Candy-Coated Celebration

Who gets to say they have a real-life Willy Wonka in their family? We do!

We just got back from Tampa, Florida where we attended a banquet for inductees of the Candy Hall of Fame. Cool, huh? Since Tom's dad is a world-renowned expert on chocolate, he now has a place in this super sweet hall of fame.

Nearly everyone in the family came to have a fun vacation and support dad. We had a great time.

We went shopping for a bit and Shelby had a blast at the play area. I wouldn't mind a Looney Tunes baseball diamond at our mall! So cute!

The pool was super cold! I didn't last long. Shelby and the boys braved it. The rest of us girls ended up in the hot tub.

The whole family had dinner together the night before the banquet. Our table nearly stretched the length of the restaurant!

Cute kiddos

Cute dad with his kiddo

Saturday afternoon we got to go ICE SKATING! Hooray!

It had been two years since I'd been on the ice and I was thrilled that Ed, Jen, Dallin, Taylor, Cami, and Kennan wanted to go with us.

It was Kennan's first time and she was amazing! That girl's a natural.

Bad mom alert - I totally forgot to pack a coat for Shelby. She made some quick laps with me anyway; I couldn't resist.

I did have a blanket for Shelby at least. She spent her time snuggled up with Uncle Ed. They both liked that arrangement!

I love this photo. We're nerds.

Cami has been taking skating lessons and I could tell. She's got some serious skills. It was a blast to watch her and to work with her on some fun moves.

After skating, Shelby took a nap FOREVER. We almost didn't have time to get beautified for the banquet. We pulled it off, though, and brought a happy Shelby to meet up with everyone. Hooray for a fun night!

We had some time beforehand for family photos. This one is my new favorite.

Shelby loved the fountain. She's got a new "ooh" sound and she kept ooh-ing and splashing.

She also loved the cushy chairs.

The lovely Seguine family...

Proud parents and their kiddos

Little grandkiddos
Dallin was so sweet to hold Shelby! Her cousins all take good care of her.

The girls

The boys

The actual induction ceremony was neat. They brought in each of the inductees and as Tom's dad walked in arm and arm with his wife his smile couldn't have been bigger. Now I know where Tom's grin comes from.

They did a presentation for him with childhood photos, a bio, and some fun facts. There was a photo of Shelby sleeping on his shoulder as a tiny 2 month old and I was thrilled.

Tom's mom got to give a little speech and present the plaque to her hubby. I thought that was sweet.

Shelby was such a trooper the whole trip. We're talking four flights (a layover each way), three of them packed full, minimal napping, sleeping in an unfamiliar pack n play in an unfamiliar hotel room, new foods, late nights...she took it all in stride. What a sweet girl.

By the way, I ate obscene amounts of food on the trip. And then we brought home several pounds of candy samples. The sugar binge continues. Oh, dear...

Thanks for a fun trip, Seguine family! We love you guys!