Father Daughter Dance!

The girls had a pre-party birthday party for Vivian before the dance!  They all looked so grown up in their beautiful spring dresses!

{Lottie, Reece, Victoria, Isabel, Harper, Kate, Vivian, Cece, Della}

More girls arrived!

{Harper, Isabel, Annie, Della, Cece, Reece, Kate, Lucy, Stella, Vivian, Lottie, Victoria}

Then, the Dads came to escort them to the big dance!

So lucky to get Mike as her date!

Girls just want to have fun!

Spring Has Arrived!

 

We returned to KC and everything is blooming!!

Sunset view after Molly's track practice this week - 

the new football stadium is going up!

I planted my garden seeds and a few flowers around the yard!

Molly's first HS track meet! SO proud of her!

Neighbors tree in full bloom!

Friday at Clearwater Beach with Grandpa Don!

Our last day of Spring Break, the girls wanted to go to the beach, so we spent the morning at Clearwater Beach, near the Tampa airport before flying home!  It was a chilly morning in the 50's and with the sea breeze, sweatshirts were in order!  We spent some time looking for sea shells (they were plentiful), Kate found two whole sand dollars! Then, we had lunch overlooking the ocean!

Sisters.

We made it!

This girl is SO HAPPY to be at the ocean with her feet in the sand!

Grandpa laughing at the birds . . .

The ocean is so relaxing . . . 

Grandpa almost fell asleep . . .

Loved my toes in the sand - even if the sand was chilly!

After lunch pix - I like to imagine Mom on the other side of me from Heaven . . .

Swim, Golf Cart Rides, Ice-Cream, Tennis, Golf: Repeat.

 

The Villages is a retirement community made for people ages 55+ to stay active and have a TRUE community! It's like Disneyworld for retired people! SO MUCH TO DO and everyone is SO SOCIAL.  But, it's also pretty darn special if you are a tween or teen girl - and you can drive the golf cart to the store, get smoothies and ice-cream, and lay out at the pool anytime you want!

We had a FABULOUS dinner at Aunt Carol's one night followed by a night of cards with Uncle Jim, Aunt Susan, Aunt Carol, cousin David and Grandpa Don! It was a wonderful night. Wish I had taken a pix of everyone - Uncle Jim took this one and sent to me.

Grandpa was VERY patient teaching Kate how to drive, just as he did with Molly on our last trip. Every second we had free she asked him to "take her for a lesson."

Time for some putting lessons from Grandpa! The weather was SO gorgeous, we just wanted to play outside all day every day!

The best kind of tired - from the sun and wind being outside all day.

Time for some tennis . . .while Molly lays out at the pool!

Kate beat me bad - but then got beat by Grandpa!

More golf cart rides . . . 

The pier where we always used to go to get ice-cream with Grandma JoJo!

We miss you, Mom!

Lady Lake for Spring Break!

 

This was Mike's year to work in the clinic the week of Spring Break so the other Doctors could travel with their families - so the girls and I flew to Florida to visit Grandpa Don! Was wonderful to see him "in his element" and get to meet some of his friends!

Grandpa's house is on Margarita Drive!

The girls LOVE driving his golf carts to run errands, go to the pool, etc.

Dad's flowers in front of his house - 

Played LOTS of games!

Laughed a lot!

And I got to watch Dad play Pickleball with "his crew!"

St. Paddy's Parade in the Villages!

 

We made it to Florida just in time for the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Lady Lake with Grandpa Don!  He entered the girls to drive a decorated golf cart in the Notre Dame club section of the parade . . .so he and Kate had fun decorating it all morning!

There they go! The youngest people (by far) in the parade!

Loved spending time with my dear Aunt Carol!!

Notre Dame Club lined up right next to the Dog Club in the parade and I was going nuts with all these cute dogs!

 This one made me laugh!

There they go!

More dogs . . .

Everyone gets SO into the parade - it was just a blast! The whole town comes out for it - and so many clubs participate in it!  Belly dancer club, roller blade club, etc.!  It was so fun!