New Year's Day -- 2013

New Year's Day was spent relaxing and hanging out as a family. We all took a vote as to what to do as the Outback Bowl Tickets never dropped in price and everyone was sold on driving to Siesta Key, about 2 hours from Orlando.  The kids did not miss a beat in the morning getting dressed and packing up for a day at the beach!  Could not have been more fun!

Peter taking Tate into the water.  Big step for Tate to be in the water.

Tate and EB wasting no time looking for seashells.

Tate jumping over a wave.

EB hard at work making a wall around her big mound. 

Digging down for shells.

Fisher.

Fisher

Harper standing in the middle of EB's creation. She dug a hole so deep it came up to her knees.  

Peter hanging out watching a bit of the game -- he figured out how to record it at home and stream it on his iphone from home on the beach.  

Tate helping with the wall.

Harper.

Busy working.

Tate.

Fisher with the first sandcastle he had ever built. He was so very proud.

Fisher, isn't he cute?

Fisher checking in on the score of the game.

EB looking so old!  She reminded me that in 2013 she was going to be 11!

Fisher trying out a surf board.  He crashed a moment after this picture was taken.

LOVE!

Saying goodbye to the creation.

Right next to us a sand artist had created this awesome alligator.  

Fisher.

Harper.

Peter outside is Grandma's villa in Vista Hermosa.  So fun he could take us back to where he spent every spring break as a little boy.  

New Year's Eve -- 2012

Today was a non Disney day and it was great.  I wanted a few days on the beach in Florida but we got such great deals on our timeshare in Orlando (169 a week) that there was no way we could justify a few nights on the beach for 169 per night so we decided to drive there and hang for the day.  What a gorgeous day it was -- sunny and about 75 with a light breeze!!!!  We all could have stayed all day but we had a parade to get to!

I did have a great time playing with my camera on the beach, so much thinking we are heading to Siesta Key for New Year's Day!

LOVE this picture of Peter and love that Fisher is in the background.  

Harper - not sure how she got so old!!!

Fisher being brave and rolling his pants up as far as he could because was going "swimming" but the water was ICE COLD.

Tate -- what can I say, jeans on and a map from the Bird Sanctuary -- he had a great time hanging out and not touching the water.

There were so many seashells it was so fun for the kids to be on the hunt for the perfect one.

This pretty much sums up everyone's time on the beach, Tate not getting wet, Peter supervising the kids, Harper telling EB and Fisher what to do, EB digging in to get the perfect shell and Fisher waiting to see what she got and me taking pictures.

Fisher just cracked me up with rolling his shorts up as high as he could.

Harper!

Harper could not get over how big the sponge was.

Peter.  We were trying to get a great new profile picture for him on FB.

EB digging right in!

Love this picture.  I was trying to get them to pose and a big COLD wave came up and got them.

Peter.

EB and Tate -- love how they love each other.

Tate and EB were afraid their shells would get lost and we had no idea there would be so many shells that we did not bring a bag.  I told them to put a few in my shoes.  Apparently this was a few!  Check out EB and Tate in the picture below -- they transfered them to their shirts. :)

Getting ready to leave the beach and we snapped one last picture of Peter and the kids. If only I had not left my tripod in the car!

The real reason we headed to Indian Shores was for the Bird Sanctuary. It was amazing to see some of these sea birds up close. Closer than a zoo!

LOVED this guy with his read head, don't have any idea of his name.

This guy was just hanging out at the welcome counter.

Here was one to watch you leave.

Time to get to the Parade.  We grabbed the first spot we saw by the start of the parade.  Who knew the $20 we all paid was not a deal, we were used to Chicago prices!  lol

A quick picture outside the Columbia Restaurant.  This was Peter's dad's favorite restaurant in Tampa.

Posing by the vintage firetruck in line for the parade.

Perhaps this sign should have clued us in that Ybor City was like Bourbon Street and the theme for the area was a pirate mardi gras.

You have to love that across from our parade viewing area this was our view -- Pizza, Beer and Tattoos! Happy NYE!!!!

In line for the parade.  Tate was so excited he could not wait for the parade to start.

Harper all in her Maize and Blue surrounded by SC fans!

EB got a few beads!!!!

The Michigan Marching Band.  

Harper got the coveted Outback Bowl beads!

Had to take a picture of this, they brought their mascot with them! Also, the marching band was amazing! Even Peter agreed!

My sweet boys in their 16 shirts waiting for more of the parade.