Quinan & Naji came to Brisbane for a swim.

Reading with Daddy will put a smile on your face.

The song was "Florida & Ivory." Perfect harmony?

Somebody needs to practice their "smile for the camera" face.

Seconds later, the tree in the background was given a tasty snack.

Ava joins Julius for his first kite-flying experience. (Holly Park)

Daddy, Julius, and Cousin Samuel, on our last day in Florida. We had a blast, everyone! Thanks for making the week so special!

Some people just can't wait their turn to have their picture taken.

Getting ready to pack up and head home, but there's always time for a photo op.

Nana shows Julius how to prepare shrimp, not so much preparing them for life as preparing them to be cooked in a zesty sauce and served with chardonnay.

Lounging poolside, an infidel family on holiday.

Nana receives Henry's leap and splash. Of Nana's grandsons, all of whom were present and accounted for, only Samuel refused to perform this simplest of acts, claiming, as he often does, that he can't really even crawl yet, so how can he be expected to jump into a pool? How indeed, Samuel! Just look at the picture of Henry here. Look and learn.

Another favorite new trick ... jumping into the pool, and without necessarily checking if anyone is ready to receive him. If not, Julius would simply bob patiently in the water until someone plucked him out. In this case, Nana seems to be ready.

Henry, Papa, Jonathan, and Susan, enjoying the cascade, and Henry's proudly absent front tooth.

Julius would have swam all day. He was so tired when we finally pulled him out of the pool the first day that he fell asleep sitting up on the deck chair with his hand in a bag of peanuts.

He really had fun in the water. There were some steps that he liked walking down until his chin was at the surface. Then, he would grin and step off into the water, kicking his legs and keeping his hands on his face. We let him go several times for maybe fifteen seconds, and he would eventually start letting his air out. I'm not sure if "swimming" is the right word, but it was awfully close.

Julius tells Papa to look at the camera. The view from our front porch.

Nana and Papa take Julius into the surf. Papa sacrificed himself on this wave, allowing Julius to swim another day.

Leslie and Dave laugh as an elephant dressed in a miniskirt performs swan dives into the shallow end of the pool. I didn't get any pictures of the elephant.

Samuel and Susan in the swimming pool. Sam seemed to like the pool more than the ocean.

This was a common sight, as Cousin Henry showed Julius around the dial. At one point, Julius was in Henry's face asking, "Are you my cousin Henry? Are you my cousin Henry?" Julius likes Henry, saying, "He's nice. He not hit, not bite." You've gotta set your standards high.

The Wonderful World of Whoopie Cushions, brought to you by Cousin Henry!

Daddy naps with Nephew Samuel. Nothing induces a nap like cool A/C after spending all day in the sun and surf. Being almost six months old only enhances the effect.

After a few minutes on the first day, running away from the waves without letting them get higher than his ankles, Julius exclaimed, "It's ... WARM!" He couldn't get enough water after that.

Cousin Samuel prepares to don his water wear for his first attempt at an ocean swim. It took a few days for him to warm up to the idea.

Sadie Dog loves to play with this old volleyball. After a couple of days, Julius's reaction progressed from terror to excitement whenever Sadie was within licking distance.