A trip to Florida for Christmas

We were able to sneak away and meet the Vilts again this holiday break in Florida.  After it snowed over Christmas Eve night, 15 inches, we shoveled the driveway, opened presents, loaded the car and started off on our road trip. 

Sweet Nolan snoozes on the way

This year the boys have all enjoyed having their own device where they can choose their own music to jam to at all times of the day!

We ended our first night of driving in Charlotte North Carolina.  I was lucky enough to be close enough that my college bestie/teammate was able to drive over to the hotel lobby and catch up while drinking our morning coffee.  I have missed her so much!  She was unable to come up to girls weekend in 2020 due to the pandemic so it was so great to see her.  


When we arrived it is always full of hugging, jumping, kissing, and excitement because we have missed each other so much! The cousins love to spend time together...not matter how long we are apart they pick up right where they left off.


Gift unwrapping was so fun!

We lucked out on the resort grounds there were basketball courts, tennis courts, shuffle board, and outdoor chess that could be used anytime we wanted.  Only one family could use it at a time so it was comforting to know we were being safe and having fun outdoors in the sunshine. 

Bob and Lincoln spent time being the "tennis ball boys" while the kids played.

The pool at the resort was huge and it even had waterslides for the kids to enjoy.  At first, May was a little hesitant because it was so fast but by the second day she couldn't get enough of it!

We spent the mornings down by the pool then we would head out for an afternoon activity and then head back to the pool for an evening swim.  The temperature of the water was so warm.  

Attached to the pools was a little splash pad that the kids would run through and then jump back into the pool. The water was freezing from the jets but the kids loved it.

A funny moment that we all witnessed was when Danielle sat down with her breakfast plate and flipped it out of her lap onto the floor!  Yep that happened.

One morning we walked over to the resort where Maw Maw and Paw Paw were staying across the street to check out their pool, playground, and activity center. 

May loved playing on the playground.
There was a choose your own paint project and each one of the kids sat right down to participate.

Another day we loaded up all the kids and Bob found us a park with a huge open field where we hit baseballs for hours.

It was just great being outdoors together having fun!

We ventured over to Disney Springs, the outdoor shopping and restaurant complex.  It was pretty neat.

We had lunch at the T-Rex Experience restaurant. It was a lot like the Rainforest Cafe but themed with dinosaurs. The kids had a blast and were able to sit at their own table together.  In the gift shop on the way out the boys chose to spend their Christmas money from Grandma and Grandpa Boone on mood necklaces. 




Each vacation when we are together, the boys make a point to take Paw Paw and the boys out to play 9 holes of golf.  They snagged a tee time at Magnolia golf course which is one of Walt Disney World Golf Courses.







Paw Paw only smokes one cigar each time he golfs with these boys. 

I got to go along as the "driver" of the golf cart to help supervise!

Nolan spotted a gator swimming toward us on the last hole we played.




There were so many opportunities to see wildlife on the course.

It was so much fun!

We lucked out at crossing something off Aunt D's bucket list...an airboat ride.  Everyone jumped into the cars and drove an hour to the absolute middle of nowhere.  At the location, we waited and climbed an extra-large tree.

This tourist attraction had a gator beach enclosure, gem mining, a restaurant, and airboat rides into the everglades to see gators.













We got so close to these live alligators out in the wild.  It was so neat to ride this boat. 

The kids all did really well!

Our ticket price included a trip to the gem stone mining and the kids were in seventh heaven. 

When we would get back to the room and eat take out we tried to play board games or card games together with the kids.  

Our last excursion was a stop to the Showcase of Citrus.  We had been wanting to find a place to pick our own oranges and this one not only had that but it also had a monster truck ride out to the swamp and through a safari/farm filled with cow and exotic animals.

When we came to the cow field, the driver each handed us an orange to toss to the cow to eat. They ran over to the truck and ate the oranges whole.

It was so cool to see the truck go on land and then through the swamp.

Maylee loved spending time with Uncle Bob...she would request him to be the one to carry her, sit by her, and hold her hand.

It continues to be a priority for us to spend this time together.  We love an adventure with family over the holidays!