Jupiter Lighthouse

Stairs

We decided it would be fun to climb to the top of the Jupiter Lighthouse. It was first built in 1860 and has been shining bright ever since. We climbed over a hundred stairs to get to the top. The scenery was breathtaking.

We saw a huge banyan tree at the base of the lighthouse. I didn't know those existed in Florida, so that was pretty cool to see. We also toured the property to learn more about the Indians that used to live nearby. It was a fun way to spend our day!

Harborside Tree Lighting Ceremony

Kianna's 6th grade choir performed at the Harborside Tree Lighting Ceremony tonight. We met the Nelson's and our friends, Justin and Andrea Lathrop down there. It was a fun night with friends!

Bat Mitzvah

Kaylee just tried out for the Jupiter Jaguars Travel Basketball Team and made the team. One of her new teammates, Maddie Zelner, invited the team to attend her Bat Mitzvah party. It was at the Jupiter Country Club. Kaylee was nervous, since she barely knew Maddie or her other new teammates. However, Maddie was a gracious hostess and Kaylee had a fun time with new friends. She is so brave!

Our Beautiful Walks

Over the years, Trevor and I have come to cherish our walks. They are our quality time together. In Michigan, we used to walk the neighborhood together. In Iowa, we walked on the trail behind our house. Here in Florida, we walk in our neighborhood, along the intracoastal waterway, and on the beach. 

On one of our recent walks, we saw a manatee swimming in the Intracostal Waterway. We also saw a tortoise on the nearby nature trail. We are loving our new stomping grounds here in Florida. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place!

Kaylee's 14th Birthday

Camryn, Lucy, Kaylee, Faith and Kianna

Our sweet Kaylee is 14. She is growing into a beautiful young lady, both inside and outside. Our move has definitely been the hardest on her. She is at an age where she can be a bit shy at times, as she doesn't want to stand out. However, she stands out because she is a super aggressive athlete. Kaylee's favorite sports are basketball and volleyball. Kaylee is super smart and is a super hard worker earning straight A's. 

Kaylee loves to bake and is on a mission to make me fatter. She specializes in homemade birthday cakes and banana bread. Kaylee loves to read. She is super thoughtfu. She is a great friend to others. She would move back to Iowa in a heart beat and is secretly hoping the Rockwell merger falls through. She really enjoyed going to Vernon Middle School and the new friends she had made there. She also really liked that the sports were more competitive since it was a bigger school. She also misses her youth group friends and Brittney Comer from club sports. Despite her longing for Iowa, she is transitioning well to life in Florida. 

We celebrated her birthday by inviting Camryn, Faith and Lucy over. Trevor created a super fun photo and video scavenger hunt for the girls to complete around our neighborhood. They had to take pictures of themselves making a pyramid in the sand, dancing to silly songs, etc., Kaylee requested that I make fettuccine alfredo with chicken and broccoli along with her favorite cake. She had a fun sleepover with her friends.

Kaylee's actual birthday was on a busy school night, but we made time to get meatballs from Lynora's, her favorite italian restaurant. We love Kaylee so much and are so thankful for our sweet girl!

Family Pictures

Walker's Visit

My mom, John, Grandma and Rylan came to visit us. It was Mom's second visit, but the other's first time to Jupiter. We got Grandma a wheelchair and enjoyed walking her to the beach, showing her the sites and giving her fresh seafood. Rylan loved swimming, looking for seashells and playing with her cousins. We also were able to go to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center and to the Busch Wildlife Center, which were fun.

John was on a mission to hunt for alligators and snakes, so Trevor took him to Jonathan Dickinson State Park one afternoon. Unfortunately, the only thing they found was a tortoise. I took John to Riverbend Park and he successfully caught two snakes. That made him happy enough, but then on our way out of the park, John saw an alligator in one of the ponds near the parking lot. Upon further investigation, he discovered three baby alligators. I thought that was cool enough, but John wanted to catch one of them, which he did. He was in heaven and I was screaming like crazy! It was a fun visit!