We all have family holiday traditions. My family (the Sidensticks) have gathered at various resort and vacation locations since us kids all left home and started households of our own. For the past 17 years we have gotten condos on Longboat Key in Florida. My Mom always pays for the accommodations (to see us enjoying our inheritance from her) and each family (of my brother and three sisters) takes a night to provide dinner.
The best part of Christmas is the time spent with family and friends. Isn't that really how it is with life? During our stay at the beach, from Christmas to New Years, we enjoy all sorts of games and activities together, in addition to all the meals we share with each other during the week. Not getting to bed until 11:30 Monday night, while saying my prayers, I got a phone call from my neighbor lady. She was being released from the ER after eight hours, and couldn’t wake her husband, who had left her there because he was too tired to stay any longer. She wanted to see if I could bring her home. Absolutely, I was glad to do it. However, that resulted in me not getting back to bed until just after 1 AM.
Then Patty and I went to lunch while Courtney was finishing up her short workday. Once Courtney was headed to her apartment so did we, and soon the three of us were on the road to come back to Fairfield Glade.
I had planned to host a small dinner, back several days ago, before I realized we would be making a trip to Nashville. I had already prepared some of the food and once home I had plenty of time to finish getting the meal ready. Patty and Karen came over and the four of us ladies enjoyed a spaghetti (not quite traditional) Christmas Eve dinner together.
Courtney had put on one Christmas movie while I was cooking and I enjoyed that in the background. Then after dinner we watched another movie together. Once Patty and Karen headed home, Courtney and I watched a third Christmas movie, however I was quite busy hustling around the house doing last-minute packing and preparations for being gone. And again, it was a late (11:00) bed time for me.
Merry Christmas, Wednesday 12/25 - Patty picked Courtney and I up at 9:30, so my morning was busy with final preperations to be gone.
Patty did a drive by drop off of us at the Knoxville airport. Courtney knitted and I started this blog during our hour wait.
We had a very smooth, uneventful flight and landed right on time. Joe (who was still very sick) picked us up and drove all of us to Mom's in Winter Haven.
We all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner that Jean and Brianna had prepared. Joe quarantined himself to the corner.
Courtney liked playing with Jean's cat Parmesan.
Bri, Jean, and I worked on a jigsaw puzzle.
Just after Courtney, Joe and I were all settled in at the motel around 9:30, he decided he should go to the walk-in Clinic before morning. Courtney went with him. They arrived back at midnight, Joe had pneumonia, but was now on an antibiotic.
We had a leisurely morning at mom's, even time for Joe and I to sit at the pool for an hour.
Travis walking Mae during his morning cup of tea.
Once we had Britney, we headed to Longboat Key.
Traffic was it's usual clogged mess but we got to the beach. We all actually arrived later than usual and it was a flurry of activity as 16 of us checked into four condos
Several of us did our usual after dinner walk, and enjoyed the Christmas lights and landscape lighting.
I was in bed way before Joe got back at midnight with Dan, Val, Carol and Chris. Now our clan of 20 was complete.
Friday 12/27 - What a pleasure waking up to a view like this. Well actually, it was dark at 6am, but while enjoying my tea I watched the sun rise, along with the early birds in my family.
We were commenting about how crazy older people dress, when Cathy showed up to breakfast like this, giving us all a chuckle. It was a bit overcast much of the day, with a few little pop-up showers, but we still had fun walking and playing and lounging at the beach and pool, with temperatures in the upper 70's.
We started a 500 piece puzzle while dinner was cooking and got it done in 80 minutes.
After dinner we did our White Elephant gift exchange game. Courtney got a tool belt with some other stuff.
Initially, there was no stealing, but once David stole from Britney, the action picked up.
Silly Ben stole a purse from Joe, who had looked inside and reacted funny. Ben had a similar reaction, having us all wondering what was in the purse.
Joe was slowly getting better, but by evening, Jean was starting to feel yucky. She didn't even go on the evening walk with us.
Saturday 12/28 - It was an overcast day but we still hit the pool and beach.
I couldn't decide which photo of these two 'bathing beauties' to post. They were so cute eating their popsicles.
We had rain in the afternoon and again in the evening, so most of us were inside later in the day. This frog seemed to like the moisture.
Dave tried his luck at fishing and caught a little shark.
And Britney cooled off in the ocean.
During a break in the weather a rainbow over our condo appeared.
Another big dinner was enjoyed by all, followed by a walk and then watching a movie together, or football.
It was my night to cook so I headed in early. I really stress out when I am the 'cook' because that is not my specialty.
I did a bake potato and salad bar and got a ton of help from Britney who did ¾ of the chopping.
I was worried about having enough food but it all worked out with there being plenty of choices.
Courtney got a pretty photo of the sunset.
I almost missed the walk because I was cleaning up dinner, but I caught up with the group and enjoyed the exercise and conversation.
There are several different 'neighborhoods' we like to walk, and we have given them each a name. We did the 'Pirate' place, and Chris took a photo of us girls by the neighborhood mascot.
It basically remained this way much of the day, so there was no swimsuits or sunning, just a walk to the park.
Lunch at the Beach House is one of our Christmas traditions. So we all got cleaned up and gussied up, and headed there at 1pm.
The restaurant doesn't take reservations, but we had called and warned them we were coming, so were seated in very short time.
Most everybody ordered a fancy seafood meal and we all enjoyed ourselves. We had excellent service, super good food, and a wonderful time.
Then as usual, we went out to the beach side of the restaurant to take family photos. Here is all of us Villhauer's.
And here is Mom with ten of her twelve grandchildren.
Of course, they had to follow up with a few goofy shots.
This is the whole group, with almost everybody looking at the camera and smiling.
Once back at the condos, most of us took some kind of a rest, to digest our food.
It was a quiet evening at home, with no dinner preparations (everyone was on their own to get leftovers). It had gotten so foggy, most of us chose not to walk. Joe was off to the casino and some of us worked another jigsaw puzzle. Later the older kids went to see a movie.
One thing about family, or any group of people you gather together, you are going to have many different view points, beliefs, ideas, habits, routines, and likes and dislikes. This is what makes life interesting, which our week was, but can also lead to some friction. We always work things out, and usually there is never a dull moment.
This photo shows one section of the beach that has really changed. These rocks, or chunks of coral, were not here last year.
The day was cold, a high of 63°, and cloudy. There was no swimming or sunning, but we took walks and played games. The boardwalk at the tennis club is always fun to walk.
We enjoyed watching pelican dive for fish while at the dock out at the tip of the tennis club.
Notice we all had jackets on.
Dinner came and went as usual, and no one was game to go out. I actually had no motivation to go out either. The three week old cold I have had was still lingering and causing me to not have the desire to be out late. As I wrap up this blog, and 2019, I reflect on the year and all the good times and blessings I have enjoyed. And I contemplate on the resolution I want to make, which comes back to my blogging. I really want to downsize it and the time I spend on it.
I wish you all a very happy and blessed New Year .
