NYE 2013 & Our Miami Getaway- (the Post-2kids "moon")

Goodbye 2013!  Thanks for everything!  We said sayonara to the year 2013 in the comforts of our cozy (perfectly renovated) home with Babi and Deda--- whom we got to see two different times in just the past year!  My dad made his famous New Years "Misa",  a ham, egg, pickle, cheese, tomato spread that is eaten with fresh french bread.  We toasted with prosecco champagne (the boys clinked glasses with us with their sparkling cider), and watched NYE celebrations around the world on TV.  Brad and I were going to attend a NYE/Birthday party for a friend but decided against it since the boys both had fevers the night before and we were leaving for our mini-vaca early next morning.  We instead  had a very mellow evening, and reminisced on the year past.

2013 sure felt like a long and full year with lots of political and weather related catastrophes.  Personally, 2013 year was a great start to what may be a very adventurous chapter of our New York life.  In just that year alone we visited 4 countries, a few islands, 9 states, and 10 new cities!!!! WOW! Yep, our family of 4 sure likes to explore, and its awesome to look back on those experiences and photos!  Between Brad and I, we took weekenders to NYC, Chicago, Vegas, and Los Angeles, including Brad's international work trip to Norway and Sweden.  I especially feel fortunate to have had my girl time in NYC, Chicago, and LA…. 3 in one year!!  The boys and I had adventures to Columbus, Ohio (where we met my sister), Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, PA!  We took a heavenly family vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands, road tripped through New York state, Ontario and Quebec Canada, all the way to Montreal.  Then took another road trip down along the east coast, passing through Washington DC, Alexandria, Virginia, and spending a week in Sunset Beach, North Carolina.  My entire side of my family came to visit our new life during the summer, my parents in June and my sister & family in August.  We endured our first NY Winter and resumed our love for skiing, and first white Easter.  We survived the loooongest Winter, barely experienced our first Spring, raced through a very fun and active Summer mostly spending it out on the boat and on the lake with our friends, and then, dove nose first straight into our 2nd official Autumn.  We survived the renovations of our kitchen (basically the whole 2nd main level), and threw many parties thereafter!! We got through a bit of a Fall slump,  Taji started pre preschool, and we met new groups of friends whom we've really clicked with and enjoyed many dinners and get togethers!  It was my second year in a row making my highly acclaimed Thanksgiving bacon wrapped turkey, Brad and I celebrated our 5th year of marriage and a decade of love.  Then Taji performed at his first Christmas Program, went ice skating and skiing for the first time, and Babi and Deda made it a magically white Christmas!!!

Phew!  Yup, a pretty adventurous and busy year for sure…. all rolled up into only 12 months! I wonder if any other future year will top it?!

The next morning, on the first day of the new year 2014, Brad and I drove to Cleveland airport, hopped on a plane, and escaped the bitter cold in Miami, FL for 2 nights!  Since my parents were visiting for 3 weeks, we had an amazing opportunity to take our first 'kid-less' vacation….. last time we went away without the kids was back in 2011 just before Jax was born, and we went to Palms Springs for 3 nights for Griffin and Jane's wedding.  This time, we were leaving 2 precious cargos behind, and with whom better than Babi and Deda!  It was super nice to get away for a little bit, especially into the heat and sunshine only Miami could provide.  The 3 days we were gone, due to all the crazy cold storms circling the states, we happened to be in the warmest place in the entire nation!!!  Upon arrival, we checked in to the Viceroy Downtown Miami hotel,  had complimentary sunset cocktails on the rooftop overlooking the Atlantic.

We enjoyed the hotel's spa and returned to our room to find a special bottle of champagne and chocolate strawberries! We had a late dinner at the hotel's fab restaurant and then continued onward for drinks at the nearby Mary Brickell Village.

It was heaven being able to sleep in the next morning without the cries and screams of our little ones.  We rolled out of bed, Brad delivered us lattes, and we jumped in the cab and went to South Beach for the day!  The weather was perfect!  We walked around Ocean Drive and Lincoln Avenue, shopped, had lunch at popular southern food restaurant Yard Bird, enjoyed bourbon drinks, a little beach time, more cocktails, and then it was back to the hotel to freshen up and go to dinner.

Untitled from jana grover on Vimeo.

This infamous happy hour bar I got on video brought back so many memories of my wild single days, visiting Miami with my bestie Dina for the first time, well over a decade ago!  Ocean Drive has not changed much, and it was surreal walking down the street now with a husband and my 2 babies at home in New York!  Again, never did I imagine my life would turn out like this, back in the day when I was dancing on bar tops with my friends! HA!

Versace's house

We walked to nearby Epic Hotel for an asian fusion dinner, 

and enjoyed their sky bar- like rooftop lounge.

While mommy and daddy were dining and drinking their way around sunny and warm Miami, our little boys spent a winter wonderland indoors with Babi and Deda…… playing many games of hide n' seek!

Thanks Babi and Deda for giving us a much needed break!