Welcome to Miami

The winter has been hard on us.

That's probably an understatement.

The Dr. finally snapped the other day and bought tickets to Miami for the weekend.

As we drove to the airport it was raining and cold, I couldn't wait to get on that plane and leave Boston behind. Not that I don't like it here per say, I am just so, so done with winter.

I spent a lot of the weekend messing around with the settings on my new camera. I am trying to learn manual mode. Please excuse any strange looking pictures.

Day One

The first (and only) thing we wanted to do was go to the beach. I don't know what it is about the ocean, it makes me feel so at home, it makes me feel like I belong. I have missed the beach and the salty sea a lot this past year. I may have cried a little when we arrived at the first beach of the weekend- Dania Beach.

The Dr. was pretty excited too.

I mean, look at this place! Have you seen anything more beautiful!

Don't we look like we belong here, I mean really. The beach and the Reeds go together like sand and salt water.

Still working on those camera settings...

The water was probably the most clear I have ever seen the ocean aside from when we were in Aruba. I think that my favorite color is ocean.

And my favorite person is this guy:

I may have failed to mention that we chose Miami/Ft. Lauderdale as a destination because we have some really great friends there- Whitney and Kirk and their two little girls. Dr. has known them since high school in Seattle and they are in Florida for a few years while Kirk finishes orthodontics school. We are so glad we know interesting people in warm places!

There was a purple flag out but the Dr. and Kirk decided to take the boogie boards out anyway. Unfortunately Kirk met a jellyfish and got a nasty sting on his ankle. The lifeguard told him to either pee on it or spray vinegar on the area to counteract the stinging. They opted for vinegar.

Can you see the happiness on our faces here?? Seriously, I haven't looked that happy all winter!

This trip has seriously strengthened our resolve to move to a beach town again someday. We belong at the beach.

We also need to live near some good BBQ. We happened upon this little cinder block building which houses the Georgia Pig. How can you go wrong eating at a place where the mascot is a pig playing a violin with a bee? We walked in and you could tell it was definitely a local's place. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. It took me a little off guard, people in Boston are not like that at all!

The waitress welcomed us and made sure we knew the place had been around for over 61 years. We sat at the bar and the gentleman next to me demanded that I order the pork deluxe since it was our first time eating at Georgia Pig. I took his word and watched as the pit master pulled a chunk of meat out of this well-seasoned pit and chopped it up for my sandwich. If I wasn't so full when I finished my lunch I would have ordered another one and scarfed it down right then! Amazing stuff, if you are ever in the area you have to stop in.

After a little nap for the kids (and myself) we headed to Hollywood beach for a bike ride and dinner. This beach was named one of the best in the country and I can see why. There were such charming beach shops all along a wide pedestrian area. There was a great bike path, line upon line of palm trees and the whitest most pristine sand. Are you getting the picture that I love the beach yet?

Just as we sat down to dinner the heavens opened and it poured rain for about 2 minutes. It may not have been a long storm but it sure chucked it down! Everything cleared up for us to sit on the boardwalk and have some pistachio soft serve while the last few minutes of daylight seeped away.

Day Two

After church on Sunday we headed for our third beach in two days. This time our destination was Ft. Lauderdale Beach. It sits along a long stretch of road lined with resorts and hotels. The sun was out, the sand was shimmering and it was packed!

Florida is so beautiful that even the view from the parking garage was breathtaking!

I was surprised once again at how the Dr. was able to make my dreams come true with this trip. I have been longing for sunshine and the ocean all winter and Florida was just what I needed! It was really sad to say goodbye to our friends and the 80* weather- especially because we returned to sleet and freezing rain in Boston.

Someday, we will live at the beach again. I don't know when or how, I just know that we are meant to live under the palm trees and sun.

As Will Smith would sing,

I only came for two days of playing
But everytime I come I always wind up stayin'
This the type of town I could spend a few days in
Miami the city that keeps the roof blazin'