Friday, December 25, 2015

Christmas Day - Space Coast Sightseeing

In the afternoon, M&M and I went out for a driving tour of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (near the Canaveral National Seashore). The scenery was beautiful, and we saw so many different kinds of waterfowl. M2 knows quite a lot about Florida birds and identified and described most of them for us. (I wish I could remember it all, but I've forgotten everything, except that we spotted a relatively hard-to-find large white wading bird with black wing tips... a white ibis, maybe?)

The one-way trail is so narrow. Looking out the car window, the paved lane falls directly into swamp. Kinda makes you nervous, but there were a few other cars out with us, so we were never going to be stranded. Halfway, we stopped at an outlook point. Breathtaking view.


 

 

We also saw a couple of small(ish) alligators sunbathing on a tiny island, and a very old species of bird that never developed oily, water-resistant feathers, so it has to dry its wet feathers in the sun for hours.

On the drive back, we spotted wild pigs on the roadside! We stopped to look (and take pics) and saw a large boar (mother), a medium pig (teen?), and a little piggy (baby) hidden by the grass. Other cars stopped too, and the piggy family retreated into the bush. Brief but marvelous sighting!

 


Lastly, we took a breezy walk through Space View Park to look at the monuments to the crew members of the space program and its many missions. Fascinating and beautifully designed.

 
Shuttle Program
 

 
Apollo Program
 

 

 
Gemini Program
 

 
Indian River
 

 

 
Mercury Program
 

Christmas Day - Family Time

This lovely wreath was given to R by a kind patron. Isn't it pretty~?

 

More pics of the holiday centerpiece that M brought because it's so beautiful (and it smells of fresh pine~).

 

 

The adorable owl gift bag is from M. She gave Mom beautiful earrings, a Gators sweatshirt, herbal tea blends, and beer bread mix.

 

M gave R and me adult coloring books, which is ironic because I got coloring books for M and R! haha! (R and I already bought small packs of colored pencils and crayons, but we never got around to actually getting coloring books.)

(M's gifts: Owl pendant necklaces from R (1 from us*). White topaz heart pendant necklace from Dad. Maxi skirt and retro Star Wars night shirt from Mom. Orphan Black Cosima tee* and Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest &Coloring Book from me.)

Left: R's gifts. Color Therapy and metallic colored pencils from M. Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt & Coloring Book from me (I'll probably use it more than her though, tbh). Green scarf and bell charm key chain from Mom. Statuette of Egyptian cat goddess Bast(et) from Dad. (M also gave R a "hostess gift" of a small decorative plate that says, "We must take adventures in order to find out where we truly belong." Mom and I also got R new, cushioned house slippers, which she had been asking for.)

Right: My gifts. Star Wars Original Trilogy puzzle/poster (it's beautiful~) from Mom. Official Game of Thrones Coloring Book (pretty geektastic and even features Lord of the Rings artist John Howe), colored pencils, and small Batman notebook from M. (R gave me fashion jewelry*. Dad gave me a pretty citrine heart charm/pendant.)

 

Mom also found me this awesome night shirt. Not only is it a) roomy, comfy sleepwear, it's also b) purple, c) Batman merch, and d) on sale (only $3.78)! It's the perfect gift for me! 8D


(We actually did most of the gift exchange last night, but whatever.)

After a morning chat, we all went out for Christmas Day lunch. (I wore my new heart charm with my blue topaz necklace*, matched with the gold/silver-accent black top* and purple headband*. *See birthday post.*)

The holiday lunch buffet at Bapa's Bistro & Bar was quite disappointing (especially for the high price and good reviews). Some of the sides were good, but most of the food was unevenly seasoned (the pumpkin bisque was like salty pumpkin pie mix; the rice pilaf was just rice with sour cranberries; mixed veggies were bland) and/or dry (turkey and roast beef, and the overly-sweet cakes, too). Don't know if the regular menu is as good as people say, but we're definitely not going back for their holiday banquets. :P

But we managed to have a very pleasant meal as a family, so I'd call it a success for M&M. ;) Anyway, here's a pic of the cool-looking (albeit kinda stale and sugary) Yule Log Cake Roll.


After a brief outing, we returned home, ate dinner, and talked some more. What a wonderful winter holiday. ^_^

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Eve

Another holiday feast! :D So wonderful to have M&M with us for dinner. ^^ <3

 
Sweet & Sour Shrimp + Chocolates / Grape Tomatoes w/ Italian Vinaigrette + Baked Salmon

 
Korean Bean Noodles w/ Veggies + White Chicken / Honey Spiral Ham + Cranberry Stuffing 

 
Scallops + Yeast Rolls / Pumpkin Pie + Mandarin Oranges

 
Holiday Centerpiece (thanks, M! it's lovely!) / Sparkling Blueberry + Grape Juice

 
Roast Lamb w/ Mixed Veggies

 
Pineapple Peach Berry Cobbler + Gingerbread Cookies

 
 MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!