Little For A Little While: OUR ISLAND.

It's always a little hard to leave home this time of year. Just as we're slipping into fall and settling into the comforts of a new routine, it's time for our annual vacation to North Captiva Island, Florida, which means dusting off our swimsuits and flip flops for one last hurrah.

With each year that passes, this place feels more like home. We know the island, we know its secret treasures, and we begin to see a few familiar faces too.

We were thrown a little curve ball just days before we came...we received a phone call informing us that our rented beach house had undergone renovations, and wasn't going to be ready in time for our arrival. We were devastated. We know its just a house, but it's our house. We have sweet memories there, and on an island full of very grand and pompous homes, that was our little safe haven. We're staying in two different homes this week, both much grander than we prefer, but are enjoying the experiences nonetheless. However, with 36 stairs from the top floor to the ground (one way), I will welcome my tiny two story home with open arms upon returning home.

Any who, here's a little glimpse of what we have seen and experienced in our first days here:

It's quite the process to get here, because it truly is an island. Only accessible by boat or plane. Our journey involved a plane, rental vehicle, bus, and water taxi.

This is the first year that we have arrived before sunset (like I said, it's quite the process to get here), so we wasted no time in sinking our toes into the sand and slipping a few seashells into our pockets.

19 weeks pregnant with #3

The next morning, we set out for one of our favorite adventures, hiking to the end of the island and back. We wanted to do it while the kids were fresh and not overtired and worn out . It's several miles each way, but completely worth it.

The end is where Hurricane Charlie split Captiva Island in two many years ago, thus creating Captiva and North Captiva Islands. We had a picnic and swam in the ocean at the very edge of NCI, that is Captiva in the background.

The kids were pretty wiped out upon our return, but were also troopers for most of the hike. We were all rewarded with a cool, refreshing drink and a dip in the club pool.

Day three brought the thrill of watching a plane take off, switching houses (now we're oceanfront, yay!), finding awesome creatures, and catching a beautiful sunset.