FLORIDA TRIP PHOTOS

Don'cha just love people that come back from a trip and bore you to death with their pictures?? LOL

Living the bulk of her life in Florida instilled a deep love of the ocean in my mother and she has missed it terribly since moving to Mississippi. I wanted to make sure she got a little time (and a few pics) at the beach.
This is the back of Uncle Leonard's house where Mom and I were blessed to stay. It overlooks Matanzas Bay and from the patio (where Mom is sitting in this picture) or from inside (the bay window where the lamp is on) - this is the view we enjoyed:
Looking south - the historic Bridge of Lions
the St. Augustine skyline
straight across from the house - Castillio de San Marcos. OMGoodness - you have no idea how many childhood memories I have attached to the Old Fort - Mom does too. She was two years old when her family moved to St. Augustine.
looking north - this is Uncle Leonard's pier. Can you see the cross in the distance (center background)? It's the Great Cross (208 feet tall) located at the Mission of Nombre de Dios. Beautiful!!
This is my favorite of all the pictures I took. I kept trying to get a picture of the porpoises playing in the bay but they were just too quick for my camera. Can you see the fins of two of them just in front of the sailboat?
Mom talking with Uncle Leonard's grandson and great-grandson at the memorial celebration.

The Celebration of Life Uncle Leonard's children hosted as a memorial to both their parents (Aunt Ruth passed away in 2007) was a lovely evening and just what Mother needed as she remembered her brother in conversations with friends and family.
Mom's former pastor and his wife. She loves them so dearly! It meant a lot to her to get to attend their church while we were there.
My favorite part of the trip - time in Daytona with my precious aunts! My cousin, Donnie Jean (who I had not seen in 10 years) and her husband came up from St. Petersburg while we were there. Uncle Dale is such a loving and dedicated caretaker for Aunt Nancy & Aunt Nelle that Donnie Jean dubbed him Saint Dale. That he is!!
Mom and her sister had a little visiting time - but not nearly as much as Mom had hoped for.
Home again - home again! The plane might be small but it sure made for a great trip!