Taking Naples by Storm

Nothing slowed us down as we threw ourselves into a fantastic vacation.

Totally a Beach Girl

Day 1: Easter Sunday.  We enjoyed a leisurely morning and watched Evelyn as she hunted down easter eggs  (in the buff no less...clothing is optional in Florida). Then we headed out to the BEACH!  It was fairly windy and a little chilly (lots of clouds).  The north beach had pretty big waves, and we were a bit worried about undercurrents so we didn't go far into the water.  Ocean air seems to make Emerson very sleepy -- he was passed out for most of the visit.  Pelican Bay is spectacular - with a golf-cart tram that takes you through the mangroves to a private beach with a cafe and beach attendants that will set up chairs and umbrellas for you.  Awesome.  I applied tons of sunscreen to Ev and Em, worried about the strong Florida sun pouring out between clouds.  They were fine, thank goodness, but Tag and I neglected to protect our own hides and got a fair bit of sunburn (duh).

Day 2: Monday at the ZOO! Naples has a fantastic zoo with stunning gardens.

Lulled to sleep by the ocean waves

Day 3: Tuesday BEACH day!  Ev was pretty worn out with all the excitement and lack of normal routine so she struggled a bit with her mood.  It was also a bit chilly. We tried out the south beach and found the water to be shallower which made it more fun for us to play in. Emerson had fun getting his toes wet in the surf.  Like his sister, he LOVES the water. Tag and Ev took a kayak out for a bit, which was pretty cool.  And he didn't even flip the boat (a first for Tag in a kayak!).

At the End of the Naples Pier

Day 4: Wednesday the PIER!  Checked out downtown Naples and strolled the pier where lots of folks fish, and the pelicans like to hang out.  Had a spectacular lunch on the patio at an italian bistro.  Heaven.  Love this town.  Ev needed a break, and I needed a sunset, so Tag stayed back with her and I took Em for a stroll through the mangroves to check out sunset.  He is so sweet -- was a perfect date.

Coppertone Baby!

Day 5: Thursday epic BEACH day!  Warm, calm, perfect beach day.  We had to walk a bit, but were able to get a "front row" beach spot and felt like we had our own private section of beach.  Ev and I had so much fun playing in the surf.  She even ran back to put on her life jacket so she could swim with me.  We built a sand city whose streets we lined with shells.  Walked up to the beach shop to have ice cream (vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles -- she ate the entire thing (that's a first!)). Stayed for 6 hours on that beach.  Loved every second.

The Mangrove

Day 6: Friday clean-up, pack and the Botanical Gardens!  And a sunset farewell (see you again soon) to the ocean.  Evelyn continues to insist that she "never ever ever ever EVER" wants go home.  She is a true Florida girl, that is apparent.  And she has loved this adventure.  I feared that she would meltdown with sadness when leaving the next day....

Day 7: Saturday fly home....made it home without any craziness.  I think Ev is happy to be home in familiar surroundings.  She seems to have made the transition alright.  Emerson is thrilled to be back in his excer-saucer and jumping-johnny with all the familiar sights and sounds of home.  And the puppies are glad to have their family back, even though they were rightly spoiled by Michael all week.

Mamma's Date for Sunset

Lovely Lovely Lovely

Enjoying some giggles

Striking a Pose at the Botanical Gardens

Sunset Mayhem

Em ate so much sand he was pooping it for days

Easter at the Beach

The four of us are indulging in a week-long beach vacation in Naples Florida.  Compliments of Aunt Claudia and Uncle Mike (we're using their fabulous condo).

After a long (LONG) trip that started with a 4:15am wake up and ended after a frantic super-haul with all our luggage, a connection in Atlanta, puzzle-piecing our bags into the trunk (and back seat) of a rental car and a couple near misses on the emotional meltdown front.  But we made it.  And after settling into the condo, we piled back into the car and headed down to say hello to the ocean.  Just seeing the ocean, hearing the waves, smelling the salt in the air, and standing there watching my lovely daughter prance across the sand and chase the frothy surf, all while holding my infant son in my arms with my handsome husband by my side....it was all too much. I melted in exhausted and relieved tears.  Admittedly, my blood sugar was crashing (hadn't eaten all day to help safeguard against motion sickness while traveling with two kiddos).   But I'm truly so grateful to be on this ocean escape.  Feels like being rescued.

Lots of firsts for little Emerson. And Evelyn as well.  This is her first visit to the ocean!  The salty air teases her hair into beautiful ringlets; she's absolutely stunning in the setting sunlight. On that first visit to the beach, in the late afternoon, the wind was wild and the waves were pretty big.  She was busy collecting shells and dancing in and out of the surf, clothing and all.  We ordered a quick bite (to calm my demons) but couldn't keep Ev from running down to the water.  She is sooooo excited.

Emerson had his first plane ride.  First visit to the ocean.  First dip in a pool.  He's taking it all in, happy as a clam (as long as he's with his mamma....but more on that later).

Elina !!!

Our first au pair has arrived and we are so grateful to have her with us!

After much consternation about what to do for Emerson when I headed back to work, we came to the conclusion that inviting an au pair to come live with us would be the best fit for our family.  Evelyn will have her first real summer vacation (yay!) and Emerson won't have to be hauled back and forth to day care every day.  We met a couple of our friends' au pairs and came to be very comfortable with the idea.  These young ladies are bright, adventurous, excited to experience more of America, and they love children.  Elina is no exception -- she's lovely, very sweet -- and just as we expected her to be after chatting with her a few times on Skype prior to her arrival.

Evelyn is totally on-board.  She hardly gave Elina a second to settle in; took Elina by the hand as we brought her home from the airport and gave her the grand tour.  Has been velcro'd to her ever since.  Emerson is equally charmed.  I think this is going to work out beautifully.

French Lick Indiana 2.0

The 2nd annual reunion of the Sachs' at the Wise Old Owl cabin in Indiana.  Evelyn had so much fun with her cousin Helen that she literally cried for days afterward, "I (sob sob) Miss (sob sob) Helen! (bwaaaaaaa!)"

Last year there was a mishap with Opa after a crazy wild ride down a high speed water slide.  This year, Uncle Paul's minivan almost washed off the road in a flash flood and Tag took a spill down the cabin stairs... Let's hope we're done with reunion drama.

It was so great to just hang out with family.  And we visited some fantastic caves that were nearby.  Whole family toured through them and got to walk through the stalactite columns.  We played bocci ball, corn hole, roasted marshmallows, took a couple walks (uncle Paul lead the girls on an adventure hike up a nearby hill that included trespassing on a trampoline they simply could not resist), the girls played in the hot tub, did crafts with Oma, blew bubbles with Opa ... what more could you want?