I think I just had one of the best vacations of my life. It wasn't just one thing that made it so but a combination of great things that made it so. Last night as we sat around the table after some homemade pizza-(kale, mushrooms, and onion pizza-inspired by Jen) playing UNO we all shared our favorite parts of the trip.
Ella-learning how to play UNO and meeting new friends.
Molly-"Did you like playing on the beach with Meme?" "YEAH!"
Steve-Dinner out with Mommy. (Thanks Grandpa and Meme)
Beth-Walking on the beach and looking for shells and other fun stuff. Finding the Octopus. (And dinner out with Steve)

We rented a great condo one floor up from the beach with Grandpa and Meme. We all got along splendidly. Despite my name being changed to "NoMama." There was a pool and a hot tub and Grandpa rented a cabana for the week on the beach. Everyday we went to the beach. The kids had a blast. No one got sunburned. AMAZING! Thanks to great shirts we got from Grandma and Grandpa. The girls loved them and they kept the sun off their sensitive little skin.

With work being what it was when I left this trip couldn't have been more necessary. But maybe the best part of the trip came with the clarity I gained thinking about the situation at work. I am happy with the way things worked out. That is all I can say about that.

I hope we go back to Florida next February.
With our $150 vouchers from JetBlue we are 1/8 of the way there.

The Friendly Toast makes Coming Home a Little Easier

Do we have to go home?

My Little Beach Bums

More Beach Pics

The Octopus and Other beach shots

The beginning of our beach binge and YEP that is the water out there...

The cold day (62) and Uncle John and Our First Sunset

The trip began with a limp...

We got to the airport 2 hours early to find out that we had a three hour delay. We were caught in the JetBlue mess. It could have been worse, the flight earlier was cancelled. The kids were INCREDIBLE! Not a tear, not a frustrated word...just tolerance and patience. We all just held on to the great things that awaited us when we got to Florida. Though Steve almost ate Ella...

Sledding!

We had a fun time sledding next door today. Perfect day for it and perfect sleds for it too!

Random pics

Have to say I do not miss this...

Upstate New York towns buried under 6 feet of snow; 20 deaths now blamed on slick roads, cold


Related Articles and Media
Article: No chasin' the big chill

OSWEGO, N.Y. (AP) _ While the northern Plains and Northeast shiver in dangerously cold temperatures, the folks in upstate New York are keeping warm shoveling snow _ lots of snow.

Since Sunday, the small towns of Parish and Mexico have recorded more than 6 feet of snow, and forecasters with the National Weather Service say it isn't over yet.

Another 2 feet or more of heavy lake effect snow was expected Thursday for the communities along eastern Lake Ontario, and more squalls are likely through the weekend.

''We're just trying to keep up. It's almost an unreal amount,'' said Mayor Randy Bateman of Oswego, where 70 inches of snow had fallen by Thursday morning. ''We catch up when it stops, but then it just comes again, even heavier.''

Whiteout conditions _ the snow has been falling at a rate of 5 inches an hour at times _ forced state police to temporarily close Interstate 81 between Central Square and Pulaski, a stretch of about 15 miles. Travel advisories against unnecessary travel were posted for Oswego and its neighboring counties. Mexico officials renewed a snow emergency declaration, and many government offices were closed.

Schools were closed for a fourth day in Oswego and Mexico.

Foster's Daily Democrat-NH and Maine

How cool are these?!?!?!