Welcome to our World

New Year’s Day found us visiting The Alligator Farm to meet plenty of gators, take an air boat ride and walking around Everglades National Park.  I was amazed at how full of life Everglades NP was.  I have never seen so many beautiful birds, plants and fish so close together in such shallow, clear water.  I could have spent much more time there but the children were happy to go back to the townhouse to enjoy the pool and tv and Hubby & N finally caught what I caught from D.  The heat and humidity certainly feel good, especially with the coughing, but doesn’t cure it.  The next day we took it easy playing tennis and building a magnificent sand castle and walking to the souvenir shop across the street. On Friday we spent most of the day at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada and loved it.  We liked how there was a schedule that you could go from one thing to another but you could also opt out to take a break.  We loved wading with and feeding the p...

I am writing today from a lovely screened in balcony in Key Largo, Florida. There are plenty of trees and butterflies and a slight ocean breeze to enjoy while I eat my lunch of an apple and Advil. If you’re going to be sick, this is the place to do it. Yes, D came down ill right before we were to travel and I told him the heat and humidity of the Florida Keys would help and lo and behold, he shared his illness with me and my favorite place to feel sick is in a beach chair in the sun and the sand. We flew in to Fort Lauderdale for the first time late on Christmas Day. Actually, with the time change it was technically December 26 when we landed past midnight, got our luggage, rented a car, and headed to a hotel close to the airport to crash for the night. We woke up just in time to grab breakfast at the hotel before packing up and checking out. Since we had time before we could check into our townhome in Key Largo, we went to a park near by and played tennis together as a family....

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas I was as calm as a cucumber getting ready for the holidays this year. My biggest concern was that the puppies would ruin our Christmas tree and ornaments but the children insisted we had to get a tree so the poor tree was locked in our den the whole time it was in our home. I felt sorry for all the people who were running around stressed out of their minds because of the holidays. Then we got the news the day the puppies were spayed that my suspicion was correct and that Maisie does indeed have hip dysplasia. I cried and cried and had a hard time focusing and was so worried about what to do and all of a sudden I was like all the other stressed out people at the store. Luckily a great deal of calm came over me after my dad and I took her to an veterinary orthopedic specialist and I remembered that I felt strongly that Maisie was supposed to be my dog and that I would make whatever decisions were best for her when the time came. For now, we start...

We had the pleasure of of driving to visit family and friends in Utah over our children’s week long break. K says that a week wasn’t long enough and that we should go again for Christmas and that Ruby finally really really likes her. I think that is a good sign we had a terrific trip. A huge thank you to our brother & sister-in-law for hosting us two years in a row! and to my parents for staying with our naughty puppies while we were away. I did a horrible job taking pictures so you’ll just have to trust me that: 1.) We had an easy drive out on Saturday thanks to Disney+ 2.) We loved being there for Thanksgiving dinner with the Smiths on Sunday 3.) I actually kept my cool about how much screen time my kids were having on vacation and how late they were going to bed. Yes, I am super proud about it! 4.) Bowling is even more fun with cousins — I actually took pictures of that 5.) Our children are old enough to go play at the park down the street now while I go gr...