I've been feeling a little stuck lately, unsure of what to write about while still feeling the stress from my last post. In order to get myself back in a rhythm and to a happy place, today is a light post reminiscing about all the good memories from our trip to Ft. Myers Beach.  Plus, with Spring Fever in high effect around these parts, why not look at pics of warm weather knowing it's right around the corner for us?

The sun. The ocean. The sand. The pool. The relaxation. Family. It was a good week. 

Some highlights.

This was our view from my in-law's condo. A great place to have your morning coffee...or an afternoon cocktail. We had a couple of afternoons with some heavier fog, but the weather overall was splendid. I mean--can you really complain when back home it was sitting around 5 degrees?

Since we were on a beach vacation, we spent a fair amount of time at the beach. Considering the kids turned into little fishies, I guess you could say they enjoyed it. When E wasn't jumping in the water, she spent a great deal of time looking for the perfect shells on the beach.

Sandcastles and special missions with buckets and shovels were also top priorities.

B almost joined a flock of seagulls. (See what I did there?)

And both enjoyed little trips deeper into the ocean with daddy...

...while I enjoyed some quiet time.

But B probably had the best time with this really fun game he created. Pick up sand. Walk to shoreline. Drop sand. Wait for waves. Watch sand disappear. Repeat. So much fun that we're talking hours of enjoyment.

Walks on the beach happened everyday, naturally. 

With breaks for hugs and to watch the waves.

When we weren't at the beach you could probably find us at the pool. I'd love to post more pictures of us swimming in the pool but when you have two preschoolers that have no fear, you're kind of all hands on deck. But here are a couple of cool kiddos lounging/warming up after a morning swim.

And seriously. The scenery was top-notch. Here's a late afternoon view from pool. 

After the crazy start of our trip, letting my toes sink in the sand and feeling the waves hit my legs brought a sense of peace that I've been chasing ever since we returned. There really is nothing like the ocean.

I mean, isn't it just heavenly?

One day we took a trolley to downtown for some souvenir shopping and lunch. 

Pretty much the best selfie ever...I imagine E is thinking "why don't you just get a selfie stick already?" Regardless of her thoughts, she's obviously not amused. Once we arrived in town, E got in the mood and barely took any time to decide on her treasures--a necklace and bracelet. I don't know whose daughter she is...

While B needed to check out 4 (?) shops to decide on the perfect police car--one that he of course saw in the very first shop we went to. You can never be too sure.

Another day trip involved checking in on the Minnesota Twins at Spring Training. I guess you could say it was a successful trip considering we left with a Torii Hunter autographed ball.

Being on vacation with your in-laws brings the ability to take some walks on the beach alone with your spouse and to have a couple of date nights. On one walk I had fun drawing in the sand. Even though we were about 6 months late, this was a sort of "anniversary trip" and I thought we should mark it somehow. 

Prior to one of our date nights we took a picture that caused a little déjà vu. 

And then updated it, too.

One of our date nights got a little rainy, but we still had a pretty awesome view at dinner.

Wouldn't be a date night without the cocktail pic, would it?

Or without a very intense game of shuffleboard. 

While the sun has set on a beautiful vacation, I won't be forgetting it anytime soon. 

Thanks for letting me share my favorite vacation moments...

Until next time, Ft. Myers!

{P.S. While this was a fun family vacation, here are some thoughts on why an "adults only" vacation a couple of years ago was the most important thing for my marriage.}

xo Sara