Key West Cemetery-Day 164

David has this fascination with visiting cemeteries when we travel, and I usually do not join him on his stroll through them.  However, while in Key West, I decided to tag along to see what was so attracting or intriguing to him!  In some of my reading about being a writer, a suggested activity was to study names and dates on grave sites as an exercise for future character development.  With that frame of reference, I must admit that I actually enjoyed our drizzly morning walk through the Key West Cemetery!

Twins at 14 Months-Day 163

Oh my goodness, how much fun we are having with Noah and Adrian this summer!  As 14 month olds, they are:

•  walking/RUNNING
• playing hide and go seek all around the house
• fighting over each other's toys, and then making up with sweet hugs
• pointing to objects around the house and verbalizing "this"? or "that"?
• waving bye-bye
• dancing and rocking to music(they love Aaron Watson and birthday songs!)
• signing "more" when they taste something yummy
• exploring behind cabinet doors for treasures
• loving to have books read to them(YAY!)
• pulling off their diapers and running around in the "buff"

Twins are definitely DOUBLE the FUN!!  Praising God for them each day!

One Unknown Soldier-Day 162

David and I hovered under our umbrellas during a slow and steady rain one morning while on vacation, respectfully standing in a section of the cemetery dedicated to fallen soldiers.  The questions circling around in my mind were about his mother and the rest of his family, his fellow soldiers, his duties he upheld during his service, and his demise.  I trudged away from this young man's gravesite with a heavy heart, and visually embraced all of the other unknown soldiers laid to rest around him in every direction.

Street Scene-Day 161

Oh, the beauty surrounding our home away from home while vacationing in Key West!  I loved the comfortable Southern homes, the white picket fences, and the lush greenery, not to mention the vibrant colors of flowers.  I fantasized about buying this one until I learned about the cost of real estate on the island!  Not in my lifetime!  Oh well, I can continue to dream about what life might be like here in this home!

Some Good Eating!-Day 160

I highly recommend Sloppy Joe's on Duval Street for anyone visiting Key West.  They had the BEST sloppy joe's I think I've ever had in my life, and of course, we had to try some of the local flavor in conch fritters with our drinks.  The beverages shall remain nameless on my blog but they were definitely refreshing!  We also enjoyed the live entertainment with some guitar and singing of some wild and crazy lyrics!  The funniest activity I observed was a man who brought his dog in to sit next to him in the bar area, on a bar stool.  Now that's a loyal four-legged friend!

Lunch with Key West Friends-Day 159

Gena and Emily Parsons came by our B&B on our second day in Key West to take us to the neatest place to eat!  Very quaint little Cuban restaurant with lots of character and some terrific food, but the best part of our lunch together was the conversation with these two friends.  Emily and her brother, Hayden, were former Ross students when I was principal there, and they stole my heart from the outset!  Emily has grown into a beautiful young woman full of a genuine interest in others, a passion for adventure, and a contagious love of life itself!  Although I did not get to see Hayden during our visit, Gena shared some heartwarming stories with me about his life.  I have so many fond memories of this young man during his years as an elementary student under my care.  David and I were very thankful for the time Gena spent over the past few months sending us recommendations for things to see and do on our vacation.  We had a terrific time, Gena!!  I am so grateful for this family and their friendship! 

Parrot Head-Day 158

I was fascinated with this parrot being toted around by an interesting character on Duval Street, and wanted to snap some photos of the bird.  I quickly learned that I could for a small fee-ha ha!  Oh well, it was worth every penny to see David with the parrot on top of his head!