The Most Amazing Vacation - [1]

At least to date. And with our monsters in tow.

We planned this trip 2 months ago, I think. Rea started counting down as soon as her teacher told her it was September. She didn't have any frame of reference for this trip... But the fact that we were going with 2 of her friends and their families excited her to no end.

For the sake of this entry and mild website privacy, we will refer to the friends as S & M (that's not meant to be funny). Sorry Mommies & Daddies, you guys are probably going to be called out. Oh, and I can't leave out the completely adorable Baby G.

So the 3 families packed up and headed to Hawks Cay in the Florida Keys. They have special "Heroes Rates" and since Shane is a cop and M's dad Jose is a fireman, we qualified! Woo hoo! M's family has been to the resort before, but this was our crew's first time.

It was breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely worth the drive down there. I am already counting down until we can go again.

Genie, Wendy and I hit up Target before we left and picked up some underwater cameras. The pics are priceless and some are silly since we let the kids use them most of the time. I haven't digitized any of the yet, but when I do I will put up a few of them. So I guess you'll have to check back and see 'em later.

S & M's families went down to Hawks Cay a day before we did.

I guess I could stop talking and just show you the pics.

Oh, and speaking photos, I took so many that I'm going to have to split this trip up into separate blog entries.

Enjoy!

This is Buddy giving a wink - Pretty awesome, huh?

Rea trying to emulate Buddy's wink. She doesn't quite pull it off. 

 We arrived, got checked in, changed into bathing suits and headed down to the main pool to see our friends!

Buddy looks studly in my sun hat. 

Amazing swimmer! 

2 more amazing swimmers - M is in the tire tube and S has the goggles on her head. 

Gorgeous! And I don't mean Shane in my pink hat. 

Bud thought he was hot stuff. He was so proud to swim all over the place. 

Our swim teacher is awesome! Here's proof that lessons work! Thank you Christina!

My boys!

The Daddies

 After a few hours at the pool, we went to dinner. Sunday night's restaurant of choice was The Island Fish Co. The location was perfect - very close to Hawks Cay. The kids LOVED being on the water. The food was good. I had fish tacos and they were delicious! Although the group collectively decided this was not the best grub, I would eat here again.

S & Rea at dinner

Trying to get a group shot on the water was nearly impossible. 

This one's pretty cute. 

The M fam! Such a cute pic!

The S fam!

Bud was pooped. He actually asked to go to the room to sleep. 

While Bud slept, the older kiddos were at the main pool playing and watching a movie on the iPad. 

That ends day 1! And the vacay has really only just begun.