Florida Wildlife

Well, we have another neighborhood gator! After calling the gator hot line number last year to take away that pesky critter, we didn't expect to have another one frequent our canal... Anyway, this little guy was apparently attracted to our canal because of the plethora of catfish here. Andy decided he was going to feed the fish, and they attracted the gator!




He's only about 4-5 feet long, but he's already pretty territorial. A smaller gator tried to snag some catfish, and this guy chased him off! (We have since stopped feeding the fish.)

You can see the length of the gator above. He is a beautiful creature, but not one I would want as a permanent neighbor :)

A picture of a cardinal may not be unusual in states farther north, but it's a treat here! This is the second one I have seen since moving two years ago- the first was about 2 weeks ago... It appears that this guy likes our car, because we constantly see him perched on one of the mirrors. He then hops up to the window like he wants to jump in- maybe he sees his own reflection? He's a welcome guest to our yard, and a beautiful song-maker!

Gabe's 6th Birthday

My baby is 6! Gabe had his birthday this past Saturday, and we celebrated at home with a "candy" cake and ice cream sandwiches-Gabe's choice. He's not a big cake eater, so he licked off the icing and ate the ice cream sandwich! :) Here's Gabe with his birthday Nerf gun. This is one that Noah has had for a while, but Gabe never gets to play with it! Now, he's just like Noah :) Gabe also got the swimming goggles he is wearing... he usually dives without goggles, but decided he needed some this year.

Gabe loved his "candy" cake. If you can't see them, there are M&M's, lollipops and gummy bears all over it! A little too much sugar for my tastes!

Blowing out the candles on another birthday! I don't feel any older...

Noah pulled the prank of pushing Gabe's face into his cake. Icing even got in his nose... but, Gabe was a good sport and didn't get upset!

I didn't get any pictures, but we also had a little celebration with Gabe's friends today. We met everyone at the park and had some food and fun! Everyone had a great time, and Gabe got to trade some new pokemon cards with his buddies :)

Happy Birthday, Gabe! He's goofy and lovable and makes everyday things more exciting :)

Elena is 10!!

Wow. I now have two kiddos in the double digits! Where has the time gone?? Elena turned 10 on April 1st, and decided to have a little get-together with her friends. She planned to do some crafting, but the kids were having so much fun outside we never got around to it! Elena made her own cake this year- from scratch! She is becoming my little baker! She also helped to make all the made-from-scratch goodies at her party: chocolate mousse, caramel corn, ranch dip, and pizza. I think we cooked most of the day before just preparing for the party... Here's some of the kids relaxing by the pool. It was a hot day, and the water felt gooood! We have some new long-range radios that the kids played with in the field. Elena has a garden in her fort across the street, and she gave her friends the tour.

Elena got mostly Pokemon for presents. She asked for new cards, and her friends delivered!!

Here's Elena with her new potted garden. She got some herb and flower seeds and plants for her birthday, and she is anxiously awaiting them to sprout!

Elena is growing to be a beautiful young lady, both inside and out... she's generous and kind and always ready to smile :) Happy birthday, baby!