“Yes ma’am.”

“Please and thank you.”

My goodness, the manners these boys had were something our grandparents and the old-timers would be proud of.

This was our third group of foster kiddos from the Panhandle area. Their house parents, Shawnesa and Willie, have been with the group for the past seven months. Shawnesa had a dream of caring for a large group of children, and now Tyler, Jeremy, Bryce, and Chris are part of that dream coming true.

She said they felt a calling, and they followed it.

Having raised children of their own, Shawnesa and Willie have done this before. These boys were not only incredibly well-behaved but, most importantly, they were clearly loved.

It was Tyler’s birthday on the first day of fishing. When he arrived at the boat and Misty wished him a happy birthday, he said, “Oh snap! I was so excited to go fishing, I forgot it was my birthday.”

Lower Keys Tackle hooked the boys up with brand-new sunglasses, and then they were off to meet us at the boat.

They caught mutton snapper, AJs—and no, not my kid, amberjacks—and a few absolute slob blackfin tuna. Brian Casey joined us again, and the banter between Mike and Brian provided plenty of entertainment between hookups.

We joined them for their second day of fishing. My youngest, Ryder, came along while AJ already had a sleepover planned. Bottom fishing was the game plan both days with Captain Mike Macko, and he never disappoints.

The kids always enjoy visiting Dolphin Research Center. One comment I hear often is, “I never understood how big they are.”

Dolphins can definitely feel intimidating because of their size. But when you have grown up around them, especially at DRC, there is a sense of understanding and trust between humans and dolphins.

A few of the kids were nervous, so I had Ryder interact with the dolphins first. Seeing another young kid play with them helped the boys relax and become more comfortable.

But my favorite moment with this group wasn’t about the fish they caught or any of the activities we did.

It happened at dinner at the Square Grouper.