An Apopka Spring Break

DISCLAIMER: Click on the photos to make them larger!

We got home Thursday night from our Spring Break trip to my parent's house, and let me tell you that it was fantastic. Not only did we have lots of time to relax, but we had free accommodations and lots of free meals. It doesn't get any better than that for us since we are pinching pennies for our upcoming bundle of joy!

My parents live in Apopka, FL, which is a small city located northwest of Orlando. My family used to live in Apopka a looooong time ago when I was in kindergarten. When my parents moved back in 2004, they moved into a neighborhood that is about 2 miles away from where we used to live. We actually pass my old house when we drive to the new one.

I could give you a play-by-play of everything we did, but I know that would get a bit boring. So I'll just touch on the highlights.

SUNDAY We left for Apopka early Sunday with my parents in tow. I wish I had gotten a picture of the car because we were quite cute: Kenneth and Dad in the front while Mom, Murphy and I held down the back.

MONDAY We had breakfast/brunch at First Watch, one of Kenneth's favorites in Florida. Did you know that a whale can swim for up to three months without eating anything? Neither did we until we read the trivia fact on the specials board at the restaurant. Kenneth also "beat me" with the bill. We've played this game since we first started dating that the person who gets the cheapest meal wins. There isn't a prize besides the pride that comes with the territory! :o) Anyway, Kenneth very rarely wins, so I had to document. Kenneth's meal is Seat 1 and my meal is Seat 2...he BARELY beat me...

Kenneth snapped a new belly bump photo of me before we left for the Orlando Magic basketball game (which I will let him write a post on later because I know it wouldn't do it justice!). There are two things I love about this picture:

1. My baby bump is bigger.
2. I loved using my parent's backyard for the backdrop...it is so much prettier than the curtains in our living room! So, here is my new and improved baby bump at 17 weeks...everyone should be able to see it now!

TUESDAY Our original plan for Tuesday was to go to the beach, but it was cloudy and a little chilly, so we headed to Millenia Mall, which is my favorite place in Orlando. We went to Old Navy first where I purchased my first maternity clothes! It was very exciting! Then we headed to the mall. We cruised around for a while and stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for some dessert. Yum! We got it to-go so that we could take it and eat it out in front of the mall by the fountains.

It was delicious!

Tuesday night we went to a Cuban restaurant with Mimi and Uncle Joe. Another free and delicious meal! Mimi took us to Dairy Queen afterward - she said that whatever the baby wanted, the baby got! So, the baby got an m&m blizzard! :o)

WEDNESDAY After breakfast, Kenneth and I put our swimsuits on and headed to New Smyrna Beach for the afternoon. We only ended up staying on the beach for about an hour because the sand was REALLY hard, and it was REALLY windy. The wind was blowing the sand so hard that it hurt when it hit us. We headed up to Chases Beach Bar and Grill at 12:00 for lunch. It is this really neat restaurant that you just walk to from the beach. It's back deck is literally on the beach. I got the fried mahi-mahi sandwich, and Kenneth got the crab cake sandwich. This was not a free meal, but it was worth every penny since we could see the ocean from our seats! Kenneth also took more baby bump pictures. It was so nice not to have to suck in while taking a bathing suit picture! The bump looks REALLY big in this picture...Kenneth said I was pushing out. Maybe I was? :o)

CLOCKWISE The Baby Bump; On the back deck at Chases; View from our table at Chases

That evening, my parents took us to a neat bar and grill called Jax. They have really good sandwiches, and we were able to sit outside by a lake. Kenneth ordered the Fifth Avenue, which was a five-layer sandwich - it was quite incredible. I got the Legend, which is an Italian sub - it was fantastic! It was a great way to spend our last evening in Florida.

THURSDAY We got up at about 8:00 and hit to road at about 8:45 for the drive back to Birmingham. Mom and Dad were both at work, so there were no tearful goodbyes. For those of you who don't know, Kenneth will be working for the Florida Attorney General's Office this summer in Orlando. It was definitely easier leaving knowing that we'll be living in Apopka this summer! I'll be big and prego and lounging by the pool!