Sunday Seven

Taking time each week to reflect on the goodness.

7.  Access and opportunity to enjoy Florida's spring weather.  The Florida State Park systems has carved out oases for residents and visitors to enjoy.  Park systems at all levels are valuable to our country and our lifestyle.  Everything that is good about our country can't be captured at a theme park. We all need a little more Vitamin N in our lives and park systems near and far afford us that opportunity.

6.  Sunset celebration for three nights in a row on the west coast of Florida.  Although only one night afforded us the actual opportunity to see the sunset.  The ritual of riding our bikes to the beach to watch the sunset as well as looking for the green flash and the riding back in the gloaming was part of what made our family vacay memorable.  

5.  Hanging out with my nephews.  Each day we kayaked, paddle boarded, played in the sand, jumped into the surf, biked, threw the frisbee and burnt marshmallows.  You can leave things behind, but experiences stay with you.

4.  My designated driver aka my husband who takes the wheel on each of our trips.  This week it was our 6 hour drive to and from our spring beach vacay in the Panhandle.  I get to read while he drives.  I do pay attention a little to navigate.  He stops when we need to stop and he is only a little impatient at the end of our journey.

3. My sister gets extreme kudos for embracing camping as well as she has despite the bugs, the dirt, and this time, the rain.  My nephews love it!  I love making memories with them too as does her niece, my daughter. For our kids, we get out of our comfort zone.

2.  My daughter, now 13, still embraces camping.  She is able to disconnect from tech and be in the moment in the sand and surf and with the people. She still reaches for my hand when we go to sleep at night in the tent.  Camping lets her practice independence as well as stay connected with her family.

1.  My mom, now 70, camping with us too.  She has graduated from a tent to an RV, but it plays backup during inclement weather and is a base-camp for friends and family alike.  I love that we can explore different places as a family.