2024 Epic Florida Trip, Part 5: Celebrating Memorial Day and the 4th of July at the Beach

On Monday, May 27, we headed to the East Coast of Florida to celebrate Memorial Day and the Fourth of July at the Beach. Funny enough, it actually was Memorial Day. We went to the beach near Hangar's Beach across from Patrick Air Force Base (though I think that now it is a Space Corps base?). It took us a bit to get us all out there, and find parking, and get all set up, but once we did, we had a fabulous time. We had boogie boards

And some snorkel gear (though we probably should have left this at the house since the ocean decided to claim this flipper as her own. Seriously, this is the last picture of this flipper before it was tragically taken to Davy Jones's Locker). 

It was a beautiful day for playing in the waves. 

Here's Maiya. 

And Julia with Maiya. 

If you don't know who we are, why are you even reading this blog?

Shayne with Lara. 

The big boys decided to dig a massive hole, because when it's hot and humid, why wouldn't you make it hotter for yourself by digging a hole in the sun for no purpose whatsoever?

Here's Eli, Maiya, Julia, Tyler, and Tucker. 

Here's Rachel with a sand crab which Gabe just informed me that he found. 

And they gold water. 

Here's Michael, Ethan, Jenny, Tyler, Tucker, Maiya, and Julia. 

We had a water melon eating contest to celebrate the holidays. We had a Skyler and younger category and an older than Skyler group (which I didn't take a photo of). Here's Elise, Alaina, Gabe, Dawson, Eli, and Skyler. 

The really fun thing was when Nana joined us in the water. 

Here's those handsome Saville boys with their parents. 

Here's the view from the water of the shore. The daughters didn't want to be left out, so they started running into the water Baywatch style. Okay, maybe not Baywatch style, but they for sure didn't want to miss out on being with their parents in the water. 

Here are the original Savilles, or the Magnificent Seven as Brian called them: Brian, Lara, Alisa, Kirt, Julie, Lea, and Ben. 

And the originals siblings: Brian, Alisa, Lara, Lea, and Ben. 

Now without sunglasses. 

Now with a photo bomber! 

Alisa and Jared (Don't mind the spots--I had my phone in a protective water-proof pouch, which is not the best for getting pristine photos). 

Here's someone (Rachel says it's Skyler) emerging from the wave as Papa tries to show his grandkids the fine art of boogie boarding.  

We decided to try to get a picture of all the siblings with their spouses, and the wave decided to photobomb us while we were getting lined up. 

Got one!

Then a wave. 

And another. 

Here's Lara's family just as the wave hit (Mack, Elise, Julia, Lara, and Greg). 

Here's my amazing and handsome Brian. 

Here's where Lara was brutally attacked by another wave. 

Here's Alisa reimagining Titanic without the Titanic. 

Alisa and Jared with the Florida shore. 

I even managed to get a picture of Michael in the water. He was so stoked about that. 

He even posed for a photo with his mom. Here we are, out in the ocean together. 

Here's Rachel, heading out to catch a wave. 

Here's Papa helping Dawson

There he goes!

Skyler, Tucker, Maiya, Rachel, Eli, Alisa and Jared. 

Skyler, Tucker, Eli, and Maiya

Here's Julia

And just a shot of the Ocean. I seriously could sit at the beach all day, listening to the sound of the waves and watching them break. 

Here's Papa helping Rachel catch the wave. 

Did she catch it? 

Yes!!!

All too soon, it was time to leave the beach (and Rachel's flipper), pack up, and head back to Davenport and our vacation rental. Don't worry, the hole got filled in before we left. 

 When we were heading back to our cars and attempting to get all the sand off our feet, somebody (not in our party) accidentally started a fire in the dumpster in the parking lot. We got to see the fire department show up, and we tried to avoid the smoke. It was a bit of an exclamation point on our amazing beach day. 

We had planned to do a sand castle building contest, but everyone was having fun, and we decided that we didn't need to do the activity just to do the activity. Maybe we can revisit the idea at another beach at another time because I have a feeling these Savilles could build some epic sand castles. 

Now for our notes taken back then:

Monday, May 27

Beach Day: sand crabs, waves, biggie boarding with papa, giant hole in the sand, water melon eating contest

Best

Gabe: boogie board

Rachel: boogie boarding with papa

Michael:

Devri: playing in the waves

Brian: the beach (said like “Duh!”), mom (Julie) out in the water

Worst: 

Gabe: couldn’t reach the (bottom of ocean) floor

Rachel: water up the nose and mouth/losing my flipper

Michael: 

Devri: riding home in cold swimming suit ( it was a good day)

Brian: sunburn after