day 7 (perfect)

There have been a handful of perfect days in my life and two of them have been spent on this beach. 

Although the big kids were initially reluctant to take the extra drive to Fort DeSoto - begging to head straight to the Tampa hotel, so they could dive into the pool, afterward, we all agreed that it was one of the best days of our vacation.

We were met by friends of Rico's who had blankets, umbrellas, cold drinks and snacks.  The sand was sugar-soft, and yes - the water really was that blue.  The kids could wander out 50 yards and still only be waist-deep.  The water was clear, the waves were soft, and there were plenty of shells to be found.

Within minutes the kids had christened the place "God's Swimmig Pool."  And were literally praying as they swam - thankful for such a beautiful place. Eight hours later, I had to drag them from the surf - and even then, we didn't get to Tampa until 8:30 pm.  Rico picked up vittles from his favorite chicken place Pollo Tropical, and we all sat poolside until 10:30 snacking on Jamaican chicken, corn pastries, Dr. Pepper, and potatoes.  Rico and I let the kids swim and rocked a sleepy Yoda under the warm, starry sky.

It was as perfect as life can be.




 

Punk searching for crabs and conch shells

seconds before she fell backward into the surf

Kooka gets burried