Ruby and Gus holding up their end of the bargain..

If we get a surfboard, they carry it!

And look what we found in the sand:

 

Baby Sea Turtles emerged under the full moon the night before and we found a bunch of shells. 

 Sure hope these guys made it into the water...

 

We are enjoying having fun neighbors/family right across the street.

 

AND we've got an exciting weekend/vacation coming up..

We are kicking it off Saturday with a surprise birthday party for our five year old - and it only gets better from there.

Stay Tuned!

 

Hold on, back up, how did we end up here again?

So, you may be confused.  Last we spoke we were looking for jobs in Maine, right? Yes, and then we expanded that search to New Hampshire as well.  You see, Joel worked at Camp Huckins with me this summer - he killed it in the kitchen and is willing to give it another summer.  This means looking for seasonal work - schools ideally, for the schedule.  Well, employers in Maine and New Hampshire couldn't even grace us with a return phone call, and do you know where else they have lots of seasonal work? Florida.  
AND Grandpa lives here. Win win. 
Joel's passion for food may not be quite satiated with school lunches, but he is testing the waters for good reason - THIS SCHEDULE RULES.  
ok, all caught up? for now anyway...

We Are Living In Florida!    wait, what?!

We've been here for a month now, and we finally seem to be settled in.  Joel is working at The Pine School (upper campus) for the year and Ruby and Gus are attending the lower campus of the same school.  

Ruby has jumped right in to Second Grade and is loving every minute of it (with the exception, perhaps, of all the HOMEWORK). 

Gus started a week later because we were waiting for a pre-k student to leave - opening up a spot in the class - what luck!  He is starting at three days a week (Tues, Wed, Thurs). He announced at dinner after his first week: "I love school more every day!" Yay, Gus.  He is proving to be more shy than we ever thought he would be as he gets used to his new peers.  










We hit the beach at least once a weekend.  Sometimes we seek out a new one we haven't been to, and sometimes we head for our old favorites (Hobe Sound Refuge and Bathtub).

 
 The water is still nice and warm, though the winds have been shifting into winter mode which will make our swims more and more rough.  
We've only had Grandpa home for a week since we've been here, but it sure is nice. He will be home again 20 November - just in time for Gus's birthday. 

There was a big to-do at The Pine School for Halloween.  An all school assembly and parade, including song and dance numbers by Ruby and Gus's classes. 

 We had a flower fairy...

And Leonardo.

Joel was able to attend with me, in fact he was ordered to by his boss - it's nice that the three of them are involved in the same school.  
That night we followed it up with some balmy trick or treating.  







All in all we are doing great down here.  It was nice to see a little New England foliage before we drove down, and it's nice making the most of this climate while we can.  Bike rides, walks, and swimming (pool and ocean)are frequent.  

 Most of all, it is absolutely amazing having Joel in a more 'normal' schedule.  He is home almost every night for dinner, and he has weekends off just like the kids.  I can't believe the difference this has made to our lives.  It sure is fun, this whole family thing.

 Until next time....
We love you guys.  Keep in touch.  xoxo