Can you believe how Colt has grown?
Mmm--attack that roll!
Mmm, me thirsty after eating roll!
Concentrating Hard on the task at hand. . .
Colton is really into anything mechanical. He loves the buckles on Blaine's backpack, his seat, and anything else he can find that fits together. This is worrisome for Mommy since he's discovered outlets on the wall and that almost anything 'fits' into the garbage can. (We have found our cell phones missing several times only to resurface amidst the garbage). 
Mmmhmm, look at those legs. Colt escaped mid-redressing after a diaper change and was delighted to sport this little look. 
On Mondays and Fridays, Blaine only has an hour long class and since it isn't worth the time to go home and back we wait in the car and pass the time. Yesterday, Colton climbed up front and laid down like this while I read. What a trooper! Take note that he has three binkies all within his grasp--we know, we know this addiction has to end. 
Sweating away in the hot car after walking around downtown Jacksonville.
Saturday was spent in Jacksonville and it was up in the high 90's with humidity amplifying the intense heat! Colton was melting away alongside Mom and Dad so we toured downtown quickly and hit the road. Next time I vote for the beach!
YUCK! The battle is on and we've officially begun fighting insects--the downside to warm, beautiful climates. This cockroach was climbing on our wall and thanks to my Handy Husband he was extinguished via the porcelain express. GROSS!
Come on--how can you be a Seminole fan when the Gators are this cute? We're going to win you over to our side Barb!
If there's nothing else to do we hit up the pool in the evening and Colton loves every minute of it. He is a water baby for sure and gets a little upset when we try to take him home. 
Outside the fort walls is a mote and this is the area you see in the pic above on the right side.
Inside the fort. . .
A closeup of the original walls. They were made using coquina. (co 'Kee nu)
On top of the fort overlooking the inter coastal waterway.
Are we having fun yet?!
It was so humid from the rain of TS Fay--we were cookin'!
Stairs to the top of the fort.
Colton was a good soldier for us--we sunscreened him up so that's the shiny glow on his face.
There are huge cannons placed throughout the fort. The range on these puppies was 3 1/2 miles!!!!!
Crossing the bridge you can see in the picture above.
Holding my baby as we enjoy the sand.
They let you drive out onto the beach. We're definitely coming back with swimsuits next time. It made me laugh--it unnerved Blaine all day long not to be prepared and have more definitive plans--we kind of just came on a whim. While I side with him on the being prepared thing, we still won because the important thing is WE WENT. Hope y'all are doing the same! Life's too short to miss the beaches of life because we have our heads buried in the sand.
Blaine being the Captain Yellowstone I love and adore outfitted our Lieutenant Yosemite with his very own rain boots--pretty slick!!
Little Man admiring the new apparel--any form of footwear makes this household smile.
Mommy's present: a Colton proof gate, without which waiting out this storm would be impossible. Thank you very much!!
Wouldn't you know that we would move to Florida during hurricane season and the same year a major tropical storm would hit! The news is calling Fay an epic storm with record breaking rainfall of 24 inches in some places and devastating flooding forcing hundreds of people to seek refuge elsewhere. It has been raining relentlessly here today and our backyard is looking more bayou than before. Hopefully, as the eye of the storm stretches out the rain will subside and this storm can blow out of here. 
Blaine and Colton
Hillary and Colt
Colton playing after a nap. . .really pumped for it.
Dirty birds, dirty beaches, dirty water. . .that is our estimation.
Today we went to Cedar Keys, a small fishing town that lies on the Gulf Coast just an hour away from Gainesville. Blaine had played ball here on his mission and I wanted to see it. It rained HARD there and back, compliments of Tropical Storm Fay but was sunny just long enough for us to walk the beach and take some pics. 
By this point he was done with the whole affair and ready for a nap.
I have yet to try boiled peanuts, but I'm going to!
Blaine and Colton just arriving at Neptune Beach. The sand is beautiful but the water isn't clear like in California; however, it wasn't cold so Colton loved it!
Colton loved the beach and by the end of our time he was a sandy mess!
Our Family: Hillary, Colton and Blaine
We decided to go see Jacksonville this Saturday, do some shopping at Costco and hit Neptune Beach up for fun. We were able to see two of Blaine's former mission areas (Starke and Jax Beaches) and it made me really appreciate all of his hard work on the mission. I'll never know how he biked in that humidity with a suit on (Way TO GO all you missionaries!!) In my experience, I've seen a lot of flea markets, side stands with boiled peanuts and produce, billboards galore (not always decent ones), firework stands every two miles, and a whole lot of churches since arriving in the South. We are loving every minute of our time here and trying to take every opportunity to enjoy the experience.