My Boy is 5!

Today is Cannon's birthday!  He's a thinker and a planner and has known exactly what he wanted to do on his birthday.  He wanted me to put one present in his bedroom next to his lamp and another present in my bedroom next to my lamp so that he could open them in the morning. 

A kite Ryan picked up in Kitty Hawk.  The other present was a portable lego tray. 

He wanted donuts for breakfast and he knew that he wanted chocolate icing with sprinkles.



Shipley's Donuts



Then we came home and decorated his cake.  He had decided that he wanted an ice cream cake with mint ice cream, white frosting with yellow and green frosting around it.  The he picked out some candles letters that spell "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."  As you'll notice from the other pictures he set them up more scrabble style. 

He played on his new climbing dome from Nana and rode bikes outside for awhile. 

He had some quiet time in his room and then headed over to Aunt Barbara's to swim.  He swam in their pool one time and discovered that Dyson their dog likes to swim with him too!  It's been a little cooler here and I said that when it got to 80 degrees he could go swimming again.  The weather forecast predicted a warm day so we had planned on swimming in the afternoon.  Cannon and Dyson had an instant bond and they have so much fun playing together!

This boy was in heaven!!

For dinner he really wanted Chick-fil-A.  Grandma and Papa came with us too and then afterwards everyone else met us at our  home for ice cream cake and presents.  Cannon was thrilled with the Star Wars figures from Grandma and Papa and the Nerf gun from Lynn, Barbara, and the boys.  He and Jacob ran around shooting each other for awhile. 

I can't believe how much he is growing up!  I can't believe I don't have a baby anymore! 

Here are some things I want to remember about Cannon.

• Other kids love him, but he is very selective on who he chooses for friends.  He's cautious and observant before he joins into play. 
• He has an incredible love for family, past and present. 
• He asks about 48263458974 questions a day, to which I try my hardest to be patient and answer each one. 
• He loves animals, especially dogs. 
• He likes to play tricks on people; right now it's with his fake cockroach.
• He is full of energy and his body is always moving.  He loves physical activities like wrestling, swimming, biking, running, chase, climbing, jumping from high places, and swinging. 
• He loves being read to and at least once a day I find him sitting on the floor looking through books.
• He is great at play and has a vivid imagination.  He is really into Star Wars (Ryan is reading him the chapter books - he has not seen the movies), cars, trains, and make believe. 
• He taught himself to count past 200 and to button buttons. 

We love our Can Man and are so happy he is in our family!  He has taught us so much and has brought so much joy into our lives!

Easter

We've had a big week!  We've officially been back in Texas for nine days now.  We have unpacked and organized the whole house this week.  Ryan is working from home and we love it!  He still goes on Eastern time since that's where the main office is, so he is usually done with his work before 5pm.  It's a dream!  And he plays with Cannon during his lunch break if we are home. 

On Saturday there was an Easter egg hunt at the home of an older couple in our church.  We were invited and decided to go and try to meet some new people.  Their property is beautiful!  10 acres of land, fire pit, barn, pond with fish, and lots of grassy areas for playing.  Cannon thought the egg hunt was fun and then we enjoyed lunch with everyone.  It was great to meet some new families and enjoy the gorgeous weather and scenery. 

 

 

FAKE alligator!

 

 

We have 1:00 church now and love it!  I didn't think I would, but now we have the whole morning to relax and enjoy our time together.  We get to play and have lunch before church.  It's really working out so well.  Easter Sunday was no different.  Cannon's Easter basket had some candy and a book I made him.  Then we made crepes, which has become our go-to special occasion breakfast.  Cannon loves cracking the eggs and pouring in the ingredients.  After breakfast I put on some churchy music and the guys wrestled on the floor for a bit.  We read from the scriptures and talked about the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Church was very inspiring.  Cannon felt more comfortable this week and ended up going to his class this time.  He was also looking forward to being sung to in primary because it's going to be his birthday.  He said, "Mom, make sure you tell the president it's my birthday tomorrow."  After church we had dinner at Lynn and Barbara's house.  It's been a long time since we've had a big family dinner!  All the food was amazing and it's always a pleasure to just be with family. 

 

 

We don't have a couch yet so I put his basket on the table in the upstairs foyer.

 Of course I meant to get a picture of us before church, but it didn't happen.  But here's one of our fabulous dinner!  Aunt Barbara really put a lot of effort into the table decorations and it turned out so cute!

 

We Will Miss Florida!

So we are moving to College Station, TX on Friday.  In the meantime, we have been spending time doing some of our favorite Florida things before we leave.  Florida has grown on us and there is so much that we will miss!  Ryan and I have had lots of sentimental conversations as we reminisce.  We came to the conclusion that there is beauty and joy no matter where you live.  I am blessed to have lived in such different areas of the country and to be able to delight in the diversity.

Ryan and I came up with a list of some of the things we will miss (in no particular order).

1.  Dolphins

One of our first memories of Florida was when we just drove through the horrible downtown Tampa traffic during rush hour and then we came to the bridge that would take us over to Clearwater.  The ocean was breathtaking and we saw dolphins!  I couldn't believe that we were going to live here!  We saw dolphins often at the beach and when crossing one of the main bridges and for some reason it always made me feel so happy to know that I lived close to dolphins. 

2.  Beaches

World class beaches right here!  We've also been able to travel to different beaches around Florida, not just in our area.  Surprisingly, each one is different even though they are on the same coast and even within in a few miles from each other.  We usually went to Indian Rocks Beach because it was the closest, had free parking, and had showers.  We also liked North Beach because we could take Blue with us.  Other beaches we went to nearby: Clearwater, Indian Shores, Redington, Treasure Island.  And there are so many others we didn't get a chance to try!  Other farther away beaches: Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Siesta Key, and Lido.  I have to say that Siesta Key and Lido are my favorite even though they are in Sarasota, which is over an hours drive.  The sand at Siesta Key is made from 100% quartz, so it never gets hot.  But that beach was always super crowded.  Lido has all the same benefits, white sand and turquoise water, but without the crowds.  Plus it has a playground and raccoons that live there.

Indian Rocks Beach - Cannon, Micah, Savannah, Edin, and Noah (Korbin not pictured)

Lido Beach - with my friend Petra, her daughter Samantha, and Ace the puppy (4/4/14)

Treasure Island - our last time at the beach as a family (4/7/14)

3.   Parks

I can't say enough about the parks!  The playgrounds are great, offering a variety of equipment, and you can't beat the scenery.  Many of them have bike trails and ponds with turtles and alligators.  Our favorite parks are: Largo Central Park, Highland Park, San Philippe Park, Taylor Park, Lake Seminole Park, Eagle Lake Park, and the one downtown St. Pete with the Banyan trees.

Sunken Gardens

McGough Nature Preserve



Riding the train one last time at Largo Central Park (4/5/14)

When we first moved here my friend Rachel showed me a statue of a child wearing a CTR ring.  It made me feel peaceful inside and reminded me that home is where you make it.

4.  Animals

We are definitely animal lovers!  We were surprised to see such exotic birds when we moved here.  I couldn't even tell you all the names of them, but they are all over, especially the cranes.  I also love pelicans.  I have been able to see some semi close when we were at the beach and I just think they are so beautiful. 

In the spring it's common to see turtles crossing the roads.  People will actually stop their cars and get out to help them cross safely.  It makes me feel happy when I see that. 

Every time we go the beach we see some kind of different animal or sea creature.  We've seen dolphins, manatees, crabs, jelly fish, Portuguese man o'wars, and of course sea gulls and other birds.

Squirrels and lizards are in abundance.  And I discovered a new animal, the fox squirrel.   And yes we do see alligators from time to time.  Cannon knows that he cannot come close to any body of water, even little ponds, for fear of alligators.  It was also fun to go to see the tigers and bears at the exotic animal rescue by our church. 

I love seeing these birds!

We stopped to pet a turtle at Eagle Lake Park.  I think he wandered away from the pond.  When we were finished petting him he ran right back to the pond!

5.  Plants

I'm pretty sure Florida would be one big jungle if it weren't inhabited.   I absolutely love palm trees and it's fun for me to see so many different varieties!  Everything is lush and green here most of the year and there are many bright flowers that bloom year-round.  I also love knowing that many of my friends have naturally grown fruit trees in their yards like: mango, avocado, orange, and grapefruit.

6.  Friends

We have made the best friends here.  I'm so sad to be leaving them.  Ryan finally has guy friends that he likes and it's been neat watching Cannon grow up with his friends.  I'm happy that we have amazing technology that will allow us to easily stay current with all of our friends. 

Some of Cannon's friends: Micah, Savannah, and Everest.

Joseph, one of Cannon's best friends.  (4/7/14)

My friends had a little going away party for me.  Six out of ten people here are either pregnant or just had a baby!  From left to right: Rachel, Karlie, Jenny, Yvonne, Jodi R., Me, Jodi M., Whitney, Julie, and Desi.  I'm sure going to miss these girls!

Rachel and Me

7.  Church

When we first moved here Ryan and I told each other that we would jump right in to church and church activities.  I think that was the best way that we made friends and felt like be belonged somewhere.  Many blessing have come from that.

8.  Winters

Summers are super hot and humid.  When August comes around it's too hot to swim, go the beach or play outside.  But usually the winters here are nice and warm.  This last year was definitely not the norm and we had lots of cold days in the 40's and 50's.  Usually the winter is when we ride bikes again and play outside all day.

9.  Summer thunderstorms

Even though summers are scorching, it rains almost every day in the summer.  Not just a little rain, but BIG rains, with BIG drops, and thunder.  When it rains, it pours!  But it might only last for 15, sometimes an hour or so, but usually not for most of the day.  If you see a big puffy white cloud in the sky during a summer month, you can be sure that it will rain.  Never leave your home without an umbrella.  There have been many times I walked into the store and it was sunny and clear outside, only to have it be dark and raining when it's time for me to leave.  Or else to see that it rained for 5 minutes while I was shopping, but then got sunny again. 

10. Great pizza and Philly cheesesteaks anywhere.  There is a lot of New York influence, and we have found lots of great pizza places!  Our favorites are:  Grimaldi, Monty's, and Untouchables.

Random picture, but Cannon loves this statue of our Founding Fathers (John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) right outside of Ryan's work building at Raymond James.  He's been very into American history lately.

Cousin Time

Bev and the kids were spending time in Perdido Key while Robert was getting started at his new job in Iowa, so I said they should just drive an extra eight hours to come see us!  It had been two years since we last saw them, so it was a real treat to be together again. 

We had Cannon's party on Saturday and church on Sunday.  It rained all day on Monday so we took the kids to the indoor playground at Highland Rec Center.  Tuesday after it stopped raining we spent the rest of the afternoon at Largo Central Park.  Wednesday and Thursday they went to Disney World and then met up with us on Friday in Boca Raton. 

Jade became Blue's best friend!  Blue wanted to sleep with her every night while Ryan was gone.  Jade made little dog bone accessories for Blue to wear on her collar. 

And Blue claimed Jade's pillow, which she let her keep. 

Ryan returned from his trip early Friday morning and then we drove out to Boca Raton.  We had planned to attend the Ft. Lauderdale Temple open house on Saturday, so we thought it would be fun to stay at a hotel on the beach Friday night.  Ryan got us a hotel at the fancy Boca Beach Club - Waldorf Astoria.  It was definitely the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at!  We had to go through gated security and the valets took care of everything.  Ryan is a diamond member and he usually gets free upgrades to suites, but since it was spring break they were all full.  As an apology, they gave us $100 free credit towards food and discounts for the spa and other things. 

The beach was gorgeous!  Lots of big waves and the water color was turquoise.  It was a little cold at first, but once you got in it was fine.  The waves were too big for Cannon and Ally so Bev took them to the pool and Ryan and I stayed with Jade and T to go boogey boarding.  It was so fun to hang out with the big kids!

The salt water was stinging Ally's sensitive skin.

Jade and JT had the best time in the ocean!

Ryan teaching JT how to boogey board.

Portuguese Man O' War!  These balloon creatures started to wash up onto the shore.  Very cool, but I head they are more painful than jellyfish! They feel like slimy plastic outside and inside they are hollow, like a balloon. 

For dinner that night we used our free money to eat at one of the resort's many restaurants called Serendipity.  The shuttle took us to the main hotel and village where they have all the restaurants.  Serendipity is a cute little ice cream parlor made to look like a soda shop from the 1950's.  The kids had fun looking at all the vintage toys like Gumby and Pokey.  Bev and I really wanted to try their Cronuts, but they weren't making them until noon the next day, so we settled for frozen hot chocolate! 

Super yummy frozen hot chocolate!

We got up early Saturday morning to go on a tour of the new Ft. Lauderdale Temple.  I was so excited to be able to go with the kids.  Ryan invited one of his friends from work to come with us and Ryan picked her up at the airport on the way to the temple.  It was a very special experience to talk with Cannon as we went to each room.  He knows that Ryan and I go to the temple to do work and now he can have a picture in his mind.  We also talked about when Ryan and I were married and sealed in the temple.  I hope that Cannon will always keep this memory and that it will serve as a testimony to him of the importance of temples. 

Here we are two years ago when they had just started construction!

On the way back we stopped at Ryan's favorite pizza place, Grimaldi's, in Ft. Meyers and then finished the long drive home.  As soon as we got home Bev and I had to leave again to attend the women's conference at church.  And after that to pick up Blue who was being babysat by the Longs.  It was an exhausting weekend, but SO much fun!  Bev had to drive back to Alabama Sunday morning. 

Blue and Trixy - their last time together

Cannon fit right in with all the kids.  He admires Jade and T so much and values their opinions.  He got along well with Ally and they were so cute together.  Cannon pretty much wanted to play with T all day and T was such a good sport about playing football with him and they made up a game called "bad doctor."  Family is so important to Cannon and I was happy that he had this time with his cousins.