky, but trips like that help me see life from a different angle. Thank you mom and dad for gifting us with babysitting AND a hotel so we could have that precious time together. It was a week we will never, ever forget.

When we returned from our trip, we were right back at it! Gracie had her first dance recital which was pretty much the cutest thing ever! Bart decided to start skydiving again and we had quite the full circle moment bringing the girls out to the DZ to watch him jump. I think bringing skydiving back into our lives might be part of that paradigm shift. ;) Gracie took part in several dance camps this summer, had lots of fun play dates, and celebrated her 4th birthday with a "Spirit" themed party at the Lazy H Ranch. For my birthday, Bart took the day off work and we rented a boat and drove out to Disappearing Island. I've been wanting to check out Disappearing Island since we moved here and it was such a fun way to do it. Just the two of us, a boat, the beach...it was like living a little mini Bonaire all over again. Kinda ;)

In July, we made an attempt to keep reliving our heavenly beach trip by taking the kids down to Deerfield Beach which is about 3.5 hours south of us. Deerfield is my favorite place in Florida. As Bart says, it's where he took me to trick me into moving to Florida. Ha! We consider it a special place of ours and hadn't yet taken the kids. We rented a little condo just off the beach in hopes of having a relaxing family getaway. Well, much like our trip to Panama City in April, it was anything but relaxing. No one tells you that vacations with kids aren't vacations at all! They're as much work as regular life, only in a different environment which means even more work. LOL! After traveling as much as we have with these kids I have definitely learned this, and yet we keep taking the trips. I know it's good for them, it's good for us, and ultimately we still make some good memories. I know in time it will get easier, or at least less intense. I think (I hope) as the years go by, we'll remember the good memories more than the whining and the meltdowns and the crappy sleep.

Outside of traveling, Erica and I have taken part in a 4 race triathlon this series this summer that has been quite the endeavor! What makes it extra tough is that it's an hour and a half away. The bike course is absolutely BRUTAL and although the series is called "Cool Sommer Mornings," it's been anything but cool. The first event, Erica did the triathlon and I did the aqua bike (swim, bike). For the second event Erica did the 5k and I did the triathlon as a relay with 2 of my "mom friends." That event was SO much fun! I like the relay thing. Show up, swim for 7 minutes, and you're done! :)

At the end of July we rented our favorite beach house in Daytona for the weekend and treated our TST employees to a little overnight team building vacation. It was such a good time and an incredible reminder of just how far our little company has come over the years. The hard work that Bart and our entire team have put in has allowed us the many rich life experiences we get to have and I'm so thankful for that every day. It's cliche, but we are blessed. 

Well, if you've made it this far, you've only just begun! Enjoy the millions of pictures from May through July. :-D 

FULL CIRCLE.

Cycle Flagler - a 30 mile cycling event up the coast.

Mother's Day

Salt Pier

Gracie's first time wearing make up for her dance pictures. Good job, Grandma!

Feeding the fish?

Memorial Day tour of the fire station.

Dress rehearsal. I learned later I had her dress on backwards. Ha!

Event 1

Hands down favorite race picture ever. Sums up that bike course perfectly!

I came in third in my division....out of 4. A podium is a podium, right? ;)

Erica placed first (and only) in her division. Us Nocita girls will never miss a chance to stand on the podium. LOL!

Mom's Club end of year brunch. These ladies have become some of my most treasured friends.

Dance Camp

Miss Jessica

Confectionary camp at the dance studio.

Santa's Christmas Tree Farm, a farm about a half hour from us, did a sunflower farm for the first time this summer and it was INCREDIBLE! Next to a white sandy beach and turquoise water, this is my happy place right here. Fields of giant sunflowers! And so many varieties!

Our newest family member - Princess Bob

Father's Day

Gracie's best friend Cristina. Or "Estina" as Gracie calls her. :)

The three BFFs. Too cute to handle.

While in Deerfield, we visited some friends of Bart. Their daughter's name was Winter. So funny how Winter and Summer both embody their names!

Our youngest sponsored TST rider!

My one and only picture from the 4th of July party at a friend's house. Enough said.

Celebrating Sara's birthday at Wekiva Island.

Event 2

Once again, the only relay team so naturally, we won.

One of my good friends is a personal trainer and teaches a fitness class at the Kids Fun Zone. We had a blast this summer working out while the kids played! The perfect set up for moms.

TST Beach Weekend