My days. My boys.: The fam goes to Florida

This summer we did something we've never done before: took a family vacation.
Four families. Parents and kids totaled 15 under one HUGE roof.
As crazy as it might sound, it was one of the best vacations I've ever taken. To be surrounded by my sisters, my nieces, my brother-in-laws, my boys and the ocean was what my soul had long needed.
None of us had ever been to the "Emerald Coast" before but we were all eager to experience the white sandy beaches and the turquoise waters we'd only seen in photographs.... It was a big disappointment to find that we'd reach the beaches during the "seaweed" season. Needless to say, the water was far from blue but instead green --and not pretty green -- and full off slimy, sticky seaweed that made swimming an interesting experience. Luckily, midway through our week stay, the seaweed cleared and we were able to witness some of that heavenly turquoise waters.
Lukas did not like the seaweed at all. He insisted on staying out of the "yucky" water. He tolerated the daily beach trips. But most impressive was how well he dealt with both the long road trip there and back. He was absolutely awesome.
Not as well behaved on the road was my big baby C. :-) Cristian had already made the exact same long trip to the exact same destination with his father a few weeks earlier this summer. Cris was less than thrilled to make the trip once again with us and his moaning & groaning on the way there was his way of expressing his feelings. Once in our rental home however, he was more like himself. We teased him about how much better behaved Lukas was on the trip, and miraculously C didn't complain at all on our drive back home to Texas.
I really hope we get the opportunity to do this again -- even if not in Florida.
Lukas isn't sure he wants to go into the water: