Gatorland

March 1st officially kicked off Birthday Month #31!

I have been wanting to go to Gatorland ever since I moved here almost 3 years ago, but have never made it for whatever reason. So this year, Gatorland was #1 on my Birthday List. Being that we have a very busy couple of weeks coming up, today ended up being the best day for Gatorland Day. It was about what I expected - a bunch of gators, some exhibits, and some attractions. I don't know if I'd be crazy about paying full price to get in for what they've got, but the Florida resident $10 special they've got going on until the end of the month is definitely worth it. So, without further ado, here are some highlights of today's visit to Gatorland:

poor gators fighting for a space to get some sun

feeding the birds!

big fat gator - he used to snack on people's dogs in Tampa

big old tortoise

feeding the emus

haha

We had visitors!

During the last two weeks of February, we had both of my grandparents AND my parents visit us. Muzzie & Mo were down in Florida to go on a cruise for a week or so. On their way back up to Virginia, they stopped by Orlando to see us. We went to dinner at our favorite local place, Crabby Bills. It's a cool spot over-looking a big lake and mini marina. We had a great time catching up, hearing about their cruise, and updating them with our wedding details.

Then, two days later, these folks showed up (que scary music... jk Mom)

I'd been telling my parents to come visit even before I had moved down here over a year ago. I kept reminding them how warm it is, how close the Gulf Coast was, how fun Disney is (which neither one has ever been to), and how much they'd enjoy seeing their favorite son and future daughter-in-law. Then finally, they caved and decided to just go for it and come down to visit. They came on a Thursday and spent the night down in Tampa/St. Pete so my Mom could see the Gulf again. And since she has four awesome sons who gave her a "free night at any hotel" birthday present, she wisely cashed that in and the 'rents got to stay here for free! After their time in St. Pete, they hurried up to Orlando to hang out with us. On Friday, we just hung out at our apartment, had some drinks, and grilled out. I bought a mess of shrimp, made three marinades, and skewered some veggies. It was a good night.
The next day was a BIG day for Paul and Townley. We had scored some free tickets, and we (mainly Kristen) took them around Disney's Magic Kingdom for the first time ever! Neither one had ever set foot on any Disney property until that point. And I think Kristen was as excited to show them around as they were to see the park for the first time. The weather was perfect. We went to some shows, rode a few rides, and had a great time.

Kristen looking very proper in her pose

On Sunday my parents were flying home out of Melbourne on the Atlantic coast, so we grabbed some lunch at our favorite "accidentally" found restaurant, Bonefish Willy's. It has a giant two tiered deck and over-looks the Intercoastal Waterway. Again, the weather was great, and so was the food. Willy makes a mean grouper sandwich, kickass fish tacos, and a superb mahi quesadilla. When lunch was over, so was Paul & Townley's trip. A quick drive to the airport and off they went!

Since we were practically at the beach, we decided to make a quick stop at Melbourne beach and take a little walk on the sand for a few. Why not?

A few days later, Granddad and Gigi were ending their Florida vacation by stopping by to see us too! They spent some time in Naples and then a day in West Palm with some friends before passing through Orlando on their way to the long drive up I-95. This time we went to dinner at Bahama Breeze near Disney. It was a cool, clear night with live music, so we sat outside on the deck. Dinner was delicious and catching up with them was a lot of fun. We were so glad they were able to stop by to see us!