Before this year officially comes to a close this evening, I want to finish up my November and December recaps and maybe write a few lines about what I hope for this coming year.

I meant to do all this earlier of course, but as is always the case, time got away from me, and I enjoyed spending time with my family over the holidays.

November started off beautifully with a walk at Wakodahatchee Wetlands, one of the wetland areas near my home. This time of year is when the birds start arriving and building their nests. Don’t be surprised if over the next few weeks you’ll see quite a few bird photos appear here. I love watching the chicks hatch and grow until they all fly away again, only to return next year.

Ashley was in heaven when we went to the Twenty One Pilots concert at the BB&T Center in Ft. Lauderdale. She had two friends with her and everyone enjoyed the show. This is our second time seeing them and I have to say, that I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Tyler and Josh sure know how to put on an entertaining and fun show!

The husband and I , also decided to get ourselves some new bicycles, all in the spirit of getting healthier and losing a few pounds. This is my bike, I named her Bluebell, and I love it! So far, I’ve only taken her out for a few spins around the neighborhood, but hope to venture out further soon. Our community is currently under construction, as they are rebuilding the wall by the main road and also the guardhouse, so it’s a bit hard to get in and out of the neighborhood, since the side walks are blocked.

My father-in-law got himself a new boat, a 32 foot World Cat (had to ask the hubby for that info) and he took us out for a sunset cruise and dinner along the Intracoastal. It was one of our cooler evenings here in South Florida, but still super fun and enjoyable. There’s just something about pulling up to a restaurant on a boat. :)

Later in the month, I got myself a pair or boots, my first pair of UGG boots to be exact. I don’t really like the look of the UGG boot that everyone seems to wear as soon as the temperature drops and didn’t think it would be appropriate for our upcoming Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina. I wanted a boot that would keep my feet warm, that could be worn all day in comfort and cold be worn with jeans, or a skirt if needed. I went to multiple stores to see what they had to offer but couldn’t find what I was after and I’m always very hesitant to order shoes online. I don’t like dealing with the hassle of returning them if they don’t fit and would just prefer to try them on. But, I didn’t have a choice, I wanted these boots and since I couldn’t find them locally anywhere, I ordered them and hoped for the best.

Imagine my joy and excitement when they arrived and fit perfectly. I wore them pretty much the whole time we were on our trip and they never gave me any issues. LOVE them!!!

For me, the best thing that happened in November was our trip to the mountains of North Carolina! Every since our first trip 2 summers ago, my heart is in the mountains. I love South Florida, I love living near the ocean and the beach, but for me it’s all about the mountains. I get so happy when we start getting closer and I pretty much can’t stop smiling the whole time we are there.

We usually drive up, with an overnight stop in Savannah, but due to the time constraint, we decided to fly. We flew into Raleigh - direct flight - and drove from there to Sugar Mountain. It’s a pretty pleasant 3 hour drive and was over before we knew it.

This was our view from Moose Cabin. We always rent from the same company - Blue Ridge Vacation Cabins which appears to be Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals now (something I just realized and will have to investigate more) - and so far we have not had any issues. This cabin was so cozy and the view was beautiful. We got lucky that we found something, since this is the busy season in the high country and everything gets booked up super fast.

The best part of this trip? We got to spend it with our best friends and celebrated Thanksgiving together. And I believe, we may make this a yearly event!