Happy 5th!

To celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary, Geoff and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on $50 round trip tickets (Thanks SkyBus!), then drove the 185 miles to Key West. It was a beautiful drive surrounded by water and 80 degree sunshine! We rented a mid size car, but ended up with an Expedition. Have you seen these beasts? It was an enormous car, but very luxurious and we had fun with the elevated view it provided on our drive.


This is where we stayed...Chelsea House, just 3 blocks from Duvall Street, the main strip of Key West. It was a very quaint place with a great set of patios and a heated pool. We met loads of nice people at the place, including two of the nicest older gentlemen from New York who made us Gin & Tonics and advised us to enjoy Eleanor because time flies and soon your kids are 25 and travelling with their girlfriends (whom, we also met).


Our sightseeing consisted of visiting the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA. Go us! We usually spend our vacations drinking in the local color rather than seeing sights, so this was an achievement.


And this trip would not have been possible if my Mama didn't come from Oregon and take exceptional care of our girl Nora. Grandma had loads of fun with her grandbaby. They took walks and shopped and sang and read books and whenever I checked in on them, they both seemed perfectly happy. Thanks Mama!


We just had a great time drinking like we were teenagers, walking all over Key West to find Eleanor Street (which, despite being on our map, we never did find walking or driving the next day), swimming, eating great seafood, watching the huge Veterans Day parade, and shopping.

And, while we were gone, big things were happening! Geoff's dad proposed to his girlfriend Charlotte. They have been together for only a brief time, but both seem very happy. We are meeting Charlotte's older daughter this Thanksgiving and hope to meet her younger daughter soon. We don't know what this means for Dad's living arrangements as Charlotte currently lives 65 miles away, but hope they don't go too far from us! Whatever happens, we are hoping to get to know Charlotte and her family as time goes on. Congratulations Dad!