Florida Part 2- Feeding the Stingrays

One of the highlights of our Florida trip was a day spent at the Florida Oceanographic Society. The boys learned about sharks, turtles, manatees, and stingrays- they loved it!

Jack and Evan at the touch pool

Evan, Jack, and Pop-Pop listening to the docent share information about stingrays

The docent demonstrated how to feed the stingrays...

Miles loved being so close to the rays

Now it's the boys' turn to feed them!

Hello! The stingrays swam lap after lap in this pool...racing around to pick up their food.

We learned that rays like to eat shrimp, squid, and sardines. Here's Jack ready with his sardine (Miles too!)

Next we headed to the lagoon area

Here we saw sharks!

More rays

And Miles favorite- turtles!

Jack LOVED the sharks

Posing with the manatee

We brought this stingray home with us :)

Summer 2011

Our first 100 degree days are set to arrive this week, so this seems like the perfect time to share our Summer 2011 To-Do List. Jack came up with this list and most of his ideas seem pretty achievable (#20 and #21 may be a bit of a challenge...we'll see!).

1) Go to the aquatic center

2) Go to baseball games

3) Go on a camping trip

4) Roast marshmallows

5) Buy ice cream from the ice cream truck

6) Watch Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 at the movies

7) Run through the sprinklers

8) Wear shorts and t-shirts every day

9) Color when it's too hot to play outisde

10) Have lots of barbecues

11) Go to the ice cream shop

12) Play with the water table

13) Grow a garden

14) Go to Royer Park

15) Go to the library

16) Have picnics

17) Learn to pump on the swings

18) Play tennis

19) Do fireworks on the 4th of July

20) Take a boat ride

21) Take a jet ski ride

22) Make smoothies

23) Go to Lake Tahoe

24) Go fishing

25) Have Daddy spray us with the hose

26) Wash the cars

27) Go swimming at night

28) Go to the Folsom Zoo

29) Soccer camp

30) Swim lessons

31) Make popsicles

32) Visit the Farmer's Market

33) Complete the library's summer reading program

34) Celebrate Jack's 5th birthday!

We've already crossed #5 off the list...more than once! Here we are enjoying our first ice cream truck treats of the summer :)

Our Florida Vacation- Part 1

The week after Easter our family flew to Stuart, Florida for a visit with Evan's dad Bill and step-mom Jo. What's not to love about Florida? Sunshine every day, warm and breezy evenings, and endless opportunities to spend time outside swimming, fishing, building sand castles, searching for shells, tossing the football around, and riding in the golf cart. It was a great chance to catch up with Evan's family and enjoy spending time together in such a beautiful place.

We took the boys for a few after-dinner swims. They were thrilled with swimming at night!

Trying to get a picture where both boys are: paying attention, holding still, and smiling is a total challenge...some turn out better than others!

We walked just a few steps to the beach each morning and the boys were entertained for hours.

Digging in the sand just never gets old!

Throw in a little football action with Daddy for even more fun...

3 generations of Hamiltons out to dinner at Conchy Joe's- where the kids got to feed the fish right from the restaurant dock.

Grammy, Karen, and Miles

A dump truck at the beach = happy boys

Mid-leap!

Digging for something...

Exploring in the rocks

Playing soccer with Daddy- Jack is becoming a pretty good goalie!

Now it's football time!

Another attempt at a shot of the boys together...fail.

Oh well- they're still cute :)

We spent lots of time in the pool and Jack really became a confident swimmer!

Taking a little pool break for a picture with mom.

Back to the beach

Jack's dream brunch at the Club- bacon and fresh fruit!

Silly Miles

Watch out- Miles is behind the wheel! (Jack looks appropriately apprehensive)

Our fish

On our last night in Florida, we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Evan was a good sport about the bib!

Me and the boys :)