Favorite Little Princess

Most of our 5k races are early in the morning; a necessity with the Florida heat. It got pretty warm during the day and I was worried we were going to have a hot event, but by the 7 PM race time it was pretty cool out. We even had a little time to take in the scenery. The Mayfaire 5k was a new event for us, so we weren't too sure what to expect. There was promise of two lakes to run around followed by fireworks and we thought that sounded like fun.  What was not fun was trying to run after our first kickboxing class. Oh my goodness we were in so much pain! To top it off, we had to tackle several hills. Double ouch! At least we had pretty scenery to look at. We found a couple of houses we wouldn't mind moving into, as well. Not our best times, but we weren't really running for a PR (personal record). Our family 5k races are strictly for fun. It was fun to finish, but it felt longer than 3 miles. We grabbed some food - which was better than we've had at a lot...

And now  (In my best Paul Harvey voice) for the rest of the story. Low tide is the best time for shelling, so we were determined to get out early to meet the tide and beat the other shell gatherers. After a quick breakfast and some strong coffee, we walked through the marina to see the boats. There were boats of every size docked here and each one looked like so much fun. A few were already out and ready to hit the open sea. Who can resist when you have beautiful waters like this? This is why I prefer the Gulf waters to the East coast. I like to see what I'm stepping on before it gets me. I'm only partially joking. I did happen to step on what I think was a stingray on a previous trip. Scared the living daylights out of me. Aren't we cute? My hubby is always humoring me with my photos for this blog. He's good sport. I thought I would surprise him with this sand art while he was out gathering shells since this was supposed to be a romantic getaway. He did...

One of my favorite things about Florida is living so close to the coast.  Perfect location for an impromptu beach trip!   Siesta Key is one of our favorites and it's been voted the #1 beach in the nation, so apparently we aren't the only ones who think so. We tend to go early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the mid-day sun.  The weather was perfect with just a slight coastal breeze, but the water is still a little to cold for my liking.  It won't be long before the water is warm again. It was very relaxing just to hang out on the sand. If you never have experienced the sugar sand of the Gulf Coast, you really must try it.  It's soft and cool and perfect for making mermaid tails. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and got to enjoy something you like as well.  Have a good week!