Kicking off 2024

We are back in Florida at the Port of the Islands just in time for sunrise and sunset over the port and boats decorated for Christmas.  Journey looks good in her red and white lights.  And lots of visits from the alligators.  This one was posing for Lilia.  We are excited about Christmas this year and spending Christmas Eve with the whole family.  So, lets break out the Grinch cups and Kick off the Christmas season with Lilia time - Don’t you love that hat!
Lilia loves horses and it is time to get her first ride on Cisco. She is so excited that she and Capi are going to ride.  This day gets both Hannah and Jesse back up on a horse with Lilia.  Smiles all around for this little girl.  This season is full of more Christmas fun like making waffles with Capi, Reading books, and lots of snuggles but lets not forget seeing the Christmas lights and feeding the giraffe! All In Capis favorite hat!  Don’t you love that picture.  Super Sweet.  Christmas Eve is here and watching Lilia and Carson is so much fun!  It was great to have everyone together again for my Mom and Dad.  I am not sure how many more we will have together with them.  The night ended with Christmas gifts at Mom and Dads and really watching the little ones open their presents.  Carson had share that time with Lilia this year. Oh, how I loved watching her with the baby doll and carriage.  Such a little momma, but babies do not get names.  Lots of laughs rounded out this Christmas Eve.
We were able to get a little more Lilia time over the holidays having her at the camper to watch her explore and play in a new environment.
Happy New Year from Solmates Journey!  We return in January to Journey to prepare for the run-up into the Okeechobee River to LaBelle for haul out and a bottom job on Journey.  We leave the marina and anchor out at White Horse with a spectacular sunset.  We had some dolphin visitors before…..We hate being on a schedule, but one we are on.  The morning before we head up while a cold front pushes down on top of us as we race to Fort Myers to get tucked in at Gibson Bight.  The sky, the waves, all looks pretty bad, but we pushed in and got anchored just as it passed.  We recovered and then said why sit here lets move on into the river passing through downtown Fort Myers and still seeing remnants of Ian.  We arrive early Sunday into LaBelle and are ready for a Monday morning haul-out.  This is a different kind of haul out and they all make me nervous, but Dee really liked being pulled out on a trailer.  Check it out.  Two days in the yard. Some great service for a bottom job and we are back in the water and headed back to the Port.  This time we really stop and experience this old Florida look with all the cows down at the river.  We anchor at Panther preparing to go back up the channel to the marina and spot the white pelicans for the first time and as always the hunting Osprey are all around.
Now it is time to catch up with old friends at the port of the islands and enjoy some ten thousand island fun and of course getting to know Grady.  One more visit back home to see Lilia before our three month trip to the Bahamas. This quick trip home brought brewery fun, reading more books by all.  Smores and the Life and Science Museum visit. So much fun with her.  WE will miss her so much over the next three months.
We arrive back prepping for the Bahamas and make our trip to St. Pete for our new dinghy and see our Shelby.  This is a sad high field story better left to tell over a strong cocktail.  We pick up our new LeaAnn.  WE are almost ready to untie the lines and head back to the blue blue water of the Bahamas.