#F I F T Y #50 #halfcentury #old #birthdaygirl

Well, it's one of the few things we have no control of in this life...aging.  And while turning 40 wasn't a huge deal for me, turning 50 has been.  From disappearing eyesight and memory to stiff ankles and droopy skin, my body is changing and it's changing fast!  So when Jack asked what special trip I wanted to take for my 50th, understanding that Covid would prevent us from traveling anywhere too glamorous with all the travel restrictions,  I knew wherever it was, it had to involve us doing something...anything... that would make me feel like I was not the old lady that physically I am starting to feel like.  

So in the midst of a pandemic I chose somewhere close to home but somewhere we had yet to do...the Florida Keys. Aside from a cruise stop in Key West, we had never explored the Florida Keys, yet it had been on my list since we moved here almost four years ago.  Miami had also been on the list since I had never been and the only time Jack had been was on business years ago so this seemed the perfect time to tie the two stops together.  While we had encouraged Sage to join us, she was worried about missing both rowing and school, so she chose to stay behind.  So away we went!

I honestly can't remember the last time Jack and I drove somewhere for vacation. I was actually pretty excited for the road trip!  And while I wasn't sure if we'd actually end up making it down there with all the bumps that morning, I was so glad it all worked out.  To begin with I had reserved Nova a spot at a kennel but after driving 45 minutes to drop him off on our way out of town, we learned they were unable to accept him because he was overdue on a couple of his vaccinations.  For a good 1/2 hour I was thinking Nova was going to end up joining us on the birthday trip.  Thankfully after a Google search, and a frantic call to a vet we were able to get him in.  Then after being on the road about an hour the gas light conveniently decided to come on just after we passed the "No Services for the Next 40 miles" sign.  And the Escalade has definitely not proven to ever go the full range that it says it has remaining once the light goes on.  Thankfully,  after a prayer and clenching teeth for a good 30 minutes we rolled into a gas station just in the nick of time.  To add to the adventure, just as we were within an hour of our destination,  we found ourselves in a massive rain storm that looked like it was going to be around the rest of the way and had brought traffic to a very slow crawl.  Weather is always a gamble in Florida but thunderstorms are the last thing you want on a snorkeling trip. Thankfully though after the four hour journey and booking our hotel on the drive down, we made it to the Playa Largo Marriott Resort in Key Largo where we found perfect weather!  It was finally time to relax!

Of course when in Key Largo you must eat Key Lime pie!!!  Happy 50 to me! 

While the Keys are not known for fabulous beaches,  I had read the snorkeling here was probably some of the best in the US.  So after some research we decided that next morning we'd  join a snorkel tour to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park which is located off of Key Largo.  Who knew that when I'd turn 50 I'd get to see Jesus...while snorkeling of all places... We did also see some nice coral and varieties of fish.  The water wasn't as clear as it probably could have been but I could tell it would be a good area to return to on our own rather than on a boat tour like we had done.

After a fun afternoon we made our way down to Marathon where we'd spend the next couple nights.  Next time I'd choose instead to stay in Islamorada but the Marriott we stayed in here was perfect and it was a good central location.  We were lucky and on the drive down I was able to locate a boat to rent since I had read that was the best way to enjoy and explore the keys and indeed what a great time we had.  We enjoyed a full day on the water spending the majority of our time at Alligator Reef which is located just a few miles off of the town of Islamorada and is recognized by it's large lighthouse in the middle of the ocean.  The water was so turquoise in the area surrounding the lighthouse and it was such a fun place to snorkel.   There were so many boats already there by the time we got there but most people weren't even snorkeling but rather just hanging out on their boats socializing.  The water was so clear, with lots and lots of fish, barracuda, reef sharks, and all sorts of coral.  We definitely want to bring the kids back here!

Each night of our trip we made a point to find a place to watch the sun set.  One place we found was appropriately called Sunset Park.   The other night we went to Bahia Honda State Park, which was supposed to offer good snorkeling but instead we found it to offer a beautiful place to watch the sunset with the rail bridge in the background.

I was struggling to decide if we should spend our last night in the Keys or head to Miami for a night. The weather had been perfect and there were a couple other reefs I wanted to go and see but finding a boat to rent last minute was probably not going to be possible. We had already decided we needed to return with the kids and possibly our wave runners so decided to save these other spots for another visit. So off to Miami's South Beach we went. The last time Jack had been in Miami was years ago and it happened to be the day that Versace had been killed. I literally booked our night at the Marriott Stanton on Ocean Drive while standing in line at the reception desk.   It was situated in the perfect spot on South Beach.  From cruising down Ocean drive on my bike named Versace to people watching on the beach we had so much fun.  And I loved all the colorful lifeguard stands.  

The next morning we awoke to an empty beach, and a storm system clearly making it's way into town. But even the dark clouds above the turquoise water make for a beautiful scene.  After walking the beach before the rain arrived we loaded up the car and on our way out of town stopped to check out the Wynwood, a neighborhood in Miami known for it's graffiti. Unfortunately it started to rain a bit and Wynwood Walls was closed due to Covid but we still enjoyed driving through the area.  I'd love to return to check out more of the street art another time.  Some of the graffiti clearly had a political underlying message but regardless I always am impressed with the artistic ability of these artists and how even on a dull dreary day a street can feel lit up! 

Thanks for a fabulous time Jack!   Looking forward to many more celebrations with you! ❤

Goodbye Florida, Hello Utah...BYU Bound!

I don't even like to think of it as a goodbye but the time has come that the boys are spreading their wings and flying the coop. I guess I should feel grateful they are leaving to live in a place that we will be living in too... at some point... and a place where we have lots of family and friends but that won't take away from the sadness I'll feel everytime I sit down for dinner and see their empty seats. For years, they have looked forward to someday going to college at BYU and are lucky enough to have friends from all chapters of their lives who will also be calling Provo home. One of my favorite memories I'll have of life in our Florida home will be looking out back and seeing kids being pulled behind jet skis, a basketball game being played in the pool or a media room full of boys playing video games and watching movies. I'm definitely going to miss not having a full house...and boy it was especially full the last week before they took off.

The last week in Florida...






I was so grateful to Jack for flying back to Florida to spend time with Sage while I flew with the boys out to Utah to get them settled.  It was also comforting to know the boys would find many familiar faces in Provo when they arrived in addition to grandma and grandpa including friends from NY, Seattle, Ohio, and Florida.  And I must admit I too looked forward to crossing paths with old friends who would also be dropping off kids!

Move in day...  Jack had taken plenty of suitcases of their stuff out with him in the weeks leading up to them moving out but there was still plenty of hours spent shopping for all those last minute things they needed to get them fully settled in their dorm room! They were happy to be in Helaman Halls Building 9 where their good friend Will would also be.   With Covid still at the center of everything college life would be very different including a staggered move in of all the kids into the dorms allowing for social distancing, a majority of online courses, masks, and no social events but everyone seems to be making the most of it.   

Thankfully this goodbye was easy knowing in a matter of weeks I'd be back but that doesn't take away from my heart still feeling the weight of knowing I have empty bedrooms to return to in Florida...