Siesta Key Fun

We had an incredible time together this year at Siesta Key. It was so wonderful to share the time with Davis and introduce him to our favorite family spot and annual traditions. The weather was absolute perfection each day and the sunsets were beautiful. How can you go wrong when this is the view from your back porch? 

Here's our Top Ten List of Siesta Key Fun from 2013................

1. Time to Eat - We took Davis to all our favorite spots (Daquiri Deck, Sweet Tomatoes, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Old Salty Dog, Captain Curt's) and even tried a new place, Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar which was very good. Parker graduated to ordering off the grownup menu in order to have enough food for his growing appetite. He loves shrimp and always had a shrimp basket or a shrimp po'boy. Daryl also made us yummy breakfasts (biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls, french toast) every morning except Sunday when we went to Dutch Valley on the way home. 

Watch out! The Daquiri Deck shark is gonna get you!

Daddy turned his plain hot dog into an octopus.

The Shrimp Po'Boy

Cheeburger Cheeburger

You mean my meal comes in a car?!!!

Hanging out by the Oyster Bar

Dutch Valley Mickey Mouse Pancake 

Finishing up Daddy's gravy after eating his pancake. 

2. Time at the Beach - Parker and Wesley love the beach! Some years they want to spend more time in the water; other years more time in the sand. This year was a water year. Mostly because their brother Davis did NOT like the sand. He refused to walk on it with his bare feet and we had to carry him down to the water every day. If the boys wanted to play on the sand, Davis would stand next to them and watch but he would not budge. The water in the Gulf was a different story completely. He LOVED it. In fact, he got so comfortable that five out of the six days we spent on the beach he took a nap in our arms (Wesley used to do the same when he was a toddler!). Our view in the water included lots of parasailing and paddleboarding this year. 

3. Time in the Pool - After spending time in the Gulf each day, we always wandered up to the pool. Again, Davis loved the water. And by day 3 after watching his brothers, he was jumping off the side of the pool into Daryl's waiting arms.

4. Time with Family - Grandmommy and Granddaddy came down for dinner on Tuesday night. After the restaurant, Davis pulled us over towards the Petsmart next door. He remembered seeing a person walk in their with their dog as we were headed in to eat. We wandered all around and he was so excited about seeing the dogs - in fact we hung out and watched part of an obedience class for a while. When we got back we had time for a nice walk on the beach, a beautiful sunset and some play time in the water. There was more family time on Saturday, but that's actually a separate post for later.

5. Time with Friends - On Thursday, our friends the Holdens came up from LaBelle to join us for some fun. It was great to catch up with James, Christy, Will and Mary Elizabeth. We repeated our usual pattern of beach, pool, lunch, rest and dinner. And then we followed that up with a walk through the Village and a stop at Big Olaf's for ice cream!

A few snacks by the pool.

And he even shared his snacks with Mary Elizabeth.

7. Time for Relaxing and Some Walks! - The weather was truly perfect. It never rained while we wanted to be on the beach or in the pool. It usually rained late in the afternoon and never lasted long, just enough to get a rainbow one evening. I took the big boys for a walk one morning down to the Point of Rocks so that they could collect some shells. 

8. Time for the Guys to Hang Out - All of the boys had lots of fun being together, from shopping excursions to beach time to video games and even watching Rays games. In the video, Davis is yelling "Strike Em Out!" 

9. Time to Sleep - Someone was so exhausted from his first exciting day on the beach that he fell asleep on Monday before he could finish his lunch. And sometimes big brothers were so tired from all of the day's activities, that they fell asleep waiting their turn to go to bed.

10. Time for Impressions - The beach seemed to make a big impression on Davis, but that wasn't the biggest impression of the week. Davis really seemed to miss the kitty cats from home and decided at least once a day to pretend to be a cat. This included crawling around on the floor, meowing loudly, rubbing his head on your leg until you petted him and just like Miss Mary at home, licking your leg. He was quite committed to his impression! 

It was definitely a wonderful and memorable vacation!