Florida pictures

Well I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures form our first family vacation together. Traveling with an 8 month old isn't easy but Ren did great. About one hour away from Uncle Mike's Ren started running a fever for no reason. We gave him infant Tylenol and he didn't sleep too good that night. The next day we took him to a doctor that Danielle recommended and he said it was a sore throat. No prescription, just continue with Motrin and Tylenol. Day three Kelly discovered a tooth poking out of his bottom gum.

Other than that no real problems. The weather was perfect and food was good.

Here is Ren and I cleaning out the back of the truck...

I found one of those baby backpacks at a consignment shop in Hickory before we left and it turned out to be one of the best baby accessories we've bought... Some of Uncle Mikes gardening skills. He had corn coming up in his vegetable garden too... The pool and Lanai.
This is the night all of my cousins and their children came over for homemade lasagna. It was good to see all of them...

All of the kids on the trampoline after supper.


Uncle Mike arranged for Kelly and I to take an air boat ride with Mr. Chip Webb. His air boat had a bored out 502ci. engine on it. If you know motors then you know what I'm talking about. We saw two gators and had a blast on that thing and no, Ren didn't go, he stayed with Uncle Mike on the bank.

Here is fat boy in the new car seat that he likes much better than the infant seat. We traveled a total of 1700 miles this trip and he did wonderful.

With nothing on my mind but vacationing I had a lot of time to spend with Ren. This is after his bath one night we strolled through the living room to tell everyone good night...

No matter where you put him he finds something to play with and has fun. I was trying to pack up for the second leg of our trip, down to Naples to see Aunt Alverna...

Aunt Alverna and Uncle Buck's...

Aunt Alverna treated us to dinner at a seafood place called Pinchers. The crab legs were great and Kelly enjoyed a Margaretta...

After dinner we rode over to Marco Island and watched the sunset...

Aunt Alverna, Buck, Uncle Mike and Erin poured out hospitality on their hillbilly nephew and I am grateful to have family like them. My memories of my childhood trips to Florida with Mom and Dad are some of my most vivid and treasured memories. Once, sometimes twice a year we made that trip to where the weather was warmer and sun always shinned. I wouldn't trade those memories for any amount of money. Yes, a lot has changed in 25 years but some things are exactly the same... Like Annetta Smith's (Memaw's) piano playing in the Williston Church of God.
I hope to go back (preferably in March) and let Ren make some memories that will stay with him too.