Florida!!

The five hour drive from Tally's house to Aunt Brenda's house was basically uneventful for 4 and a half hours. Then we couldn't find the house. The good news is that the security guard at the gate was wearing bunny ears and gave Hannah and Lizzie candy. The bad news is that it was not Aunt Brenda's complex or her security guard.

Luckily cell phones were charged and working and we were able to navigate to her home where we took this picture.

And this picture:The above picture is taken with a statue of a manatee. Hannah and Liz had never seen a manatee until Aunt Brenda sent me some of her old flags a couple of months ago and one of them was a manatee. Now they love them. They also loved Aunt Brenda's brownies which they ate at her house and then stole a few more during the two hour ride to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

After the brownies and a look at some old photos -- Aunt Brenda actually has a picture of Ging Ging (my grandmother) SMILING! which none of us remember seeing too often but it's nice to know it was there -- we got back into the car.

Two hours later we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. YAY!!! Rob and I had visited Tarpon Springs before Hannah and Lizzie were born and it was so nice to go back. (It was nice seeing my parents, too!) My grandmother Garrity lived in that area for much of her adulthood, but I'd only been to visit her once, in 1986 during a trip I took with my Mom. Back then I was more interested in the beach than the local color. This time Hannah and Liz were more interested in the pool than the local color -- so the circle continues.

We did manage to take them to the sponge docks which is one of the places I visited with my grandmother. We walked around and the girls each bought something for themselves, courtesy of the $ my friend Gayle gave them. It took them forever to decide because they DO know the value of a dollar (or five) thanks to their father (not me!) and wanted to make sure that they got exactly what they wanted.

Here they are doing their best shark impressions in front of the aquarium.And here we are taking a break while waiting for our Gyro platters at Hella's, a phenomenal Greek restaurant where we had eaten before and couldn't wait to eat at again.

This is Lizzie with the fish she bought with her money (Hannah bought a cat, but I didn't get a picture of it.)

And here's just a nice picture of Hannah and her Daddy. They are growing up SO FAST!!

And of course there was time for a dip in the pool!!