Believe it or not, I didn't take a single photo on Tuesday to document our vacation. We woke up to a downpour of rain and it didn't stop for most of the day. We enjoyed breakfast with John and Laurie before they headed home and then we headed to Sarasota to catch a rainy day movie. We took advantage of being in Sarasota to stop at Sports Authority for some kids snorkel gear. Oliver had borrowed Laurie's snorkel gear and LOVED it! So, we treated the boys to some snorkel gear of their own. We were back at Siesta Key for dinner and a sunset walk on the beach. The rain had subsided but due to the threat of rain, I left my camera at our condo. As it turned out, it was a glorious sunset as the clouds parted and gave way to the sunshine. Oh well, we can't capture it all.
Then, Wednesday came and so did the sunshine. For a mid-week break from the beach, we headed back to Lido Key for lunch at one of our favorite places from our first visit, the Old Salty Dog.
We love the Old Salty Dog. It's right over the water with great bar seafood. It's a splurge from our usual choices of dining, but it's a fun splurge. Plus, they have fantastic Rum Punch. YUM!
The boys love it too!! Of course, the last time that we were here, they were quite a bit smaller.
The highlight for the kids is that their lunches are served on a Frisbee that they get to keep. Fun!
The deck comes with a view of the bridge between Lido Key and Longboat Key. Our first visit to this area was Longboat Key. We drove back and forth on this bridge every day.
The Dudes with their Frisbees and Shades.
Out front, we had to take a quick photo with the Old Salty Dog.
After lunch, we headed across the street to the Aquarium to take the tour of the Sarasota bay. We had very fond memories of this tour from our first trip.
Mommy with her little tourists; Oliver and Kellan.
Once a lizard lover, always a lizard lover. Oliver has a special knack for catching critters.
EWWW!!!
Kellan gave the lizard a gentle touch.
Daddy showed off the little lizard.
Kellan tried to hold the lizard but it's squirmy body made Kellan squirm.
So instead, Daddy had a great idea.
Kellan had a lizard in his pocket.
When you are four years old, what is better than a lizard in your pocket?
As Kellan would say, "He's so tute."
When it was time to board the boat, the boys let the lizard go back with his lizard friends. It was finally time to set sail.
There were several dolphin sightings in the bay.
We stopped at the conservatory island and heard all about why Mangrove Trees are critical to the survival of the island.
We floated around a bird island. The boys were very curious about what was happening on this island with all of the different varieties of birds.
The highlight of the trip was when the Marine Biologist pulled in the net from the bottom of the bay. Kellan and Oliver had a front row seat for all of the action.
We pulled up a ton of great creatures to check out. The Marine Biologist was very excited about some of them. This part of the trip definitely blew away our previous visit.
A huge conch. Maybe the conch that the boys put back in the ocean will grow to be this size someday.
Seahorse. Giddy Up!
All of the critters got passed around for us to see. It was hard to take photos, so I don't have many, but there was tons of cool fish and critters to check out. Our curious science loving boys LOVED it!
Overall, the boat trip left us disappointed. Maybe the boys being 6 months and 3 years old last time was a better fit for what they had to offer. This time around, there wasn't much excitement happening. Regardless, we enjoyed our afternoon on the water.
Since it was a gorgeous day, we headed back to Siesta Kay, packed a picnic dinner and hit the beach.
The tide was WAY out, which gave us a very different beach experience. As you can see, the boys could walk out for MILES (kind of, not really)!
I love to see the boys playing together like this. I will never forget when we decided that we wanted a sibling for Oliver. He was nearly 2 years old and I was watching him play alone in the living room. Right then, I told Keith that he needed a sibling. He needed someone to grow up with and share experiences with. Times like this reminds us of how great of a decision that was and how blessed they each are to have one another.
While it's fun to play with your brother, sometimes it's just as much fun to swing a noodle around in the wind.
Oliver was fired up to test out his new snorkel equipment.
Even Kellan has some snorkel gear to try out.
As the day came to an end, we enjoyed the spectacular glow of the sunset.
Daddy and Mommy selfie.
Sometimes, we just have to take pictures of ourselves since nobody else will.
Another favorite moment of the boys together; chatting it up and telling stories.
The sunset was amazing! It was a perfect ending to the day.
Sadly, our vacation is half way over. Fortunately, it's not over yet!
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