Florida Christmas!

(Yes, I know...many months late here!)
We hit the ground running...or the kids did!

Being outside and away from the frigid cold of the north,

the kids spent most of their time outside...

Lori's driveway and gorgeous yard were perfect for riding bikes,

running around, chasing dogs, pushing and pulling carts...

posing for Mom...

 

My beautiful girl turned 5!!!!!

Need I say more?...

"Thanks for the boat ride, Uncle Matt!"

The neighbor girl brought Gabby a flower wreath

that the "fairies" made and brought for her to wear

on her Birthday...

Smile.

She chose Chuck E Cheese...

and to share it with those she loves...

Oh yeah, and Chuck E himself!

Christmas cookie baking at it's finest!

Do I need to share how much sugar ended up on those cookies????

Gabby is my "Little Mommy."

She loves babies and playing pretend.

Such a beautiful thing to watch!

"Santa" came...but I think the kids all figured it out.

Sorry Grampa.

I actually think it was Xavi who figured it out and

spilled the beans to the others.

Gabby was the last to figure it out...

she is so sweetly naive and loves to pretend though!

I thought it was so sweet that she fell asleep with my 

childhood doll that Gramma found, cleaned up, and 

gave to Gabby as a Christmas gift.

But, I did not realize that this was the

first sign of horrible sickness to hit.

It turned out that nearly everyone got sick Christmas Day or shortly after.

The sickness manifested itself differently in everyone too.

I, along with Liam, were the last to fall.

I got sick the last day and knew it was not good the day we 

returned in MN.

I was then sick for over a month.

Never in my life have I been hit so hard by so much in one season.

:-(

Liam held out and only had little signs of sickness.

Always stayed sweet though...

Owen refused to say he was sick,

so, even with a fever and not feeling the greatest,

he played football and swam in the gulf.

These are the final photos of a backyard that we love!

I say final, because the next time we see it...

there will be a pool!!!!

We are so excited to stand in this spot...

and see a place of refreshing!

Lori and Matt had a photographer come out...

These I snapped with my phone...

sweet...

and even sweeter...

and sweeter yet...?

and a sign of times to come: 

this little girl is in love with Owen...

and she is so excited that she will get to see him even more...

because...we are moving!

and of course...there is more to come on that too!

:-)