It's an extra special time right now on AMI. Beth, NaNa and I went to Tampa yesterday (Saturday) afternoon to pick up Sarah and Sweet Baby James. It's a long way from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Tampa Bay Area but James (and Sarah) handled the flight like a real troopers. He and Sarah stepped off the airport shuttle with big smiles on their faces, happy to be off the plane with MiMi, Poppi and Great Grandmother NaNa waiting.
This morning Ben took an early flight from Dallas and joined us. It's so awesome for us all to be under one roof for a few days. It's the first time we've all been together since September and the only thing that would make it more special would be if Joey was with us. He's holding down the fort in California this week. Ben's had a crazy busy few weeks wrapping things up in Burleson and getting ready for his move to Bloomington. His team gave him a very nice and well deserved send off.
It was a fun Sunday complete with a cook out as well as some beach time in the morning and evening. There was even a special event we had forgotten about. Out here on the island there are three parades per year that I know of, Christmas, 4th of July and St. Patrick's Day. All of them are similar, involving a bunch of golf carts, antique cars and boats being pulled on trailers. We're always on the island when the 4th of July parade steps off. We've seen the Christmas parade quite a few times but have only experienced the St. Patrick's Day parade once or twice in the distant past.. Maybe it's because it's during the middle of the high season and there are about a billion people on the island or maybe it's because it's a good excuse to wear green and drink beer, but the St. Patrick's Day parade is clearly the mother of the three island parades. In addition to the golf carts, cars and boats on trailers stretching as far as the eye could see there were multiple marching bands, bagpipe bands and a bunch of camels.
Things on the island pretty much operate on "island time", meaning it happens when it happens and the same was true for the St. Patrick's Day parade..............it was Sunday afternoon, the day after St. Patrick's Day! Maybe those camels were booked for something else yesterday!
There are spring training baseball games, more cook outs, walks, eating at some of our favorite places, and beach time on the agenda, all while trying to keep up with a twenty month old! It's going to be a doozy!
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| James showing his Great NaNa how to use an i-Pad |
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| Last year he wouldn't touch the sand, this year he loves it! |
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| MiMi, Poppi and SBJ |
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| Camels on Gulf Drive |
