Florida vacation, days three, four, five, six, seven, and eight!

 I'm back home from Florida now and will finish telling about our vacation here on my computer.  Goes so much better than on my phone! 

Last Wednesday morning, the day after Sophie's grad, was a very laid back day.  As I sat on the lanai with my coffee I decided to get into the pool for a while.  It was wonderfully refreshing!  How do you like the little guy that floats around the pool?  I realized after a while that he was actually a thermometer.  

I decided to make Jamaican Rice and Peas and curried chicken for dinner, and that required a trip to Publix for some ingredients.  We used Sophie's car.  I took these pictures of their lovely home as we were leaving. 

I did make dinner, but I guess I didn't take any other pictures the rest of the day.  I know that Lisa and Sophie went to the performance center to work and work out.  George had left in the morning for a two-day work trip to New Jersey.  After dinner was finished and the kitchen was cleaned up Dick and I sat on the lanai till dark.  I watched an episode of Call the Midwife.  

On Thursday morning Lisa showed me how to peel and slice a whole pineapple with the gadget she has.  I couldn't believe it!!  And the pineapple was so sweet and delicious!!

And then commenced more sitting and taking in the beauty on the lanai.  I never ever get enough of the beauty and peace when I sit there.  

I decided to make my Ginger Sweet Potato Lentil stew for dinner, and once again this required a trip to Publix for ingredients.  This time Dick and I forgot where we had parked Sophie's car.  At least Dick knew what her car looked like.  Not me.  I have trouble recognizing my own car sometimes, hahaha!!  

I served the stew with Naan bread and they loved it.  Again, I finished the day on the lanai watching several episodes of Call the Midwife.  What a life!!  George got home from his work trip very late that evening. 

On Friday morning Lisa, Sophie, and her boyfriend Carlos left for Jacksonville for the State track meet around 9:30.  We were going to be leaving later with George, so I once again had time to get into the pool.  In the picture below Sophie was getting her breakfast.  I took a picture from the kitchen into the living room admiring the way Lisa coordinated the colors from one room to the next.  

I couldn't help myself - just had to snap pictures!

Around 3:30 George's mom Sharyn arrived and we packed up George's car and headed to Jacksonville.  It was a four-and-a-half hour drive.  We found the airbnb they had rented, the cutest little house with three bedrooms.  We took our things in then headed to a Publix for some groceries.  Lisa and Sophie were staying at the hotel with the track team.  They brought Carlos to the airbnb and hung out for a bit.  

We were just a ten-minute walk from the beach, so on Saturday morning George, Dick, and I headed there.  It was GLORIOUS!!!!

 

I made eggs and sausage for breakfast, but we discovered there was no salt, pepper, or ketchup in the airbnb kitchen.  I tried something new - I crumbled Cheez-its over my eggs, hahaha!!  Salt, cheese, and some crunch!  Not bad at all!  

Before going to the track meet George took us to Atlantic Beach.  There was a festival being held there, and it reminded me of the Arts Fest in State College.  Except for the gorgeous setting!!  

There was live music too.  I loved it!  And the weather was just perfect!

Then we went to the the track meet at University of North Florida.  I just couldn't believe we were actually there!  We have watched all of Sophie's meets on our computer or phones, and here we were in person at her very last high school meet.  Dick took a picture of us just as George's mom and I were looking away!  I think we were looking for the Miami University head track coach.  Lisa had just told us she was up there.  

The weather was unbelievable!  No rain all day, we were not too hot in the afternoon and not too cool in the evening, just perfectly comfortable.

Here's the video I took of her first event, the 100 meter dash.  She came in second at 11.44 seconds - her best time ever!

Her next event was the 4x100 relay, which is usually a really good one for her.  She was the last leg of her relay team.  Unfortunately there were major hand-off mistakes between the second and third leg of the relay and Sophie had no chance to make up the difference.  It was hard to believe what we were seeing, but it was not her fault.  

Later she came in 4th in the 400 meter dash.  And the last event was the 4x400 relay race.  Her team came in 6th.  

Here are some pictures taken by the event photographer.  

Lisa posted this collage of Sophie and her best friend Aniyah. 

Both Sophie and Lisa were incredibly relieved that the track season was finished and they could now truly relax for the first time in ages!  Also, this was the official end of the eight years of Lisa being her mom/coach. They had successfully made it work!! 

We went to nearby Bahama Breeze to eat afterward.  It was a late dinner - we left at midnight as they were closing.  Sophie's tradition is to eat a chicken sandwich after her track meets.  This one was BIG!!

The next morning I made eggs again and Sharyn cut up a lot of fruit.  There were plenty of bagels too.  We had to be out by 12 noon.  

Of course we had to go home in two cars.  George drove his car and Carlos drove Lisa's.  We hit a heavy rain storm for a while. 

We stopped at a place to use the rest rooms about half way home.  Lisa tried on a raccoon hat, haha!  

 Back home I jumped in the pool again for one last time.  And I decided to give the hammock another try.  Two years ago I couldn't get out of it without Dick's help.

But this time I got out by myself!  I just didn't realize that Dick was a taking a video, hahaha!

We got pizza delivered for our dinner that evening.  My treat this time.

On Monday morning Lisa tried their new watermelon cuber.  I thought I was taking a video, but discovered afterward that I had actually just taken two photos.  It worked great, and I ordered one on Amazon right away.  

I washed our bedding and made up the bed after we had packed up our things.  Then I went around the house taking pictures.  

I took so many pictures that I just put them into this collage.  I love every nook and cranny of their house and hated to leave.

I snapped this of the Haag family in the kitchen.  There are two dogs in this photo too.  Can you find Stella?

Here's Sophie's graduation picture!  What a beauty inside and out!  And that is the truth, not just a proud grandma's bragging. 

I really felt sad to leave, but I saw this adorable picture on the daycare portal.  So I felt glad to be getting back home too.  

I took this picture as Lisa drove us to the Clearwater airport.  

And this was taken through the window of our plane, saying goodbye to Florida once again.  

Our flight from Clearwater to Harrisburg, PA was uneventful.  As we left the airport I texted Destiny that I hoped we would see her and Elizer when we get home.  She wondered what time.  I said that we would stop in Duncannon for Grandpa to get his iced coffee, so it would be about 8:30 when we get home.  She said, "Don't eat!"  Hmmmm.  I said, "Are you cooking?"  She said, "Yes."  I asked, "Your house or mine?"  She said, "Yours!" 

We were greeted first of all by our irises in bloom.  Then the wonderful aromas of food baking.  She had made scalloped potatoes and banana bread and was a also making an Italian pasta and chicken skillet.   Everything was absolutely scrumptious!!  In fact, right now I am hungry and I want to go out to the kitchen and eat a big piece of that banana bread!!  

We had a fun time together!  

Elizer is back in daycare again now that they have enough staff for his classroom.  So today I'm having my first day alone at home in a very long time.  Getting this blog caught up was my main goal today, but I've had some other distractions along the way.  

Talk to you later!