Mike, Caroline, and I were lucky enough that we got to spend eleven beautiful, blissful days in the Great State of Florida for a long Christmas vacation. This year definitely made up for last year, when I was six months pregnant with Caroline and banned from the state because of the Zika threat. We had a lovely, albeit quiet time then. But this year, we were ready to introduce Caroline to how our family does Christmas.

We kicked off the season the weekend before Christmas, flying into Orlando. This was Caroline’s expression as she boarded the plane. I think she knew she was in for a wild ride.

We then experienced not one but two exciting diaper changing adventures as drove 1.5 hours to my uncle’s house in Vero Beach. After the second one, I told Mike I was pretty sure we made history as the only couple to change a baby into a Marks & Spencer outfit in a gas station/Dairy Queen/souvenir shop off I-95. it was a grand adventure and by the time we arrived we were both ready for cocktails.

My mom’s entire extended family was gathered there, at the Lazy K Ranch. And by extended, I think there were 35 people there for the weekend, give or take a few. It’s impossible to get a headcount because at any/every given moment somebody is always bouncing through the woods on a golf cart, partying in the garage playing FLIP CUP CHALLENGE!, locked in a bedroom wrapping a gag gift in a cardboard beer box, or in a kayak racing another cousin across the lake, trying not to disturb the ducks who inhabit Duckleberry Island. (The island is actually called that. For real.) It is the craziest, most hilarious, fun-filled, get-you-in-the-Christmas-spirit weekend and one you do NOT want to miss.

Some special memories of this year’s Christmas celebrations included Caroline getting to hang out with her cousins! This was the cutest:

I love that (for now anyways) each of my brothers have a boy and I have a girl. Payback??

Caroline polished off her mimosa quickly and resorted to eating the cup while she waited her turn for a refill.

It was so beautiful on their back deck, admiring their screened in pool! And their two dogs have room to run in the back.

Still waiting for my second mimosa, mom!!!

Her Big Cousin always steps in to assist with mealtimes. He is so good with her. And he calls her Sugar Bear. Watching him with her melts your heart. This picture was right after he said, “Hey Aunt Laura, guess what I’m gonna teach her?” I answered (because we were right by the pool), “Ummm…how to swim??” Also because he is an awesome little swimmer. “Well, yes,” he replied. “But first this.” And he placed his palm flat, using the two fingers on his other hand to demonstrate walking on his palm. “First,” he said, nodding knowingly, “how to walk.” Now, that’s a boy with a plan.  It was so sweet and well-thought out.

Other highlights included touring my cousins’ beautiful new house, drinking many many many mimosas and giving toasts, holding the annual gag gift exchange— complete with a new SPIN THAT WHEEL option, having a 1950’s themed birthday celebration (complete with fireworks over Duckleberry Island!) for two dear aunties, and enjoying a golf cart decorating party followed by a golf cart parade/Christmas carol sing-a-long/marshmallow gun fight (yes, all at the same time…we are multi-taskers, that’s for sure).

All of this, coupled with the typical party antics such as playing Late Night FLIP CUP CHALLENGE! in the garage with family ranging in age from 10-70. This group likes a good time. This weekend always flies by, and when you leave, you always have a hoarse voice, a woozy feeling of exhaustion from staying up till 4 am too many nights, a need for a good hot shower, and a deep love for these crazy people you just so happen to be related to.

From there, on Sunday afternoon, Mike and Caroline headed to my brother’s house in St. Pete with the boys, where they continued golf cart shenanigans:

My mom and I headed to Delray Beach for more celebrations. My dear aunt was turning 70 on Christmas Eve and so we were having a Favorite Things Party for her “Platinum Jubilee” with all the ladies in the family.

This turned out to be a blast—all 12 of us (3 generations) laughing, joking, enjoying wine and snacks and sharing gifts. We were lucky enough to have three of the teenage cousins join in the fun. Around 11 pm, as the party was winding down, they mentioned they should get on the road since they had classes the next day and the Birthday Girl (their grandmother) announced, “Sit down! No one’s going anywhere until you’ve all tried this delicious ice cream, ordered special…it has alcohol in it!” So that was that. Who’s gonna argue with the Birthday Girl? Or pass on alcoholic ice cream??

The next day, mom and I set out to cross the state, and when we pulled into the driveway of my brother’s house in St. Pete, I gasped. It looked like a Christmas resort. Just breathtaking! This is their first Christmas in their dream house and they went ALL OUT. Lights, beautiful garland, holiday music playing throughout the house, a gorgeous tree, and decor in every room, a lovely pine scents throughout. A perfect blend of magazine-worthy “coastal Christmas” style and personal touches–all while keeping it still homey, too.

Their family really knows how to host. From the moment you step in the door, you really do feel like you are a VIP guest at a fancy resort. Not only is the itinerary for your visit planned well in advance, a copy awaits you in your sleeping room (near the luxurious bedrooms slippers and toiletries basket they provide, and I’m not kidding!) My brother is a bartender extraordinaire so you never go thirsty and my sister-in-law is like Martha Stewart, only with better taste and way more witty (and fun. Not to mention way more fun.)

The first night we were there, we went to dinner by boat and I didn’t get a picture (it happened so fast), but two dolphins came up for air RIGHT BY the open bow of the boat! Caroline almost touched them!

(This is me thinking her little bottom just looked so cute in that lifejacket.)

While Caroline doesn’t love the life jacket, she does love the wind in her hair! Like her mom, she loves going fast in the boat. Bring on all the adventures!!

There’s nothing like a Sunset Happy Hour Cruise to celebrate all that Florida has to offer.

We were so lucky to have one of our favorite cousins able to hang out with us for a few days—enjoying a much-deserved break from PA school! Here she is wrangling these two little cousin buddies (one of whom likes to pretend he’s a puppy):

We baked and decorated cookies, went out to holiday shows, drank a LOT of delicious drinks, and enjoyed the beautiful weather! Every time we head down here when it’s winter, I am shocked at how refreshing it is to just step outside in your bathing suit. Caroline, our Pisces baby, looooved the hot tub.

Mom and I got to relax (from all that relaxing) with a bucket of champagne between us as we tested out the new all-matching resort towels—they got a thumbs up!

We love staying at my brother’s house, but also wanted to stay with my parents, too. So one night, we snuck away and gave Caroline the chance to make memories at Kay Kay and Pa’s house. Our first stop was to Seminole Park, where this little lady enjoyed the slide and the swings—especially getting a little help from Kay Kay and Pa!

Seminole Park even had a little spot under the jungle gym where you can move little beads and dials along tracks and wires (when I taught preschool, they called these ‘manipulatives’) and Caroline loved this part of the park. She did figure out how to slide the beads where she wanted them to go and it was so neat to see her little baby mind figure it out.

After that, it was back to Kay Kay and Pa’s house for beef stew (my favorite), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, a little Tetris competition (my brother Louis brought it and I forgot how addicting that game can be!), and some present wrapping.

Oh and you know…and a little bit of sliding around in Kay Kay’s sea turtle serving bowl on the dining room table. As you do. (BTW, this onesie was a gift from Louis and I love it…it reads “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” All of you Shakespeare/Midsummer Night’s Dream fans will appreciate that 😉

And with that, it was Christmas Eve!