We spent the month of December with family, both in Ohio and back in Cocoa Beach. Though we had a short break from our travels, the adventures most definitely didn’t stop. We spent the month making memories with our families and soaking up the Christmas spirit! (Yes, I realize this is finally being shared over six months later. 2024 has been vastly different from ’23; eventually I’ll explain, after sharing about our various excursions and adventures this year.)
After our jam-packed month in Mobile, it was very nice and welcome to go back to see our families and relax a little. We first went north to northern Ohio, for “First Christmas,” according to Victoria. Our first few days were spent finalizing Christmas decorations, as the kids love being a part of that process. The abundance of Christmas trees at Frank’s parents’ house provided many opportunities for the little ones to participate. We constantly watched Christmas movies, went shopping, and got an early start on the annual tradition of baking Christmas cookies! Victoria absolutely loves baking, and Aunt B, and combining those two yields overabundant joy and merrymaking!
Children’s Wonderland
During our stay, Grandma and I took the kids to a local attraction called Children’s Wonderland. Located at an iceplex, in a back, massive conference room area, we marveled at many Christmas trees decked out in lights and decorations. There were themed booths, a small train for the kids to ride, and an area for crafts and playing with blocks and other games. The kids had a blast, and they were bummed when we said it was time to head home already for lunch. I’m thankful for that special time with all of them, as it’s always nice to have quality time with Grandma!
Dominic’s First Haircut
Also while we were up north, Dominic got his first haircut! His hair had been sticking up a lot in the back and seemed to be getting too long. FInally, I agreed that it was time. A family friend does home visits for Frank’s mom and neighbor. So, while she was over, Victoria got a new trim (and officially got bangs), and then it was Dominic’s turn! He sat very still on my lap for most of it and only got squirmy at the end. That day, Dominic grew up dramatically right in front of our eyes!
Christmas Presents
We had our first round of Christmas presents up there, and technically a second as well a few days later. We had both of Frank’s siblings and their families come over, as well as Frank’s grandma, and the kids opened their haul that day. They were so excited to spend the rest of our time there playing with all of their new things, and we followed that up with a beyond scrumptious Christmas dinner. It was a pretty perfect day!
A few days later, we got together with one of Frank’s aunts, uncles, and his cousin for Round Two. After we shared some delicious Chinese food, the kids opened a few more presents, which they absolutely loved. Following that, Frank’s cousin selected “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” on Netflix, and we inevitably got sucked in and found a new favorite animated movie! It was so special soaking in that Christmas spirit with extended family members as well. Nearly forgot to mention, we also got together with another of Frank’s cousins and his family, who are some of our best friends as well. We always forget to take pictures together, but it is also always a very lovely time.
Onward to Christmas in Cocoa Beach
A few weeks before Christmas, we arrived in Cocoa Beach to spend some time with my parents. My brother was in Sweden with his lovely girlfriend, and we missed them dearly. We had several very special surprises in store for us to celebrate!
Mike Zito at Heidi’s Jazz Club
My parents gifted Frank and I an early Christmas present in the form of a date night! We may be somewhat casual fans of the Blues, but I developed a Deep appreciation that night. Cocoa Beach contains an intimate, wonderfully cozy jazz club called Heidi’s. Jazz, Blues, and other entertainers perform there regularly, and we happened to see a Blues player named Mike Zito (his Instagram is linked here) and his band. From the first notes of the first song, Frank and I looked at each other with big, dumb grins on our faces. An indescribably talented guitarist, Mike blew us away with his perfect Blues voice, complicated riffs, and awesome songs we could dance to.
Our favorite moment of the show involved the debut of the lead single off his future album (out now!) called Life is Hard. A quintessential Blues song, the lyrics state: “Life ain’t easy, baby; it’s a long, hard, rocky road. You know it’s ‘dog eat dog’ and ‘survival of the fittest’ man, so I’m told. No matter how hard you try, Life is Hard, and then you die.” Sounds like a bummer, but man, this song is SO GOOD! If you’ve got Spotify and want to hear his sound, the album is linked here.
In addition, our night included a gift card to cover dinner, which was delicious. Dinner and a show, one of the best concerts we’ve ever attended. It was absolute perfection!
ICE!
A few days later, my parents took us and the kids to a frozen wonderland at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. ICE! A Charlie Brown Christmas was simply marvelous and awe-inspiring. And cold. So, so very cold. Many massively talented artists crafted Peanuts characters and scenes from A Charlie Brown Christmas out of blocks of ice and dyed them vibrant colors. The space was kept at 9 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the ice together, and thick blue parkas were provided for everyone. In addition, they had two huge ice slides for guests to go down! I will reiterate, it was oh so cold, but it was just so mind-blowing that these incredible sculptures we were looking at were all made of ice!
My favorite room dedicated space to all of the characters circled around the Christmas tree singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” They played that song over speakers; it felt as if we were immersed in that scene and it kept another big, dumb smile on my face!
After we left the really cold room, we lingered for a while to enjoy hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. It was yet another super fun experience for all of us as a family, and I heartily recommend it!
Christmas Day
On Christmas Day, all of us adults woke up at a reasonable time, and the kids majorly slept in! We had to just keep waiting to finally be able to start the morning, both for opening presents and eating breakfast. Eventually, they got up and our festivities started! They had a blast taking turns opening their gifts, and we liked and appreciated all we received as well. We went to Mass as a family as the morning went on. Afterwards, our day was fairly relaxed and easy, and it was just nice being together again. My dad made a prime rib feast for our dinner, and as a consummate foodie, that was one of the primary highlights of my day!
Domestic Bliss
The rest of our days passed with less outright adventures, and more classic quality time. We played at playgrounds, made sandcastles at the beach, and took naps. My parents loved Grandparent Time, and the kids loved making memories with them.
The Knight Bus 4-D Puzzle
One of the gifts I received for Christmas from my parents was this insanely cool wooden puzzle! My dad and I spent hours putting it together (mostly him because he’s more patient and willing to undo things to fix snags). This puzzle had gears, a spring, and no glue to keep it together; everything fits together just right. It possesses a twisting knob that causes the bus to contract and expand (!!), as well as the spring that winds up and when released, the bus rolls forward! It was So Much work to assemble, but it was so awesome sharing that time together. Also, in the end, we had a really cool toy to treasure and play with!
I told my dad that I loved it so much that I had to leave it at their house. If we brought it with us on our travels, inevitably it would end up getting broken in some way and I’d be devastated. He chuckled and understood.
New Year, New Adventures
So, after all this wonderful time spent with family, it was time to embark on our next big adventure! A few days after New Year’s, we left for Texas once again. I can’t wait to share about all of the mayhem and foolishness we got up to there!
Chao for now!
