Christmas 2011

I cannot believe that it has already been a month since Christmas and I still haven't gotten around to blogging about all the fun we had! We spent Christmas here in Alabama with Nana and Cheez and then headed on down to Florida to spend time with lots more family!

The Hairston crew drove in from Maryland and we got to spend time with them doing lots of fun stuff. I love how no matter how long these kids are apart, they always fall right back into being the best of friends...or "brother cousins" as Isaac would say. We had a great time at the Jacksonville Zoo. We got to ride the train, feed sting rays, and ride the merry-go-round. The weather was absolutely perfect and everyone had a great time, I don't even think we had one melt down or tantrum the whole day.

After the zoo, we headed over to Neptune Beach, Florida to dine at the fabulous Mezza Luna Pizza Parlor where the kids got to make their very own pizzas. Uncle Charlie's good friend worked their and showed us a fabulous time...he even picked up the tab which was totally unexpected and very nice! The kids had a blast. The fella helping them was awesome and even showed them how to toss it in the air and catch it. Delainey was a little apprehensive at first but ended up being a pro!

The food was absolutely delicious and the kids loved eating their very own creations. Isaac made a cheese and pepperoni pizza, while Delainey made hers with cheese and mushrooms. I really didn't think she would eat it with the mushrooms on it, but apparently a long day at the zoo makes her want to eat!

We even got to spend some time with Aunt Kerry, who drove out to meet us for dinner. I may or may not have pinched Marcy right after this picture was taken....

After spending time with Kerry and the Hairston crew we went back to Nana's house for a few days for some rest and relaxation. It is insane how busy and crazy the Christmas season can be. It was great to just have a few down days to lay around the house, watch mindnumbing TV (think kid shows!) and feast on Nana's home cooking! After we were good and relaxed, we decided to jump right back into the madness with a family trip to Sea World. It was insane! Apparently, everyone and their mother had the same idea.

We literally raced from one show to the next in order to get a seat. I have never seen Sea World that crowded in all my life. Apparently, the day before New Year's Eve is NOT the day to go! Luckily, we didn't pay to get in (thank you military discount) and we still had a blast despite the large crowds. We even got to meet Elmo, well Delainey and I did anyways...Isaac politely declined!

After Sea World, we headed on over to spend some time with Luke's side of the family for a few days. We spent the night at Uncle Matt's house and enjoyed an awesome breakfast the next morning made by our nephew James. After we said our goodbyes, we headed down to Rockledge to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Bart's family. We had planned to go to the Brevard zoo but it had closed early due to New Year's Eve festivities so we decided to try out a new local restaurant instead. The food was so good. It just happens to be owned by Luke's little league coach, Ernie, so it was really neat going back and getting to visit with him. Plus, did I mention the food was awesome!

After we stuffed ourselves silly  I mean ate, we went to the park to run off some calories and let the children play. Sweet little Gabby is almost two and Delainey had a great time mothering her and getting dirty! We had such a great time just hanging out and spending time together.

After we visited with Grandma and Grandpa for a bit, we headed back to Nana's house for the night and so we could spend some time with Uncle Rye and Aunt Jenn. They drove in a few days early just so they could see us! We had a great time in the very short time we were together and unfortunately didnt get any pictures. We then had to say goodbye to our time in Florida and get back to normal life here in Alabama. What a blessing it was to get to see all our family this year. We left Florida with happy hearts and a desire to visit again soon!