Christmas Day...

Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas? Yeah, I do! I love the fact that my family is so excited about it, I love watching my children as it approaches, I absolutely love the "Christmas lists" my children give to me in the months prior to the actual day, so yeah, I LOVE the Christmas holiday!

Yeah, we also know the reason for the season, all of my children do, which is why we normally have a cake for Jesus... My children are getting older though, so the "surprise factor" is pretty much gone as we let them choose what they want, why waste money getting things they either don't want or don't need? Yeah... Anyway, we had a great day...

If you saw my previous post, yeah, I got up at 5:15AM and waited, and waited, no one got up... Carolyn finally got up around 8AM, but the kids did not get up until around 9AM, but I figured they had stayed up late, trying to "stay up all night" as they had told me they were going to, so I did not wake them, let them get their sleep I figured... :)

Me passing out the presents...

This is the kids first thing once they finally got out of bed...

Tanner and I putting his mountain bike together, and yeah, that is my "makeshift office" in the background... There was no room for it in the house, so I just took over the garage... ;)

Carolyn got a bike too! She wanted one to go riding on the beach while I am at work and the kids are at school... Now I just need to get Chance and I a bike, which I will, and we will all have one and can go tooling around...

So, our first Christmas in Ponte Vedra Beach, and it was great! We had a fabulous dinner, ribeyes of course, Chance's favorite... Now for the New Year and getting more settled in here in Florida. I am SO glad we moved down here, I cannot wait to see the things that unfold next year, looking forward with great anticipation for 2012!

Hope everyone had a great day! Merry Christmas! Live each day as if it were your last, because you never know... ;)

Merry Christmas!!

The kids had said they were going to stay up all night, but I see that was not the case... I got up around 5:15AM, and here it is 8:17AM and no one is stirring, but me... :) So yeah, already on the second pot of coffee, and just waiting on everyone to get up...

Merry Christmas!!

Tick Tock...

Two more days! Hopefully everyone gets as excited about Christmas as we do here! Although it does not seem like Christmas as it is in the high 70's and I suppose I'll be laying on the beach later in my swim trunks reading a book, but I would much rather be doing that than freezing! ;)

Now, off to get a few last minute items prior to settling in on the beach somewhere...

Sunrise...

Rough Surf...

Headed down to the ocean this AM, surf was pretty rough, and of course the only reason we went is I forgot to buy coffee yesterday, so HAD to stop at McDonald's and get some... Yeah, it is supposed to be pretty miserable here today, overcast, chance of showers, etc... Will still be in the 60's though, so I can tolerate it... :) Funny thing is, last week it was 80 degrees and I was laying on the beach getting some sun... Oh well, should be back up in the 70's by Tuesday or Wednesday, hopefully it is, as we still need to get our Christmas pictures done...

Surf this AM...

Ditto...

Other than that? Pretty much all settled in here at the house, the only thing left to complete is my "office", although it is pretty much all setup, I just need to run a new circuit in the garage so I can plug in all my computers, etc... Will probably get that done this week... Kids have one week left of school, then they are out for the Christmas break, although I'm sure the school calls it the Holiday break, whatever. The kids are also making friends, and are constantly outside playing with them. They are all boys thus far though, but Taylor has now found a friend at the front of the community, so we will take her over there today so she can play with her new friend, they are in the same class together. I'd say I have Christmas shopping to do, but I don't, the kids all want $$, so $$ they will get. They all decided they just want the $$ so they can take advantage of any after Christmas sales that may be going on, we'll see if that works out in their favor, it probably will though judging from retailer reports thus far this season... Now for more coffee... :)

Take Two...

Went back down to take photos again, and yeah, when we left the house it was sunny, but when we got to the beach the clouds were already moving in, so I guess it will be take three sometime next week, oh well, we have fun going down there! :)

And of course we all kind of clash anyway...

Random shot of Tanner...

Chance and Tanner up on one of the dunes...

Racing up the boardwalk...

Driftwood we came across...

So yeah, we'll try again next week, supposed to be back up close to 80 degrees next week, we'll just have to hope we find a time when it is sunny... :)

Pictures At The GTM Reserve...

We were going to head down and take some pictures for our Christmas cards this year, but by the time we got down there the clouds had rolled in, but we took some pictures anyway... :)

Kids on a piece of driftwood...

All of us, obviously, at one of the beach access points in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve just down from where we live...

Kids again...

Overlooking the dunes...

Again...

So yeah, we will head back down tomorrow or next week when the sun is out, it was out earlier, but by the time we left the house to head down there, it was no longer sunny... Yeah, all that seaweed washed up on the beaches earlier last week. Also, starting anytime now, we should be able to start seeing Right Whales, as this is where they calf from now until March, hopefully we will get to see them...

Nope...

I will never tire of the ocean...

Sunrise this AM...

Taylor and I taking a stroll before she has to get ready for school... Chance and Tanner? Yeah, they are not morning people... :)

Yesterday morning, it was amazing how warm the water was this late in the year!

So yeah, that is pretty much how it goes, catch the sunrise in the AM and then head back in the afternoon to lay in the sun and read a book...

Let The Christmas Season Begin...

I just love the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays! We actually decorated a few days ago as there was no sense in putting all the stuff up I brought down from Atlanta last Sunday just to drag it all out again today...

So the tree is up...

The stockings are hung...

All the other decorations are out as well...

Somehow I have managed to hang onto this sign Titus and I made years ago, forget exactly how many...

Then of course there is always the fabulous walks on the beach in the AM with a huge cup of coffee, nothing like it, I love it!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Again...

I'm at home, can you tell? Yeah, you will find me here anytime I have free time!

A Day In Ponte Vedra Beach...

Yeah, we are finally settling in, just have to go fetch the rest of our shit next weekend, other than that, this is the life! I love my new office, the kids all seem to like their schools, and life is grand!!!

This is where you can find me when I am not working, reading a good book on the beach while the kids play!

Chance and Taylor found a horseshoe crab, it was a little smelly though...

Kids being kids...

Ditto...

This was the stuff Carolyn and I found just laying on the beach this AM when we went out early... It's stunning the stuff that is just laying on the beach...

So yeah, this is HOME! We love it! The kids are adjusting, but are making friends, Chance is as I type playing basketball with a few friends he has made across the street, and all is well... Will be glad when next weekend is over though and all the rest of our stuff is down here, but soon, it will be just a way of life, and I love it!!!

Ponte Vedra Beach...

I just LOVE this place, SO glad we decided to move down here...

One of the best things to do is go catch the sunrise at the beach, it's beautiful!

I was trying to figure out what kind of animal this was, but have not yet identified the tracks...

The hazards of going to the beach at the crack of dawn, once the sun comes out, it starts getting warm! The shirt can come off of course, but the jeans? Yeah, from now on I'm bringing a pair of shorts with me as well!

Absolutely beautiful views...

We also only saw three other people all morning at this particular beach, there were a few more at the first one we went to though...

So yeah, we are loving it down here, although the kids aren't too keen on getting up at 6AM just to go to the beach, we don't even wake Chance and Tanner up anymore to ask if they want to go, because we know the answer... :)

Finally!!!

Of course we are not quite done yet, I had to leave some stuff behind as I ran out of room, but we are nearly there! It's been kind of tiring, but man, I am so happy to finally be here in Ponte Vedra Beach!!!

Moving day! Luckily Zac helped, he towed one of the cars down, I towed the other down with the U-Haul, and yeah, that thing got 5.7 Mpg... ugh!

Our new home!

Kids hopping on the neighbor's WiFi, well, at the moment we are using it until Comcast gets out here next week, sigh...

Living room from the kitchen/breakfast area...

Back patio...

So we are nearly settled in, everything we brought with us is unpacked and put in it's place, I just have to go back next weekend, fetch Zac again and then get another trailer and get the rest of the stuff, although, about the only things I left behind is our Christmas stuff, the furniture in my office and a few other things, so yeah, once that is done, it is over and we are done!

Chance and Tanner start school tomorrow, went and got them all checked in today and Taylor starts on Friday. Not sure they are looking forward to that or not, but I'll bet within a week they will all have new friends and be fine. Chance is at the moment outside playing football with some new friends he has and all is well... :)

Ugh...

Update? Yeah, I'm busy... I'll soon be relaxing though, VERY soon! Two minutes and 37 seconds from the ocean...

Home Sweet Home...

You know, I have wanted to move to Florida for some years now, and it is finally happening! I can't believe it, picked up the keys today though. Taylor and I are the only ones down here, and the only reason we came down, is we found the house on Craigslist, and we read so many stories about people conning people out of $$, so I just came down to meet them in person, they are legit and the home is fabulous and in a great community with pools, workout rooms, spa, tennis courts, etc, etc, but the best part is, and Taylor timed it today, it is 2 minutes and 37 seconds from the ocean!!!! Yeah...

Taylor at the ocean today...

You can walk for miles if you choose, I LOVE it!!!

Yeah, like I said, 2 minutes and 37 seconds from our house... :)

Ponte Vedra Beach baby! Can you tell I'm excited? I am!

Yes, this is our new home! The guy we are getting it from is such a nice guy, we had a great time meeting him today and his kid. Yeah, the van, they are cleaning it up for us. The guy is so nice, it was very great to meet them...

So yeah, dream come true... I am so stoked, and luckily my company let me do it... Now to just get all of our shit down here, 13 days... I don't care... A few more days to toil, then we will be down here. So from now on, instead of watching Imus in the Morning, I will be at the ocean, each and every day, strolling through the surf at 5:30 or 6ish, then will head home to wake the kiddos up to get them ready for school, did I mention that the ocean is only 2 minutes and 37 seconds away?? :)