FINALLY! : )

We are HOME!

We actually got home on Sunday, but I have been too busy/too tired to blog since then.  But I am so excited to tell you about our amazing trip!!

I had been praying about this vacation to Florida for a long time...probably since we knew for sure we were going, months and months ago.  I prayed for good health mostly--for Sarah and for everyone.  I just wanted this trip to be a blessing from top to bottom after this crazy year we had.  And God delivered in a big way!

First of all, we drove down there.  We live about a 21 hour drive away--with stops, the total travel time for us was 24 hours.  We did it in two driving days.  The first blessing was that seven of us smooshed in the van survived the drive only a little worse for wear!   No one threw up, and I am very thankful.  : ) 

The next blessing was where we stayed.  My wonderful in-laws rent a house near Orlando every winter for a couple of months.  This time they picked a 4 bedroom one with plenty of room for us to spread out.  Scott and I had our own beautiful room with a big, private bath.  There was a heated pool and a hot tub in the backyard.  It was so wonderful!!  Sarah had an absolute blast jumping in that pool!  She is fearless in  the water, and I know she will be swimming for real in no time.

 First, she played in the tub while the pool was heating up.

 Hanging out at the pool..

 Ready to jump...

 No fear!

 JUMP!!  (She wanted to do this all day...Daddy is such a good sport.)  : )

NO TUBEES!!!!!

Yea, Grandpa!

I could post so many more pictures on here of swimming in the "cool."  She had the time of her life. : )

The day after we arrived, I was so nervous because two of the boys were showing symptoms of being sick.  Jacob and Josh had head-aches, ear-aches, sore throats and slight fevers.  RIGHT OFF THE BAT!  I was picturing a week or more of laying around the house, but instead, I prayed!!  I prayed and prayed, and believed that God would not let that happen on this trip I'd been praying about for months. 

And He did not let that happen!  The boys both got better, lickety split.  Praise the Lord!  That was the next huge blessing.  And then we did lots of things...

We caught a lizard and named him "Geico."  And Ben practically adopted the little thing.

We wore pretty dresses and played...

We went for walks because it was warm outside...

We hung out at Downtown Disney..

 and saw alligators and 97 year old toroises at Gatorland!

 We enjoyed time together as a family...

We saw cool things!

 And we played golf. : )

 We went to Medieval Times...

And really loved it...

and the amazing Cirque du Soleil!

 And we ended it all by spending the day at the beach!

We even got to see the last launch of the Space shuttle Discovery from a distance!

The last blessing was that we got to stay with one of my dear friends and her family on the way down, and a different dear friend and her family on the way back.  Doubly wonderful!  And, we made it back safely, once again all smooshed in the car...a little more smooshed because I also got some great shopping deals, and the kids got a little spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa...with no problems. : )

We did and saw more on this trip than I could have dreamed of.  God was so good to us.  Thank you also to my precious mom and dad in law who did so much for us and helped us make a million memories on this vacation.  It was just such an all around beautiful blessing!

I will bless the Lord at all times:  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Psalm 34:1