We miss you Florida!!!!

So, in all honesty, I have been avoiding this blog update like the plague! I updated my Facebook with pictures from the trip and THAT took forever....I knew this would take even longer! I have to upload each picture 5 at a time and then once they were all uploaded I had to move them around to they were in order and bah! So that is why I am now FINALLY getting our Florida pictures on the blog almost 2 weeks later....

Our trip was fabulous! We went down December 3-6 and that was the perfect amount of time with a little one! Easton was great on the plane rides, great down in Florida, but by the end you could tell he missed his Ritzy and toy room! :-)

We stayed at the Lido Key Beach Resort on Lido Key - just walking distance from St. Armand's Circle on St. Armand's Key and 5 minutes from Sarasota. The resort was gorgeous and we enjoyed the area so much. I have gone down to this area since I was a little girl, so I was so excited to show Easton and Ryan my favorite restaurants and shops and it was so nice to go to a place I was familiar with! It really helped us have any even better time having knowledge of the area.

We got down to Florida on Wednesday and we picked up our car. We drove around a little Sebring Convertible which made us feel like hot stuff until we reached St. Armand's Circle where everyone drives a Lamborghini or Ferrari and then we felt like small potatoes! Ha!

We got to the resort but our room wasn't done so we went to The Crab & Finn in St. Armand's Circle and had lunch (crab quesadillas - oh yeah baby!) Delicious!

We were making friends left and right. People down there are so much friendlier than they are here! It didn't help that Easton was flirting with everyone! People are just drawn to him! We would have people walk past our table and stop to talk to him and people who would be eating inside the restaurant that were watching him outside and they'd come out and want to meet him! He's a celebrity down there now!

After lunch we changed and went down to check out the pool and the beach....

Easton of course had to dip his hands in and splash around!

Then he wanted to walk around on the ledge , this kid loves the water!

Dad took him for a walk around the pool, he loves walking around. He walks all by himself but daddy had to keep a hand on him otherwise he would want to walk right INTO the pool!

A quick family pic!

We checked out the beach afterwards and Easton met the ocean for the first time!

Then, completely whipped from the plane ride and all of the excitement, he fell asleep during our beach walk. Aw!

That night we went to MarVista, a beach front restaurant right at the top of Long Boat Key to have dinner. We indulged in stone crab and Easton loved their pineapple coconut bread! Yummy! They have a darling dock we walked out onto afterwards where we chased after some blue herons and pelicans!

The restaurant got Ryan's seal of approval!

The next day we decided to do some shopping in St. Armand's Circle. St. Armand's Circle has been dubbed as the "Rodeo Drive" of Florida and it most certainly is! We had so much fun!

Matching smiles on both of my hambones!

Family Picture!

We went to lunch at Tommy Bahamas. Yes, they are not just a store, they have a restaurant too! It was fantastic! Easton got his first "umbrella drink" there - so fancy!

Beautiful boy chomping on some bread!

Banana Chocolate Rum Drink, so fantastic!

Key Lime Pie in a cup with a graham cracker crust around the rim was even better!

After shopping and lunch we headed back to the resort to take advantage of the pool! Easton wanted to show all of his new friends what he has been learning in swim class!

Cheese!

Whenever he sees a camera now he immediately gives us the cheesiest grin and wants to look at the screen to see himself! So smart!

The resort was gorgeous.

We then got changed and headed to the beach!

Wheee!

Easton picks the best places to fall asleep!

That night we went to The SandBar on Anna Maria Island for dinner. Stone crab again (you sensing a theme here? I swore to Ryan I would try to eat crab at every meal! Ha!) Easton was utterly enamored with the live music. Everyone around us laughed saying it looked as though the guitarist was playing and singing right to Easton!

"Mom, I do not have time to look and take a picture, I am watching music happen!"

"Fine, I'll look and smile and then let me get back to the music!"

The next day we went to The Mote Aquarium. Easton LOVED it! Here he is watching sea turtles! He loved them!

Walking to another tank of sea turtles....

The sea turtles loved Easton too! I wish he would have looked at her during this picture! The sea turtles were being rehabilitated but won't be released into the wild because they sustained too much brain damage from being hit in the head with a boat propeller, isn't that sad!?



Easton watching sharks!

"Mom, seriously, I am busy LEARNING!"

This is the "touch tank"!!!! He loved it!!!! And so do I, I used to love coming here just for the touch tank when I was little!

Teenagers at the aquarium were scared to touch the horseshoe crabs, but not Easton!


Here he is touching a chocolate chip sea cucumber! He may look like daddy, but he has his mom's interests! He loves music, swimming, sea life and food! :-)



More touching....



Cheese!

Anyone else spy a hammerhead over Easton's shoulder!? ;-)

We then went and watched and touched the sting rays, Easton was in awe!

Daddy in our cute little ride before heading to dinner that night!

We ate at The Craib & Finn in St. Armand's. King Crab tonight, hehe!

It was a hopping night in St. Armand's Circle! Tonight was the night of their Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Party! It was a blast! We were singing Christmas carols with everyone while we waited for our dinner! It was like a huge Christmas party - Easton didn't have fun at all if you can't tell! Ha! He loved it!

Here we are getting our picture taken with Santa's "reindeer". Santa came into St. Armand's in style, he came riding in on a completely tricked out sleigh golf cart! These were his trusty reindeer! Ha!

All of the stores in St. Armand's Circle had fun things going on. Some stores had live musicians playing outside their doors, others were passing our food and wine, some places were mixing up smoothies and ice cream and others were giving away goodies! This store was giving away huge candy canes, roses and they also "glittered" us. Easton got a glitter star on his nose (you will see in an upcoming video).

Easton showing off his "goods" and his glitter star on his nose (can you see it!?)



Enjoying the local flavor!

Easton loved the musicians! I have a killer video I'll post later that you will all die over!

Our last day, eating breakfast in the resort.

The boys enjoying the resort's koi pond.

Easton loved watching all of the fish! The koi were huge!

Toodaloo Florida! We'll miss you!

Videos to come, hopefully they don't take as long as this post! Ha!