Family Picture - Easter in Naples

Game On!

What would a vacation be without a Putt-putt Championship? We thought the winners were between Kaitlyn, Rick and Skip based on the first nine holes, but Jillian pulled out in the end beating us all! To the victor go the spoils - namely, a chili-dog and Milkshake from Checkers. Go Jillian!

Is Kaitlyn upset she lost here or that Natalie is trying to get some ice cream?

That evening we had dinner with Gary and Sally Beaumont. Skip worked for Gary and that is when he met Sandra. They live in such a beautiful home. It was a treat to be there!

Departing

Leaving is always the worst. We loved our time with the family just relaxing. We’re hoping to be able to see them again at Christmas in Austin. Keep your fingers crossed!

Where's the Bathroom?

The weather across the nation Easter weekend was cold and rainy, there was even sleet in Texas. Dad, Kylene and Jefra were kind enough to cover all of our flowers at home so they wouldn’t freeze to death. We are so grateful.

However, we in southern Florida were enjoying sunny days though they were a bit windy and not hot enough to prompt swimming in the ocean. I say that, but oddly enough the water was quite warm. We just didn’t like the idea of getting out of it into a cool breeze! But we did enjoy the beach. The breeze was nice and we all relaxed and forgot about all the stress of home.

Natalie was not as thrilled about relaxing as we were because she only could think of one thing - using the bathroom. There was a restroom down the beach but she had to go so bad she didn’t think she would make it. She urged us to go and we simply told her to go in the water. That thought made her shiver and she didn’t want to do it. But needless to say, her bladder told her otherwise. So the only one in the water that day was Natalie - squatting and crossing her fingers as she pleaded with her bladder to just let go! Thanks for the laugh Natalie!

For more pics of Natalie using the bathroom, click here.

Happy Easter!

We attended the Naples Ward Sacrament meeting Sunday morning at which the cutest old lady sang a medley of Easter Songs. You could truly feel the love she had for the Savior through her simple songs that were so heartfelt. The Stake President spoke as well. His message was beautiful. He mentioned one thing I thought I would share. It was not the crucifixion of Jehovah that made him our Savior, our Messiah, as many thousands of people were crucified by the Romans. In fact, the streets leading to the city of Rome were lined with men hanging from crosses so that those who entered would be afraid and feel the terror of the Roman Empire. How scary would that have been to see men in agony on a cross as you entered that city?!?! Needless to say, to them the symbol of the cross is a sign of torture and cruelty.

Easter is my favorite holiday. Because of the sacrifice our Savior made in Gethsamane and again on the cross, he bore our pains, felt our sorrows and took our guilt so that we could be cleansed of hurt and sin. Because he rose again on the third day, we all will rise again. He provided us all with the gift of immortal life. We celebrate His birth at Christmas but celebrate the way he lived at Easter. It is His life we try to emulate. And if humble and repentant, we are granted mercy to obtain not just immortal life, but eternal glory with Our Father in Heaven.

The Hilton Naples

Rick booked us rooms at the Naples Hilton. It was such a great place to stay. The hotel was beautiful but all the perks made it the ideal place to vacation in Naples. They provided free bottled water to the rooms and offer a free shuttle to the beach twice a day. Then they send you off with cold bottled water in a cooler and beach chairs to boot! It really made for a stress free location. Their pool and hot tub was fantastic as well. The hotel is not very large so it has a more quaint feel. We really loved it.

And wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a magic maid come in every day and straighten up your things, make the bed and wipe down the sinks?

Good Friday Florida

Easter is Spring break for Rick’s sisters and we thought it would be fun to meet them on their vacation in Florida. Rick and I left Austin with only 2 hours of sleep and headed arrived at Fort Lauderdale to meet Dad. He offered to pick us up and then let us use his van throughout the vacation so that we could all fit in one vehicle. The van was so great the entire trip and enabled us to save time, money and enjoy each others company longer!

We went to a diner with Dad for lunch and had probably the rudest old woman as a waitress. Before heading out, Rick of course had to play with the cop gear, and then we were off to Naples to meet the Solotes gang. Mom and Skip and the girls were driving down from North Carolina and would arrive shortly after us.