On Vacation In Florida

We just got back from Florida yesterday. What a trip! We 10/10 recommend these things:

-going to visit people from Wyatt’s mission. We loved seeing how people loved our son and were united with him in a common purpose. They were such good people! The McClintock family, Elder Rogers and Elder Hodson, the Farrs, the Clemens, Brother Knowles (we meant to take him to breakfast and he treated US!) and President and Sister Cluff were some of our favorite parts of this whole trip.

-going to the temple on vacation. It was Griffin and Eve’s first time going to the temple and we got to do it on the very first day possible because of our kind bishop who interviewed them early, presided over Griffin’s ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood on New Year’s Day via FaceTime, and updated Eve and Griffin’s church records online to reflect current temple recommends.

-Little Havana! Old’s Havana Cuban Restaurant had crazy good food and great atmosphere. We loved seeing Domino Park and the shops all come to life at about 11am. It was dead when we arrived at 10. I kept wanting to bring my sisters into the Goodwill store on Calle Ocho. It was just astoundingly carefully thought out. Best thrift store presentation I have ever seen in my life.

-Going to the beach on New Year’s Day!

-Trying out staying on a boat docked on Stock Island, which seems to be the only Key named Island. There were good things and not so good things about it (notably the adventures in smells) but we are glad we did it.

-Gator parks. Gotta love them, especially when you drive up listening to Joe McDermott.

-Having Willa and Wyatt along to make everyone laugh, have more fun, and DJ excellent road trip tunes.

Just pulled into our Airbnb in our fancy pants rental vehicle. About to eat dinner at a fabulous Greek place.

Wyatt and his freshman year roommate from BYU, Steven McClintock. His family fed us an amazing Cuban dinner on New Year’s Eve.

Griffin, right after he was ordained by his dad and Wyatt on Jan 1, 2024.

Elder Rogers at Chipotle on P-day. Photo taken by the energetic Elder Hodson

A glorious sunrise swim!

Chickens roaming the streets in Miami

Eve, drinking her very creamy Cuban hot chocolate

Choreographed hand shakes that look like fighting. Hahaha!

Speedboat tour of Miami. Super fun and loud.

My babies about to go to the temple!

A parrot chatting up Alan on his walk in Pompano Beach

On the docks near Key West

At a restaurant called The Docks. It was yummy, but I preferred the tacos at Hogfish Bar next door.

We got to visit the shack Wyatt lived in as a missionary in Key West

Eve LOVED the kitties at Earnest Hemingway’s house. She counted 41 of them!

Waiting for ice cream and that sugar rush.

. '

Very near the southernmost point of the continental United States

That buoy behind us is the Southernnmost point.

Crazy trucks are a thing in Key West. Brother Knowles has one covered in stickers, including two stickers of missionary faces. He has fed the missionaries breakfast weekly for more than a decade. He is also a pilot who flies a 10 seat turboprop for two wealthy families for a job.

After the gator show they got a bunch of baby gators out of a barrel and let people pass them around.

My daughter is the very best thing about this picture.

 There are also a few things we wouldn’t recommend, but you can find those out on your own! Haha!