Holiday Photos #2

I have taken the last week off to recoup from all of the holiday activities and to try to regroup in my mind and body. We had a busy two weeks of family, food, wine, gifts, food, family, and opportunity for more sleep, but got less. This week I am determined to start out my new year by jumping on my resolutions and forging ahead with a life that will open to new ideas and things.

My brother and family arrived via car the second week of break.

My family, who spent the first week with us, departed.  Before departing they decided that purchasing a suitcase to take home their belongings would be cheaper then mailing a big box home.  Two days before they left my husband found a suitcase while walking our dog.  I'm not kidding.  It was a perfect suitcase set out for the next day's trash pick up.  The only thing in the suitcase was this rock and the owner's name; Daniel Jones.  We had a lot of fun with that rock, wondering what it really was (tracking device, voodoo charm), and passing it from person to person.  Thank you Daniel Jones.

Tom's sister and family arrived the second week too.  A big group of us went to the beach after Christmas to put our feet in the sand, and I made us pose for a New Year's card since a Christmas card didn't happen. 

We ate at a favorite local restaurant despite the huge crowds that appeared the week after Christmas (Outback Bowl) and caused quite the traffic jam to and from the beach.  Our favorite restaurant just added tables out back and we ate in close proximity to the dumpster.

 We went back to the putt putt we had discovered at Thanksgiving.  This time the adults all played.

 Despite this guy who apparently waited too long for the group in front of him to putt

My nephew (my brother's son) spent most of his vacation on his phone with his girlfriend.  We have been there, done that, with him before so we mostly ignored it.  

We played a lot of games and cards the rest of the week.  My mother was in poor health from a change in medication and ended up in the hospital.  My husband's sister and family spent an extra two days in Florida due to a cancellation in their flight.  My brother and family and my brother in law made it home by driving before the huge winter storm struck the Midwest. 

We took down the holiday decorations and dumped the tree to the curb and sat in a quiet house wondering how it had all gone by so fast and furious and readied ourselves for the week ahead and our normal routines.  

Ah, the end of one year and the beginning of another.