Tag: Florida

Posted in Travel

Florida Recap Part 2: Orlando

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Last week, I shared part one of our time in Florida where we spent a few days at the beach in Siesta Key. Today, I’m sharing part 2…the Orlando edition.

This season, Hadley played on a national team for one of the local volleyball clubs, so we knew all along that her team would go to Orlando for the national AAU tournament. I will say that I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I did have my reservations about the Orlando part of our trip. I just knew the competition would be tough, and the girls were playing up a level so they didn’t have to play over the 4th of July time frame. The first three days were pool play, and the final day was bracket play.

Anyway, I will say, this portion of the trip did exceed my expectations, and they made the most of the opportunity, and we made the most of it as a family.

Wednesday:

We were up very early on the Wednesday we needed to go to Orlando. The teams play in the AM wave or the PM wave, and Hadley’s team was in the AM wave. So, that meant we were up early and on the road by 6:00 to make the two hour drive to Orlando.

Her first game was at 9:00, so she was supposed to be there at 8:15, and we arrived at the Orlando Convention Center right at 8:00.

They had three games that day, and all the games were close, and they were off to a solid start.

Since Hadley’s team had to ref the 1:00 game, I stayed with her, and Trav and Hayden checked into the hotel villa.

We stayed at the Marriott Vacation Club Harbour Lake because one of Hadley’s friends/teammates stayed there a few years ago when she went to the AAU tournament, and they were staying there again. It was nice to have another teammate on the property because I’m friends with her mom, we could carpool, and the girls could hang out together when we weren’t at the convention center.

Trav and Hayden had left to get some food, so Hadley and I got the lay of the land. The villas were so colorful and pretty.

Hadley had placed an order for food, so we walked to one of the pools to pick it up.

The lobby was so pretty too!

We took the food back to the room, unpacked, and lounged around for a bit before heading to the team dinner. One of the parents made a reservation for the team, the coach, and the parents for dinner at Saltgrass Steak House, and the food was delish.

Hayden opted to stay back at the villa and watch soccer, and we brought food back to him.

The girls are all about a photo opp, so we snapped a team pic after dinner.

Then, the girls “twisted” our arm, and we went out for ice cream. This day was actually mine and Trav’s 21st wedding anniversary…and this was our anniversary ice cream, I guess!

Thursday:

We had another early morning on Thursday as the girls had to ref the 8:00 game, and then played three games afterwards.

The AAU tournament had different themed days, and the second day was “pink day.” The girls always seemed to play better in their pink shirts this season. They played so well, and won a couple of games!

All the glitter for pink day!

Midway through the season, one of the hitters on the team had to leave the team, so Hadley was asked to play front row/right side as well as DS in the back. So, for the last five or six tournaments, Hadley played the entire game. She hadn’t played right side since middle school, but she was up for the challenge. My 5’3″ girl got quite a few kills/blocks/tips this season.

One of the moms ordered some fun accessories for the various days. Pink day was the easiest to be decked out on, so we took a family team pic in between games.

Trav and Hayden missed out on the pink day fun. Once Hayden realized the KC Royals were playing Tampa Bay, he asked if they could go to the game. It was an early afternoon game, and the stadium is indoors, so Trav obliged with Hayden’s request. It was about an hour and a half drive there, so it was doable.

Hayden sent me this pic, and I thought he caught a foul ball. Travis and Hayden were sitting just a few rows behind the Royals’ dugout, and Jac Caglianone threw a ball out to the fans, and Hayden got one.

Speaking of Jac…

The Royals did lose, but Trav and Hayden still had a great time.

After the game, Hayden was able to get Isaac Collins and Tyler Tolbert’s autographs, so that also made the trip worth it…at least that’s what Trav had to tell himself on the three hour drive home. Traffic was bad in Tampa at that time, and Orlando traffic always seemed to be horrible!

After games, Hadley and a few teammates hung out and we waited for Trav and Hayden to get back. The girls had a team dinner with their coach, and we just got carry out and watched soccer. The US played really late, so it was nice to stay up and watch them knowing the girls didn’t have to get up early on Friday.

Friday:

Since Hadley’s team didn’t play until the afternoon, we had some time on our hands in the morning. We had a slow morning, and Trav went out and got donuts.

Eventually, Trav, Hadley and I made our way to the bigger family pool for an hour or so.

Then, we moved to the other pool with the slide, and Hayden met us there.

We ordered lunch to eat in the room before going to Hadley’s games.

The team played well again on Friday and got a couple wins.

We didn’t get back to hotel until 8:30, and Hadley and a few teammates requested Raising Canes to eat while watching Love Island. They did that in our friend’s villa while we ate pizza with our friend in our villa.

Saturday:

Saturday was another early morning for bracket play. Trav volunteered to drop the girls off since they had to be there early, and I took a few minutes to enjoy my coffee. I will say that by this time of vacation, I was really missing my at home iced coffees!

The last day was Hawaiian themed, so I was ready to roll…

The first game was a good one that went to three sets.

But, unfortunately they lost 13-15 in the last set! It was truly back and forth the whole time. That meant the season officially came to an end….

The girls were still all smiles, but there were a few tears. This team was scrappy all season, improved so much, and really did have many great finishes in all the tournaments they played in.

I also have to say that Hadley really had a great coach. If you have had kids on any sort of team, you know a coach can make or break a team and a season. I truly appreciate all Hadley’s coach did for the team. She was tough when needed, was always actively coaching, and she really related well to them.

Even I was surprisingly sad for the season to end.

Since we were back to the villa by lunchtime, we had leftovers and then made our way to the pool. All of us had fun on the slides. We just hung out in the pool, I read my book poolside, and Trav watched some horse races on his phone.

Around 4:00, there was lightning nearby, so we had to clear out. While that was a bummer, it was good timing because we needed to start packing, but the kids actually played ping pong for a bit…

…Hadley sent me this pic telling me they were having fun at putt putt, but Hayden was winning. haha!

That evening, we hung out in the villa and packed up.

Trav and I ran out to grab some carry-out from a restaurant in a fun part of town.

We ate dinner at the villa, watched some soccer, and then went to bed by 10:00.

Sunday:

Sunday morning came early when our alarms went off at 3:45 because we needed to leave by 4:30. Surprisingly, everyone got up and moving pretty decently. We had about a 45 minute drive to the airport, and we were on the first flight out at 6:30. The good news is that meant we were at our house close to 9:00!

Home sweet Homer! That Sunday was actually overcast and rainy which was perfect for staying home, unpacking, doing laundry, and napping off and on. I’ve never been more thankful for Kroger delivery!

Anyway, it was a good trip that exceeded my expectations. It had actually been a bit since the four of us had been on a vacation just as a family of four, so it was nice to have time together. Also, a perk of having older kids is just letting them kind of do what they want to do while you do what you want to do. They’ll find you eventually when they need money! ha!

Thanks for following along on our trip!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Faves {#305}: Florida Part 1

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We spent most of our week getting back on track after being out of town last week. I did lots of laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, and other odds and ends. The kids had their yearly check up yesterday, and I am almost finished with my closet/dresser clean out. It’s nice to get a couple of things checked off our list.

Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Last week, we spent a couple days at the beach before heading to Orlando for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. Since Siesta Key is one of our favorite places, I’m recapping those days today.

Father’s Day Sunday:

We were up very early (which was honestly, unfortunately, a theme of most days on this trip) on Father’s Day to catch our 9:30 flight from Lexington to Orlando. The flight ended up being delayed a bit, but it was a direct flight, and we landed around 11:30. We had to rent a car and then drive the couple of hours to Siesta Key. Traffic was pretty bad for most of the way, but we arrived at the house we rented by late afternoon.

We typically stay at Trav’s aunt’s house, but her grand-daugther was there with friends during the time we were there.

No problem though because Travis does a good job finding places for us to stay. This house’s name was “White Wake.” It had three bedrooms, and was spacious and really nice!

This was the view in the backyard. The house had a pool and was on the canal which was lovely.

We settled in, unpacked, and even “rested our eyes” for a few minutes before heading to one of our favorite places…The Daiquiri Deck!

We got a drink and a few apps before going to the Siesta Key Market to pick up some grocery essentials.

We went back to the house and hung out for a bit. We decided since we were tired, we’d just eat at the house, so Trav went to Publix to grab some groceries.

I caught the sunset from the backyard, and we had tacos for dinner at home.

It had been a long travel day, so we had a low-key night at the house. College baseball was on as well as soccer, so we all hung out in the living room until going to bed.

Monday:

Three of us slept in on Monday (Trav is always an early riser), but when I got up, I enjoyed my coffee poolside.

Once Travis got back from his walk, he had a morning swim.

Then, we got packed up for the beach. Hayden wanted to go back to the Daiquiri Deck and also look for sandals, so Hadley and I headed to the beach. Trav joined us later.

Of course, it was HOT, but we appreciated the breeze and got in the water when needed.

I love reading with the sound of the ocean nearby.

Mid-afternoon, we headed back to the house, had a late lunch and swam in the pool for a bit. Then, it was time to get ready for dinner.

We went to Owen’s Fish House which is a restaurant in Sarasota that we’ve gone to through the years.

Meet Owen…

Both kids were “adventurous” with their meal selections. Hayden does like seafood, and he wanted to tackle the seafood boil on the menu. It is for two, so I split it with him. He almost mastered cracking the crab legs….almost.

Hadley only likes salmon and cocktail shrimp. She has had lobster bisque before, and liked it, so she said she wanted to try the lobster. She loved it. So, overall, it was a good meal!

We got back to the house, and I took a pic of Trav and the kids as a belated Father’s Day photo.

Hadley will always take a pic! ha!

Trav and I headed to the beach to catch the last few minutes of the sunset. This is always a favorite walk.

We got there just in time.

So so pretty!

We stayed for a few minutes, and as we walked back to the car, the sky was showing off!

Then, kids wanted ice cream, so we picked them up for that. Once back at the house, we settled in for the night.

Tuesday:

We had a very low-key Tuesday. The long travel day Sunday and the sun on Monday had us all seeking the shade. Well, not Hadley…she doesn’t shy away from the UV. haha

Anyway, we had a slow morning, and I spent time by the pool off and on throughout the day. I’d finished a book on Monday, so I was excited to start this one while on vacation…

Later, Trav and the kids went out to lunch, but I stayed home and had leftovers.

Hayden and I watched some soccer…

Then, Trav and Hayden went to get oysters at Siesta Key Oyster Bar…another tradition of theirs.

Before we had taco dinner at the house, I snapped a pic of the kids…

Then, Trav and I headed to Turtle Beach for the sunset. It was about a twenty minute drive, but it’s my favorite beach. It’s a short walk to the sand, and it’s not very crowded.

My favorite view:

We brought chairs and were there for about an hour. It was so lovely.

I collected a few seashells like I always do when we go to the beach. I didn’t snap a pic of them until we get home, but then I added them to this vase I have in our sun room.

Look at all the seashells I’ve collected through the years:

Once back at the house, we spent some time out back…

….while waiting on the laundry to be finished. Then, it was a somewhat early bedtime because we had to leave by 6:00 on Wednesday morning to head to Orlando.

It was a quick couple of days, but I’m glad we made it happen. We’d hoped to go a day earlier, but we had to go to Trav’s cousin’s wedding on that Saturday before Father’s Day. So, we made the most of the time we had at the beach.

Trav and Hayden hadn’t been to Siesta Key since 2020, and Hadley and I went a couple of years ago for a few days. Since our fall break beach tradition, we’ve mostly moved away from beach vacations in the summer since it’s so hot, and we’ve been spoiled by the temps in the fall. That being said, it was nice to have a couple of days in Siesta Key.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Here’s a look back at the first time the kids went to Siesta Key. We drove that very long drive and arrived late at night. They were up early the next morning, and they couldn’t wait to check out the beach. That’s the pic on the left! Hayden was still in his PJs!

One more flashback Friday in honor of the 4th of July…here are the kids on their first 4th of July in 2010. Pinchy cheek cute!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week in case you missed one:

June books
Monthly Moments: june 2026
Hello, July

I hope you have a great weekend celebrating America’s 250th birthday!

Posted in Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 2

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I forgot to schedule this post this morning which give you a peek into how my week is going haha!

I’m picking up where I left off with part 1 of my recap of the first few days of our fall break in Florida. Here’s a glimpse at the rest of the trip:

Tuesday morning started off slowly. Is there any better way than to start your day on the screened in porch with a cup of coffee?

Then, we headed to Seaside to meet some friends for breakfast…Hadley was our chauffeur…

Last year was our first year going to Black Bear, and it was a must again this year.

I got a bagel, and then we found a spot outside of Modica Market to eat. Trav picked up both up one of their legendary mimosas.

After that, we walked around a bit and shopped. I went into Sundogs Books which is one of my favorite spots in Seaside.

Seaside was far less crowded than in years past which was amazing.

Once we got back to the house, we changed and headed to the beach. Of course, there were clouds most days, but Tuesday was pretty overcast and honestly, that was a great reprieve from the heat.

We were at the beach for quite a while and then went back to the house for a bit before going back for sunset. Unfortunately, it was a pretty cloud covered sunset, but Hadley and friends had fun taking photos.

It was Taco Tuesday for dinner at the house and the moms and daughters watched Dancing with the Stars.

I was up pretty early on Wednesday and decided to take a walk. I love this entry point by our house.

I spotted the boys out fishing.

The water was so beautiful and calm.

One of Trav’s friends lives about an hour from Seaside, and he came in to see Trav and another friend who was in town on vacation. I joined them in Seaside where we sat around and talked and grabbed lunch. Hadley had tried the new “dumpling” place and raved about the fried rice, so that’s what I had for lunch that day.

We got back to the house early afternoon, and I was tired. I tend to “hit a wall” at some point on vacay, and this was that day. I just hung out at the house and read and took a nap. The teens were in and out, and I took them to Publix for cookie dough and whatever else they needed. It was just a chill house day.

On vacay, we choose one night when the adults go out to dinner. So, we got ready, and the girls got ready too because they were headed to the beach for more sunset pics.

Hadley and I snapped a pic…

…before I dropped the girls off at the beach. These friends had the best time that week.

Then, the adults made our way to Watercolor to eat at Fish Out of Water. While we waited for our table, we took a few pics and caught the sunset.

We’d never been to this restaurant before, and it was so nice. I got the low country boil, and it was so good.

Meanwhile…the girls were living their best lives. haha

The kids requested ice cream, so one of the dads picked up ice cream cones at Publix (don’t ask how many times we went to Publix on this trip. lol), and that was everyone’s sweet treat when we got home.

Thursday morning started with coffee and reading. I was starting to panic that I hadn’t read enough on this trip! Going on a trip with a big group means more chatting than reading, apparently…but that’s ok.

A couple of Hayden’s friends rolled into town and one of moms is good about getting pictures. She spotted Hayden on the way to meet the boys who were fishing.

We all made the most of the last beach day, and the weather was beautiful.

I started a new book.

After a few hours, some of us packed up because we wanted to go back to Seaside for a few things. I wanted an iced coffee from Black Bear, and I went back to the book store for a book.

Trav met me there, and we spotted both kids out and about with their friends.

Then, we went to Great Southern and met friends for apps and a drink.

After that, it was time to catch one more sunset…look at the sailboat showing off!

Is it even a 30A vacay without a sunset Seaside shirt pic?!

Big and little girls combined! What great memories they’ll have from these vacations.

The adults rallied for a photo!

…and one with all the kids. We didn’t travel with all of these kids, but our kids are good at finding their friends!

My family obliged for a couple of photos…

…which I always appreciate.

Also, isn’t it amazing how quickly the sky changes as the sun sets? I’m always in awe of it.

We packed up and headed back to the house. None of us look forward to Thursday evening when it’s time to eat all the leftovers in the fridge, do laundry and start packing.

Friday morning we all wanted to leave by 7:30, and we were close to that goal. The kids *begrudgingly* took one more photo. We were all tired from a fun filled week.

The drive home is brutal because Nasvhille traffic is no fun most times of the day. Truly, the drive to Seaside is usually under ten hours, and the trip home is always at least eleven hours! Plus, we lose an hour on the way back.

Anyway, we never know if we’ll be able to pull the trip off year after year, but so far, we’ve made this happen for four years. It’s hard to believe we might only have a couple years left!

Also, my apologies for however many times I typed “sunset.” If it was a drinking game, you’d be under the table!

Thanks for following along, and let me know if you have any questions.

Posted in Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 1

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Well, the first day back to school was as busy as you’d imagine after over a week off from school. That being said, it was great to see my students again, and we had a good day overall.

We had another really lovely fall break in Florida with friends. Every year is similar but different, but I love having all the memories in one place.

This post I shared last year recapped that trip, but I also shared a few thoughts about how we’ve made it work traveling with three other families the past few years. It’s a blessing to find a crew that you enjoy being with, but those who also understand when you need to fuss at your kid. haha

We’re all like one big family at this point.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the first few days of our fall break fun:

Friday:

Let me remind you that our last day of school included the freshman field trip for me! So, we’d decided to make the decision to leave Friday and drive to Nashville or wait and drive the full ten hours on Saturday until after school. Once I got home, I still needed to pack, but I was motivated at the thought of sleeping in a bit Saturday if we left Friday night. We got the car packed up and left the house around 6:30. I drove the first hour and a half, and Trav drove the rest of the way. We made it outside of Nashville by 10:00 which was our goal. We checked into the hotel and got a great night’s sleep.

Saturday:

Honestly, I was sleeping so well that Trav woke me at 8:00 because he was ready to get on the road. We had breakfast at the hotel, and left by 9:00. I honestly would have loved to sleep longer, but it was time to get moving as we had a six hour drive ahead of us.

It was a pretty easy drive, and we stopped a couple of times for gas and lunch. One of the families drove the whole way on Friday, another drove to Birmingham on Friday and the last family drove the whole way on Saturday. So, we all kind of did our own thing to get to Seaside, but we met at Hurricanes around 3:00 which has been our tradition to grab a bite to eat.

The house was ready surprisingly early, so after our meal, we all headed that way and unpacked. The groceries had been delivered a bit earlier, and our friend had already unpacked them.

Most of us went to the beach to catch the first sunset of vacay.

Honestly, I’m glad we made that happen…it was nice to have my toes in the sand, but also, this was the best sunset of the trip!

UK football was on that evening, so we all just hung at the house, watched the game, and some of us played a few games before going to bed.

Sunday:

We all eased into the morning. I love hanging out on the front porch to have my morning coffee.

We made it to the beach around 10:30 and set up for the day. The weather was warm, and the water was beautiful.

The teens come and go to the beach, and some days they are there longer than others. Since it was the first full day, I guess they wanted to be where we were. haha

I rarely buy books, but I’d been at Target the week before, and decided to purchase Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book that she co-wrote with her daughter. I was excited to start reading it.

I stayed at the beach until about 3:30, and then I headed back to the house to watch the Chiefs game. Hayden and I did that, but then I headed back for sunset.

One of the friends made these cute cups for our trip. They were perfect.

The girls joined us….they are such a sweet and fun group.

Hadley…she understood the assignment.

Fun with friends.

The sunset was a stunner.

It is crazy that it’s dark by 6:30. Once back at the house, we grilled out and then the kids made s’mores.

Truly, most nights we’d think it was 10:00 only to find out it was 8:30! haha

Monday:

Monday, I slept until 9, and then it was another slow morning followed by a beach day.

Hayden and a couple of friends went golfing while the rest of us beached it.

Mermaid Hadley.

We usually have one night that the moms go out for happy hour, so we did that on Monday night.

We went to Rosemary Beach which is about fifteen minutes from where we stay. It’s a really cute little town.

We went to The Pearl for happy hour.

I had a Frose’…

…and we had the perfect sunset views.

We stayed for a couple of hours…

…and then as we headed out, we asked someone to take our pic, and I’m so glad we did.

We went to Seaside for dinner, and then it was back to the house. The first few days were great!

Posted in Travel

Fall Break Fun in the Sun

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we’ve been back from the fun in the sun for a few days now, and today’s post is all about our trip to 30A with friends.

This is the second year that our district has given us a week long fall break, and we decided back in February to make this trip happen again.

Here’s what went down:

Saturday:

There were five families going, and everyone left at different times. It’s about a ten hour drive to Destin/30A from Lexington, and we didn’t get our rental house until Sunday late afternoon.

Like last year, the plan for most of us was to leave Lexington in the morning and stop in Birmingham for the night. Well, of course, Kentucky football takes precedence, and they were playing Florida at noon. So…Travis and Hayden stayed back for the game with another family’s guys, and Hadley and I left with the girls in that family around 12:30.

I was glad to have the morning to sleep in a bit, pack, and then leave around lunchtime. So, we had a car of girls while Travis, Hayden and three others drove after the game.

We made it to Birmingham around dinnertime along with a couple of other families.

We met for dinner at Taco Mama which was perfect for all of us. There was an outside sitting area, and we enjoyed the weather, tacos, and margs.

We went to the hotel around 8:00, and the guys arrived around 9.

Sunday:

On Sunday, we were all up and eating breakfast by 8, and we left the hotel around 9. We drove the rest of way, about 4 hours, and stopped for lunch at Hurricane Oyster Bar in Grayton Beach like we did last year.

After we ate, we drove about twenty more minutes to our house. Last year, we got lucky and the house was ready around 3. This year, it wasn’t ready until the “guaranteed” check in time of 5:00.

We stayed in the same house in Seagrove Beach as last year which was the perfect fit for our four families. The fifth family that was a part of our crew found the cutest house in our same neighborhood, and they let us hang until our house was ready for check in. We were so excited that it worked out to have them nearby.

The groceries were delivered, and we unpacked before heading to the beach.

We were there about an hour before sunset. I will say that’s a “downfall” of going to the beach for fall break…the sun sets so early!!

I had cute cups made again thanks to @cupsoncochran and they were perfect for sips at sunset.

Like last year, we just grilled out the first evening. It was nice to have that option after a long day. The Chiefs were on tv, so some of us watched the game before hitting the hay.

Monday:

We had a slow start to the morning, and I enjoyed my coffee on the front porch.

Then, we headed to the beach. (Our house was in a neighborhood across the street from the beach.)

We were there a few hours. This trip, the kids kind of went back and forth from the house more than last time…teenage perks, I guess. Our house came with quite a few bikes, so they would bike about a mile to Seaside to walk around, get food or get ice cream…or they’d bike to and from the house to the beach as needed.

That evening, the adults headed to Seaside after the beach and look who we saw:

Haha…they were living their best lives.

The adults enjoyed happy hour and apps at Great Southern. They have a delicious mojito.

We walked around for a bit afterwards…

…before heading to the beach for sunset.

Then, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner and s’mores by the fire.

Some of of use played the card game Phase 10 while our friend played his guitar. We were spoiled with nightly entertainment.

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning, everyone kind of did their own thing. Travis and Hayden went on a run while some played pickle ball. There was a pickleball/basketball court in our neighborhood.

A few of us walked to Seaside to get a Modica Market mimosa. Try saying that three times fast. You can’t after having one of these! haha

After that, we headed to the beach. I was thankful to snag this pic of my fam before the kids ran off…

I was at the beach for most of the day…which isn’t my norm. I’m a three or four hours at the beach type of girl…on this day, I was there for about six!

I got lots of reading time in which was great. Have you read Mad Honey? It was my book for the week.

That afternoon, the guys went out for oysters and when they got back, the moms went to Wine World in Watercolor.

We had a “girl” dinner…wine and charcuterie.

Then, we met the guys and the kids back at Seaside. Everyone kind of did their own thing for dinner. There are lots of food trucks, so the kids got what they wanted for dinner. Modica Market has wine and beer by the cup, so we all had a glass while the kids walked around and ate.

The post office in Seaside is soooo cute. So, of course we had to take more pics.

Once we were back at the house, some of us placed Phase 10 again before bed.

Wednesday:

The guys were up early for fishing.

I took it easy, and went to the beach around 11.

I love my new cover up…

They caught a few fish, but unfortunately my guys were very seasick the entire time. Very sick. Ooof. So sick that they had to cut the trip short. (Apparently, the waves were super high and the water was far from calm.)

After the beach, we were at the house most of the afternoon, and then it was our night for the adults to go out. We ordered pizza for the kids, and they hung out and watched a movie for the couple hours we were gone.

Before we left, I snapped a pic of the girls in their Seaside sweatshirts. I wasn’t sure if we’d get a beach pic of them like last year, so we went with this option.

We ate dinner at Old Florida Fish House which is where we ate last year.

Then, we drove to Rosemary Beach. I’d never been there. We went to the Pearl for a drink.

We were home by 9:00 because we are such party animals…haha

We hung out on the front porch for a bit before going to bed.

Thursday:

On Thursday, my friend and I went and got a permanent bracelet at a pop up shop called Spark Collection in Watercolor.

The girls tagged a long and then we went to Seaside to shop a bit. I even checked out the cute bookstore!

Then, it was beach time…

The boys graced us with their presence…

…and then they were back at the house…lol

We spent most of the afternoon at the beach. We all kind of took turns using the golf cart to leave the beach for lunch and come back. We wanted to make the most of our last day by hanging at the beach as much as possible (at least that’s what the adults wanted to do…) but also eat out once more for lunch.

My family and Hayden’s friend had a late lunch at Great Southern before going back to the beach until sunset.

The kids joined us back at the beach…and the girls were in their Seaside sweatshirts again. haha

Here they are last year:

…and we wrangled the kids for a sunset pic…

…and a few group pics.

Before taking in one final sunset.

Once we got back to the house, it was time to shower, eat dinner and start packing. For dinner, we just raided the fridge and freezer. There were lots of pizza rolls, chicken tenders, and tater tots to eat. My friend Megan fried and grilled the fish the boys brought home, and it was so good.

My friend Allison was the brave one to go check out the girls’ carriage house situation. We thought it was best not to go up there until we absolutely had to. haha

Thankfully, they did a good job packing up.

After dinner, we hung out in the backyard by the fire before going to bed around 10.

Friday :

We were up around 7, and hit the road around 8:30.

With no one winning the Powerball earlier in the week, we all said we’d buy lotto tickets at random towns on the way home. It’s always the random small town gas station that has the winning numbers, right?

(Plot twist: we all headed to work this week…lol)

What should be about a 10 hour car ride was more like 11 hours. Oooof. We were so happy to see Homer when we finally got home.

Much like last year, one more day would have been nice, but it was great to have the entire weekend at home to just relax, unpack, get groceries, do laundry and more.

This trip was similar to last year in how we meal planned and spent our time, but the kids did have a bit more freedom and I think we found a good compromise on mixing in family time, girl/guy time, kids time, beach time, and more.

I had a few questions about logistics and travelling with a group, so I hope to get that post out tomorrow.

Thanks for following along on our fun in the sun vacay.

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Posted in Travel

Fall Break in Florida Part 2

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Wednesday!

Well, we had snow flurries yesterday which is a far cry from 80 degree temps and the salt water we got to experience on Fall Break.

Last week, I shared part 1 of our trip, and today I’m recapping the last couple of days.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, we all had a slow start to the day, and people kind of did their own thing. Some of the moms went shopping and took the girls. I stayed back and read on the screened in porch while drinking my coffee.

Travis took Hayden to the pool for his exercises and stretching.

Then, Travis worked from the house the rest of day as some of the others did as well. I guess this was the point of vacay where we had to put the fun aside and get caught up on work. haha

Then, some of us had some beach time. The girls (Hadley & Co.) spent most of the day at the pool.

The weather could not have been more perfect. I enjoyed my book and my Truly and continued to work on my tan. On this day, I kind of joked about how fun it was vacationing with my family (I was the only one at the beach. haha)

I headed back to the house around 3:00 to shower and rest. Then, it was the “parents night out” for dinner. All the kids hung at the house, and we ordered pizza for them.

We had dinner reservation at Old Florida Fish House. They couldn’t seat all 12 of us together, so we split up with a guys table and a girls table.

The setting was beautiful, and the food was delicious.

On our way out, we were able to get a group pic. It turned out so great!

Then, we went back to the house and enjoyed music by the fire. (Not everyone is lucky enough to travel with a talented musician and his guitar!)

Thursday:

Thursday morning was another slow one. Since it was our last day of vacay, we all knew it was our last day to relax.

Most of us eventually headed to the beach. We all wanted to maximize our time there since it was the last day.

Poor Hayden spent most of his time on the couch (or in the pool doing his exercises)

Hadley joined me on the beach. After a day at the pool the day before, the girls were ready to have fun in the sun and the sand.

Since we knew we’d have to start packing up that night and wanted to spend as much time on the beach as possible, we all headed back to the house late afternoon to freshen up and have a late lunch instead of going out to dinner. All the families kind of did their own thing. My family headed in to Seaside to go to Great Southern.

Travis and Hayden wanted one more round of oysters.

We got the calamari app, and I got a salad. Then, we enjoyed ice cream at It’s Heavenly afterwards.

Then, we went back to the house. The kids ran around and played a bit before heading to the beach for one more sunset.

We (all the moms) wanted *casual* family photos, and we made it all work.

We took turns snapping pics of each family. I love how ours turned out. (Some things do get easier with time!)

Hadley took a pic of Travis and me…

The kids gave me a few more smiles…

…before we snapped all the different combos of group kid photos. haha

Love this crew:

The girls, boys, and the oldest girls…

…and then the best pic of all. Thank goodness for a timer on the phone! (We were missing one family, but I love this pic so much.)

Then, we sat down for the last few minutes and enjoyed a beverage while watching the sunset.

It was a good one! Nothing beats a beach sunset.

We stayed until dark, and then headed back to the house. We still hadn’t made S’mores, so that was on the agenda for the last night.

Then, we all started packing up to make the morning easier before heading to bed.

Friday:

We were all up and at ’em pretty early. I did enjoy one more cup of coffee on the porch before helping clean out the fridge, tidying up the house, and doing a walk through to make sure nothing was left behind. It was all hands on deck (You should have seen the carriage house after a few days with four girls!), but we got it done.

Everyone was on the road by 9. It was quite the drive home. We hit traffic in Nashville, so it was almost an eleven hour drive back. The good thing is the kids were so tired, the slept quite a bit.

I think we all felt like we could have used one more beach day, but it was nice to have the whole weekend to unpack, do laundry, get groceries, and prep for the week ahead.

This trip couldn’t have gone any better. I think it helps that the kids are all at a great traveling age that also provided flexibility for all. If a kid didn’t want to stay at the beach, they could stay at the house. The parents were able to go out one night, all the families could hang, or we could all just do our own thing.

We’ve been blessed with amazing friendships with amazing families. It’s so nice that when the kids became friends, the parents all became friends too. I know this is a vacation (and photos!) that we’ll remember fondly and hope to do again in the future.

Thanks for following along. Now, don’t mind me…I’m off to find my winter coat. Brrr!

Posted in Travel

Fall Break in Florida Part 1

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I can’t believe we’ve almost been home from the beach for a week, and I’m just getting around to sharing about the first few days of our trip.

Like I shared last week, it felt odd prepping for our trip as we weren’t sure the exact track of Hurricane Ian. Florida saw a lot of devastation, but the hurricane didn’t make it to the 30A/Destin area.

30A is a “hot spot” for vacations for the southern states. We have lots of friends who go there many times a year. I believe there are direct flights if not from Lexington, from nearby cities. That being said, most of the time, I think people drive. It’s about a ten hour trip. Travis and I had been there once before with friends many years ago. I’m sure we’d go there more if we didn’t have Siesta Key as our main Florida vacation spot thanks to Trav’s family.

Anyway, here’s a bit about the first few days of our trip…

Saturday:

We were sharing a house with three other families, and we couldn’t check in until Sunday. It ended up that Kentucky was playing Old Miss at noon that day, so many of our friends left early in the morning to get to our pit stop of Birmingham, AL by game time. Hayden had a cross country meet, so while many families left in the morning, we didn’t leave until about 2 pm. We arrived in Birmingham around 8:00 and just hung out. We were all the same hotel, so the kids got together, and the adults hung out too. We just got carry out dinner and watched football on tv before going to bed.

Sunday:

Since we still had about 3.5 hours left of the drive, we all wanted to leave by 9:00. Everyone was up and having breakfast before packing up for the rest of the drive. Who doesn’t love a “free” breakfast?

We hit the road, and arrived in the 30A area around 1:00. We were traveling with two families who were pretty familiar with the area as they’d vacationed there quite a few times. They suggested Hurricane Oyster Bar and Grill for lunch, and that’s where we all met up.

I had the lobster tacos, and they were so good. They kids ate and were able to walk around a bit while the adults chatted and ate. Hayden and Travis got their first oysters of the trip.

We were guaranteed check in to the house by 5:00, but just as we were getting into our cars around 3:00, they texted that the house was ready. Perfect timing!

One of the moms ordered groceries for delivery between 3:00 and 5:00. The Instacart person was in the driveway as we arrived. Again, perfect timing!

The house was pretty big and so charming. It was nestled in a neighborhood about 1/2 a mile from the beach, and the neighborhood had two pools…one of which was only a few steps from our house.

The screened in front porch was my favorite part!

We all got settled in our rooms, unpacked groceries, and got organized. There was a carriage house above the garage, and it had a king bed and two twin beds. The four girls got it. It was funny because Hadley kept calling it the “out house” at first. I told her it was a far cry from an out house. Throughout the week, they called it the “other” house, the “back” house, and eventually the “she shed.” They definitely had a good spot!

Our house also had a golf cart, so a couple of trips on that to get everyone there, and we were at the beach by 4:00.

We all sat around while kids played.

Then once we realized how early the sun would be setting (6:30!), we decided to grab some drinks from the house to enjoy while we watched the sun set. I ordered these cups from a Lexington girl (@cupsoncochran) and brought them for us to use on the trip.

I love a beach sunset. I try hard not to miss one while on vacay!

Of course, we had to have some sunset pics on the first night.

Then, we headed back to the house for dinner. I’m so glad we had made the plan to grill out at home. We were back from the beach around 6:45, and had dinner around 7:30. The kids played games, and the Chiefs were on tv. We all hung out, and I think most were in bed around 10.

Monday:

We eased into the morning with people waking at various times. Before we left for the trip, the moms made a tentative breakfast plan. Of course, we bought cereal, but then we also planned for pancakes, sausage biscuits, omelets and more. We spaced those out throughout the week.

We had coffee on the screened in porch before the moms walked on the beach. There were two other families nearby that we hung out with as well.

When we got back from our walk, everyone packed up to head to beach for the day.

First full day at the beach, and everyone enjoyed it!

The kids caught all kinds of things: crabs, snakes, fish. We even saw lots of jelly fish.

In Seaside square, the moms hit up an early happy hour…

…while the girls walked around, shopped, and got ice cream.

We made it back in time to load up and head to the beach for sunset.

The moms got a pic:

…as did the daughters. Any guesses on what the girls bought while we were at happy hour? haha

This is one of those photos (both photos, actually) that I think we’ll treasure forever.

Are you even a “tween” if you aren’t doing Tik Tok dances by the ocean?

We enjoyed the sunset before heading back to the house.

Again, it was a full day at the beach, so I’m glad we planned ahead for tacos at home. Even better, someone had the good call to put the taco meat in the slow cooker. Dinner was basically ready when we got back.

Then, most of the kids settled in for Hocus Pocus 2.

It was a great day.

Tuesday:

I had coffee on the front porch before the moms biked to Modica Market for mimosas and breakfast. The mimosas were a great way to start the day. Also, I caved and bought a Seaside sweatshirt too. Hadley gets her love of sweatshirts from me!

Travis drove some of the kids up to the market on the golf cart to pick up breakfast, so we saw them for a few minutes as well.

Once we got back, we packed up and headed to the beach.

I’m glad we got this family pic because that’s about the last time Hayden was at the beach. He’d hurt his leg the day before playing football on the beach (strained a muscle, I guess), so he laid low at the house or did stretches or exercises in the pool the other days.

The beach was never super crowded, and on this day, the water was hardly moving!

I read my book and enjoyed the sunshine.

I went back to the house mid-afternoon to check on Hayden and see what the kids were up to. Then, I took an afternoon nap on screened in porch. It was lovely.

The guys (and Hayden) went out for happy hour and oysters.

For dinner, we met up with the two other families at the Hub (which I think is also called The Big Chill now). This was the perfect place for dinner because it’s all outside, there was a movie playing, and there were many food options.

After a few hours there, we headed back to the house. Again, the kids played for a bit, and we all hung out. We ended up turning on The Addams Family which we all hadn’t seen in forever.

We had a great start to our vacay….I will share the last couple of days next week!

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#130}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

How was your week? We had a great one because it was Fall Break and we had so much fun in the sun.

Well, I can’t believe it, but it’s the last day of our Fall Break. We went to the Destin area of Florida with a few other families, and we had such a great time. Honestly, I couldn’t have imagined a better trip.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

It felt odd moving forward with our planned trip as all eyes were on Hurricane Ian in the days before our break. There was so much destruction and devastation in so many parts of Florida, including our usual vacay spot of Siesta Key.

Amazingly, Hurricane Ian didn’t make it to the Destin/30A area.

I’m sure I will give a more detailed recap, but…

…here are a few favorite photos from our week in Santa Rosa:

While a couple more days would have been nice, we’re all ready for our own beds and can’t wait to see Homer. Truly, it was a great time with great friends. So many memories were made, and it was such a blessing to get away for a bit.

Not Just a Mom:

Wow! Monday is already the second Monday of the month which means it’s time for our monthly link up. We’d love to have you join us.

This month’s topic is: how we host.

Honestly, it’s been a minute since I’ve hosted for a party or get together. Let me know what tips you have!

Weekly Recap:

Even while on vacay, I had a few posts this week:

Pumpkin Everything
Prime Purchases
Fall Front Porch

What are your weekend plans? We will be unpacking and prepping for the week ahead with a few activities on tap as well.

See you back here on Monday for Not Just a Mom.