post Christmas vacay

I always take down my Christmas decorations on the 26th.  I guess it is my attempt to restore some kind of order to my house.  Since we had school up until right before Christmas, Jody waited to see his Mobile customers until after the holiday.  We had such a wonderful time there last year that we knew we wanted to tag along.  We quickly made sure all the Christmas decorations were put away and hopped in the car for a little post Christmas vacay to one of our most favorite spots...



We grabbed a quick lunch on the way down...



...in Evergreen for a few Conecuh Sausage dogs...



I was thrilled to see all their Christmas decorations were still up...



The view from our room...



This trip we stayed in the Spa Building on the top floor.  The rooms are newer, the bathrooms are bigger and newer but we sure did miss our ground floor room in the North Bay House.  If you have small children, I recommend those rooms.  The rooms are bigger but the bathrooms are smaller.  I love having the porch with the grass area for the kids to roam freely!  It is perfect if some need to go to bed before others or if some rise a little earlier than the rest of the bunch.

The weather was absolutely gorgous!  I really could get use to that weather year round.  Jody and I were saying we could definitely see ourselves moving there.

We spent our days exploring and enjoying all the resort has to offer.  We hung out on the beach...



...lounging in the hammocks...



...playing croquet...



They did arts and crafts every day...made door hangers and painted sun catchers.

We borrowed bikes one day and followed the boardwalk off the property along the coast line...



It was wonderful!  I wish I lived in some of those house where we could enjoy the bay each and every day...



We sipped mojitos while the kids played on the putting green and played hid and seek with other children...



We walked around the lake and posed in our favorite spots...













I was hoping to get a shot for a New Year's card.  I never got around to doing a Christmas card this year...the first year EVER!  I think I got a good one...now lets see if I can get that card done and sent out.

Owen found his ducks...



Every day at 4:00 we watched them shoot the cannon...



...and then gathered in the lobby for tea and cookies.  We were in line for cookies the first day when the cannon firer asked Banks to hold his gun for a minute...



It was hilarious and totally unexpected.  We would take our snacks outside and enjoy them around the fire pits with a view of the bay...



They have the best cookies and scones!

Every afternoon we enjoyed these breath taking sunsets...



I really could get use to those everyday!



At sunset, they ring the dinner bell...



During our vacay, we enjoyed some old favorites...



Heavenly Bakery for breakfast in our pjs and Tin Top for dinner.  We also tried out a new place called Chappy's just down from the resort.

After dinner, we would head back to the fire pits where we hung out with other families with young children.  The front desk has games you can borrow.  Mary Reese was excited to see Mancala...



I bet we played a million times!  I also brought the Uno cards and we played countless rounds of it.

Jody met his customers for lunch one day in Mobile, so we decided to tag along.  We dropped Jody off at their office and headed for lunch and a little adventure.  After lunch I typed in "park for kids near Airport Rd Mobile Alabama" and noticed we were extremely close to Municipal Park.  It said it had a pond and ducks so I knew it would be a park for us.  We decided to try to find it.  Thank goodness for cell phones with GPS!  There were millions of ducks...



He was in hog heaven!

Before heading back to Point Clear, we dropped in here...




The Mardi Gras and Moon Pie store!  They have hundreds of bead to choose from...Banks got an Alabama one, Mary Reese a girly pink one and Owen a duck one.  We also got boxes of Chocolate, Mint and Peanut Butter Moon Pies.  They had Orange, Banana and Coconut ones too!

Reluctantly we packed up to head home.  All good things must come to an end!  We got one last activity in...



The ducks weren't that interested.  I think other people had been feeding them.  That is the first time they haven't eaten everything we have given them.  Actually they ran from us.  We did find 2 ducks that ate a little...



We got in the car and headed North.  I sure was glad that all my Christmas had been put away and my house had some sort of order.  Only a few more days of Christmas Vacay to enjoy!

Christmas Recap

It was kind of a low key Christmas for us.  The weather was the biggest difference.  Last year we had a white Christmas, this year it was shorts and flip flops.  Got to love Alabama Decembers!

Jody's parents and grandmother came over Christmas Eve morning for a little breakfast and present swapping...







Then we kicked it in high gear to get ready for Christmas Eve church and dinner.  Mary Reese helped me get the tables set...



She did the gumdrop trees and made the napkin rings with some help from her younger brother.



We got the standing rib roast ready to pop in the oven...



I have used Emeril's recipe every year...and it turns out perfect every time!

We got some cookies baked for Santa...



Last week I made some sugar cookies for birthday favors.  I had some left over dough so I formed it into a log, rolled it in some sprinkles and stuck it in the freezer.  I was real thankful that all I had to do was slice and bake on Christmas Eve!

We popped the rib roast in the oven and headed to church.  It was a wonderful service and my most favorite of the year.  It was good to see some many friends and their families.  You could just feel the excitement in the air!  I love the candle lit singing of Silent Night that ends the service.  Mary Reese was a little nervous about the whole candle thing.  She was very nervous about getting burned.  But I truly loved standing between Banks and Mary Reese listening them to sing Silent Night...it was a priceless moment.

The house smelled delicious when we walked in the door.  We were all starving and ready to dig in!  We had standing rib roast, twice baked potatoes, twice baked sweet potatoes, corn pudding, green beans and a table full of desserts...



A cookie cake, caramel cake and a drunken pecan pie.  [Nanny Nan told the kids they could get a cookie cake if they agreed on the design.  They picked an Alabama Christmas Tree in honor of the upcoming National Championship game.  Let's hope it brings the tide some luck!  I was just glad to see all that white icing because it is my favorite!]

It was getting late.  So we said our good byes to Dasher Minty...



...and can't wait for his return next year.  Mary Reese put out some cookies, milk and carrots just in case we had a visitor in the night.  Then around 9:00 we heard sleigh bells outside our den window.  The kids bolted to get their pajamas on, teeth brushed and in the bed.  I have never seen them run so fast!  They quickly snugged in their beds with visions of Santa visiting... 



...and luckily he came to our house with presents in tow...



I woke up at 2:00 am to find Banks in bed between Jody and me.  He was so excited he just couldn't take it anymore!  He said Santa had stopped by with a bike and some other prizes [which he couldn't see because everything is WRAPPED].  Owen woke up for some strange reason around 4:00 am.  I got him back to sleep.  He stirred again around 6:30 am.  We went to check out the Christmas tree and found a farwell note from Dasher Minty...



Banks was back up at 7:00 with the same level of excitement [I remember having the exact same feelings].  Mary Reese finally awoke at 7:30 and they quickly dug in...



There was wrapping paper flying left and right...



...followed by squeels of pure delight!  I makes it all worth while.

Banks got a new bike [He finally decided he wanted to learn how to ride this summer and the last bike he got was when he was three.], a camo papason lounger [which I can not get him out of], new Wii games, a new Wii remote and some new t-shirts...



He is a huge fan of Swamp People so I guess Santa thought he might need a shirt.  He was really hoping for a gun for deer hunting.  I told him Santa didn't bring guns.  He reminded me that he brought Ralphie one in A Christmas Story.  My response:  "Yeah and he shot his eye out.  That was the last gun Santa ever delivered in his sleigh!"

Mary Reese really wanted a Kindle...



...and Santa delivered completely loaded with some Junie B Jones and Judy Moody books.  Her other request was a new purse...



She got lots of American Girl stuff...arts and crafts kits, a mini Kit doll, a sleeping bag for her and Kate and a dog for Kate.  She got some new clothes and Wii games.

Owen tore into his stack like a pro...



His big wish was Monster Trucks...



...and Monster Trucks he got!  His other request was a dishwasher but that didn't make Santa's sleigh!  He also got a remote control one just like Banks.

Santa thought he needed a Mystery Machine...



...and Scooby and the Gang...



...since he is obsessed with watching Scooby Doo!

The aftermath...



The magnetic Scrabble board was definitely a hit with the entire family...



Banks and Mary Reese saw the words JINGLE and BELL on the Scrabble board.  They took that as a clue that there may be some sleigh bells in the yard.  They ran outside in search of some...



...and guess what we found?



Three red sleigh bells!  We could hardly believe we got them!

The kids played with their news toys while I whipped up a little breakfast...Sausage Stuffed French Bread, Christmas Morning Sticky Buns and Cheese Grits Souffle.

We spend the rest of the morning being lazy, taking a few laps around the block...



...and playing a few hundred games of Uno...



...with our new deck of cards!  Thanks Santa!

Later that afternoon our families came back for a low key dinner.  Uncle Topher smoked a beef tenderlion.  We had gumbo and roasted tomato soup.  And lefovers from Christmas Eve dinner.  It was another wonderful Christmas for our little family!