The "Saturday" 8: Florida Edition!

Are you ready for the most epic blog post ever?? We actually got home last night, but I was so exhausted that I didn't want to put forth the effort of writing/choosing pictures. But now I'm rested and ready, so here we go!!

1. My parents had their 40th anniversary in 2021 and we wanted to all go away as a family to celebrate. But Covid was complicating things and there were a few family members who just couldn't get away. So we put it off until this year. I think it was June when we finally confirmed a date and Niki found an amazing house for us to stay in. We all chipped in (some more than others if I'm honest - haha), and started counting down the days. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way it became apparent that Libby and her family wouldn't be able to come. We tried so many different avenues to work things out, but we just couldn't make it happen. To say we were heartbroken is an understatement. I know Niki and I certainly shed some tears over it, and I'm sure we weren't the only ones. Every time we took a group picture this week, I felt the tug of sadness that we were missing some of our family members. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I don't know if we'll ever be able to pull off again. The last time we did a big family vacation was right after Justin and I got engaged in 2005 - 19 years ago! And then we only had to accommodate 11 people. 

We've grown a lot . . . in more ways than one! 😂

Now we're up to 27 (and growing)! So despite our longing for Libby and her family to join us, we were able to have an absolutely amazing week together. Be prepared for gushing. And pictures.

2. Our flight on Saturday was at 1:00, so we all converged on the airport by 11. The Grand Rapids airport is amazing and we breezed right through checking our bags and getting through security. 

Some of the girls waiting for everyone to get through security. 

I anticipated some waiting time in the airport, so made up a Bingo game for the kids. That kept them occupied for a while, and not long after they were done, it was time to board!

This was the first flight for many of the kids. It ended up being Casper's favorite part of the whole vacation! 😂

Lena and I were both nervous about flying. But I popped my trusty Xanax (I asked the Dr. if Lena could have some, but she said no) and prepared myself for the necessary evil of flying in order to go on vacation. We flew Southwest, which has open seating. Families with young children are among the first to board, so we all went straight to the back of the plane so we could be together (and avoid bothering too many people with all our kids). 

Not pictured: short kids

My parents, Mike, Tristan, and Tayton drove (not all together). They'd been sending us updates of their progress for a couple days, so it was amazing to watch the flight path as we flew and see how quickly we covered ground that took them hours upon hours to travel. As much as I hate flying, you can't beat the convenience! We had a very smooth flight and the kids did great. Just a couple crying jags from the two littlest, but that's totally to be expected. Lena clung to me during takeoff, but was fine after that!

When we left home, temps were in the teens and there were 24 inches of snow on the ground. So even though it was only in the 50s when we landed in Florida, we were thrilled by the sunshine and warmth. Since we were the last ones off the plane and we had a whole bunch of kids with us, the flight attendant let them sit in the cockpit for a quick picture opportunity!

Justin and I rented a car through Turo for the first time, which was a little nerve-wracking, but it was super easy and went off without a hitch. It was about a 45 minute drive to the house we were staying at (Orlando traffic is so annoying), so we headed straight there. There were a ton of pictures in the listing that we'd looked at countless times, but seeing this mansion in person was amazing. It was in a gated resort community and had 11 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, an arcade, playroom, game room, three washers and dryers, ginormous kitchen, theater room, private heated pool, and outdoor patio/grill/games. We seriously lived like kings all week. 

Each couple had their own bedroom with attached bathroom, the little kids shared kid-themed rooms, and Lucy even got her own room with a king sized bed and a private bathroom. She was living her best life all week. Lol. 

 

The girls on the upper bunk in the Frozen themed room.

Lena peeking out the window at the top

A slide to get down from the top bunk!

The boys (Levi and Casper) had a Mandalorian themed room:

We spent Saturday afternoon/evening unpacking and settling in. Luke and Esther went grocery shopping while the rest of us went out for dinner. And the kids immediately tried out the pool. It was well-heated and was warmer than the air that first night!

2. The kids all slept great Saturday night and we woke up on Sunday to Luke and Esther making breakfast for us. Casper has some severe food allergies, and Luke and Esther enjoy cooking, so they took on that role. They collaborated with Niki to make a meal plan for the week, then we all chipped in for the cost of groceries. It was such a treat to have someone cook for me all week! 

Sunday morning couch snuggles.

We watched church online. (Levi was amazed that we could see our church on TV while we were in Florida. Haha. The wonders of the Internet!)

Then we spent the rest of the day enjoying the house's amenities and hanging out together.

The motorcycle game.

Foam pit play structure

Lena was excited about the monkey bars. That blue thing on the left is one of two slides in this room.

Mom bowling

Lots of air hockey all week!

Levi got to be a pro at this game

Lounging poolside

Golfing poolside

As you can tell by our apparel, it wasn't super warm, but we were happy with the 50s and 60s!

Trying out the weight room

One of my favorite features!

Couples who play together stay together!

That night was the big Lions game . . . for which we had luxury accommodations:

Some of us watched from downstairs. It was hilarious to watch the boys pace and fret. They were pretty thrilled with the results!

I got to snuggle this cutie during the game.

My sweet, selfless dad doing the dishes that night after everyone else went their separate ways.

3. On Monday we got up bright and early because it was DISNEY DAY!!! My parents aren't Disney fans, and Luke and Esther didn't think their kids were old enough to really enjoy it, so they all stayed behind, but the rest of us caravanned to Hollywood Studios. 

Disney, here we come!

There was a lot of discussion about whether to do Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, but we settled on Hollywood because it's Nova's favorite, my kids have never been there, and they have the best shows.

After a minor snafu with my tickets (I bought them online the night before, and despite checking and double checking, apparently reserved the wrong date 🤦🤦🤦. It was easily remedied by customer service at the park.), we took a quick family pic, then set off to explore!

Levi loved following the map.

For the first half of the day, we all stuck together. The lines were long, as expected, but the kids all did surprisingly well! Our first ride was Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway:

Then we went to the Indiana Jones show. Levi had a bad attitude at first. He was sure it was going to be loud and scary and wanted to leave. But fortunately I had brought his headphones, and we made him stick it out. He ended up enjoying it. 

Lucy bought herself a funnel cake, and promptly got powdered sugar all over herself. Haha.

In line for one of the Star Wars rides. Get used to this dorky smile from Levi. It's all I can get from him now.

This ended up being Lena's favorite ride. It made Lucy and me nauseous, but it was fun!

Toy Story Land. I just loved all the clever decorations.

Clapping along to the Beauty and the Beast show (another one he said he wouldn't like, but enjoyed!)

Lena asked why I like Beauty and the Beast so much. It's really a combination of Belle's love for books, the Beast's library, the sweet (albeit weird) love story, and pure childhood nostalgia! 

After the show, we took a kids' pic (minus Lainey, who was sleeping):

Levi was chasing some birds and I got a couple adorable candids of him.

Look at those dimples!

It was kind of funny that Justin and Tayton were wearing their Lions gear that day, because they had just defeated a team from Tampa - not too far from where we were! Tayton got a couple of comments from people. 😂

Niki got Lena this birthday pin since her birthday was the next day. Once Lena realized that Disney employees are super attentive to the pin and every one said "Happy Birthday" to her, she took it off. Lol.

The Frozen Show. Definitely the best show we saw. The kids adored it, but there was a lot of humor that the adults enjoyed as well.

Snowing in the theater!

After the show, we split up for a while. Justin, Tristan, Nova, Lucy, and Levi went on the Slinky ride, but I could not convince Lena to try it. So she and I did the alien ride since it had a short wait:

Scary Slinky ride.

There was a long line for Slinky, so Lena and I decided to get in line for Toy Story Mania. The sign out front said "70 minute wait," but we didn't have anything else to do, so we got in line. 95 minutes later we actually got on the ride. 🤦 Up until that point, I was doing great. The weather was absolutely beautiful - 60s and cloudy, so not too hot or too cold. We hadn't had to wait longer than an hour for any ride yet. Plus, my back and feet barely hurt since we got to sit down at the shows between rides. But that hour and a half wait pushed me over the edge. The line just kept going and going and going. It twists and turns forever, and I kept thinking, "It'll be right around this turn," but I kept being wrong. Haha. My back started to kill from standing in line and holding two heavy backpacks (I took the one Justin was wearing so he didn't have to carry it on the roller coaster). 

Posing with the "L" block. At least the decorations were fun to look at!

Getting bored.

Made it to the end of the line and got our glasses!

We finally got on the ride - which was fun, but I'm not sure it was worth the wait. Haha.

I was yellow. Winner!

Finally, we met back up with Justin, Levi, and Lucy for dinner. I had packed us sandwiches and Lunchables for lunch, but we splurged and got dinner at Disney. Honestly, the prices weren't that bad. The five of us ate for just over $50. We had spent $45 on Culver's Saturday night. 🤷 Everything is expensive now. We're just used to it. 

We wanted to ride another of the Star Wars rides that we missed, but it had a two hour wait, so we knew we wouldn't make it before the big show. It's insane that we were there for over 12 hours, but still didn't have time to ride all the rides or see everything because the lines are just so incredibly long. 

Waiting for the show to start.

Levi waving his flashlight in the crowd.

The final show was really cool and the whole day was really fun. The last time we went to Disney was 7 years ago, so it was fun to experience it with our kids at this age. Lucy is old enough to understand that Disney is cool and kind of a status symbol. And Lena and Levi are old enough to be tall enough for all the rides, and not require naps or diaper changes! Justin and I joked with the kids that we're not going back for another 10 years . . . and promptly realized Lucy will be 23 in ten years. We could have grandkids by then! 😨 Time is elusive, y'all. 

4. Tuesday was Lena's 11th birthday. She got to have her traditional cinnamon roll breakfast:

Then she opened the presents we all packed for her. (With a few little helpers!)

By Tuesday, temps were in the 70s, so we decided to go check out the resort activities/pool a mile down the road.

Jumbo Connect 4

Rock Painting

Grandpa getting in on the action.

Grandma too!

Finished work

Matching swimsuits and hair!

Don't let Ruby's face fool you. The pool was nice and warm!

Covey

Waterslide! Nova wasn't tall enough, so Lena didn't do it a ton, but Levi loved it.

Realized I don't have any recent pics with my dad, so snapped one at the pool.

Group swimsuit pic! (Missing Lainey again - don't worry, we rectified that before the end of the week.) 

💓

Birthday lunch (wearing one of her birthday presents!)

Poolside ping-pong. They made me play too. Let's just say we fished the ball out of the pool a LOT. Lol.

Poolside coloring with another birthday present.

Lucy did a ton of reading all week!

We played loooooooots of cards all week - mostly "Six-Person Euchre" and "Pig It and Hog It"

Reading, coloring, homework

In honor of Lena's birthday, we branched out from cards and played a game she loves: Telestrations.

Hilarity ensued. Not even exaggerating. 

Lena chose KFC for her birthday dinner.

Our family has a running joke that Lucy hates Mike and Tristan, so this picture is a big deal.

It's not a birthday without cake!

Ending the evening with more cards.

5. Wednesday was Justin's birthday and we celebrated by driving across the state to see his parents! While I was a little sad to leave my family, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see his parents since they've been in Florida since December and won't be home 'til the end of March! As an added bonus, they stay right on the beach, and the weather was gorgeous. Dave and Donna actually said the two days we were there were the best weather days they've had since they went down in December! So even though temps were in the 80s, the ocean was coooooold. 

We briefly stuck our feet in on the beach by the condo, then drove down the coast to another beach so Justin and his dad could fish. 

These two braved the frigid water and had fun jumping in the waves.

The birthday boy. Last year in his 30s!

Not quite as willing to swim in the cold water.

Searching for shells with Grandpa

Levi talked Justin into swimming with him.

Beach gymnastics.

Playing catch

We had pizza for dinner, then went back down to the beach to watch the sunset.

Birthday brownies for Justin and Lena

We spent the night there. The next morning Dave, Justin, and Levi went fishing, the girls slept in, and I went for a walk on the beach by myself.

Sunshine!

One more dip in the ocean.

Family pic!

Back in the car. So thankful for tablets, headphones, and Netflix downloads. It was supposed to be a two-hour trip, but took 3 hours between traffic and bathroom stops.

We got back just in time for steak dinner:

I took advantage of everyone sitting down for dinner together to give a toast. I thanked the two couples who paid the most to make it affordable for the rest of us, Luke and Esther for cooking, and Mom and Dad for their legacy of love. And for the record, that's Dr Pepper in my wineglass. 😂

That night we had a poolside dance party:

And more cards of course!

6. Friday was our last full day, and another beautiful day with 80 degree temps. We went to the park in the morning before it got too hot:

This picture is taken from our driveway:

The blue awning is the park. It was awesome having it so close by!

One last matching swimsuit pic - with Lucy and Lainey this time!

Enjoying the Lazy River at the resort pool

Popsicles in January!

One more dip in the pool.

One last game of bowling.

That night, Niki set up a game for the kids the involved flinging a rubber dinosaur at a pile of cups. 

The kids with their prizes.

Then it was time to pack everything up and get ready to leave. 😭😭😭 The rental company asked that we strip our bedding and throw all bedding/towels in the laundry room. It resulted in quite the pile of laundry. 😂

7. The flight home didn't go quite as smoothly as on the way down. Justin and I were so confused about how and where to park/check our bags, then it took forever to get through security. Our flight got delayed half an hour because of fog in Grand Rapids, so at least I wasn't panicking about the time while waiting in line at security. And then the actual flight was pretty bumpy and Cove screamed almost the whole time. He literally fell asleep when the plane came to a complete stop on the runway in Grand Rapids. Lol. Poor kid. And poor Tyler and Rieley. And the other people around us. 😂🙉

So sad to be going home!

8. The whole week was seriously the stuff dreams are made of. We all got along so well. I didn't get sick of anyone, and would've loved to stay for another week! The kids played so nicely together and love each other so much. The house and weather were perfect. We had so much fun playing cards, and eating, and snuggling babies, and staying up late talking and laughing together. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: God has blessed us so abundantly with this family and I don't take it for granted for a minute! Here are a few more pictures because you just haven't had enough yet . . .

Grandpa with two of his great-granddaughters.

My beautiful teenager who hides when she sees me get the camera out.

Justin's brother Jesse was kind of enough to check in on Stella while we were gone. When we got home, she was afraid of us. Apparently cats have short memories. Haha. But she warmed up quickly and was back to snuggling with me by this afternoon.

If you made it to the end of this post, you deserve a reward. 🏆 Thanks for reading!