Empty Nesters again...

Here we are in 2011...... and it's snowing and sleeting in Birmingham as I write this!! Seems like we were just worrying about Y2K a year-or-so ago! Time, as usual, is flying by quickly!
We had a wonderful Christmas. Both boys got to come home... at the same time! That is a rarity these days! We piled our stuff in the car and headed south, to Santa Rosa Beach, FL, where we rented a wonderful house for a week. My mom even came along with us. It was chilly, but otherwise nice weather, and a very relaxing time of sleeping late, walks on the beach,


eating great food,




playing games, taking silly pictures



and watching movies.

Paul arrived first from Iraq.... only took 2 1/2 days for him to travel and we were happy to see him and let him get settled and on Central Standard Time for 2 days.




Once Aaron arrived, Mama and I picked him up at the airport and off to Florida we headed. Harris, ever up to the challenge of timing things exactly, along with Paul in his car, headed to the highway to rendezvous with us going south.... no use convincing him that it was easy to rendezvous at Cracker Barrel.... that was "wasted time" in his eyes. We met up south of town and followed each other to Florida.

This being the off-season, there were few people on the beach so it was perfect for taking pictures. There is a serenity about the ocean,




the birds,



the setting sun and the endless sand.



Peace and quiet was abundant, and sweet talks and walks with our boys are special memories.

Our final blessing was getting together with good friends when we returned from the beach. Our good friends, the Harpers, whose boys were some of my boys' closest friends growing up, invited us over for dinner so the "boys" could all be together one more time.... as you can see the group has grown by two wives and one baby for the Harper boys! One more memory!

Both boys have returned to their homes and jobs, mail is read and clothes washed. We're looking forward to what the year has to hold.

We hope that your celebrations were sweet and memorable as well. May God bless each of you this year.