Then we came to our final day of our stay. It turned out to be a rainy one so what better chance to get out and play mini-golf on a completely deserted course. Deserted except for soaking wet us and the gators.
It was a blast, though, a complete downpour for the two and half hours it took us to get through 21 holes. Wouldn’t trade that day for anything, just wish the big boys would have been there, too. And Mr. Hole-in-one-Sam, what a day he was having. Three hole in ones!? Three holes in one?! Whatever, he was on fire.
By the end, I was wearing Gary’s hanky bandana from his pocket Bret Michael’s style just to keep the rain out of my eyes so my contacts wouldn’t float away.
We won’t talk about my shorts becoming transparent when wet. And see, I totally was not kidding.
It’s hard to try to get the ball to move in that much standing water more than an inch or two a swing.
Too bad we weren’t outfitted for the outing with the Sam and Neil style hats. That would have helped. Right. Wet newspaper.
And then sadly, the next day, Monday, was our time to take off and leave paradise.
Neil had already gone to work by the time we got ourselves together so we missed saying bye to him, but Julia sent us off smiling and with full tummies from breakfast and what else would you expect from her.
What a great get away, what a great time for our family. We relaxed and played and relaxed and it was just what was needed. Thank you, Julia and Neil! Wish everyone in the whole family would have been there to enjoy.
PS. A few tidbits I missed in the recap: Caroline going for her first mani/pedi courtesy of Aunt Julia and the day the boys went, too, Cuban sandwiches, fresh fresh couldn’t be fresher orange juice Julia squeezed right from the tree each morning, the fiberglass ‘sensations’, playing pool, morning yoga on the tennis court, watching Neil’s favorite Groundhog Day:
“Phil? Hey, Phil? Phil! Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!
Now, don't you tell me you don't remember me because I sure as heckfire remember you.”
Sam crawling in bed with Julia and Neil every morning, sightings of the big gator at Millennium Park, Gary and I seeing American Hustle, and the load of oranges spotted on the highway home. If I had to be leaving Florida, I really wanted those to go to my house.
And I can’t forget our ribs-to-go in Clarksville, Tennessee. Grant appeared to kind of enjoy his rack. Good stuff but kinda messy to eat in the moving mini van. Good thing it is already so well broken in.
And then once we got home….
snow day after snow day and incredibly cold temps.
Miss you, Julia and Neil, and your Florida!
Fun pictures! Diane, I'm reminded of the shorts I was wearing when I tagged along to Yosemite with Neil Julia, and how transparent they became when we went swimming in a lake... you just don't know those things until it's too late. You can only hope that, when it occurs, you're among friends... :)
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