Florida Wrap Up

Our fourth day in Florida was an absolutely, blissfully perfect day!  The sun was out, the temperatures were warm, and the breeze was mild and lovely on our cheeks.  As much as all four of us love Disney, we were tired of paying Disney all of our money, so we packed up what we needed for the two hour drive back to Ft. DeSoto for a second beach day.  My mom couldn't have been happier than to have been on the beach in November. 

Isaac and I spent some more time walking the sand bar, but we had seen a place the rented kayaks, so we decided to go check them out.  Their prices were reasonable, and we found out the mangrove swamps are marked so kayakers unfamiliar with the area don't get lost.  We were hoping to see some manatees up close, and God did not disappoint.

Manatee back

Hello to you too!

I lost count, but I think we had 8 come right up to us and we were able to watch several more not too far from us.  It's against the law to 'chase' manatees, which is meant to protect them from boats with engines.  I'm not sure our kayak would've harmed them, but I know we could've scared them, so when we'd see one come up for air, we'd stop paddling and just wait.  Usually they'd come back and roll around to put on a little show for us.  Our God is so big in His creativity, and the gentleness of these massive animals shows just a taste of Him.  Beautiful.

They're HUGE!

Sweet nose!

Thursday was a dull day.  A yucky, rainy cold front hit Orlando, plunging temperatures from the mid-80s to the mid-50s.  We met up with friends from church who were also holding out hope that the shuttle would launch Friday and hung out at the mall.  It was nice to visit, but a bit melancholy after such a pleasant day at the beach less than 24 hours earlier.

On Friday, Isaac logged into to the systems at NASA and began checking the countdown clock.  It was looking great, so we all got on our launch shirts and headed down for breakfast.  The news was on while we ate, and they interrupted the current story to let us know a leak had occurred yet again, scrubbing the launch indefinitely.  Boo.  I just sat there.  I so much enjoyed this week of vacation fun with my parents and Isaac, but I was sad I had missed a whole week with my students and beyond bummed that we weren't seeing the launch.  I asked Dad if we could go ahead and fly home that day instead of waiting until Saturday, so he started calling Southwest.  We were able to get on a flight mid-afternoon out of Tampa, so we packed up and drove back to Florida's beautiful west coast one more time.  We ate at a cool beach front restaurant, but had to sit inside because it was so cold.  Still, I'm grateful for some time away from reality, and this trip truly has been so much fun.  I hope we get to take more vacations with my parents!