Holiday Cheer!

Interesting how the smallest of differences are recognized AWED by my almost 3yr old.  In Elsie Anne's whole LONG life, she's never lived anywhere with trash and recycling service {and for the last 8ys, neither have Shawn or I}.  Her infatuation with this has brought about a Friday morning tradition... we sit on our driveway and watch our 'trash helpers' go around the loop, and finally make it to our house.  After our waving-and-clapping-like-crazy, for their hard work, they leave with big smiles on their faces, and sometimes even a TOOT-TOOT from the loud horn!!

So when I saw this idea on "lil light o' mine" blog, I just HAD to do it!  EA picked out the X-mas Tree cookies, and we I made the sign!  What a wonderful way to show our appreciation!

And boy did they appreciate it!!  They couldn't thank us enough times, it was so sweet!  EA was proud to make them so happy and told Daddy the whole story when he got home:)

New House - Skeleton!

**WARNING: all pics are from iphone & many are blurry**

Elsie Anne in her new room.  There is a guest room opposite hers, with a linen closet in between.

Looking from the end of the hallway (EA's room, guest room & 2nd bathroom) to kitchen. Folding doors store full-size washer/dryer with great storage above.

Kitchen.  I'm so excited the walls are orange - similar to the color I chose for our Breck kitchen!!

This overlooks the open dining & living rooms.  So much cabinet space!!

The Enrtyway.  Door on left goes into 2car garage.  

Looking the other way.  Kitchen on left, hallway to EA's room on right, dining/living ahead to french doors & fenced in backyard.  Our room is to right of french doors.

Dining/Living Room.

Teeny Patio.  Small fenced in yard.  Plenty for our first yard to up-keep:)

On the right, our room.  Its a grey/green color that I love!!

Into our HUGE bathroom.  Walk-in closet ahead.

We don't have enough clothes to fill up this closet!!

Looking the other way at the 'throne' & shower:)  Natural light in the shower is awesome!!

Best for last... EA and I loved picking out her new bathroom accessorize - so girly!!

And the Princess herself!  Dressed up in all her bracelets and running around our empty house, on the first night we stayed!!

what clothes??

Pretty much any day of the week, at some point during the day, you can find Elsie Anne outside in her PANTIES, body finger painting!!  We try getting a bathing suit on her, but sometimes she's just not having it:)

Her favorite part is washing it all off in the hose!!  She's already learned how to beat the Florida heat:)  Many days, I'm not far behind her... in my BATHING SUIT of course!!

Sunset!

This time of night is always gorgeous at my parent's house!  Elsie Anne has discovered the SUNSET, and always wants to watch the sun fall behind the trees in the distance.  It's a pretty amazing thing to watch how quickly it sets, but then, to watch it through her eyes, blows us away:)  "Good Night Sunshine, See you in the Morning!!"

Her new squinty eye smile is hilarious!  I don't know if we'll ever see her pretty green eyes in a picture again?!

Lately...

...we've been staying super busy with our new little buddy Tucker!!  I've been nannying him 5days/wk 8:30-3:30, for the last 4weeks!  And I must say, we couldn't have chosen a more chill and laid back precious baby boy!  He just goes right along with whatever Elsie Anne and I throw at him have planned, and only complains when he's tired or hungry!!  Who knew babies could be so perfect?!

We've been juggling playdates, lunches, and pool hopping the entire 6weeks we've been back!!  Elsie Anne's new favorite activity at home is PAINTING INSIDE...

... or PAINTING OUTSIDE...

...and our mutually favorite past time so far is the awesome SPLASH POOL!!  EA freaks out everytime I mention it:) 

Taking a well deserved Watermelon break!! 

These two cousins are best buds now!  It took a few WEEKS of warming up, but now they are inseperable!

I will slowly but surely try to catch up the last several weeks in Florida, and the last 2months we were in Breckenridge!  Thank you friends and family for urging me to continue, I've been having blog anxiety of not knowing where to start, which has kept me away from the computer all together!

Cousins & Popsicles!

 Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lorri's Saturday Night Cook-Out!

ENOUGH SAID:) 

AirBoat-ing!!

One of our family's favorite and most unique evening outings is the AIRBOAT!!  Its been years since I've been on the thing, so I was equally excited as Elsie Anne.  She had been a little sceptical in the weeks prior, but seeing her boy cousins get off the boat with huge grins, made her eager to try it out!!  Thatcher, Tullen & EA loading up the boat!!

FLYYYY-ING across the water!!  It is such a freeing feeling!

The ONLY, but MAJOR, downer of Lake Iamonia is the abundance of ALLIGATORS!!  See this guys EYES and NOSE sticking out of the water?  You can tell how long the gator is by looking at the distance between the two.  How ever many INCHES apart the they are, is how many FEET long, from tip to tail, the gator is!!  This one is about 11 FEET LONG.... yes, in our back yard!!!  Don't worry, we have our own EXTERMINATORS... my Dad and Brothers!!!

We road across the Lake about 2mi to a Landing & Biker Bar, which is about 25mi away by car!  The kids got RootBeers and the grown-ups enjoyed our own Cold Ones! 

Elsie Anne, Tullen and Thatcher hanging on the beach of the Landing!  Somehow they ended up playing waste deep in the water, even after I had just seen the gator?!  The water is really clear, and my Dad assures me that gators are just as scared of us, as we are them!  Who knows, maybe he was just trying to ease my mind?!

The 'Fish Camp Bar' full of Harley's and their owners!!!  Great place for people-watching:)

Back at the house, the kids cool off in the hose... and splash each other with their cups!!

Elsie Anne enjoyed her first airboat adventure... so I'm sure there will be more in our near future:)

The Fraser's in the South!!

THURSDAY

Jane, Andy, Dana & Liam arrived early afternoon!  We enjoyed an afternoon and evening playing on the patio!  Shawn and Liam playing on the Plasma Car:)

Liam loved the 'Roller Coaster'!!

Thatcher showed Elsie Anne how to ride his 4wheeler, and soon enough...

...she was at it ALL ON HER OWN!!

Papa (Andy) caught this awesome shot of EA swinging with her new Clifford the Dog, the Fraser Dog Clan got her!  She is in love with it and sleeps with it every night now!!

FRIDAY 8/12

Foggy morning on Lake Iamonia.  All the Fraser's experienced my Dad's(BigDaddy) airboat - catching alligators and all:)

We went to Pebble Hill Plantation and enjoyed the walking tour in the unbearable heat!!  We were all drenched in sweat, but had fun to learning about the history of the Plantation and Thomasville, GA!  Liam and Elsie Anne taking a little break in the 'Kitchen Garden'!!

SATURDAY 8/13
We headed down to the Ochloknee River where my GrandParents live.  Their house is at the mouth of the River, which opens up into the Gulf of Mexico.  We took the Pontoon Boat out for a picnic ride and some fun on the beach:)  GeeGee, EA, Liam & Dana!

I love finding Horse Shoe Crabs - the are so prehistoric!  It was fun to tell EA that they are dinosaurs!!

Floating around in the tube! 

Nothing better than being on the water, under a bright blue sky... COMPLETE RELAXATION!!  Shawn and Dana having a little brother/sister bonding!!

GeeGee and Papa chillin' in the shade with the salty breeze blowing around, aaaahh!  Liam liked the boat ride, but we're not quite sure if the salt water or the heat gave him a rash from head to toe:(

Elsie Anne always takes a boat snooze!  Getting cozy with Memoo on the ride home:)

SUNDAY
We had a lovely chill day!  Went to the Trousdell Splash Pool and had a ball!  Wish I had better pics, but Andy & Dana were taking all of them!  Here's EA & Liam about to go down the slide:)

Elsie Anne enjoying her Daddy at the pool!

A relaxing night complete with a family cookout, made for a great ending to the first of many Strickland/Fraser gatherings!!  We're looking forward to Brad, Melissa, Brady, Logan & Adam to join us next time!

It was such a pleasure getting to show Shawn's family Tallahassee and our Southern traditions!!