Happy Halloween

We recently carved our Halloween pumpkins and displayed them. We all had a great time even though the job can be messy. We tried to roast the seeds and ended up burning them (UGH). I followed microwave directions and cooked them for too long. I can still smell burnt seeds.

A silly side story, our son had carved his pumpkin to look like a symbol from a favorite video game (you can see it in the pic above). Our new dog, Sasha, must have gotten the munchies because when we weren't paying attention she ate the middle of his design causing him to have to alter his pumpkin. So lesson learned, puppies like pumpkins.

Fall Fun with 4-H

The kids recently stuffed some scarecrows with their 4-H group. The scarecrows were placed in town and will be judged. There may be prize money in their future. They had a fun afternoon and, as always, enjoyed the company of their friends at 4-H.

Islands of Adventure

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Kelsey enjoyed her Butter Beer!

Universal Studios

For the first time ever we decided to visit Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. All of the times we have visited the Orlando area, we have never done these parks, I am so glad we did this time. The kids really enjoyed the thrill rides and there was something for everyone. At IoA the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was magnificent! The atmosphere was fantastic. It really felt like we were in Hogsmeade village. All the shops were so cool and the butter beer was delicious. Pumpkin juice was really good too although, both were very sweet. The rides in the Harry Potter area were great and the castle was so realistic. There was a lot to see and do. We spent a lot of time in this area. The kids also enjoyed the Hulk roller coaster and a Jurassic Park water ride.

At Universal Studios we enjoyed the Jaws, the Revenge of the Mummy, Men In Black rides. We also enjoyed several shows and met a character or two. Both parks closed early this time of year due to a special Halloween party they have. We managed to see everything in both parks in 3 days (except for one coaster that was closed). We had a great time and will definitely be returning.

Hanging out in Central FL

After our work was done we decided a stop in the Orlando area was in order. We always enjoy our favorite campground in Clermont and, of course, all there is to do. Our first night we went to the Magic Kingdom in WDW to see the Main Street Electrical parade. It was really great and there were some new characters to see. Magic Kindogm is my favorite park.

Moving On

We left the Hollywood area and made our way across Alligator Alley to the west coast of the state and Naples. We didn't see much of Naples as we were there for work, but we did enjoy a pizza party on the beach one evening and got to enjoy a glorious sunset.
We hope to return to the area next year and do a bit more exploring and visiting come of the local tourism spots and beaches.

Keating Beach

While in Hollywood we had just one afternoon to go to the beach. The weather was great and the water was so warm. It rained for the rest of our time in Hollywood, but we really enjoyed this one afternoon.