I can't believe my family has come and gone already! The days definitely went by fast but we enjoyed our time together or at least I did. They had their own adventure driving down here to see me but once they got here Tuesday, it was nonstop. Words cannot describe how excited I was to hear, "Ms. Halstead, you have visitors here. Would you like to see them?" on Tuesday. Once my parents and Madelyn walked in the room, I gave them all big hugs and became so grateful that I could finally give them a hug and not just listen to their voice. We passed out pen pal letters to my class and then Mom wanted a few pictures of them, of course. And by a few, I mean enough to supply a yearbook for them if they wanted one. After getting all of our pictures and introducing my family to various people at school, we headed to my apartment so I could pack for the hotel. The rest of our evening was very laid back and we walked along in the beach as we hunted for dinner.
On Wednesday, Mom had planned for us to go on a tour of Miami. She had a list of different destinations in the Miami area that we drove and walked to throughout the day. We saw some beautiful beaches, pretty foliage (Mom's personal favorite), and my family was able to experience the warm Miami weather as we walked around. My parents learned quickly that not many things, including parking, are free in Miami. Mom was able to get lots of pretty shots taken that day in hopes of making a book out of them as well as framing them for the house. I'm going to hold her to it! That evening, Mom wanted to use a coupon for Bath and Body Works so we ventured to the Aventura Mall. Aventura is a little south of where I live and also a very high-end/fancy area and the shops in there reflected that. The inside was beautifully decorated for Christmas already so naturally Mom wanted a few pictures. After getting our exercise in for the day, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing evening.
Thanksgiving day was a bit different as many would expect this year. We decided to sleep in a bit and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on t.v. like we normally do but after that, we headed out to go eat our Thanksgiving meal of the day. I had made reservations at a restaurant in a resort nearby for 1:30 which is the normal time we eat Thanksgiving lunch back home. The resort was very nice and right on the ocean. Our meal was delicious and just filling enough. No leftovers for this family though. We were able to eat some pumpkin pie and have a little wine with it so it felt a little like home. We all agreed as a family though, that while some do this for Thanksgiving, it wasn't for us. After we finished our meal and attempted to take some pictures in the windy weather, we drove around and walked along the beach for a bit. The rest of our day was pretty easy going. Since not many places are open on Thanksgiving, we were able to talk more and also go to bed early since we planned on going to the airboat tour the next day.
We had been putting off the airboat tour all week because none of us wanted to wake up early (by that I mean Mom, Mad, and I) but we finally pulled ourselves up early enough to go on Friday. The drive was around an hour but we finally made it out to Gator Park. We looked around the park for a bit before getting on the airboat with our Skipper, Dan, and people from all over the world! Living down here, I am pretty aware that we have lots of people from South and Central America as well as Haiti but there were visitors from different parts of Europe so I was reminded of how popular Miami really is. While on the airboat, we saw several gators and birds as well as the actual Everglades. I have driven past them but it was neat to actually be in them and hearing more about them. While they are not the most scenic, they do house lots of animals and wildlife. The Everglades are getting smaller though and as I read more about them, I wish they weren't. I guess I'm starting to really take ownership of where I live or at least the nature aspect of it. After a wet airboat ride, we got to see some different reptiles and a skunk! I even got to hold Larry the alligator! Mind you, it's mouth was taped shut but it was still something I could cross off my list! We went back to the hotel to change into our color-coordinated clothing for our beach shot and then headed to the beach again. After taking the ever-popular white and khaki beach picture, we wandered around for a little while once again. Mom wanted to do some shopping so we dropped Dad off at the hotel and headed to Kohl's for a little girl time. After looking at lots of things I wanted and Mom purchasing a few items including a new school shirt for me, we headed back to the hotel around 9. Since Mom, Dad, and Mad were headed back to Kansas the next morning, we had to get our packing done the night before.
After a good night's sleep, Saturday morning came fast. We grabbed some breakfast from the hotel before my family dropped me back off at my apartment. I remembered that I actually live here and not in the hotel. We all exchanged hugs and reminded one another that Christmas was less than 3 weeks away before they headed on their way home to Kansas and me up to my apartment. I continued to sleep a bit before doing absolutely nothing with the rest of my day. I will admit I was a bit down after watching my family leave so finding motivation to do anything was very difficult. I did all my lessons the next day though so don't worry!
Monday has come and gone already! The day went faster than I anticipated. I have a feeling that's how the next 3 weeks will go which means I better start planning for my trip home! Okay I'm jumping ahead of myself because I do have a lot to get done at school before I head back home but it will come fast. Until then, watch and wait for Jesus to come and enjoy your first week of Advent!
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