We have the great privilege to be able to travel freely between the US and the NL, even during a pandemic. That doesn't mean that it is easy though. Testing, paperwork, packing, travel with children, layovers, jetlag. It is not for the faint of heart. Just the same, we couldn't have been happier to be on our way to Miami for the Christmas break! The kids and I got a nice upgrade as well!
The weather in Miami could not have been nicer this year. Sunny and in the high 70s/low 80s every day! The kids wasted no time getting in the pool. It was so fun to watch Maeve's progression over our visit, from standing in the shallow end with armbands, to doggy paddling her way across the length of the pool (even putting her head under at times!). They missed over 6 weeks of swim lessons between the lockdown and our trip but got so much more exposure during our time home.
Our first days we spent at home, preparing for Christmas and relaxing.
I really wanted to get to the beach after we arrived, but the kids "don't like the beach" (untrue), so my parents said Pete and I should go on our own. Twist my arm! We stayed for the sunset from Key Biscanye.
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| Jetlag is tough! |
Santa was visiting the nearby shopping center so we went out to eat and got a photo with the big man. Jude told us that he knew mall Santas weren't real, but he seemed very curious about the magic of this one.
Oma and Opa drove down from Massachusetts again this year to see us. Unfortunately, on the first day of their drive down, Opa learned that his friend he went skiing with the week before got COVID. He self-tested each day of their drive and sadly tested positive on the morning they were meant to arrive. Such a difficult situation for everyone. Not wanting to miss the chance to see them, we had them arrange a PCR test locally and vacated the cottage so that they could isolate there until they got their results, which confirmed Opa's diagnosis. Thankfully, Opa did not get very sick (yay, vaccines!) and my parents had secured the use of a friend's apartment for the duration of our visit so that we all had room to stay.
We could still see Oma and Opa, though masked and at a distance in the backyard. Jude was especially sad that Christmas couldn't be the way we had planned. Our sweet, feeling boy. In order to return home to the NL, we had to test negative and didn't want to jeopardize that. Pete was cautioned by work to travel at his own risk so that weighed heavy on us.
The rest of the family went to the children's Christmas Eve service, which was masked and indoors this year. Afterward, we had sushi and then let everyone open one present. The kids were so excited to give the gifts that they had made- seriously the best part of Christmas!
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| 3 years of cloth bags! I love how easy it is to "wrap" presents (and of course the low environmental impact makes me feel better about the consumerism of the holiday) |
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| Oma and Opa opening their stockings |
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| Jude got his much-desired Pokemon cards and said multiple times on Christmas day, "I am just so grateful!" |
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| The kids helped Pops bring the presents from under the tree to the backyard where we could spread out. |
Pete and I cooked Christmas dinner- butternut squash bisque, roast chickens and potatoes, stuffing, gravy, crescent rolls, and green beans. We set up what became our nightly outdoor dining scene.
I was really grateful that we were able to make the most of the holiday and that everyone was so flexible to the changes. Definitely, a Christmas to remember!
