Hmm, something's missing.....

I know I know it looks like we had an awesome vacation, but something really felt like it was missing, right? I mean this IS a Smith vacation, is it not?!?!?

SO WHAT'S A VACATION POST W/O ALL THE ANIMALS WE CAUGHT/SAW?!?!? ;)

To be honest, I have ZERO clue what kind of bird that is, and it doesn't matter either, because we didn't actually CATCH it. :)

 Emerson DID try to sneak up on those 4 unsuspecting rabbits though....

 And EVERY time we walked back from the beach he would try again, and surprise, surprise, he never caught a rabbit. (Where's Camden when we need him?!?! )

And some sand dollar action. The kids LOVED looking on the bottom of them to watch all those little red legs move. Those sand dollars are pretty good diggers!

 

 I will say, not ALL of the kids were fans of the sand dollars!!!!!!!! Especially when it's being shoved down your swimsuit!!! (Memories of my family vacations growing up are flooding back right now!)

And can you believe it?!? It was ALEEYA who didn't like them!!!! Iris on the other hand couldn't get enough of them and even wore them like a little Yamaka on her head! :)

 Everyone w/ their sand dollars. Aleeya managed to barely hold onto one for the picture before dropping it.

On the hotel site there are 2 ponds and they both have turtles in them, but one in particular we would go to frequently to feed the turtles (not Pepsi though!).

And watch Camden catch them. I love how one of the turtles was still eating his bread when Camden caught him. He would line them up and then at the end would let them all run back into the pond (FOR DEAR LIFE!). Brooks and I are STILL shocked one wasn't snuck into the Yeti from our trip.

The OTHER pond w/ turtles by the pool had this unusual sign by it........

None of the kids believed it at first, but actually there IS in fact one in there, and he gave me the creeps. He wasn't very big (maybe 6 ft? or 5?) but an alligator is an alligator! 

The other sign posted on the pond said by state law we couldn't feed it or harass him. Brooks said he never saw that one. ;) And he ALSO told the kids he would pay them $10 to catch the alligator.

As close as the alligator kept getting to the kids, I stayed by knowing that they were only thinking of getting ten bucks and I was NOT going to let that happen.

Oddly enough WE CAME BACK FROM THE TRIP WITH ZERO LIVING CREATURES FROM THAT AREA!!!!!! Such a shocker, I know.

But don't worry, Brooks took Bronson and Camden golfing the day after we got home and Camden came back w/ "Bolt" (the turtle) from the golf course.