Sea World

 We spent Friday at Sea World, the place the girls and I were looking forward to the most. I think the main reason for that was because we knew what to look forward to - dolphins and whales!

It was a cooler day in the morning, but the sun came out later making it a gorgeous day to be walking around a beautiful park.

 One of the first stops was the dolphin feeding. As soon as I learned we could feed them, I asked Brandon if Analise and I could do it. Of course he said yes, and I was beyond excited.

We were able to go on a separate part of the pool to get up close and personal.

 Rest of the family was on the other side watching and taking pictures.

 It was definitely worth the $7 for four fish!

Panoramic shot of the dolphin cove.

Next up - the dolphin show! The last time I was at Sea World to see a show was when I was in elementary school. I remembered how much I loved it, so I was glad to have my girls experience it, too!

The next show was the comedy show featuring seals, an otter and a walrus. It was humorous, and I loved hearing the girls laugh.

 This walrus looked nothing like I expected it to. By the looks of it, it needs to start a Jillian Michaels dvd.

 The girls and I walked through the aquarium with Grandmom and Pops while the other three dare devils were riding the roller coasters.

 We met back up for the "Shamoo" show. The show was great - a little too "earthy" for my taste, but we enjoyed it none the less. They are quite amazing creatures that God created.

 See the younger, smaller whale?

 There was an area with small rides that the girls enjoyed. After that we met up for lunch.

 And they met Shamoo along the way.

 One of my favorite parts about Sea World was walking along this boardwalk. I loved the Christmas trees in the water.

 Maisie with a pink plant;  it seemed fitting.

 We were able to go down below the dolphin area to see them swim right next to us. The girls loved it.

 I had to get a picture of one of the coasters Brandon, Peg and Danny enjoyed. Crazy.

 They also had a water ride with a big drop. Maisie l.o.v.e.d it so much she almost became obsessed with it and wanted to do nothing else. She didn't mind being wet; she just wanted to go over and over.

 While Maisie and Brandon rode it at least five times, we walked around and did some other things.

Another thing I loved was all the greenery. At first it was strange to see Christmas decorations while also seeing flowers and palm trees. However, I quickly adjusted and fell in love with it. Here I am with a beloved palm tree.

 Mom and dad looking good.

 How I miss all the beauty...

 Wet Maisie and Brandon joined us at the seals (or sea lions...now that it's March I can't remember. Geesh.) Grandmom bought us some fish to feed them. It was fun! They would come right up to the edge, and we'd toss a fish, hoping a sea gull wouldn't swoop in and catch it mid-air.

 The park had a tall tower that you could ride up and get a 360 view  of the area. We rode up and enjoyed the view. I loved this sunset.

 That is our hotel complex in the back of the picture.

 Aren't those trees so pretty?

And here is the tower we rode.

 The last thing we did was go to the newer area to view the orcas swimming. They came up right next to the glass. Again - so amazing.

 It was late, and we were hungry by the time we left. Despite this, Brandon chose to eat dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Though the girls didn't care for much of the food, they were entertained with the cooking.

SO grateful for another great day with family enjoying some of God's creation!