Our little Christmas tree. Since we were heading out of town for the holidays, it didn't seem wise to get out all our decorations and not be able to enjoy them. But the kids wanted a tree, so I brought this one home from my classroom. They both LOVED it!
Opening their presents on Christmas Eve. Thanks to their Aunts and Uncles, the kids had a very nice Christmas. Santa also brought them some gifts as well.
Our time in Daytona Beach!! Thanks to good friends Pastor John and his wife Linda, we were able to enjoy some time in Daytona Beach. The kids loved the beach and the quality family time we had. We enjoyed 3 days of pretty much doing nothing but hanging out as a family. Such a blessing.
We took a day to visit some old friends in Fernandina Beach. John and I went to college with Aaron. We got to visit with him and his family. We got to see downtown Fernandina and the marina. We also went down to Amelia Island and played on the beach. It was such a nice time. I truly enjoyed the beach. It reminded me of the beach back on the Outer Banks.
We wanted to do something nice for the kids for Christmas. We decided to surprise the kids with a trip to Legoland. Even tough it was super crowded and they were running out of food, the kids had an awesome time. They had such a good time.
Addison looking out the window while waiting to get into Legoland.
After spending some time in Daytona and then Legoland, we headed further south to Boca Raton. John was invited to preach at the Miami Seventh Day Baptist Church on New Year's Eve. Our good friends MJ and Myron invited us to come stay with them beforehand. They are wonderful hosts and take such good care of us whenever we visit. The kids feel right at home and we all enjoy our time with them.
This trip allowed us to visit Jungle Island in Miami and then a very cool science center in Ft. Lauderdale. We also got to enjoy some time at a local park and just hanging out at the house.
Since John lost his second job back in October, things have of course been tight financially, but a huge blessing all over. God has been so gracious and faithful by taking care of our needs as well as providing opportunities for us as a family. John now has more time to commit to the church. He and XP are participating in basketball and John has lunch with him every Friday at school. It has also been a blessing to have him home every night and weekend. Since he has worked retail for so many years, we could never really go away over the holidays, but this year we really got to take a true vacation. It was a great time away as well as a huge blessing from God and the amazing people He has placed in our lives.
