So, D and I made the long trek to Miami and truthfully the drive was not bad at all. D did the first stretch and I amazed myself with driving the whole state of Florida...straight! Well we did make a few stops to fill up the ride but I broke my previously held 4 hr maximum drive record! Go me. I think it was the Georgia line Waffle House stop that fueled my push. I LOVE Waffle House! We had passed many and I knew we would stop at least once on the trip. Yummy!
Every time I come home I notice all of the changes. It is so pretty. D noticed the palm trees as soon as we hit the state. So very lush and gorgeous! The beaming sunshine and respectable temps was a bonus too :)
There was not much time to deck the halls before Christmas. I did manage to get all of my shopping done- a 7 am wake-up and mall run pretty much did the trick. I am so glad I waited. The mall near my parents is simply the best. Outside shopping in December with waterfalls and holiday decor can't be beat. Christmas morning was a real celebration. My niece took forever to wake-up so it took a lot to keep N away from the tree. I mean really. I had to sing songs, play games, use on demand television. It was crazy. Finally she was up and we spent an eternity opening gifts. It was ridiculous. Between N and R there were presents on top of presents. And that was before we even saw the other relatives. Yeah, those little ones made out like bandits! It was a great day of fun, good food (homemade rolls!) and family. Can't beat that at all.
And then there was the 26th! My birthday was the best. I think my family really does an awesome job of making sure my day is special. Which as I get older and hear all of this combined birthday-Chrismas nonsense I see how big of a deal it is! Well my Daddy made me a yummy breakfast- I told you there was a lot of good eating- of french toast on challah, bacon egss...delish. Then I went and got a manicure and a pedicure and did some shopping with my Momma. After that I went out to Joe's Stone Crab for a dinner to die for! Appetizers of calamari, chips with crab dip, fried conch fritters followed by steak and stone crabs (super duper yummy) followed with Key Lime Pie and there may have been a cocktail or a few mixed in for good measure. There were many reasons to support Joe's being super well-known. Just great eating. Did I mention my father baked me a triple layer chocolate cake!? Yeah, the 26th was the best. Not to forget I am typing this post on my spanking new MacBook Pro...a birthday gift from my hubby. Totally, freaking, awesome!
And my vacation continues. More good eating, more sunshine, more hanging out with the family. I may never return to the DMV :)
Now that's a post after my own heart. I loved all the food descriptions and felt like I was there with you enjoying all the yumminess :D I'm so glad you're having fun, but PLEASE come back. I miss you!
ReplyDelete