Doctors, beaches, gardens and a party

First thing Monday morning we got up and around and headed off to the Truman medical center to have Brielle looked at.  After we dropped off the girls at the medical center the boys and I went to Home Depot to try to figure out a solution to our suboptimal sewer situation.  We found a part that we thought would work and went back to get the girls.  They were not out yet so we took a quick stroll on the main drag of Key West…cigar shops, bars, art galleries, and tourist stuff.  We got back just as Brielle and Steph got out of the doctors office with a prescription in hand.

We went home to have a quick bit of lunch and I rigged up our Home Depot sewer solution…it’s pretty jankity, but it will work…I think!  Then it was off to Smathers beach.  Not ideal weather today….its pretty windy, overcast and not hot (which is good except a little heat would have been better for swimming at the beach).  We let the kids play at a playground for awhile where it seems we always have to get a picture of them on the springy animals/vehicles that they are too big for.  It seems the kids’ goal is to push the envelope to get the nose and tail both to touch the ground all the while the chiropracters across the street are smiling at their soon-to-be customers.  I hope they’ll take a road trip together some spring break when they are in college and there will be a picture taken of the three of them piled unto some tiny spring legged cow.

The playground was next to West Martello Tower, an old abandoned fort that in the not-too-distant past was in pretty bad shape I guess.  Some folks at the garden club got together, cleaned it up and turned it into a really nice garden.  All sorts of plants and flowers.  I’m not a flower guy but Brielle insisted I take a picture of each and every flower.  How could I resist?  I’m glad I did because the results were pretty good.  Checkout the collage I put together of her pictures.

Across the street from the fort was the Key West Wildlife Center that took in injured animals.  The lady at the office gave us a bowl of turtle food to take to the pond and feed the turtles.  There were TONS of them and the kids had fun trying to get the food right at the turtles’ mouths so that all the ibis that were there would not snag the food first.

We had to swing by downtown to get the prescription for Brielle.  There was an unannounced, free Kenny Chesney concert downtown that was making traveling difficult.  But the CVS we were going to was far enough away that we didn’t have any issues.

Brielle’s birthday isn’t until April 1, but since we had friends in town we decided to celebrate early so she’d have a little party.  We met up with the Millers and the Hunts at Roostica on Stock Island for some pizza.  It was really good pizza and even better company.  The Millers and the Hunts had each brought a little gift for Brielle which totally surprised her and tickled her pink!  Pastor Hollis wrote an amazing prayer in Brielle’s card….this dude is a serious prayer warrior!  Steph brought some birthday cupcakes for everyone and we sang happy birthday.  I think the little party was a success.

Hollis picked up the dinner tab for us!  Anyone with 5 (or more) kids can tell you thats no small gift!  Thanks Hollis!  Thank you Bill, Karen, Hollis and Rae for spending some of your vacation time with us…it was great spending time with “family”!