I've been...AFLOAT!

And because "I've been...AFLOAT"  my unfinished projects are still unfinished!  But, I do have to say it has been worth it!
George and I plus sixteen other friends just returned from a Western Caribbean cruise.  It was great!  The weather was pretty much perfect and I tried really really hard to bring it back with us, but it must have slipped through my fingers.
We had a fun mix of friends, most who didn't know one another at all.  It was fun to see everyone become familiar with each other and become fast friends.  I feel blessed to have SO MANY friends in our lives.
                                
Our Itinerary:

We sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale, FA.  We all flew in on different flights, but luckily Mike and Casie were there a couple of days earlier so they shuttled most everyone from the airport to the ship (Thanks Mike!)

 After boarding the ship it was only a matter of minutes before we found ourselves filling our plates in an attempt to get our stomachs stretched out for the coming week.  I had been trying hard prior to our cruise to lose a few pounds and I vowed to myself that I would maintain control.  Sadly I broke the vow within the first 15 minutes on the ship!

This picture doesn't do it justice, but our first night was the night of  "the big moon."  I know it had a specific title but I don't remember what it was exactly, anyway it was soooo pretty!

Our first port of call was Grand Cayman.  We had made prior arrangements to take a private boat to Sting Ray City.  Our guide, Tina, enthusiastically welcomed us or at least Terry!

    

Jeff and Natalie making friends with a star fish

Omar, preparing us some VERY fresh conch, the "catch of the moment."  I couldn't believe that I was actually brave enough to try it.  However I'll admit I didn't realize it was raw when I did. Had I known that I probably would have chickened out.  After he cut it all up, he mixed up a really good marinade and served it with crackers.

This is Esther.  She was a professional diver and so accomodating and helpful.  The crew made us feel so safe and comfortable.  The swells were a bit high and so the park service wasn't allowing boats to go to the sand bar so instead they took us to the open waters near there and let us out to snorkel.  The waters were amazing!  They were so pretty and clear.  They caught some sting rays for us to hold and even kiss.  It was awesome!

Mike & Casie

The next stop was in Roatan, Hondorus.  The area we docked at was so pretty and inviting.  We couldn't believe how clean everything was.  On this day we had scheduled a zip lining trip. It was a lot of fun!  We all wanted to do it again.

After we got finished ZIPPING through the jungle we found us a couple of vans and drivers to take us on a tour of the island.  I always like to see how people live in an area.  Roatan is such a pretty island. 

 While on our little tour we wanted to see monkeys in the jungle but instead we got to see them at a cute little petting zoo.

 Our drivers then took us to a cool little beach called, Half Moon Bay.  It was a cozy little area in the jungle with little bungalos that people could rent equiped with hamocks hanging on the porches.  It was a great snorkeling and dive spot too!

Cute little girls selling their goods

Jeff, testing the waters

Terry & Tammy, aah sweet!

Third port of call, Cozumel, Mexico.  We were feeling adventurous and so decided upon renting some Dune Buggy hot rods to tour the island.

Our first stop was at some Mayan ruins.  We had a tour guide that was passionate about his job.  It made it really interesting, and he assured us that 2012 is not the end of the world, it's just the end of an era in the Mayan calendar!

After we left the ruins we drove around the island.  The bright blue water was once again, amazing! 

We found a open air restaurant to have some delicious nachos at and another beach to do some snorkeling.

After another day at relaxing at sea, we enjoyed our last and final stop at Princess Cays in the Bahamas. It was a perfect way to end the trip.



Great times!  Thanks to all our friends who joined us in the fun; Mike & Casie, Natalie & Jeff, Terry & Tammy, Charlie & Darlene, Wayne & Annette, Bob & Janet, Burt & Sue and Randall & Paige.

I've Been...LAZY

I have a good idea for my blog!  Each of my posts are going to begin with, "I've Been...."  I figured this would give me a starting point for each entry.  But, sadly since I came up with the idea I've been racking my brain to figure out what "I've Been...up to."  It occured to me that "I've Been...LAZY!" 

You would think that since Spring is around the corner I could motivate myself to do something productive, but it's just not happening. For some reason my motivation seems to come in the Fall.

I do have many things I want to do (and need to do) however.  I've even started a list!

1. Finish Mya's bed skirt
2. Take Tanner shopping for fabric for a new quilt (his is turning to rags and up until recently he has refused to even think of me making a new one.  The other day he told me that it would be okay as long as I made it exactly like his "little blankie." )

3. This and other pillows



4. Do some painting touch-ups on my baseboards, YUK!

5. Finish at least two of my UNFINISHED quilts.

Okay I'm I think that's good for now.  Just think if I get these five things checked off my list I'll have a pretty good "I've Been...PRODUCTIVE"  blog post to do.

It's Okay...

I ran across a blog of one of Kylee's friends and liked her post so since I've been needing and wanting to update my blog I decided to go with this...

IT'S OKAY....

to be proud of yourself.

to spend nearly the entire day lying around and being lazy when know one is home.

to avoid answering the phone when you know it's a telemarketer.

to lick the beaters and eat dough (of any kind).

to ask for help.

to tear up during a Hallmark commercial.

to have way more shoes than you need.

to think YOUR grandkids are the cutest kids out there.

if you don't complete everything on your "to do" list.

if you can't whistle with your fingers.

to fill up shopping carts on every internet shopping site you visit and then just leave it cruising around in cyber space.

At least these things are okay with me!

I RUN....

Yes, I RUN.  I know that surprises a lot of people, but believe me it surprises me MORE!  If anyone would have ever told me 12 years ago that I would ever be able to run a mile I would have laughed.  I clearly remember the day I suggested to George that we go over to the high school track and run a lap.  I made him promise me that he would not let me stop until I had ran ONE complete lap.  I even gave him permission to use any type of verbal encouragement he could come up with, even if it hurt my feelings.  I have to admit, it didn't help.  I COULD NOT run ONE lap.  In fact, I don't think I even got much further than half lap.  I was pathetic.  My crazy hold up was a SEVERE pain under my tongue.  It made it so I could hardly breathe.  This ailment had plagued me for years everytime I overexerted myself.  At that point I concluded once and for all I was NOT a RUNNER!

A year or so later, my co-worker Kandi and I were on a little diet and exercise stint.  She had just had a baby and wanted to work off some of the baby fat, and I had just had my third and last baby ten years prior to that and also wanted to work off some of my baby fat.  So, for lunch we'd grab something quick and healthy and then head out to the track and take a brisk walk during our lunch break. 

Now, although I have some short stubby legs, they can actually walk at a pretty decent pace.  Kandi was having to break into a jog to keep up with them.  This should have been a boost to my ego but instead I felt like a slacker.  Here she was JOGGING and I was merely WALKING.  Finally I gave into the pressure and pushed the memory of the "lap never taken" out of my mind.  I started to JOG!  I still remember completing that first lap around the ENTIRE track and being absolutely elated!  I had done what I NEVER thought I could do.

From there the weather got cold and we decided to spend our lunch break on the inside track at the high school.  One day we were running our typical four laps before we went into our walk and a class came strolling into the gym.  I couldn't very well quite now, could I?  These COOL high school students would think I was slug.  I had no other choice than to keep going.  By the time it was time for us to go back to work, I had RAN my first ever MILE! 

I believe it was at that point that I never looked back.  I started running in the morning with some friends so that I'd could add a little more distance because I had made a goal to run the UTE STAMPEDE 5K FUN RUN.

After we had finished the race that year, one of my friends said, "Can we quit now?"  I told her that we couldn't quit until we're running in the Senior Games.  (which will be here sooner than I care to think about)

Along the way my running partners have changed due to knee injuries and life but I'm SO grateful for the great group of friends I have been able to run with over the past 10 years and the newbies who have joined us since. (Sue Ann, Jill, Tammy B. Tammy M. and Ann) They truly motivate and inspire me, not only with running but with life as well!

A few years ago we did a MARATHON RELAY at  Thanksgiving Point.  It was great!  We had five team members and we each had to run a 5+ mile leg.  When it was all said and done, we had ran a 26.2 mile marathon.  I was satisfied! I even thought that I could proudly boast that, "yes, I ran a marathon."  No one needed to know the details!  But those friends of mine, the ones who motivate and inspire me weren't so satisfied.  From there they thought we should try a HALF MARATHON.  I caved and agreed but made it known that I would NEVER do anymore than that.  I've keep that stand for a years now, especially everytime I finish a half.  The idea of turning right around and doing it again makes me physically and mentally ill.

However motivation and inspiration keeps on coming, how great is that!  Jill, Tammy B. and Tammy M. all did a marathon in 2009.  Sue Ann and I firmly stood our ground and said, "NO WAY!"  We watched them train through the entire summer and we'd join them to a certain point, the point of where they started HATING it.  We were trying to convince ourselves that we were SO GLAD it was them and not us. 

When they had all three accomplished that great and ONE TIME ONLY goal, they were proud and we were proud of them too!  Sue Ann and I talked about it and admitted we were a tiny bit jealous that they could say that they had OFFICIALLY ran a MARATHON and  we couldn't.  In a moment of weakness we said, "LET'S DO IT!"  We put in for the St. George Marathon and realizing we were disappointed when we didn't get in, we knew it was time to make the committment once and for all and make plans to accomplish the goal. 

So that we are sure to get in to the St. George Marathon this year we joined the Runner's Series.  We have to run two St. George races and then VIOLE' we're in!  Our buddies who insisted ONE TIME ONLY will be joining us too!

I know I've got a long way to go, both physically and mentally, but I've already come A LOT further than I EVER dreamed I could!

Running is a BIG DEAL, merely for the fact that it's something that doesn't come easy or natural for me. It's never easy, I don't have a runner's body, or a long beautiful stride. I don't even have a proper runners gait, but running makes me feel like I've accomplished something BIG and because of  THAT I know I can accomplish MANY other BIG things in my life all because I RUN.

2011 Painters St. George Half Marathon

2010 IN REVIEW



2010: A pretty darn good year!



It's obvious that what makes a great year, is a GREAT family.  We are truly blessed to have such an awesome one!  We've had a wonderful year enjoying several moments together. 

As I looked back through pictures taken throughout the year it's crazy to me to see how fast the little people in our lives are growing!  Not only are they growing individually, our family is growing like leaps and bounds.  We are on our way to having SEVEN little ones, with the sixth one coming in just a couple of weeks!  It looks like 2011 is off to a GREAT start as well.

Here are just a few highlights of the year:

JANUARY:  Tubing with the family at Soldier Hollow.  The boys loved it, and when they are having so much fun, we have fun too! Ellie turned 2!

FEBRUARY:  My girls, grandmas and I went to San Francisco to see Wicked.  We had such a great time and are hoping to make it a every other year event.

MARCH: I aged! hence the reason for the memory loss.  Nixon turned ONE!

APRIL: The annual Easter Egg Hunt at Pooper and Papa's is one of the favorite events of the year. 

MAY: Luke graduated as "King of the Kindergarten"

JUNE: George and I went on a trip up the coast of California.  I went to Girls Camp.  We got the yard ready for summer.

JULY: Luke turned 7. Madden was born!  The boys turned into cowboys!

AUGUST: Soaked in every last minute of fun in the sun with the family.

SEPTEMBER: School starts, and with it FOOTBALL!

OCTOBER: We went on a cruise to Mexico and we dressed like crazy WITCHES! 

NOVEMBER:  Thanksgiving at DISNEYLAND, once again with FAMILY!!!

DECEMBER: Tanner turned 5! It's special time of year to remind us of all the wonderful ways we have been BLESSED throughout the year!

I think I can honestly say, "I'm right where I should be"!

MERRY CHRISTMAS MICKEY....

Christmas shopping will be a breeze this year, at least for the most part!  This year Santa took the family to DISNEYLAND for Christmas over Thanksgiving.  We had a great time at the "Happiest Place on Earth"!  It was such a great way to start off the holidays.  There is nothing I truly enjoy more than spending time with my entire family doing things we all like to do.  It was a Christmas gift well worth giving!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

FALL FUN

Other than the fact that the weather starts getting cold, I really like the FUN of FALL.  I doubt that Linzy would agree with me that shucking corn is any FUN at all.  She HATED the cute little corn worms that we're having fun in the cobs!

 However, anything you can do as a family always lends it self to FUN, whether they thought so or not!

 A bit of HEE HAW'S fun...

Bampa & Ellie

The boys shooting corn cobs

Nixon taking grandma down the slide

Finally found our way out of the corn maze

Ellie and Nixon, our leaders.  No wonder it took us sooo long!

Red Bear, our OTHER grandchild, I guess he's actually our GREAT grandchild since Tanner is his dad!

FUN-ABOARD A FUN SHIP...
George won us a trip through his work recently, and although the timing wasn't perfect as far as school and football goes, it was a great get away.

SOME WITCHY WOMEN FUN...

Here we are gathered together in Kristy's bedroom trying to find our new WITCHY identities.  We also give her room a new identity!

Me, Linzy, Kaydee (the good witch) and Kylee

What can I say!

The sister and mommy witches

What's more FUN than getting together and laughing more than you've laughed in a long time!

I love the FUN traditions of FALL!!!