Vacation Rejuvenation

It’s amazing what two weeks away from the city, blogging, and the “real world” can do for my spirits. We all know that this Winter/Spring has been long and cold here in the city and I think sometimes my attitude was just about as cold as the weather was. The warm Florida sunshine was just what I needed to break out of my funk and get back to where I need to be.

I mentioned in my Letting Go post that this trip back home was also a major breakthrough for my relationship with Harlan because it was the first time that I left her overnight with someone else. My sorority sister,Maclain, was getting married in Port Saint Joe, Florida and it was a chance for me to spend time with my husband and friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. MacKay and I enjoyed the beach together by ourselves, experienced the town’s famous Indian Pass Raw Bar {an incredible raw bar that works on the honor system, you tell them what you ordered and how much beer you had and that’s what they charge you!} and we had a great time catching up with college friends at the incredible wedding.

When we made it to Tampa my parents were beyond thrilled to be able to spend time with Harlan. She was greeted with toys, books, and even a slide and swing for outside. We had a great time spending time on my parent’s boat.

She loved being able to see the water although she hated watching anyone get in it! She screamed when my brothers were wakeboarding {I like to think that she was just being protective and worrisome for her family.} As long as everyone was in the boat and hanging out, she was having a blast!

We also spent a wonderful weekend at Disney World. This was Harlan’s first time at the Magic Kingdom and she fell in love. We stayed at the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was the most amazing hotel ever. Safari animals were right outside our room window. If we would have never made it to the park and just stayed at the hotel for the entire day, Harlan would have been 100% satisfied.

We did make it to the park and met so many of the wonderful Disney characters. Harlan didn’t do as bad as I expected and even managed to give both Mickey and Minnie a high five! Magic Kingdom hardly had any height restrictions for their rides so Harlan went on all that she could and had a blast. Her favorites were Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and It’s a Small World. The most heart melting feeling was seeing her face and her reaction on all of the rides. She must have said “woah” over a hundred times that day! Truly magical! {If you are planning a trip to Disney soon, go early. We got there right when the park opened and had got on many of the rides right away.}

After our unforgettable experience at Disney, we relaxed in Tampa for the rest of our vacation. Harlan had a blast being able to play outside {something we haven’t been able to do in a LONG time.} She loved every second.

We are starting swim lessons this week and she got a head start in my parents pool. She absolutely LOVED the water. She cried every time that she had to get out. She jumped in, and would even try to swim to both MacKay and I. She has the kicking down, but still needs to work on the arms. We are all set and ready for our lessons, though!

Our vacation was nothing less than rejuvenating and relaxing. I had an amazing time with my family and I know that Harlan loved spending time with her grandparents, just as much as I loved watching their bond flourish.