It's been too long

There were so many occasions to blog about. So many opportunities to share and yet, I couldn't find the motivation to write things down and memorize the important things in life. Weeks go by and there are still not enough hours in a day to sit down and relax. We just came back from Florida, the same day MH17 got shot down in Ukrain.. It makes you reflect over life and you come to the realization life can be over in seconds. So many families that have lost loved ones. Children who have lost their parents, parents without their children, grandparents who have lost both children and grandchildren. We are thankful for having returned home safely and most important: as a complete family.

Florida was like coming home again. It felt so good, so natural. We didn't come in through Sanford Airport this time. We decided to pay Miami a visit before driving that Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Edition all the way to Kissimmee. It was amazing. So different but yet so familiar. How I have missed those trees, the highways, the weather, the people. This vacation was more active than our previous ones. We swam with manatees, went kayaking in Wekiwa Springs, did some shopping, visited numerous restaurants, had the best sushi, shopped some more, enjoyed different beaches and springs (we had never before seen water that clear and pure as in Juniper and Wekiwa Springs), celebrated July 4th near the Lakefront Park in Kissimmee, screamed our lungs out on a local rodeo event, visited Saint Augustine (man, my calves hurt for 3 days after climbing that lighthouse - I really need to work on getting in shape) and had the honor to spend a day at the Children With Diabetes congress in Orlando. I had been invited by Scott Johnson, a T1 colleague who lives in Minnesota and has been a wonderful diabetes advocate for many years. We met so many wonderful people on the congress and I felt blessed for this event, that has been created to make life of children with T1 diabetes a little bit easier. 

It was wonderful. We had been looking forward to Florida all year and it was no disappointment. I really hope to go back next year.. 

The girls did well in school and as usual: we are very proud of them. It's a privilege to see them grow up and do well. They are amazing and a true blessing. They are growing up alright. Lana has bought her first car (thank you Mammie, for giving her this opportunity) and she's been loving it ever since. It gives her independence and I can relate to her joy. It is such a big step into adulthood to have a car of your own and to be able to drive yourself to wherever you want to be. I still get that same overwhelming feeling whenever I get another car. By the way: the next car is a fact: right before we left for Florida, my new car found its way to our home. I didn't want to give up on 4x4, so this time we got a Honda CR-V. It's been a joy driving it so far.

Eva started working weekends in a restaurant. It gives us something new to talk about. I'm proud of her. Working in restaurants is hard and working late hours isn't easy if you need a lot of sleep. But she's holding on and she'll be combining it with her job at the nursing home during the summer holidays. It gives her some extra money to spend and it makes her realize life is hard and you need to work for a living. She gets responsibility and praise for what she's doing and that is so important at the age of 17. It is important at any age.

There's so much more to tell and I will get to it eventually. For now, let things be and get some rest. I need to go to bed and get up early in the morning. 

A ticking timebomb

Will it be postponed, or will they let us take that plane to Hurghada?

 Our oldest daughter and her friend were planning their first holiday abroad together. It took them some time to find the perfect destination for what they had in mind. They wanted sun and fun and far away and lazy time by the pool. So they ended up with a beautiful hotel in Hurghada, Egypt. All summer long, they were looking forward to their vacation and tanning their skin before college starts. Lana and her friend will be attending the same college education in Bruges this fall and going on a holiday together was going to be the perfect start. Never did they expect problems in the country they planned on going to.

Things haven't been going well in Egypt lately. There's just too much commotion going on and the turmoil is not calming down yet. Jetair has cancelled its flights up until the end of October. Lana and her friend booked their trip with Thomas Cook. Now they have to wait until the last day of August, before they will know whether their plans are still in the running or not. After all, they would be leaving September 2nd, so that's not that far off.

What does one do? Do you take chances and decide to go to Egypt besides all the negative comments on the News?
Do you cancel your trip, loose your money and try to book some other vacation with a different agency?
Or would you postpone your vacation and go some other time?

It's never easy. But the most painful part of all, is that many innocent people in August are being terrorized by this awful situation. They have lost their beloved ones, their home, their jobs and their income. Tourists cancel their visit and spend their money on a different location. They are the true victims here. We are lucky to be able to pick Egypt as a holiday destination. We don't have to live there. The turmoil is not part of our daily life.. 

Kiss me goodbye

This morning, around 5:20 AM, our car was packed with suitcases and bags. Three beautiful young ladies were sitting in the backseat, very quiet and somehow sad. Hubby and I were in front, trying to hold back the tears. I turned off the radio, for the music didn't seem to be appropriate. Only 15 more minutes, before we had to say goodbye to our new member of the family.. Ilaria is going home. She has been living with our family for 3 months, as an exchange student. Coming from Bari, the Southern part of Italy, Ilaria had a hard time coping with our cold season and chilly evenings. Going to school in a very different setting, she couldn't understand why she couldn't use her cell phone during school hours or chew gum in the class. The rules were pretty stupid, in her opinion. Back then, she could've decided to go home and rejoin her own class and continue her life. But she didn't.. She hung in and talked to us about her concerns and questions. We are glad she persevered.

The taxi was waiting for us at the school gate. Gianmario, the Italian friend who came to Belgium with Ilaria, was standing on the curb, tears in his eyes. Even this young man had mixed feelings about going home. After all, having spent 3 months in a Belgian home is an experience. On one hand you want to go home and see your family and friends. On the other hand, you have to leave your new family and friends behind, not knowing if you will ever see them again.. The taxi driver was emotional too, I could tell. But then again, he was not just a taxi driver. This young man had become very friendly with these Italian youngsters. He even came to visit Ila for a last time yesterday afternoon..

Yesterday was a very strange day. So many things we wanted to say, so many stories left to share. We knew this relation would not just stop here. There is Skype and Italy is not the end of the world. I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind visiting her and her loved ones. We have a lot of memories, many thoughts to make our faces smile. I'm sure we will all have to get used to being by ourselves again. That one bedroom looks so empty now and there is no fifth chair at the kitchen table. Tonight around 9:30 PM, nobody will come down the stairs and ask: Can I take a "douchan"?

We will miss you, Ilaria Landriscina.. You are a wonderful girl and we enjoyed your company. You will make more rides with Daddy Cars in the future and your Belgian sisters are looking forward to going out with you in Bari. I'm not to sure about the piercing you promised Eva though... Hahaha... we'll see. Rebba, Inthe and Arthurio are looking for you and they can't find you. Inthe was on the sofa wearing your "muts". I think I will listen to Gente di Mare and dream of a visit to your beautiful home..

Every now and then

we all need a break. A break from home, a break from reality. For one week, we have had the chance to be no more than just a couple. No work, no children, no pets, no fuss of the daily life. Just the two of us, the sun and nothing to worry about. Of course we talked about home and the girls. Because we will always be parents. We contacted the children every day. How could we not? But still, things were different. We had more time for us as a couple. Every now and then, that's all we need...

Things are coming to an end. It's time to pack our suitcases and say goodbye to Marrakech. It has been a good week. A week to look back to with a smile. We have a photo album full of memories and stories to tell. It'll be good to take the plane home and embrace the girls. They did real well in our absence. We are proud of them.

Quite remarkable

The more reviews I read about La Sultana, the more I long for this trip. It sounds very exciting, relaxing, welcoming, inviting.. So many people that spread the word on their fabulous stay in this hotel. After having read the Wiki information on Marrakech, we could do with some good news. Apparently, the Marrakech locals are not that honest when it comes to money. They like to rip you off and empty your pockets as soon as they get the chance. Offering you the best price ever and then charge you more in the end. I was not looking forward to such a kind of treatment. I don't like it when you pay 480 MAD for something that costs no more than 40 MAD. We are not very good at bargaining, so we'd better not even go there. The locals will immediately know we are tourists and easy targets. But we have done our research and are aware of the prices. We hope to get some help from the hotel management in booking excursions and taxis. That would be very helpful. I'm glad their shuttle service will come pick us up at the airport. The cost is higher than expected, but getting ripped off by a local taxi driver at the arrival is too much. We want to get to La Sultana in one piece, without bargaining or making a fuss. We hear the staff is very helpful and willing to bend backwards if they could. I have seen pictures of the rooms at the hotel and I believe we won't be disappointed..

It's about time to get the suitcases stowed away in the trunk of the car. I hope we have packed whatever we need. It will be hot in Marrakech - 40°C is not a temperature we are used to. Maybe this time I will use sunscreen after all.. Let's keep our fingers crossed that my insulin will survive the heat and that my insulin pump will not refuse action. My nurse provided me with insulin pens, just in case.. but I truly hope I won't need them. Our mini bar will be stacked with diet coke - that's another bonus of this hotel. I'm looking forward to strolling around the Medina, to smell the food and spices, to inspect the leather "maroquinerie", to take as many pictures as possible..

There is free wifi throughout the complete hotel, if you know what I mean. Yes, we'll keep you posted. I hope to upload some pictures every now and then, and let you know about our adventures..

Girls, we will miss you.. you will be in our minds. Hope to talk to you on Skype every now and then. Be good and keep safe...

Good old fashion fun

It's great to have friends over. So I didn't mind the message you sent me: "Mom, is it okay if both my girlfriends stay over tonight? They would bring their tent and we would sleep in the backyard.
P.S. They would love to try out your cooking skills!"

I had to hurry up and get the preps done for dinner. I had something in mind, but as usual my plans changed just a little bit. Adding more and more side dishes to the original plan, I had some more errands to run. Your friends took the bus over to our place and the three of you were so happy to see each other. It had been a while, I must say. There was summer camp for you and then your friends went abroad with their parents. It won't be too long before school starts and both your friends will take different subjects. It's a shame they will no longer be in your class, but that doesn't mean you can no longer be friends.

I loved the smile on all of those faces and the chitchatting in the house. Daddy had to help out with the tent, but he shouldn't have. It started to rain and you stayed in your room. One of the girls fell asleep right away, for she had slept no more than 2 hours the night before, coming home from France. But you and your other friend couldn't stop chatting. I heard it was 4:30 AM before your heads touched your pillows.. zzzzzz

مرحبا بكم في مراكش

We couldn't decide whether we would book a vacation or not. Thinking of going back to Florida, one of the girls protested that she wanted to go some place else. A place where she could visit historical sites and learn about the country. On the other hand, daughter number two was more than willing to go to Florida. She mainly wants to shop and lie down by the pool... Hmmm what a dilemma... I'm not entitled to take a break yet, since I just started working again. Hubby worked hard all year round and he's desperately looking forward to some time off and a vacation abroad. Arrgghhh!!! We need help!

We decided the kids would go to summer camp and the oldest daughter is starting her first summer job in August. Maybe we could go to Florida around Christmas? Or to Indiana? How about Bali? Darn.. if only all of us could agree on a destination and a set a date?

My in-laws would like to come to Florida with us. They talk Easter vacation 2013. That was the plan. Until Lana told us her class was planning a schooltrip to Italy around Easter. And Eva just announced that she would like to go to Durbuy to take courses so she could become a monitor for summer camps. So the Easter vacation is a no-go as well.

At work, we discussed the schedule for August. My employer and his family have planned another break, meaning I would be off August 10 - August 20th. So the idea started to grow in my head, that maybe, just maybe, we could escape from our rainy country and enjoy some sun some place else? I have always wanted to go back to Morocco. Not Agadir this time, but Marrakech. I would love to stroll around the Medina and enjoy the Moroccan cuisine. Just bed and breakfast and no children around. It's been a very long time since mom and dad went away all by themselves. The girls will be very disappointed, but we'll make it up. I'd better schedule care for the whippets as well. Arthur can stay at home, but the dogs would be better of at Fiefoerniek's to go play with their whippie friends.

I'm looking forward to the Arabic sounds, the music, the food, the sun, the atmosphere and some quality time with my husband. La Sultana looks very appealing and luxurious to us... Can't wait to go..

On the road

It's your turn. You're leaving for summer camp too. Your sister has been gone for a couple of days. The house will be empty and quiet (and clutter free too) without you girls. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will be with you. Daddy has tuned up your bicycle so it's all ready to bring you to your destination. It will be a very long ride, 116 km to be exact. That is, by car. The actual bicycle ride will be around 155 km. Your bottom will be very sore by the time you get there, but you will persevere. It's not in your nature to give up and nag over things you can't change.
We got you a new backpack. A real one! A good one and you will take good care of it. You are good at packing your things all by yourself. I'm sure the goodies and candy won't be forgotten.

We'll write you kiddo. And if others are willing to do the same, just grab a pen and a piece of paper and send Lana some news:

VZW KLJ-Eel - Den Bouw
Chiro Ekyrpak - Lana JOOS
Eelstraat 4
2380 Ravels - Eel

Just smile and be happy

Photo by Lana Joos

You're all set. You packed your bags last night, all by yourself, like you have done for years. Totally excited about this summer camp, you sent your last facebook messages for this week. In Durbuy there will be no Internet. So used to that way of communicating, but now you will have to go back to basics: just talk to each other, without a computerscreen or keyboard. Your world will be a bit more narrow than you are used to, but that's more than okay. Old friends, new friends, friends to be.. plenty of fun and hopefully some sun to brighten up the days.

Have fun sweetie pie. Enjoy your summer camp, have a ball and meet up with peers. There will be so many stories to tell and I'm looking forward to hearing them. See you in a week!

PS If you would like to make her happy with a written letter or a more modern email:


La Petite Merveille
Eva Joos
Rue comte Th. D’Ursel 51
6940 DURBUY
or
info@lpmforkids.be (write her name where the subject should come)

Could it be? Yes, it could..

My two girls... Never thought they would get along so well. It warms my heart to see how well they are doing in their lives. They are happy and cheerful and have plenty of friends. And best of all: they are becoming good friends to each other as well..

Eva attended boarding school for two years. During that period of time, the girls didn't see each other that often. It took them some time to adjust having each other around again, but they worked out a system and they do well.

I feel fortunate to have these beautiful girls as my daughters. They make me proud and I'm lucky they chose me as their mom. Life wouldn't be the same without them.

Christmas finals are over. They will get good grades, I'm sure about that. They studied well and they deserve some vacation now. I'm glad they will be home for a while. Looking forward to doing fun things together and enjoy their presence.. Love you girls.. xxx

Safe and sound

Today you're leaving for Florida, US. You and your family, that is. I'm so excited for the 5 of you! I just know you will have a fantastic vacation abroad, full of laughter and joy. The sun is even out there, ready to warm your bodies and hearts.

I know your schedule will be busy and packed, so I'm not expecting any extended mails or so. Have fun! Say hi to the alligators and don't forget to water the palm trees in front of the apartment at Caribe Cove. I'll  miss you but I most definitely give you the pleasure you deserve. Enjoy!

Pretty special

You really are something else..
We went out for lunch together. You always know great places to enjoy a good meal and I truly enjoy your company. We hadn't seen each other for a couple of weeks, so there was some catching up to do. You keep surprising me and I like the way you look at the world. I'm always chipper and happy after a meeting with you.
I don't know how you do it, but you are such a good motivator. You know the right things to say and you are good at discovering the talents in people. What a wise lady you are..

Enjoy your stay in Lissabon. You deserve it..

Take it easy

We won't do much more than chillin' today.. At least, that's what we'd like to do. This morning, we split up to go get the pets. Hubby and Eva drove all the way to Ostend, to go get Arthur and I took Lana to Holland where the dogs were staying. It's good to see they are all doing well and the household is complete again. Arthur looks very fluffy and fat. He didn't go outside for 2 weeks. The whippets though, have lost some weight. There was a bit too much fat on their bones, starting to look like labradors.. I guess we'll have to take another look at their diet.

I've had quite some low blood glucose lately. It's getting to me, I guess. I'm worn out and could use some extra sleep. Maybe I'd just crash on the couch, before I get ready to do some grocery shopping. Looking forward to a home cooked meal tonight..

Let's not fall apart

It was a long flight, a very long flight..

We left for Orlando airport around 9 am. Traffic was cool and we got to the airport in time. Returning the rental car was no big deal. Checking in was a little different this time. Delta Airlines wanted us to use the Self Service check-in, meaning we had to do everything by ourselves. That's okay, if you're not in a hurry and if everything goes by the book. We were first asked to use our credit card to open the computer menu. The card was supposed to stay in the slot during the whole process. We then needed to scan all of the passports in order to be able to print the tickets. This computer we were working on, decided it didn't want to print one of the tickets. It kept spitting out blank forms for Eva. So we tried again.. and again.. until I gave up and asked an attendant to come help me. She couldn't print the tickets either and then the computer gave up as well. So she called another attendant to help out and print the one ticket we were still waiting for. We sighed when we finally got hold of all of our tickets, so we could hand over our luggage and move on to the gate.

We had lunch in the airport (The Outback Steakhouse was phenomenal) before we strolled over to Gate 73, where we had another hour and a half before our plane would start boarding. It was hot and we were thirsty and I got up to go find Starbuck's for another coffee and some soft drinks for the girls. I wanted to use my credit card to pay for the goodies. If I would have had a panic button, I probably would have pushed it right there! My Visa card was in my wallet, but I couldn't find my Master card. Think straight, think straight, was all that crossed my mind. When was the last time I had used my Master card??? I had used it to pay for the rental car, before we went to check in the luggage. Bingo! I had to use my Master card at the self service check-in. I let the process go through my memory and pushed the pause button right there: I used my Master card to print the tickets. When the computer blocked, it didn't give me back my credit card. Shoot.. Darn.. I delivered the coffee, ran over to the Delta customers service and asked for help. The lady present was very helpful. She made a couple of phonecalls and let me know that my credit card had been found. I had to go all the way back through customs to go get it. Orlando airport has a railway system to move around, so I was glad I didn't have to walk all the way back to the check-in point. I had to rush anyway, because there was like half an hour left before boarding. My heart was pounding in my body, but I got there in time. A very helpful assistant was waiting for me to hand over my credit card so I could race back to the gate. That was the intention.. until I saw the crowd waiting in line for customs.. No way I was gonna make it... The place was packed!!! I asked around and people showed me where to go to get into a priority lane. That lane had an X-ray body scan though. That's where they noticed my insulin pump. And they decided they needed to pat me down and perform drug tests on my pump and hands. Hurry up, hurry up! was all I could think of at the time! You have to keep your cool though, to make sure you don't upset security. The rest of the family was waiting for me at gate 73 and I was not prepared to take the next flight! So I put on my shoes while I was running, hopped on that train and made it in time to start boarding. What a relief..

We had a pleasant flight to Atlanta, Georgia and it didn't take long to get the connecting flight home. As I had predicted: I didn't get any sleep on the plane, and neither did the children. Hubby slept for a little while, but not enough to call it a good night. We arrived in Brussels half an hour early, despite the thunderstorms and terrible weather. Due to those weather circumstances, it took us over 45 min to get our luggage. But once we were set to go, we called a cab, picked up our car and drove home..

I hope tonight will be a better night. I hope tomorrow the sun will peep through the clouds. Life will be back to normal pretty soon..

Burst the bubble

This is it.. our vacation has come to an end.. We have a couple of more days before the girls have to go back to school, but nevertheless, the end of August will be there before we know it.

We packed last night and we were sad but happy at the same time. It's been a great vacation and we have had tons of fun. I asked the girls if they wanted to come back here and the smile on their face said it all. Eva hopes to be come back in the Spring of 2012. We'll see..

The apartment looks empty, now everything is cleaned up and packed. It won't be long before our friends will take a plane over here and spend their vacation at the resort. I'm sure they will have a great time too!

I'm not really looking forward to the flight. It's not that I don't like to fly, but once I'm ready to go home, I want to get there as fast as possible. We have a night flight this time, but I already know I won't be able to sleep. There's just not enough space and I'm not even that tall! Airplane seats are not comfortable, period. The staff does their best at serving us goodies and drinks, but there's not much more they can do, is there?

I can't wait to pick up the pets. We did miss them! We were happy our brother-in-law and his girlfriend took care of our house while we were here in Florida. It was too long for the dogs and the cat to stay at home by themselves, so we need to pick them up at their hotels. It's good to hear that they had a good time as well. Little Inthe will jump all over us and probably lick us to death, while Rebba will just crawl up in bed and sleep for days. She'll be worn out from taking care of Inthe. Arthur will look great, since he didn't have the opportunity to play outside in the backyard. His fur will be shiny and dirt free. We'll have to keep a close eye on him in the first days to come, so he doesn't wander off too far.

Grandma and grandpa can't wait to hear from us. We have called them a couple of times so they knew we were okay. They wanted to make sure the girls were not kidnapped and nothing bad had happened to them, and we could reassure them. We'll be home soon. We'll be home..

The lady with the sign

When we were here in January, I saw her for the first time. I believe she's somewhere in her midst 40's. Just the average woman, she could be your next door neighbor. But the job she does, is a little different. Every day, we see her outside, on Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, holding up a sign. Her job is to attract the attention of the passing drivers. If you're interested in buying cheap Disney tickets: she'll tell you to stop right there... You can even pull over to sell your unused Disney tickets - I have no idea why people would have unused tickets?

She's there in the morning, she's still there at night. She's standing there, holding a huge billboard, twirling it around like it doesn't weigh anything. It looks pretty heavy to me though.. Especially if you have to do this all day, in the sun. Respect.. honestly.. I know I wouldn't do it.

I have had the intention to pull over to talk to her. To show her my respect. To ask her why she has chosen this job. I wonder.. She seems pretty fit to me. I can't imagine someone would call this a dream job? There are several other people out there, but this lady has been holding on to this job. Wow..

In the old days..

40 at last.. Does that mean that I'm an adult now? Lol.. Does it feel any different from being 39 or 35? Not to me. Time will tell, I guess. It's not something that bothers me, age I mean. I live day by day and I take the days as they come. The only thing we can change is the day of today. So that's my motto for this year.

I like to celebrate my birthday abroad and mostly that's what we do. Not intentionally, but it works out that way pretty often. Thank you all for texting me, calling me, e-mailing me or leaving me a message on my Facebook wall. It was highly appreciated..

Around 4 PM, we took off to Old Town on W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway. Back in the old days, when popcorn, Elvis and petticoats were hot. It's a little town by itself and the atmosphere is brilliant. People wander around, having their cotton candy and wearing cowboy boots and personalized belt buckles. They drive old timers and treat the ladies with respect and dignity. The girls were impressed and so was hubby. 

There were many rides to enjoy, but one in particular drew our attention. It was called the Sling Shot. Two riders take a seat and buckle up real well. You shouldn't wear sunglasses and you need to empty your pockets so you don't loose your wallet. And then the Sling Shot shoots you all the way up in the air: 111 meter high!! You make several somersaults, you hang upside down for a while and you... scream... loud... Eva wanted to give it a shot. I thought she were crazy. But then again, I remember I went bungee jumping in the first week of my au pair year in the US. Okay, I was a bit older than her, but hey: she's a brave girl! She convinced me to join her. Although my blood glucose reading was way higher than I had thought (I hate pizza for that matter), I took the challenge and off we went. It was just freaking awesome!!! What a thrill!!! Lana said her heart was nearly pounding outside her body just from watching us. And she decided to give it a go too. Eva voluntarily proposed to join her although she screamed like crazy. Lana wasn't too sure   and she was still in doubt when the thing went off and threw them up in the air.. Good grief.. I could feel the sweat in Hubby's hands.. For no money in the world would he strap himself into that Sling Shot.. 

The weather was good enough (29°C isn't bad for a summer's night huh?) to stay for the old timer's ride through   Old Town. It was splendid! It's just something you have to do while you spend time in Kissimmee. Even if you don't take much interest in cars - like me - it is a lot of fun to watch the parade. 

It was a wonderful day.. Thank you Hubby and girls, thank you my friends, for making my 40th birthday a memorable day!

It's too good to be true

It's still hard to believe all four of us are here, in Florida. We are so grateful that we could make this trip together and enjoy a wonderful time. Tomorrow is my 40th birthday. What a strange number.. Am I supposed to feel old now? Because I really don't. I feel younger than ever and life is awesome.

Yesterday, hubby had this bright idea! He wanted to see the other coast line of Florida. In January I had been to Daytona Beach with our friends and the four of us have seen Cocoa Beach this vacation, so the Eastern coast could be checked off of our to do list. But how about the West coast?   The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico must be totally different, right?

We packed some towels and beach wear, put cold drinks in the cooler bag, grabbed some snacks and told the GPS we wanted to go to Clearwater Beach. It was a 2 hour drive, but hey, we were not in a rush or anything. Lana wanted to take a lot of pictures, so wherever she wanted us to pull over the car to stretch our legs: we did.

We thought Cocoa Beach was pretty special. Well, I can tell you: Clearwater Beach is even better... Really! You'll agree once you see the pictures! We had an awesome day, although the weather forecast wasn't with us. They predicted 50% chance of showers and T-storms. All the way down there, the weather was great. But once we reached Clearwater, it was pouring so heavily, I thought we would have to turn around and go back. None of that happened. We parked the Jeep right by the beach, hopped into our little bikinis, spread our towels and ran into the ocean. What a great feeling to be here! The water was warm and so clear! That's probably where Clearwater Beach got its name! It's no lie! You can see your own legs through the sea water. That's so awesome! We saw fish swim around us and floating on our backs, we watched the pelicans dive into the ocean to catch their lunch.

On our way to Sand Key, we made several other stops. Parks, marina's, .. so many beautiful places to visit. The Columbia Restaurant at Sand Key was a superb place to have lunch. Right by the water, Spanish atmosphere and excellent cuisine. We were sitting there, amazed by the luxury of this vacation..

Around 5 PM, we went back to the shore. Near Pier 60, there were activities and people were selling craftwork. Every day, you can hear live music on the beach and on Fridays and Saturdays, you can watch a movie on the beach, on a huge screen, sitting in the sand. Isn't that romantic???

pirate boat at sunset - Clearwater Beach
all pictures taken by Lana Joos

We waited for the sun to set, so Lana could complete her album. We had a 2 hour drive back to Caribe Cove Resort, but it was definitely worth the ride. Worn out and aching from a horrible sun burn, we got back to the apartment, to get that shower we had longed for... I'm off to bed.
Night night..

Plunge in

We had a hard time figuring out which park we were going to visit, while being here in Florida. There are so many theme parks and several water parks, that we didn't know where to begin. The girls wanted roller coasters, but also a movie theme park and then again they also wanted to have fun in a water park.. We overlooked all of the parks on the Internet. Distance wasn't a problem, since all the parks are only half an hour from the Caribe Cove Resort where we're staying at. But we had to make up our minds and we decided Aquatica was the park we wanted to go to. And we had a blast!!!

There are several fantastic rides in the park. We particularly liked the Tassie's Twisters, Omaka Rocka, HooRoo Run and Walhalla Wave and Whanau Way and... I guess we liked them all!!!

After 4 PM, a voice announced that we were to get off the rides, because a serious thunderstorm was on its way. They didn't want to take any chances and everybody needed to seek shelter. So we did... Unfortunately, the sun didn't really come back to Aquatica... Even a temperature of 26°C was too cold to remain in the park. But hey: we did all the rides and we were satisfied, so no tears! It was another great day and we had tons of fun!

I was so happy with my Quiksilver waterproof pocket. It kept my insulin pump dry and safe throughout the water rides so I didn't have to miss out on the fun. The people at the first aid station were very helpful and they kept my glucose meter, strips and lancing device within reach, so every now and then I could go over there to have my blood glucose checked and/or corrected. It was good to know I didn't have to worry about my diabetes or my insulin pump getting wet or lost.

Gatorland

Florida is known as Gatorland, since the alligator  is so popular around here. You see them all over the place: lakes, rivers, swamps,.. you just can't miss them. There are some in the lake around the Caribe Cove Resort as well! Lana has spotted them from the pool!

Today we decided to go on an adventure and buy a ticket for an airboat ride. Since the apartment is located so near to everything (you can get like anywhere within an hour drive), we didn't hesitate to hop into the car and drive all the way up to Boggy Creek at Lake Toho. The website sounded promising and we were not disappointed!

On the way over there, we pulled over the car, to see a dozen of black vultures having dinner.. Their pray was laying in the ditch and all vultures were taking turns pulling of pieces of flesh. It was so weird and surreal to watch this! We were impressed and totally excited!

It was a beautiful wildlife tour through the wetlands of Florida. We first had a leisure idle down a natural canal  to watch the exotic birds (I truly enjoy the white and grey herons around here - they are so gracious when they descend), turtles and alligators in their own natural environment. We got headphones and trust me: you need them...  Once the captain speeds up, you fly like the wind into the swamp experiencing the awesome feel of the airboat ride.  We didn't choose to go down to the Southern Everglades as most people would do, but the Central Florida Everglades were pretty nice! Another wonderful day..