Spring Break ~ Day 3

We spent the full day in St Augustine, exploring that amazing place! The weather was rainy and cold in the morning, but it warmed up by the afternoon, so we rode the trolley around and visited so many places. There is so much history in St Augustine, it's literally everywhere you look, which is so cool! Our first stop was the Old Jail, followed by the St Augustine History Museum. 

Next stop was the original city gates, which date back to 1808. 

We loved visiting the Castillo de San Marcos, which is the oldest masonry fort built in the continental US, and was built in the 1600s. Sadly the visitor center was closed when we were there, but we were still able to walk around the grounds.  

We then walked through the Colonial Quarter, which is really neat. I love the stone walkways and old buildings. Also the stocks, where Brinley got a good laugh at her brothers!

Riding the trolley through town was super fun, and we got to pass so many old churches, museums, and hotels. Seeing Flagler College was also really cool, too bad they don't have a program for Jasen!

My personal favorite stop on the tour was Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth. The water was a little skunky, but maybe we'll all stay young now that we've drank some! The park was beautiful, right on the water, and there were peacocks everywhere. We even got to feed them!

After the park, we headed back to the Colonial Quarter for lunch and more exploring. 

Our last stop of the day was the St Augustine lighthouse, built in the 1870s. We got there right before closing time, and made our way up 219 steps to the top. The circular stairs were a little nerve-racking, and poor Brinley only made it up to the 3rd level before she was too scared to go any further. 

We spent a quiet evening on the beach at our hotel, and it was so nice to just relax after all that walking. Brinley asked for a photo shoot, and it turned out so cute!

Spring Break ~ Day 2

 We enjoyed a lazy start to the day before we packed up and drove north toward St Augustine. We stopped at several beaches along the way, to check out the really cool orange sand at Ormond Beach and the pier at Flagler Beach. Once we got to St Augustine and settled in, we met Cahl's cousin Jason and his family for dinner. 

Spring Break ~ Day 1

 This year for spring break we flew to Florida, and spent a week driving all around the state. We landed in Orlando, and spent the first day driving up to Blue Springs, having a picnic and walking around the spring. 

After we ate and explored, we drove on to Daytona Beach, where we spent the first night. The weather was pretty chilly, but we still had fun wading in the ocean and checking out the history of the beach. 

Happy Birthday

 My birthday was pretty great this year. I have been working part time at the elementary school, and Brinley and I wore matching outfits for St Patrick's day, then after dinner Tristan made me an epic German chocolate and Reese's cake! It was a great day, and I appreciate my family making it special for me every year.

Dance Competition- Dance Fierce

 Brinley's second competition of this season was last night, and they did so well! It was a much bigger competition, but both of Brinley's team dances scored blue (which is the second level, under red) and the younger team also earned a Showmanship award. Overall, the girls had a great time, and watching them grow together this year has been awesome!