Anh and I see Mike and Amy on a pretty regular basis thanks to our mutual love of travel, but it's been quite a while since we've seen the kids: Emily, Katie, and Jack. To say they've grown would be an understatement. It was a shock to see how mature they are now. It made me realize that we must make an effort to plan more family-oriented trips with the D's. Otherwise, the kids could be driving the next time Anh & I see them.
This 6-day trip was packed with a lot of activity. So, I hope they don't feel like I ran them ragged now that they're home. Regardless, I know they had fun. Somehow, we managed to balance the energy with a bit of relaxation, all while keeping the kids happy & entertained.
On their first night, we explored the historic district, and with 5 kids in tow, we discovered every single sweet shop within a 5-block radius of the main square. Not surprising! Needless to say, the kids enjoyed that little outing. We were off to a good start!
On Friday, our plans were thrown off course a bit when Anh announced he would need to "briefly" see a patient. That was not on the day's itinerary, but that's life when you're a physician, right? Oh well, it gave us an excuse to show off our new office.
By early afternoon, we were back on track and exploring the Alligator Farm. Living in Florida, you forget that alligators are a huge tourist attraction. It's not uncommon to spot gators here. They're in all the lakes and ponds, natural and man-made. Golfers know better than to reach down to receive balls at the water's edge, and we've all seen the crazy "there's a gator on my porch" stories on the evening news. I've watched as an alligator slowly crossed the road during rush hour traffic. No big deal.
Like I said, gators are everywhere in Florida! UNLESS, of course, you're actually looking one, and then they are no where to be found. The kids wanted to see gators, and I wasn't going to disappoint. At the Alligator Farm, we saw HUGE 15-foot alligators that weigh hundreds of pounds...
smaller adolescent alligators ...
and even a few rare albino alligators.
We even watched as one of the farm's biologists fed the largest gators dead rodents. Now, that's what I call a show. YUCK!
The biologist had to aim carefully because these big guys weren't interested in working for their food. They're the couch potatoes of the reptile kingdom. Good to know! In the event I ever stumble across one of these bad boys in the wild, I should be safe as long as I resist the urge to throw myself directly into their jaws.
The feeding continued as we made our way down a raised boardwalk. Luckily, this time the food resembled dog food pellets, as opposed to bloody rats. The kids were eager to get in on the action.
These gators responded quite differently to food though. They were fighting for their share of the pellets which tells me that dog food is either quite the delicacy for reptiles or these gators aren't living the good life like their super-sized buddies.
Actually, it was kind of eery walking along the boardwalk. There's just something unsettling about being followed by a gang of hungry alligators!
After checking out all of the exhibits, we made our way to the playground for an impromptu photo shoot. Good thing these kids aren't camera shy! Katie demonstrated her ability to conquer large tortoises...
Jax navigated gator-infested waters...
Jack picked up a few friends while on safari...
Even Mike got in on the fun with Baylor.
I must admit, I was was a little worried that the Alligator Farm would turn out to be a huge tourist trap. Thankfully, it exceeded my expectations and satisfied the kids' gator curiousity.
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