florida christmas spectacular

before we left on our trip to florida for christmas, i made sure to put my nice camera download cord in a "safe place" so that i would know exactly where to find it upon our return. i'm not sure why i didn't put it in my regular spot, as that would make the most sense, but i decided to make things hard and try and lose my cord for fun. all together now, "pregnancy brain"!!!

we had so many trip highlights, but the ones i have pictorial evidence of are busch gardens and honeymoon island. unfortunately, the theatrical extravaganza that was reagan's fire safety puppet show reloaded, complete with 8 songs, including the addition of selena gomez's, "if you're ready, come and get it" is not included. let's all hold a fast for the camera cord location. 

anywhoo, since i obviously never going to find it and i can never download pictures from my camera ever, never, ever again, i may as well record what i can with my camera phone pictures. it will be a weak substitute. i don't even have a picture of my dear sister or mother. probably because we didn't get frosties together this time and pictures and frosties go hand in hand like long, flat william's family bottoms and empty calorie choices.

we went to busch gardens on christmas eve. it was so fun to be there as a family. 

that's ATHENA BLYTHE up on the suspended bridge with thomas. no big deal, mom. 

blythe's example gave scarlett the courage to accomplish the same feat.

the dads took the big kids one some fun roller coasters and aunt heather and i took the babies to see the elmo show. heather and i sang the loudest. because we are so obnoxious.

blythe had more than a few moments of tantrum. waiting in line was a pain, buckling up was a pain and going in through the entrance is for mere mortals. i had to chase blythe many times when she decided she was done waiting and was going to take any chance she could to get on a ride. 

  final busch gardens thoughts

*a bird pooped on my shoulder. at least it wasn't my hair

*they had HUGE, lazy 12 foot alligators about 10 feet from your face

*we got free tickets from heather's neighbor and that saved us about $250. boom.

*pregnant women are the best spot in line savers. what else are we going to do?

aunt heather and uncle daniel have a real live alligator lake in their backyard. uncle daniel took the kids fishing and all that outdoorsy stuff while i nursed yet another sinus infection and thomas took conference calls from the hotel room. (poor thomas spends every christmas putting out legal fires. everyone should go to dental school. the law is a jealous mistress.)

uncle daniel is the best. hands down. fishing. treasure hunting. specialty drink preparation. specialty cheese plate taste test preparer. full body beach burials. he's the party starter. he'll get things going.

aunt heather and uncle daniel have started the tradition of elaborate treasure hunts for my kids. this was was complete with maps, clues and real live buried treasure under and X in the sand. 

floridaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

because i know it's downhill from here, i took a swim suit pregnancy picture. i am woman. in spandex.

 on our return trip, we stopped for lunch in waycross with thomas' mother. scarlett was ready for her 90s engagement portrait sitting on a hay bale in the barn. 

final note, if i was to go looking for crystal meth, a drive through certain parts of north florida might send me in the right direction. sketchy.