Memories To Last A Lifetime

It was a vacation we won’t soon forget. This was the first time the Sterks have gone on a family vacation just the 3 of us, and oh were the memories made! We decided to join the rest of West Michigan and head down to Florida for Spring Break. We found a sweet little spot in New Smyrna Beach, a small-er town (which is SO us), and we soon found ourselves relaxing, laughing, and hoping the days would never end. We didn’t realize it right away, but boy did our hearts need this trip. It’s been a bit of a journey in so many ways this past school year, figuring out my health and helping Mazy work through the worries she experiences due to my health, so it was the perfect time.

So here we are…on our way! The 17 1/2 hours it took to get down there, wasn’t near as bad as we had thought it might be. In fact, we would do it again!

We had some AMAZING weather when we were there, mixed in with some clouds and a storm here and there, which was a welcomed break for our Dutch skin! The waves were just right for Dan and Mazy to try surfing, which is something they’ve always wanted to do!

Dan and I couldn’t be more thankful to spend time with our sweet Mazy Grace!

We found the CHEAPEST place to rent a surfboard, so Mazy definitely had to give it a try! She did get up on in once, but what a dream come true for her! She has always dreamed of trying to surf, so we are thankful for the opportunity.

And Dan got up a few times too! I was the photographer :).

A nearby lagoon had 2-3 very active dolphins that we loved watching:

For our “day away” we went to Disney Springs, which was in Orlando. It was a taste of Disney, but free! We learned quickly that crowds and busy places are overwhelming for our small town family, so 2 hours was plenty of time to spend there! We hit up the Lego store, where Mazy could make her own Lego figurine:

Wow, so much to see! We realized how little we shop because this store was completely overwhelming to Mazy :)…

We had a little rain when we were there, but it also meant a rainbow!

A family we met down there, who happened to be from Michigan, took this picture. Just shows the vastness of God’s creation and the sheer beauty of it. That is Mazy and I in the corner…

Our condo was right on the beach, and it was the perfect place to build a sand castle:

There is something about the ocean…

We realized we didn’t take many family pictures because we were too busy just being a family! Searching for shells and shark teeth, laughing, running through the waves, checking out the parks, playing games, all the things! We met a family from Georgia, who we ended up hanging out with quite a bit while we were there. What a gift there were! They had 2 daughters who were close to Mazy’s age and they had an absolute BLAST together. Not to mention, they were a wonderful couple to hang out with as well. Just one of those little surprises that God had for us while there.

A trip we won’t soon forget, that’s for sure: