Birds are a common sight on the island. The J.N. Ding Darling Nature Reserve has over 500+ acres of land which is untouched Florida habitat set aside for the birds and other animals of the island. Millions of birds migrate here every year during the winter months. We took a tour of the refuge and saw several different types of beaked creatures, a large turtle, and a small alligator.

These last shots are a last evening on the beach. We just relaxed and enjoyed the view, smells, and sounds of the ocean.

And one last sunset for good measure. Sigh! I miss it already. And if anyone is interested in traveling to Sanibel, please let me know. It was a place that I found people hadn't heard of. I even asked a local travel agent and she had no clue about it. Anyways, I'm always up for sharing good things and Sanibel would come highly recommended from us. Looking back, it was an amazing vacation.

I should briefly mention that we were missing the girls terribly by the 5th day. I'll try to share some pictures of Maura's vacation with her cousins in the next week or so. And according to my mom and our babysitter, Sophia Grace was an absolute angel. It was nice to know they were in such good hands while we were gone. Thanks everyone for your help--it meant so much to have a little time away.