Weekend Getaway: The final day

Our last day in South Florida was fairly short.  We started off each morning by enjoying breakfast by the pool.  It's amazing the difference a day makes because on our final morning, it was much hotter than the day before....making it hard to drink that much needed cup of coffee.  Yeesh.  The kids kept busy with iPhones and coloring while we waited for our food.

I thought I'd get a shot of my new purse/everyday camera bag.  I bought the Kelly Moore 2 Sues, and I love it!  Just perfect for every day use, though not quite big enough for a weekend getaway; mental note made.

After using the facilities following breakfast, I couldn't resist snapping a shot of me and my girl in the ladies room.

And then I HAD to get a family photo..not quite the kind you send to China for your dossier.  However, I had been admiring the lovely mirrors near the elevators and was determined to snap a photo of the four of us.  One member of the group wasn't particularly thrilled with this idea, but she didn't have a say in the matter.

So after packing up our bags, and before heading out, we snapped a few more photos around "The Grove". I loved these gigantic green doors, but my model didn't.

One last shot of Dinner Key Marina from the other side.

Palm trees galore.  Love me some sunflare.

One of the shots I was hoping to get, if time permitted, was that of the Miami skyline.  My wonderful hubby indulged me as we headed back home.  We managed to find a little tucked away spot off the Rickenbacker Causeway.

I couldn't resist snapping this shot of some graffiti out the window of the car minivan on I-95, though my camera wasn't quite ready for it.  So there's some motion blur.

Our last stop before keeping on the highway and really heading home was at the cremation garden where my mother's and gramma's ashes are kept.

It's kind of hard to see their names when we're hiding them.  Oops.  (They're right behind the kids.)

What was special about visiting that day is that the day before marked eight years since my mother had passed away.  Eight years.  It's hard to believe.  I have had the chance to bring Caleb here before during visits to the orthopedic surgeon in Miami Beach (who performed his muscle tendon transfer surgery for his brachial plexus injury.)  But this was Madeline's first visit.  And since she's named in honor of my mother, Susan Madeline, I thought it was quite fitting we had an opportunity to visit that day.  As each year passes, I can look back and see how God is healing me. I sure do miss my mom terribly, but I'm learning to live.

Well, before our final adios to South Florida, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the local McDonalds.  And in Davie, aka horse country, this is how they do the golden arches.

Although I didn't get in as many photos as I would've liked for this mini vacation, I'm still glad that I have proof I was there.  I'm a work in progress for sure.  And Patrick is getting the hang of things when I hand off my big girl camera to him.

Our next little getaway is planned for October, when we will be heading up to Connecticut to help our niece, Lydia, celebrate her 6th birthday.  Caleb is really looking forward to that day...because then most of the little cousins will be in chronological order...7, 6, 5, 4, and then Josh at 1.  He's pretty funny like that.