Every year, we have a tradition that dates back to when Paul was a child. It includes going to Marco Island in November. Becoming part of the family means that I adopted a new November tradition in Marco Island Florida! Paul’s family has a timeshare there, and it’s a timeshare week that they have come to love. Each November they see familiar faces and are able to enjoy The pool and daily sunsets with friends.

We were able to secure direct flights to Florida on Southwest, which meant an early morning run to the airport! We landed in Florida, And waited for a few hours until Paul’s parents arrived. This year paul’s brothers were unable to make it, so we filled in the extra beds in my in-laws two bedroom unit. Our au pair came with us and she had the pleasure of sleeping on a pullout couch that we forgot existed. It was a full house! Thank goodness for Southwest free luggage policy. Because we forgot the pull out couch existed, we actually flew with an air mattress and all the linens! I’m all about be a prepared traveler!

We figured out space was limited BEFORE we even arrived to the timeshare unit. After a rental car debacle (to save money, which we will never do again), my husband pulled up to the curb victorious with his mini-van! We managed to fit five adults and two bulky car seats in a van, including the crazy amounts of luggage. We drove from the airport to Marco Island. Despite the space limitations, we made our obligatory stop at Costco. As a result we all drove home with lap falls of salads, muffins, and of course a warm pizza to go! I wish I would’ve taken pictures, but I’m sure there wasn’t any room to hold up a camera, haha, it was chaos. Oh the memories!

The relaxation was waiting for us at the beach. A few minutes after we pulled up the boys were eager to go swimming. The beach was relaxing as always. I put in a fair amount of time reading at the pool and supervising our toddler fish. I was reading David Bach, Smart Women Finish Rich. With a title like that, you are sure to turn a few heads and turn up some eyebrows at the pool. That, or they could have been concerned about how pale I was. A dermatologist knows that pale is the new healthy!

The boys felt like kings in the pool. Man do they love the water! All day, every day. Rain or shine. Do you remember spending ALL day in the water when you were little? Remember that hunger after a day of swimming!! It is truly the feeling of freedom and childhood. We capitalized with a few poolside picnics, and enjoyed nap time as a family.

My husband, a deal and groupon fan, was searching the local attractions. We ran around at a local park and also went manatee watching! You know my motto: experiences over things! I was all in. This was a new Marco experience for me, and it was so sweet. Our au pair joined us and we were able to catch a glimpse of a few precious manatees.