sunny florida...and one amazing house

Several weeks ago, our good friends Jon and Amy invited us to vacation with them in Palm Beach at the home of one of his mom's friends. His mom and dad joined as well, and we had a great time visiting with him and enjoying the sun. 

When Richard and I pulled up Thursday night, we weren't expecting to see this! 

not exactly a small little beach cottage

Jon's parents' friend Freddy, apparently deals in high-end real estate and loves antiques. We certainly benefitted from his exquisite taste!

This was the "great room"...where the one-time owner, Durie Malcom, who was rumored to be JFK's first wife, watched movies on a huge drop-down screen. She was a Palm Beach socialite who apparently was also a bit of a recluse.

great room indeed

dining area at the other end of the great room

Richard playing the baby grand

hallway

the master bedroom- I regret not taking a picture of the bathroom!

the pool out back, complete with grecian statues

Jon and Amy's wedding is just a little over a month away, so it was fun to get away and celebrate with them. I know how stressful wedding planning can get, and Jon and Amy were remarkably calm and in good spirits. I imagine being at the beach had something to do with that! 

happy couple

another happy couple :)

We also visited the Breakers resort, ate delicious food, and just enjoyed a few days away from work and responsibility. 

exterior of the Breakers

 Jon and Richard in the Breakers lobby

admiring the golf course at the Breakers

Lilly Pulitzer started her famous line while running a juice stand right off Worth Avenue

loved Palm Beach's Ocean Boulevard

before dinner out in West Palm Beach at Table 26

Jon and his sweet mom before our shrimp dinner

We had a few hours to kill before our flight on Sunday, so did we spend a few more hours on the beach or take it easy wandering through the Worth Avenue shops? Oh no...we hit the road for Miami Beach in our rental Toyota Yaris! Never a dull moment with the Webbs. I definitely liked Palm Beach better than South Beach, but it was interesting to see all the art-deco architecture, drag queens and many cultures Miami had to offer.

enjoying some authentic Cuban food on the way out of town

South Beach scene

our mode of transportation for our Miami Beach tour

And just a few of the fun sights from our tour...bienvenido a Miami! 

the most important thing

I was so blessed last weekend to have time with my ENTIRE immediate family. And my two brothers's sweet girlfriends. I took them around the Capitol, we grilled dinner in the rain, took in the Braves/Nats game and ate lots of good food. I loved, loved having everyone stay at my house, even if it was a bit tight. Opportunities to have everyone together are rare, so I treasured every minute of it. So thankful for my family!

touring the Capitol, in the old Supreme Court Chamber

a bust in the Capitol believed to be the most accurate rendering of President George Washington

Mom, me, Leah and Jeff after our tour- Dad stayed at home to watch Clemson baseball

our bright porch light makes it look sunny outside, but our brave boys were really grilling in the pouring rain

filets, stuffed baked potatoes, tomato pie, pimento cheese and grilled asparagus-delicious

playing Musical Catchphrase- a hilarious exercise with multiple generations present

cheering for the Braves at the Nats stadium

Jeff and Leah

Richard's favorite part of the game is definitely all the snack options- he's enjoyed Ben's Chili Bowl and Shake Shack

cute couples

Dierks Bentley was scheduled to play after the game but had a family emergency, so Big and Rich played instead and were surprising pretty entertaining

group picture after the Big and Rich concert

gentleman all sporting their Southern Tide before lunch at Founding Farmers

and the ladies

Founding Farmers is always wonderful

the perfect weekend cap? Georgetown Cupcakes!