getting the trees

Last weekend we got the trees. Yep, I managed to realize an old old bucket list item and have two trees. We have a 7 foot one in the front room and a 4 foot one in the family room and we have only just enough decorations to go round....

We had a fun although muddy day at the tree u-cut. No snow was around yet and it was yet to freeze, so mud was the order of the day

We got them home and had a fun old family afternoon decorating. This is the most I have ever decorated for Christmas.

 The front room tree

The family room tree

 Front room

 stair garland

 family room fireplace

 Last years Disney Tinkerbell bargain (from my walt Disney World IA Training trip)

This years Tims decoration

We then went a step closer and settled down to this years family viewing of the Griswolds Christmas Vacation, it was a wonderful weekend

a festive weekend

I have just had an amazing festive weekend. We had a lot of kids in the house but that was ok as we also had wine and they all pretty much played together and just turned up for food and snacks.

I had planned to start decorating the house for Christmas and with the help of Pinterest (new obsession) I had some rather ambitious plans.

While I was away with work Paul and the girls had been out shopping and had acquired a new snowman to join the reindeer and candy canes out on the front lawn, so our march towards being fully Griswolded up on the Christmas front had a boost.

So I decorated the front door inside with a garland and lights - its not AS good as the Pinterest one but I am pretty pleased, as I was on a roll we also did the staircase. That went well and as Paul had backed the first batch of mince pies for the season, I was able to sit back at 3pm with a hot mince pie and a glass of wine and admire my work.

Next week - the trees! Yup - we are having two this year, well actually three if you count the pink tree upstairs. I am bound and determined that this Christmas will make up for last year!

Since I got older, my present requirement list seems to have grown in dollar signs, on it currently for Christmas is:

Ipad (for us both, the kids aren't getting anywhere near that baby)
Food mixer - just the cheap variety, we are STILL replacing electrical items
Hot tub! (yes I know - dream on right!)

Birthday:
New king size bed! ( Theres a lot to be said for a bed this size!)
Solar panel for the pool - I will have warmer water next year!

Given the amount of money attributed to the words above - I think I need to buy a lotto ticket.

The last two days in Florida and our trip home

So for our last installment of our trip to Florida, we had to leave on the Saturday morning, after our last meal at the Square Grouper, and it was REALLY HARD to leave. I couldn't even bare to pack so left it to Paul while I wondered the streets in tears ~ read as managed to fit in another walk in the eleventh hour feeling miserable. I couldn't look back as we left.

We drove up the Keys in some silence. Its so beautiful but hey, we were leaving, so all was not so good.

We stopped at the top for gas and then hit the Turnpike. We got back to Orlando in 6 hours after a couple of rest stops and checked into the Rozen Plaza on International Drive. We I picked here because I had stayed here in 2002 when I worked for Virgin Holidays and I wanted a little trip down memory lane (again)

(photo from the Rozen Plazas website)

The room was nice and had a lovely view as we were so high up and we had dinner in an English pub which was all themed to be so very British - flags, kilts, football tops, pictures of the Royal Family, loud Sex Pistols music, bangers and mash and scotch eggs. I loathed it!

We had to check out the next morning so we got up early and the girls and I headed out to the pool. It was pretty cool because no one else was out there (prob due to it being before 8am) and we spent time swimming and then in the hot-tub which has a waterfall feature falling in the middle of it. It hasn't changed at all in all that time.
The last time I had sat in it I was discussing office politics with a colleague!

It was actually really nice to sit there so early and spend that time with just my two girls. I knew that at some point in the day, that moment would feel as though it had belonged to a different day.

We had breakfast at Dennys and then went to the airport, where we said a very sad goodbye to Don and Liz and then got on our plane. I love Orlando airport but goodbyes are goodbyes.

We had a stopover in La Guardia and tried out their Ipads - I am embarrassed to admit that I had to get some training first from Chloe but I caught on quickly.
They have these at every departure gate. Gone are the days of just sitting there, now you sit up on a high stool at a long table and have your own Ipad, I was able to order food, pay there and then continue perusing the internet whilst it told me how long I had left before my departure time and the food was brought to us- crostini with different toppings was the high quality restaurant type - delish!
So - an Ipad is now on the Christmas wish list! Thank you La Guardia.

When we took off from there Manhatten was all lit up and I saw the statue of liberty! I tried to get some photos on my phone but they weren't very good.

We got home at midnight, it was freezing out there, a real shock to the system but Dukie was over the moon to see us! Home sweet home!

Our week in the Keys

I have gotten really behind in this blog. I have been away with work in Moncton and then on a conference and now we are full steam into Christmas as this year this house is going to rock! Sadly it means that our Florida trip feels like it was in another lifetime and it makes it even more important to capture the memories before the details fade.
So, here in the best way I can, is the lowdown of our last week in the Florida Keys.

Due to the location of our stay we remained in blissful tranquility all week, there was a couple of adrenalin fuelled moments due to the local wildlife but it was on the whole, divine relaxation.


Eating Out
We tried to relive our old haunts but apart from Blue Heaven, it didnt go well.

So we decided to make new memories and leave old happy days in the past. So we discovered new taste sensations at The Tarpon in Marathon and the Square Grouper in Cudjoe Key. Both were amazing but honestly, the Square Grouper blew us away, it came highly recommended and we found out why as soon as we arrived, we ate there twice and both times it was amazing.

Bahia Honda
We went to Bahia Honda twice, it was heaven on both occasions. To be back on that beautiful beach after so long was incredible for me. I cant find adequate words to describe the way I feel there. It was as always pristine. We went on our own and then went on our way to the Dolphin Research Centre, so the next time we took Don. We got there at 9am and there was a baby bonnet head shark swimming around erratically. At one point it swam around my ankles, so I screamed like a girl and then had to get it all together to go snorkelling but I did it, with Don holding my hand. The shark didnt bother him and we didnt see it again but I was aware of it and frankly being in the sea with this animal was awesome and I wouldnt miss it for the world.

The Dolphin Research Centre
We went here on a hideously hot day and it was wonderful. Paul did the dolphin dip and it blew him away. It is a quiet but fabulous place with the pens in the ocean and each dolphin has a tale to tell about being here. The girls loved it and it also had iguanas wondering everywhere which were pretty cool.

The day of Wildlife
On the day of the shark encounter at Bahia Honda I went back home to hang with Liz and the others went back to the Dolphin Research centre. I drove into the driveway and there were two iguanas having a heated discussion so I stopped and watched them, they stopped and watched me. This went on for a while and then I drove on and parked. It was a hot and still day, the water in the ocean off of the beach was like a millpond, so I went out on the deck to see what fish were about. I was lying on my stomach with my nose in the water admiring the variety of fish when a huge and I mean enormous, size of me, barracuda swam under me, I nearly fell in the water. Liz was there at that point and saw it too, we also saw another baby bonnet head. In all my times in this area, I had never seen sharks or a barracuda like that.
We named him Barry barracuda and he came back that eve with a pal of the same size - so it was Barry 1 and Barry 2, and Sean the shark. The dock on that house has lights that shine down into the water, so we saw so many amazing views at night, we would sit out there with a glass of wine and the lights on listening to the water lapping at the dock and just gaze into the water. It was wonderful and we spent many hours out there just being in the moment.