Finally, This Coaching Thing is Paying Off

Right after Christmas, Jacob was begged to coach a girls competitive soccer team in a tournament down in Fort Lauderdale.  To sweeten the deal they said they would pay for a hotel and he would get reimbursed for mileage.  We are not ones to look a gift team in the mouth, so he agreed and the whole family got to tag along. Which made for a nice little mini vacay in the sweltering December heat.

Luke is a very calm and even keeled kid, but if you want to see him go a little nuts,
check him into a hotel and show him his bed.

We kept the hotel room cold enough for Cindy
to wear her new hoodie from Grandma and Grandpa Bingham

Killing time at the soccer park

100 bonus points for finding Cindy in this picture

The sunny weather was enough to fool Cindy into happiness
and she accidentally smiled in this photo

I can find batting cages like a drug sniffing dog finds cocaine

The route from our hotel to the soccer fields took us right by the temple every time

Day 2 of the tournament was a long one, so the kids and I snuck away for a day at Hollywood Beach.  Wow, it was gorgeous and the weather was sunny and warm.  Our Gulf of Mexico selves were not used to the "giant" Atlantic coast waves, but Luke was in absolute heaven.  He would still be there if I didn't drag him out when the parking meter was up.

Meanwhile, this is what happens when Cindy realizes that the lifeguard is flying the purple flag to warn everyone of jellyfish.  

I will swim....here.  

Eventually she got up the gumption to go in and battle the waves.  And Luke finally obeyed my command to take this obligatory picture:

Seagull punching knows no coastline.

As far as beaches go, this one was pretty incredible.  I definitely would love to go back sometime and walk/bike/skate/saunter down the boardwalk there.  So let's find another tournament, shall we?