New Year's Eve- Day 3 vacation

When the kids are not on the trampoline, at the zip line, or gathering eggs you can find them on the computers, especially the boys.

They are playing Roblox, which is pretty cool except for the fact that many of the other players use foul language.  My kids are sensitive to it and will call people on it, telling them their language is not appropriate.

Anyway, the game is kind of like an electronic Lego system.  They build things like houses and Wipeout games.  It's actually pretty educational as they are learning programming.

Greg and I went out to eat with his sister Kristen and her step daughter, Alex to a place called the Cheese Wheel.  After eating there we went to see her new house. They JUST moved in the day before.  I can't help but wonder since we are here if we are taking away some of the help she could be getting.  Or maybe it is helpful to have Blade here playing with the kids so he is out of the way?  I hope so anyway!  

She lives in a cute neighborhood.  I didn't even think to take a picture of her house. Maybe I'll still get the chance.

At night we headed out to the pier for fireworks.  What does that sound like to you? What I was expecting and what it actually was were two different things.  I was expecting to be sitting in the sand or on a dock watching the fireworks over the ocean.  I "thought" I was going to be disappointed when we stopped in the middle of a parking lot where you couldn't even see the water.  But I wasn't disappointed!  The fireworks were beautiful.

OK sorry St. Augustine, but it doesn't compare to the Portage Lakes fireworks.  I mean come on, how can you beat going out on the boat and having the fireworks set off over your head?  It's the ambiance of it all!

However, the fireworks did seem to be bigger.  I don't know if they were, but it seemed to be. Oh so beautiful!  I tried looking up how I should set up my camera to take good pictures.  Number one they said bring a tripod.  Didn't have one with me.  Number two bring a release timer.  Left it at home.  So I just did the best I could.  I really like how some of these turned out.  It had a LONG shutter, but the pictures turned out cool!

 I could see using the top of the picture below as the star in a nativity scene.

 

 Getting home was a bit tricky.  We waited in line for the bus to take us back to our parking spot.  The adults were holding the kids hands.  We were in front of the line since we were not able to get on the first round of buses.  It was crazy insane.  People pushed and gathered even closer.  When the buses did come I almost lost Ashley even though she was holding my hand.  My arm was sandwiched between several people.  I said loud enough for everyone around me to hear, "Ashley, you CANNOT go ahead of me, I cannot have you getting separated from me."  Then people actually realized what they were doing and let me go ahead.

Greg was right behind me in line, but I was afraid he wasn't even going to get on the bus.  He did thankfully!

Then we came home and celebrated Meggie's birthday.

Who is Meggie?

Greg's parents dog. Oops I shouldn't say that too loud she thinks she's human.

And all the kids HAD to hold her.

We sang happy birthday and then we ate the ice cream cake. Mmmmm!

Then we toasted to the New Year even though it wasn't midnight yet.

Gayle went to bed, but the rest of us stayed up or at least tried to.  Here is Ashley knitting herself a hat to stay awake.

 But...

She didn't make it.

I tried really hard to wake her up for the countdown.  I even shook her, but she wouldn't wake.  Then of course in the morning wondered why we didn't wake her up.

The boys countdown!

I wanted a picture of them when the TV flashed 2013 on it, like it had been doing.  But they waited and waited and got a little impatient so I just snapped the picture.  If you look at it closely it does actually say 2013 real small at the top middle.

Time for the boys to go to bed.

Aussie was not happy one bit about going to bed this "early".  And he argued with Greg for an hour according to Greg's Twitter or Facebook post.

He likes to prove that he can stay up late.

Happy New Year everyone!

My toast for you is to live intentionally this year, to strive for better marriages, better relationships with friends and family, to spend quality time with your spouse and kids and to have a personal relationship with God.  May your year be full of blessings!