Cruisin'

It's been 10 years! I can't believe it. I've been married that long...and to my best friend. What a blessing. We had so much fun traveling to Catalina and then to Ensenada.

At first, after I boarded the boat, I was a little overwhelmed at all of the people that were boarding with us and then had to try to fight my way through the buffet on the Lido deck after which we were forced to eat on the deck under the watchful eye of 2 very hungry and very brave sea gulls. About 30 minutes after boarding, I finally started to relax and people ended up spreading around the ship so it didn't seem like all 2400 people were in the restaurant.

The next few days were so much fun. First, we ate. Then we went to Catalina, rented bikes and climbed up a sweat-inducing hill to the Wrigley Memorial, then we went back to the ship and ate again. Later that night, we ate yet again. Do you kind of get the idea of what the highlight was? Every night there were appetizers, main courses, and desserts. Each person could eat as much as they wanted and it was all included! It was amazing. I tried to make sure I didn't eat past the "feeling full" point but it was pretty impossible with Lobster, Prime Rib, Molten Chocolate Cake, and Shrimp Scampi. Wow.

Once we went to Ensenada, the real adventure began. Will and I signed up for the ATV Excursion and I don't think I realized exactly how dangerous it could be. I had never sat on an ATV before, let alone driven one so it was a little intimidating to ride over rocks, down mountains and up hills with a helmet, goggles, and a handkerchief to block all of the dirt from filling my lungs. Even with the bandana over my mouth, I still managed to eat some dirt and both Will and I looked like we'd bathed in it when we finished. I had so much fun and am glad I got to experience riding an ATV at least once.

The last day, we traveled all day at sea. The seas were a tad rough that day and I got a little seasick but it eased up by 1:00 in the afternoon. We had fun just walking around the ship, shopping in the ship's shops (a little tongue twister) and eating again...

Here's a slide show I made of our trip. I would highly recommend a cruise to anyone who wants to relax, have all of their luggage in one place but see a lot of sights, and eat to your heart's content. It was so much fun to just be the 2 of us and still enjoy each other's company.

My Heart Lies Somewhere Else

This picture brings back memories. In fact, looking at this picture brings tears to my eyes, in a good way. It is a photo from a moment in time, a long time ago. In it are my Great Aunt Leone, my Great Uncle Bill, and 2 of my cousins, William & Caitlyn, in my Papa and Nana's kitchen.

All but my cousins are gone now. Aunt Leone passed away right before I delivered Lynnea. She never met her. I didn't go to her funeral because it was too close to my due date. My Nana moved out of her house after my Papa died, relocating to a small apartment that I haven't even seen yet. And this last week, my Uncle Bill went to meet his Savior after a long battle with congestive heart failure. My heart is heavy. As the rest of my family travels north to say goodbye to this precious man, I stay home. It was a hard decision, one of the hardest I've had to make in a long time. In the end, I decided to stay home and rest after fighting the flu myself and taking care of my family the last 2 weeks as they, too, recovered from their own sicknesses. On Monday, my husband and I take our 10 year anniversary cruise and if I had gone I wouldn't have time to come home and pack everyone up for the week ahead.

I'm going to miss my Uncle Bill. It was really for him that I started this blog in the first place, to let him know the daily happenings of our family. He was housebound for the last few years of his life and spent a lot of time on the computer so I enjoyed giving him new stories of our adventures that he could read. He could feel a part of our family. The loss is so great, it's hard to describe. He and my Aunt Leone are such an important part of my history, my story. Several summers we came to visit my Nana and Papa, my Aunt Leone and Uncle Bill would whisk us away for a day with them at the Boardwalk or the Aquarium. We had so much fun on these days and would cherish every minute spent with them.

One of the last times I saw my Uncle was the last time I saw my Papa. We dropped by his house after visiting my Papa in his nursing home before Cara and I jumped on a plane and headed home. I had Lynnea with me and got this wonderful picture.Then I got this one. Lynnea is mesmerized as my Uncle Bill has a quiet conversation with her before we leave. What a precious sight and one I am so glad I captured on film.
One of my favorite memories of my Uncle Bill was hearing him sing. Each year on my birthday, he would call our house and sing me happy birthday. His voice reminded me of singers in the 40's, smooth and comforting. He would write me poems every birthday as well, especially when I was younger. Each birthday card would come with a poem written especially for me, dreamed up by my Uncle Bill. He had such creativity.

I'm going to miss you, Uncle Bill. I know you're having a party up there in Heaven waiting for all of us slowpokes to join you. I rejoice that you are no longer suffering. What a treasure God has gained this last week. So, my heart lies somewhere else this weekend, with the many family members attending your memorial and celebrating your life. Know that I wish I could be there. You are worthy of a glorious celebration! You have touched my life forever and will be greatly missed.

Hello? Hello? Anyone there??

I must apologize for the lack of blog postings as of late. We've just had so much to do that writing a blog entry is a priority that slipped to the bottom of the pile. Seeing as how I had a few minutes to spare, the kids are mildly distracted with playing outside, and my tummy is full of Swedish pancakes, I thought I'd catch you up a little with what's been goin' on.

Sickness...that's what's been goin' on. You know, I know that God has a sense of humor but he really pushes the limit at times. That sarcasm starts pushing through. (I know God's got a little bit of it in there somewhere. Otherwise, how could I relate?) I have told everyone, "I just pray that my kids don't get sick this next week and I have to go on my CRUISE with a cold or a flu." Yes, everyone, my husband and I are taking a cruise...let's focus on that for a minute. My loving, wonderful husband planned an anniversary cruise for him and me about a year ago and that very cruise is in jeopardy if there is any illness. We leave in a week!!

Enter the flu. Now I don't think my kids have contracted the worst of it but, as of this last week, I've had an older daughter with a fever upward of 103.5, a son whose snot I characterize as "snot rockets" because they literally launch out of the nose and hang there like wayward missiles, and a baby who decided to contract it late in the game and has such a wet face that when she colored it with marker the other day, it just slid off of her face. I keep telling myself, "resist the germs!! Resist!"

*sigh* I need this vacation. I need to sit on the cruise ship and sit...read...relax. I also think, by the end of this week, that I need to invest in hand sanitizer because I've singlehandedly used 3 family's worth all on my own.

On that note, I'll post a few pictures of my kids, pre-illness.

Mikayla with her best friend, Julia demonstrating school pride on crazy hair day.Halloween at our church. They had a puppy petting pen and Tyler thought it was the best thing ever!
Lynnea as a dinosaur (thanks Auntie Cara for the costume!)
Our family went to our class Costume party as knights protecting a princess (Mikayla) from a dragon (Lynnea). Unfortunately, Tyler refused to participate and went instead as Tyler. I made Will and my costumes to match his but it looked like we were the only knights in the family.
Lynnea attempting to be a big girl like her sister and play on the computer. She can't do much except touch the mouse and move it around.
Tyler and one of his favorite gifts from Grammie and Gramps - a bubble gun. It even lights up. Mommy had fun with it too.
And, to end the blog, a picture of Lynnea and her crazy hair. I really don't know what happened before this picture was taken but it looks like she was caught in a wind tunnel. This was before I trimmed her bangs too so that adds to the bushyness. On her, it looks stylish; on me...well, we don't want a picture of that.