Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Friday:)  Yes, Friday.  Backtracking....when our little girls came, I will admit that it was a letdown for me that it was usually very difficult to spend holidays with all of their grandparents, together.  J is from one state, I am from a different state...and both sets of parents ditch those states for the winter anyway!  But the good news is, they ditch it for Florida!  And guess what, we are now only two hours from the border of Florida, so my wishes came true---now we are able to spend every holiday with all the grandparents---my mom hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas, and J's dad and R host Easter (they live two hours from my parents).  Anyway, it's just under a five hour drive from our house to my parents'...so rather than leave on Wednesday night after he gets home from work, we opted to leave Thursday, well, around noon (you know, after sleeping in, packing, loading the car, running a couple of errands, hot breakfast, cleaning up, playing with friends...ok, I think it's really cool (having come from so far north in Wisconsin that we can now say, ok, let's run down to Florida now; and it is no longer a major ordeal!)  

 So, we of course had dinner with my parents, J's dad and R, and close family friends who go back and forth between WI and Florida as well.  As a side note, the actual Thanksgiving meal served ON Thanksgiving day was: brats, sauerkraut, veggie pizza and water melon:)  Friday was of course a different story---oh and there was dessert, lots and lots of dessert!

Another favorite pastime in Florida, we picked Meyer Lemons...
And oranges....

LOTS AND LOTS of lemons and oranges; I am unable to distinguish them with absolute certainty:O
And of course we did some sledding, you know, because we were in Florida...and that's what Floridians do, after picking lemons and oranges.


In skorts and flipflops, of course.

 At the town's tree-lighting ceremony we had a blast: carolers, crafts, musicians, dancers, food, rides, ponies, stilt walkers, sledding, etc etc---oh and I was talking to a couple of guys who had been playing Christmas Dixie (joking with them that they were lacking a clarinet, and they said they really were, the guy has never shown...and they offered me a spot:)  anyway---turns out the tuba player's son is an economics professor at Atlantic Armstrong State University in Savannah, home of the Savannah Winds---the only group in the area...I've been going back and forth on joining because they are such a serious group---guess what...that was the straw that broke the camel's back...it's time...so I contacted the conductor and will join the group in January!!  No more whining or bandless dreams:)
 We decided to head out on Saturday so we could go home and deck the halls.  Since it was only a five hour drive and it was only Saturday, we decided to go visit Amelia Island, via a very beautiful scenic route...the infamous Highway A1A...but on the way we decided to take the route to take us on the Ferry across the St. John's River...it took awhile...a long long while (because somehow, north of St. Augustine, we lost Highway A1A, found ourselves somehow no longer on it:O)  and after ALL those hours in the car, we owed the girls a ferry ride...so, we found the ferry, after some backtracking....and enjoyed ourselves a THREE MINUTE FERRY RIDE!  

We never made it to Amelia Island:/
BUT, there were pelians, LOTS AND LOTS of pelicans!!!

(and on the ferry,  we were within two feet of the pelicans...guess what---THEY STINK!)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Photo Card

Tree Of Whimsy Christmas
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Monday, November 14, 2011

Autumn Sunset

The Good Willow Tree is the "Funnest" Tree House in the World!

One day, Evelyn planted a seed.  And Eva helped her.  It took a whole year for the seed to grow.  It grew into a beautiful willow tree.  The girls made a tree house.  They worked together!


Evelyn and Eva had a lot of fun hanging in the tree house.  They pretended it was a robot tree house.  Next, it became a princess castle.  So they (naturally) needed some accessories in the tree house.  The girls headed over to The Great Willow Store.  There they found a sign that says, "Girls Only."  Also, they found a little chocolate-maker.  Since they found their treasures, they picked up lunch and brought it to their tree house.  They dined on peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches and lemonade.  Then they fired up the Little Chocolate Maker.  OH OH!!! chocolate EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  chocolate everywhere.  So, they cleaned up (naturally tasting some of the mess along the way:)


The Girls decided to go home because it was getting dark.  After a delicious cup of hot cocoa; followed by brushing teeth and jammies....Eva and Evelyn got under their cozy covers, fell asleep and dreamed of their tree house and more adventrues in it tomorrow.

the end

p.s.  While they were sleeping, their Good Willow Tree and Tree House grew bigger and bigger and bigger...

Friday, November 4, 2011

Happy Birthday My Beautiful Buddy Bear

This photo was taken on Buddy's last birthday, with us.  He had just turned eight.  I don't think I'll ever get over losing him so young, but I am grateful, even though it was an extreme shock to me, that his passing was very quick...so quick it shocked the internal specialists how quickly he turned...and I credit the Reiki Healing he had been receiving...for a "comfortable" transition. I love you Buddy, and I'm so grateful for your continued presence in our everyday lives---you definitely make it known to us that you are still VERY much with us!  Hard to believe you'd be 11 now, if you were still with us physically--which would STILL be too young, in my book.  I don't think we're EVER ready.

Also, pictured next to Buddy, is our beautiful Cimba, who was with us for 16 wonderful years and left us a little over a year ago.  We observe her birthday on November 2nd.  Buddy's is November 4th.  I know Cimba, Cookie, and Buddy--the dynamic trio, are having a blast together: stealing chewies from one-another, Cookie walking around with my mom's bra in her mouth:), Buddy and Cookie playing tug-o-war with a throw pillow, Cookie, Cimba and Buddy eating icecream...we love and miss you all of you!

Babe we love you too--happy belated birthday, as we celebrate yours in September...hope Kathy and Rondo spoiled you rotton while your parents ditched you for Jamaica!