Weekend in Orlando

This past weekend, we spent some time in Orlando Florida.  It was a chance for Brandon and Amanda to invite a friend and enjoy some of the activities around the Orlando area.

 

The girls chose to enjoy a water park followed by a nice dinner at downtown Disney while the boys made the most of the Magic Kingdom.  Brandon and Alex had a chance to visit Full Sail University on their way to the condo.

Lorraine spent the morning at word weavers while Bob enjoyed a relaxing morning around the condo.  Waking up to the following view. 

As for the afternoon, Lorraine and Bob spent the afternoon at the outlets.

Before we left, we did take a family picture.  While we didn't spend a lot of time all together, it's always good to get away for a while.

Weekend with Brycen at Eglin AFB in Florida

This weekend, Lorraine and I were able to spend the weekend with Brycen.  Our son, Brycen is an Airman in tech school at Eglin Airforce Base in Florida. 

 

We arrived late Thursday night at the Wyndham Majestic Sun Resort in Destin, Florida.  It was about a 5-6 hour trip from our home in Jacksonville, FL.

We were able to see his dorm and meet many of his friends. 

 

On Friday night, we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden with Brycen and three of his friends.  It was good to meet his friends and we were impressed with all of them.  We enjoyed a good dinner at Olive Garden and had fun being with them.  All of his friends were from his Bible Study. 

 

On Saturday evening, Brycen and Bob went to see the movie "Cloverfield", while Lorraine visited the outlets.  Then we all met together at the Outback Steakhouse.  After some time at Barnes & Noble, we traveled back to the base.  As we traveled back, I noticed the temperature drop to 39 degrees.  It was quite a cold night.

 

On Sunday we joined Brycen for church.  It was somewhat small contemporary service and the people friendly.  The chaplain gave a very good Martin Luther King sermon.  I especially liked excerpts from the letter Reverend King sent from the Birmingham, AL jail.

Here are pictures of Brycen and some of his friends.

For more pictures of the trip visit Webshots

Winter Break Retreat

Getting away to review our goals and reflect on the past year is always a good thing to do.  This year we traveled to the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island.  Florida is always nice this time of year although a bit cold.  I know I don't get much sympathy from our northern friends, but after a few years of the blood thinning out, it sure can feel cold at times.

 

 

Here is a beautiful sunset.  Considering we are on the east coast, it is not over the water like the west coast, but I thought the grass from the dunes and the palm trees made a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were able to spend some time walking the beach and just long talks.  In this picture you can see the resort in the background.  It's a nice place to stay and the family discount sure doesn't hurt.

 

 

 

The beach is certainly the place to be.  The sound of the ocean is very relaxing and give a person the opportunity to clear your mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did enjoy going out a few times.  Nothing like a nice dinner with your wife. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spending time in Fernandina Beach was also fun.  We got to wander through the shops and enjoy a good cup of coffee.  The dock is also a place with usually something going on.  Here are a couple of pictures we took.

 

 

Family Christmas

This years Family Christmas was in Naselle, WA. We had a great time. Other than the cold rain, the weather was as expected. Here is a picture I took of the kids and their cousin Cassy.

We went up to Radar mountain and played in the snow on Christmas day. Everyone had a blast since we don't get to spend much time together these days with Brycen and Lisa in the Airforce.

It was good to see all the nieces and nephews as well. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I got to spend time with my brothers as we enjoyed watching a Seahawks game in Astoria, OR.

I also spent the night with my cousin Bryan.