I'm back!

My visits here have been scarce the  last few months. I purposely cut back in the summer because we were busy with my youngest son's graduation, the parties, preparing for college, fall baseball and I also wanted to spend more time outside instead of inside at the computer. We have enough cold months here in western NY state when I can work on my blog plenty. I still enjoyed reading just as often and of course I spent as much time in my hammock as possible!

I was also busy preparing for a trip my hubby won from Kmart. Last November he bought $10 worth of odds and ends, presented his Kmart rewards card at the register for an added discount, and when the cashier handed him his receipt she told him he won a prize. When he got home he read the receipt closely and although it didn't say what he had won it did say that it must be claimed by November 30th. It was November 30th. He drove back to the store and the nice lady at the desk looked it up for him and told him he won a trip! He didn't really believe it at first (and neither did I) but eventually we got the paperwork for a 4 day/3 night stay at Universal Resort in Orlando, Florida including airfare, 3 day passes to the parks, a room at the Hard Rock Hotel, transportation to hotel and airport, and $500 spending money!!! Since it was for 4 people and there are 5 of us we used the money to buy an extra plane ticket,  park passes and shuttle pass.

We had a year to use the trip so we went this week - left Monday morning and returned very late Thursday night. I have to say that I've never been much of a traveler and didn't take many vacations as a kid or as an adult. It was the first time all 5 of us had traveled together by plane. Let me just say that I could get to used to it real fast! It was wonderful! The weather was perfect, the accommodations and entertainment were amazing, everyone was so kind and the crowds and lines weren't bad. The huge pool with sandy beach, 2 hot tubs, beach volleyball court, club house, fountains, palm trees, rock music, etc., etc. was my very favorite place to be. Of course we ventured out on the winding walking paths or by water taxi to the parks and restaurants every day and night. We experienced as much as possible while we were there and had such fun. Alas, it had to come to an end and now we are back to our rainy, chilly weather with our trees almost bare. But our dogs were very happy to see us and it's always good to be home. I might not be sitting in the sand with a good book but I do have my cozy fireplace to read near.

Thank you, dear hubby, for using your card at Kmart that day! It was the trip of a lifetime and we all loved it. Since we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary I'm hoping that maybe you can win us another trip for our next big one. Maybe our 26th??

Paradise! This is the pool as you step out of the hotel, and what a pool it was.

From the beach club at the far end of the pool facing back towards the hotel.

Universal Studios theme parks (view from our water taxi)

Hogwarts!