Florida 2000

The Smigelskis travelled to Florida for Christmas 2000. They brought along Malorie Clavel, an exchange student from France. Seth was spending Christmas with Malorie's family in Annecy, France. We were very fortunate to have Malorie with us, and were lucky that Seth was with her family. We made a stop in Atlanta, Georgia before heading on to Florida.

This is a street sign in Atlanta that had been left unrepaired.

 

Cousin John opening Christmas presents for the first time on Christmas Eve

 

Owen, Caitlin and Malorie opening their stockings from Santa on Christmas Day. Malorie now has become one of the Smigelski kids, as she experiences their yearly torture of being filmed and photographed while posing with their stockings. Caitlin is having problems hiding her annoyance; Owen is too tired to react.

 

Malorie buries herself in the sand in Sarasota, Florida. Owen and Mom look on, waiting to steal her backpack when she cannot move.

 

   
Caitlin and Malorie briefly go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. It was cold, and they were crazy.

 

 

Caitlin and Malorie pose in front of a sand castle, while Owen (the photographer) attempts to be artistic with the camera angle.

 

Having already spent many days torturing Malorie with long car rides with the Smigelskis, several family dinners, and crummy weather for Florida, the family takes her on a wooden roller coaster at Busch Gardens. In the original photograph, Dad looks like he might cry, Caitlin looks like she is ready to go to sleep, Malorie's eyes are almost closed, and Owen could fit an entire apple in his mouth.

 

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