Florida for Christmas - We're Celebrating & Swimming & Riding Bikes!

Christmas day was great. Slow paced, family time and perfect weather. Kids, of course, we're up before we were (we'd stayed up doing some last  minute wrapping and talking with Diane; then again, while in Florida, they are always up before Eric and I are.)


Ro opening up a present from Aunt Diane & Uncle John.
Nate is obviously saying something, but I can't remember what.

Xela's turn.

Neta was excited about her Pop-beads.

Graigry gets Dad's help opening the walkie-talkies.
Uncle John had to give Graigry and Nate some pointers
on how to use them (keep your mouth OFF them, for one).
They immediately went to different places
in the house to walkie-talkie each other and we heard the word
"OVER," over and over.

I don't think Neta liked her art suitcase. Do you? :)

Graigry reviewing his multiple dinosaur/plane model kit.

Nate loves mazes so he got his own booklet
of mazes of various difficulties.

New gloves for Ro, which she'll use
as soon as we get back to the frozen north.

Nate and Graigry trying to manipulate
a wooden puzzle.
I made the ear muffs.

Nate, sporting his new earmuffs, also got an art kit.

Aunt Diane opening a present that Grandma Scott
and the kids worked together to make.

Neta showing Diane the page that she made

This is the box whose face Graigry drew
so it could wear his earmuffs.

Daddy trying to figure out how to take apart
the puzzle without using the instructions.

I can't tell what Graigry is doing.



Every Christmas there is something that I find interesting
and get involved in. Here it's putting together
one of the wooden puzzles the boys got.

While pieces dry on the table, jewelry is being made on the floor.

Making bracelets and necklaces.

 

Neta made some beautiful jewelry for Mommy.

And a wonderfully coordinated necklace for herself.

Creative minds at work.
Boys working on their model plane & ship
while Neta paints a picture.

More shots of after present happenings.

 

Boys got bored waiting for the paint to dry,
so Xela asked if she could paint the dinosaurs.

Amazingly enough, Eric hadn't been in the pool the whole trip. I told the kids that they had to get in the pool on Christmas day, at least for a little bit, because, I mean really, how often to you get to swim outside on Christmas day in Indiana? NEVER!! So, Eric got in and we played for a little bit as a family.

The night before, the kids and I played kind of like a volleyball/hot potato game (I was in the deep end & couldn't touch) with the beach ball. I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Some of the things the boys did to keep the ball on my side or attempt to do so, was just plain hilarious! Their facial expressions and jumping bodily positions right before they hit the water were fantastic! We played until past dark. The boys and Neta asked to play it again with Dad in the pool and then the game was revised as Daddy started to play.

I asked Diane to take a few pictures while we were all in the pool. The following are thanks to her.

Soaking Scott Family Photo
Christmas Day 2014

Eric's Uncle Karl and Aunt Dee came for Christmas dinner, which led to a few more presents..

a Nintendo DS. It was fun for the kids on the long drive home.

good food and a few short rides on ...

Uncle Karl's HARLEY!!

John first asked Karl and then Eric and my permission. Xela was the first to get on. Aurora was a little hesitant, not really wanting to do it, but we were persistant and she took a ride.

I took one too.

I've only had one or two rides, when Eric had his motorcycle. They are fun to ride. Karl told me on the way back up the driveway that he had take some bike safety classes and to never let anyone give the girls a ride that didn't really know their bike. Good advice that I will follow.

George usually doesn't let anyone, even Diane, pet him.
He likes to be out of his cage and would
regularly be on the pool deck while kids were swimming,
or he'd look out the living room window.

So this behavior was surprising.
Diane thought it might be because
Aurora looks like his previous owner.
Ro enjoyed every second of it!
 

Graigry befriending Aunt Dee's doggies.
My kiddos love animals.

Relaxing after a fun filled Scott swim.

Dad wanted the kids to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
so he pulled it up on YouTube.
I wanted them to watch "Scrooge" with Albert Finney in it
(something I remember watching annually when I was a kid).
We watched that on Christmas Eve, maybe the day before that.
A few of the songs are great and memory catching.

We left early on the 26th, about 4:45 am, so we could get back to Indianapolis and settle, briefly, before my parents came into town. It's always difficult to leave such wonderful family in such a wonderful place, but we always do so looking forward to our next trip.

We stopped around lunch time, at the Walkers home, to drop off some candied pecans that John had made for Karen, and fix some lunch. We enjoyed a short visit and the kids gave Grandpa Scott a final hug and kiss. Originally we were going to pick up Karen, but Keri and kids decided to come up for Nate's baptism, so Karen stayed back to drive up with them on Sunday, after dropping Miles off at the airport. That was an okay plan as that would give us a few days with just my parents and would save them on gas and time getting to Nashville Airport.

We got back to Indy around 9 or 10 and I was able to get some things unpacked, laundry started and then FINALLY sleep in my own bed. Eric and I hadn't slept in our own bed for 12 days, since the 14th as we gave it up for his parents and then were gone. Maybe I was tired, but oh man, it felt GREAT!