Ocala was great. It was so nice getting to spend time with my in laws. We spent time shopping, cooking, baking, watching Virginia and Charlie participate in their neighborhood Christmas musical, and visiting downtown Ocala. Virginia got tickets for us all to tour a home built in 1890 called Seven Sisters Inn. It was such an experience. I love old construction.
We again set a plan to leave Ocala by 2pm so we could arrive in Sebring before dark. . . again another plan bites the dust. We didn't leave until 4:30pm. Jason purchased a truck tool box and spent a lot of time organizing his tools. I guess it needed to be done. The drive to Sebring was easy breezy. Hwy 27 is so nice to drive. Easy to pull over and get gas or food. It was kind of weird using our 5th wheel bathroom and feeling 'at home' and yet being in the middle of a gas station parking lot. It was odd.
Sebring was a good time as well. We ended up getting there around 8:45pm and set up camp in the driveway. Everyone congregated in our 5th wheel living room. We fit 9 people in there comfortably. It was nice to see that we could have a group of people over our house still. Mom, Sean, and Dustin arrived later in the night around 11:00pm. A few conversations later and we were all in bed. It was nice being able to escape to our own home. We could set the thermostat at the temperature we wanted, use our own pillows, etc. When we woke up, we knew we had something to eat guaranteed.
Mom scheduled family pictures at Sears. 8:00am was a tough wake up call after all that driving and the trip we just left, especially when it takes an hour to do your hair. Pictures were kind of a hassle. Trying to fit 12 people into 1 frame is not easy. When the fan in the room in broken and there are 12+ people with body temps @ 98.6 and above, it makes for a really nice sweat box.
We ate a traditional Christmas dinner full of turkey, pork, yams, mashed potatoes, etc. There were 2 new additions to the table this year, 1 being Justin and the other being Sissy (grandma and grandpa's new dog). It just so happened that she was ready to be picked up from the humane society the day we were all there.
We decided to not exchange gifts this year. It just gets too costly and at this point, everyone has everything that they need anyways. Of course mom and Sean had to get for us. They don't think they have to oblige to the rule. Jason and I got some great gifts from them. A customized sign for the 5th wheel, accessories, an ornament, a grill, and a custom vinyl wall quote from our favorite song 'Home'.
After dinner and gifts, we went to the Sebring circle. It's become a family tradition. It was Justin's first year visiting so we had to show him the awesomeness Sebring has to offer :) Dinner after lights was a must. I don't know why people insist on easting Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon and expect that meal to hold everyone over until the next day. Cody's Roadhouse sure did hit the spot followed by a few rounds of catch phrase (it's our families new favorite game).
Our Sunday was spent driving to Camping World, shopping, saying goodbye to Mom, Sean, Dusty, and Tara because she was going back to Orange Park with mom. Grandma and Grandpa drove Jason and I back to the house, stopping for lunch at Manny's Chop House for another amazing meal. The new goodies we bought from Camping World helped out a lot in the packing up process. It only took us a half hour this time. We are getting good.
Our drive back was enjoyable. I just love our road trips. It's where we talk the most. Jason brought up buying a house on the West coast. He mentioned not being too thrilled with the supply on the East coast, adding the cost being higher is just not worth it. Music to my ears. Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, . . . I'll start looking :)
Back to Markham we went. New campsite this time. Closer to the dog park is always appreciated by Miss Taylor. The next 10 days will be spent running errands, catching up on laundry, checking off things on my to do list, and organizing the RV a bit more. Our next destination is Cape Coral for a post Christmas party with the Allis family.
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