We spent Christmas in Vero Beach, Florida......

How lucky am I, that I have in-laws that live in Florida. Our original plan was to fly non-stop from Little Rock to Orlando, then Joyce and Ken would pick us up and take us to their house, which is about 1-1.5 hours away. But, it scared me to death to let the dogs fly under cargo. So, at the last minute David and I decided to drive to Vero Beach, it is about 18 hours. So, we began our journey on Dec. 19 a little after lunch. We made reservations at a hotel that accepted pets in Macon, Georgia, so we arrived there around 1 am. We left the next morning to finish our destination to Vero. So, we finally arrived there around 4 or 5pm. We were so excited to see Joyce and Ken. We saw them briefly in October, but it wasn't enough time to relax and catch up on everything. So, the first night we just relaxed. Sidenote: Our dogs got really spoiled by Joyce and Ken, so we got back home they were sad because they do not have 24/7 attention. The trip was so great and relaxing. A couple of days before Christmas Eve, Ken took us out on his boat to a several little islands. It was so pretty!!! Katie and Lacey loved swimming and running in the sand. Not to mention what a mess they were and it took us over a hour to get them bathed and dried. But, they had fun, so that is all that matters!!! Then at Christmas Eve, David's mom Lesley, David's brother Kevin and Steve came over to spend a few days. It was very nice having everyone together. I think the last time that happened was at our wedding. Also, David's grandpa lives right down the street from Ken and Joyce so he came over to visit often. David and I are trying to convince him to move to Arkansas, but I think he is too spoiled living right down the street from Ken and Joyce. I can't even begin to explain the massive amount of food that we had each and every day. I ALMOST got tired of eating, but I always have a huge appetite, so it was just great for me. For our Christmas dinner, Joyce made her famous mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole. Lesley made her English Trifle and her awesome squash casserole. I also can't forget the wonderful drinks that Joyce always makes. She is very famous for her margaritas!!!!! After the Christmas festivities, we spent another week in Vero just hanging out and relaxing. I never get to do this, so I took full advantage. I would sleep late, take afternoon naps, etc. David and Ken worked on rebuilding a transmission for Ken's 1970 Dodge Charger. After some long hours and hard work, they had it running. That was a huge accomplishment. Joyce and I headed over to Ft. Lauderdale to meet her mom and sister to do some gambling at the casino. We had so much fun, Joyce and I both doubled our money. So, we had a great day at the casino. A few days before we left we went on a ride to the beach on cruiser bikes, it was so much fun!! The weather was perfect!!! We went and had lunch on the beach and then went to the beach. It is so crazy how Floridians spend their winters as opposed to Arkansans. The only bad thing about the trip was that we had to head home. It is very sad leaving that far from family. We need to get them closer!! Hint, Hint Joyce and Ken. So, David and I would like to wish everyone a great 2007!!!!!