FLORIDA TRIP!!!

These are my people.  Katie, Wynnie, Lesley and I have been friends since we were 11 years old.  We went to the same ward and Katie and I were lucky enough to go to the same high school.  We hadn't all been together for several years and, to be honest, we aren't the best at calling each other very often either.  But whenever we do, it's just like old times.  We started planning this girls trip last year and I was afraid it was never gonna come.  Plus, we had to time it just right so no one would be pregnant or nursing a baby (whoops, Les didn't get that memo.  She was a little uncomfortable being pregnant, but I think she still had a great time).  But it did and it was as awesome a trip as I ever imagined it would be.  It was seriously like no time had passed, and we were best friends again hanging out in young women's together.

We went to the beach right away.

It was fun playing in the waves.

(Les, me, Katie, and Wynnie) We took a dolphin tour which was so cool.  I had never seen dolphins in the wild before and, I have to say, that was one of the coolest and most exciting things I've ever seen!  I was like a little kid in a candy store every time I saw one jump out of the water.  And we saw a ton (most were captured on video).

They took us out to a tiny island.  We saw a huge manatee right by our boat when we were getting off.  We tried to convince Les to swim with it, because apparently they are attracted to pregnant women. haha

Just like YW camp ;)

There were a ton of turtles walking around the island.

They gave us some time to collect shells.  One of my favorite pastimes (and I knew my kids would be excited).

Snorkeling (unfortunately, it wasn't quite the experience as snorkeling in Hawaii)

We did find a sea urchin though.

Katie and Wynnie

Me and Les

We ate some pretty good food.

And since we tried to relive our past canoeing experience at YW camp, we spent a few hours sea kayaking!  I loved it!  A cool thing happened when Wynnie's older brother, Jeremiah (and my brother, Clinton's, best friend) called to tell us he was in Florida (he's a pilot).  Everything was perfect timing, because Jeremiah was able to go kayaking with us!  It was such a blast to see him again, and I have no doubt we would still be lost at sea if he hadn't been our navigator.  

There were the coolest mangroves that we had to paddle through (felt just like camp, only the trees were covered in crabs rather than spiders luckily).

It was actually quite the workout but so fun!  We even saw a dolphin come out of the water like 10 feet away from our kayak (though some were worried that it was a shark.) ;)

Freaking love these girls!

We had to...

Jeremiah and I

We spent 4 days in Florida and stayed up until 2am every night talking, yet I still feel like I could've stayed longer.  (I hardly missed my kids, shh!).  It felt so good to be with those girls again!  Love them all so much!