On the Island with Mom

Mom, Steve, Eric, and the kids near the parking area overlooking the boats.

(Sorry in advance for the long post--there were so many great pictures I couldn't decide). The day after Thanksgiving, we drove southwest to Little Gasparilla Island where Eric's Mom and Steve live. It was about a 3 hour drive. The island is beautiful and very small. You can only reach it by boat. The kids loved the boat ride there and back. We spent two days and nights there. It was warm and sunny and we enjoyed the white sandy beaches and the ocean. The kids all loved chasing the waves and Jesikah and I especially loved finding shells. The beach was COVERED with shells. I've never seen so many shells! We found some very pretty ones. Jarem really enjoyed building sand castles with Eric. There are no cars on the island, only golf carts, so Grandma taught Alex how to drive a golf cart. Driving the golf cart was probably the highlight of his trip. Even when it ran out of battery, he didn't mind pushing. :)


Grandma driving the kids on the golf cart
Look who's driving now!
The girls and Jarem off the back.
Jarem and Eric building sand castles

The girls playing in the waves
Eric ready for some sun

Can you see all the shells Jesikah is sitting on? There were piles of shells everywhere.

Tessa and I walking on the beach.
All the kids and Eric building a wall to protect the precious shell.

Someone else built this huge alligator out of sand and Jarem wanted a picture by it.
Jesikah collecting shells
Playing in the water

The Seafood boil Mom and Steve served us the first night. It was good. There was corn on the cob, potatoes, shrimp, clams, and garlic with yummy sauces.

Sunset the first night. There were breathtaking sunsets there.

Sunset the second night

We had a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving break! The only bad part was the long drive home in traffic. Never drive through Atlanta on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. :)