Monday, December 29, 2014

The Holidays Have Come and Gone....

Wheweee! Where does the time go? Another year has come and gone...Can't believe Sparky and Eldo have lived in their Bradenton home now for 1 1/2 years! Florida has been a bit of adjustment for Sparky...She didn't realize the summers were as bad as they come some years. The first year we were here, the rains came every afternoon, and cooled things down. This isn't so bad, she thought! This summer, the rains didn't come....and it was extremely hot and muggy, hotter than normal, drier than normal. But we got through it with a couple of trips north--to Alaska and North Carolina, and that helped a LOT!

Family came.. Eldy's son and his family came just recently over Christmas....Grandkids sure grow fast, don't they!? Trevor is taller than his sister now, and he's about four years younger!

Cate is a fantastic natural athlete having just started golf in August as a high school freshman, and making the varsity team AND lettering in the sport! We had lots of fun showing them around....A tour of Anna Maria Island.....Naturally, we had to stop at the Gulf Drive Cafe and get a snack on the beach....A lot of silliness when posing for photos...

A lot of fun taking the family to our favorite local Wasabi Hibachi Grill and Steakhouse in Bradenton...For the adults they squirt saki wine and see how long you can keep your mouth open, along with cracking corny jokes and for the kids, they squirt just water using a baby bottle...Trevor had fun trying to catch broccoli thrown at him, too.

Trevor got a bottle of Japanese soda. It was very interesting! It was called Shirakiku Ramune Drink. The bottle came sealed with a little marble on top. You smack the top of the bottle and a little stopper of some kind plops the marble down into the narrow neck of the bottle where it rattles around as you drink the pop. It's supposed to aid in keeping the carbonation in the drink, we think. Kind of gimmicky, that's for sure. The drink is also known as "marble soda" outside of Japan.
Trevor is still nuts about lizards...He always asks where they are when he comes to visit, and even now that he's 10 years old, he still hopes to catch one. Sparky is glad he didn't while he was here!

The visit was over too soon, and time for family to head home...Sparky and Eldo will be getting back into their habits of bike riding (hopefully!) and watching ahead for some events coming to the area....Time for quiet reflection on another wonderful year here in Bradenton...We are truly blessed with yet another year of good health and prosperity, and our families are doing well.....Here is Eldo and Sparky with the grandkids, Trevor and Cate.
Sparky and her bare feet, becoming a true Floridian!
Happy New Year 2015, everyone! With love and best wishes for a great new year from Sparky and Eldo....a.k.a. Jeannie and Eldy


4 comments:

  1. Happy New year to you as well.
    Looks like you had another good year, even with the heat.

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  2. Happy 2015! I can't believe it's been 1.5 years already. Time goes way too fast.

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  3. Wow I too am surprised at how long you have been off the road. You have a great place for family to come visit. I bet they are really glad. Happy and healthy new year to you both!

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