Showing posts with label Christmas in Miami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas in Miami. Show all posts

Sunday, December 27, 2009

361/365 Last day in Miami

Today was our last day in Miami. We began the day with some relaxing time in front of my mom's Christmas tree, did some last minute shopping and house hunting for my brother and ended the day with a wonderful dinner. I love my family and the times we get to spend in Miami and it's always so hard to leave. The only thing that makes it easy is knowing that our three lovely kitties can't wait for us to come home.

A few pictures of my mom's tree. It's my favorite kind of tree for a few reasons. One - it's real. In my house we have an artificial one and while I know that it's the best choice for us on so many levels - I do still love a real tree. Two - it's decorated with family ornaments. My mom's tree is like a time capsule of our lives. My baby ornament, my brother's baby ornament, the ornaments we made in preschool and a series of gifts over the years. It also has some amazing handmade ornaments from family members who passed away years ago.

Check out this shot

Mom's tree

The egg shaped ornament to the left of the middle was made by Lucille Stelle more than 30 years ago. How cool is that?

The blue and silver one in the bottom left corner were hand painted by our then neighbor and still friend Sonja Nikel. They were a gift at least 15 years ago, because it has been that long since she moved away.

Here's another view:

Mom's tree

The white glass ball towards just right of the top middle is part of a set. 6 red, white and blue ornaments my mom purchased in 2001. Her way of showing love for our country during a really difficult year.

At the top right corner you can see two ornaments. The one in the back is a glass ball from Disney World. It's from a family trip in 2000. Every time I see it I remember that really fun time. My brother and I were still in college, it seems like so many lives ago!

Just in front of it is an crocheted bootie that has been around longer than I have been. To the left is a small apple. Those were Christmas gifts from Bony - my mom's friend from before I came along. She gave one to each of us of in the mid 80's.

The front middle ornament was a gift to me in high school when I was playing cello. Just below it to the the left is one of the newest ornaments - initials that my mom gave each of us on Christmas morning this year. The G is for my dad.

How about another view?

Mom's tree

The red sparkley glass ball to the left of the center was a gift from me in 2002. I made ornaments for people that year using glitter and handmade decorations. The words on the papers didn't last, but the glitter did!

You can see another momento of a Disney vacation in 2002 to the right of the center.

This is another new ornament this year - from our Christmas trip to Disney. It was my families first time seeing the Candlelight Processional at Epcot and my mom wanted something to remember it with.

Mom's tree

After some errands, we went house hunting with my brother. He's been looking into buying his first place and every week he and my dad check out a few places. While we were hunting, we stopped by a house that a family friend of ours hopes to close on soon. It will need a lot of work - but she's up to it. It's a mess right now and apparently some kids have been using it as a dumping grounds for toys. We found this in the front yard.

David and Ashley and their Zombie friend

Afterwards we regrouped at home. Since it was our last night, we took some family photos.

Christmas 2009 Familiy portrait

How cute are these two?

David and Ashley

One more

Christmas 2009 Family portrait

And then we enjoyed a fantastic family dinner.

Last dinner in Miami

Last dinner in Miami














Saturday, December 26, 2009

360/365 Game Night

It's become a Christmas tradition for us to host a game night when we are in Miami in December. It's one of the few ways to see all the people we care about in one place! It's also a lot of fun and a great way to use up those Christmas leftovers :)

Here was the Game Night 2009 crew (Matt took some of these candids):

Vicki, Roney and Susie

Game night fun

Game night fun

Cathi

Game night fun

Susie sitting pretty

Game night fun

Larry and little Gabby

Game night fun

Even Sundae came out to play. Gabby chased her around the house calling "Meow Meow" until they both were wiped out. But Sundae found refuge in Cathi's lap.

Sundae at game night

My mom joined in too.

Game night fun


I took these photos. I love it when Matt gets a chance to hang out with Larry. Larry is one of his oldest friends and a true geek at heart. They can get together and talk code for hours.

Game night fun

David shooting the marshmallow gun at Ashley

Game night fun

Larry helping Gabby enjoy some peppermint bark

Game night fun

Vicki the game master

Game night fun

Susie and Roney - reminding us that Roney really is playing and deserves to be heard.

Game night fun

David and Ashley hanging out for a little while

Game night fun

And game night was too much for Gabby.


Game night was too much for her

Friday, December 25, 2009

359/365 Christmas Evening

On Christmas night, we gather together with friends and family and enjoy Christmas dinner together. This year dinner was at my families house in Miami. I took the opportunity to take some photos of people at the beginning of the evening.


Matt and I

Us

David and Ashley

Ashley and David

Roger and his mother Marjorie

Roger and Marjorie

Jason and his grandmothers

Jason and his grandmothers

Greg and Oliva

Greg & Oliva

You gotta love a kitchen full of men cooking!

Christmas dinner

Full and happy from a prime rib dinner

Christmas Dinner

Mom and Majorie

Vicki

Vicki

Marjorie Swift

Majorie

Pauline Ringstrom

Pauline

Gift time! Matt took a bunch of candids while we were exchanging gifts.

Greg, Oliva and Bony

Bony, Oliva and Greg

Oliva

Greg and Bony

Bony and David

Bony & David

Roger

Roger

Roger

Roger and Jason

Jason & Roger

Danny

Danny

Dad, Danny and Roger

Dad, Danny & Roger

How Dad spent most of the evening

Dad

David

David

David, me and Ashley

David, me and Ashley

Ashley admiring David's baby ornament

Ashley

Vicki sounds asleep

Sleepy Vicki

Mom and Bony

Mom and Bony

Mom and Bony

Sundae contemplating joining the party

Sundae

Seriously, how cute is she????

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