Waiting to go to the pool - Carina is reading Baby Cakes to Sam!

Our new house! It's a major improvement...

Big Sam
Holla!

Sam is getting so big - almost sitting up on his own - I love this picture!

As many of you already know, at the beginning of June we made a two-day drive to Florida to spend the week with Grandma Connie, Aunt Ana, Uncle Clint, Maddie, Uncle Will and Aunt Emily.

Clint's mom and dad, brother (Brian) and his wife and kids went as well. Our condo was right on the beach and as Carina said when she woke up one morning "were still at the beach!". She had a really good time playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean (as long as someone was holding her). Jeff had a really good time sleeping during the day at random times, playing tennis and boogie boarding, oh did I mention that he also rented a kayak on the ocean?!

I think in all we covered 10 states: Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin (last two are routine states in our drives back to Indiana). On our way back to Minnesota I-94 going east was closed by the Wisconsin Dells because of all the flooding this is what we saw from our car window...


this water is up to the highway...

Jeff and Carina at sea shell island

Maddie
On the way home...

Wednesday we went to St. Andrew state park and rented a boat. It was so cool we took the boat to sea shell island - Sam did great and Carina had an awesome time picking sea shells. The best part about the trip was the dolphins we saw - one came right up to our boat! Of course I didn't get a picture because I was too excited! So cool...
Sea Shell Island

What you talk'in bout?
Poor Sam - you may notice his right eye is pink - yes that is right it never fails any time we take a trip we have to go to the hospital, doctor.... - so on Saturday morning in Memphis it looked like Sam had pink eye - we had to call the doctor and they called us in a prescription - poor Sammie :(
Carina trying on sunglasses at a shop in Sea Side Florida
Who are these hot ladies?
We are family.

How funny is this - the family that use to live at Ruskin Place!
How much is that doggie?

The Planck's - Clint, Ana and Maddie
Uncle Will and Carina

Oh Elvis I love your hair!

Ana and baby Maddie
Emily and Will

Grandma Connie and Sam Aunt Emily and Carina dancing - listening to music at Dirty Dog pizza! What a night - our food order got messed up and two hours later we finally got to eat - good thing there was music! :)

Too Cool!!

Cousins up to no good!

Maddie and Grandma Connie
Will and Jeff had a good time trying to surf?
I think they both spent about an hour working on perfecting their skills. By the end they both had cuts on their ankles and legs! Who would have know how dangerous this could be?

Carina and Grandma Connie
This was Jeff's number one priority during vacation - this is day one - mission accomplished! What better way to rest than with a baby!
First night we had a barbecue and played shuffle board, basketball and had a few running races!
Aunt Ana racing Carina and Xavier (her nephew)

We made it to the beach!!

Carina drawing in the sand

On Saturday we got up early and went to the Lorraine motel where Dr. Martin Luther King was shot - they have also made this location the spot for the civil rights museum (very cool). We got about 1/3 of the way through...there is a lot of information and things to read - worth taking a trip back...

We rode a trolley through Memphis to the civil rights museum - Carina really enjoyed it!

long car ride
the car was loaded!!
We stopped in Memphis on Friday and stayed about 6 hours on Saturday touring the city! Jeff and I were both really impressed by the sites! We highly recommend going...
Chill'in in the bed after a long day