High Tides and Low Tides

Rarely do I let so much time pass without a blog post. But a week-long vacation coupled with the start of CSU's Spring 2016 semester, meant that I had very little time for blogging.

It's time to do some catching up!

New Year's Eve 2015

into...

New Year's Day 2016

Sam and Alison came over for a special end-of-year rendezvous. There is no better place to spend a NYE than in the comfort of your own living room. Free babysitting, cheap drinks, no shoes required, and you get to be your own DJ! 

We ordered take-out. Danced till 3am. And found multiple creative uses for glowsticks.

We also filled a New Year's Resolution Jar with an assortment of wishes and goals for 2016.

Some serious... and some not so serious.

After watching the ball drop on TV, we unveiled the resolutions.

 

We had a good laugh with many of them....
And whatever you picked out of the jar was yours for a year. If you read closely, it looks like several of us are on a poop diet for 2016. 
(I can tell you right now, Alison and I didn't write those. Boys!)

Sam was the first to fall asleep. 

And we continued to utilize the glow sticks... 

After a week of work (I'm back up to 5 days-a-week now. Boo!), it was time for a much-anticipated vacation to Key West.

Friday, the morning before travel-day, we had a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. The boys inspected it carefully. I considered it a sign... Time to get on a plane and fly to Florida!

We packed and cleaned all Friday night. (Nothing like the added pressure of knowing a cat-sitter will be stopping by on a nightly basis. We couldn't leave the place in shambles.) 

Sage had fun with static electricity. And there's plenty of it during a dry Colorado winter.

Our flights out of DIA were around the noon hour. A perfect departure time for a family of four. We aimed to leave the house at 7am. We actually left at 8am. An hour behind schedule. So typical for us. But we had planned in so much extra travel time that the negative impact on our day was minimal. (We just had to skip our plans for Panera breakfast.)

We found parking and caught our shuttle rather quickly. But then the driver dropped us off at the wrong terminal, despite repeated attempts to confirm where Frontier's ticket counter was located. Once inside, we learned we had to haul ourselves clear across to the other side of the airport. We had two kids, one umbrella stroller, two ginormous car seats, 1 large rolling suitcase, and 4 personal-sized carry-ons. A walk to "the other side" was no easy feat. But after checking in, we got to bid adieu to most of the big items. So navigating the airport got easier at that point. 

We lucked out with a small security line. And still had an adequate window of time for coffees and breakfast before boarding the plane.  

Sam and Alison were on the same flight. I'm glad they sat in front of us. My kids quickly discovered the joys of opening and closing the seat-back trays. And Frontier's new chair design makes it ridiculously easy to do this. In any row with children I could hear the familiar clink-clank of a seat tray. I think Frontier needs to install a lock system. It's a battle parents just don't need on long flights!

This was Kale's first flight. A big milestone. Both boys were good fliers. But only because Matt and I diligently entertained them with stickers, scratch art, action figures, a fully-loaded ipad, multiple rounds of breastfeeding (for Kale), and all sorts of snacks. It was a marathon.

The rest of the Carter Clan was waiting in a giant 12-passenger van at the Miami Airport. By 7pm we had the car seats installed, and luggage loaded. It was hot and humid. (Very exciting!)

We turned up the AC, then began our journey down the Overseas Highway. Too bad it was night time. We knew there was a view, but we couldn't see a thing...until Sunday morning arrived.

How incredible to wake up, walk through your living room, and see this!

Our balcony overlooked the Gulf of Mexico. And it was consistently dotted with white sailboats. I could get used to this!

Our balcony had two stories, connected by a spiral staircase. I was initially excited by the second level views, but then realized what a child-magnet this feature was. And when it was wet, it was slippery. The staircase quickly became a safety concern and parenting nuisance.

I've never seen waters as clear and as turquoise as those in the Gulf. It looked like someone had dumped in food coloring.

I hadn't been outside bare-foot and in short sleeves in over 10 weeks. It was liberating! I could be human again!

Plus, it was close to 100% humidity, and my skin felt incredible. I quickly realized I didn't need to pack my arsenal of lotions.

We threw on some swim attire and headed down to the strip of beach behind the Marriott.

There's the rest of the family watching from the suite balcony....

Kale's first ocean interaction.

Sage's second. His first was in Norther Cali.

There was an ample amount of sea life accessible from our "backyard." We saw a jellyfish and a pair of horseshoe crabs over the course of the week. Plus lots of fish and tiny shell crabs.

After some beach exploration, we walked over to the pool area.

What a view! 

And there was a bar too. Easy access to all the tropical cocktails you could ever want!

We didn't know it at the time, but this would be the last blue sky we would see all week. We would soon realize this trip would have some highs, and would also have some lows. 

High tides and low tides.

It wasn't going to be perfect.

The biggest low tide: the weather.

Why did we pick Key West? It's the southernmost point in the U.S. It's the warmest location in the continental United States. It's home to the third largest coral reef in the world. And the only living coral reef in America. We went for sun, for warmth, and for water exploration. But the weather put a quick stop to all of that. Just hours after the Carters arrived, Key West got hit with a "winter storm" that produced thick clouds, daily rain showers, high winds, and temperature dips to the mid 60's.

But you know... after a couple small temper tantrums....we refocused our goals, and we made the best of our time there. 

Hey, we still got to wear sandals every day! 

(I'd consider that a high tide!)

As I mentioned above, Sunday was a gorgeous day. We didn't know it was our last (or we might have stuck around the pool a little longer). But instead we jumped on the hotel shuttle bus and headed down to Duval Street to explore the town.

Our first stop... to drink a fresh coconut.

This was kind of a big deal for us. A first!

We selected the perfect fruit, and they drilled two holes in it. A couple straws later...we were taking in all those natural electrolytes.

Kale loved it most of all.

Hard to say exactly how much liquid was inside the coconut. But it seemed close to 12 ounces. We kept drinking and drinking and drinking. Thought it would never end! Needless to say, we were well hydrated by the time we hit South Beach.

Key West is home to lots of free-roaming chickens and roosters.

At the end of Duval Street is a tiny strip of sand, South Beach. We headed that direction just in time for happy hour, and a sunset.

We found lots of sea sponges washed up on shore. We took one back to the hotel with us, but when our bathroom started to smell like a dead fish (or more like a bucket full of dead fish...it was THAT potent), we decided to toss it. 

Two babies. Two oceans.

Sage 2013 above. (12 months)

Kale 2016 below. (16 months)

Low Tide: 

So Monday was supposed to be our snorkeling day. Grandma and Grandpa generously agreed to watch the kids so Matt and I could snorkel for the first time in our whole lives. (Remember that coral reef I mentioned above?) Well, due to rain and high winds, the captain canceled the trip. Reschedule for a different day perhaps? Not according to his fancy captain's weather app. The sea was going to be aggressive at least for another week. You can't snorkel in 5 foot waves. 

It was then we realized how much of an impact bad weather was going to have on us. The trip took on a flavor different than we had been anticipating.

High Tide: But we decided to make the most of a morning without kids. And we explored the town, just the two of us. We walked around Mallory Square and stumbled into a Seashell Warehouse.

We took the money we would have spent on snorkeling, and instead bought souvenirs.

And Matt saw boobies!

After returning home, we hit up the hot tub. That bubbling pool of salt water quickly became our new home. Every day, every night...hot tub time! (High tide!)

Monday night we talked the family into heading back out to Mallory Square for their "famous" sunset celebration. But the clouds were so thick...there was no sunset to see. 

Cocktails and ice cream took our minds off the clouds.

Soon after sunset, Duval Street starts to get wild and crazy. There's a drinking culture in Key West. There are sidewalk bars, and you can walk around drinking in public, as long as you have a plastic cup. Sounds fun for the twenty-somethings. Not so much for us parents. This was our cue to catch the next shuttle home.

Tuesday was supposed to be our glass-bottom boat tour. But, as you can guess, it was also canceled due to rough seas. (Low tide.)

So we settled on an indoor activity. 

We headed to the Butterfly Conservatory.

That's not a real butterfly on Matt's shoulder. That's a "I did it!" sticker you get after exiting the facility. We went through the greenhouse twice.

We got up close and personal with a rooster.

Then we met up with the rest of the family for the Conch Tour Train.

We traveled all around the island while our guide colorfully explained the history and culture of Key West to us. It was a long tour. Supposed to be about 90 minutes. 

But for us...just a little bit longer. :)

Poor Bruce had some traffic troubles and we got ourselves stuck in a tight spot. He inched a little forward. Then a little back. A little forward. A little back. With just centimeters to spare between the train and two parked vans, he stopped, and went on a door-to-door search for the vehicles' owners.

He found them. And we were back on our way. While quite an exciting adventure for the adults on the tour. My little boys had tired of the popcorn and were ready to exit the train!

Back to our stomping grounds. 

Sage acquired a taste for virgin daiquiris on this trip.

High Tide: the hotel had a fabulous restaurant on site. Tavern N Town. 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor! And if you dined with them for dinner, you got free tickets to their breakfast buffet the next day.

What a deal!

Matt and I dined there (with Sam and Al) a couple of times.

High Tide: Which meant more free babysitting from Grandma and Grandpa. Yes!!

Matt loves dining (and drinking) in public....

Wednesday.

Despite the cold and wet weather, we pushed on and attempted to explore the best beach in Key West - Fort Zachary State Park.

They look warm and cozy, don't they?!?

Nothing like a hot day on the beach.

Believe it or not...these two went for a swim in the sea.

I watched from shore... in long leggings and a sweatshirt.

Jack and my parents explored the Civil War fort on property, while Matt and Sage finished up their seashell hunting.

Low Tide: It was after returning from a chilly morning on the beach, that I started to feel very sick. I had intense aching all over my back and neck, and chills. My dad came down with the same thing. This is when I stopped drinking my island cocktails and started popping ibuprofen. I'm not a pill taker. I like to avoid it. But I was on a 2-pill twice a day regime. And it was the only way to push on.

I wouldn't shake the illness until Friday night...just in time for my flight home!

Thursday:

Feeling very ill, but refusing to let anything stop me.

Matt and I were motivated to do SOMETHING on the water. And he had received a tip from another vacationer in the hot tub, that kayaking in the mangroves was a perfect activity for inclement weather.

And so we kayaking we went.

We had an awesome time! We kayaked in open waters, and through a "mangrove maze." We saw lots of sea life in crystal clear calm salt waters. I saw at least 15 starfish... and even got to hold one. (High tide!)

Matt and I now have "kayaks" on our 2016 Christmas list.

Friday was a warm day. No sun, and still sprinkling. But warm.

I was wearing shorts and a tank top. That's definitely something to celebrate in January.

We toured Earnest Hemingway's house and met some of his 6-toed cats.

We stumbled across the famous Mile 0 sign, marking the end of US Highway 1.

Then we randomly ran into my parents in Mallory Square. What are the chances?!? And they offered to drive us home. But only after checking out the huge cruise ships anchored in the harbor.

Then the blue sky peeked out for just a second. 

We ran outside with our cameras.

But I caught on film something far better than an ocean view....

Susan Carter!

Despite our best attempts to slow down time, Saturday arrived. We had a 6pm flight back to Denver. And we were not happy about it. What really made it so painful, was that the sun came out on this day. Just in time to say goodbye. Or more like...to give us a kick in the ass on the way out! Thanks for throwing salt in our wounds, Key West.

But the sun wouldn't stick around for long. Key West was in store for another week of "winter" storms. This was a one day break. Yet, it still made it extra hard to leave. 

We all woke up early and ran down to the pool in an effort to get a bit of vitamin D before the drive to Miami. But two hours wasn't enough....

We made a stop for lunch. One final beach moment for the family.

We had planned on doing a family picture long before the trip started. We even coordinated outfits. But the bad weather didn't offer any good opportunities for a photo session.

So today was the day.

Some of us dressed in the hotel. Some of us in the car. And some right on pier. It was an unplanned last-minute race. But we made it happen! We got our winning shot! Sometimes spontaneity works.

Following the photo shoot, we had lunch on the pier. 

One last chance for Matt to get a little more fresh seafood.

And for Sage to get a little car crashing time in....

Then it was back to Denver.

Following a 3 hour drive, an hour wait-time in the Miami airport, 4 hours in actual flight, another hour changing back into winter gear and collecting our checked luggage after landing, and an hour drive home....we were incredibly tired, and happy to be in Fort Collins.

The honeymoon didn't last long. By mid-day on Sunday, we were ready to head south again. Matt's been looking for beachfront properties ever since....