50 Gifts From Our Florida Vacation

We just returned from seven glorious days on the Emerald Coast. I didn’t want to come home. I wasn’t ready to face the crazy schedule that comes with being a homeschool and special needs mama. I didn’t want to feel the stress. I wanted to stay in our happy place.

The beach is where our family goes to breath. It’s the place where Jackson is his happiest. This trip was much needed after a hard summer. It was the perfect week. We made memories,  we relaxed and we recharged. Jackson told me he wanted to stay in Florida. I could totally get behind that idea.

The week was filled with so many gifts…

1. The promise of a rainbow after getting to the beach and discovering the water was the color of tea instead of turquoise.
2. Finding seashells.
3. Sunset on sand dunes.
4. Birds scuttling quickly across sand.
5. The peace, calm and focus the ocean brings Jackson.
6. An amazing condo.
7. Sticky, salty skin.
8. A kid who’s an amazing car traveler.
9. The Donut Hole.
10. Lunch at LuLu’s.
11. Three pelicans flying overhead.
12. Butterflies on the beach.
13. Lizards hurrying to hide.
14. Father and son sipping drinks on the balcony in the early morning sun.
15. Gorgeous, clear water.
16. So many seashells.
17. Jet’s flying low over the ocean.
18. The wingspan of a pelican.
19. Jackson waving to me from the waves.
20. A quiet condo to myself.
21. A nap after a morning at the beach.
22. Jackson remembering all the states we drove through to get to Florida.
23. Sandwiches and cantaloupe for lunch.
24. Snapping photos of my boy on the beach.
25. Watching the sunset from the sand.
26. Jackson’s love of boogie boarding.
27. Pelicans diving for breakfast in the morning.
28. Riding down 30A with the sunroof open and the windows down.
29. No makeup and messy hair.
30. Sun kissed skin.
31. Early mornings on the beach.
32. White, powdered sugar sand.
33. Swimming with dolphins.
34. Sea turtles and sea lions.
35. White crabs camouflaged in the sand.
36. Pink sunset sky.
37. Full vibrant rainbow.
38. Evening rain showers.
39. Ice-cream for dinner.
40. Finding the perfect beach on our last day.
41. Walking onto a giant sand bar.
42. Giant waves – jumping them.
43. Spotting a crab on the ocean floor.
44. Sandy toes.
45. To calming sound of the waves.
46. One last lunch with a gorgeous ocean view.
47. Waves washing over my feet.
48. Palm trees.
49. Tan lines.
50. The best nights sleep after a day in the sun.