This past Saturday we headed off to Florida for what turned out to be a wonderful trip! The sun was out, the water was warm, and Ella slept! haha.
The drive there seemed to take FOREVER! We left at 8am on Saturday and didn't get there until 8pm. It was a LONG day, and we were starving once we got there. We unpacked and ordered pizza. Ella was ready to swim as soon as we got there so we went over to the pool to swim for a little bit while we were waiting on our pizza.
We stayed at a different condo this year. You never know what you will walk into, but we loved it! It was spacious, clean, and in a great location. My parents were thrilled to have their own bedroom and bathroom. Ella was really happy there too. She loved riding her tricycle down the hallways, in the parking lot, and on the bike path. It worked out great for us, and we will definitely stay there again!
Monday morning was a little rough. Ella decided she was ready to get up at 5am. Ella NEVER gets up at 5am so it made for an interesting morning;) By 8:00 she was ready to go to sleep again. Since we were up so early I took Ella down to see the ocean in her pj's.
She was beyond miserable at this point. Instead of making her take a nap we got the bright idea to take her to the aquarium. As soon as we hit the road she was out in her car seat. Adam and I just drove for awhile to let her sleep. She had a little cat nap, and she was ready to go.
Ever since we started talking about Florida Ella has become obsessed with Dolphins. She finally got to see Dolphins up close and personal. The look on her face was priceless. I wish I had it on video.
While we were waiting for the dolphin show we headed back to look at the dolphins and look around the gift shop. Ella of course talked daddy into buying something.
She was kissing the glass. She loved these dolphins!
In the afternoon my mom and I were able to go to the outlets and go shopping! I LOVED being about 5 minutes away from the outlet mall. I went a few times, and I could have went more.
After we drove around for awhile we went back to the condo to pick up Ella. She LOVED riding around in this thing. She loved it so much it put her right to sleep!
That night we went out to eat at Jim and Nick's Barbecue. Ella was so exhausted she fell asleep on my mom's lap before we even got our dinner. Luckily, my mom was able to eat and hold her at the same time. You know Ella is really tired when she falls asleep somewhere besides her bed. That is not like her at all! After dinner we headed back to Ella's favorite playground on the beach!
An attempt at a family picture. She was not having it! Exhaustion and pictures are not a good mix!
It rained on our last day. Only for the first half of the day. It was actually kind of nice, because Ella was able to rest a little bit. I even got her to take a nap Wednesday afternoon. It made the day go so much smoother!
My mom brought Ella a play-doh set. It was such a good idea! Ella and my mom "made play-doh" a lot! My mom was gone Wednesday morning so Adam and Ella "made play-doh" while I packed.
The walking/running/biking path
Sunday morning when we woke up we ate breakfast and headed to the beach. I was so excited for Ella to see the beach this year since she would not even touch the sand last year. She did pretty good this time. She liked to walk around and touch the sand, but she would flat out tell you she was scared of the water. She enjoyed looking at it from afar, but that was it!
After the beach we headed to the pool so Ella could swim again. She LOVES to swim. It is nice to see her enjoy something, and she really enjoyed the pool!
After the pool we headed back to the beach for a little while before going out to eat!
We ate dinner at The Back Porch. I love this place! It's right on the water, and the food is excellent! After dinner we went down to the beach, and Ella discovered the playground. What is better than a playground on the beach!?
Monday morning was a little rough. Ella decided she was ready to get up at 5am. Ella NEVER gets up at 5am so it made for an interesting morning;) By 8:00 she was ready to go to sleep again. Since we were up so early I took Ella down to see the ocean in her pj's.
She was beyond miserable at this point. Instead of making her take a nap we got the bright idea to take her to the aquarium. As soon as we hit the road she was out in her car seat. Adam and I just drove for awhile to let her sleep. She had a little cat nap, and she was ready to go.
Ever since we started talking about Florida Ella has become obsessed with Dolphins. She finally got to see Dolphins up close and personal. The look on her face was priceless. I wish I had it on video.
After checking out the dolphins we went over to the aquarium to look at the fish. Ella was so funny. She kept saying, "Look at these fish!" "Look at these fishies." It was so funny. She was definitely in awe of all the fish!
We were able to catch the tale end of a sea lion show. Ella sat still for a minute before we had to move on.
Ella at the touch pool...
She was kissing the glass. She loved these dolphins!
Ella sporting her new dolphin backpack...
Last but not least, we watched a dolphin show. Not for long though! Ella was hot, tired, and hungry so we ended up leaving early.
Tuesday was a beach and pool day! We went to the beach for a little while in the morning, and we went to the pool in the afternoon. Ella was tired, but she did pretty good swimming.
Ella loved riding her bike to and from the pool!
After we swam Adam and I decided to rent a scooter car. It made us both wish we had one to drive around our neighborhood. It was so fun to drive down scenic gulf drive! I loved looking at the ocean, and all the nice houses around there. 
That night we went out to eat at Jim and Nick's Barbecue. Ella was so exhausted she fell asleep on my mom's lap before we even got our dinner. Luckily, my mom was able to eat and hold her at the same time. You know Ella is really tired when she falls asleep somewhere besides her bed. That is not like her at all! After dinner we headed back to Ella's favorite playground on the beach!
Once it stopped raining I took Ella out for a bike ride on the bike path. She absolutely loved having her bike on this trip!
While Ella was sleeping I went out to the beach one last time. My dad was out collecting shells so I went out and looked too. I am not a fan of going way out in the ocean, but I enjoy walking around the shallow parts. We even got to see a big crab swimming around. That isn't something you see everyday!
That night we had pizza from Fokker's in Ft. Walton. We usually get that our first night there, but things were a little different this time. After we ate we headed out to the beach to try to get a family picture for our Christmas card. Let me tell you how difficult this is. Ella hates pictures. You can't even say the word or she freaks out. Elliott and Brody were terrified of the beach, because the wind was blowing so hard. Brody was trying to swim when Adam was holding him. It was a complete fiasco. People always post these wonderful family photos on the beach, and I always sit and admire them. Let me show you what really goes on!
The Bertram Circus...
We did end up getting a good picture for our Christmas card, but you will have to wait until Christmas to see it! :)
Thursday morning we packed up and headed home. It was a WONDERFUL trip. We worried and worried and worried some more about Ella, but she couldn't have done any better than she did. She was a little cranky at times from long days and no naps, but that is to be expected. Both my parents were so helpful with Ella on the trip, and I know she loved every minute she spent with them! She is still talking about Florida so I know she loved it. We made lots of great memories, and we can't wait to go back!
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