So here are some pictures from my trip to Florida in October 2008. One of my brothers lives not far from Clearwater, and he (finally) tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend. I think they had been dating at least 10 years by that point. My parents, sisters (I have 3), and one other brother attended, as well as an Aunt and Uncle who live down the road from my married sister and another Aunt from eastern Indiana (got that?). Of course my sister had her husband and adorable daughter with her.
Tom and his fiancee Tami were in the process of moving from one house to another around the corner in the same neighborhood. I came for the whole week, since I had never been to Florida before (not even when I lived just a few hours away in Alabama). The plan was for my sister Janice and I to rent a car and explore the area. Janice flew in the day after I did. Janice had previously visited Tom and Tami, so we had to find new places she hadn't yet toured. We would stay with our other relatives as they arrived in the "old" house, which had a small, inviting pool for our use.
The move didn't take place until the middle of the week; in the meantime Tom and Tami were still living in the "old" house with their two beagles. Janice and I shared the king size bed in the spare bedroom.
Day one, Janice and I strolled around St. Petersburg. We enjoyed this boat (read the name):
In case you can't read that, it says "Five O'Clock Somewhere."
We walked out on the top of the Pier and viewed the city skyline.
We also enjoyed a visit to the St. Petersburg beach, a less popular destination than the Clearwater beach just north of it.
Day two Janice and I visited the Clearwater Aquarium and took their aquatic tour. Before our tour we watched our intended captain be packed up and carted away by emergency services. He had some chest pains, although he turned out to be alright. I was amused to note that Mr. Incredible (the Disney character, in case you live in even more of a vacuum than I do) was strapped to the front of one of the fire engines. The boat tour was delayed while a different captain was summoned to man the vessel.
One stop we made on the journey was to a small island composed primarily of sharp shells.
Ignore my hideously white legs. This time we visited the Clearwater beach before heading back.
The next morning, Janice and I explored the aquarium and sponge docks at Tarpan Springs. We enjoyed a Greek lunch (I love Mediterranean food) before returning to the house to swim in the pool for awhile.
Sarah, Levi, Sammie, Aunt Ann, Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Joe arrived that evening. We enjoyed hanging out by the water, drinking and searching for interesting sealife. Sammie spotted a seastar, and Joe (a bit tipsy) slid down the cement embankment to pick it up for her. He also displayed a conch someone else spied.
This was a great location to watch some spectacular sunsets over the water. I already have shared my favorite (on the very first blog post), but here it is again:
My sister Grace arrived with my parents the next day (the day before the wedding). My brother Jim flew in by himself, since his boys had too many activities going on to come with him. His wife remained in Indiana to take care of the boys. We returned to Tarpan Springs to taste some of the interesting wines at two shops there. Joe and Ann wanted to find a good market to purchase some fish for dinner. The afternoon was spent back at Clearwater beach. It was crawling with people. Sammie loved running into the water and being buried in the sparkling white sand.
Tami didn't want a bachelorette party, but my sisters insisted. We ate dinner at a nice restaurant and then hit the bars (the guys were having there own bachelor party). Sarah had each of the women present come up with something for Tami to do, which she wrote on a napkin. Tami very reluctantly participated in the game.
The wedding and reception were held at the house of a friend, across the street from the "old" house. The friend, Donna, was an ordained minister (of what church, I'm not sure), and she performed the lightening fast ceremony. Certainly, that was the quickest wedding I have ever attended. We didn't even realize that it had started until someone pointed out that the participants were already lined up along the deck. The best man and matron of honor said some words, Tom and Tami exchanged vows, they kissed, and that was it.
Back to socializing, drinking, and through the buffet line for dinner. I loved the cake (and certainly ate way too much of it).
Attending family members (a colorful bunch)
There were a few other trips around the area in there, but this post is plenty long enough as it is. I just needed some pictures of warm, sunny days to brighten my mood. Oh, and a dose of cute little Sammie :-)
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