My 24th Birthday

(This is long...about 11 blogs in 1!)

This year I had quit the celebration for my birthday. I got to go to the Cocoa beach with Linda, Natalie, Katelyn, Rhea, Macie, Jayden and Payton on Wednesday and we went out to eat at Red Lobster. After a wonderful dinner Payton and I drove home to spend my actual birthday with Jonathon. For my birthday, Jonathon made me the most delicious Oreo cake (my favorite and a family tradition) took me to get a pedicure, let me go to any store I wanted and take as much time as I wanted (I took full advantage and went to Target, Joanne Fabrics, Babies R Us, Marshalls, DSW and the Party Store) went to Longhorn for lunch and then went to my mom's house for pizza and finally we went to see Get Smart. The next morning my mom, Payton and I packed up and headed for Sarasota for some more beach time. We had the most wonderful time together. Here are some of the highlights of my birthday.

Cocoa Beach

The Messes

Popsicle time!

Dirt Time!

Bath TimeJayden being silly and Payton telling him to stop it... Macie just wondering why her cousins are so crazy! Red Lobster I got to pick the restaurant for my birthday and I chose red lobster because they have such amazing coconut shrimp! After a delicious meal we got a cookie dessert that was out of this world! Linda, thank you so much for the wonderful trip. It is so much fun hanging out with all the girls (and Jayden). I am so lucky to have such great in-laws and especially Linda as my mother-in-law... you're the best! Love ya Linda!

My Actual Birthday Day Here I am getting all excited about my target gift certificates my mom got me. Thank you so much Jonathon for giving me such a special birthday and for always being so good to me. I love you so much! You are the best husband in the world!

Sarasota Beach (Lido Beach)

After arriving at Sarasota Beach (we stayed at Lido Beach which is in Sarasota) we went straight to the gulf and what a treat this was. The beach was so beautiful and the water was breathtaking. I usually hate going in the ocean because I have this fear of not being about to see what is in the water but this was not a problem here. The water was crystal clear and was not that cold so I spent half of my beach time in the water. We got floats and relaxed in the gulf. What a great trip this was!

Look at how calm the water is.

My mom and Payton building a sandcastle. Living the good life!
24 weeks


Payton taking a water break at the pool.

The Nightmare! (stinkin dogs with leashes!)

After a really good nap in the room we got ready and headed down to the Circle for dinner and shopping. We went to this restaurant that has setting inside and outside which I thought would be great because it would be more noisy so I did not have to work as hard at keeping Payton quite... I was wrong! Along with the noise outside came the extra luxury people had of having their dogs with them and what a nightmare that was! Payton spotted a dog on a leash and went nuts! She has a new thing about putting dogs on leashes and walking them and when she saw this dog she thought it was her right to hold the leash. At first it was okay because the people with the dog were nice enough to let her pet the dog and even hold him, but that was not enough! She insisted on holding the leash and they let her do that as well and walk him. I knew it was going to get out of hand because there were tons of people in the walk way that were running into her and the dog did not appreciate getting pulled by a 2 year old. I had to grab Payton after a few minutes and take her down the street were she cried and screamed for about 10 minutes. The whole dinner I worked really hard at keeping her occupied and her back to the dog. Next time I will definitely be eating at a dog free restaurant! Besides the nightmare of the dog and the leash the food was really good and probably the best mahi mahi fish I have ever had.





Playtime

After a long stressful dinner we let Payton blow off some energy in the middle of the circle. Here is my mom and Payton playing.

The Photo Shoot

We found this really cool tree to take photos on. There were the most beautiful and tropical trees there. I really felt like I was on a tropical island.

The Sarasota Sunset

My mom and I just missed the sunset but from all of the people I saw on the beach I know that this will be something I will have to come back to see. My mom said that it is the most beautiful sunset... the sky was still pretty after the sun went down.

End of the night... Candy Time!
Here is my mom and Payton getting really tired. Good thing though because my mom and I went to the candy store and got homemade fudge and a caramel apple and waited for Payton to fall asleep in our room so we could get the party started;).

Siesta Keys- Most Beautiful Beach Ever!

We decided to pack up and go to Siesta Keys to see the sugar sand that everyone talks about and it is true. Siesta Key was only 10 minutes away from the hotel we stayed at and was worth the trip. It was probably the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The sand was so pretty and fun to play in and the water was crystal clear. We saw big schools of fish swim by and I was not ever afraid. Lido Beach and Siesta Key Beach are perfect for young children because they are so clean and the water is so calm. I can't wait to go again!

Gorgeous Beach!

The sand is everything that I heard it was. It felt so cool when you sit in it and when you walk on it it's cold.

The water was crystal clear here as well. I would stand in water that came to my shoulders and still be able to see my toes.
Saying goodbye to a perfect trip.

Mom, Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday celebration you gave me and Payton. We had so much fun and just love spending time with you... you're so special to me. I love you so much!