Just Too Cute for Words!!

Wow! This year went fast! We can't believe she's already turning one!

We've been so blessed with this beautiful child. She's been the light of our lives, and we can't imagine life without her -- very hard to imagine our lives before she came into them. Talk about fulfillment! And grandparenthood is amazing. It should have come first!

She's been such a good baby from the day they brought her home from the hospital. Never fussy, easily consoled, always happy, always smiling (even when she's been sick & running a temp). She plays for hours by herself with her toys; very contented. Her personality is so sweet. Right now, she's a little shy around strangers, a phase she's going through. And I absolutely LOVE the silly faces she makes when she's "faking" trying to cry (if something doesn't suit her fancy) -- the scrunched up nose and eyes, and the pout. It's hilarious! And because we laugh, her pouting doesn't last and then she starts laughing, too.

Thank you God for our blessings with this beautiful child.

The Little Pool

J-Me and I went to Wal*Mart and bought JC a pool...she tried it out at Nani and Pawpaw's house. We'll keep it here until the day of her birthday party, then it will go to Mimi and Granddad's house for the little kids at the party to play in.

The first birthday bash is underway. J-Me came up last week and printed the invitations. I helped put the ribbon on them and stuff envelopes. (Donna, even though you and Ted are gone, you've got an invitation coming.)

Our baby girl has 4 teeth now and getting "a mouthful" according to Pawpaw...I guess he looked! She's growing up quickly now. When I look back at her baby pictures, it just doesn't seem possible that she's this big now -- weighs 21 lbs.



~~~~~~~~~~~~
We went to Ann & Gary's last Friday for the weekend. The guys played golf and Ann and I baked a "practice" cake and decorated it: I'm baking JC's birthday cake and I don't want to disappoint or embarrass anyone (myself included). We made marshmallow fondant for the first time ever -- tasted really good. I need to get this down to a fine art though before next month! The cake tasted wonderful (I used my "old" recipe from back in the 80's when I did cake decorating.)

On Saturday evening, we drove to Austin to go to The Oasis for dinner. There must have been close to 400 people there! It was mind-boggling! But amazingly, we walked in and were seated immediately, even though there were probably 60 people waiting outside. We ate on one of the terraces. Beautiful view of Lake Travis.



And Jim's dinner was to die for! He had talapia with grilled shrimp over it with a mango sauce over all of it. Mmmmmmm! I don't even care for fish, but would definitely order this if we ever go back.



After dinner, we drove around the perimeter of the lake and looked at all the gorgeous and VERY expensive homes... and wondered what these people do for a living or how they got their money to be able to afford this luxurious lifestyle.





Must be some kind of wonderful life.
But I'll keep mine just fine, thank you!

Our 35th Wedding Anniversary Celebration...

We celebrated by going on a 16-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise tour. It was travel agent business for me (I attended a seminar-at-sea for the 2 days we were at sea).

We flew to Venice on Mother's Day. We were met at the airport by a guide and directed to our Mercedes motorcoach that took us as far as it could before land ran out. Then we walked across one of the thousands of bridges over a canal on our trek to our hotel on the Grand Canal. Our luggage was brought by boat to the hotel later. Some of Venice is accessible by foot, but for the most part, it's all by water (water taxi or gondola). Our hotel wouldn't turn the A/C on (until May 15th)...so we slept with open windows. It was pretty hot and I just knew a pigeon would fly into the room! We spent 2 days there: went to St. John's Basilica (saw the effect of the sinking city; so sad); walked through the Bridge of Sighs; St. Mark's Square; took a gondola ride; took a motorboat to Murano Island to a glass blowing factory (didn't buy any Murano glass -- very expensive). My introduction to Italian pizza was here in Venice -- totally unlike American pizza (VERY thin crust)-- I truly can't say I'm crazy about it though.



And it's true -- Americans ARE fat! Europeans walk almost everywhere they go, if not riding Vespa motorscooters. I also noticed their doorways were much narrower than in the States. Some of the hotels' guestroom doorways were not much wider than 2 feet. And Italy is VERY expensive! We purchased a 20 oz. Coke for 3 Euros = $4.50 USD (at that time). OUCH!! But we were thirsty. We discovered that wine is LOTS cheaper by the 750 ml bottle than carbonated beverages or any other beverage. Also, the restaurants have table service tax on top of other taxes...and if they bring you a basket of bread (don't think this is complimentary!), there's a charge for that, too. And then you tip your server on top of all these extras. Our one $14(USD) pizza cost us about $25 when it was all through.

On the 3rd day, we went by motorcoach on the Autostrada to Florence. Gorgeous countryside and mountains. Our hotel was fabulous -- old and very elegant -- lots of marble throughout and vases of fresh cut flowers everywhere. We saw Michelanglelo's David (I secretly took a picture of it). We had lunch in the Tuscany countryside in a 500 year old castle (Castle Verrazano) which is now a winery. The breathtaking views of the mountains and countryside will make you seriously think you'd leave everything behind and move there permanently.



Our tour guide, Anna Maria, took us to a restaurant that night for dinner where the locals go...we had a 5 course meal over a 3-4 hour period of time -- which is how the Italians dine...the food just kept coming (small portions). It was just wonderful. As we were leaving this restaurant, I spotted a cocker spaniel under one of the tables while its owner was dining -- common practice for dogs to be allowed in restaurants.



The 5th day, we went by high-speed train from Florence to Rome. It was amazing to see medieval castles on hillsides (in non-tourist areas) with people still living in them. The Italian countryside was lush, green, and just gorgeous. Their farm equipment is very rustic though, but they seem to do just fine with things we'd consider antiques by now.

And finally... Rome! One needs at least 4 days to see Rome. There's just SO much to see and do there. Another wonderful hotel. We went to the Colosseum:


Hadrian's Arch, the Great Square, the Roman Forum & Roman Baths (gorgeous at night all lit up), saw the Temples of Saturn and Concord, the House of the Vestal Virgins, Tiber Island, and the Mausoleum of Hadrian...and much, much more (I know I'm forgetting things). We walked to the Trevi Fountain and I threw my coin into the fountain. We went into the Pantheon -- magnificent (still used for Christian church services). We toured the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, and St. Peter's Square. Until one actually sees the Sistine Chapel in person, one can't truly appreciate the beauty of Michelangelo's artistry.

Our last night there, our tour guide took us to another non-tourist restaurant on the outskirts of Rome for our "farewell" dinner. Behind the restaurant (which didn't even look like a restaurant) were ruins that were being excavated. We didn't think anything about it because most of Rome is STILL being excavated (everytime they clear land to build something, they discover more ruins). As the evening wore on, I asked our waiter where the bathroom was. Well, I took a wrong turn and ended up finding a wine cellar that was hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old!! I was so excited because it looked like it had once been a dungeon! I found wines dating back to 1964...bottles were covered in a thick layer of dust.

The next afternoon, we embarked on our ship for the next 10 days:
The Celebrity "Solstice" was absolutely magnificent!

She's brand new to the Celebrity fleet. And the food was "to die for". We had Chateaubriand the 2nd night on the ship (formal night) in the MAIN dining room -- NOT in a specialty restaurant. Although the first night on the ship, we did eat in "Murano," one of the 3 specialty restaurants (I had melt-in-your-mouth, fork-tender filet mignon and lobster).

Our first port-of-call was Messina, Sicily. This was the only day it drizzled rain on us. Here's where I saw Sicilian pizza -- THICK, just as I like. It was like a bread dough - 1/2 inch thick and loaded with goodies. Some of the others in our group went to Taormina and said it was beautiful...I wish we'd gone there, too. I just chose the wrong shore excursion -- and we had an impatient guide on top of it.

The second port was Athens (Pirraeus), Greece. We saw the Parthenon and Acropolis, the stadium where the first Olympics were held; and lots of other sites. My favorite part of the tour was going to Plaka -- the shopping district in Athens. Greece is very reasonable with their prices. Our 20 oz. Coke here was 90-cents Euros = $1.40 USD -- about the same as back home.

Third port: Mykonos, Greece. Very similar to Santorini -- stark white stucco buildings & homes; mostly blue roofs and trim. I took my "pride and joy" photo of an old weathered Greek fisherman who was wearing his Greek sailor cap, sitting in a corner of an outdoor cafe, drinking his coffee & smoking his pipe. He looked straight at me with his blue eyes and no expression, and I snapped his picture. It's the best photo I've ever taken. The ship had a photo contest, and had I entered, I know it would have won first place. But I'm being very possessive of this photo -- I don't want it running rampant all over the Internet and no one know who, what, where, when or the why of it, and mainly that it's mine.

Fourth port: Kusadasi and Ephesus, Turkey. Beautiful country; very clean, and the only country where I saw people driving "normally" (then it dawned on me that only the men were driving! OOPS, Ladies!). The people were so nice, friendly, and hospitable. I bought a calling card for 3 Euros and called several people back home -- and still have 10 minutes left on the card. I even had Turkish coffee at Starbucks -- the BEST. We also watched a young woman weave a carpet -- that was just amazing. When walking through the bazaar, you see this a lot. Their carpets are gorgeous, but expensive. It takes the women about 9-10 months to complete an 11 x 14 ft. carpet, and they are only allowed to work 4 hours a day on it.

Fifth port: Rhodes, Greece.

Medieval castle and walled city dating back to the 14th century -- The Crusades period. We walked down the Street of Knights. I got some fantastic photos here, too. 4000 people still live and work inside the walls -- this just amazed me. I found a student's textbook in the garbage dumpster here and brought it home as a souvenir -- it's "all Greek" to me!!

Sixth port: Santorini, Greece. WOW! Breathtaking!! It's a volcanic island...the volcano erupted eons ago and sank. We fell in love with Oia, several miles away from the main city. This is definitely one place we'd love to come back to.
We learned that the reason for the domes and curved roofs of their buildings -- when they have an earthquake, these roofs can withstand the quake better (flat or pitched roofs collapse). We rode the tram down the cliff to the pier -- our other 2 choices were walk or ride a donkey!

Seventh port: Naples, Italy. I definitely chose the wrong shore excursion here. We were on a tour with people with mobility issues -- when the bus would stop, hardly anyone got out to take pictures (actually was kind of nice not to have pushy people around). We were there on a Sunday -- laundry hung out across the balcony railings everywhere; I thought it was kind of quaint. We didn't go to Pompeii, Capri, or the Amalfi Coast. The others in our group had much, much better excursions than us, and beautiful photos of Mt. Vesuvius & Pompeii. I wish we'd seen the more beautiful side of Naples...my teacher-friend, Ann Marie and her family are from there. I just talked to her last night for almost 2 hours, and she told me things that I'd loved to have seen.

This was a trip of a lifetime for us. If the flight to and from Europe wasn't so darn long, we'd consider returning to Florence and/or Santorini. Our flight from Rome to Atlanta was 10.5 hours; by the time we arrived home, we'd been up for 25 hours.

Regardless of the flight, I'd recommend this trip and ship to everyone -- do it at least ONCE in one's lifetime.

For My Daughter's First Mother's Day

BEFORE I WAS A MOM

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt!
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Garden of Daily Living

How To Plant Your Garden

First, you come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses...

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.

Happy 35th to Us!!

Yesterday was our 35th wedding anniversary. What a wonderful milestone!
Tom & Jean came to visit. Tom & Jim played golf, and Jean had to tolerate me on the phone making 3 cruise bookings. We finally got away & met the guys for lunch at CHSausage. Later she and I went to WalMart & Palais Royal for a little shopping!

Jim and I attended my 40th high school reunion over the weekend.

It was a fantastic two days. Everyone's changed (of course)...makes me feel good to know I'm "normal" with my looks (if that makes any sense). People came from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy for this. I was amazed that quite a few classmates live in our county and general area. It was so nice to get reacquainted with classmates I haven't seen in more than 15 years...some I haven't seen since 1969 when we graduated. I truly don't know why I haven't attended a reunion since 1994. I don't remember receiving any news of those reunions. Or it might have been that I have never kept in touch with classmates and felt I wouldn't know anyone there. Sad & not a very good excuse. I've already had a classmate contact me about a reunion cruise in the future. That would be an awesome reunion!


We leave this Saturday morning for Venice, Italy. Then on to Florence and Rome (via train!). On the 15th, we'll embark on the Celebrity Solstice for a 10-day cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean (more of Italy, Sicily, Greece, & Turkey). I've sarted packing...but Jim hasn't. He's going fishing in the morning with John, J-Me's father-in-law. I guess he'll wait until Friday. Gotta' keep those priorities straight, you know: golfing today, fishing tomorrow, packing the following day, and departing the U.S. for 2.5 weeks the next.

Please keep us in your prayers for a safe & uneventful trip. (We return late night of Memorial Day.)
Love & hugs to all!

One Flaw in Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Handbook for 2009

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for meditation and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Share this with everyone you care about.

Matthew 6:33 "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (i.e., wealth, good health, joy, peace, etc.) will be added to you as well."

GOD BLESS EVERYONE!

Wonderful Easter

We had a wonderful "first" Easter with our baby girl. There were probably 30-35 people at her other grandparent's house, and even with all the commotion & everyone holding her, she was her usual good-natured self. We've been so blessed with her. I thank God every night for His hand in this.

We kept her all night Friday night at our house -- her first night without her mommy & daddy. She did great...until Pawpaw coughed in the middle of the night (actually about 5:30 a.m.) and woke her up! I then put her in bed with us, and she slept about 2-3 more hours, but very fitfully. I got smacked in the face with a little hand MANY times during those last few hours of sleep (can't really call it that though...we'd have been better off just calling it quits and getting up!).
Her mommy & daddy came about 1 p.m. to pick her up. Mommy was a bit emotional when she saw her. (We'll be keeping her in about 12-days again for 2 nights/3 days while they're doing a show in Lufkin.)

What tickled us most was her discovery of "the pillow". Jim had been on the floor playing with her and he asked me to get a pillow off the bed because his neck was hurting. JC LOVED that pillow! She crawled over it, rolled on it, hugged it, bounced her head on it, buried her face in it, all the while gigglng and laughing at having so much fun.

She also loves for Zoe (our Imperial Shih Tzu) to bring her dog toys to her. Zoe wants to play... but Cali (the cat) -- THAT's another story. Cali is apparently jealous. Cali usually sleeps in our room either in bed with us or somewhere in the room. But we had the Pack-n-Play bed for the baby in our room that night. Later on, I saw Cali on my kitchen countertop. That's a major "no-no" and I hollared at her to get down (she did). Then about 20 minutes later, I heard this ruckus from the corner cabinets, and that crazy cat had jumped up ON TOP of my upper kitchen cabinets!! I was mortified! I started hollaring at her to get down, all the while she was meowing and trying to figure out how to get down. When she did, I swatted at her with a dishtowel telling her "no". She went under the kitchen table then hissed at me! She's NEVER done that! Then Saturday morning, I didn't shut the door from the house into the garage very good, and the next thing I know, Cali's under my car. She's NEVER wandered into the garage before. She was really "acting out" this weekend. But once the baby left, she's been just fine -- 'cause now she has me all to herself again. I'll have to continue to show her attention & affection when the baby comes back in a week-and-a-half.

I hope everyone had a blessed & wonderful Easter. Ours definitely was.
God Bless!

Our 35th Wedding Anniversary Present

It's official! I received an invitation from Celebrity Cruise Lines to be one of 5 agents selected throughout the US to go on a 16-day Eastern European Cruise Tour!!
I'm so excited and so is Jim. We leave May 9th, and arrive in Venice, Italy on the 10th. After spending 2 days sightseeing there, we'll go to Florence for 2 days of sightseeing, and then go by train to Rome for 2 days before embarking on the 11-day cruise. It will take us to Santorini and Mykonos, Greece; 2 days in Istanbul, then to Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Athens, Greece; Naples/Capri, Italy; back to Rome and our flight home.

Our 35th anniversary will be May 4th, so this is our present and a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I have a little heartbreak though...Jim and I were supposed to keep JC while her mommy & daddy and other grandparents go to Wyoming for Elkfest -- and it just happens to be during our cruise tour (smack in the middle!). I was looking forward to keeping her for 5 days. But J-Me is understanding and flexible. I called the airline & they said JC will fly free (lap child) and all her paraphenalia will be free, too (Pack-n-Play, stroller, carseat)! The condo said there's no charge for her. But the car rental said it's $7/day to rent a carseat (if they don't take theirs). However, the family might want to consider a larger SUV if they're taking all the baby stuff. All-in-all, everything's worked out really well with them having to take her along. Phew!!

This is my last week babysitting JC. Her babysitter will be back from maternity leave next Monday. I know J-Me and J-R-son will be happy to have JC back with familiar faces. She's so much fun to have around. She laughs at everything I do -- she's so easy to please and happy. She's not demanding (her mommy was though!). I sure hope she stays that way throughout her lifetime.

Last Friday night, our good friends Donna and Ted met us at the K of C hall in Hempstead for fried catfish dinner. We brought An-G with us (John was out of town). Later, An-G's brother & his wife, Doug and his family came. Donna was able to finally put names with faces after all these years. When we finished the all-you-can-eat dinner, we went to An-G's house for awhile, then to our house to visit. We sure enjoyed the evening with them.

I have my high school reunion May 1-2. Our class has a website which is really awesome. I've been able to get in touch with people I haven't seen or spoken to in decades! It's amazing how everyone's lives have changed (career choices, spousal choices, children, grandchildren). It's been a lot of fun chatting online with them. I can't wait to see them that weekend.

Oh-oh!! Somebody just woke up from her 30-minute power nap. She's just smiling at me and playing with her stuffed zebra (trying to figure out how to get the tail in her mouth)...guess I'd better see if she won't take a longer nap. Nani's tired & needs a nap!

ENOUGH

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away and has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE...

To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH...

Holy Cow!!! Look what I've done!

I booked a $20,000 Regent Seven Seas cruise!! This is LUXURY at its very finest! Includes an amazing itinerary, gourmet cuisine and beverages, impeccable service, free shore excursions and 1/2 price airfare. These luxury cruises are truly all-inclusive.

I've also graduated from Princess Cruise Lines academy. It was hard work...25 hours of courses -- very intense and took many months to complete. But I did it, and now I'm embarking on the Cunard Cruse Lines courses. I just took my first lesson and passed with a 95. Cunard is a luxury cruise line in the same class category as Regent Seven Seas. The Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Victoria are her ships -- have transatlantic crossings from the U.S. Luxury cruises are geared to the affluent: people whose attitudes and lifestyles want the finer things in life. It doesn't necessarily mean they're rich; some are middle class people who've saved their money for a luxury cruise.

I'd give my right arm to be able to go on one! I'll just have to see what I can arrange, huh?

I did it!!

ANNOUNCING:

I am in the FIRST graduating class of Norwegian Cruise Lines University!! There are 900 of us from the United States and Canada that enrolled in their online course; it's taken about 6-9 months to complete. I graduated March 4th.

AND tonight, I completed my 25 courses necessary to achieve "Commodore" status to graduate from Princess Cruise Line's travel agent program! It's the highest level of cruising expertise with Princess for travel agents/cruise consultants.
Whoo-hoo!!

Also, this past Friday, I've booked another group cruise on Voyager of the Seas for January 31-February 7, 2010 (Galveston, TX). I have 50 cabins ranging from inside to junior suite staterooms; I have ONE family suite that sleeps a maximum of 8 passengers (min. of 5 pax to book this suite -- there are only 2 on the ship!!)

Prices start at $500 per person to $1190 pp. (plus taxes & port charges). (Give me a call for the Family Suite quote.)

I'm also giving $100 onboard ship credit per cabin!

A $50 deposit due April 1st holds a cabin.
Then $450 deposit per cabin along with legal passport names is due on April 15th.
This is fully refundable until Sept. 1st;
at that time another $450 is due with the
final payment due November 15th.

Please spread the word about this amazing cruise with family, friends, coworkers ASAP. Remember, after April 1st, my inventory goes down.

Give me a call if you or anyone you know is interested!
Don't let this awesome opportunity slip by! It's an amazing ship and SO much fun!
The itinerary is great, too (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel).

www.cricketcruise-and-travel.com

February News...

Jim and I (Jan. 26th, 2009)

I keep thinking about our cruise -- a month ago we were spending our last night aboard the ship! It was SO much fun. I'm ready to go somewhere again! Wanderlust is my middle name I think.

Jim in Roatan, Honduras (Jan. 28th) -- such a beautiful island, too.

The Boomers group:
What a fine looking bunch of people!!

DiGiovannis and Hartleys at the Captain's Welcome Back cocktail party (Jan. 26th)

The Shodrocks in Costa Maya, Mexico -- ask him about his Anejo tequila when you see him!! WARNING: he'll start crying!

The LaPoints (Jan. 26th)

The Hewletts (Jan. 26th)

The "Juliets" looking for our "Romeos"!!

And finally -- our entire cruise group (less one couple who left earlier):


I would love to repeat a cruise with this great bunch of people next year.
Everyone was wonderful and a delight to work with. The last night onboard during dinner, I was sent a dozen pink roses and a bottle of wine from 2 of our couples!! Whoo-hoo! That was the ultimate "thank you"!

~~~~~~~~
I've been at J-Me's for 2.5 weeks now babysitting. Their babysitter had her baby 2 weeks ago (a little boy). JC has been sick for almost 4 weeks now -- temperature, some diarrhea, sneezing, congested chest and nose, and a horrible cough. Everything's fine now except the cough has stubbornly hung on. She sure hated the "booger sucker" coming at her!

Then J-Me got sick -- she thinks she had the flu (it was very short-lived). And Jim got sick -- began with sneezing, a temp, chest and nasal congestion -- exact symptoms as JC's. He's been trying to get over it for 2 weeks now, too. JR-son and I haven't been "blessed" yet -- and I pray that we're not!

During the first week at their house, I apparently turned, twisted, lifted, or did something, incorrectly -- I don't remember ever experiencing pain like I've had for the past week. I think picking JC up or putting her down from a standing position to the floor may have spurred this pain on (my fault). I didn't sleep well either because it hurt to move; no position was comfortable (and I missed my own bed and pillow). J-Me took pity on me Thursday and contacted her friend's mother. Beginning this next week, this woman will come to their house and keep the baby during the day. She and I will alternate weeks. So, I have this week "off." This way, I'll be able to get things accomplished at my house that I can't do on the weekends.

An-G and I went to our Ladies Luncheon on Friday and took JC with us. We showed her off! All the ladies couldn't get over how beautiful she is and how good she was at the restaurant. She is a precious child for sure! We all love her so very, very much.

I Believe...

A birth certificate show that we were born. A death certificate shows that we died. Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly . . .

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what ou've learned from them...and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life...

Love to all of you, LeAnne and Jim

Newsy News

Lots has happened this past month.

The adoption finalization took place and JC's all ours. The judge's courtroom was awash with stuffed animals and childrens books set up all over the courtroom. Every family got to choose an animal and book when their finalization was over. Then everyone went into the jury deliberation room for punch and cookies. It was really, really very special. Even grandparents came before the judge, raised our right hands and swore to love our babies for the rest of our lives.

Two days later, we left for our group cruise: 56 people. There were people who didn't know each other, but everyone enjoyed meeting the others. We held "court" at the Pig & Whistle Pub on the ship! We had such a wonderful time. The food was amazing, the service was awesome (our waiter would announce dessert by saying "It's yummy yummy time!"), and the entertainment was fantastic. The first night had a comedienne who was absolutely hilarious -- with a "clean" act. Our ports-of-call were wonderful, too. The Honduras is absolutely breathtaking -- our excursion took us completely around the island. We also went to "The Castle" where they carve cameos. They were gorgeous. The president of Honduras came aboard our ship for a luncheon with our captain, so the ship left an hour later than scheduled. That was nice, 'cause everyone was able to stay longer on the island. We also liked Costa Maya, Mexico. There are 2 salt water swimming pools for all guests to enjoy right near the pier. We got a little sunburned that day. Cozumel is, well, still Cozumel. I've been there so many times since 1994, that it's difficult to get excited about the place. I will say though, it's changed & grown in just the 3 years since I've been there.

And finally, Jim had his surgery this past Tuesday. It was a 4 hour procedure, and he had an allergic reaction to the dye which was used to see if the kidneys, ureters, and bladder were working. Blood pressure & respiration plummeted, but the doctors got him back to the living! When his surgeon came out to speak to me, he told me that in his 23 years of surgery and 3,000 patients, this was the first time this has ever happened to him! Once Jim got to his room, he was up walking later that evening. He would have been discharged the next day, but he felt he should stay one more day to make sure everything was going well. So I brought him to J-Me's on Thursday to spend the night with them. Then we came home on Friday. He's had no pain, just a sore abdomen (like someone punched him), and is getting around well -- slowly and carefully. He goes back to the doctor on Tuesday for a cystogram and then hopefully the Foley will be removed. The final pathology will not be for about 6 weeks. At that time the doctor will be able to either pronounce him cancer free or not. I do want to say many heartfelt thanks to everyone for your calls, prayers and well wishes. We appreciate them so much!

TWO Teeth!!

Received a late night phone call from J-Me on Thursday -- her 8-mo. pregnant babysitter was in the ER and wasn't sure if her doctor would keep her overnight for observation (unrelated to her baby). So Jim went to J-Me's to babysit Friday morning until I could get there at noon to relieve him. I had 2 morning appointments and didn't want to cancel them, and he had a friend coming over in the afternoon, so it all worked out.

JC played all day with us...loved sitting in her play thing-a-ma-jiggy and making things spin, sing, and light up. She didn't get much napping done with either Pawpaw or Nani! She's so precious! And such a good, good baby.

I spoke to J-Me this morning and she said JC spent the night in her own room and bed last night! They've got an audio monitor & video camera set up and can see her on the TV monitor in their bedroom. She said JC slept all night and did really well. I asked how THEY did -- she said "alright". The TV was too bright and lit up the room keeping them awake. I'm sure nervousness & worry played a large part, too.

Jim and I might get to keep JC for 5-6 days in May. Her mommy & daddy might be flying to Wyoming for business, and she wouldn't be able to go along. JC's other grandparents will be going with them, too. Oh what FUN Jim and I will have!!!

We leave in 1 week on our cruise. 56 people going!! I hope everything goes well. I'm anxious to meet some of these people who've I've spoken to on the phone for the past 4 months.

First tooth!!

Our sweet baby girl cut her first tooth the day Pawpaw took her and her mommy to the photographer's studio for Christmas photos! He came home that night and told me. When they came for Christmas Eve, I got to see -- and feel (that sucker's SHARP!).

She is such a sweet baby! So good-natured. I'm sure the "terribles" are around the bend somewhere.

Everyone took me out to eat at Outback Steakhouse for my b-day. It was nice and I was stuffed! Way too much food for one person to eat, but I did my darndest to make a happy plate.

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