Let It Snow, Winter Wonderland!

Maranda's first snow. Well, she actually has seen it before when she was two years old on her birthday in November over Thanksgiving, but she claims not to remember that!



We usually make it up to Michigan to visit family each year. Working in the school system I have the summers off too, so it's easy to travel at that time. Plus Michigan is so beautiful in the summer. My sister has a cottage (they call it a cottage, it's more like a summer house) in Traverse City. We were up there one summer for the Cherry Festival. My parents used to have a boat out at Grand Haven. Lots of things to do and see.



This year Maranda said she wanted to see snow, and decided Christmas would be a good time. We both had two weeks off from school. Wade was able to get the vacation time since he didn't go to the Jet Ski World Finals in Lake Havasu this year. By the time we could figure this out it was too late to buy air tickets. Maranda wasn't too excited about driving up, she has always flown, but we made it. We stayed the first night at a friends house in the mountains in North Carolina. As turned out with all the winter weather this Christmas, and airports full of people and delays....it was a good thing we drove. What clinched it for Maranda was when Wade told her we wouldn't get sick, like you do when you fly.



So here is the snow highlights of the trip.

We first spotted it in the mountains in Tennessee. Just a little dusting. It was funny, at one stop for lunch we made she said "look, snow droppings" pointing at a little patch of snow that had not melted yet. Then when we were driving through Ohio it actually snowed. Wade told her to look out the windshield, and she said "oh snowdrops". Okay, so I had to teach her "snow lingo". I told her they'd think she was a Florida girl or something. She said "I am a Florida girl"


She didn't go out and touch the snow right away, she did wait until the next day. On mom and dad's back deck we even got to see icicles!

Wow, they were even low enough where she could grab one.

I took photos from her phone camera too so she could send it to her friends.

I was telling her to be careful when she grabbed it in case it all broke off and fell. Which she was careful, (I think it's her middle name) when her aunt reached out the door and just grabbed one and ripped it off!

She finally picked up some snow. It was not the packing kind on this day. Just wait a few days after the rain. It snowed after the all day rain on Christmas and it packed good. She wouldn't through it at anyone though (she's so nice).

Her next winter adventure, ice skating!

My sister told us we should go downtown and skate! She needed a little help from her cousins.
But I give her credit for going out there when it was so busy and snowy! It was funny how you could catch a snowflake reflection with the flash!

She wasn't the only one hanging out around the edge of the rink. Of course mom, Karen and I were just watching. Someone had to take the photos!

It was chilly, but fun!

I had to show her how the snow was collecting in her hood. After skating we walked over to Friday's. We were all wet when that snow melted. There was even a bicycle taxi dropping someone off in the snow! Brrrr...

The day after Christmas we went to my other sister's house. First time that I've seen it since it was finished. It was pretty as a picture!

Across the street they had a hill, so Maranda got a chance to go sledding for the first time ever!! It was a nice small hill for her to start on.
There she goes her first ride down!

She was not sure about this at all. I wish I could of captured the panicked look her face.

Oh, you mean I have to walk up the hill?

Every one did join in, they all weren't just standing there. It was fun I even went.

Maranda with her cousins, Jessica and Kendra.

We did end up having almost everyone going down the hill. It was nice because we just went across the street and we could go in and get something warm to drink and sit by the fire.

But before we went in Kendra did get Maranda to make a snow angel! Everyone was asking if she's made a snow angel yet. Again, she still wasn't sure about laying in the snow!
Kendra's snow angel!

Let It Snow! Thanks all for looking!

Christmas in Michigan

As you all probably already know we drove up to Michigan to spend Christmas with family. This was the first time Maranda has spent Christmas at grandma and grandpa's, and with the whole family (well most of the family). Also the first time she saw snow. I will split the pictures that I took in different posts, so you won't be overwhelmed.
I wanted to get a picture of Mom and Dad's house before the snow melted.

I found out that I didn't have to hurry. We were supposed to go to Wade's dad's Christmas Eve which is an hour north, but there was freezing rain so we waited until morning. Christmas day it rained all day, but was warm enough it didn't freeze.

There are a lot of Amish farms around where his dad live. They work the farms with big plow horses. All of the Amish farms are kept up really nice. They were all going visiting, we passed around 8 buggies going up there and around 12 on the way back.

The roads were slushy, and slippery for what we were used to.

The passengers in the buggy have a barricade up in front of them where just their heads peak over the top and a hole where the reigns go through. I guess it keeps some of the weather off of them, burr. We passed a group of young people walking, one was pulling a sled with baked beans riding on top.

After we visited up at the farm (Wade's dad live on a dairy farm) we had Christmas with my side of the family. It's funny because we never had to worry about that before, where to spend Christmas, Christmas eve with who and when and where. We usually spend Christmas with our friends who are originally from South Africa and they don't have family in town either. So we make our own traditions, a little South African and a little American.
The food was already when we got there. One nice thing about coming in from out of state, everyone else did all the cooking.

Mom fit us all in. Of course the kids table was mostly adult kids :) not so bad for Maranda.

Our family, Sarah was in California and baby Ruby was sleeping, otherwise we're all here.

The first time my car had snow on it. In North Carolina where we stayed the night on the way up it was all frosty! It snowed after Christmas and became really nice snow. It wasn't the crunchy kind you usually get after it rains then snows. I think they ordered it that way so Maranda could see a little bit of everything.

Oh, I slipped this photo in the wrong spot. Karen got us all some fuzzy sleep pants to wear Christmas Eve. Just like when we were kids we got the matching PJs.

I don't know where Karen was in this photo though. Just us and our cousins at Grandma Bouwman's on Christmas morning. Fun, fun, fun!

North Jetty Park, in Nokomis Florida

The North Jetty Park is located on the south end of Casey Key (where Stephen King lives). When you drive on the key it takes you straight into Nokomis Beach. Turn south to the end of the key and it brings you to the north jetty. This is where the have Bill's Beer run the Sunday before Halloween. It's a fundraiser for the Manasota Track Club this year was their 21st year.

You can park here and go right to the beach. Or keep going to the jettys, where you'll run into this.

The jettys attract a lot of fishermen, they have a bait shop, and area to sit and get some snacks.

We used to come here more often than just once a year for the run. When Wade worked at the jet ski shop in Venice this was a great place to take the jet skis.

The boat ramp here is on the inter coastal and you can go into Roberts Bay, Donna Bay and out to the Gulf Of Mexico from here. Often you'll see dolphins and manatees in the area.

A nice place to boat down the intercoastal.

Going out on the jetty looking back at the fish camp.

The South Jetty is in Venice.

Looking out on the beach. They have a playground up by the parking lot, where they have a pavilion and picnic area and restrooms.

The lifeguard stand look quite different from Siesta Beach.

Near the wet sand area and near the rocks of the jettys they have a lot of shells. This beach actually has some stones, we don't see that in Sarasota.

Last week when we were here we saw two manatees just in the gulf on the north side of the jettys. Then they swam into the channel toward the bays. Right down the middle of the channel with boats going out to the gulf, no wonder they get hit you sure can't see them when they are swimming. Wade said that we should of giving the manatee in the water sign, what? Okay so you hold your hands above your head to make a big circle (like the A in the YMCA song) just no point on the top.

The Gulf beaches are always interesting and fun for us to see. We enjoy them all times of the day and all year long. It's even fun to go when it's windy and the surf is up!

Wordless Wednesday

Just a few Christmas things!

Just a few things I had to get done today. It was in the 80s this weekend which isn't exactly Christmas weather, but I'm enjoying it while I can because we are going north for Christmas. Maranda saw snow once when she was 2 years old (we have it on video). So she wanted to see snow. It will be nice because she'll get to be with our family on Christmas. We usually spend it with my aunt and uncle when they are in town, but more often than not they are visiting their kids. We have been spending it with our friends whose family is in South Africa. We have a blended Christmas, and we have a lot of fun. Well to get in the spirit we had to add some snow at out house.

We aren't decorating much since we won't be here...

I made these ornaments for my breakfast kids that eat with me at the "good manners" table. I thought they were fitting since I work in the clinic and they're made of tongue depressors.

I wanted to show you a few things that I have from my grandmother's tree. This angel topper is really old and things just don't hold up that well in Florida. We don't put it on our tree anymore, it's so delicate and falling apart. I have some other ornaments from her tree. Some old glass ornaments, one that she made out of a hollowed out egg. Some icicles and much more.

I have some candle holders from my grandma as well. I found these salt and pepper shakers that are a perfect match for them on Ebay. They are Holt Howard dated 1950. I am looking for some vintage table clothes to go with the theme.

This was the ornament that I got from our book clubs first ornament exchange. I was lucky getting this flamingo, I love it. Now we rarely end up with the one we open. Jeanne thinks up all these cleaver games for us, I don't know how she does it.

This was at our book clubs Christmas book club ornament exchange. I should of taken a photo of the one I got this year. It's nice because there is always someone that is eyeing for the one I brought. Tracey ended up with it and she said she always likes the one I bring. Oops didn't take a pic of it before I went.

It was Ann's and my turn to bring food. The host provides the drinks.

Here is Jeanne explaining what we have to do in this game. We have to wear the hat and oven mitts and unwrap the present and open the card that are in it along the way and do what the cards say. All the others are in a circle throwing a dice and when someone rolls a 4 that person switches places. I didn't throw a 4 for the longest time until the end. Hee,hee I ended up with this tiny jewelry size box. I got the oven mitts too.
Last but not least I made this cranberry bread from Kristy's blog at My Little Space she made it with blueberries, but I had some cranberries I wanted to use. I think it has cooled off enough. I have to go try it. See you later, gotta go! Watching Fa la la la Christmas on Lifetime!

Wordless Wednesday

Shell Crafts

These are my shell angels that I make every year. The smaller ones are the shells that I've found on the beach. I have different size pearl beads that I use depending on the shell size.

And a better addition to my new sea urchin "jelly fish". I still have to make more sea urchin "snowmen". I have enough shells, I better start glittering!

I usually have on my tree some sand dollars that we found and decorated too, they are packed away right now.

I also made some night lights. I have one in my kitchen with a sand dollar on it.

Here is a sea urchin shell that I bought at The Green Turtle. It's a different variety, a lot larger shells than the ones I found. The natural opening is large enough to put the bulb in through.

I originally got this shell to make a candle out of. These we can find at our beach at times.

A large scallop shell, usually have do dive for them.
A blogger friend said I should take more photos of Tucker. Well, I have plenty, but didn't want to post too many. I took this the other day just for Phyrra! This is his "do you have anything for me?" look, "are you sure? I'm just sitting here watching"