Ordinary Miracles (12) ~ Spring Break

Do you ever go on vacation and find when you return home, you feel yourself needing a vacation from vacation?  

This year's spring break definitely didn't leave me feeling that way.  

Our entire vacation felt like an Ordinary Miracle.  From simply getting away, to wonderful family time, fun with friends, great food, the beauty that surrounded us everyday and everything in between, it was all ordinary and miraculous!

We planned and booked this trip last fall.  And as the seemingly endless winter grew on and on with it's cold temps and many snowfalls, our anticipation grew.  School was cancelled 6 times this winter due to temperatures.  Too dangerous to be outside.  This was our coldest winter since the winter of 1978/79, with an average temperature of 9.8º F and about 62" of snow.  Can you understand why the warm sun and beaches of Florida were creating a bit of excitement?

We flew out on Hubby's 40th birthday and with a 2 hour flight delay, the kids were anxious to get their toes in the sand.

We finally arrived ~ met with the lovely property manager and relaxed into our week long vacation.

Of course we celebrated this guy:

We rented a 4000 sq. ft., 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom house with 2 other families ~ 6 adults and 6 kids.  The house (actually it was a townhouse, but you would never know you had neighbors) was beautiful.  It was located on Belleair Beach.  Besides being right on the beach, it also had a private heated pool and hot tub.  It was simply fabulous, inside and out.

** I have to add, I HIGHLY recommend this home ~ if you are interested in a lovely, relaxing vacation for your family, your spouse or even for a girls getaway, you can find the property and rental info on VRBO by clicking here

(view from the porch)

We really didn't have any plans or agendas.  

We did go to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa:

I  took in the fresh air and beautiful scenery on my almost daily beach runs.

We ate lots of good food, went to a winery, as well as a state park.  

But mostly we just hung out, swam, enjoyed our family and friends, the nature, animals and all of the beauty that surrounded us.

It was fabulous, lovely and a vacation I will treasure forever!

Now, glance back at your week and think about the ordinary things, people, places or happenings that took place in your life. The ordinary that is usually taken for granted. 

And, tell me what miracles occurred in your life!

(See Previous Ordinary Miracles Here)

And so we say "Good Bye."

~ Goodbye ~

Last week 2 of 3 of the kids started back up at school.  Neither were terribly excited for the summer to be over, but gave me some smiles as they headed off to school for their first day back.

Sassy is beginning 7th grade.

This is the beginning of the (supposed) "dreaded" middle school years.  She started at a new school that is much larger than she is use to and she is getting up earlier than she is used to.  She gets on the bus at 6:45 am (for the previous 6 years it was 8:15am).  The thought of having to get from her class to first floor, up to second floor, back down to first and to the other side of the building (and so on) had her a bit  nervous, and for me to see this confident girl of my nervous pulled at my heart strings.  She has a full schedule, with what could be some tough classes:  S+ Math, Spanish, Woodwinds, Life Science, PE, S+ English, S+ Us Studies and FACs.

On top of that she is playing volleyball for the 9th grade team at the high school.  Meaning, everyday after school she is bused to the high school for a 2 hour practice.  Two nights a week she has matches, two nights a week she has fastpitch softball practice and every Sunday she has 2 softball games.  The girl is busy... thus making her parents busy :)  But, so far she is managing everything very well.


Action is in 4th grade at the same elementary school as previous years, but with a teacher who is new to the school.

His school also hired a new principal (thankfully!) and assistant principal.  They have been a breath of fresh air and it has only been one week.  For example,  last year the kids were "assigned" a group of kids they had to play with at recess (friends or not), then they could only pick one thing to play for the entire recess.  This year, that rule is gone.  They choose who they play with (size of groups are limited for safety) and they can play whatever they want.  So nice to see him excited about this simple change!   Anyway, week one went down as a success!  He is playing tackle football again this year.  Their first game is tomorrow night.


Smiley is once again in preschool this year.

She goes to school on Monday and Wednesday mornings.  Today is her first day back.  She was excited to get back and see some of her friends again and ready to make some new ones!  I think she was getting tired of just hanging out with me all day long now that the other two are back in school! :)


Like always, it was a bummer to say goodbye to summer ~ we tried to squeeze as much in as we could around all of the activities the kids were in.

The time they are home is fleeing and the memories we can make together are priceless (even if they don't think so now!)

Yes it can be trying to have all of the kids home all day long, every day in the summer, yes they bicker and bug each other.  Yes, I have begged for just a minute of quiet.  But before we knew it, it was already gone.  And only the memories are left.  Memories I will savor!

 I hope you are all doing well.  I am still here, and I hope you haven't written off my little blog.  I hope to get back to being more consistent again.  I have a list of blog post to write and I am looking forward to finding all of you and getting caught up.  I am so behind on my blog reading!

~ So Goodbye Summer ~

We've had a lovely time and look forward to seeing you next year and creating many many more memories.

The last 4 days

Last day of school

1. Sassy on the last day of 5th grade

2. Happy kids

3. Action on the last day of 2nd grade

Last day of school "water ambush"

1.  Parents getting ready to ambush the school bus on the last day of school with water guns and balloons.
2. Sassy running from her dad
3 Chaos ensues
4. Sassy getting ready to shoot
5. Action taking aim at me
6. 3 wet kids ready for summer break to begin!

Trip to the zoo

Water Gun fight with a cousin

Silly Smiley

1. Antiquing 
2. reaction to eating a lemon
3. telling me her "legs are getting big"  meaning ~ she's getting taller :

What have you been up to?

Embrace the Camera

I mentioned the other day our trip to the zoo, well, 

here are a couple of pictures Sassy snapped of my hubby and I:

 (quick note: we were in the "rain forest" hence the drippage on the shirt)

Going through my pictures from last weekend, 

I may not be in many and the one's I AM in are nothing fabulous, but thanks to Sassy I am in some!  

Embrace the camera and step out from behind it :)