March 14, 2025 - Cape Marina, Port Canaveral, Florida

We had a very exciting day today!  We were able to move the boat over to a floating dock (with the approval of the marina).  So, so much better not having to worry about getting the lines on the poles or the tides at night.

                                    The pelicans find very unusual places to nap!

       Kip loves to walk the docks and check out the boats.  Hint:  he has an orange shirt on in this picture!

We got a call from Brittany from Sarasota.  They are on the beach having fun.  The girls were so happy and excited.  Vada was walking the beach and showed me her LONG legs.  So funny.

We cleaned the boat because Ashley and family are going to join us for a boat ride.  We took them through the Canaveral Lock, which they had never done before.  The lock was an open-sided lock, and under the water the girls could see the huge tarpon snook fish swimming around.  We also were on watch for the dolphins, which everyone loved!  Natalie kept asking us where the dolphins were.  They were so excited to see them.

We stopped at a restaurant on the water called Dolphins Waterfront Grill.  We had lunch and we bought the girls Dolphin t-shirts (they were so excited)!

After our boat trip and Ashley and family went back to their rental house to swim while Kip and I rested.

Then, when it got to be close to liftoff, Kip and I bought ice cream to put in the freezer and set up chairs near the picnic table (deciding that setting up chairs on the dock would be nothing but a disaster).  

Kip showed Claire how to use our camera, and she went on a picture-taking spree.

  Natalie kept blocking her shots with her stuffies and anything else she could find.  😏

All of us were so excited, and it got especially cool when the sonic boom happened!  It was amazingly loud.  We had ice cream, and the girls kept walking around asking to taste them.  Natalie only liked the chocolate covering on the Klondike bar, so Mike finished it off without the chocolate.  What a dad!  

After the launch, Ashley and company left and Kip and I watched "Blue Bloods".  We were in bed by 10 p.m. and it was a lovely night for sleeping.