I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas holiday season. Our Christmas was a bit different this year. We decided to leave the cool weather and drizzle of Seattle behind and head back to Florida for the holidays.
As many of you know, we relocated to Washington State eight years ago from Central Florida. When my parents, who passed away in 2008, were still living, we returned home to Florida every Christmas to celebrate the holidays with them and the rest of the family. I will always remember these special holidays and keep them in my heart. I miss my parents every day.....but especially at holiday time. (Photo ornament on my sister's Christmas tree this year of our parents)
After spending the past three years at our home in Washington State, we decided to change it up this year. We thought, "How fun would it be to rent a condo on the beach in Florida this year?" :) After toying with the idea for a while, my husband and I started searching the web for a great place to stay right on the beach for the holidays. Since Cocoa Beach is conveniently located not too far from my sister's home, we decided that would be the best spot for our stay. I learned from the experience of booking Thanksgiving stays with friends in Oregon in the past that if you want a great place, you have to start early. You cannot expect to find a wonderful place to stay if you wait until close to the holidays. So, with my computer in my lap and a glass of wine on my table, I spent many, many nights in October searching the web on various vacation rental sites. I kept returning to a great condo right on the beach in the Sandcastles complex which seemed perfect for my family and had all the amenities I wanted. So, after contacting Jill, the owner of the unit, and working out the details, we were set for the upcoming holiday in Florida!
As the holidays grew closer and the weather got cooler in the Seattle area, we began to really look forward to our Christmas vacation in Florida with our friends and family and our stay at Sandcastles on Cocoa Beach. As most of you know, my husband and I grew up in the Central Florida area in a small beachtown, so we are very familiar with the Cocoa Beach area and all of Brevard County, Florida. No matter how familiar you are with the beach though, you never get tired of it. I love living in Washington State, but I do miss the beautiful Florida Beaches. Walking a beach is one of my favorite pasttimes.
On December 18th, we left the cool Washington State weather behind and boarded our plane for Florida. After a long flight, we arrived at the Orlando Airport. We had coordinated our landing with my son, Brandon's arrival from Houston for the holidays. His plane landed right before our's, and he was waiting for us at baggage claim. I was very excited to see him and give him a big hug. Brandon and his wife, Amy, would be joining us for the holidays at the condo. Amy, whose family owns a beautiful jewelry store in Houston, would be joining us in a few days. The holidays are a busy time for their family jewelry store, and Amy stayed behind to help greet and assist their many clients who visit the shop to select their holiday gifts. I was looking forward to having Brandon and Amy with us for the holidays this year! I was also very much looking forward to spending the holidays with my sister, Jeri, and my neice, Jordan, who just graduated in December from college and would be in Florida for the holidays. So, with our luggage in tow, we headed to my sister's beautiful cottage which she lovingly calls "Casa Bonita."
My sister's home, as I expected, was beautifully decorated for the holidays. My sister, Jeri, and I LOVE Christmas! We have been collecting Christopher Radko and handblown ornaments for years. We both have enough ornaments to fill several trees now, and we each have more than one decorated Christmas tree at our homes each year. We love ALL holidays, but Christmas is our favorite.
My sister and I buy each other ornaments each year as part of our Christmas gift. After arriving at my sister's home, we added our Christmas gifts that we had brought for everyone to her gifts under the tree, and the room began to quickly up with Christmas packages waiting to be opened on Christmas Day. :) But, of course, Christmas is about spending time with those you love, and we were very happy to be celebrating the holidays with our family! xoxo On December 22nd, my cousin, Holly, her husband, Eric, and Holly's son, Jacob, drove from Jacksonville area to celebrate Eric's birthday with us. I had not seen Holly since my son, Brandon's wedding in Houston, and was looking forward to seeing her! Here is a wonderful photo of Holly and Eric that I took out on my sister's patio that day.....
I love this photo of them together with their "shades" on! Holly had just opened her Christmas package from my sister and I, and she is wearing the sunglasses we gave her as part of her gift. She looked fabulous in those glasses and her beautiful leopard coat. Oh, how I love anything leopard as you know! Of course, it is not a birthday without a birthday cake.....
After a nice afternoon visiting with Holly, Eric and Jacob on the patio of my sister's home, we all headed over to my cousin, Suzanne and her husband Bill's home to enjoy seeing more family. I was looking forward to seeing her and my Aunt Mildred who is my Dad's sister. My cousin and her husband live on this beautiful lake. We couldn't resist making a few photos from the dock of their home....
Me with my sons, Brandon and Elliott. The sun was not right for a great shot but I love this photo of us just the same....
I am sure my cousin and her husband enjoy many beautiful sunsets from their dock.....
We had a wonderful late afternoon at my cousin's home. Thank you, Suzanne and Bill, for the delicious lasagna dinner and the wonderful company. Wish we could see each other more often! Soon the day came to check into our beach condo in Cocoa Beach, and not long after our check-in, my husband and I enjoyed a nice walk on the beach.....
After the cool temperatures of Seattle, it was nice to take my shoes off and walk barefoot on the beach. In December no less!
My husband, Mark, casually dressed for a walk on the beach...
When not walking the beach, we were enjoying some magnificient sunrises and sunsets from the comfort of our balcony at the condo....
The wrap around balcony was perfect for entertaining....plenty of seating. Can't you just see yourself relaxing with a mimosa or glass of wine?
May I take you on a tour of the inside of the condo? Let's take a peek.....
There was plenty of room for relaxing in the living room. There was a game table, leather sofa and fold out sofa. The owner had set up surround sound for the tv which we enjoyed in the evenings while watching a movie. The view takes center stage, however, with windows looking out at the balcony and the beach beyond.
The kitchen was large and had a granite countertop with a bar and plenty of seating....
You can see the ocean from the windows in this next photo.....
There were three bedrooms in the condo. This was the room my son and daughter-in-law stayed in.....
This was my son, Elliott's room....
In between the two bedrooms, there was a full bath...
And this was the room, the master bedroom, where my husband and I stayed....
The master bath....
The master bedroom had a private entrance to the balcony....
There was also a closet full of anything you might need for the beach...beach chairs, sand buckets, beach towels, suntan lotion, frisbee, coolers, tennis racquets for the tennis court, etc. There was also a washer/dryer for your convenience. It didn't take us too long to realize that this was the PERFECT condo for us for a get-a-way. The best part, however, was what mother nature provided.....
Just look at this amazing sunset! You can see the Disney Ship heading out for a cruise in the horizon...
My sons had a few good friends over for a cookout one afternoon. This amazing sunset was taken on the day they entertained. The condo had a grill at the community room, and my son, Brandon, and his friends made some delicious hamburgers and chicken on the grill.
Brandon (center) with his two best friends, Aaron (left) and Mike. They have known each other since jr. high school and high school....
Aaron and Brandon decided to take a walk down the beach while Aaron's sister, Michelle, Mike, Elliott, my husband Mark, and I relaxed and took in the gorgeous sunset from the balcony....
Thank you to the condo owner, Jill, for even thinking of cozy throws for chilly evenings on the balcony....
This was the prettiest sunset ever....
You can see Brandon and Aaron waving at us as they head back to the condo from the beach....
The condo had it's own private path to the beach. Here are Brandon and Aaron back from their walk....
You can take a million photos of the beach at the same spot, and each photo will look different depending on the time of day and the weather. It was so great waking up and going to sleep each day to the sound of the ocean. When Amy arrived from Houston, we were so very happy to see her. One night, we all went for a night walk down the beach with just the light of the stars and the moon above. I love the way the moon reflects on the water at night. It is so beautiful! We used the light of our cell phones to look for shells along the way. I love walking the beach at night. This is a great area to watch the sea turtles lay their eggs at night in the summer. A few years ago, we stayed at a different location at the time the sea turtles were coming up from the ocean to lay their eggs, and we had the pleasure.....the honor.....of watching that miracle of life happen. Very exciting to see! You must be very careful to protect their privacy and not interfere with the natural instinct of the sea turtles.
I decorated my home in Poulsbo for the holidays, even though we would be spending part of the holidays in Florida. As I mentioned, I love Christmas. I couldn't let the holiday come without some type of Christmas tree at the condo, so............ I went out and bought a little inexpensive tree with lights just so we would have one even though we would spend Christmas day at my sister's home who had many beautiful decorations. These are the decorations that I didn't ship ahead of time to my sister's home as well as some from Brandon and Amy.....
On Christmas eve, our entire group went to a restaurant in the area for a special dinner together. Amy's Mother, Nancy, as well as one of our very close friends that I have known since I was 16 years old joined us for for the occasion at The Old Heidelberg Restaurant. This restaurant has been in the area for many years, and the food is always delicious. They have a jazz bar right next door that is part of the restaurant. Here is my niece, Jordan, with my husband, Mark, at dinner....
Clowning around....
Amy's Mother, Nancy (left) is pictured here with my sister, Jeri (center) and niece, Jordan...
I am so happy to be spending Christmas Eve with my family and friends in Florida... So blessed.
After attending a beautiful Christmas Eve vigil at a local Church, it was time to say goodnight. Santa would be arriving the next morning! Time to head off to my sister's beautiful home, "Casa Bonita," for Christmas Day..... Woo Hoo!!!!!!!! Santa has arrived! Mark and I loaded all our gifts up in shopping carts that were available at the condo for toting things out to your car. Wow! We filled up two entire carts! LOL
After loading up the gifts in the car, we headed over to "Casa Bonita" for Christmas day with the family.
Our Uncle James, who lives in Kissimmee, sent these beautiful red roses to the family..... Thank you, Uncle James! We love you! xoxo
My sister had stayed up very late the night before preparing a wonderful Christmas Day dinner for all the family. Kiss the cook! Thank you, Jeri, for a wonderful dinner. Our "Grannie" would be proud of you!
There was no shortage of volunteers to taste the food....
Amy and Brandon made this delicious salad featuring a dressing recipe that one of their friends gave them. It was delicious!
Soon it was time to open gifts and see what Santa had brought. We proceeded out to the patio (after all, this is Florida, ya'll) and, obviously, some of us had been VERRRRRRRY good! ;) Here is Mark..... He is wearing the "Bah Humbug" hat that my Dad wore when we gathered for our last Christmas together in 2007.
Mark and I....
Mark and our niece, Jordan...
Our group....
My son, Elliott, and I....
Mark and I....
My sons, Brandon and Elliott, with me....
My sister, Jeri, and niece, Jordan, join my sons and I for a photo... Mom and Dad's family: My sister and I with our kids. We miss you, Mom and Dad! (Wish my brother, Jeff, and his family would have been able to have joined us for Christmas, however, my brother was down with a bad cold.)
Of course, our furry pets are part of our lives. Here Mark and I are with Jeri's little dog, "Mr. French"......I might say, "the AMAZING Mr. French!" :)
Mark and I with Uncle James....
Uncle James with Brandon, Elliott and I.... (Aunt Ruth, we missed you being with us at Christmas this year. I miss my Aunt Ruth, Mom, and Dad every day of the year xoxo)
Amy and Brandon....
Amy and her Mother, Nancy, share a sweet moment together...
Mark's daughter, Ashley, Perry and grand-daughter, Brenna, and our friend, Jim, with Mark and I....
Jordan, Brenna and Brandon in the kitchen....
Dinner was a big hit...
Opening gifts can be tiring LOL....
Our group clowning around...something we are pretty good at doing! :)
A kiss under the not so real missletoe...
Amy and Brandon...
Ashley and Brenna...
Nancy and I..... "The Moms" Yes, we are pretty proud of our kids! xoxo
My sister likes to display photos from holidays past. Here you see our Dad in his "Bah Humbug" hat and also photos of Jordan...
Elliott relaxing...
Another wonderful Christmas Day! We left with some great memories to cherish forever, a full tummy from a delicious meal, and special gifts given with love from each other. The best part was being together! We headed back to our condo for the night with a happy heart.....
Amy and Brandon enjoying the sunset together from the balcony of the condo... This photo of the two of them looks as if it could be in a travel brochure advertising Florida!
One evening, we had dinner at a place that Mark and I love to go to when we head to Florida. We always have dinner one night at a place called "Grill's" located in Port Canaveral, Florida. I made this photo of this pelican from inside the restaurant.
After a nice dinner, we headed out to the deck to make some photos. Here are Brandon and Amy....
Mark and I....
Elliott and I...
Brandon and Elliott...
Amy and I...
Brandon and I...
Grill's has a tiki bar and large deck that overlooks the water as well as an inside dining area. On the weekends, there is always a band playing out by the tiki bar. Grill's is a popular place in Port Canaveral.
Amy and Brandon at the entrance of Grill's...
Me with the men in my life....
Time seemed to fly by....too fast....and soon it was time to leave our little condo by the sea. Amy and Brandon were heading over to extend their visit with Amy's Mom and spend a little time with their friend, Thelma. Mark, Elliott and I were going to spend a couple of more nights with my sister, Jeri, at "Casa Bonita." I was sad to say goodbye to Brandon and Amy :( In a couple of days, we would all be heading back to our homes. Brandon and Amy to Houston and we would be heading back to Seattle. After watching the sunrise from the balcony with a cup of coffee, I made this photo of Amy and Brandon on the balcony before they headed out that morning. Amy has on one of my Christmas gifts to her.....a Gator jacket. Brandon attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where he graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He and Amy are big Gator fans. During the time Brandon attended college at UF, their football team and basketball team won championships. I love the Gators and the Huskies! Elliott, my younger son, is currently attending the University of Washington. Here is the photo I took....
Here are Brandon and Elliott....
And, here I am.....still in my pj's and glasses. I am not too proud to post this photo of me. Ha This was my last hug before they left. I was sad to see them go knowing that I will not see Brandon and Amy for a few months again. The next time we meet will be in Houston in March or April. But, I was sooooo happy :) for the time we spent together.....all of us together again.
Goodbye Cocoa Beach! Don't forget the times we had together during this holiday season! I will certainly remember....
After Brandon and Amy left, we got our things packed up in our suitcases, did a little housekeeping at the condo, and soon it was time for us to leave. We made a few photos of each other on the balcony. (Our balcony is second from top)
Me...
And Mark...
With great memories and happy hearts, we said goodbye to Sandcastles and drove over to spend the last two days with my sister, Jeri. I was glad to have a couple more days to spend with my sister. Goodbye to the beach for a few months again....
Driving out of Sandcastles, my husband and I talked about how much we enjoyed waking up to the beach and the sunrises each morning. It was great watching the beautiful sunsets each afternoon and hearing the crash of the waves at night as we drifted off to sleep. We have been talking about renting a place on the beach for a few months each year when my husband retires. How great would it be to enjoy beautiful weather all year long! The weather in Seattle is fabulous in the summer and Florida is sunny and mild in the winter. This year, we truly understood the thinking of the "snowbirds" as Florida residents call them. These are the people who travel south each year for nice weather in the winter. Yes, I think I could be a "snowbird!!!" :) We will see what the future holds for us....but, for now, I have my wonderful memories of our Christmas on the beach with my family and friends. The best part of any holiday is being with those you love!!!!
And especially....this guy. Mark, you bless my life in so many ways. I love you more than you will ever know! xoxoxoxoxoxo
I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. Keep Christmas in your heart all year long! Wishing you a fabulous 2013 and hope it is off to a great start so far. (((((hugs))))) Kim xoxo
(This post is dedicated to my parents, Lil and James Thompson; my Aunt Ruth; Mark's parents, "Boots" and Sadie Singer; his sister, Doris Littlefield, his brother, Bill......and to all our family and friends not with us each holiday season. We treasure our memories of you and we love and miss you!******Also, to my dear lifelong friend, Paula, who recently lost her husband and her father. Jeri and I love you, Paula xoxo)
Thanks for visiting me at Bluebirds and Butterflies today. Have a "bluebird day!" :)
