Winter 2020

                                             Jeri and John enjoying Old Town in the GTO

                                   Celebrating my birthday and Christmas at Celebration, Florida

                                              A little Christmas cheer at Gaylord Palms

                                                        Early Christmas in Raleigh...

                      Ruth and Gary enjoying that fabulous ride in the parade, tiara and all!!

                                                        Jane's BIG Birthday tea party

                                       Pat and Brian came to town and my did we have fun!!!
                                           Breathe, Stretch and Relax, the train to Winter Park and
                                          Turkish food for lunch, Bok Tower gardens and of course,
                                      a ride at Old Town!  We had a blast with the Princess for a night!

                                           And then Andy, Brooke, Emmit and Hanna blew in!!
                                   It was great to vicariously enjoy all of the fun at Universal!

                      Tom and Anne accepted our invitation and came to visit for a couple of days!! 
                          We taught them GOLF, took the train to Winter Park, enjoyed a day at Bok
                            Tower gardens and,  of course, went to Old Town.  We had soooo much
                                                                 fun with them!  Great couple!!

                                      Steve and Teresa were lots of fun, dinner with the Huggetts
                               and ice cream from Tastee Treat!  So glad they were able to make it!

                                                Then came the bathroom renovations!!!!!!! 
                                            Ralford did a great  job but we did a great job too!
                                         So very pleased with the way it turned out and
                                                      soooooooo glad that it is finished!!

We have had a wonderful winter!  Lots of walking, time with friends and great Florida weather! We are so very blessed!!  Sadly the Corona virus has made its way to our land ......and we hope and pray that this is soon a very unpleasant memory!

Loving Outloud

 Jane celebrated a big birthday in a big way this year.  At 84 she decided it was time for a tea party and invited just about everyone she knows.  There were about 80 people that attended although "word on the street" was that she invited 200!

 When she asked me early on if we were going to be back in NC in January by any chance I told her that we weren't and that I wouldn't be able to make it to her party.  But when I mentioned it to Krista and she showed interest I decided to see if we could make it happen.  Elissa and Jenna got on board and with Catherine's approval we all showed up to surprise Jane on her big day!  She was overwhelmed!  I am so very glad that we went, wouldn't have missed this for anything!

And this is where loving outloud comes in.  Jane has loved all of us for all of our lives and we feel the same about her.  I am so glad that we showed up for this special event to demonstrate just how important she is to us!  Loving outloud is showing up, getting involved and letting people know just how special they are!  My dear Jane you are very special and we are so blessed to have you in our lives!!!!!

 

 

Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick

                          We planned this trip several years ago but decided to put it off.
                       This was the year to make the journey and we had a wonderful time!!

We flew into Boston and just started driving north!! Our first stop was Acadia National Park.  The views were stunning....

 Prince Edward Island was pristine and beautiful and even though Dorian (hurricane) decided to join us.  Our little motel room was a calm place to be during the storm, 85mph winds and torrential rains, the performance of "Anne of Green Gables" was canceled but we were safe.....the power was out for a day and there were only 2 restaurants open but we loved the adventure.  We tried putin (uck!!)


The highlight of the trip was at the Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Rocks.  John told me how spectacular the shift in tide was and he was right.  The shift from high tide to low tide takes 6 hours and it is known in this bay to be the most significant in the world.  As planned we arrived at high tide and this is what it looked like.....

Six hours later this is what it looked like......nature gave us the opportunity to walk on the ocean floor.
Fascinating!! We could walk beside huge boulders where live seaweed was clinging.  The tall rock formations twisted by millions of years of ocean currents were captivating!  We were fortunate enough to drop in on a guided tour that we will long remember.  I didn't want to leave!

It was a wonderful trip!  We enjoyed some of the most wonderful seafood that I have had in a while and played together and explored anything in our path!!!  It doesn't get any better than that!!!!  As we returned to Boston to fly back home we headed to Boston Commons and dropped in on Cheers, a place where everybody knows your name.  It was so much fun to enjoy my handsome husband in new ways!!  Love you sweetie!!!  

Carolina BalloonFest

 Hot air balloons are fabulous, beautiful and fascinating!! This was our second attempt to take it all in and we had so much fun!  I regret that I don't have any pictures of the Spencer family but it was a  cold, fun filled weekend with them.  The competition to hit a target as the balloons swoop down right in front of our eyes was so much fun to watch. The first night the event was attended by 25,000 people and at one point 40+ balloons in the air!!! Like I said, Fabulous!!

Camping with the boys!!!

This year we chose to take the guys back to Clabough's Campground in Pigeon Forge, TN. We had a great time, but it was a lot of hard work. 

             A check in with mom before we head up the mountain is always a good thing!

                                          One cannot spend too much time in the lazy river!

      Sam could not get enough time feeding the ducks.... 2 lbs. of frozen corn made for happy ducks!

                                            And a good race on the bounce pillow is a must!

                I think the best part of the NASCAR track were the water boats!  It was a hot day!  They evening before we left we all went to Dolly Partin's Dixie Stampede.  They were sold when the food started showing up, biscuits and your own roasted hen were a hit and they loved the racing pigs!!!!

I just love these guys and we have had a blast camping with them each summer for the last 4 summers.  We may have to reinvent our summer trips with them but for now summer 2019 is in the books!  Happy summer Jack and Sam!!!

Camping with the girls!

Our camping trips with Celia and Lily are such a highlight for us!  This year we went to Lake Ridge RV Resort in Hillsville, VA.  This particular campground is in the mountains, the weather was beautiful and they have a water slide......and it did not disappoint. However our first stop was in Mt. Airy, NC at Barneys Cafe.  The girls were barely aware of The Andy Griffith Show but pictures on the walls and our stories about the television show made the burgers and fries more interesting, and who doesn't like a malted milkshake.

  The girls had a blast on the water slide and I was eternally grateful that the weather cooperated! They wore themselves out waking back up the hill but where can you go and slide as many times as you want with virtually no waiting line.  The looks on their faces when they went down the first time said it all!!!!!

I hope when they are grown they remember these trips with fondness because we already are!  This is our fourth year taking them on a summer camping trip and I can't believe how blessed we are!  Love these kid like crazy!  Happy summer Celia and Lily!!!!!

LET US NOT FORGET........

What an absolutely incredible winter we have had! As we prepare to leave in 2 days I am reminiscing about all of the fun we have had.  This has been an exceptional time for us!  The weather has been simply wonderful!  Our exercise routine has been an important time for us as we do it together! And John and I have just had so much fun being together!!!  And these are some of the wonderful friends that we have blessed our time here with their friendship!

JoAnn and Don - So graciously include us in their holiday plans and this year our Thanksgiving was  special because of them.  Very grateful for their hospitality!  And they accepted our invitation to come for a quick weekend to be a part of the Solivita Car Show!

Tom and Tris - It has become our tradition over the past few years to join them for the Winter Park Christmas Concert but the concert this year was especially wonderful!  It was a crisp evening and the music was angelic!  And tomorrow we meet them at  Disney for lunch!

Ruth and Gary -Yummy dinners with a game of Golf.  And then we launched into our first Sunrail trip to Winter Park with a Lyft ride to Bostons for lunch...shrimp that can't be beat.

Ron and Diane - Seafood dinner in Celebration and on to Old Town for a celebratory ride through town in the GTO.

Riva - Always good to spend time with this sweet lady. It wouldn't be a winter in Florida if we didn't get to see her!

Jeri - Always good to meet her at Bostons to catch up on life and all of the kids.

Keith and Julie - We have visited with them in Naples almost every year since our winters in Florida began.  This year we got to join them on a Walk for Parkinsons and got to meet their sweet granddaughter. 

Candy and Darryl - Dinners and dominoes has become our routine get together but we loved helping Candy celebrate her birthday at Cheesecake Factory.

Carol and Mike -  Dinner with Johnny and then on to the Guys and Dolls holiday concert, what a fun evening!  Of course pizza at Tony's is one of our favorite things to do! Sunday acapella concert was a real treat.  An evening in Old Town and Carol was the queen in the parade. But Carol and I made the most of our Chair Yoga and shopping expeditions. She is always so much fun to be with!

Maureen, Ed and Char - What a nice evening, lovely meal, Nascar on television, fun walk with the dog and wonderful meal with long time friends.

Mace and Marianne - Sweet friends that we get to see once a year and catch up on life.

Steve and Teresa - What a special couple that make time to meet us for lunch every year.  I had no idea Steve and John had cars in common.  This may be a problem!

Deborah - Sweet lunch with a sweet lady!


Sometimes I feel like I really can't believe that I get to live this life.......so incredibly blessed!!