A Real Spring Break

This is our first real spring break with the kids since we could take our breaks whenever we wanted to in the past (while homeschooling).  Now we are beholden to the school's calendar.  Brian is not a fan.  Nonetheless, we decided to go visit our dear friends who we hadn't seen in a year and a half.  In Germany, we traveled with them often and this is the longest we'd gone without seeing each other in all seven years we've known each other.  

The older set (minus Hannah) hanging out at the fire pit in their backyard

We had a two-fold reason for driving all the way to Jacksonville, Florida.  We had initially discussed meeting somewhere in between, but we determined it would be best to drive there and also see our friend in St. Augustine who had brain cancer.  Unfortunately, a little over a month before our trip he passed away.  We went instead to visit his widow who is also our dear friend.

Also, in St. Augustine, we visited an Alligator Farm.  Most of the kids thought this was amazing.  

Albino Alligators

Watching the Alligator Show

My godson sandwiched between my youngest sons

Getting ready for a show about snakes

Waking up after a needed nap

Twice we went to the beach together.  Hannah and Brian are not big beach people, so they just sat in the shade.  The water was freezing, but some of the kids didn't care.  The rest of them played in the sand. 

See what I mean?  Not beach people!  Hannah doesn't like the outdoors and Brian would choose mountains and rivers or lakes over the ocean.  

Drew and his buddy

We had a wonderful time with our friends.  Hannah started her bullet journal that week which kept her busy when she needed a break from people.  The kids had a blast playing glow in the dark capture the flag on a couple evenings.  The dads took some of the kids to Top Golf one morning and to play sports at a park another day.  The moms sneaked away for pedicures one evening.  It was a full week, but with enough time to just visit too.