I will try very hard to make this the last installment, but I can't promise I'm afraid. After all a year is a very long time, 365 days, and I do waffle a lot......
The next big event of 2011 was our long awaited holiday. Many a happy hour had been spent with our friends planning and booking it. The day finally arrived and we headed off for two weeks in Florida. Our friend knows a guy that works for virgin, and as we handed over our boarding passes to get on the plane we found out we had been upgraded to Premium Economy. Well that certainly is the way to travel, I never ever want to turn left on a plane again! It was a fantastic start to what would turn out to be a fantastic holiday. On our first day in Florida we went to Islands of Adventure, home of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was amazing, as a huge Potter fan I just stood looking around in awe. I couldn't quite believe that I was actually here, and seeing it all first hand. It is an experience that I will never forget, and if I start to I have several hundred pictures to refresh my memory.
Over the course of the two weeks we visited all of the Disney parks, all of which are amazing in their own right, and hold so many happy memories it would be impossible to capture here. We also visited both of the Disney water parks, although Typhoon Lagoon was my favourite, even if I did get sunburn there. I loved each of the Disney parks for different reasons, and I don't think I could pick a favourite. We also visited Islands of Adventure again, and saw the whole park this time instead of just the Harry Potter bit and Universal Studios. We did visit Harry again tho, it would have been a crime not to!
As well as visiting all the parks we also spent a day at the beach. We drove out to Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic coast, and had a great day soaking up the sun, swimming in the sea and experiencing a bit of life as the locals do on a Bank Holiday Weekend. We also drove out to boggy Creek and had an airboat ride, seeing a bit of the local wildlife in the process. We saw a big gator, and an American eagle, and after the ride got to hold a baby gator. All in all an experience not to be missed.
Add to this a bit of shopping in the sales, bagging a few bargains, several nice meals, and a bit of sight seeing and you have a pretty fine holiday. It couldn't get much better could it? Well on the last night we were heading for a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe as a last treat. We discovered that Ce Lo Green was playing at Hard Rock Live next door and the kids were all gutted that we hadn't got tickets. A guy strolls up to the table and asks if we want to go and see the concert, on the house! Of course we said yes, and our last night was rounded off perfectly with only about 1000 people watching Ce Lo perform. It was fantastic, what an experience and what a perfect end to a fantastic holiday.
While we were away there was the small matter of a birthday, my 40th. I had a lovely day, and have come to terms with the idea of being 40 now. It really is just a number!
The rest of the year has passed pretty much in a blur. Back home and back to work, then beginning the count down to Christmas. All was going swimmingly until from totally out of the blue I had the most horrendous pain in my neck and shoulder. Lots of painkillers, Diazepam and goodness knows what else, lots of massages, almost constant heat packs and several weeks later I have come out the other side of my second relapse this year. I somehow managed to get everything sorted for Christmas, with a lot of help, a small miracle as I couldn't drive for weeks, but we got there. Decs up, pressies wrapped and all good to go.
We had a lovely Christmas this year, Hubbs had 4 days off, which is unheard of. We went to the pictures and had a lovely family day on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day brought the usual visits and then dinner at home, perfect! On Boxing Day we went to Stratford to feed the ducks, a tradition that we do on one day over the festive season every year. It was lovely to get some fresh air, and escape for a bit. Then in the afternoon we went to my mum's to catch up with my Step Brother and family. All in all a lovely Christmas, and an extra day to just do nothing, all together.
Which brings us neatly to the end of the year. I shall try and blog more often this year, it will make the round up at the end so much easier.......
C x
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