Okay, so it's been a while.... a long while......
Here are the highlights:
Dee and I ended up doing really well with all of the jewelry sales before Christmas! We were happy with the results and look forward to digging in again in the new year!
Erin had a great day of cookie decorating with Emma and Erika. As you can see by the pictures above, icing was a very big part of the day!!!
We left for Florida on December 9th in a big snow storm. We were going to leave later in the day, but Gord decided that since it wasn't going to get any better for a couple of days, we should leave early and get to Binghamton. Actually, when we crossed the border, the weather started to improve. We had a good rest at our hotel in Cortland New York, and hit the road early (6am early!) the next day and drove through to South Carolina. We called it a night in a little place called Dillon. That night was a rough one. Dinner didn't sit well with Erin and she was sick in the middle of the night. Thank goodness it was in the hotel and not in the car!! We left a little later the next morning, but she was feeling better by the time we left. We got to Clearwater and Grampa's place around 6pm on Friday the 11th. It was nice a hot and everyone was ready to do some lounging for a few days!
We left for Disney on Monday the 14th - also Gord's Birthday!! We checked into the Wilderness Lodge early in the morning and much to our pleasure found that our room was ready! Sweet! We were next off to Animal Kingdom for the morning before heading to the Magic Kingdom for the afternoon and evening! Erin had an appointment at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique again, and was thrilled to be all made up! She received so many compliments from people at the parks, we were convinced there would be no living with her!!! We topped off the evening with a late dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, where we dined with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, and the Step Sisters! It was a great dinner! We were all exhausted and everyone slept well!!
The next morning we were up early and headed to Disney Hollywood Studios for the morning and early afternoon. We had a great time and Erin met more characters and got to draw Mickey Mouse with a Disney animator! We were amazed and very happy that there were virtually no waits to get on any of the rides or shows! What a great time to go!!! The parks were also beautifully decorated for the holidays. It was very magical, but strange with the very hot temperatures!! After Disney Hollywood, we headed to Epcot for the late afternoon and a walk through the World Showcase. We had dinner at the Coral Reef, then headed back so Erin could pick a pearl in Japan. We closed the park and watched the fireworks as we headed back to the hotel.
Our last morning was spent at Chef Mickey's for a wonderful breakfast, then to Downtown Disney for some shopping before heading out and back to Clearwater. Disney was fabulous and we all had a great time!!
We spent the rest of the week just relaxing and swimming in the pool. We spent a day at the beach too. I love the sand at Clearwater Beach. It feels like icing sugar it's so fine! The Gulf was very cold, but the weather was nice and the sand felt great on our feet.
We decided to head back a day earlier than planned because of storms that were running through the Eastern Seaboard. We left Sunday the 20th and drove through to Virginia. There was quite a bit of snow there, but the interstates were fine. We all had a good rest, got up and had a bite of breakfast then started the leg home. Erin had an upset tummy at the beginning of the trip and was sick twice, but we managed to contain everything in bags, and she was fine for the rest of the trip (thank goodness!!). We were all happy to get home around 8:30pm on the 21st! It was a funny way to spend our anniversary, but nice to be home safe and sound!
Grampa spent the next few days with us and helped celebrate Christmas morning with us, before heading back to North Bay for a few weeks. He left a bit earlier than planned because we were expecting freezing rain late on Christmas Day.
Santa was very good to Erin and she loved everything! In fact, Santa was good to us all! We had a very nice dinner at Aunt Eleanor's, then spent the next few days relaxing at home, inside from all of the nasty weather!
We celebrated New Year's Day by having the family over for turkey dinner. We all had a nice time and it was great having turkey leftovers!! Erin had a couple of play dates with friends to top the holidays off.
So you are wondering about work for me I suppose. Well, I have been extended through at least March, and likely through June at the earliest. I am working 3 days a week, which is very nice. Of course I miss the additional pay, but I really like having 2 days off!!! So the New Year sent everyone back to their routine!
I can hardly believe that January is heading toward a close. The month has been fairly quiet, but fun. We had Jo, Chris and the boys out for dinner this past Sunday. The kids rammed around outside for a good 3 hours! I think we all agree we love that!! Erin also decided that she wants to take piano lessons, so Gord and I broke down and bought her a digital piano, since she will need one to practice at home. I expect she'll start lessons in February and are all happy that she is excited about learning to play.
This week Erin was off sick for most of the week. The school called on Monday afternoon and I picked her up. She was complaining about a sore tummy and there is a norivirus going around the school, and this is how it apparently starts. She was not physically sick, so we sent her back to school on Wednesday and she seemed fine. Thursday morning was a different story as the stomach bug was in full force. Let's just say the early morning was spent doing a lot of laundry! She is fine now and her appetite is definitely okay! Hopefully the illness is behind us for the rest of the winter (touch wood!).
I know I've missed a ton of stuff, but I think I've hit the highlights. Today North Bay Grampa is on his way down for the day and night. Tomorrow morning I'm taking him to the airport as he heads back to Clearwater for the rest of the winter. Man I'm jealous!!!
Dee and I are heading into a busy few weeks as we try our sales at three different girls' hockey tournaments. I think we are both looking forward to getting out there again!
Well, I'll try to not let so much time go by again!
