. . . I Want To Be A Pirate . . .

A week or two ago, we returned from our YFC conference/vacation. We had a great time and the fun kicked off when we got in the car! Our friend and co-worker, "Miss Kate," made the boys a cd to listen to on our long journey. Brilliant idea. Seriously. It was a life saver. Our-hands-down-favorite-song on the cd was Ray Steven's, "Pirates of Penzance" song. It has long been my favorite Ray Stevens song (if one really stops to consider one's favorite Ray Stevens song). For those who haven't heard it, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdMdZ-6NFzA and watch the video of a guy lip-synching it. (sorry the best I could do).

We listened to this song over and over for the 10 hour drive to Clearwater. Over and over while we were there. And over and over on the way back home. Aaarghhh. After a while, Mitch and I wouldn't have minded walking the plank!

As hard as it was to top the Pirate Song, we had tons of fon. We went to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa (saw sharks, saw divers with sharks, saw fish that looked like plants, and petted sting rays) all because our first day was a super-rainy day. We spent the rest of our days going to the beach (where we found a dead sea horse which the boys promptly squeezed to see its blood) and pool. We got to watch a movie while in the pool (a first for everyone) and catch hermit crabs in the bay. The boys (by this I also mean, daddy) also discovered the joy in throwing food off your balcony to watch the seagulls do aeronautical tricks to try to catch the food before it lands in the bay. This was done several times, much to my chagrin.

But everyone's most fun day was when we rented a boat for four hours and rode around the bay with our co-workers, Miss Kate and Mr. Joseph. We had a great time. Mitch was glad to know the boys have their "sea legs" as no one got sick. The best part though was when we found two dolphins and rode along besidethem for about an hour. We were so close to them we could see their eyeballs and hear them blowing air out of their blow holes.

We had a fantastic time and it was great for Mitch, myself and our co-workers to attend the YFC conference stuff as well.

Another high point for me was being able to take off one afternoon and drive over to Lakeland to visit my long -time college buddy, Abigail Scarborough. All throughout college I (with Anna Owens McCracken) would go visit Ab in Lakeland and we would romp around the beaches, Orlando,Tampa, etc. It was so exciting to see Lakeland again, see her parents, her husband, her house and meet her children, Walt and Kate. It was great getting to see her again in our old "stomping ground."

A great time was had by all at our conference/vacation at the beach (or "b*#ch", as Daniel kept saying!).

P.S. My apologies that the pics above of the boys on the boat are horizontal when they should be vertical. Haven't figured out how to fix that yet!