Hello Monday - A Weekend With My Brother

Goodbye Florida - this was taken at the airport about 1:30 yesterday.  We had such a good time together - glad we got the weekend in with my brother and his wife :). They celebrate 25 years this year and we celebrate 30!

I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday again this week.  Click on the links and visit others who are also linking up.

One of my favorite ways to spend the weekend is in the sunshine - and this time of year one of the only places to get WARM sunshine is in Florida :). Luckily my brother and aunt both live there and my brother happened to not have anything on his calendar so we headed south Thursday after work.

Goodbye McGhee Tyson and hello Clearwater St. Pete!!!  Easy flight, up-and-down.

Friday was my baby brother's birthday!  We started the day at our favorite breakfast spot in the big metropolis of Hudson, Florida.  Our waitress heard us say "happy birthday" to him so she had the entire restaurant sing to him!!

That was NOT planned but glad that it happened :). I've spent way more of his birthdays WITHOUT him then with him, so this was fun.

We headed over to Salt Springs State Park and sent my sister our heavy hiking route:

Because she was working, we couldn't help but let her know what came next. . .

At the end of that she was "warning" me that we were going to hike "for real" next weekend.  It's her annual "Aunt Jodi hiking weekend" and I know she's not kidding!!

The State Park was pretty - it wasn't hot or cold and the sun was bright.  Just what my soul needed:

There was even a kayak launch - much too cold for that though.

Years ago the three of us were down there together, ate at the same breakfast place we did that morning, and Jodi insisted that we go kayaking.  It was terrible.  I don't much like kayaking anyway, but not only that, we were paddling upstream for that adventure -ha!  Here was more of a body of water that it looks like you go out and paddle around on, regardless, that is a hard "no" for me.

Our lunch was awesome,  (this was Tom's) then Brad took us to a beach/sport park near his house:

Toes in the sand!!!

They had a wakeboard route out there that took wakeboarders around in a circle and it had ramps and other obstacles set on the course.  There were three very brave people out there - the air temperature was probably 70 and the water temperature about the same.  COLD.

Kris got home from work. . .and we enjoyed a sunset around their pool. 

Brad's requested birthday dinner was fresh asparagus, baked potatoes, and steak and salmon that we had picked up at the butcher's earlier that day.

He wanted coffee cake as his "birthday cake" and Tom had gotten a couple of cheesecake slices at the butcher's so we ate well which led to sleeping well that night also :)

Saturday dawned bright and early - back at Ram's for breakfast (this time with Kristin) and then off to Clearwater for the day!

I never left my perch here. . .Tom went down to the water and took a little walk with Brad & Kris.  Tom also caught this:  

We were not dressed for the beach necessarily - the day turned out way nicer and warmer than forecasted :)

We went to Ozona and hit up Molly Goodheads.  

Tom requested this picture - ha!  We were there with the kids several years ago and he wanted to let them know we were back :)

The food was amazing - Brad & Kris got the raw fish appetizer - we got the GF peanutbutter pie.

Great late lunch. . .another great sunset :)

Sunday morning we started the day, yes, at Ram's :)  Finally remembered a picture of my breakfast. . .something different but similar every day.

We walked to and from the restaurant this morning and I had to send the kids a picture of the temperature of where we were vs where most of them were!

And then we took the little Miata out for a spin.  This was my stepdad's pride and joy - when he died he wanted my brother to have it.  It is such a cute little car and we both got to drive it today!!

Believe it or not, we had time (and an appetite) for one more meal on the way to the airport :)  I did not take pictures of the very good food, but snapped this:  

A peach margarita and then a blueberry sangria.  A little something gearing up for a BIG temperature drop by dinner.

Goodbye FL and all your water. . .

Hello Knoxville, our beautiful home :)

I do not take these trips or the ability to travel for granted at all.  I also do not take for granted the family I've been blessed with here on this earth.  Going back to my Word of the Year - intentional - I hope that I am spending my time, money, and love intentionally with those I love.  So far this month I got two great trips in. . .here's looking forward to some more in March!!

Please drop in the comments your next planned trip!

Love,

Jenni