This is Why People Go on Warm Weather Vacations

A couple weeks ago, the Bouska family did something that it had never done before. John, Mary, and the three girls + families went on a warm-weather vacation.

Growing up, we were not the Florida vacation family. My parents carefully picked out rustic cabins in South Dakota, Wisconsin, or Colorado, and we would stay there for a few days. We didn't do Disney. We did the Corn Palace.

But in my parents' empty-nested years, they have taken annual trips to Florida to visit their friends who winter there. After last year, my dad watched too many little kids playing on the beach, and he decided he was going to get his grandkids down there. All this being said, it was the first time I had been to a nice warm beach when the rest of my world was frozen. It took 32 years. ha.

Penelope was such a great traveler!

Months ago, my sisters started looking at vacation rentals that would be big enough for our whole family. They snatched up this one, and it was perfect. Beach-front property, a heated pool, plenty of beds and bathrooms to go around. Plus, I've always dreamed of staying in a house on stilts.

It was the yellow one that you can't really see behind the palm tree.

And then I turned around and took this photo. Amazing, right?

The great thing about the house was that it was sitting in a giant sandbox. So, from the moment my kids woke up in the morning, they were out playing in the sand, collecting sea shells, and dabbling their feet in the water.

Brandon and Tim were also really into playing in the sand.

Auggie, especially, was in heaven. He loved chasing sea gulls, and just walking (or running) forever down the beach.

One of my favorite memories from the trip was the double date Tim and I went on with Beth and Brandon. We were going to go on individual dates since grandma, grandpa, and Aunt Julie were babysitting. But then we decided we would just enjoy adult conversation together. So we ate on the water under our own little cabana. It was such a fun time.

We got to ride a trolly to get to the the restaurants and shops at Fort Myers Beach, which my kids loved. It was the first time Auggie has ever been front facing in a vehicle. Penelope called it "The Shaly."

My Dad's birthday is December 26, but after 60 years of his celebration competing with Christmas, he decided to move it to the last week in February. So we celebrated it with this little cake that Penelope picked out.

It was foggy a lot of the time we were there. On more than one occasion the natives apologized for the weather, which was funny to me. Iowa was enduring record-setting, below-zero temperatures and wind chills the week we were gone. The 60s and 70s were just fine with me.

Penelope took this photo! Isn't it great?

We found a starfish!

What I learned from this vacation is that going on a big, extended family vacation is great. We enjoyed each other so much, and it was so nice to have other people watch my kids that it was really relaxing. It was also fun to let Penelope, August and Bennett have a week of cousin time.

In black, Julie, everyone's favorite aunt :)

This was right after Penelope said, "Brandon is such a great man."

I also learned that getting a little natural vitamin D is awesome, that white Florida sand is better than any other sand I've stepped on, and that it is really great to see a sunset over the ocean for a week straight.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for this awesome week!