The Day After Christmas - Okeechobee Visit

We drove to Okeechobee to visit with the In-Laws. We enjoyed the great weather, good food with Nana Joy's cooking and playing with Grandpa. Ford took AA golfing, she played (built) with one of her Friends LEGO sets and tried riding her bike without training wheels. We had a great visit; then headed back home with a quick visit with cousin Carolyn near Palm Coast.

Lego Riding Ranch set; very serious work!

We did some shopping, didn't jump in the pool even though it was warm enough, walked around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights in the evening, made a flavored vodka with cranberries and lime, for a "Crantini" for our happy hour......
Biking without training wheels, first time:

I made some Christmas package gift tags on the drive down and back, my Grandmother E-E used to use/recycle Christmas cards by adding a backing to the card and some ribbon. I like having them made up and ready for next Christmas:

Looking forward to taking down the Christmas Tree, catching up on laundry and ironing. All the fun stuff!

"Frozen" the Movie and the PJ's

She's happy with her Frozen PJ's. She actually asked to have her picture taken, and with Daddy in the background making her laugh, we got several cute photos. Merry Christmas. In a few days, Happy New Year!

Christmas!

Our Christmas morning began with checking the reindeer food (and seeing that some was gone) and checking the presents under the tree. It was cool this morning but did warm up to the high 60's - how nice! We visited with all the family, it was great seeing Nicole and Jordan (and Mila), Justin and Kilee, Christa, Angie and Charles (and Ian), Leaa and Jesse (and Dylan and Alivia), plus a few of their friends.

Looking over what Santa left in our stockings:

Nana sent us many things from L.L. Bean: fleece vest, PJ's, matching tote bags and many more nice stuff:

AA enjoying her new mini-iPad:

The empty Christmas stockings:

Many gifts; Ford bought us a golf cart bench cover (for those cold and damp Florida mornings!) and Santa gave AA many Friends Lego sets and Zoomer.

At Cathy and Werner's for the afternoon and dinner, they gave all the girls a Cabbage Patch doll:

Grandma Cathy taking the doll out of the very secure packaging:

Alivia, AA and Dylan - all smiles on Christmas Day!

Before Christmas Activities

More Christmas crafts and fun: I found a painting that looked like we could re-interpret for daughter and SIL, Leaa and Jesse. I did one and Ford painted one.

Christmas theme books AA got in her Advent calendar:

Gifts we bought for some family; monogrammed cloth napkins, next year I will try doing it myself:

Christmas cactus, original plant from my Great-Grandmother Nana Redmond:

Ford's painted creation:

 We went to River Bend on Monday, the 23rd, and golfed nine holes; the first time all three of us were together!

 We made vanilla sugar cookies and decorated:

Merry Christmas 2013!

Christmas Eve - Family Dinner at Leaa's

Leaa and Jesse hosted the Cruce family for Christmas Eve dinner of a Low Country Shrimp Boil. All was delicious, fun visiting and catching up on the Hathcock kids and Smith's. It was in the mid-60's, a bit cool but sunny.
Mila and Dylan were playing well together:

Justin tending the shrimp boil:

Travis and Cara Smith minding two of the little ones, Alivia and Stella:

Leaa had all the ingredients to make reindeer food!

We brought the earrings Sarah made, so each lady could pick a pair as a gift. More tomorrow as we get to have dinner at Cathy and Werner's home. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 2013

Merry Christmas to All! 

We are enjoying our holiday with baking and crafting and wrapping!
I did not do as well as I would have liked with gift giving; we were still shopping on line right up to December 20th. As I say every year, I will plan in advance and pick my crafts well before the Fall! Here's to my resolution to be ready with wonderful gifts long before December 2014 begins!
We did make a few homemade gifts, which I will post about later. One I will share is the homemade lemon extract. I made vanilla extract last year and really enjoy the convenience of a large quantity of it. Used it for baking many times and refilled one bottle with more vodka which is steeping for future use. The lemon extract smells wonderful and will be ready in a month. I hope the recipients like it as well. 

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Happy New Year 2014!