We survived our kid led vacation

So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I let the kids plan and budget our family vacation. I gave the kids a total of $500 to go anywhere and do anything they wanted. They wanted to go to the beach, hiking and caving. A friend that Willy Sr works with offered up his beach home in Cape San Blas, FL for the cleaning fee and utilities (score). We borrowed a kayak from a friend, made homemade meals, loaded up the fishing poles and we're off!

Load'n up the kids and Kayak

Shhh don't tell anyone I forgot to pack my own underwear and wore Lisa's all week but I TOTALLY remembered my Diet Dr. Pepper

Before we even left the house we were already down $100 in shark fishing supplies. Our fishing poles were not equipped properly to catch sharks, and of course what happens when you mention to Willy Sr that there is a budget, he gets some hair brained idea and spend every last penny, plus some. So, he convinced the kids that shark fishing was an intercal part of family vacations. We spent another $120 on food and snacks to last us all week so we would not have to eat out and also because there is no where to eat out there. So before were out the door were already down $220.
 
We left around lunch time with the intention of getting drive-through, drive and have Sawyer fall asleep as soon as he was done eating. Sawyer is still rear facing so Lisa is in charge of him during our long drives. It is only 2.5 hours to Cape San Blas but it's amazing what happens to me when I get behind the wheel, the need to pee overcomes me like waves in an ocean, so all of our trips require me to stop about every 1.5 hours. With that knowledge we started out our trip with the kids debating between Wendy's and Jimmy Johns. Even though Jimmy Johns is more expensive they chose that. At that moment, I was not feeling to confident about how their budgeting skills were going to go over. $40 later were on the road.

Aunt Becca before being attacked by a 100 lb tarpin jumping out of the water.

Uncle Hunter keeping Sawyer warm

Aunt Becca and Uncle Hunter came to spend 2.5 days with us and it was great. The kids love them so much and hopefully they had a good time with us too! Naturally in my typical style I came down with a stomach bug on Wednesday and threw up all over my car (in a plastic bag, not literally all over my car).Other than an illusive light house that was "In transit" (how and why do you transport a light house) we had a great week. We fished, ate, laughed and relaxed. Sadly, we did not catch any shark. We did however manage to catch 2 sing rays and get to observe how amazingly well they blend into the ocean and billions (8) of sea bass. We also found 2 horse shoe crab carcasses which were really fun to observe (and maybe Eitan peed on one on purpose).

The art of selfies needs to be taught at a young age.

Our last day we went down the the national park for some hiking. As soon as we stepped out of the car it started sprinkling and then pouring.We ended up just driving around looking for wild critters. We did manage to find a few deer and steer the car towards a few sea gulls while I may shouted things like "GROSS" and "I'M GUNNA GET YOU" , though, I never did successfully run over a gull. 

I was hiding under a pavilion with Sawyer strapped to my back, because, cold + rain = stupid.

On our way home, in Apalachicola, Willy Sr asked that we stop at a Marine Antique shop which was awesome. We picked up our first taxidermy while we were there! Nothing says family vacation like taxidermy. We are now the proud owners of a taxidermied alligator skull and crab. We also got a shark jaw, which, according to Tilly is "probably a Mako sharks jaw, you can tell by the structure of the teeth" (She's 5 ya'll - shes not messing around when she says she wants to study shark teeth when she grows up).

My marine Biologist

And also my only child dedicated enough to the ocean to fish in the cold, over multiple days in an attempt to catch a shark.

Sawyers first artic expedition

In all after gas, taxadermy, eating out on the way there and back and other odds and ends we still have a remaining $49. I am not including the cost of getting my car detailed/vacuumed out because, lets be real, I could have done that myself but I'm just lazy. The kids requested that we put that money towards our next trip so we have even more money to spend next time. I was really impressed with each purchase that we made how cognizant each of them was about our budget. After each purchase we made, everyone would ask how much do we have left. They really did a great job planning, facilitating and staying in charge of the entire vacation and we all want to do it again! Plus, now that they are all adopted and we FINALLY have passports, we can start our over-seas adventures.

Budget planning committee starts NOW! But not literally since, it's 1am.

They are all smiling in the picture but as soon as the flash went off I started yelling at them to go to sleep.

Willy Sr. really, REALLY wanted that shark

Getting ready for the kid planned vacation

I decided to let the kids plan our vacation. I gave them a complete control of our destination, budget and activities. We spent several days researching hotels, condos and destinations. Immediately we realized we needed to find a good deal on a Condo so we could cook our own food, because, eating out with a family of 7 is expensive. For the adventures they wanted to go caving, hiking and go to the beach. Since we don't live anywhere near California this was a tall order. After some research we found the caves in Mariana, FL (where my mom has an aquaponic farm). Willy works with a man who has a beach house in Cape San Blas, FL. He offered us the beach house for the price of the cleaning fee and utilities. Because Mariana is about 2.5 hours away from the beach that we are going to we are breaking our vacation into two parts. The first part we will be going down to the beach to go shark fishing (and put them back) and go hiking. The second half will be after we get back home. We will travel over to my moms farm, take a tour of the farm and then go caving. So far, we are well within our budget thanks for the generosity of our friends, and crashing at my moms house.

The biggest problem we have had to deal with is there is no grocery store in Cape San Blas. There are also no restaurants. So I have been meal planning, cooking and freezing meals. MY FEET HURT SO FREAKING BAD AND I NEVER WANT TO COOK AGAIN! I have made 4 soups, gluten free pumpkin waffles, 1 quiche, chicken fajitas and 2 baked meals. I have oatmeal, snacks coming out my ears.

I spent the day doing laundry (read - hating life) and realized a family of 7 only has 6 beds... why do we have 90 different bed sheets and thousands of towels?!?! Something needs to be scaled down here. Anyways, back to my boring laundry. I pack each kid one at a time. We are going to be gone for 5 days and 4 nights. I have a general rule that the 6 of us (I don't pack Willy Sr's stuff) need to fit everything into our one, slightly large, suitcase. Then it's large Tupperware totes for snacks, food, toiletries and diapers. This trip we are also bringing 2 coolers, fishing poles, towels, crab nets and two bikes. I am only bringing the bikes for Willy Jr., and Lisa because training wheels don't work well on dirt paths so the other kids will have to suffer, or walk.

The kids are only bringing one shoe, their Keens. Keens are awesome shoes for kids because they virtually can not be destroyed. I always find mine used to save on the price because they are expensive. The weather will be chilly at night so they will also have socks to wear with Keens, which isn't the best look but, whatevs' were on vacation.

My sister wants me to point out that I still have more organizing to do and that this blog post should really be about my ability to procrastinate. Also, how awesome of an aunt she is.

Since I do have more to do I'm out. Wish me luck on surviving a week at the beach with a baby. Also, wish the kids luck on not over spending on our budget.
UGH