Sun-kissed Beauties Return to Unfavorable Weather

Stepping off the plane into 80's and brilliant Florida sunshine...easy.

Coming back to blustery snow and battleship-gray Michigan winter skies...well, I don't suppose we're going to get much sympathy somehow.

Nevertheless, I share with you a few select photos so you can join in the experience of a late winter escape to warmer climes.

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale and spent a couple days just north of Miami relaxing on the beach. From there we drove south to the Keys, spending a night at a State Park in the middle Keys. We drove into the everglades to spend a night camping on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico and had some magnificent (really!) bird sightings. We finished up back at Ft. Lauderdale (at the yellow hotel, Ella will say) relaxing by the pool and playing with our sticker books.

On the beach at Bahia Honda State Park in the Keys. Beautiful weather and no Jellyfish incidents.

Exploring on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. Ella and Elisabeth both enjoyed finding shells, crabs, rocks, and assorted treasures though Elisabeth was much less discriminating (cigarette butts, seaweed, bits of trash...).

Sisters in the sunshine. What more can be said?

Enjoying the wildlife at the Flamingo gardens. The astute reader will recognize that the girls are posed next to a Peacock, not a flamingo.

Those are just a few photos and if we don't get sucked into 'normal' life too quickly we will post some more later.

It was a little harsh coming back to cold and snow, but comforting just the same. It's good to be home and know that at least we're not stuck in Minneapolis with 14 inches of snow.