Back to Reality

Home again! Actually we've been home since about 3:30am Friday morning; John has a presentation for the church which he's been working on for forever and he wanted to get back home in time to put some more time in on it. He's been at church most of the day today too, while the kids and I put away Christmas. We had a wonderful time visiting with my parents, and our vacation was long enough to actually get to relax and forget about all the problems and other obligations waiting for us back home. Here are a few highlights from Christmas Vacation '07:

My stepbrother Casey and his family live in Tampa and they joined us on Christmas Day:

Swimming with the cousins: The guys got lots of fishing in, and once or twice they let the rest of us come along. We were treated to a show by the dolphins, who showed up to feed at our fishing spot in the harbor. Here are John and Daddy D:

Nathanael:Philip and Ben:
And me. I keep telling John that he's better off just leaving me at home. I don't fish. But naps are good.
John Mark and Becca were not along for this ride because we had already sent them off to Cuba, where they had a mahvelous time with their Uncle Dave and Aunt Stacie. They went to movies, played games, played on the beach and went Scuba Diving. Didn't miss us a bit:
While they were gone, John and I escaped to Orlando, where we stayed in a Bed & Breakfast located in a bird sanctuary just behind Disney. It was a gorgeous area which we had no idea even existed! We went to Downtown Disney the first night, and then played at Epcot the next day. Here's John after we lunched at the San Angel Inn:Oh, he's really a fun date once he wakes up.

We fast-passed our way through Future World, browsed as many countries as we could visit in the World Showcase, went to the Christmas Candlelight Processional (which was narrated by Marlee Matlin and was fabuloso!) and finished up with dinner at the Biergarten (of course). Next day, back to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up JM and Becca, with just a brief stop at Sawgrass Mills Outlets and Legal Seafoods...mmmm!

While we were gone, GranMartha and Daddy D took the boys to Ft. Myers, where they played on the beach and visited the turn-of-the-century homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who were summer neighbors:

Just hangin' out with Henry:

Now, back to reality! But it sure was fun.