The summer of 2012 was definitely fun-filled! We ended the summer with a wonderful family trip to Florida. Luke had 12 days off in a row and we got his undivided attention. We were all happy to have such a long break together and we definitely put it to good use.
Since we adopted our little bully, Yoko (aka Pokey, Mr. Chompers), we had to find an appropriate vacation where he could join us and be safe from the heat when we were out.
We decided to head South to Naples, Florida and stay with Luke's sister Emily and our niece Tea. We hit the beach every day we were there, except the day we went to the waterpark, and it was perfect. We also found a dog-friendly beach just north of Bonita Beach and Yoko put his swimming paws on and had a blast! Who knew the little bully would be such a strong swimmer?!?
We then changed up the vacation and headed to Orlando. We divided our time between Legoland and Disney World. Legoland was the highlight for us. Layton LOVES (obsessively LOVES) Legos (and Bionicles). He is definitely an engineer in training. Legoland is a park specifically designed for people between the ages of 3 and 12, so it was perfect. Layton could ride every ride and they had cute shows that entertained us all. They also had building rooms for Bionicles and Legos and an awesome miniland where scaled replicas were built in amazing detail. It also has a waterpark attached to it, so we could cool off and play in the water to avoid some of the heat. Kestrel loved the wave-pool and, since she can swim, she fully enjoyed riding the waves. Layton liked the large speed slides and talked me into going down one. The one ride I took was enough for me. I thought I was going to fly off the slide and die and the wedgie I received should never be repeated. I am glad I showed Layton I could do it, but not again and time soon. Here are some highlights from Legoland
While we were away in the day, Yoko stayed in the hotel (I mean, kennel) and cheered on Team USA in the Olympics. He fared well and he is proving to be a wonderful addition to the Laeser Institute.
Emily and Tea then joined us in Orlando so we could make our virgin trek into the wonderful world of Disney. We spent the first day at the Magic Kingdom and the second at Animal Kingdom. It was a unanimous decision that we liked Animal Kingdom better. We enjoyed the animals, the rides and the lesser amount of shopping experiences in Animal Kingdom. Here are some highlights...
After we returned home, we immediately had to get focused on back-to-school. Layton had to get new school shoes and guess which ones he chose? You got it! LEGO!!!
