Gasparilla Weekend

We left our cold, snowy, Cleveland last Friday. The three of us hopped on a plane and went to Tampa to visit the sun and the Schweiterman Family. They are great hosts!

Friday - Got up early to make our 8:50am flight. WFR refused to nap and was a little cranky on the plane. Gregg picked us up and the boys quickly got the car seat installed. We went to their house, regrouped, did some prep work for the Boat Parade on Saturday and had a late Mexican lunch out. The college roommates stayed up way too late and had a bit too much fun. I know it's hard to believe but Baby Caiden is cuter in person than she is in her pictures!

Saturday - Cleaned ourselves up and headed to the Gasparilla Boat Parade. It took a few tries to get onto Davis Island but we made it! Lots of boats and people to look at. Left the parade and headed toward the after party at the SS Schwieterman. The small gathering turned into a pretty big get together. We ate Low Country Boil and watched babies play. Lovely company.

Sunday - Ian, WFR and I took a trip to Clearwater Beach. We had lunch at Crabby Bill's, walked on the boardwalk and then strolled down the beach. It was cool but sunny. I was amazed by how many people were laying out and how tanned they were in February.

Monday - The Schwietermans rented a cabana (aka Chickees) for us at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. We loaded up the babies, bags of toys and the sunscreen for a day of relaxation. We lived like rock stars for a few hours and loved every minute of it. I only wished it was a cabana boy instead of a cabana girl. The pool was heated but still wasn't warm enough to take a dip... the temperature didn't seem to bother WFR who loved splashing and kicking in the water. We took him out when he started shivering!

The weekend was really great. We had a wonderful time visiting with Liz, Gregg and Caiden. We talked for hours - about the past, how our lives have changed and the future. They are really great friends.