Vacation 2011 - Florida

Best vacation to date. We flew out of Fargo directly to Orlando. Picked up our car and drove to Fort Lauderdale. After a few days of lounging around, we borded the Ruby Princess, and headed out to sea.

This was our first cruise. The staff were excellent, and the ship a wonder. We ate too much, and had lots of fun. There was a performing troup onboard and they gave some great shows. Also were a couple of comedians performing. We had a couple of dancing lessons and saw a couple of movies under the stars. We had signed up for assigned dinner seating, so we ate at 5:30 every night with the same two couples and the same wait team.

Both the other couples were great people around our age and we had fun meeting with them and discussing our day's adventures. Jimmy, our waiter, is Phillipino, and has been working there for 21 years. This was to be his last cruise. He was attentive and friendly and at one point seemed almost hurt at the refusal of the famed White (desert) Menu. Just a great fellow. His assitant waiter, Vladimir, was from the Ukraine, and a sweet young man. He was lots of fun and both of them served us well and made us feel at home.

We had fun exploring the ship, and even took the galley tour. The biggest kitchen I have ever seen! There is a place in the middle of the ship called the Piazza. It opens through thre decks and has continual shows of music and such. We watched the Checkerboard Guy perform his juggling and comedy. Very fun. We had a balcony and loved to stand or sit out and enjoy the night air and warm temps.

Four stops. Princess Cays. This is a beach area on the southern end of Eleuthera, Bahamas. It is owned by Princess. We went kayaking in the surf and walked the tide pools and swan amoung tiny fish.

St. Martin or Sint Maarten is a Dutch island. We went helmet diving and had a great time. Had fish eat out of our hands and held a sea-urchin and sea-spider.

St. Thomas is an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, so our cell phones worked for a while. We went on a pirate schooner (Bones) to Turtle Cove for snorkling. Had a fun time there. The rocks around the port were covered with iguanas. We got rained on. a short strong storm, we just walked around while others ran for covered. We'd been in minus degree blizzards before, a nearly windless 85 degree rainstorm was refreshing.

Last stop was at Grand Turk. The main island of the Turks and Caicos islands. We just sat on the beach and swam in the surf. Very relaxing.

We had a wonderful time there. When we got back to Florida, we went to the Ft. Lauderdale beach and walked it. Then we drove to Orlando.

We spent one day at Disney World. It was disappointing compared to Disneyland. It didn't seem as well run, but it was okay.

The next three days we spent at Universal Studios and had a great time. This guy hates roller coasters. Well, I did. Awesome! we rode every one they had except for this one that just drops you straight down over and over. Saw lots of cool things and got really, really wet.

Well, that's about it, had a great time but missed everybody. It's good to be home.

Happy Anniversary, Darling

I haven't gotten online for this since Thursday, so I'll post it now. I had a great time with you the other night. You are my life=partner, my best friend, the chocolate chips in my chocolate chip cookies, and My darling wife. I love you.

Thursday was our 20th anniversary. for those of you with more time in, I hope you've been as blessed as I have. For thoses who haven't, I'd say work on it and it'll be fun. This is currently the best time of our lives so far. It hasn't always been good, but we've come through a lot and are having fun being together now. I am overwhelmed how great Laurie is.

I worked and she didn't thursday. She met me in Grand Forks and we went to the Bronze Boot for dinner. It is one of those restaurants that looks like it's heyday was 40 years ago. Neon framed boot and all. 50's style architecture. However, inside it is clean, and nice. Thiis place really knows how to cook a steak. They cut their own, and is a place where we go for special occasions. A nice dinner and the server, whom I believe may be one of the owners, is very nice. she brought us a double dish of ice cream, toppings and two spoons to help us celebrate.

I was just thinking about the kids on Thursday, too. Laurie and I went to Disneyland for our honeymoon and then we went there when we were in San Diego this winter as a celebration of the 20 years. But I remembered the times we took the kids, too. Jeremiah and Alex's first time right after Eliza was born and we left her with Nana. We were working for a property management company out of L.A. at the time and we told the boys we had a meeting up there and had no one to look after them all day. We left early and they slept most of the time, but we got to L.A. early amid whines of "Are we there, yet?" And them we pulled into the vast parking lot of Disneyland and the lok on their eyes was priceless. A whirlwind day running from one ride to the next and having one of the best times of my life. Jeremiah pulling the sword from the stone, eating at the Blue Bayou. All of us one my favorite ride, the Pirates of the Carribean. We went to Tom Sawyer island and as soon as we stepped off the little raft, Jeremiah took of and got lost. We found him 10 minutes later with security and wet cheeks. Alex in a stroller, fell asleep during the Electrical Parade. and screaming during the fireworks. We opened and closed it that day. It was great.

Anniversary Passed!

August 8th was the anniversary of our moving to North Dakota! Has it really been 12 Years? I've only been back to San Diego twice but we're going back this fall. A lot of memories, kids growing up, adjusting to new weather, different houses and towns, a great church, and now, Laurie's fantastic new career and my current job that's a departure from what I've always done. Wow... We first moved to Devils Lake into an apartment where some friends of Laurie's lived, Then moved to this house uptown. It had been fixed so two small families could live in it. One in the basement. We've become friends of the landlord and always stop to talk with them when we see them. The house was weird so we moved into this 80 yaer old huge house near downtown. It had one time been 5 apartments but was originally a single family dwelling. Here is where we spent most of our time in ND. Laurie eventually locked herself in the attic that was very big and studied for a year or so when she got into nursing school. It was here that we went through most of the troubles of raising high-spirited children. Here we lost Jeremiah. Then we moved outside Petersburg to our current place. 28 acres of hay and insects. There's a lot that needs to be done but I have never felt so at home in my life. I can sit out on the porch at night and listen to nature and sometimes I think I hear God. I know I see has hand out there. One day, it was evening and this fog rolled in. It was so low that it just sat in the channel that runs across our land. The sun was sinking behind it and the hay had been cut but more had grown. It was magnificent but faded before I could break my rapture and get a camera. One night I was coming back from the barn and walking towards the front of the house. It was lit up from the yard lights and there was this gigantic full moon just above the garage. I had no equipment capable of capturing such a sight but it was wonderous. It's August late, so football's starting which means the weather is changing. We'll be watching for tornadoes and soon the deer will be everywhere. I am so thankful for what I have. I know it really doesn't belong to me, God is just letting me use it. But until he calls me to a better place, I'll cherish this one. Selah.