Imho

[isla bonita]

I just want to say thank you to all who have contributed to our vacation that will start tomarrow at around midnight. We travel late so my husband can do a whole day and my daughter as I have said on other threads is not a good flyer. Very scared of take off. We do non stop and thank goodness it is available.

We will be doing some fun things that they would not have had the chance if not for some of you adventurouse people. We are going to Spook Hill I think pretty appropriate for this time of year.

Citris tower is also on the list. With the addition of picking our own fruit while in the area.

I want to surprise my son and take him to Vans skate park he is turning 11 on Saturday so I would like to do something for him and we hope to do the choclate dipping. I am personally looking forward to this one. We all need our fixes.LOL

I have taken some time to do things that are a little left of center wanting to get a feel of the area. We will also be seeing some Manatees not sure where have a couple of places that offer sightings.

We will be trying a few new restaurants not sure again nothing is for certain. I just wanted to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to pass along some fun stuff to my family. As we all know life is tricky and we are so lucky to have these opportunities to be together and hafe fun. And we all hnow fun is a great thing to have in our lives.

Thanks to all who haved helped us have fun
The Isla Bonita Gang

 

[kilee]

Have a great trip!! Sounds like lots of unique things planned this time!!

 

[BrerMama]

I'm so glad I read this thread -- when I was a very young child, we lived in Lake Wales, FL, and I loved to visit Spook Hill. I had forgotten all about it until I read your post.

Have a wonderful trip! I hope your daughter gets sprinkled with pixie dust and take off goes well for her!

 

[mbb]

Oh, have fun. have fun, have fun!!

Take lots of pics, and be ready to share all when you get home!

Have a wonderful vacation, my friend
Safe travels, safe home

 

[isla bonita]

Thanks all for the good thoughts.

Kilee next time we go down I want to try the jet skis you had mentioned.

Brermama we can only hope.

Mbb when next we are down fresh squeezed margharitas, and home made lemonade all around, a little Texas holdem, and the kids can play in the pool.

It amazes me that my children can do same old same old like school, karate, football etc... and I am having a hard time keeping a clear thought? Go figure?

 

[spiceycat]

have a great time!!!

 

[isla bonita]

Spiceycat Thank you Pat I can always count on you for kid fun ideas. I think it is you who have gave us the most ideas as of yet and we continue to pick our own fruit.

This time it will be a family affair 1 grandma, 3 aunts 3 uncles, 9 cousins. Those orchards won't know what hit them.

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Deb,
Have a wonderful and safe trip! I can't wait to see pictures when you get back!

 

[crjack]

Thanks all for the good thoughts.

Kilee next time we go down I want to try the jet skis you had mentioned.

Brermama we can only hope.

Mbb when next we are down fresh squeezed margharitas, and home made lemonade all around, a little Texas holdem, and the kids can play in the pool.

It amazes me that my children can do same old same old like school, karate, football etc... and I am having a hard time keeping a clear thought? Go figure?

I sooooo want to vacation with your family! Very similar to mine. Have a wonderful time and I can't wait to read all about it.

 

[isla bonita]

Thanks all my packing started in Feb when we got back last time I just start collecting stuff for our home down there when ever we see something we think we need or want.

I am up to 13 pcs. of luggage. South West loves me. Plus some have that heavy tag on them. My order to Sams club is put in. I have our pre boarding passes. The portable DVD player is charged and DVD is in the bag. I am on the ball. Hope I stay that way. We arrive after 11:00 pm and I am trying a new thing with the rental car we just go pick what we ordered and show our card at the kiosk. Hoping all works out. This is a lot of work. Not that it isn't worth it. You all keep talking about pics I only got the signature right after about 2 years.

Thanks again all and I will check in maybe one more time before take off.

 

[isla bonita]

FLParadisevilla you are the bomb with all the paper work you have sent to keep every one happy thanks a bunch

crjack you are welcome any time we have an open bedroom. We are a little left of center but fun to hang with.

 

[mbb]

Don't worry about posting the pics - we can help with that! Just take lots so we can vacation along with you!!

It's cold and rainy here today, and leaves are falling off the trees...I need some Florida sun!!

 

[CindyAnn]

Hope you have a wonderful trip! Thanks to you for all your helpful posts about Emerald Island and about home rentals in general.

Have a great one!

 

[MiaSRN62]

I believe the OP has left for her trip---have a great time
Does anyone know what/where Spook Hill is ? Never heard of it.

 

[kimbac3]

isla bonita....If you haven't left yet..Have Fun If you have and you are reading this after your trip.....Did you have fun??? We want details!!!
Kimba

 

[isla bonita]

Hi All

CindyAnn you are most welcome and thank you we had a wonderful trip

MiaSRN62
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/FLLAKspook.html

We did not make it but are going to try again in Feb.

Kimbac3

thank you and here goes

We arrived 3 hours late due to our flight and did receive $125.00 for the trouble.
Our home was a welcome site at 3:00 am.
The kids were promised they could swim so they did. If you have ever heard me talk about my kids I do mention often they are part fish.

We had a crew with us all my side of the family. My husband only stayed 4 days and we had to purchase a ping pong table, and foose ball table and my husband had to put them together. Not a real vaca for him. He put it together and I ripped cardboard for 2 days. He also put a new fish on the wall of the fish room but again did not get to putting up the surf board. He promises he will get to it in Feb. I am not holding my breath this is the second time he has not gotten to it. Oh well?

We went to SW and they are not showing the believe show because there is a new killer whale that has been born and it is about the birth. I have to say I was not impressed. The kids road Atlantis because it is a water ride and they needed their water fix as thay are part fish.
The big hit of the day is my daughter the timid child that she is that would not ride hat in the cat as it is called by her, she wanted to go home when I took her on peter pan and winnie the pooh. She decides that she is going to ride shamu coaster. I almost fell over. She road it with me twice and I had to buy the pic so my husband could share in the moment.
We also went to BG and of course it was a big hit with the kids they have 3 water rides and my daughter did 2 out of the 3 the third she was to short. I guess the fish part comes from my side of the family because the water rides were the biggest hit.

Back in Aug me and my husband celebrated our birthdays and my mom purchased a basket ball net for the pool. We woke the next day from arriving at 3:00am and the kids were drooling over the box. My husband helped put together the pool toy and off they went.

We or should I say I had planned all these cool things for the kids to do and we did nothing except swim. I mean those kids put more hours in our pool then any thing else.

I was a little disappointed in not getting to see and do some of the things I had planned but it is not about me so I just let them have their say. It was wonderful for all the cousins to share such great times together. Also my daughter does not need a bubble any longer. She is a swimmer. She was so proud of herself. It did send my mom into a few panic attacks but other then that it was pretty uneventful.

I did get a surprise from a friend who drove up from Cape Coral florida. I was not sure if she could make it last time her platlets were to low and the fear of infecton was to great. She has been batteling cancer for some time. It was wonderful to see both her and her husband. I was so proud to show her our home. They are planning on coming up in Feb to hang out with us.

We did not even try a new restaurant this trip. We ate by the pool almost every night. Not a very exciting read I am sorry. Just a few high lights. I got to hold my new nephew who is 9 weeks old, what a cutie. My 2 yo nephew loved my toys and totally dragged every one of them all around the house. My oldest son took his little cousin to the playground it was so sweet. The cousins have a bond now that will last a life time. Next time we will have a lot to tell and thank you all for your kind thoughts. It was a wonderful family vacation.

best regards Deb

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Deb,
It sounds like you had a wonderful trip!!! How great to spend so much time with family and friends! Its just a pity that your husband had to work and then go home. It sure does sound to me like you had some real fun! I enjoy the days when we get in the pool and hang out at the house all day and go back and forth from the house to the pool! My husband and I flew down in July for a long weekend for my 40th and it was just him and I(the first time we did not take anyone with us) and we had so much fun! We did not have a lot planned but my favorite days were the ones hanging out at home and swiming! We did go to typhoon lagoon and I fell in love that is one of my favorite parks!

I can't wait till our trip! We had to push it back since my husbands work does not want to give them the time off they earn. But hey thats ok we go the end of November to the begining of Dec and I have never been to Florida that close to Christmas so I am excited about that!

It sure is great to hear that you had a great trip!

 

[mbb]

....... It was a wonderful family vacation.

I love reading trip reports that end with that.

Good people, good families, good fun

'Cause it's all about the pool time!! LOL!

So glad you had a wonderful trip with extended family, and friends too, Deb
We missed you while you were gone!!

 

[isla bonita]

You all are so sweet.

Just tonight my neice and nephew came by with a cute little thank you gift for me a little clay vase with dolphins on it with my name written on it with a small discription of my name. It said I was artistic boy did it lie! LOL

My other nephew brought me home a key chain with sponge bob on it from the nick hotel where he got to stay for a night as a thank you gift.

We have some real good kids in the family. They all are disapointed that they are back. It is getting a little cooler here in NE and they miss jumping in the pool first think in the morning.

I have already started packing for our Feb vacation. Is there something wrong with that? If there is I am not sure I really want to know.

I am dragging my children out of the pool this time even if they are kicking and screaming. My husband will actually be on vacation for a bit so I will leave him as life guard and explore on my own. LOL

Thanks for caring Deb

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Glad you enjoyed your trip dear friend.