Because Sometimes You Need a Road Trip

Sometimes you just need a road trip. So Felicia from Stare if You Must jumped in her van with six of her kids plus a friend and her son and drove down yesterday and spent the day today. It was beautiful and almost hit 80F--or maybe it did. 

Not all the kids were out on the beach yet when we started taking pictures. And for whatever reason, Felicia and I both had one who did not listen and bring a swimsuit. Or maybe they listened but decided not to bother. And neither was happy with the decision later.

The kids had a lot of fun playing on the beach and trying the kayaks in the waves. We are usually in more of an enclosed area so it was new to them. They found that once you got out past the waves, it was clear paddling.

Tyler helped pull people out past the waves.

If you get back into the waves and get hit from the side, you might end up swimming instead of kayaking!

Anthony can really throw a football.

 Kaleb could probably benefit from a few pointers.

 I took 149 photos and the little guys is probably in more than anyone else. I mean, look at that face.

 Posing for pictures wasn't in B's game plan.

 He let us get one.

 Then he was done. 
If this looks like a lot of kids, well, it's not. We actually have 19 between us. But both of us have the adult kids who are out of the house, those who show back up and then a younger group.

We decided it would be easy to just call out for pizza, so we did.

 The kids amused us with Twister Skip It while we waited for the pizza.

 Then it was down to the pool.

 And back up  to see the sunset.

 B had had enough. I think some of the others of us wanted to join him!

 Felicia made this for Jessica for the baby's room.

Us after a day on the beach. Felicia hadn't had a chance to change out of her swimsuit and my hair was a mess from wearing a hat earlier!

We are going over in the morning for a walk on the beach with them (or a hobble on the beach with my foot!) before they drive home.

I think we need to have an adoptive parents' get together here sometimes. The rates are really good this time of year.

Just a word of history here--Felicia and I some how connected on blogs a few years ago. Then in 2013 I found out they were going to be at Disney about the same time we were leaving out of Miami on a cruise. So I left early with two of the kids to go to Orlando and meet her and her family before going on to Miami. Not everyone was able to leave early, so not everyone was able to meet her and her family. 

 It was fun to meet because we felt like we already knew each other and each other's kids because of our blogs. I am sure there are people who blog who are not who they say they are, but with Felicia and I, who we are on our blogs is who we really are!

Then last summer we found out we were both going to be in the same town in Indiana at almost the same time. How weird is that--especially since I'm in FL and she's in SC. I adjusted our trip only by one or two days to make sure we were there together a whole week in case it was hard to meet up. If you go back to June, you can see pictures from that trip.

It's always fun to get together with other adoptive families because they get it if one of your kids decides to prove something by not bringing a suit or trying to manipulate someone and gets to sit out and watch or whatever. You never hear another adoptive parent (at least those who have adopted older children) say, "Why did you do that?" or "That poor child, he/she didn't mean to do that" or "Aww, couldn't you just let it go this time?"

I'm hopeful that we are going to be able to meet up at least for a couple of days next summer too. 

One last photo I missed. Jasmine made this jar to give Larissa.

They are fun to make and pretty easy too, although you can end up with paint in your hair or on your clothes and shoes! You can find out how to make one yourself--or have your kids make them for teacher gifts HERE.