tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-666357623605856972024-03-12T19:49:18.414-04:00Trips and StoriesI have created this Blog so I can journal our trips and travels that my famiy makes and then be able to share it with our friends and family...Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-91719392464343255292013-02-16T16:01:00.000-05:002013-02-16T16:01:40.386-05:00Valentines 2013<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xM81Nl9hNI/UR_zlnh2LFI/AAAAAAAACVk/EQvE-3ERTqw/s1600/Valentines+trip+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xM81Nl9hNI/UR_zlnh2LFI/AAAAAAAACVk/EQvE-3ERTqw/s320/Valentines+trip+2013.jpg" /></a>
Valentines 2013-Love for Life Conference in Lynchburg, VA
"Up Close and Personal"
Each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself.
Ephesians 5:33
Someone has said, "Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener."
How true. You start marriage from a distance. Your honeymoon view is soft and fuzzy, filtered through a fine mist of warm feelings. Goose bumps. Everything appears to be perfectly put together. But the closer you get to one another, the more flaws you see.
If you were looking at me from across the room, there are some things you couldn't tell about me from that vantage point. You wouldn't be able to see that a childhood case of chicken pox left a noticeable scar on my forehead. You wouldn't notice the little nick I got right above my eyebrow from sledding into a fence when I was five years old.
Marriage is much like that, isn't it? The longer you are together, the more things you learn about this man or woman--this person you once kissed at a candlelit altar--that are not very pleasant, not too pretty. Marriage truly is the process of two selfish people learning to love one another in the midst of their imperfections.
For some, that's where divorce is born . . . if not actual legal divorce, then emotional divorce. But for you, it can be where love and commitment grow, as you draw closer and closer without rejecting the other or fearing rejection yourself.
That's what Jesus did when He saw you. Love motivated Him to move toward people who were unlovable. And in the ongoing experience of marriage, He gives you the opportunity to embody His kind of love each day, getting up close and personal, forgiving, persevering, growing in Christ by refusing to grow apart. In marriage, life is lived in very close proximity. You need Christ to love your spouse through you, despite your spouse's flaws, disappointments and weaknesses.
Thomas and I attended the conference and truly enjoyed it. We spent the night in Lynchburg then when we woke we were ready to have breakfast. We went to Historic downtown Lynchburg to eat at "Market at Main". The morning is overcast with occasional snow flakes as we walked downtown and enjoyed our time together. With 8 years of marriage we both agree, I would choose YOU again!Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-74608567555220548072009-12-24T16:28:00.000-05:002009-12-24T16:35:49.994-05:00December 5-12, 2009 Trip to San Antonio and Austin, TexasWell friends/family, this will be my first trip home to Texas for any holiday since I married my amazing, handsome husband 5 years ago. Yes I know this is not Christmas yet but I’m learning in my older ages not to be so rigid that I miss an opportunity. You might be saying “opportunity, what opportunity is in a holiday” and I’d say an opportunity to NOT be closed minded and therefore making memories at times that I typically would not exercise because I would claim it to be sac religious because its “not yet the holidays” so I’m getting out of my ruts! Anyway, last year at this time when Thomas and I attended the AARC National Meeting in California they announced this years meeting to be in San Antonio, TX. Oh my, I have a chance to mix business with pleasure since Austin, TX is home and it is down the highway about 72 miles-lucky me. So Thomas and I booked Caitlynn’s flight using a free voucher on US Airways from Roanoke to Austin for the dates and we booked ourselves later (when there was a good sale on flights from Delta) to fly to San Antonio for the conference but extending our stay to include time with my family. As time prevails, Justin got scheduled for his first swim (Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th) meet in San Antonio during our stay. Caitlynn’s flight was to and from Austin so that she could visit Nicole and her family while we were in San Antonio for our meeting but now Nicole’s family will have to be in San Antonio for the swim meet by 9 AM. Caitlynn arrives at 11:20 AM-Austin, we arrive at 12:30 PM-San Antonio so we will figure the change out as it transpires….<br /><br />We started packing and getting ready for our trip on Friday the 4th. I prepared Marcus’s family’s gifts and Nicole’s family’s gift and shipped them to myself at Nicole’s house because we will be celebrating Christmas at her house on the Friday the 11th while we are there. I have not seen the kids open their Christmas gifts since Justin was a baby so I am excited. Nicole is going to cook the traditional meal for all of us also. I shipped the boxes to be sure their arrival beat ours so we’d have gifts to share with everyone. The work day came to a close and we began completing tasks to prepare for our trip-Thomas doing Sleep EZ payroll, personal accounting and back ups for computer files (he said in case our house catches on fire while we’re gone-ok?). I packed for both of us (this works best for us), prepared the Rat Dogs food, etc., cleaned out the refrigerator, took out the trash and consulted with Caitlynn as she packed herself and talked to several friends on her cell. It got to be almost 1 AM and as I completed my expense report for Sleep EZ, I had to get the calculator off Thomas’s desk then returned to work from our dining room table. Thomas came up to me and asked “what did you think of the sack?” I was unsure what he was referring to so I kept trying to get him to give me more details. He finally told me “the sack sitting in his desk seat upstairs” but I was still clueless. He wanted me to go upstairs and look at it……I followed him to his office and in his desk chair sat a big black gift bag with red tissue paper draped over the edges of it. He looked at me and smiled to indicate ‘that is the sack’ he referred to. I walk over to it and began unpacking it to find a black/white Michael Jackson designed purse (the one Caitlynn had Diane at She’s International in Salem, VA hold for her until she returns Dec 15th) then below it was an awesome saggy bag purse tote that I spotted that same day Caitlynn and I were “window shopping” at She’s International. I loved it the minute I saw it, it was made in Morocco but even with the discounted price (discounted 75%) it was still out of my league. So I just marveled over it but put it back on the shelf as my lust for it must have been obvious to Diane the owner. She is a flight attendant the flies internationally and opened this store 4 years ago this coming January and stocks it with items she purchases on her travels so they are very unique, which I love!! Thomas had bought my gray pearl drop earrings from here last year so Diane must have contacted Thomas to tell him of my drooling over this bag and in Thomas fashion-here it sits before my eyes! He had also bought the Michael Jackson purse for Caitlynn and I told him to go ahead and give it to her since we were leaving to celebrate Christmas in Texas. He thought it would be funny if he put the bag on the front porch then ring the doorbell, after all it is almost 1 AM and Caitlynn is in her room talking to Lindsey Page on her cell. Naturally I grabbed my camera and waited for the excitement as I was first standing in the upstairs hallway right outside her bedroom. Thomas did just as he calculated and rand the doorbell several times, just enough to get the Rat Dogs on alert! I heard her tell Lindsey, “oh my gosh, who is ringing our doorbell this time of night!” I guess she then looked out her bedroom windows to see if she could see a visitor’s vehicle in our driveway-when she did not she commented to Lindsey, “who in the world is here?” Thomas opened the door and yelled up the stairs (as I crept down and positioned myself to take pictures when she came down) “Caitlynn there is a girl here to see you”. She kept saying “who is it, I don’t see any cars?” Thomas told her a couple of times he did not know but he pretended to ‘tell the girl to wait on the porch until she gets here’. Finally as she continually commented as she got off her cell and started coming downstairs, Thomas waited next to the front door. He said, “she’ll just stand outside until you come down here”. As she rounded the bottom steps she asked Thomas where I was and when she looked around the corner and saw me she said “why are ya’ll being so creepy-this is just weird”. She looked outside and did not see anyone and so she started to open the front door as she reminded us, “There better NOT be someone jumping out to scare me-this is creepy!” Caitlynn finally opened the door and saw the big black gift bag sitting there and she retrieved it to the living room where she took the tissue paper out and then saw the purse she had asked Diane to hold for her so she could purchase it after her return from Texas-she was so happy! She thanked Thomas then hugged us as she returned back to her room for a couple of hours before we are to depart; she was sure to move her things over to the new purse so she could take it on her trip to Texas though. <br /> I washed my face and completed our packing. The Rat Dogs always know when we are getting ready for a trip and pull out the luggage so they mope around in sadness as I gather things but they are always ready for bed when we are! Thomas and I called it DONE at 1:40 AM and I set the alarm for 3:30 AM (nice cat nap)….<br /><br />The alarm disrupted my fragmented sleep as I can’t ever sleep well if I have a flight because I go over in my mind everything to pack and things needed so my mind just won’t go off. It was raining and they are predicting 2-3 inches of snow here today. I woke Thomas and Caitlynn 15 minutes before we needed to walk out the door at 4:15 AM so we would have time to stop at the ATM also. I got Caitlynn checked in at the ticket counter as Thomas parked the car then she headed off thru security. Thomas came inside and we got our tickets then we went thru security and sat with her at her gate until she departed. As we made our way to our gate for a 30-40 minute wait we ran into Robyn Goodpasture (owner of StudioFit 365) and her husband Richard, all 3 kids and her mother-in-law as they are going to Disney for a week. We visited with them and chatted as we all made our way thru the Atlanta airport and said our good-byes as Thomas and I were in search of some place to eat breakfast and kill the next 3 hours of our layover. Chili’s Too served us breakfast and I played with my cell as I answered emails then started reading my new book that Thomas got for me earlier this week by Sarah Palin “Going Rogue” and he played with his new 10” inch netbook (mini laptop) before we made our connection here then we were in flight to San Antonio. Caitlynn had made her layover and connection in a timely fashion en route to Austin as scheduled-she sent me texts to update me. Upon our arrival to San Antonio, I gathered the luggage while Thomas went to the Hertz counter and retrieved our reservation. He asked the gentleman if they had gotten snow and he responded “I counted 13 flakes”. We left and drove to the Convention Center to register for our conference and attend the exhibits. The weather is cool at 45 degrees and windy but no rain here. Nicole and her family were picking Caitlynn up at the airport in Austin since Justin had just finished his first swim meet in San Antonio-doing well and will continue tomorrow here in San Antonio. <br /> The Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center sits on the Riverwalk (the Paseo del Rio) which we will see in more detail later; this is Thomas’s first time in San Antonio ever! San Antonio, deep in the heart of Texas is the 7th largest city in the U.S. The cultures and milestones of San Antonio’s history converge like tributaries of a great and colorful river, always flowing and vibrant with life. Indian roots and foundation of the Missions. European immigration, Spanish and Mexican heritage create the rustic reach of frontier days, the city-slick style of cattle baron boom time. A festive spirit of scents and sounds surrounds La Villita Historic Arts Village that welcomes you downtown along with the thick stone walls of the unforgettable Alamo. I brought Jason with me and Caitlynn one time when visiting home but Thomas was working and not able to come with us. Jason loves roller coasters so we went to Sea World and Fiesta Texas just to ride coasters while I had him here-we had a good time!<br /> Thomas and I went through the exhibit halls to see products, etc. that this conference is known for-it is actually overwhelming at the volume. One of the booths had massage chairs that you sit in and place these ‘glasses’ on with ear pieces and a video that shows while you look through them. We like to stop at the various booths to see new products, ask questions, and gather samples if needed. We also made our way to the Roche pharmaceutical booth to register for the 5K run/fun walk that I will do in the morning at 6:30 AM, Thomas has decided he would do the fun walk while I run (after I coaxed him along with the lady at the booth). He first suggested that since he walked at the Drumstick Dash week before last he wouldn’t need to do another walk but we encouraged him to step outside his normal routine for the good of our bodies-especially at our age. I always say that at my age when I show up for a race and finish; in my mind I’ve won. I’ll keep running until the good Lord decides I’m done!<br /> Talked to Nicole and Caitlynn as they were going to take a nap since both of them were up so early today, Thomas and I were listening to Karen (the GPS) direct us to check into our condo which is near New Braunfels, TX. but is actually located right in Gruene, TX. We had originally booked our stay here because Marcus and Michelle were living in New Braunfels, Nicole in Pflugerville and our conference would be in San Antonio so it would allow us to be in the middle of all that we would be driving to and from for the week. But since then Marcus’s family moved from their house closer to Austin so we are further than we need to be to see the family but good for the conference so it’ll work for us. We had not had lunch and its late afternoon now so we were in search of something with Texas style for my husband. Ahhh yes, “Chuy’s”-an Austin area tradition <a href="http://www.chuys.com/">www.chuys.com</a> so Thomas and I bellied up to the bar area because the NCAA Football playoffs are in full force and we needed to sit where we could see a TV as Florida #1 and Alabama #2 are playing as we speak. We ate Mexican food and I drank Sangria (the best I’ve ever tasted!) and had sopapillas for our dessert. You can stand by the kitchen area and watch them make these along with tortillas by hand-ummm the taste of fresh tortillas! We left at the halftime during the game and went to check in at the condo: WorldMark by Wyndham located at 1546 Gruene Rd., Gruene, TX. <a href="http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/">www.worldmarktheclub.com</a> As usual we were very pleased with our accommodations and resumed watching the football game with Alabama upsetting Florida and winning. Next is U.T. #3 vs. Nebraska #22 playing in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium with an attendance of 76,200 people-Texans LOVE football! Thomas and I only went to 1 V.T. (VA Tech) game this season and it was against Nebraska. It was as exciting as V.T. won in the last 3 seconds of the game so this will be a good game to watch Nebraska again. This year Heisman nominees consist of both Colt McCoy-the U.T. quarterback and Tim Tebow-the Florida quarterback, just like last year so this year it will be exciting again. During the first half of the Texas game Thomas ran to the store to gather basic essentials we will need here at the condo for the week, he made a pit stop at “Rudy’s” <a href="http://www.rudys.com/">www.rudys.com</a> for Texas barbeque and brought it back to eat as we watched the game. I couldn’t eat because I still felt full from our late lunch and I was watching the game. The Longhorns won within the last 3 minutes of the game, I thought I would be sick before it was over! It was won by a field goal kick in the last second of the game-holy cow!! After taking a deep breath and relaxing its time for bed so I can be rested for the run in the morning. Talked to Nicole and Caitlynn earlier as she’s staying the night with them-they were going to bed earlier…..good night my family. <br /><br />Up and at ‘em by 6:20 AM as we drove into San Antonio on a cold, drizzly day with 41 degree weather-expected high of 53 for the day. Not much traffic to contend with since it is Sunday, December 06, 2009. The Roche pharmaceutical 5K Run/Fun Walk is this morning at 7 AM with the start being at the convention center intersection of Market St. and Alamo St. During the run it was cool to see several groups from the army and marines running (they are all respiratory therapist), they sang as they ran. After the race Thomas and I drove to the facility address that Nicole had given us where Justin’s swim team would compete again today. It was actually only 2 ½ miles from the convention center and when we arrived I called Nicole. She and the girls were driving from Pflugerville and had left later than Juan and Justin so they were still about 45 minutes away but she thought the boys should already be here. We went in and saved enough space on the bleachers for most of us but no sign of the Palacios boys yet; there were a lot of people! Thomas and I were among tons of swimming kids and their parents but knew no one, shortly after we scoped out the place I noticed at the opposite end of the warm-up pool Juan and Justin coming around. Of course I ran up to them and hugged Justin first then Juan. Justin had to find his coach/team so he could start his warm-up laps. Thomas and I watched all around us, this place has 3 pools with lanes and the middle one being used for competition when it begins at 9 AM. The girls arrived about 8:40 AM and I immediately hugged Allison as she went to sit by Uncle Thomas then hugged Nicole and took the baby-Miss Lauren with me to sit here with Thomas and Caitlynn since Nicole needed to sit down by the team. Justin was in 2 different events today (breast stroke and butterfly) with 1 being this AM then the last would be closer to lunchtime after the other heats. As we waited we played with the girls and Justin would come down to “update us on the stats and times” periodically. As Miss Lauren got bored Caitlynn and I would walk around with her to see all the sights. She loved looking at the Christmas tree in the entrance. Towards the end before Justin’s finally heat she was restless so Nicole put “Yo Gabba Gabba” on her IPhone for her to watch-she is always mesmerized with that show. It’s creepy as it seems to have a very calming affect on her. <br /> Justin was lining up for his heat when I positioned myself for some great photo ops when I realized that the referee was moving him to a different lane then back, no now to another one. Coach Flow was with Justin but I knew that he would be frazzled by this since he likes plans to go as planned-we waited in anticipation. As the start began I took multiple pictures as I did all day so far and a lady next to me started talking about her son who was also swimming right now. He is actually 2 years older than Justin and she told me the story of him doing this event (butterfly) to compete when he first started 2 years ago and she specifically asked the coach not to put him back competing with this particular stroke because of its difficulty since she didn’t want her son to be discouraged by it and not compete; until he could develop into a stronger more confident swimmer…..blah, blah, blah as she talks I see Justin dropping back as he swims then the motion of the ‘line referee’ that he was disqualified at the wall where he turns and my heart sank! He kept swimming but I knew why this lady chose for her son not to compete for a couple of years for this stroke, its difficult and tiring. At the completion of the event we all made our way to Nicole’s sitting area as Justin was coming with Juan. As he got close to his mom I could see he was upset and as he leaned toward Nicole to tell her what happened (disqualified for not touching the turn with both hands) he was teary eyed with disappointment. I thought it was best to tell him how well he had done for his first meet, hug him then let him talk to his parents as we took the girls with us to head to our vehicles. As Nicole came walking outside Thomas and I had opened the back of her Explorer and let Lauren play around as we played hide and seek with her laughing the whole time. I told Nicole the story that the lady had shared with me in hopes that they would later request Justin not compete in the breast stroke for the next few events to let him get stronger-this is his first time to compete and he’s only been swimming a few months as an organized sport. Justin came walking out with his dad and walked straight to Juan’s Mustang and got in. Thomas and I took Allison with us in her booster seat while Nicole drove Caitlynn, Lauren in her car seat. She has a new car seat that faces the front now-she’s getting to be a big girl. Justin was in no mood to talk and he was disappointed but I think he did very well. His personality is an achiever and he has that passion to win. As Vince Lombardi said-Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Justin needs a little time with his dad and he will be fine. <br /> They followed us to the condo, (we decided that “us girls” would all go get lunch for the crew and bring it back to eat at the condo together) while we drove Allison entertained us with her conversation of many things. We asked her what she’s like to eat and as usual she responded, “chicken, but I still don’t have feathers yet!” She says this because she eats chicken everywhere they go when eating out so Justin tells her she is going to turn into a chicken-everytime! Then the song from the Black-Eyed Peas was on the radio so she sang “Boom, Boom, Pow…..” as Thomas and I looked at each other she laughed and covered her mouth as she winked at Uncle Thomas. She asked about where we were staying and I described it to her, the stairs that go upstairs and all. She responded “did you know I don’t really like steps because one time I came down them and fell”. I assured her we’d keep a watchful eye on her so she didn’t get hurt while visiting there with us. Allison wanted to know if we were there yet, I told her “about 15 minutes”. She said, “my dad gets tired when he gets home, swimming makes him tired” and we chuckled at her comment. She added “one time after swim lessons I tried shrimp but Justin would not try one bite, I liked it” then Uncle Thomas and I had to agree because we both like shrimp too. As we continued our drive from San Antonio to Gruene she tells us that she and Justin always ask their mom “are we there yet so my mom says about an hour and its really only 50 seconds”. Kid’s concept of time cracks me up! Then I asked her about her alphabet and had her tell me what several words started with, she said her class is learning about the letter “C”. “Like Cathy Cole” she reports to us. I told Thomas that her teacher calls her “Ally” at school and Thomas commented “Alley Cat”, Allison replied “yeah my mom calls me that.” Thomas and I looked at each other and smiled as we have heard stories from her mom about her Alley Cat moods at times. I told Thomas that Allison is left-handed like him and so I had her show me which hand she writes with; Allison told us “Kristen my Sista Girl does too but Ashley has red hair and doesn’t write with this hand” as she holds up her left hand for us to see…..<br /> The kids came running in the condo and were excited about its size and the arrangement of the rooms upstairs. Allison decided to stay with the guys so Nicole drove the rest of us ladies to Ruby’s (we ALL agreed on Rudy’s even though Thomas had it last night-he was ready for it again) to pickup a family size serving of their variety of meats and sides (our favorite side is their corn, it’s a creamed style and is delectable!). Caitlynn sat in the vehicle with Miss Lauren as we retrieved the goods. I had to get a Big Red to drink since we do not have them in VA (I got a 20 ounce only though). Upon our return, Thomas had been playing with Allison as he taught her to hold his hands, walk up his body then when she got high enough he’d flip her over-she loves this! We organized the food, blessed it and partook of it together as we watched the pre-game for the Dallas Cowboys. Juan and Thomas are both huge fans (for life) and were ramping up for the game. After we ate Caitlynn and I walked down to the Recreation Room to take Justin to play pool, Allison to play video games, and Lauren to admire all the sites (or things she could get into-haha). After a bit Nicole joined us so she, Allison and I went into the lobby and fixed ourselves some hot tea and had our own version of a tea party. Justin met a young man his age that was there with his grandmother and smaller brother so they played a couple of pool games together and enjoyed themselves. I showed the girls the outside hot tub and heated pool but its too cold for the kids this time, maybe next time. We returned to the condo and finished watching the football game with the guys. Nicole and I laughed because every time Lauren would be brought down from the stairs she’d immediately walk over to Thomas and hold her hands out so he’d pick her up then she’d put her head on his shoulder and just stay there for a bit as he rubbed her back-then down again she’d go. Thomas loves cuddly little girls and how can you resist those cute cheeks? The game came to an end and it was around 6:40 PM so the Palacios loaded their kids and my daughter and drove to Pflugerville for school and work tomorrow. Caitlynn and Nicole had been talking about KK coming and visiting, every day on their cell phones for weeks so she went with them so Thomas and I could go to class to next 2 days in San Antonio. After they left Thomas and I made a trip in the dark to the hot tub and relaxed a bit. The day has been cloudy and drizzly but it is coming to a close. We went back to our room to catch the Heisman nominee presentation then off to bed with my new book by Sarah Palin “Going Rogue”-it’s very good (thank you husband for getting it for me). <br />And if tonight my soul may find her peace in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.~D.H. Lawrence<br /><br />Monday, December 07, 2009-Class, class, classes. After Thomas and I had gone our separate ways for different topics-he did homecare and I did sleep, we made our way to have a beverage at the Wyndham that is attached to the convention center when we were finished. We watched highlights for Monday night football for tonight’s game then decided since the weather was still gloomy to back to Gruene for dinner then we’d be settled in for some football and a nice quiet evening. Thomas had walked a little on the Riverwalk in between a couple of his classes but since the weather was still wet and cool, we’d give it another day or two to clear before walking on the Riverwalk together for a stroll. As we drove back to Gruene I suggested to Thomas the Gristmill Restaurant www.gristmillrestaurant.com since they have good steaks and awesome chicken-fried steak (which I preferred) and he had not eaten there before. Since it was dark when we arrived, the town was brilliant with Christmas lights decorating their old-fashioned town. Historic Gruene’s town motto is “gently resisting change since 1872”. The story is that German farmers were the first settlers arriving in Texas in the mid-1840’s with one being named Ernest Gruene and his bride Antoinette that established the new city New Braunfels but acreage was scarce. Ernest and his 2 sons purchased land just down the river, and Ernest built the first home in Gruene in early fachwerk style. His 2nd son built his home and planted his surrounding land with cotton. Having become the number one cash crop, the cotton business soon brought 20-30 families. The rest is history as they say.<br /> We walked past Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in Texas and it still functions as a dance hall too) and then down the pavers to our restaurant of choice. The restaurant is beneath the water tower in historic Gruene district. Situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels (between Austin and San Antonio), the Gruene cotton gin processed crops raised by area farmers until the wooden structure burned to the ground in 1922. All that remains of the water-powered mill today is the three story brick boiler room – now the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar. As suspected we ordered just that, Thomas a steak and I ordered their awesome chicken-fried steak. Our meal was good, scenery great as the restaurant was quiet but a roaring fire was inviting as we ate with soft Christmas music playing amongst us. We even had dessert-Thomas said it was the best pecan pie he’d ever eaten (Jack Daniels whiskey was an ingredient), I’m thinking it was the Blue Bell vanilla ice cream that topped it!<br />We drove back to the condo to call it a night and I talked to Nicole and Caitlynn as they were planning our Christmas meal for Friday and preparing their list of groceries we would need. The kids were enjoying KK being with them.<br /> So here we are in bed after our fulfilling meal at the Gristmill, watching Monday night football. During a commercial Thomas pulled up yahoo news on his wireless netbook and informs me that Danica Patrick will be driving in Nascar next year. She has been driving Formula 1 series for the last few years now-that should be exciting! As I have a very full belly, I'm warm and comfortable, lying next to the best man in the world (whom I happen to share my life with since he is my soulmate), and at peace-fell right to sleep before the 1st quarter was completed. I was out for the count. Ready for more classes tomorrow; Good Night Texas. <br /><br />Tuesday, December 08, 2009-today looks like yesterdays weather, drizzly and 51 degrees-high expect 57 degrees when we woke bright and early to travel since our classes start at 8:30 AM. As we drove into San Antonio there was the usual I-35 traffic, backed up so Thomas saw a sign for Shipley’s Donuts (he LOVES donuts) <a href="http://www.shipleydonuts.ws/">www.shipleydonuts.ws</a> and he exited off. I looked up just as he started to make the exit and saw the sign myself and I knew exactly what was going through his mind! <br />Welcome to Shipley Do-Nuts: For over 73 years, we have been providing people with delicious do-nuts and pastries. And we continue that tradition today with over 220 locations throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico. We are always serving up fresh do-nuts, warm kolaches, freshly brewed coffee, ice cold milk and many other delicious breakfast favorites. Come visit your local Shipley Do-Nuts and Make Life Delicious™<br />He ordered 2 kolaches and an apple fritter that he delighted in eating, we shared the kolaches as he merged back onto I-35 and we resumed our route….<br />Our classes were finishing up today but I had a complete full day-he would finish before me today but we were meeting up for our lunch break. Our lunch break began at 11:10 AM so that gave us a good amount of time to walk along the Riverwalk as the rain/mist was minimal; Thomas and I headed left at river level for a stroll. We walked until there was construction on one side then went up and over a walking path that out us on the other side as we weighed our options for lunch. I still feel full from last night's meal! After evaluating our options we chose Rio Rio (one of Nicole’s favorite restaurants. I brought the Booth’s here to eat last Sept when Matt graduated from Air Force Academy also) <a href="http://www.rioriocantina.com/">www.rioriocantina.com</a> as the prices looked more reasonable for lunch and the environment was festive and offered good Tex-Mex food as it sits on the Riverwalk. We always enjoy our meals together, it just slows time it seems to me. <br /> I had been texting Marcus to see if we could meet for dinner afterwards somewhere in between them and us. He picked out San Marcos and was picking the girls up from school, taking them home to change them and we’d meet around 5:30 PM. Thomas finished before me by several hours so he drove around San Antonio to do a little sight seeing then picked me up as my classes ended.<br /> Thomas and I drove to meet Marcus, Mihailey, and Mallorey at Jason’s Deli in San Marcos for dinner and to give them their Christmas presents from us and spend some time with them. I haven’t seen the Miller girls (or their parents) since January 2009 so I am excited. I love to see the little people that they become and grow into each time I get to visit them. Michelle got a migraine this afternoon so she will not be joining us, maybe we can catch her later this week before we go home. The girls came in with Marcus and of course I immediately ran to them and hugged them both then their dad. Marcus never changes but it’s always good to see him-he’s such a good dad. Mihailey and Mallorey are only half a head difference in height but they’ve both gotten tall, still cute as buttons! Mallorey reminded me she is in PreK now (she goes to Primrose School where Mihailey used to go) and Mihailey is in 1st grade. Mihailey made note to me that they typically learn cursive writing in 2nd grade but she’s already doing it. I asked her if she liked printing or cursive better and she replied “printing for now.” Mallorey’s favorite food when I asked her is strawberries and Mihailey agrees those are her favorite too! Mallorey has really developed quite a personality, she talks much more-and freely; I love it! She said her favorite class at school is art, Mihailey agreed that she likes it too. The 5 of us ate as we talked and got caught up with each other. It was neat to me that Mihailey recalls the trip when I took the 2 of them with Justin and Allison to Wildlife Ranch and Landa Park to paddle boat with them all-by myself. We had a great time, including riding a train thru the park not once but twice in one day and we ate ice cream twice in one day-good times! As we talked and ate, Mallorey just sat right next to Thomas (with me on the end of the table) and gave him a hug and kiss. He grinned as he didn’t even have to ask or negotiate for either! Mallorey displayed her counting skills for us as she counted very well until she got to 50. Mihailey practiced singing Feliz Navidad as she is taking Spanish classes after school. She wasn’t shy a bit as she belted out the tune, she and her sister wanted to sing a Christmas song before they opened their presents for us-so we all did. After Feliz Navidad, Mallorey chose Jingle Bells and we sang along. Mihailey was curious where Caitlynn was and I told her at Nicole’s so I had them pose and took a picture with my phone and text it to Nicole to share with Caitlynn and the kids. We opted to sample the ice cream for dessert at Jason’s Deli so we all went to the salad bar/ice cream area and indulged. Some of us topped our cones with chocolate syrup-that would definitely mean me! The girls opened their gifts when we all finished our desserts and the girls giggled because Thomas picked out the gift bags to put the gifts in-Mihailey got the large bag with Barbie on it and Mallorey got the small bag with Tweety. Mihailey has always loved Tweety Bird so we explained to them it was only because of their gift sizes that it actually ended up that way, they really didn’t care. The girls danced, told us stories and then Thomas joined in as the girls were teaching him a little hand holding, tangling, and dancing-they giggled as he did it with them as they stood next to our table. Mihailey showed us her doubled jointed pointer fingers and Mallorey practiced writing her name for us as she is left-handed it seems. She says she writes her name well “when she does it 3 times” so we watched as she did it 5 times and chuckled. I asked the girls how their 2 dogs are (Desi and Sadie-Desi’s a Rat Terrior) and they told me “fine”, Marcus replied “getting old”. I laughed as Caitlynn and I have always thought they had the best behaved dogs as they have never slept on the beds or gotten on the furniture but instead have their dog beds on the bedroom floor in Marcus and Michelle’s room, even go to bed and stay when Marcus tells them to-who’s dogs do that? Marcus said now that Sadie has gotten to snore so bad they have her sleep in the closet with the door shut, Mihailey smiled as she reported to us “I open the door in the mornings to let her out.” Thomas was amazed; we told them that our Gizmo would have the door torn apart by morning if we tried that! Mihailey has a miniature rabbit now that she got for her birthday this year and its crate is next to Marcus’s desk so when it ‘rearranges the cedar shavings, it decorates his desk’ he told us; we all laughed. Marcus said that Mihailey gave up cheer camp to do dance which she will have a camp this coming weekend in Austin. <br /> After the time slipped away quickly, it was almost 7 PM before we knew it and it was time for them to head home so the girls could be in bed at their bedtime of 8 PM. It’s sad to say goodbye and it never seems that I get to spend much time with them but its time now. We took pictures and escorted them to their car and I helped each of them into their seats, hugged and kissed each then said our farewells as I told them that I would check with their dad to see what their schedules are for later this week-hopefully we will be able to see them again before we leave for VA. <br /> Thomas and I were amazed at how much the sky had cleared since we arrived here in San Marcos and it continues to be clear enough to see the stars, off to the condo. We arrived and immediately changed and walked to the hot tub. There was 1 older lady in the heated pool that we spoke to a little then she was joined by her son shortly. When he got into the hot tub he and Thomas began talking about travel, accommodations, etc. His mom then joined us and we all talked until it came to talking about what we do for a living and ironically the lady wears a CPAP so the conversation shifted to that subject. She had 3 children (1 was this son with her) and lost 1 in a car wreck with a drunk driver after being in a coma for 8 months, back in the 90’s. I shared with her that I too had lost a child and she agrees that no matter how long the time has been (14 yrs in Aug this year for me) it still seems as if it were just yesterday. She has also buried 3 husbands and is married to #4 who is on a CPAP also-funny the people you meet in life. They left after a bit and Thomas and I were behind them shortly as we were going back to our place and settled in for the night. After all my journeys in life, I still have mountains to climb at this point in my life. Before I take another step down that path of life or make mistakes, I ask that God allow me to live as if love is all that matters. I want to fill that space in your heart Thomas with every kiss and warm embrace, all the days of our life’s journeys. Sweet Dreams to all.<br /><br />Wednesday, December 9, 2009-woke to a clear sunny morning with the wind 14 MPH and the looks from inside is deceiving as you step outside to the 39 degrees! The high is expected to be 48 degrees for the day. Happy Birthday Juan Palacios and Deborah James. Thomas and I actually had no immediate agenda this morning so I let him do what he loves the most while on vacation-sleep in until he wakes. It is rarely past 9 AM usually but I think its just the thought of not ‘having to get up at a specific time’. I fixed us breakfast as I played music on my laptop Itunes as we enjoyed a low key morning. I packed our things for the nights stay in Pflugerville at Nicole’s and straightened the condo since we are trading places with Nicole and Juan tonight as they will come and stay here for the night to celebrate Juan’s birthday-quietly and alone! <br /> Thomas and I drove into Gruene, TX (2-3 blocks from our condo) to the Gruene Winery. We had seen signs pointing to the ‘New Gruene Winery-Now Open’ when we came to eat Monday night so our wheels had been turning and we were curious. We knew we’d have a little bit of time today before we needed to be in Pflugerville to get Nicole on the road to our condo so she could meet Juan. So as you all know, Thomas and I love our wine and the times we can visit wineries is a luxury for us. I tease our kids and tell them that our goal in life is to spend their inheritance on stocking our wine cellar! As we parked the car and got out I looked around with great Texas pride when I gazed upon several birdhouses on the porch of the winery that were made out of old cowboy boots. <br /> The Winery on The Gruene is located at 1308 Gruene Rd., Gruene, TX. <a href="http://www.gruenewinery.com/">www.gruenewinery.com</a> Their motto is: The best wine I ever had, I made myself. They have fruit infused wines because they do not grow any of their own grapes. The juices are shipped from Canada mostly (Thomas was proud as the gentleman told us this) and from all over different parts of the country. They get the grape juice and bottle here and label. They do not provide tours because our host informed us “there really is nothing to see other than a bunch of plastic bottles and labels being put on”. We moved to the tasting area and sat on bar stools and began talking to our host as he turned on his computer and pulled Pandora (online free internet music) up to play Christmas music for our enjoyment. I pointed out to Thomas that the tasting fee was only $1.25 for 4 wines and $5.00 if you wanted to keep the glass, we have plenty of glasses so we will pass on that. (we actually have more wine glasses than we do any other type of glasses so Caitlynn’s friends drink sweet tea or juice in wine glasses when they visit us) Thomas and I got to know our host as we chose our samplings. Thomas chose his 4 to be: Texas Dark Rose (good fruit, smooth, robust finish), Pinot Noir (extra smooth), Rosa Grande (great fruit), and Harbor Red (awesome). My choices were: Gruene Watermelon (I rated it a 4 out of 5-nice summer wine with hint of watermelon on its finish), Harbor White (lovely smell of chocolate, pecan, amaretto. Warm flavor but its smell is better then its taste), Cool Breeze (typical ice wine-good with balanced flavor), and White Tail (slightly dry, crisp clear and clean-rated 4 out of 5). A “batch” is what they refer to as a case, it’s average cost is $199-289.00. Our host is retired military and ship yard since 1996, works part-time here and enjoys it. We discussed the wine laws and the difficulty shipping in/out of Texas. I told him that Lubbock is now “wet” as of about 2 months ago. He was familiar with that area of the high plains. Lubbock had always been “dry” and people had to drive to The Strip to purchased alcohol or beer of any kind. The Strip was an area located outside the city limits and it was lit up like Vegas with multiple stores to choose from for your purchases. They tried passing a law to legalize alcohol/beer in Lubbock for as long as I can remember and it just passed here recently. <br /> Our host began pouring our samples that were 1/3-1/2 glass in size-EACH. So after our samplings we were thinking that if you’re on a limited budget and wanting a little wine tasting-this is your place! When he poured Thomas’s red wines he used an aerator-wine decanter called “Soiree” that fits in the mouth of the bottle. <a href="http://www.winesoiree.com/">www.winesoiree.com</a> It has a glass chamber that allows wine to achieve its fullest taste, bouquet by adding the essential ingredient that every wine needs-oxygen. Giving every glass a breath of air! <br /> Speaking of air-we were ready for some as we are now going to find a winery that Karen Richter had given me a bottle of wonderful wine, way back in the day (maybe 8 years ago?) from the winery named Sister Creek. We put the name in the GPS but it couldn’t find it so I googled it on my cell phone and it found it and gave me the address, which I used it for the GPS to map our route. The google search said that Sisterdale, TX (the town that the winery resides in) has a population of 25-25 whole people, is that a town? Thomas and I drove thru the Texas Hill Country looking for the winery established in 1988 and is home of Sister Creek Vineyards in a cotton gin that originated in 1885. The story goes like this: Sisterdale-A vineyard in its past. <br />Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels came to Texas in 1845 and founded the town of New Braunfels. Two years later, Nicolaus Zink started the Sisterdale settlement in the valley where the East and West Sister Vreeks flow into the Guadalupe River. The Sisterdale settlement, the second oldest town in the Texas Hill Country, attracted a group of German “free thinkers”, also known as the Latin Colonies who studied Latin and shunned organized religion. These immigrants very judiciously cut cypress trees from the Sister Creeks and used the wood for home construction, furniture and cabinet making. The Latin Colonies, which included nobility in their ranks, lasted only a few years. Thinking they would be able to farm part of the day and spend part of the day studying poetry, literature, and music, they quickly realized they knew nothing about farming and that survival would consume most of their time. After the initial settlement, Sisterdale enjoyed continued growth over the next few years with the influx of Germans fleeing the failed European revolution in 1848. In 1850, Ernst Kapp and Dr. Rudolph Wipprecht, also immigrating for political reasons, established the Hydropathic Instuition in Sisterdale which promoted cures with mineral waters. The Comfort Museum displays Hermann Lunkwitz’s lithograph illustrating water cure processes. Kapp became the first professor of languages at Texas A&M. Recently, a professor from the University of Chicago doing research on ancestors from the area, discovered a historical publication indicating that vineyards were planted in Sisterdale in the 1860’s. In addition, his research indicated that the small limestone building adjacent to the current winery was probably the site for the first permanent home, after the initial log cabin, in the Sisterdale area; the Zink home. The 1885 cotton gin which houses the Sister Creek winery was in operation until 1927. At that time the boll-weevil infested the cotton fields in the Sisterdale Valley. Inability to eradicate this infestation eventually forced the closing of the cotton gin. Sisterdale Valley Historic District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.<br /> So we have arrived at 1142 Sisterdale Rd., Sisterdale, TX, 78006, 830-324-6704 <a href="http://www.sistercreekvineyards.com/">www.sistercreekvineyards.com</a> They are known for producing an extraordinary, slightly carbonated Muscat Canelli (the one I sampled years earlier and LOVED-that’s why we ARE here, need I remind you?). For over 20 years they have been employing Bordeaux and Burgundy wine making techniques to produce fine traditional wines in addition to the Muscat Canelli. The winery was very cool as it is a very nostalgic setting with original wood floors and currently decorated for Christmas. I had no idea they would have such a wide selection of wines when we arrived. They offer a self-guided tour and the older gentleman at the counter was on the phone taking a wine order but excused himself long enough to inform us about the tour. We took the sheet and went on our way to see their processes for their wines. Their wine is aged in 60 gallon oak barrels, while minimum filtration and fining allows retention of the fullest flavor. Upon completion of the tour we joined our host at the counter and chatted with him a bit about their wines. They have the traditional wines; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon blends and Merlot. The host informed us that they get all their grapes still with stems and what they do not grow themselves; they get mostly from the High Plains of Texas-Lubbock. They ONLY do business with vineyards not wineries. Once the grapes are received it takes 2 days at the most to get the tubs back, ready for more. He explained to us about the Muscat grape as Thomas had confused it with the Muscadine grape that he does not like. The Muscat grape is from the Old World and was the 1st grape known to be cultivated, here in Texas they refer to it as “the Mustang” grape. As you can see by most of their wines they are dry (my least favorite) so Thomas did a full tasting and when he thought I’d like one, he would give me the last sip. I, on the other hand knew without a doubt that I would be sampling both the Muscat Canelli and Muscat Canelli Reserve. Oh yes, I was not disappointed nor was Thomas with any of his samplings. Our next chore was to figure out how to take some home but of course we joined their wine club (Caitlynn will roll her eyes if she finds this out so we just won’t tell her). We chose the Platinum Club which gives us a 20% discount of 6 bottles shipped 6 times a year; we chose the mixed types of wine. We decided to take our first shipment with us now so he gave us our discount with this purchase of 6 bottles and he sold us a box that could be used for shipping. The only downfall to that is it has to be shipped within TX because of the shipping laws but where it goes personally after that is no concern of theirs so we gave them Nicole’s address (she’ll love that). After our nice visit and grand selections we took pictures outside near the cotton gin entrance and put Nicole’s address into Karen (GPS) so we could be on our way to her house. It indicated we were about 70 miles from there so off we went, admiring the hill country with the many ranches along the roads. <br /> With a Dairy Queen sign down the road a little distance, I thought now would be as good as any time to grab a bite and let Thomas experience a steak finger basket at the DQ. I was shocked when I moved to Virginia and realized they also had DQ’s but more shocked when I first went to one to get a steak finger basket (which was what I typically ate at DQ’s) and they are nowhere on the menu-what? So I had said something to Thomas thinking maybe they ‘used’ to offer steak finger baskets on the menu and just didn’t now-he looked at me like I was crazy since they obviously have never offered that on a Virginia DQ menu. We went inside to use the bathroom and place our order and when we got back into the rental car, I divided it in half for both of us. He didn’t even dip his steak finger in the gravy (like us Texans do-we love gravy!) so I asked him why. His response was “I need to be able to taste its full taste to see if I like it”, what-how could you NOT like it Sweetie? Well we ate and he seemed to enjoy it but not anywhere near the level I did-It’s all good! <br /> Arriving at Nicole’s about 3:30 PM she told us Justin did not have swim practice today so we wouldn’t be taking him this afternoon. We sent her on her way and she looked great as she left, all dressed up for Juan’s birthday. They were meeting at our condo for the night to celebrate and we were keeping the kids-life is good! Lauren immediately gave Thomas and I hugs, Allison wanted me to play and Justin was in hopes Uncle Thomas liked video games because I don’t do them well and he remembered that. Caitlynn and I were trying to decide on dinner shortly around 5 PM (we wanted to keep the kids on their schedules and Justin had some homework to do) and we decided on pizza. I try to give each of the kids some one on one time when I get to visit, I think this gives them time to really talk and open up about things they enjoy, want to talk about, or just be together. Thomas had been outside to love on Biscuit (their Rat Terrior) then Justin fed/watered him, then worked on his homework. Allison played the piano (to practice for Thursday night) for Thomas and I while Lauren just ran around with all of us. So I asked Allison if she’d like to go get the pizza with me while Thomas and Justin played video games and Caitlynn started feeding Lauren; she would love to go so we grabbed her booster seat and put it in-off we go. Everyone in Pflugerville must have called pizza in to be picked up or delivered because the 2 people working the counter were on the phone taking orders for at least 5 minutes each before they were able to take our order. As we waited for 30 minutes, Allison and I walked outside (in the cold, drizzly weather) around the strip mall area and talked. She talked about school, Justin and Christmas-wondering again when we were having our Christmas with them then we returned back inside and watched football previews for the upcoming games….<br /> We got ready to eat and blessed our meal and enjoyed the time together. Justin reminded us as we were eating and talking that we didn’t do “best and worst”. Allison explained to Thomas that they do this at night with their parents, “all you have to do is tell your worst thing today and your best”, spoken like a true 5 year old. Then Allison said she was going first and she did. Justin’s turn next and he said “best, Uncle Thomas playing video games with me” and I asked “worst?” but he had none. This is good times. We finished eating and Justin put Biscuit in the garage since they are expected to have below freezing temperatures tonight. Thomas worked with Allison to teach her how to tie her shoes since Nicole says it’s difficult for her since she is not left-handed. Next it is bath time, I corralled Justin and Allison while Caitlynn wanted to put Lauren to bed so we all took turns hugging and kissing her-then off to bed the other two went also. I tugged them and hugged/kissed them, suggesting if they go to sleep well “we could probably go to the Donut Shop in the morning”, Allison clapped and Justin lit up like a Christmas tree-I believe they’d enjoy that. We got the kids in bed by 7:45 PM (Nicole would be proud) and Thomas, Caitlynn and I watched TV. Nicole and Juan had set the TV to record several things so we decided to watch something that they had already recorded, I have no patience for TV so whatever was simplest was fine with me. As Caitlynn scrolled thru our options we chose Texas Country Reporter. It is a show that is narrated as a country man from Texas drives around the state finding interesting places or people to talk to and report on, at a casual laid-back pace for 30 minutes. I used to watch this show with Brandon if the weather/wind were bad outside, we loved it. Then when Nicole came to live with me, she and I would also watch it together. Back in those days you were lucky to have a VCR but no one had even heard of a DVR like now! Thomas, I’m sure had never seen this show but I felt like he’d enjoy it as he likes to learn interesting things. It was so weird because on the preview for this episode it talked about a ‘gifted piano player from Petersburg, TX(a very small cottonfield town near Abernathy, TX outside of Lubbock). I couldn’t believe it because it must have been 6 or 7 years ago that Charlotte Nolen introduced me to his music when we were together. I enjoyed it so much she burned me a copy of her CD and its on my Itunes, I listen to it a lot and even have another copy at the sleep lab to listen to. Evidentially as the story unfolded before us (on the DVR at Nicole’s that she had previously recorded) he was driving a year or so ago and fell asleep which caused him to have a wreck that resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic. They interviewed a neurologist and his P.A., the P.A. was named Devin and I worked with him at the Lubbock hospital back in the day. He explained that the injury could either be an open or closed injury with very little or no return of muscle use, his was an open injury. But with his comment as they showed him playing the piano again with his hands wrapped, he described himself as becoming self-centered and had lost focus of his God given gifts as he didn’t appreciate the gifts he was given any longer but through the accident he realized how fortunate he is to be alive and is thankful every day of his life. He said he recalled saying before the accident “I can’t imagine my life without playing the piano” and he reintegrates, “I am here playing the piano again because I can’t imagine my life without playing the piano”. What a great story, but I had no idea! I immediately called Charlotte and when I told her about it she said she did remember something about it but didn’t know how he recovered exactly. I told her the story and at that moment I realized she did not know how much I have enjoyed the CD she copied for me-I truly have. <br /> It wasn’t long after that when Thomas and I were ready for bed. I moved my next load of laundry to the dryer and folded the finished load. I set my alarm for 5:50 AM since I would be getting the kids ready for school, did my devotions after kissing my husband and telling him goodnight, then off to sleep. <br />O bed! O bed! delicious bed!That heaven upon earth to the weary head.~Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream<br /><br /><br />Thursday, December 10, 2009-Wow, it’s really cold this morning as I got up at 5:20 AM when Miss Lauren woke up. Mighty brisk at 31 degrees and a high expected to only be 43 for the warm side of the day! Justin had gotten up a little after we did and watched the Star Wars Clone Wars cartoon before he got ready for school and our trip to the Donut Shop for donuts and kolaches (our tradition with my visits). I woke Allison at 6:20 AM and she got up around 6:35 AM. Caitlynn was my next victim as I woke her to take care of Lauren while I took the school kids; Caitlynn cooked Lauren an egg and a piece of toast for her breakfast. We left and Justin was excited as he got to sit in the front seat (he’s old enough now without even a booster) and I had the ‘bun warmers’ on in both of our seats to warm us up. I personally love bun warmers (my car has them too) but Thomas doesn’t really care for them, I told Justin this and he said “man, I wish we had these in our car”. Arriving at the Donut Shop, Allison immediately went to the refrigerator area to get her small chocolate milk while Justin ordered his usual cinnamon roll and a glazed donut then went to get his large chocolate milk. He made sure that I was ordering kolaches which I had already beat him to the draw, I ordered a dozen (some for Thomas and KK) then Allison ordered her usual chocolate covered donut with sprinkles and another donut. We ate together and I enjoyed their conversation as I asked them questions about school and the plans for today. Justin was curious to see how long Thomas and I would be visiting this time, he remembered that KK would be staying 2 days longer that us. He and Allison wanted to be sure the plans hadn’t changed and we would be having Christmas with them Friday-I assured them that we would not be missing that and I personally was looking forward to the meal! Finishing up and wanting to stay timely (Justin watches the clock because he does not like to be late for anything) we cleaned our table and left for school at 7:15 AM. Driving in the traffic pattern for drop-off I reconfirmed that Thomas and I would be joining both of them for lunch. Thomas hadn’t been to eat with Allison before and the last time he was here was when Justin graduated from Kindergarten, we made the trip to surprise him in time for videoing the occasion as we drove in from VA. <br /> Upon my return Caitlynn and Lauren were entertaining each other and Thomas had already gotten in the shower. Caitlynn laughed as she said Lauren kept going to her parent’s bedroom door trying to get in not understanding that Thomas and I had slept there as her parents were not here. Thomas needed to do some computer work and we were not able to access their wireless internet (without bothering Juan last night and we wanted he and Nicole to have a quiet, alone evening without any interruptions so we did not try too hard) so I was taking him to a coffee house this morning so he could get his stuff done-I knew exactly where to go. I dropped him off then came back to Nicole’s to relieve Caitlynn from babysitting Miss Lauren. Lauren and I played in the floor with her toys and I called the office to catch up on things. Kim Wells’ (she works for me and is a personal friend also) mother has COPD and has been ill for the last couple of months with her health deteriorating but more progressive this last week so she and I had been texting back and forth this week. It’s always difficult for me because I think everyone deals with stress, sickness and end of life processes differently and I never really know what to do to help others that are dealing with these things so I try to give people their space and not make demands on them to allow them time to deal with the things at hand with the focus being on the person that is ill. In my life with everyone that I have lost by them dying as been swift and mostly immediately-no lengthy illnesses so I can’t fathom watching a loved one suffer for days, weeks or months so I try to encourage everyone to just spend the time they feel they need with the ill person. You have to do what you feel is necessary for you (individually) to be able to accept, deal and not have any regrets. Life is not dress rehearsal, this is the real thing! You should never have regrets, sometimes you never get another opportunity to make things right…<br /> Nicole arrived back at the house from the overnight stay at the condo around 9:30 AM, we chatted and she noticed that I had done every bit of her laundry while they were away-she chuckled. I have a little OCD when it comes to laundry, well really I guess truly I have a lot of OCD in many areas I’m sure-not medicated; I just deal with it! I left Lauren and KK with Nicole while I drove to pick Thomas up at the Marble Blue Java Hut where he had completed his use of their free wifi and we headed to Pflugerville Elementary to join both Allison (10:40 AM) and Justin (11:45 AM) for their lunches. I teased Thomas about only getting coffee while he was at the Marble Blue because they also offer Blue Bell ice cream and personally I can not resist indulging in Blue Bell-ever! When I was pregnant with Caitlynn I craved their Banana Split flavor, so good, so good! Today when I ask her if she likes banana splits, she responds-NO.<br /> Thomas and I went to the office to get our passes and then went directly to the lunchroom. When Allison joined us at the Guest Table she told us that “I had blood from my tooth today!” as I had her open her mouth for inspection, I realized her bottom right tooth was already pushing the baby tooth out-won’t be long now I assured her. Thomas shared a story with her that he recalled when Caitlynn had a loose tooth and would not pull it (of course I think teeth are the worst things and I DO NOT pull my kids teeth, thank God they’ve always come out naturally or the dentist would remove them by necessity!). He convinced Caitlynn to let him look at the tooth and he had a tissue in his hand, reached in her mouth and then pulled his hand back. He asked her “how does your tooth feel now?” and Caitlynn told him “it still hurts” and then she realized it was missing. Thomas opened the tissue and the tooth was in it-problem solved. Thomas told Allison after that story that he could use a tissue with her if she wanted him to; at this time she’s not thinking so. <br /> Justin finished eating with Thomas and I; he then wanted to walk in the halls to show Thomas his school. They had many interesting projects on every wall that different students and classes had completed; we enjoyed the displays. We found one wall with a giant world map on the wall so I was showing Justin where Belize (Central America) is located since this is a trip we try to make yearly and we are headed there in January. This will be the first time ever that we will actually stay for 2 weeks instead of 1, though we have threatened it for 5 years. Thomas then pointed out to Justin where he was born in Canada and where we traveled to in June when we went to British Columbia and Vancouver. Justin showed us places where he’d like to visit one day. <br /> As the time rolled around for Justin’s class to return from the lunchroom we said our goodbyes for now and watched him walk to join his classmates. It is just amazing to me how grown up he has become. It’s funny because he is kind of quiet but he really has a good sense of humor that he shows on occasion but it’s very rewarding to see him being as compassionate as he is. Nicole had shared a story with me that he had ‘volunteered’ her to take the Christmas cards that his class made to a local nursing home for the residents. Justin told her he was writing his to “Joe” who is a resident that Justin states to his mom that he knows. I assume from visits that his class has made to this particular nursing home. Justin wanted to be sure to share some holiday cheer with his friend Joe which is an admirable trait for such a young man.<br /> Thomas and I returned to our rental car in search of Fry’s Electronics <a href="http://www.frys.com/">www.frys.com</a> and Lowe’s. Thomas loves to shop for things at Frye’s whenever there is one in the area. It is a huge electronics supercenter-if you can imagine a Sam’s Club and a Walmart joined under the same roof, it would be comparable. We found the ‘goods’, checkout and then drove back to Nicole’s house. Lauren had been trying to sit in Thomas’s rolling computer bag so Nicole had to close it up-Nicole laughed when she reported it to Thomas, he was holding Lauren as she ate the butt of his slice of pizza. We told Nicole about Allison’s tooth (this will be her first to loose one and she’s been telling us for months that it was loose). Justin would roll his eyes and tell me “her tooth is not even loose yet”, I’m sure she had classmates loosing teeth and she’s wanting to be sure she’s not missing out on any experiences...). Justin used to tell us when he started losing his teeth that he hoped a gold one would grow in its place, we all laughed as Nicole reminded us of his comments. Ally’s tooth is SO loose, Thomas told her “all I need is a tissue”. It was time for Nicole to get ready to leave so she could get her hair done (cut and colored), she would be finished by afternoon and return back to the house then. KK and I would be picking the school kids up when they get out this afternoon. While Nicole was gone<br />Thomas replaced Nicole’s fluorescent lights in her laundry room that had been out for at least a year and a half-I told her I would have gone on strike because you can’t see in there! When she returned and KK pointed it out to her she was so excited, she said “this is one of the best days of my life’ and hugged Thomas. We played with the kids and Thomas worked with Allison on tying her shoes some more; we enjoyed the afternoon. KK and I left the kids with Thomas so she and I could go to HEB’s for the purchase of our Christmas meal list. Caitlynn had “2 disposable aluminum pans” on the list and when I inquired what they were for she told me “the turkey and stuffing”. I did not realize Nicole did not own an enamel baking pan for the turkey so we decided to make that one of our purchases for her, then just get 1 disposable pan for the stuffing. I told Caitlynn that I have had my enamel baking pan since I was married to her dad so at least 28 years, they’re not something that you have to continually replace. I figured Nicole would enjoy its use. <br /> Allison’s 1st piano recital is tonight at 6 PM in the community outside Pflugerville named Hutto, at the music instructor’s Catholic Church. Caitlynn made pimento cheese sandwiches to take and I sliced them to place decoratively on a serving platter (as my daughter requested). I took this opportunity to share the story with Caitlynn of Nana Miller (my dad’s mom) making homemade pimento cheese in the summers when I visited her, I have never tasted ANY as good as hers since then! As Nicole left with Allison at 4:45 PM and we would get Lauren ready and take she and Justin with us. Juan was not going to be able to make it since he was working in San Antonio and had the company accountant there with him and had to catch a 7 PM flight, he would be taking her to the airport in San Antonio so Nicole would video. During our drive to the recital I kept singing songs that had a line in them in relation to what Allison, Justin, Caitlynn or Thomas said-Caitlynn was telling me “what is up with that song recognition thing your doing?” The kids and I just laughed as I continued with each new comment as Thomas drove us to our destination. <br /> The recital was very nice and Allison was the 3rd to perform, she did well. After everyone finished and pictures were taken we got ready to leave. Caitlynn would be staying with Nicole and kids while Thomas and I went back to the condo in Gruene for the night so we moved the booster seat and gave hugs/kisses to everyone then departed for our 50 mile drive. We decided we were going to stop and eat dinner somewhere that we could watch the NFL game tonight. Thomas searched the GPS for places along our route and he decided on Pluckers Sports Bar <a href="http://www.pluckers.net/">www.pluckers.net</a> . Upon entering inside, it was obvious that since San Marcos is a college town (Texas State University)-they all hung out here. It was a loud atmosphere with big screens in every direction-good place to see any game I’d say. Pluckers tagline is “if you don’t like our wings, you get the finger”. Thomas took the waiters recommendation and ordered “the Cheech and Chong”, I went with bones skinless wings-Honey BBQ. The fries they serve are waffle fries, very good! Thomas let me sample his and it was wonderful with queso and guacamole on it-we both enjoyed his selection. As we left, the drive is only 17 miles from here and I drove us-ready for bed, it’s been a busy day. <br />Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night…<br /><br />Friday, December 11, 2009-cloudy morning at 39 degrees as we woke at the condo and my husband’s back has been bothering him so he went to the hot tub for some relief before getting our breakfast fixed. I was up and started doing a little bit of laundry (it’s that OCD thing I have-it chases me, even when I travel) and kind of gathering things for our trip back to Nicole’s since this is our day for the Christmas celebrations with them. Thomas and I decided that we would go thru Wimberley and visit a couple of wineries in the area. Texas has a wine passport that you can get and as you visit the wineries they stamp it, upon completion you can receive their rewards program gift they offer. We had already had 2 stamps from Wednesday so we lack 2 more-that is our goal for today as we drive toward Pflugerville for the evening. <br /> Nicole called my cell to update our plans for the Christmas Meal and gift exchange with them for this evening. I asked her if Caitlynn was helping her with all the cooking (Nicole loves to cook!) and she replied, “oh yes, I have her chained to the table dicing” and we both laughed. Thomas and I loaded and started driving a little after noon time with the GPS (Karen) leading our way. We are traveling on the Texas Hill Country Trails and the road signs say “Ranch Road” instead of “County Road” like it does in West Texas. This is some of my favorite parts of Texas as it has rolling hills with country life surrounding us. This area is known for the Live Oak trees, Spanish moss that grows on most tress and ranches as far as the eye can see. It was funny as we dawned a hill and Thomas commented as he drove, “wow I can see a long way”-that’s Texas I thought to myself as I snickered. Our route took us over Blanco River and Cypress Creek as we drove into the small town of Wimberley. I had not been in this area since Brandon was in elementary (so must be about 15-20 years ago). I had told Thomas that the main area had the wooden sidewalks and a little train that you could ride on for a short ride thru the town. I remember us coming here in the summer and hanging out on Blanco River swimming and floating then we would go into the main area for ice cream and walk around to see all the little country shops. They even had blacksmiths working on horses as they would shoe them in the town area and mash out the shoes for everyone to watch. That was not as cool for us to watch, mostly because at that time we lived out in the country in Anton, TX where we had roping horses that Brandon and Lynn used for head n’ heel roping. Not to mention Brandon’s pigmy goats, chickens, and 4-H calves so we were used to seeing horses being shoed. I’m not thinking Thomas has ever seen it though….As we got into town it didn’t take long for me to see how much it has changed in all these years-wow! <br /> Thomas had put the GPS to search and I looked for the signs we had seen Wednesday referencing ‘Wimberley Winery’ and we drove thru town, turned and the road wound around to where our destination should have been but it was not there so we searched for another winery in the area. Our next place would be Driftwood Estate Winery (4001 Elder Hill Rd., Driftwood, TX, 78619, 512-858-9667 <a href="http://www.driftwoodvineyards.com/">www.driftwoodvineyards.com</a> ) and we found it and arrived parched (perfect place to be!). This seemed to be a fairly new winery that advertised its “Texas sunsets” as it had chairs in sets all around the edge of the hills in this area to see panoramic views of the rolling hills and a covered deck. There were 2 ladies providing the tastings and we visited with both of them as we admired our surroundings. The tastings were $5 each for 6 selections, without a glass so we made our selections. Thomas chose: Chardonnay (Gold medal), Vionier (Gold medal), Lone Star Cabernet (Gold Medal-8 times), Cabernet Sauvignon (Gold Medal), Red Rhythm (Gold Medal), and Orange Muscat (Gold Medal). My choices were: 2007 Sweet Blush, 2009 Orange Muscat, Sweet Red, Plum, Sangria, and Mulled Wine (it is seasonal so I couldn’t NOT try this one-you can heat it and add cinnamon sticks or orange slices, sounds like a party to me I’m thinking). My first 2 are actually Driftwood Estate wines and the last 4 are Wimberley Valley wines the ladies informed us. This winery produces Mediterranean style wines. As we enjoyed our tastings I looked over at a bar stool under the counter where a big, fat gray cat was lounging. One of the ladies told us when I commented about the cat her name is “Momma Kitty”. There tasting noted for their wines had wine/grape trivia on the back of them to read as you sip their wines:<br />One acre of land averages<br />5 tons of grapes<br />850 gallons of wine<br />4,290 bottles of wine<br />13.56 barrels of wine<br />357.5 cases of wine<br />21,450 glasses of wine <br />One barrel of wine contains<br />740 pounds of grapes<br />300 bottles of wine<br />25 cases of wine<br />1,500 glasses of wine<br />One bottle of wine contains<br />2.4 pounds of grapes<br />5 glasses of wine (6 ounces each)<br />Upon completion of our assignment here we made a selection of several bottles that we could take with us, for sure we would need to finish our wine case carrier (box with Styrofoam to handle/support 12 bottles that we would ship to ourselves as we left Texas) so we selected 4 bottles and I picked out some jalapeno jelly for a gift to Tracy for dog sitting our Rat Dogs. The lady who checked us out gave us a small map that had another winery on it that was just 5 miles away. Thomas and I felt like we’d have enough time for one more, besides we wanted to complete our Texas Wine Passport. (I will go online and process the wineries codes and they will ship us our prize for completing-sweet! As if we need enticement to go to wineries??) <a href="http://www.texaswinetrail.com/">www.texaswinetrail.com</a><br /> Thomas and I continued our hill country drive to our next destination, as we pulled onto the Ranch Road a flat bed truck was in front of us with an obvious ‘fake animal’ that was life size, had the body of a longhorn with a huge rack of antlers on the head of the body-Thomas and I laughed as we realized the awkwardness of it and I thought to myself: only in Texas. The winding road took us to a beautiful layout named Mandola Estate Winery and Magnolia Restaurant located at 13308 FM 150 West, Driftwood, Tx, 78619, 512-858-1470 <a href="http://www.mandolawines.com/">www.mandolawines.com</a> . This establishment is very large with a lot of acreage that you can see the grape vines in the entire front driveway area. Cypress trees and Live Oak trees surround outside with picnic tables and chair scattered throughout the winery entrance. Their advertising states “our winery combines warm hospitality and beautiful architecture with great wine and food”. The wines here are made from traditional Italian grapes varieties in American, French and neutral barrels with all their white wines being un-oaked. The winery has young grapes here (less than 5 yrs old) on their 17 ½ acres and they get the rest of their grapes from the High Plains of Lubbock also; this winery has been opened for 3 years. Winery motto is “La Dolce Vita” meaning “A toast to the Sweet Life”. The wine tasting is $5 for 6 selections and the host explained that all of their wines are mostly dry, even their Moscato so I opted to only try 1 which was the Rose’. Their wines average $18-26.00 a bottle and Thomas chose 2 to buy and finish our case that we would mail home. They also featured Italian food products to be sold in the winery along with a line of all natural items (Miller Creek Lavendar <a href="http://www.millercreeklavendar.com/">www.millercreeklavendar.com</a> ) for sleep, body lotions/sprays, butters, salsa, and sauces so I bought a couple of items to take home to VA. <br /> Thomas and I had concluded our wine tours for this Texas visit so we were headed to Cabela’s (Justin’s favorite story he told me one time when we drove past it) because Thomas had never been in one to see its grander size. I drove since I had only sipped at the last winery (way too dry for me) and they gave Thomas classic ‘tasting samples’ which is a very small amount. As we drove past the Salt Lick Pavilion and Restaurant I was sure to point it out to Thomas since we will have to eat there on one of our visits to Texas, anyone who has visited this part of the world has eaten here, except my husband of course-what the heck? Continuing our drive to Buda where the Cabela’s homeplace is, Thomas had been spotting mistletoe on the trees during our drive in the hill country so when we got right on the outskirts of Buda I pulled over and had him run to the trees we had just passed, shimmy up the tree to retrieve some mistletoe. You should of seen him when I just pulled over and shared my idea with him, he said “now, you want me to run back there” as I was pulling over and putting the flashers on. “Yes I do” and off he went! Upon his return with the greens, we drove the last few miles to Cabela’s. I dropped him off at the front then parked and met him inside. He was looking at house shoes, he had been wanting some wool slippers because he said “they don’t make your feet smell sweaty”. He found some he liked and also picked Bruce (Collins) a pair out for Christmas then when we got to the front of the store (after looking around at everything, I mean everything-I got a new pistol holder, pocket knife for Justin, etc.) I had gone to the bathroom and when I returned he had found some women’s wool house shoes and suggested since they were on sale I should get some. Then I had to wonder if my husband of 5 years was trying to tell me something?? We walked around looking at all the taxidermy animals throughout the store and when we got ready to check out a nice young lady started the process; when she go to the total she told Thomas if he spent $15 more he would qualify for another discount so we tried to find something. He suggested sunglasses for me but I usually get mine from the dollar store so I was struggling. She suggested a Cabela pullover that was on sale for women for $19.98, since blue is Thomas’s favorite color I got a blue one for me. I looked at him and he was just grinning-we completed our sale. We started to leave when he noticed the aquariums to the left with all kind of fish. He commented “usually people are in awe at fish like this but since all our trips to Belize we are less impressed it seems but still beautiful” and he turned to me and I took a picture of him with my cell phone standing there then we walked out the front door. As we walked out of Cabela’s I posted the picture on Facebook that I had just taken of Thomas standing by their enormous aquariums. Then I told him “you’re now on Facebook with that picture”, he just said “wow, that is crazy!” He has a Facebook page but may have looked at it twice with me helping him. I laughed when I was on his with him and he said, “why do all these people want to be ‘my friend’, I didn’t like them in high school so why would I want them to be my friend now!” Now I do Facebook, but I am not addicted to this social networking wonderland that people seem to be crazed about. I spend 10-15 minutes a week on my personal page and less than that on my business page for Sleep EZ. I do enjoy briefly scanning my friends who live here in the Roanoke area in addition to those that are across the country. It is fun to find family members/friends from years ago and see what’s going on with them or find similarities in our personalities after all these years. As my daughter describes it “stalking their pages, Mom”. I think it’s funny to see if we have any quirks that come from being in the same family too. But I also like to see what’s going on in everyone else’s world occasionally. There’s a wealth of information (I love information) not only about people I know but also about businesses, charities, cult favorites (for some) and every other topic under the sun. Holy cow, a person could spend all day searching but who has that kind of time? I do browse around my daughter’s page (and her friends) every now and again. Although they may not believe me, I don’t scrutinize their information or posts-they do deserve some privacy and even though they think I inspect their pages daily for any misdeeds or questionable comments, they haven’t given me reason to question their content. Besides, it works both ways. My daughter really probably doesn’t want to know everything about me anyway. So I’ve learned over the years when to keep my comments to myself and when it’s okay to speak out. Some people on Facebook don’t seem to get that thought and it is amazing how many private details a person will tell the world. There seems to be no barrier between what they think and what they post. What I try to remember is that when I open a window to my world, not everyone will understand, or even like my version of sanity or humor. Facebook can’t relay who I am or what I am about but it can allow me to let my personality show a little. I can comment about things, support my beloved Texas Longhorns, check out charities that I support or just comment about traveling that Thomas and I love to do together. The randomness of Facebook is what I think makes it so appealing to most. Don’t like what you see or hear? Just wait a few minutes and someone will post something funny or irrelevant. Either way, it can be a chance to be entertained if your bored…this not-so-new social media is a lot like life-not always exactly what we want but we have to take the good with the bad. Not everyone sees the world the same, thank goodness! Facebook is a public forum that allows diversity but it is a terrific illustration of the power of American ingenuity. Facebook was created in a Harvard dorm room in 2004. The young creator did not get a government grant-he just did it on his own like generations of other American entrepreneurs. Its creator sprang it out of nowhere and virtually overnight it became a powerful tool for communications of all kinds-personal, commerce and even political action. It’s easy to post our political or religious views without thinking if our message is being received as intended (unless someone comments or “likes” it). It’s easy to be misled by the written word when we can’t hear the intent of the typist. Facebook is the medium but it’s left up to us to be sure the message or photo is one that we’re okay with showing to the world. So feel free to friend request me but if you start sending me Christmas tree ornaments or Farmville requests, I will filter you….<br /> My husband had walked over to an outside sales trailer in Cabela’s parking lot as I offered to go get the rental car and pick him up after his purchase. The sign read “porkskins” which I was not even aware he liked porkskins?? I picked him up in the front of the trailer as he so proudly held his bag of rinds and commented as he got it the car, “huumm I never knew they had ranch flavored porkskins”, then he offered me some from his bag. I accepted his offer in amazement because I had never seen him eat pork rinds before, it was kind of funny to watch him indulge in his new purchase. I personally enjoy porkskins with a nice cold Big Red….<br /> Thomas and I arrived at Nicole’s house around 6 PM and she had been cooking, cooking with Caitlynn assisting. Now that we are here, we took over entertaining the kids-they were glad to see us again as we were them! The smell of the turkey and other things being prepared was overwhelming as we had a late breakfast and nothing else (but a few porkskins) as we anticipated our dinner here. Eating habits during the holiday season seem to be split into two groups: those who eat whatever they please, party after party, and gain the yearly five pounds, and those who do their very best to diet throughout the season and end up deprived or guilty. I’m feeling positive about the later-“guilty” today as Nicole is a good cook and I’m looking forward to eating! She had both the kids table (breakfast nook area) and the adult table (it sat on the cream colored carpet in the formal dining area) totally set looking like Martha Stewart’s house. The smell was heavenly and the sights of the pies awaiting my lip lock to partake on them-woooweee I my friends am a lucky girl! There wasn’t anything to help her do though I offered and it wasn’t long before it was time to bless the food as we held hands and eat. We have so much to be thankful for my loved ones. Thomas and I knew we would be sharing the Sister Creek Vineyard’s Muscat Canelli with Nicole and Juan as she tends to like sweeter wines like me so we opened the bottle and toasted at our table, indeed both Juan and Nicole liked it. The kids finished first and were anxious to open gifts so we put off cleaning the kitchen until after gifts and I personally was waiting on dessert or desserts. Our options are pumpkin, pecan and chess pie or “not your mama’s banana pudding”-chess pie is my favorite, pecan is Thomas’s favorite. Allison wanted to show Uncle Thomas that she could almost tie her shoes so she hopped on the couch to demonstrate to him-almost! She’s been practicing she told us.<br /> We exchanged gifts and I think the kids (Justin and Allison) were all pleased with their’s; Lauren had found hers and opened it before we got there. Thomas, Caitlynn and I were all pleased with our gifts also but more importantly-just to be here with them. Now time for desserts, that we did! Afterwards Nicole and I cleaned the kitchen while the kids gathered their clothes so they could go back to the condo in Gruene with us for the night since it will be our last night for this trip. Lauren was already in bed so she stayed the night with her parents. Caitlynn loaded her things and Justin and Allison’s and we left Pflugerville around 9 PM. But we will make a quick stop in Manchaca where I have a childhood friend whose brother is having his 40th birthday party, we were invited from 7-10 PM but I had told her we were having our Christmas celebration tonight so I wasn’t sure if we’d make it. Robin Ross-Flowers and I have been friends for many years and her mom and my dad worked at the bank in Austin together for years before my parents divorced, we have remained in touch all these years. Her brother Richie is her only sibling and he’s never married. Robin has 2 kids, Ross (13 yrs old) and Morgan (11 yrs old) and her daughter had us take her “Flat Stanley” which she named “Flat Morgan” with us as we traveled 3 years ago and I journal the trips we took it on then returned it to her when I went to Texas in the Spring. She presented all the journals to her class for an assignment. <br /> With both Allison and Justin were out like lights (Allison first-Justin tried to hang on), we found the Stardust Banquet Room where Richie’s party was being held and we pulled in the parking lot at 9:55 PM. I recommended to Thomas that I’d run in to say my regards and get Robin to come out and meet Thomas then we’d go. I believe Caitlynn woke up as we pulled in the parking lot and stopped to let me out. I walked in to what I thought was the front entrance to a classic Texas western club and immediately saw Robin’s mom Janice and walked toward her. Richie turned around and said, “Oh my God, I know exactly who you are!” and hugged me the same time Janice turned around and was so surprised to see me. I had not seen Richie since Brandon was a baby and he no longer had blonde hair, it’s dark but it’s not gray like mine yet; probably because he has never married nor had children. We hugged and he took me straight over to his dad, Terry to show him I was there. Terry and I hugged and he asked about the family, I told him to come to Virginia to see us some time! I then spotted Robin with Janice’s help and we hugged and I explained to her my great niece and nephew were in the car asleep as we headed back to Gruene for the night, so she walked out to meet Thomas and hug Caitlynn. She had cowboy boots on with her skirt (like I wear) and she laughed as she walked out to our car commenting she thought Thomas would think she was crazy but I assured her that Thomas was used to that as “he take the girl out of Texas but not the Texas out of the girl”. We visited briefly and then we left to continue our drive then unloaded the sleepy kids. Thomas carried Allison in and she never even woke up as I changed her. Caitlynn and Justin were upstairs shooting video with her new hand-held HD Video that Thomas and I got for her for Christmas-giggling every few seconds. I’m scared to know what they are actually videoing up there! Thomas and I settled in the bed since we will need to pack early in the morning then get ready to fly home after we meet Nicole around lunchtime to tag off kids. Thomas worked his Suduko while I washed my face and read my devotions. Good night….<br />“Good wine is a necessity of life”-Thomas Jefferson<br /><br />Saturday, December 19, 2009-Overcast and drizzling again this morning. Caitlynn and I fixed leftovers out of the refrigerator for the kids since we would need to send it all with Nicole anyway when we check out at noon today. I washed Caitlynn’s dirty clothes for her (a treat since I never do her laundry, it’s been her responsibility since 6th grade) and repacked them because she would be going back with Nicole and fly home on Monday evening. Caitlynn and the kids went to the Registration Office to play pool, Justin loves playing pool-he even brought his own quarters. Thomas and I gathered things to pack and then realized we would need to go ship our box of mistletoe and case of wine home to ourselves so we’d have enough room for kids and luggage to meet Nicole. The kids returned as I asked “who won?” Justin said he did, KK said she let him-they both laughed. Thomas, Allison and I were about to leave to run our errands and Allison was going with Thomas and I but she wanted to show us she could tie her shoes and she did! Then we had her do it again and again as we prepared to leave. Our first stop was at the Gruene Harley-Davidson store to get shirts for Sam Booth as he dog sat our 3 Rat Dogs (they escaped on Monday so he had to make a mad dash over there to re-contain them) while we are gone this time and he loves Harley t-shirts. Allison picked out all the motorcycles she wanted to drive she said (all of 5 yrs old). Next stop was Fed EX to ship our liquid goods then back to the house to load kids and luggage. We called Nicole as we were meeting at mile marker 200 near the Tangier Outlet mall, the Whataburger parking lot. When we arrived Miss Lauren was grinning as I leaned in to hug her and she hugged right back. We then loaded Caitlynn, Justin and Allison into her vehicle; they were going to go thru the drive-thru here at Whataburger but Thomas and I had time so we were going in to eat lunch. We all hugged and said our thanks and goodbyes then waved as they left the drive-thru while we were sitting inside waiting on our food. I think Caitlynn’s a little homesick and ready to get back to her home but she always enjoys her time with her cousins.<br /> Our flight is 3:45 PM out of San Antonio airport so we went over to the outlet mall to the Samsonite store to see if we could purchase a reasonable priced carry-on to repack a few things. Since Delta charges $15 per piece of luggage we felt we could pack more efficiently and one of our bags we check is already served its time well or is overdue so we expect it to go anyway-preparation. With our new sale purchase we reorganized our luggage in the parking lot then headed to the airport and returned the rental car. We got our tickets and found a restaurant that we could watch football until we needed to be at the gate to board, enjoyed a beverage and I had a sense of loneliness briefly as I realized we were leaving and the time here with my family had flown by; briefly until I remembered we would be back in April for the Southern Sleep Society Meeting to be held in Austin, so I was better…..love coming home; until next time.Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-86567699719656183022009-11-24T17:49:00.001-05:002009-11-24T17:54:06.188-05:00Babysitting in Texas-October 17-23, 2009October 17-23, 2009-Trip home to Texas<br /><br />So the adventure began several months ago when I got a call from my niece in Pflugerville, TX. as her husband’s (Juan) company was planning on some training in Canada. At that time Nicole had asked me if I would consider coming to keep the kids at their house since she had not intentions to leave them if they had to have their daily routines disrupted, especially since Justin is a 3rd grader and Allison started kindergarten this year not to mention the new addition who was 1 year old this August-Miss Lauren. Now mind you-the 3 kids are my great nieces and nephew. At the time we talked about their trip Thomas and I were in British Columbia with Caitlynn, Denyse, and Hans for his 81st birthday trip. I assured Nicole that I’d not have a problem coming as I wouldn’t miss that opportunity! I believe that this is the first time since Juan and Nicole married that they have taken a couple only trip for more than a night together (10 yrs?) We live so many miles away that I take every chance I can to visit for any length of time; some trips have to have business mixed with pleasure to get there. Nicole is very good about keeping us informed of all the activities/events in the kid’s life, along with sending pictures on our cell phones, etc. but that would never replace getting to spend quality time with them. <br /><br />Thomas and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary yesterday and I got things caught up at the sleep lab, packed and left this morning before 5 AM to get to the airport in Roanoke in a timely fashion since my flight is scheduled to depart at 6 AM. Caitlynn said her good-byes to me as she went off to bed last night because she really didn’t want to get up this early to see me off but Thomas was a trooper and drove me to the airport and got me through the ticketing process. We said our good-byes before I took the escalator up to make my way through security-what all good Americans love! The weather in Roanoke this week has been cold and wet with a high temperature of 52 so far, the forecast for Austin is bright, sunny and 70’s for the week-whewwwwwhoooo. <br />I changed planes in Atlanta and had a 3 hour layover so I ate a healthy breakfast at TGIF’s then headed to my next gate as I “window shopped” while I walked that direction. For those of you who know me, I don’t watch TV unless it’s a movie that we watch as a family or football but being in the airport for a while you can’t help but see a TV somewhere. So the headlines today are the Category 5 storm named “Rick” and the 20th anniversary of the earthquake in San Francisco: Hurricane Rick continues "remarkable" development in the words of the National Hurricane Center with sustained winds nearing 145 mph Saturday morning. The storm has an estimated central pressure of near 938 mb and is moving WNW near 12 mph. The NHC's morning discussion update calls for Hurricane Rick's maximum sustained winds to approach 160 mph on Sunday, putting Rick into rare category five status, albeit for a brief time before weakening begins around Monday. With sea surface temperatures near 84-86 F and very little upper level wind shear (winds less than 10 kt.) Rick will remain in a very favorable environment until Monday as the massive storm nears the central/southwestern tip of Baja California.<br />1989-Loma Prieta, CA-Today is the 20th anniversary of 6.9 Richter scale earthquake which were three events about 1.5 and 3.0 seconds apart, respectively. Sixty-two people killed, 3,757 injured and damage estimated at 5.6 billion U.S. dollars. Maximum intensity IX in parts of Oakland and San Francisco. Numerous landslides occurred in the epicentral area and liquefaction occurred in some areas of Oakland and San Francisco. Felt from Eureka to Los Angeles and east as far as Fallon, Nevada. Also felt in highrise buildings in San Diego. A small tsunami with maximum wave height (peak-to-trough) of 40 cm was recorded at Monterey. Known as the World Series Earthquake. The earthquake caused game 3 of the World Series to be cancelled.<br />I arrived in Austin a little after noon time with a bright sunny day outside and temperatures in the mid 70’s-now this is Texas! You always know when you step off the plane and you’re in Texas because people all around you wear cowboy hats and boots. I wear my boots with suits and dresses in Roanoke now. As Thomas once told me when we were dating, he’s never been to a place where people are truly proud to be from as Texans. U.T. (the University of Texas) is playing football as we deplane and the game started about an hour ago so I’ll be looking for the score as soon as possible. The game is in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl since they are playing OU (Oklahoma University) huge rivalries so there has to be enough space for everyone and the drive for both teams. As I walked toward the baggage claim area I sent Nicole a text to let her know I had arrived. She sent one back telling me she and the kids are here and would drive around to wait on me. When I walked outside the doors, it wasn’t long before they drove up to me as I waved. I’m so excited to see them all! I haven’t been back to Austin since January when Lauren was 5 months old-now she’s walking and chattering, Allison’s now in real school and Justin grows more every time I see new pictures! So I hurried to their vehicle to put my backpack in, grab Justin and return before the luggage carousel started. Justin and I talked about everything from school, swimming to football. He loves to give me a rash since he lives in Austin but was born in Lubbock so now he’s a Texas Tech football fan. Naturally I no longer live in Texas but grew-up in Austin and remain a U.T. Longhorn fan so we always have football to talk about. Today he’s wearing his “Marathon Kids” t-shirt and so I told him that I am preparing for a half marathon in April but just ran a 5K last weekend. I asked Justin if he knew what a triathlon is, he did not so I explained to him that it is 26.2 miles like a marathon but has 3 different events such as cycling, running and swimming and that a strong swimmer usually wins because they can make up the time so well. I assured him that I felt like this should be something he investigates doing next! He looked at me and said yes and grinned like a possum-not sure if he agrees with me or thinks I’m crazy? My luggage finally came and we made our way back to their vehicle. Allison’s feet have definitely grown and Lauren-wow, she is getting so big so fast I can’t believe it! I asked Allison who her best friend is and she replied, “Reed” and then I asked her if she had any other friends and she said “Cameron”. Unsure but thinking that those were 2 boys names I then followed up to ask her if she had any girlfriends and she quickly responded, “no, I am too young for those!” We all cracked up in the vehicle, I especially did since I am sure these are words she’s heard from her mom and dad as they prepare her and themselves for her teenage years! Nicole tells me that she calls her friends that are girls “Sista Girls”, now that is funny…<br />I thought we were driving to Nicole and Juan’s house but Justin was hungry and when he thought to tell his mom she informed us that we would be stopping at Whataburger to pickup lunch for us all, in my honor. I LOVE Whatatburger!! Nicole always says that she thinks their ketchup packets are the best, I laugh as she reminds us of this since I’m not thinking that the Texas burger chain does anything ‘special’ to their ketchup (it’s manufactured in Corpus Christi, TX)…<br />We sat at their dining table all together, blessed the food and enjoyed our Whataburgers. The kids had so much to show me including Justin’s new bedroom set-a bunk bed! This setup gives him a lot more room but I’m not thinking I’ll be hiking up that ladder to sleep with him like I have in the past. He plays a fort battle game with his dad sometimes as his dad can sit in his bedroom with Justin in his as they run some cable between Juan’s laptop and Justin’s PC so they can build forts and stuff-he loves doing this. Allison has a big keyboard that she has borrowed from a friend and its in her room to practice playing the piano (her new project), a cute shoe holder on her closet door and she loves to play CD’s in her player on top of her dresser-she loves to sing! Miss Lauren has discovered that her room is pretty entertaining also as she walks in there a lot now and seems to always find something fun to check out. I can’t believe how much she’s grown in the last 8 months since I’ve seen her! She’s a happy baby and I love to see her dimples when she smiles. She is such a lovebug, when you pick her up she immediately lays her head on your shoulder and rubs your back-I love it! We spent the evening chatting as Nicole and I got caught up while she started doing some laundry. The kids and I played and Nicole showed me the “notebook” she had made for me to follow with the kid’s schedules, etc. in it. It will be a good guide for me but I’ve always been an independent thinker pretty much but I appreciate the help. It has everything from Tamara’s phone numbers (Nicole’s friend) to the eye doctor’s contact information-not to mention her meal planning for us (and she had already bought the groceries needed-wow). Now let me just tell you, Nicole had emailed me the “agendas” a week or two before I came and she teased me as she said Juan told me I’d be tested over the information later. I cracked up as I reviewed it and she had written on Monday “this is our busiest day” and at the end of the agenda for Monday she wrote “one day down”. I reviewed it and told Thomas that I have created a niece that is me on steroids, he laughed. My employees and family think I’m ‘agenda driven’ but Nicole is more so than me it seems. So I emailed her back and said, “I can do this blindfolded and with a limp”, she just chuckled up as she read it. So here am I and will put it in action tomorrow after taking Nicole and Juan to the airport-I believe we will be just fine with a few modifications of mine! The evening winded down as we looked at pictures on Nicole’s laptop that she has taken in the last year. We had an awkward moment when Nicole was clicking thru pictures she had taken when Justin was young and all of a sudden there was a picture that obviously she and Juan had taken during a private time and Nicole just about freaked out as she covered Justin’s eyes and raised her voice at Juan who was just laughing as I was at this point. Juan said, “WHAT I didn’t do it”. She changed pictures and then she decided it was time to put Justin to bed. I jokingly asked her why she yelled at Juan when she was the one in the picture not Juan and the 3 of us just laughed together. After we visited, Juan had already gone to bed (not sure if he was tired or embarrassed?) and it got to be midnight Nicole and I decided to call it a night since everyone else had gone to bed. I joined Allison in her bed and cuddled up with her. It’s been good to be back with them, I’m trying to go to sleep as I ponder: My niece and Juan are examples of people with attitudes of gratitude. I don’t understand when this attitude of entitlement entered our nation’s consciousness as I commonly witness these days. I seem to recall a pretty good speech by John F. Kennedy (a few years back) admonishing us to “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Well, that concept went out with the hula hoop I believe. The Greatest Generation has replaced by a younger In-Gratest Generation and I think our nation’s founders would all turn over in their respective graves and grit their collective wooden teeth in despair if they could see it today. Now we live in a culture where parents want to be their children’s best friends more than they want to be their children’s best parents. And they think children need things far more than they need them. I can whole-hearted say that I feel Nicole and Juan make an attempt every day with all 3 of their children to teach them the importance of appreciation and gratitude for even the simplest things in life. As I have told Thomas on several occasions when talking to Nicole or even visiting their home; this is when I feel like I have arrived. To see their family and the relationships that have developed with each of their kids and each other makes me feel fortunate to have been a part of Nicole’s early stages in life and hopefully in some small way I contributed to her adult life and I feel so proud to watch them in action as a family-good night all. <br /><br />Sunday, October 18, 2009-Today in history:<br />1867-The United States took possession of Alaska from Russia<br />1892-The first long distance telephone line between Chicago and New York was opened<br />1931-Inventor Thomas Alva Edison died at age 84 in West Orange, N.J.<br />Chuck Berry turns 83 years old today and the R & B singer, actor Ne-Yo turns 30 years old today. <br />We woke up and got ready for church. We would all be going at the same time this morning as they have a young couple in their Life Group who just miscarried on Friday so Juan will be taking his kids class for him today. Nicole has a 3 year old class that she helps a couple of ladies with for first service so Justin and Juan left first (in the guy’s car-the Mustang) and went off to their classes then Nicole and I took Lauren to the babies class (she loves the older man to in her class-she went right to him and he rocked her). Allison’s class was around the same hall so we took her there and then went to Nicole’s class she teaches. Today they are merging 2 classes so we had 13-3 year olds but 4 of us adults counting me. Together we read, sang and made crafts after their snacks. Our class finished and we met Juan to go to the main sanctuary for services. I do enjoy their church as this is my 3rd time of visiting here. They play contemporary Christian music which I enjoy and listen to this type of music on the radio most of the time at home so the songs are familiar to me. After services we retrieved all 3 kids and made our way to the house to indulge in Nicole’s famous pot roast that she does in a crock pot. She actually put it on late last night before we went to bed so it should be nice and tender. This is Justin’s favorite meal that she fixes, I too LOVE pot roast! The afternoon was spent getting Nicole and Juan packed for their trip, each of them packing for themselves. I laughed as Nicole had packed her blow dryer and I informed her that I felt sure the Wynn <a href="http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/">http://www.wynnlasvegas.com</a> would have one in the bathroom since Steve Wynn owned most of Vegas. As a typical woman she had packed 4 or 5 pair of shoes for 5 days but she was unsure what she’d want to wear since this is her first time of ever going to Vegas. I warned her that they would be doing a lot of walking! Juan has been to Vegas before but not with enough time to do much so he was also excited. I’m happy that they are excited about their trip and being able to spend some quality time together, alone as a couple-it will be good for them. The kids and I played and Lauren took her usual afternoon nap before Justin was picked up by Tamara to go to a friend’s party at 3 pm then the girls and I took Juan and Nicole to the airport around 4:40 pm and sent them on their way. Allison cried a few minutes after we drove off but she subsided when I told her we could go to the new Pflugerville McDonald’s so she and her sister could play a bit and eat. McDonald’s fries always makes things better, regardless of your age! Lauren had a great time and so did Allison, they ate well for me too. Tamara called when they were 5 miles from the house so we loaded up and met them at the house. Justin had a good time with his friends. We picked out Justin and Allison’s clothes for morning then started the bath routines for all 3 of my kids. Allison washes her hair every other night which she doesn’t really like to do, Justin totally takes care of his showers on his own but you have to be sure he brushes his teeth his mom reported to me and Miss Lauren loves her baths. I put Lauren to bed first then the other 2 kids and we discussed our 3 blessings for each of us for the day (a tradition Caitlynn-they refer to her as “KK” and I have had until she got in 8th grade, I still practice it myself), said our prayer and off to sleep. Nicole had washed her bed sheets before they left and I placed them in the dryer when we returned from McDonald’s then put them on their bed since she said I could just sleep in their room while they were gone. I offered Allison and Justin to sleep with me, Allison accepted after I mentioned the nice thing is they would not have to make their beds each morning this way! Justin denied as he wanted to sleep in his bunk bed so off he went to his room. It wasn’t long before I heard him coming down his ladder and then came down the hall and looked in the room at Allison and I, she wasn’t asleep either as they waited to talk to their mom and dad when they changed planes in Dallas. I asked him if he was sure he didn’t want to sleep with us in his parent’s room and he again said no but he wanted to know if I had set the house alarm. I had not so he offered to take care of it then my cell phone rang and it was Nicole and Juan as they were changing planes. They talked to both kids and Justin knew the exact time difference for us and them once they got to Vegas, he kept telling me our time then what Vegas time would be. They all said their good-byes and off Justin went back to his room but I did not hear him going up on the ladder then I looked down the hall and he stood there, he asked me if I wanted to borrow his alarm so I would be able to get up in the morning. I told him I wake up pretty much on my own, especially when I’m not at home. I again asked him if he was sure he didn’t want to join us, this time he agreed but whispered to me that he “did not want Allison to sleep next to me because she kicks me” so I offered to sleep in the middle. He climbed up in the bed with us and it wasn’t long before both of the kids were off to sleep. I can hardly believe that I am actually here with them-what a great day!<br /><br />Good morning all-it’s Monday, October 19, 2009 and I was up around midnight with Miss Lauren. She woke up crying so I went into her bedroom and rocked her for 15-20 minutes as she went right back to sleep. I placed her in her crib and spread her favorite blanket (Pink with large brown, pink and bright green poka dots-very soft!) over her and she remained sleeping. I returned to Nicole and Juan’s bed with Justin and Allison. I woke up around 6 AM so I reviewed my agenda for the day and starting getting Justin and Allison thinking about waking up at 6:30. Justin’s alarm went off shortly, Ally got right up and I had her waffles (chocolate chip that Nicole had made and put in the freezer for us this week-their favorite!) ready with apple juice. Justin was shortly behind her and he had the same thing but with chocolate milk (all that chocolate should get him moving). I stood outside with them to wait on Tamara with backpacks and waterbottles in hand. It’s cool but clear this morning at 54 degrees and expected high of 75 degrees. I then realized that Lauren watches a 30 minutes portion of “Yo Gabba Gabba” in the mornings as she ate so I had to get Justin to run back in to instruct me how to turn on their TV. He got a kick out of this but struggled thru the instructions with me-I am challenged since I hardly ever watch TV and theirs is a fancy, modern techno challenge setup for me! This week at Pflugerville Elementary is Red Ribbon Week. It is when children and adults across the U.S. promote the importance of a drug-free lifestyle. So this week at the kid’s school they will have each day with a dress-up theme to help the kids celebrate it. Today is wear blue day ‘drugs give you the blues!’ Allison and Justin picked out their clothes last night and both picked blue t-shirts, and they both chose shorts to wear since the weather will be nice. Justin is all about checking and knowing the weather forecast. So I taught him how to check it on my cell, he thinks that is cool! The kids are all excited as they told Tamara when she arrived to take them to school at 7:15 AM that I will be coming to school each day but Tuesday…she just laughs as they drive off to school. I cleaned the kitchen and realized I needed bleach and stove top oven cleaner so I started a Wal-Mart list. It wasn’t long after the kids left with Tamara for school that Lauren woke up ready to cuddle a bit then eat. Of course, I did manage to find the recorded (DVR) of her show to watch “Yo Gabba Gabba” for about 30 minutes before we started our morning. We got to the school at 10:30 so we could unload the stroller and check-in at the front office. Everyone in the office knew Lauren and she laughed as they all talked to her while they took my driver’s license and scanned it then it printed out a sticky pass (just like the picture on my license) that I had to place on my shirt to display at all times while here as a visitor. It even has the location that I should be at such as: cafeteria. Wow how times have changed in schools. We greeted Ally as she was grinning ear to ear when she spotted us; she was earnestly looking for us when she entered the cafeteria. We sat at the Guest Table but I gave her the choice of sitting here or we could all sit with her class. She chose to sit at the Guest Table but went back and forth telling her classmates who I was and reminding them that Lauren is her baby sister. She thought this was quite a treat. Since her lunchtime is 10:40 AM (that is really brunch time to me) I decided to eat an apple and Lauren snacked on peaches while Ally had chicken nuggets for her meal. Several of the teachers that came in recognized Lauren and asked me where her mom was, I explained to them that I am their great-aunt and came from VA to babysit while their parents went to Vegas for their first trip away together since they married. One of the teachers couldn’t believe I am the great-aunt, I assured them that with 3 little ones I will feel like it by the end of the week but will love every minute of it! We hung out then until Justin’s class came in at 11:40 AM for his lunch time and we ate with him. He too wanted to sit at the Guest Table and as kids he knew walked by us he was sure to tell them ‘hello’, the kids would all yell “Justin” and wave to him. Lauren loved all the attention and would go back and forth to Justin and I. We said our goodbye’s at 12:25 PM to get back to the house for Lauren’s nap in a timely fashion. I put her to bed and turned her CD on and off to sleep she went. Almost immediately upon entering back into the living room the door bell rang. I looked out the front door to see a delivery man standing there with a package in hand and a clipboard for signing. I opened the door and he told me he had “a delivery for a Raquel Rothe”. I told him, “ok, that’s weird” and I signed for it. The return address written with my last name-Rothe but this address and it was actually addressed to me here at this address, awkward. I opened it to find the gift bag outside a very nice jewelry box, then opened it to find the ring that I had liked at the Gem Gallery’s display of their ‘Rebecca’ signature line of jewelry earlier this week. When Thomas and I had gone to dinner last Friday for our anniversary I told him about it. He asked me why I didn’t buy it and I said because it was too much and he told me to use my $100 he gave me in my anniversary card and get it for myself. He always says “You deserve it” but I still feel guilty if I indulge in myself something of that caliber, besides it is always so much fun getting for others! Anyway it was the ring and my husband had gotten it and mailed it to me here, he is so good to me-all the time. My day was bright already just having the opportunity to be here with the kids even without Thomas’s little surprise but now it’s amazing-I am blessed to have family that loves me as much as I love them! I continued my afternoon before it was time to pickup the kids from school so I busied myself as I did some laundry and checked on the sleep lab and Kim Wells since her mom is scheduled to have a back procedure performed today. It got to be 2:20 PM and so I had to wake Miss Lauren up so we could get to the school since Ally gets out at 2:40 PM and Justin at 2:50 PM. The procedure for pickup after school is the parents/adult has to park and then the teachers release the children to you. This makes it a little difficult when you have to get a small one and their stroller unloaded then make your way to the sidewalks to gather your child(ren). We got it done though. We loaded the vehicle and headed to Allison’s piano lessons (luckily the teacher lives 6 streets from Nicole’s) since it is at 3 PM. We dropped her off and I took Justin to the house for a snack and to gather swim team stuff then we retrieved Ally and made our way to Gilleland Creek Pool since Justin’s swim team practice is at 4-5 PM. Our little Michael Phelps changed and put his swim cap on, gathered his fins and made his way to the pool. Coach Flow (not kidding, I believe his last name is like Florindo or something so they shortened it to Flow. Funny since he watched the kids ‘flow in the water’…..he started them on 100 meter freestyle, then kickboard, next was streamline and so forth. We watched for a bit then Ally was restless along with Lauren so we walked behind the pool area to a playground. Pflugerville (<a href="http://www.cityofpflugerville.com/">http://www.cityofpflugerville.com</a>) is a nice community with a population of 47,000 and as typical Austin-style they love the outdoors of any kind. They have a trail that goes around the entire town and there is always someone cycling, walking, running or just strolling and enjoying the creek on the trail. The trail is alongside the pool so it is really nice and serene, I took the girls to play and run around a bit as we kept an eye on Justin’s practice. When he got finished I thought we’d do what all good aunts do (out of the ordinary-a treat) and we went to Baskin-Robbins for a “treat”. Now I know you’re thinking its 5 o’clock and they haven’t eaten dinner yet and yes you are correct. My Nana Miller (my dad’s mom) always told us “life is short, eat dessert first!” so I feel like I need to pass such history down to these kids. I got my usual-Rocky Road in a sugar cone, Justin got his favorite-chocolate chip cookie dough, and Ally got Rainbow Sherbet. The young ladies working there saw me letting Lauren lick some of mine and offered us a sample size of their soft serve-vanilla for Lauren. She liked it!! Justin tells me she’s never had ice cream “her whole life” he says exactly, I am so proud since I pride myself on doing “firsts” with them when I get the chance. After we finished our dessert we went back to the house to eat leftover roast that Nicole made yesterday. I did tell the kids that if we ate dessert first they WOULD have to eat a good dinner for me and they did. Miss Lauren always eats good so I wasn’t too worried about her. I find it ironic that she loves mandarin oranges like me! Every time they are on sale in the can, I buy them up to enjoy as much as possible. Lauren would eat a whole can if you let her but then she has “blow outs” and that can be interesting (I have discovered on this visit already…..) After dinner we did homework, baths and started bedding down. It was cute as Justin, Allison and I sat on their parent’s bed and talked about 3 blessings from today. I went first then Justin and Allison. I was proud that each of them said me visiting was a blessing for them-no more than for me! Justin and Allison slept with me in their parent’s room again but after I got them situated in bed I came in the living room to call Caitlynn and Thomas then maybe watch some of Monday Night Football. As I talked on my cell Justin came around the corner and told me he was having a hard time going to sleep so I let him sit in the living room with me and watch football until 8:15 PM. I was also writing this story and he sat by me as he inquired what I was doing. I explained to him that any time I spend a night away from home I journal the story and post it on my blog. He said he was learning about blogs at school so I showed him my blog site: <a href="http://rothetravels.blogspot.com/">http://rothetravels.blogspot.com</a> and read with him the trip I made here last which was in January. He chuckled as he read parts with his name in it. We decided to go to bed and I rubbed his back until he fell asleep. I of course had to sleep in the middle (Justin’s request), is there really a better place to be-I’m not thinking so. Good night!<br /><br />Tuesday, October 20, 2009-woke a little before 6 AM with 54 degrees and high today should be 79 degrees. My baby (Miss Lauren) slept all night! I put her to bed after her bath and lotion at 7:45 PM and she slept until 6:50 AM. Today for Red Ribbon Week it’s inside out day ‘drugs turn you inside out’ so the kids wore all their clothes inside out, Ally even wore her socks inside out! Fed the 2 big kids breakfast and as they ate so did Lauren. After they were off to school I got on the elliptical for my exercise. Tracy and Joy ran the Fincastle Run on Saturday at home in VA and they were about 2 minutes apart in finishing Tracy tells me so I have to keep my pace up and could use some improvement before our 5K run in Lynchburg on Nov. 21st. Lauren busied herself watching her show while I utilized my 30 minutes. She was enthrottled with “Yo Gabba Gabba” this morning and ever so often she would look around at me but kept watching the TV. <br />Today I did not eat lunch with the big kids since I had a conference call with the Sleep Centers of Excellence committee as we prepare for our panel discuss on “The Role of Accreditation” for next week in Chicago at 12:30 CST. So beforehand I fed the little lady and got her down for her nap a little early-right at noon and was on the call for about an hour. I then called the office and checked on things, sent a couple of emails and an e-card to my wonderful handsome to thank him for just being him and then talked to Caitlynn a bit. Nicole had sent me a text to see how the kids were today; I replied “great-enjoy your time!” In no time it was 2:15 PM so Lauren and I got things gathered and left to pickup the big kids. Lauren and I strolled around the school 4 times before Allison’s class came out and we greeted her, we enjoyed the exercise and sights. Their teachers are so cute as they hug each kid to say their goodbyes and release them to their family. Ally came running over and hugged me then Lauren. Lauren lights up each time she sees either of her siblings, its so cute. Ally stood there with us talking to different people and waving. As Kristen went past, Ally yelled “Bye Sista Girl” and they waved at each other. Reed went past and Ally yelled bye to him then she took off and ran over to him and hugged him tight from his backside. He just grinned and she came back over to me. Justin was 10 minutes later and we walked on the cross-walk this time since Justin reminded me yesterday that we did not cross on it and that is the rule. We loaded up and I needed to return something to Target so we made a quick dash there then to the house to get Justin a snack and gear for swim team then left so we’d be on time. While Justin practiced the girls and I strolled around the trail, took turns swinging each of them and let Lauren push her stroller for a bit, returned to watch Justin again and take a small video. As we walked back to the vehicle with Justin, his coach, Coach Flow came up to him and told him how proud he was of his effort and told him the next 2 days they would be learning the breast stroke and the butterfly stroke, Justin grinned with excitement. He assured Justin that even though he is new and learning new strokes everyday he is doing well and practicing effectively. He also told him how nice it is to teach a child that listens. We checked the binds under ‘Palacios’ and there was a newsletter and Justin’s US Swim Team member card for the year, he was very proud as we walked and he read every bit of it to me. He chose Sonic for dinner since they have ½ price burgers on Tuesday from 5-close, of course Ally wanted to eat chicken strips. Justin says she’s going to grow feathers if she doesn’t quit eating chicken everywhere they eat at. She frowned at him when he told me that. Justin’s favorite drink here is watermelon slush and Ally always chooses Sprite. We got our food to go and went to the house to eat, do homework, go thru their backpacks and sign all the necessary stuff. I had started a stack for Nicole and Juan to review upon their return and added to it daily….Everyone bathed and got their pajamas on and Lauren was the first one down when Nicole and Juan called to talk to the 2 big kids. Ally was next in bed at 7:35 PM and she wanted me to scratch her back so I did. Then she decided she wanted me to rub it so I did, then she decided she wanted me to scratch it ‘under her night shirt’ and I did. After all our options she was fast asleep. Justin stayed in the living room with me for a bit. He told me it was hard sometimes to go to sleep and when his parents are here he just lays there in his bed until he ‘finally goes to sleep’ so I let him play Xbox 360 for 30 minutes and he would stop at different times to come sit next to me and peek at my story I’m typing and grin. Last but not least its time for Justin to bed it down so he headed to bed (Ally, Justin and I are still sleeping in their parents bed-they like not having to make their beds in the AM…) and I went with him. We barely got situated in the bed and in typical boy fashion he let out some gas! “Oh my Justin” I said, he giggled and waved the bed sheet and said “Ally won’t notice since she’s asleep” and we just giggled together then got still for a minute. He then kept moving as if he was restless so I told him I go to sleep each night praying in my head and I think about everyone who needs special prayers then I start thanking the Lord for my family, friends, loved ones and blessings I’ve been provided in my mind then I just fall asleep. I scratched his back for a few minutes then told him I have an app on my IPod for ‘e-sleep tunes’ and he laughed and asked me if I was serious, I assured him I was and went to get it. I explained that some people have to listen to soft soothing music to relax enough to sleep (spoken like a true sleep expert to a patient) so I got the free app to check it out a few months ago. He grinned as I placed my ear buds on him and started it then he giggled. The ocean waves and soft cosmic reflection music started playing and Justin said “and in the beginning the process begins” we both laughed. It wasn’t 7 minutes and he was out like a light! I of course remain sleeping in the middle but who cares, it’s been another great day with my great nieces and nephew-Life is good!<br /><br />Wednesday, October 21, 2009-Our baby slept all night again and woke around 6:50 AM as the other 2 kids were eating breakfast. It must of rained last night as the ground is wet, it’s 65 degrees with expected scattered showers for the day. Justin told me the meaning of precipitation (though he had a hard time pronouncing it so I taught him a simple way to do so) he learned in science-he loves anything weather related. Today is cowboy day for red Ribbon Week ‘Texans give drugs the boot’ but Ally didn’t have any boots (she reminded me she ‘used to have some pink boots but my mom sold them on eBay because they got too little for me and never bought me more’) when we went to pick out her clothes last night for today. So I thought it’d be appropriate to let her wear her Tony Romo Dallas Cowboy jersey to school-besides her dad and uncle Thomas are huge die-hard Cowboy football fans so they would be proud. Justin wore a cowboy hat that KK had gotten while she was here visiting in August and since she had no room to pack it (she had gone shopping several times it seems while here for the month!) and had to leave it for another time. I told Justin she would love for him to wear it so he put it on with a smile, even this early in the morning. Off they went with waterbottles in hand and I had washed both of their pairs of glasses to start the day off bright even though it was overcast outside……Miss Lauren started her 30 minute increment of “Yo Gabba Gabba” while I used my time on the elliptical. She snacked on Cheerios and when I got finished I fixed her an egg, slice of cheese and ½ piece of toast. She is a good eater so I sat with her to eat my Activa with a handful of nuts and we faced out towards the back yard to enjoy the quiet morning’s rain shower that just began. “Biscuit” the Rat Terrier dog of theirs lies up in the cushion of their lawn table/chairs under the porch. I’ve been coming out each morning to love on him and play a bit. Early each morning I have been opening the windows in the house (closing them before the day heated up) and enjoying the freshness and today was no exception, except not as much to prevent the rain from coming in. Lauren enjoyed the gentle breeze as much as I did with her. We finished and made our way to get ready for the day as Justin had decided he’d like Arby’s for lunch at school today. I talked to Caitlynn and she’s helping out at my office today and Thomas went to Dr. Priddy for his annual checkup, I will wait to hear the update this evening when we talk. <br />I gathered my baby and we left the house at 10:15 AM so we could get the 2 big kids lunches and make it to their school by 10:40 when Ally eats. As I googled Arby’s on my cell I realized that most restaurants will still be serving breakfast until 10:30 AM then I would be late getting to the school so I opted to go get Chikfila for both of them then let Justin pick out dinner since he’d have to eat chicken and he really wanted roast beef. So I got them both Kid’s meals with the chikin’ minis and got to the school just in time after checking in. It had started to rain again so I decided I would not get back out to get Justin something different even though we’d have an hour in between Ally eating and Justin’s time for his class to eat. Lunch went well and I broke the news to Justin that he’d get to choose our dinner and where to eat and he was thrilled with that. He is always so easy going, as along as it is within the rules…haha. He laughed as Lauren got fussy and I wouldn’t let her back out of the stroller again and she had eaten all her snacks so I grabbed a baked Cheetos of Justin’s and gave it to her as we only had a few minutes left before we’d leave. I looked up at him and said, “see she likes them because you do”, he grinned and said “wait until I tell mom that Aunt Raquel fed Lauren ice cream and Cheetos”. I said “Justin, it was a baked cheeto-there is a saying that goes ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’, when Aunt Raquel is here-what happens here stays here” and he looked at me and we both chuckled. I did tell him afterwards that I’d let his mom know before I left though, he just grinned. Nicole and I have often agreed that he’s got the typical first child attitude in the aspect that he never wants to let his parents down and wants everyone in the family to go by the rules as he does, he’s such a little man. We finished our lunchtime and left for the house to get Miss Lauren down for her nap in a timely fashion. She’s such a good baby, she went right to sleep after I hugged her then kissed her before putting her in her crib and said ‘night night pretty baby girl” and she didn’t fuss at all and was asleep in less than 10 minutes. I then got busy in the kitchen as I’ve been cleaning the oven inside and out (it is gas so the burners tend to get very difficult to clean without soaking and scrubbing which I’ve been doing for the last 2 days), microwave and countertops with bleach. Nicole makes specialty cakes and decorates many edible things with her business (<a href="mailto:mrs_palacios@yahoo.com-Nicole">mrs_palacios@yahoo.com-Nicole’s</a> Creations) so the icing will stain depending on the color, I am getting it all nice for her to come home to after their trip. I know from experience that women LOVE to come home to a clean house, especially when they left it clean. It’s hard enough for me to come home with dirty laundry so I like things to be tidy and I’m sure with her daily schedule and 3 kids it will be pleasant for her. <br />It’s rained off and on all day but the temperature was still 79 degrees, just humid. I woke Lauren up at 2:20 PM so we could leave to get both school kids. We all returned home and made chocolate chip cookies while Justin ate some Ravioli that was left over from Sat night (carbs are good before a work-out, right?) before we were off to swim team practice at 4 PM. Since it was wet and muddy I decided to take the girls to Hanna D’s while Justin practiced, he agreed as we let him out and watched him walk to his area that the team meets at then we drove off. Lauren got a little fussy as she saw all the wonderful colors and bling, I’m sure she was anxious to touch it as us girls love to do. I had handed her my wallet to entertain her thinking that she would not be able to open it-SURPRISE….she sucked on my book of checks so the routing number has disappeared off the bottom. Oh well, I didn’t need to write a check here in TX anyway. Ally found a necklace and she decided that the couple of dollars her parents gave her at the airport would be useful now. I found Caitlynn a Christmas gift and me a pair of earrings. It was time to leave so we could be back at the pool where Justin was practicing before they were finished, he likes timeliness. We accomplished that as we were 7 minutes early and waited on him, he walked to meet us in the vehicle and my mind wondered as I again realized how big and responsible he has become. He is so good with both of his sisters even though Ally’s at the age that she pushes him at times, he still takes the high road and that is an admirable trait in any age of person. <br />Justin picked Arby’s for dinner so he ran his mom’s GPS as we drove in the rain; it directed us to Round Rock where we went in to eat. Ally said, “We never get to eat in, we just take it home”. I explained to her a lot of that is because of the little lady since its hard to keep her occupied and its more sanitary for kids not to be touching then eating after many people. As we started to leave when we finished eating the rain was really coming down so I hustled the kids in the vehicle one at a time so they wouldn’t be totally soaked. On the drive home Justin (I called him a fart blossom after he repeatedly ‘expressed himself’ today, not to mention last night-haha) again had some gas and I told him if I didn’t know better I would think something had died it smelled so bad, he just laughed and laughed. Ally said, “Justin always does that and next time I’m going to do it to him when he sleeps”. To be so young he is such a man at times. <br />Nicole called at 7:05 PM just as we were about to start baths and both of the big kids talked to her then we finished our nightly routine. I told them we would go to the new Donut Shop in the morning if they went to bed and got up well in the morning. They are excited since this has been a tradition that I do with them each time I come. Justin tells me that it is the same donut shop but just another location so I felt we needed to approve it or not and there’s no way to do that but give it a shot in the morning. Justin was the first in bed as he asked to wear my IPod with the e-sleep tunes again and he shared 1 ear bud briefly (she couldn’t be still) with Ally then she was next in bed as I bathed Miss Lauren. They were all in bed by 8 PM after we counted 3 blessings a piece then prayed. They are very good kids and a joy to spend time with. They all went right to sleep so I finished my journal entry for the day and bleached the silverware holder and the dish drainer in the drawer that I repaired in the kitchen today, straightened the baby’s toys after I left Thomas a message and called Caitlynn to visit and tell her good-night. Answered a few emails for work and my business class, folded the laundry and Thomas called me back. He had his 50 year old check up with his Family Practice physician-Dr John Priddy this morning so I wanted the update. His blood pressure is 124/82 and his weight is down 7 lbs. from his last yearly checkup which Dr Priddy was pleased with all- good news! I did my devotions and made my way to bed. It’s been another good day-my 3 blessings of today: being able to kiss each of these 3 precious children; and tell them I love them as I tuck them in bed for the night after we prayed together.<br /><br />Well our baby got up several during the night, I would hold her and rock her and she would slowly go back to sleep after I changed her diaper. I’m not sure why other than it has been raining most of the night and maybe it’s her molars? We called it a night at 5:40 AM and welcomed “Yo Gabba Gabba” to our new day. Today is the day the 2 school kids get to wear their PJ’s in support of Red Ribbon Week for “Follow your dreams-don’t do drugs”. The students can wear their PJ’s to school (how cool is that!). So we are going to the new Donut Shop-our tradition that I have done with Justin and Ally since they moved here to Pflugerville so this is a 1st as I get the take all 3 kids this time. I told them if they got up well this morning then we’d go, just jump in the car after brushing their teeth and hair since its PJ Day. Justin’s alarm went off at 6:20 AM and I know it wasn’t 5 minutes when he and Ally came around the corner into the kitchen area with their PJ’s on and ready to go to the Donut Shop! It’s amazing how fast they can move in the mornings when they have their own agenda-haha. We immediately got their raincoats on and left for the Donut Shop. It was drizzly outside so Ally wore her cute little raincoat that is red with big black poka dots on it, like a ladybug. I got our baby covered up and the four of us were in pursuit of fresh kalaches and donuts as we left the house by 6:40 AM. It is 61 degrees with rain and an expected high of 70 for the day, today is Thursday, October 22, 2009. This is the last day for Nicole and Juan’s visit to Las Vegas as they fly out for home tonight.<br />We stayed busy for the day as we rounded up all our little projects (including fixing the silverware drawer as it needed to be placed back on track). Lunch was good with both kids when we visited the school and Lauren took her scheduled nap. She is such a good baby and I have really enjoyed spending time with her. I got the school kids picked up and Ally was disappointed because I would not let her “run around to play tag with her friends” today since I had parked the vehicle on the side so I could see it from the sidewalk because Lauren was asleep in the car seat. She had a fragment sleep night so I guess she’s making up for it now. It wasn’t long before Justin came out with his class, I stood watching each class come out and laughed to myself at all the cute PJ’s the students and teachers wore today. All loaded in the vehicle we went to the house for a quick snack before swim team practice. Ally was getting cranky again and Justin kept saying to me, “Ally is t-i-r-e-d” as he would spell out the word each time. He told me when she acts that way with their mom; Nicole makes her go to her room until she can get a better attitude. I look at it this way, they’ve been without their parents for 5 days and that has never happened in the history of the kids so I gave her grace. Besides, isn’t that what aunts are all about?? It rolled around to 3:45 PM and we left so we’d be at the pool in a timely fashion. We walked Justin to the pool and then the girls and I walked on the trails and took turns swinging in the swing for Allison and playing on the playground equipment for Lauren. We started walking back to meet Justin and I let Lauren walk the trail instead of sitting in her stroller. I laughed so hard because as she walked she would stop and step over every crack that separated each section of cement. I told Allison to watch her as she continued doing this for the whole distance of the trail-we both enjoyed watching her as we giggled at her, she’s just look up at us and grins with those cute dimples. Justin finished up and we decided that we’d eat frozen pizza that his mom had bought for us tonight because he has quite a bit of homework including preparing for his spelling test for tomorrow. This way we’d have time to play with “Biscuit” also since we had been doing that a little each evening. “Biscuit” was out of the last litter that my dad bred for Nicole’s pick when they got “Biscuit” and we got “Val”-Thomas’s dog. It’s hard to believe they are 3 years old now! One of Justin’s chores is to feed and water “Biscuit” daily-he loves to see his boy Justin when he comes outside to him…….it a dog’s life. I myself love dogs. Some people are cat people (not my daughter) or horse people (I used to be but wow-a lot of work) or gerbil people or fish people, but I’ve never been anything but a good old-fashioned dog person. The Miller family has had Rat Terriers since I can remember. It’s the only breed of dog I remember my grandparents (Nana and Granddad Miller) having. The tradition continues as I have 3 and Nicole’s family has their 1. Justin chose the name “Biscuit” from a book series he read in school. <br />Well, as we arrived back at the house and started unloading backpacks, waterbottles and kids I was holding the house keys in my hand and laid them down to assist Allison more effectively. Then I reached for Lauren and as I pulled her out of the car seat Allison helped me by shutting the vehicle door and Justin had pushed the ‘lock’ button before he shut his door (which was before Allison closed hers). So much to my fear as I looked around for the keys-I spied them sitting in Allison’s booster seat, with all of the doors shut and locked. Now I know Justin well enough that he doesn’t like anything to go wrong with an agenda as it causes him distress. We have had a great week without being late (in fact early for almost all events we had on our agenda) and no distress for our boy but I’m thinking we are about to break our ritual. So I thought about how to tell him so I could decide what to do to get in the house, not to mention how I would pick Nicole and Juan up at the airport at midnight tonight……I had been opening the windows of the house in the early mornings as I spoke of earlier on in the story and continued to do so today since I was cleaning the inside of the oven and did not want our baby to be exposed to the fumes so I opened the house and worked mostly while Lauren took her mid-afternoon nap. I began to calmly explain to the kids that the keys were just locked in the vehicle but then I told Justin that I felt like he could probably go in the back yard and get in thru one of the windows that had been left open. We would have to take the screen off and my fear was that we’d need to perform this operation in the back yard since I don’t live here and if someone saw us “trying to get in the house” it would not be a good experience and if it caused further disruption Justin would BE distressed with that scene! Especially if someone called the cops and they came squealing down the road with their lights flashing before they pulled in the driveway and pointed their guns at me I’m thinking about now. Justin thought it was cool because he had the responsibility of taking care of us girls and as we waited (me entertaining the girls-watching and waiting) it wasn’t long at all before Justin came right out the front door with a grin on his face. I asked, “How did you get in without me helping take a screen off?” He just grinned big and said, “The back door was unlocked so I just came right in!” I felt relief but then remembered that I had fed “Biscuit” scraps before leaving to get the kids from school this afternoon and obviously did not dead bolt it back-lucky us! Nicole and Juan I want you both to know that I locked every door, closed every window and set the alarm every night-I promise!!<br />We did homework, ate dinner and began baths. I put Allison to bed first as she was giving Justin a few fits and at this point I figured she was T-I-R-E-D so I’d try her mom’s trick and put her to bed after her bath by 7:05 PM and she fell fast asleep. Lauren was next and Justin lagged a bit and by 8:15 PM I told him he’d better try to bed down since his parents would be home around midnight and I was sure they’d come in and kiss them each and tomorrow is a school day still. He wanted to read some of my story so I let him (for this trip); I smiled as he enjoyed reading different parts obviously. I had put the 2 big kids in their beds tonight since their parents were coming home to sleep tonight. Tamara’s niece has babysat the kids before and Nicole had talked to her about coming tonight after her job to stay with the 3 cute sleeping kids while I drove to the Austin airport to retrieve their parents so she called to reconfirm the time she needed to arrive for me to leave. I talked to Thomas and Caitlynn as I look forward to seeing them tomorrow and they’re likewise. Nicole and Juan’s flight arrived right before midnight and we got back to their house at 12:47 AM and chatted a bit as Juan went to bed 1st then Nicole and I followed around 1:10 AM. I was texting Kim and Dottie at the lab until 2:25 AM and then climbed in bed with Ally to hold her for the last night of my stay-this time.<br /><br />Well today is Friday, October 23, 2009-woke up to a brisk 52 degrees, at home (in Roanoke) this is a good temperature but here it seems colder. Red Ribbon day is to dress crazy “drugs are ridiculous” so the kids can dress anyway they choose. Justin and Allison both chose to wear their new t-shirts that their parents brought them from Vegas. Allison did wear shorts that didn’t match but Justin did no-his clothes matched. Nicole and I got up around 6 AM and chatted before she woke the kids up. My heart skipped a beat when I came around the corner of the living room when I woke up and she was holding Miss Lauren (they were cuddling), Lauren looked up and saw me and actually stuck her arms out as she grunted and wanted me to pick her up-I was so excited and Nicole just smiled as she handed her to me! Ok, now I have to go home today-what? Nicole went into each of their rooms as she woke Justin and Allison up. They were so excited to see their mom and she shared with them their t-shirts, M&M’s from the factory in Vegas and some pictures on her camera. Juan is off today so he’s sleeping in. The time change is always tough to transition to when returning from the west coast. Nicole fixed them breakfast and Justin’s class today gets to have “game day” (Mrs. Barnett) so he is taking his DS to play and for snack it will be 2 kalaches he ‘saved’ for today from yesterday morning. As he got ready we seemed to have misplaced the kalaches, not sure how but he seemed a little distraught (it’s that 1st child syndrome-he likes systems/routines that stay the same) so I offered to drive them to school so I could go get more kalaches for his special day-right, what are aunts for again? Nicole agreed as I assured her that way she would not have to get Lauren out this morning either and she accepted my offer with a grin. (She says the kids will have to come back to reality after I leave….) I pulled up at the school to drop them off and they both asked me when I would be coming back again (we talked about this earlier this week) and I told them Dec. 5th. Justin knew what day today is so he counted the days as I gave him an approximate total of days and reminded them that Uncle Thomas and KK would also be with me for a weeks visit. They were both excited as we talked of the future plans, then Justin realized he left his DS at the house as we left so I told him I would go get kalaches and his DS then return them to school for his play day. Off I went on my mission and when I got to the house Nicole was feeding Lauren, I told her what I came to get and she had realized after we left that he left it so I took his things and returned to the school. I went into the main office at the elementary and told the ladies I was leaving to go back to VA today as I gave them Justin’s things. They said, “I’m sure the kids will miss you, they have enjoyed you being here”. I smiled as I departed and as I drove off I did have a bout of sadness come over me but then realized how fortunate I am to be able to come and spend this time with them. It’s been a great week and as I drive and think back to the many conversations we’ve had together this week, I realize how important it is to listen to their ideas and to keep them challenged and energized. Now more than ever we need to listen and encourage the future leaders of our society to build on their gifts and strengths and to live with an adventurous spirit. In this way, we teach them to spread their kindness, understanding, love, beauty, and joy to our families, our communities, and the world which we live. What children gain through education can guide them through any situation and take them to great levels in their lives. Someone once asked Helen Keller what could be worse than being blind. Her response? Yes, her response is one of my favorite quotes for life: “Having sight but no vision.” (For anyone who knows me well knows that she and Thomas Jefferson are 2 people that I would love to have met-I think they are both amazing, long before their own time) We must embrace and encourage our youth to be the shining stars they deserve to be. Encourage them to be whatever they want when they grow up, so long as they enjoy it. Teach them to work with passion and dedication-to live healthy, active lives. And most important, appreciate their vision and creativity. Everyone has a talent-a gift to share with this world that we live. Let’s allow our children to dream big! Be bold! Go for it! Fortunately I am blessed with 2 great nieces, 1 great nephew, 11 Rothe nieces/nephews and my brothers and sister have 7 nieces and nephews between them all. Today I am filled with wonder and amazement at life and I am reminded that each of us is the author of our unique mission here on Earth-give birth to your dreams!<br />I returned to Nicole’s to do my morning run for 50 minutes, take a shower, finish my packing and head to the airport to see my husband and daughter-it’s been a good time here! Juan and Nicole wanted to take me to eat Mexican food (one of my favorite food when I come home to Texas) and I didn’t want to miss out on that so we had an early lunch together. Thank Goodness I ran this morning! Nicole, Juan and Lauren took me to the airport. As Juan drove, Nicole chuckled as she told me the kids would have to get back in the routine since I would not be there to cater to their every want like I had all week long. I politely reminded her that is what aunts are supposed to do! I thanked them for allowing me the opportunity to spend time with their great kids and hugged everyone as I said my good-byes. Home to Virginia, home sweet home.Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-17007201347415751552009-09-13T22:30:00.000-04:002009-09-13T22:32:23.144-04:00Reba Farm Inn-September 12 & 13, 2009Reba Farm Inn-September 12 & 13, 2009<br /><br />In April this year I won an auction item at the Children’s Miracle Network “Heals for Healing” at Hotel Roanoke for an overnight stay at the Reba Farm Inn @ 1099 Reba Farm Lane, Bedford, VA, 24523 540-586-1906 <a href="http://www.rebafarminn.com/">www.rebafarminn.com</a> It included a stay in the Rumble Seat Carriage House with an afternoon tea and a 3-course breakfast the next morning. I knew with our busyness we had better take advantage of this before hockey season got in full force and the daily routine of school for Caitlynn and along with me being busy growing the sleep lab. This was the weekend I had chosen for us in July when I made the reservations and I am looking forward to being in the country with my husband alongside nature mano y mano. <br />As usual this Saturday morning began with a bang and I was out of the house by 8:15AM in route to Panera at Valley View for an interview of a potential employee for Sleep EZ. Caitlynn was asleep as Reba had spent the night and I’m sure they stayed up late so I left them sleeping. Thomas left shortly after me to go do yard maintenance on the duplexes. <br />As I returned home shortly after 10:15AM, Caitlynn had been up and was marinating what she was planning on cooking for her friends today, Reba, Sam and Kati. She had several things going on in the kitchen (her favorite room in the house as she wants to go to culinary school). I had several things to do including packing so I too got busy around the house. Thomas and I had agreed to allow her to stay here at the house with Kati overnight while we were away. She is getting old enough now that we need to give her a little lead way and see how she does before she graduates and moves out in 2 years-she definitely knows the house rules by now I hope! We could not arrive before 2PM so we had time to get things done, but Caitlynn kept wondering if we “are going today or not” because she thought we would be leaving earlier than we did. When Thomas got home he then did our yard work around our house, showered and we left. Caitlynn was grilling, cooking fried potatoes (for Sam since he arrived a little earlier) and sautéed vegetables as we said our good-byes and my famous quote for her “make good choices” and we started our overnight retreat for ourselves……<br />Bedford is only 30 minutes from Roanoke and it is a very pretty drive as we drove down Rt. 460 and then turned left on 680 for 4 miles to Sheep Creek Rd. where we turned right and drove for 2 miles and then our destination was on our left. It was a little ways from Peaks of Winery, my husband’s least favorite winery as it is all made with fruit. Yes, I know wine is made from grapes-which is a fruit but the majority of their wines are made from apples, pears and such. We have been out there for 1 tasting but he did not like ANY they offered but the view of Peaks of Otter Mountain was worth the drive.<br />As we drove across a narrow bridge that directed us to Reba Farm Inn we looked around in total happiness as it is located near a mountain side and the view of Peaks of Otter Mountain is very prominent as the driveway winds around to welcome us to an old farm house that has been added on to and has a true carriage house detached along with several other buildings with sleeping quarters. We found the note Kathleen (the wife who owns the Inn) had left us as she would be returning soon to prepare our afternoon tea (typically @ 4PM here). Her husband had taken a group on a trail ride and she was seeing them off and then would be back. Her directions were to our location we would be staying for the night-down the sidewalk and follow it to a set of steps and our place would be the door to the right as we walked inside. The sign on the door read: Rumble Seat. Thomas and I were impressed with the in ground pool area as we walked to the sidewalk and a covered area they have with several benches and a patio set, wrapped around a stone walking area that leads you to a deck with a hot tub. Thomas was in delight as he felt the weed eating he had done this afternoon; he couldn’t wait to get his swimming trunks on! <br />Thomas and I took our luggage and things to our place and then returned to scout out the area, Kathleen greeted us around the pool and asked us if she could go ahead and start preparing our afternoon tea. We agreed no time like the present and she told us she would serve us in 30 minutes with tea and “things she was preparing”. She would set us up at a patio set on the back porch of her house with an umbrella covering the table. We are blessed to have another gorgeous pre-fall day with temperatures in the low 80’s here in the mountains and a slight breeze occasionally. The sun is shining and a few clouds are dancing around the skies above us. Thomas and I went to the hot tub and relished in the simple, quiet beauty that surrounded us. The landscape is natural and simple yet well maintained as the rolling hills have boundaries by a white fence line. There are crepe myrtles in many colors and the mums are also blooming in various places around the landscape. The website stated they also offer horse rides on trails and the land totaled 65 acres so they have no neighbors that we can see from here. The soft bluegrass music is playing outside with landscape speakers hidden throughout. Bluegrass is not my favorite but it was soft so it was fine. Thomas and I looked at each other and chuckled as we noticed it.<br />We made our way down and over to the back porch of the main house and Kathleen had set the table for the 2 of us and shortly returned with a tea tray-2 separate tea pots and a wide selection of teas. Thomas (bless his heart, he never complains but he’s not a hot tea fan though I am so he gracious participated) didn’t comment but I chose Earl Grey for him as it was the only one without green tea or berry flavors (he doesn’t like berries of any kind) and placed the tea bags in his pot. I chose Bavarian Wild Berry (I love any berries) and we waited for them to seep. She returned with a platter of mini sandwiches/spread, quiche, 3 kinds of grapes, strawberries (all mine since Thomas doesn’t like them) 2 different types of cheese chunks, chocolate chip cookies (just baked) and 4 lemon bars! Wow, what an afternoon tea-we enjoyed it so much we decided not to go into town for dinner. We were full from our tea and all the goodies by the time we were finished eating. Kathleen came out to chat with us as she got to know us. She told us they have a total of 300 acres here and 8 dogs that are all rescue animals. They moved here from up north and her mother is French Canadian as Denyse (Thomas’s mom) is but none of Kathleen’s siblings or herself learned French as they wanted to speak English when they came here so they all did. They have 3 sons and 1 daughter; now they have a 1 year old granddaughter that they take riding on the horses already she reports to us. They’ve lived here 13 years and love it-we know exactly why, peace and solitude. <br />“Travis” the chocolate lab made is way around our table several times until she called him away, he eventually returned so I snuck him a piece of cheese. Thomas and I thanked her for the wonderful food and tea then returned to the hot tub for a while. The sun is now getting closer to the mountain side as it is nearly 6PM. We went to our place we were spending the night and decided to take a late afternoon nap with all the windows open so we could here the trees move when the breeze came and the sounds of Mother Nature. <br />I got up around 7:15PM and left Thomas resting. He woke briefly as his back was aching so I gave him some ibuprofen and he went back to sleep. Naturally I don’t need as much sleep so I walked outside, down the steps and sat underneath the covered area at the patio set and started this story. The sun hasn’t set yet but it wouldn’t be long. A gentleman walked pasted me and asked if I was getting internet. I responded no but I was just typing my travel journal on Word so I didn’t need it, besides if I had internet I wouldn’t be relaxing probably-he laughed and agreed. He and his family have been here all weekend and are from Hershey, PA. They had just returned from the trail ride and spoke of the beauty they saw on the trail, prior to that they had hiked to the Peaks of Otter Mountain (1 ½ hr hike) and he said the view is “definitely worth the hike!”<br />I returned my laptop to the room where Thomas was resting soundly and decided to walk down the driveway as it is now dark. Two of the other dogs greeted me and immediately rolled on their backs for me to rub their tummies-they have adjusted to their surroundings well I’d say. The walk was awesome as there are just wide open spaces here and the sky is filled with stars-bright and brilliant surrounding me. Why is it that the sky and stars are just so brilliant when you’re out in the country like this? Is this God’s way of putting us back on his track and redirecting us from our own agenda-if it is, it works. Then I just sat outside and watched as I always look for a shooting star; that is my way of knowing Brandon’s looking down at me. It was about 20 minutes when I had text Caitlynn to be sure all was well; low and behold-there went my shooting star. All is well and the night is good.<br /><br />There is something about waking up in the country that is just so refreshing. We slept with the windows open and I have the small window unit on low to help drown out noises that the couple next to us in our building might happen to cause. Thomas is a very light sleeper and we are here for a little rest, that we did as we woke around 7AM-refreshed. Thomas headed straight to the hot tub. We are unsure about breakfast time but the gentleman I met last night that was staying on the property in another building said it would be “unbelievable” to quote him. So I am looking forward to that.<br />The sun came up right outside our bedroom window and filtered above the tree tops to greet us along with all the fabulous sounds of nature and an occasion wood pecker hard at work. Thomas and I decided to get out and absorb the beauty around us as we went for a walk along the winding road from the Inn. He left our room before I did and as I walked out he was standing by the fence where 6 horses had come up in hopes to get a treat this morning I’m sure. There were 2 colts and they were enjoying the grazing as he petted a couple of them. I walked up and petted the darkest colt, colts are so cute and soft I love the feel of them. We began our walk and the temperature is a perfect fall morning at 62 degrees and the smell of fall is in the air. There was a house for sale right before we got to the end of the road so we walked up the driveway to look at it. It has 2.99 acres with it and the view from the front is beautiful as you can see Peaks of Otter Mountain it all its brilliance before you. It also has a graveyard on the property but we didn’t walk up to it, just walked around the fence line. Afterwards we made our way back up to the main house for breakfast. <br />We entered the walkway to the left of the house before you get to the swimming pool and it lead us to the main house’s back porch area that has 3 patio sets that have umbrellas on each. The 2 other families (1 couple from Lynchburg and the family from Hershey, Pennsylvania) that were staying here had already arrived and were starting on their breakfast drinks so we joined them. Kathleen was shortly behind us as she served coffee to drink for those interested in drinking it and each of us also had orange juice and ice water. Our first breakfast course was a poached pear with a light lemon sauce. Neither Thomas or I are fans or pears or lemons but it was quite good. As we ate at the table with the couple from Lynchburg we got to know them. They had gone on the trail ride yesterday then had dinner at the main house as Ron and Kathleen had prepared it afterwards. He is an engineer that graduated from VA Tech in 1992 and she did work part time but this year had decided to stay home fulltime with their 4 year old “Daniel”. The family here from Pennsylvania has their college student daughter here along with their 12 year old whom the mom is a respiratory therapist and home schools the youngest daughter.<br />The next course was a poppy seed loaf with a mild lemon sauce topping, hot out of the oven. She served 1 per family; it was mighty tasty as well. Next she brought out eggs benedict and it was all delicious! We enjoyed our food, the company and our surroundings. We all thanked her as she returned with containers for our leftover poppy seed loaf to take with us and made our way to pack up our things from our stay. As we returned to our room, there was a slight breeze coming through the open windows so Thomas and I lay on the bed cuddling and took a little siesta-with full bellies it was a natural thing to do for the next 30 minutes before checkout time. <br />Carrying our things to our car we made our way home. Thomas drove the back country roads for the majority of the time and as we drove my thoughts always return to the things I carry with me since I lost Brandon. I made the conscious choice that it’s okay to be angry at first when it happened. It’s a natural mourning process. But we can’t stay angry. We can and should mourn what is lost forever because of our love. But we can’t stay in mourning forever. We can be bitter or we can be better. It’s all in the letter I. And it’s all up to us. I choose love so I can have life, and life abundant. “Find something you love to do…learn to make your own music…give until it hurts”.<br />Everyone has a story different as night and day. And everyone has their own journey, some follow their path, some wander away. But everyone has a moment that changes their life, and then suddenly clear in that moment that nothing will ever be the same again. Careful the plans we make, careful the roads we take. Careful the hearts we break along the way. Careful the things embraced, careful the time we waste. Careful the dreams we taste and toss away. Everyone has a purpose different as day and night and everyone finds their own answer. Some blinded by fear, some guided by light. Yes, everyone has a story-a beginning, a middle, and end but if there’s a God in the heavens above and if there’s such a thing as a thing called love then there must be a way for anyone’s heart to mend. Careful the chance we take, careful the choices we make. Careful for heaven’s sake the road we take…..Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-38487896366461346872009-07-15T18:06:00.000-04:002009-07-15T18:08:44.393-04:00Girls Trip to Isle of Palms, S.C.-June 25-30, 2009Girls Trip to Isle of Palms, S.C.-June 25-30, 2009<br /><br />So for a much needed time of rest and relaxation one of my sister-in-laws started talking about a girl trip back during Hans and Denyse’s 50th wedding anniversary party so here we are. Helene met me at our house in Roanoke at 10 AM this morning then we drove Caitlynn to school at Mrs. Moore’s to join all the students with their families for the last day of class ‘celebration’. Each student did an oral presentation on their final research paper in front of the parents/family attending while the “meat” was being prepared by Mrs. Moore’s son-in-law. Thomas arrived a little after 11 AM and after the students completed their presentations we indulged on the feast before us that each family had a part in the making of the side dishes that covered everything from fruit to alfredo chicken, which happened to be 1 of the 3 dishes Caitlynn prepared from scratch. She had every right to be proud of her baked macaroni & cheese, baked beans (my wife-Tracy’s recipe and loving helping hands to initiate the recipe) and then her pasta dish-my girl loves to cook and she’s good at it! <br />After my final details were completed for tomorrow’s payroll for the lab, bank and post office stops (of course I wanted everyone at the lab to meet Helene while she was in town) we were on the road by 1:35 PM-in search of the beach with a warm summer breeze! Helene and I took turns driving and with our only pitstop in Blythewood, S.C. I was in total delight to be greeted with a southern draw at the convenient store and to an even heightened delight for my eyes to fall on a freezer stocked with my favorite (well my original favorite) ice cream from Brenham, TX.-Blue Bell! There on the shelf was Banana Split flavor which I could not seem to completely satisfy my craving for while pregnant with Caitlynn (some almost 16 years ago now…)! If I had not had so many calories or been running regularly since our trip to Canada I would have without a doubt rewarded myself with a pint of it, instead I just considered the finding a blessing and a sign that this would be a great trip and walked away (after I picked up the container to verify how many servings/calories/fat IF I “ate the whole thing” I would feel guilty for-32 g fat by the way, just in case any of my Texas family has just sat down to eat some as they read this). Helene and I continued our driving and we had 2 pretty good showers during the last 2 hours as we were 2/3 to our destination. We had many things to talk about as Nick (her only son-my nephew) just graduated from high school and Kayla (her only daughter will be a senior at Radford University this fall) had just been home for the weekend. <br />We arrived and checked into the hotel. Diana had made reservations about 4 months ago and in the last 2 weeks (after reading some bad reviews on the internet about the resort we’d be staying at) opted to change our reservations to the Wild Dunes Resort and we agreed-sight unseen, trusting her good judgment. The resort was impressive as we first entered the guarded gate and proceed to drive throughout the entrance area and we were still impressed. Its location has many things to offer from villas to homes, ours would be on their property named The Boardwalk Inn at 5757 Palm Blvd., Isle of Palms, S.C., 29451 <a href="http://www.wilddunes.com/">www.wilddunes.com</a> The Inn had a southern, relaxed elegance about it that reminded us from VA of The Homestead with more activities on location (not to mention the ease of the beach). The front porch area greeted us with rocking chairs on both sides, suggesting cool summer evening’s use. Our room was elegantly decorated with warm colors and our balcony overlooked the Grand Pavilion at the end where the beach started and the Village Plazas at the opposite end. Complete with wireless internet (good thing for my story), 2 big fluffy queen-size beds, a large flat panel screen TV (if we get a wild hair and need to look at the weather), and a cute little refrigerator to chill our wine that I brought (shocker!). We unpacked and got things settled from our end and by that time we needed to head to pick Diana up at the airport in Charleston which was 17 miles but beautiful scenery along the way. She left Oregon at 11 AM to arrive here by 10 PM this evening. Helene waited outside the baggage claim in the car as I went to find Diana and help her with her luggage. I laughed at the thought of our discussions regarding her “Amarula” bottle. Evidently she was given the bottle as a gift and she has “been saving it for a special occasion” so she thought she’d mail it to either of us before her departure date then she realized the cost since she told them it was liquor and decided to leave it in Oregon for another special occasion. I told her that Thomas and I have packed wine bottles in our luggage before but we don’t necessarily tell them that they are packed and to date we’ve never had any break in the suitcase so she opted to do some creative packing and go ahead and bring it. She describes it as a product from South Africa and it is a Marula Fruit Cream Liqueur <a href="http://www.amarula.com/">www.amarula.com</a> When Diana went online to check-in she noticed that even with 3 bags there was no charge so she called the airlines to verify. Since she’d upgraded to first class she is allowed 3 bags and 1 carry on without any charge so at that time she thought her bottle deserved its own little suitcase so she packed it well and checked it as a piece of luggage. <br />So I spotted her awaiting the carousel to start dispersing luggage and I greeted her and we laughed as she said she needed to be sure her liqueur arrived safely as she was watching concerned. She looks good and she told me about her busy week since Francois had been in Colorado since Sunday (Father’s Day: trivia for this year-1966 was the first year President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day, 20% of Father’s Day cards that are purchased by wives for their husbands, 56% of men who say they do nearly the same amount of cooking as their spouse (or even more) but according to the wives, its only 25%, 13%of US companies that offer paternity leave, and 159,000 represents the number of stay-at-home dads in the US) and just got back the day before she left. They currently have 2 Bassett Hounds, 1 cat and Chelsea (their only child which is my 17 year old niece-Thomas and I are her godparents and she will be a senior in high school this fall) which keep her very busy as she continues to work by doing medical transcriptions from home. She agrees the 3 of us are starting a much needed get-away..….<br />None of us had eaten dinner so Helene chose IHOP since Subway and the local Ice cream shop closed at 10 PM and its already 10:53 PM-okay, I guess we can still have real food but ice cream would have been so good! We decided that we would not make any definite timed plans but would look at all our options and as Helene tells us “we’re just showing up”. Dinner was good and we laughed as we talked and caught up on each other’s lives then we headed back to the resort at 12:20 AM. Diana was a nervous about our room and if it would be comfortable, we didn’t give her much detail though she persisted but we feel she’ll be pleased. <br />On our drive to the resort I asked Diana how she and Francois met. She told me they met in college and one night Francois had drank TOO much, walked right in her room and told her he loved her. She said she waited until the next day and asked him if he remembered what he had told her the night before and he told her “yes and I meant it”. From that point forward they dated until they married-obviously a man who knew what he wanted I’d say-the rest is history. Diana had never met Thomas until their wedding and she laughed as she remembered when Thomas came to see them in Texas for a Dallas Cowboy game and Chelsea was small at the time. They took him to eat Mexican food and he couldn’t stand the hot sauce (he doesn’t like ‘hot’ things) but Chelsea was perfectly content eating it-he was shocked at watching the baby eat it. They moved to Oregon in 1998 since their New Mexico home sold while they were on the family trip to Europe in 1998, when Chelsea also got Scarlet Fever while they were on the trip and they were in East Germany. Hans had to go with them to take her to the physician (a female physician) so he could translate and obviously she did it all under the table because they typically quarantine them but didn’t with her. Diana laughs as she recalls Chelsea still remembering the tongue depressor because it was like rock candy on the end of it. <br />We passed several strip malls as we drove from Mount Pleasant to Isle of Palms and I spotted a “Five Guys” burger restaurant and made a comment, Helene said “oh yeah”. I asked Diana if she had ever been to a “Five Guys” and she said “no, is it like a Chippendale’s or like a Hooters or something?” Helene and I cracked up and said “no just good burgers, how did you get that out of the name?” She chuckled with us so I knew then that we would have to bring her at a later time during our stay here. It was hilarious because Diana was so nervous about whether or not it was a decent place and if we were okay with her final selection, we let on like it was “seemed to be okay”. She called Francois as we drove to tell him she had arrived safe and sound and commented to him her anxiousness to see what the inn looked like and if it was something we could be okay with for our next 5 nights. She then handed the phone to me to talk to him and he asked me if the “hotel was any good or not”, I replied “yes” and he said she was really concerned about it since she wasn’t familiar with any in the area as this was Diana’s first time to come to South Carolina, ever. I was able to let him know without so many words that it was definitely a “nice place” and he laughed as he responded to me she was nervous about it-I chuckled to him and said yes we are letting her think its “okay” until we arrive at our room. After the valet took the car we made our way to the room and when we opened the door and she came in she was thrilled! As Helene had replied when we walked in Diana likewise said, “NICE”. We laughed and I said the only bad thing about this trip is if we like it and have a good time then we will have to make it an annual event-oh, hate that….<br />I thought it would be sacrilegious not to at least walk down and see the beach before morning so the 3 of us headed out to make our rounds to see the property around 1 AM. The moon was out but only a thin slivered appeared as we walked to the ocean and put our hands in, it was very warm and there is nothing that compares to the sound the ocean makes as far as I’m concerned-its so peaceful and relaxing. Whether it’s a token of the ocean washed ashore or a vivid memory of the sun setting quietly over the marsh with the days ahead while we are here, you won’t leave empty handed. Tangible or not, these souvenirs are priceless reminders of our time together-a place where time does stand still it seems. <br />We then walked around to the Plaza Village area in the front entrance of our resort where they have a pleasant small pond with a very large water fountain and the upper area was lined with rocking chairs so we sat there and talked in the warm summer breeze. Helene reminiscences about the family trips they took and the memories they made when her siblings and her were all younger, she said “it’s a miracle we all survived those years”. Diana talked again about the 1998 trip to Europe that the entire Rothe family made 11 years ago together. She said Homer had a Dr. Pepper and Jessica wanted to drink one so she started to open the can when Francois told her “no” because it would have been shaken up with all the travel and just as she opened it, it spewed all over Francois! Then within 4 hours of that incident Diana had needed an aspirin so she opened one and Francois AGAIN got spewed with yet another one-she was cracking up as she recalled quite a few memories from that trip. When we realized it was almost 2 AM we thought we would go back to our room and get ready for bed- its been a long day for all of us but its good to be here together. We couldn’t have asked for any more of an absolutely gorgeous night to spend here talking.<br />Today in history: Farrah Fawcett dies at age 62 from anal cancer and Michael Jackson “king of pop” dies at age 50 from cardiac arrest. http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/home<br /><br />Friday, June 26, 2009-I woke up bright and early after not going to bed until 4:30 AM and it’s 7:10 AM so I feel like I’ve done all the sleeping my body needs so I begin typing this story. Helene woke a little before 9 so she and I decided to go to the fitness center while Diana slept. Everyone here at the resort must have woken up at 9 and thought the exact thing so we decided to walk on the beach-better view anyway for the next hour. It’s a beautiful site, the ocean before us as we made our way around and back up a different direction to see all the sights. The Wild Dunes Resort has a tennis facility that is among the best in the nation-ranked in the Top 10 by Tennis magazine so if you are a fan of tennis you could definitely enjoy it here, if you’re not a fan of swinging the racket then there is a Links golf course that surrounds most of this resort. The golf course is Tom Fazio’s first solo design and is ranked among the world’s best, year in and year out. With its rolling fairways framed by moss-bearded live oaks and rustling palms, the Links Course is as much a visual bounty as it is a golfing challenge. Noteworthy of massive, humpbacked sand dunes and finishing holes along the Atlantic Ocean, the Links recalls golf’s ancient Scottish heritage. Course: Par 72, yards 6,722, rating 73.1 and slope 132. There are several little pond areas that have posted signs to “Avoid due to alligators” but the area is pretty so Helene and I stayed on the designated path (we did not want to be an aliigators breakfast today) and admired the turtle family on a log and several swimming close to the shore area we had redirected to after leaving the beachside part of our walk to make our way past the tennis courts then back up to the resort. <br />The Palm magazine from the Wild Dunes Resort claims they inspire to turn every visitor to the resort into something of a game warden-a guardian of the “green line” that keeps man and nature in check. So they encourage everyone here to become acquainted with the wide side here: Alligators-no longer endangered, these fascinating dinosaurs have repopulated in a big way. Area naturalists caution against tampering in any way with a gator-no matter the size. Little ones signal a big ol’ mom nearby, and large ones move a lot faster than you’d imagine. Spot them submerged in ponds when it’s hottest; sunning themselves when it’s temperate or cool on the Harbor and Links golf course here on the Isle. Crabs-despite the “most polite” ranking in national surveys, the Charleston area’s pretty “crabby”. Various genuses of these big-fisted crustaceans keep this area entertained and fed. Blue crabs are abundant in the salty marshes-just sink a trap and wait (they say it takes 4 blue crabs to make one meaty crab cake, so I’m told by those that cook). Crabs on the beach include fiddlers, hermits and “ghosts”, a nocturnal species named for its ability to disappear in a wink. Dolphins-I believe you could live here 70 years and never tire of a dolphin-sitting, wow…what a thrill! You can watch off-shore (from about 10-50 yards from the waterline) and you’ll often see dorsal fins erupt through the waves. The area’s Bottlenose dolphins feed in the creeks and marshes too, especially in the spring when babies are born. So watch for dorsal fins and listen for snorts! A rare site they tell us is strand feedings when groups of dolphins push mullet and shad onto mud flats and dig in-they say nothing like it. Egrets-all-white herons that make a stunning statement all over the Lowcountry, poised serenely above shallow waters full of bugs, fish and frogs. The two varieties that are common here are the Great White and the Snowy egret. Once endangered in the late 1800’s the egrets have been named one of the “most intelligent” species of bird based on recent work by Canadian researchers. Osprey-called “Fish Eagles” and “Sea Hawks” are amazing to watch as they dive bomb inshore waters for fish. Highly adapted, their needle sharp talons scoop up silvery fish with precision as they hold them in place until the large bird returns to its nest. Osprey are abundant in the Lowcountry, with several mated pairs returning annually to this area around Wild Dune Resort. Sea Turtles-2008 saw a bumper crop of Sea Turtles nests along the beaches here on the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island. The 200-pound mother turtles arrived (as they always do) in late spring, dug shallow holes and laid about 115 eggs per nest. Only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will achieve adulthood, and it takes 20-30 years for an adult female to return to the beach where she was born to lay her eggs; therein lies much of the fascination with these creatures. Be sure to watch for volunteer “turtle teams” protecting nests by spring (orange tape marks the spot) until hatching occurs sometime in the late summer. <br />We continued our walk as we talked about many things as the 2 of us seem to be able to do this so easily, Helene has a very pleasant laid-back personality that is always courteous and very aware of the people around her feelings. She shared with me how she chose to attend Longwood College in VA when she finished high school. She had a high school teacher that took her and another girl to see the college since the 2 of them did gymnastics, the teacher used that as an opportunity to familiarize them with Longwood’s gymnastics program. Helene chuckled as she said she and the other girl didn’t realize at that time that they would never be good enough to actually do gymnastics at the college level. I think the teacher probably believed in them and thought that would be a good way to expose them to bigger dreams-I love those kind of people that believe in others until they actually believe in themselves. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. There were 3 of her college friends and her that have remained close since completing Longwood College together and they gave each other nicknames, hers was “Hell”-now that made me laugh since her personality is nothing like that! She also shared a story with me as I talked about plants as we walked that she remembers coming home from college one time and thought she’d help in the yard but she dug up all of Denyse’s bulb plants. To this day she says she’s unsure how Denyse ever found out, moms with eyes in the back of their heads I guess. <br />We returned to the room and Diana was sleeping peacefully so we crept around as we gathered our bathing suits/snacks/reading literature and we were off to the pool, leaving Diana a note so she’d know where we ran off to. We lavished every minute of the great all mighty vitamin D. Helene giggled as we waited on evidence that Diana had completed her rest and was awake-Helene couldn’t remember if she wrote the note with the word “closet” or “closest” for which pool we would be at…she found us so it must not of read: “we are at the closet pool”. Diana joined us for a couple of hours around mid afternoon but we made sure she was covered (from head to toe) with sunscreen as she is the fair-complexion sister-in-law but she’s so fun you can’t help but love her…..”.<br />After Diana left for the room a bit later, Helene and I looked up and there came 9 bridesmaids in coral dresses and a lovely bride in ivory. They stood on the bridge over the pool we were in for the photographer to capture these precious moments as they prepared for a 6 PM wedding. It’s 92 degrees with the typical ocean humidity so I’m sure they are really warm about now. The resort here is a Destination wedding site so we are told. Nice day for a white wedding…<br />Helene and I returned to the room around 4 PM and we began our showers to get ready for a nice dinner. I thought I’d sample the Aveda products that the resort provided in our room….oohh lala the Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner is nice. It creates a mild tingling sensation on my scalp-now that is nice. <br />As we made our drive from the Isle of Palm (7 miles of pristine beaches on Isle of Palms which is a natural barrier island on the coast of South Carolina), the beautiful bright beaches here stretch along the Atlantic Ocean. It is a paradise as nature intended and man has carefully adapted to the environment to the Charleston area. (Charleston trivia-the first shot of the Civil War was fired by Citadel cadets stationed on Morris Island), we went over the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge which is over the Cooper River and it gave us breathtaking, vaulted views of the Charleston Harbor from above. The bridge was completed in 2005 at a cost of more than $700 million. The beautiful structure is a cable-stayed bridge with 2 diamond-shaped towers, each soaring to a height of 575 feet. They designed the main span unit which, since completed, is the longest cable-stayed main span in North America. <a href="http://www.cooperriverbridge.org/">www.cooperriverbridge.org</a> <br />We had chosen to have dinner at Charleston Crab House at 41 S. Market St. <a href="http://www.charlestoncrabhouse.com/">www.charlestoncrabhouse.com</a><br />Our agenda was to meet Camille Hermsen whom Diana met online when they attended their online medical transcribing class and they both work for the same company but have never physically met each other, until today. I thought it was so funny as Diana told me last night that she had given Camille my Sleep EZ Diagnostics, Inc. website ( <a href="http://www.sleepezcenter.com/">www.sleepezcenter.com</a> ) for her to see me because Diana uses a picture of her dog on her Facebook page and at least Camille would know what 1 out of the 3 of us actually looked like! <br />We parked in public parking and it cost $7 so we made our way to the “pay box”, we were fascinated by the Citadel cadets that were walking in full uniform down the side of the road with flags and even one was playing the bagpipes as they passed by. We got to the “pay box” and I cracked up as Helene said, “now, how does this work?” I knew how to get the dollars shoved into the small hole allotted for each specific slot for parking since we have this payboxes in Roanoke-careful folding! I demonstrated to her how to fold each dollar individually (we have 7 to do…) then stuff it in the slot and use the metal key provided to finish pushing each dollar in until we had completed the required 7 we needed. The 3 of us laughed and Diana pitched in to help finish the process. It’s always better to pay so you do not return to find your car been towed. We walked past the market which is an open area of historic buildings that are open for street sales 7 days a week. The story is that the man who donated the land here in this area specified that it could never used for anything but the Charleston Market for this type of vendors and it had to be open 7 days a week. There are people shopping and wondering around looking at all the historic sites.<br />This weekend is the Tall Ship Festival <a href="http://www.charlestonharborfest.org/index2.html">http://www.charlestonharborfest.org/index2.html</a> so there quite a few tourist walking around. As we took in all the sights and made our way to our destination for dinner plans (Diana is on the cell with Camille as we are in search of her to meet). As we got to the corner of the crab house Diana laughed as she looked up (as they talked on their cells to each other) and there she was crossing the street corner to join us. We introduced each other and put our name on the waiting list to be seated on the top of the restaurant since it was open to see all the sights. Meanwhile I had talked to Caitlynn and she said Thomas was really sick (I had gotten sick the day after our return from British Columbia last week and started to recover the day before this trip) and was going to the Urgent Care Center so I called him and he will call me after he sees a physician. He did and they gave him several prescriptions including a Z-pak, he sounds really bad and I feel bad because I’m not there to take care of him. He is always so good to take care of me when I need it. He’s headed home to go to bed, I have no doubt Caitlynn will have a watchful eye on him and let me know anything I need to be aware of….<br />We talked and got to know Camille, of course I asked a lot of questions. How do you ever get to know people if you don’t ask questions anyway? She is originally from Minnesota but has lived in many different states, she relocated here about 3 years ago and relocated her mom and step-dad Bill here also, they currently live on Daniel Island in the floor level of her house and she lives in the top level. She’s never been married and proclaims she is the original runaway bride, as she states “been engaged and had a lot of rings but gave them all back”. As you know she is a CMT (certified medical transcriptionist) as of yesterday when she passed her certification exam. Previously she has had several jobs including working for Disney for a couple of years. She is very outgoing with a charismatic personality as we talked and enjoyed spending time with her. She is the proud owner of a rescue dog that is a Doberman named “Herschel” who is 4 ½ years old and definitely loved by her. She takes him to “Yappy Hour” which is offered in various places in this area where you take your dog on a leash to happy hour with you. She tells us he had many different names and the last boy-friend she had told her that he looked like a “Herschel” so it stuck and she got rid of the boy-friend. Camille also works with the Labrador rescue locally so this is something that she and Diana have in common since Diana and her family work with the Bassett Hound rescue in Eugene, OR. As we talked and made our minds up as to what our selection for the evening would be, the local chimes of the many churches located in this area started in-what a pleasant sound! I love the chime of clocks or church bells, no matter where I am. This happened several times during our dinner and each time was as pleasant as the first. Camille tells us that Charleston is called the “holy city” because of the many churches with bell chimes. <br />Our waitress was a very cute, peppy young lady named Hannah, she is 18 and she can serve alcohol in S.C. but the legal drinking age is 21 so when we asked her about their specialty drinks and she commented, we laughed and I corrected her by saying “well the people say it is a good drink” instead of “yes, that’s a good drink. She was born and raised here in Charleston and loves the atmosphere. She gave us tips on where to go and said if we were having dessert then we would have to go to Kaminsky’s <a href="http://www.kaminskys.com/">www.kaminskys.com</a> for dessert while we are downtown. Also with Hannah’s suggestion we did not order the traditional fried green tomatoes here at the crab house even though they are tradition from this area. She tells us that they are not the best here but we should look for a restaurant that describes their fried green tomatoes as “lightly breaded, thick cut and served with goat cheese-the best!” I ordered us an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms (with shrimp inside the shrooms) as this is Heleine’s favorite (as is my husband’s favorite). For beverages; Helene ordered water since she’s the DD, Diana ordered Bloody Marys, Camille ordered margaritas (without salt) and I had Wappoo punch which is their local specialty here. By the time it was over I believe I had 2 glasses of punch, Diana had 3 Bloody Mary’s and Camille had 3 margaritas while Helene still drank water. Diana decided she needed to call Francois and check in with him, he was aware by us laughing that we were enjoying beverages and he talked to me after Diana and Camille. He just laughed and told us to have a good time and be careful-we were doing both. Hannah brought us their complimentary hush puppies that are slightly sweet and have small pieces of crab meat, they were awesome! Helene’s entrée was the broiled seafood trio, Diana had the bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp, Camille ordered the Carolina platter and so traditionally I never like 2 people to get the same thing (that way we can all sample the goods and it will all be different-love options) so I ordered the Mediterranean seafood pasta. Everything was very good and we had a good evening getting to spend time together and learning about our new friend Camille. After we left the crab house we walked through the market and watched the locals make sweetgrass baskets which is one of the oldest African crafts in America, appearing in South Carolina during the late 17th century. Sweetgrass basket sewing is viewed as a gift from God. The craft, handed down from generation to generation is usually learned from childhood. The baskets require a great deal of patience and creativity as there are no set problems. Each piece is unique, and each artist develops his or her own style. Basketmakers pledge to continue their traditional craft as long as there are raw materials available. The baskets are very durable and their uses range from practical daily use to show pieces. They are a major tourist attraction in the Lowcountry here since Mount Pleasant area basketmakers began a long-standing tradition when one lady of vision, Lottie “Winee” Moultrie Swinton, soon followed by Lydia Spann Graddick, placed her chair along the highway to display baskets for sale. Thus, roadside basket stands were born in 1929. The State of South Carolina named Sweetgrass Baskets the official handcraft of the Lowcountry in 2006.<br />I bought Caitlynn and Nicole (my niece) each a set of magnetic page holders that are to be placed on recipe books when they are following a recipe, Helene bought Kayla (my niece) a pair of boxers while Camille was checking out toe rings and Diana was taking in all the sights here in the market. Next we made a bee line down the road to find Kaminsky’s which we did and placed our name on the list which was at least a 30 minute wait but as we drooled on the glass case where they displayed their famous desserts I felt sure the wait would be worth it-the cakes were 6 inches tall!<br />Located in downtown Charleston, Kaminsky's "most excellent" desserts are prepared fresh each day by our talented pastry chefs with selections changing daily. We encourage you to explore our selection of signature desserts housed in the case at the front door. Relax and enjoy your most excellent selection of dessert with a beverage. In addition to our vast array of specialty coffees, we also offer a full beer, wine and liquor selection<br />I ordered a kid’s ice cream sundae, Diana and Helene shared a piece of pecan pie (with 2 scoops of ice cream on the side of the nice and warm pie) and Camille ordered the chocolate, chocolate cake-everyone sampled each others (I love that) and we were all pleased. (Thomas’s favorite is pecan pie, he would be proud) As we departed (and pleased with our choices for the evening foods) we said our goodbye’s to Camille and invited her to join us at the resort tomorrow and made our way to the vehicle. As we walked we passed a carriage horse barn which is located here in the downtown area and we stopped to admire the horses (Diana loves horses and well as I, they are the most splendid yet graceful animals to watch I think) and take pictures. Our drive back across the bridge was quite impressive and the temperature had cooled to 77 degrees. We had been using “Carmen” the GPS and we keep in mind, SHE is just a machine. She is named Carmen Helene tells us since her first one was a Garmin brand and she drove a Camry so this one is named “Carmen”. We arrived back at the resort and began preparing for bed since it was after midnight. Diana was getting her things ready and it seems Diana is the queen of misplaced items-she can’t remember where she puts things. She did reassure us that she has “forgotten many things before but never once forgotten Chelsea”! I’m feeling better about that…Chelsea is my godchild after all.<br />Helene was fast asleep after we got ready for bed, Diana talked to Francois on her cell and then she went to bed, I was behind them a bit as I read. Good night all…<br /><br />Saturday, June 27, 2009-beautiful sunny morning with an expected high of 97 degrees, now you’re talking! In January, the average temperature in Charleston is 55 degrees, in July the average temperature is 82 degrees. Humidity averages 86%, while rainfall is 52 inches per year. The first frost typically occurs around December 10; the last usually occurs in mid-February according to the statistics. <br />I woke to find a note pad that Diana had written for me of memories that Francois recalled from their European family trip in the late 1998 as they spoke on the cell phone last night (for me to add to this story). He remembers dragging the suitcases from train to train, Hans waking up on the train with his “crazy looking” hair, bra purse-sorry no other details on the notepad for this one (anyone know them???) and Thomas and Homer exiting the Eiffel Tower to see someone peeing-right there! Evidently Madeleine thought most of their sightings “looks like Italy”….anyone else recall that trip with the whole Hans Rothe family?<br />I read literature that was in the room about this resort as it reports: Alligators-Wild Dunes is home to a variety of wildlife including raccoons, squirrels, deer, shore birds and alligators. Although alligators do not usually attack people, they may do so if threatened or annoyed. Please make certain that your children are aware of the animal’s existence in and around our lagoons and that they do not approach, feed or antagonize these reptiles. They may look slow and awkward but can move very quickly in the water and on land. Jellyfish, and their big brothers, the Portuguese man-of-war, are rare on the Isle of Palms as they only appear when weather, water temperature and water currents combine to provide the proper environment. However, when they do appear, it’s best to keep a wide berth. The Man-of-War is always severe and requires medical emergency hospital treatment. A jellyfish sting can be treated with vinegar, meat tenderizer or baking soda just as you would treat a bee sting. Sand Dunes and Sea Oats are important elements of local beauty and interest which must be left alone. Stunning natural treasures contouring miles of sandy beach, sand dunes provide a habitat for local wildlife, while producing our island and its residents from the power of the sea. The sea oats strengthen and help stabilize the dunes by protecting small plant life and the property beyond the ocean winds and waves. Maintaining an ecological balance is so difficult yet so important that the state of South Carolina has enacted several laws to protect this fragile environment. It is unlawful to pick sea oats or destroy primary sand dunes. Please use boardwalks, and please do not disturb the sand fencing; it is there to help nature rebuild the dunes. With your cooperation in these matters we will all be able to enjoy the island’s beaches for many years to come. <br />Helene woke and so we opted to check out the other fitness center here on site in hopes of less people, and it was a good choice so we got busy exercising. Helene had decided she’d like to get her hair cut this morning so we allowed Diana to sleep in and we headed out to find Fantastic Sam’s. We saw it the evening we drove in and I told Helene then that those were fast places to get a hair cut without an appointment (we have them in Texas-first come first serve basis) so she decided to give it a shot. There were several older ladies waiting in line and one young guy who was about to get his long, curly locks shaved for a bald look because of the hot summer. We had many topics of conversation, including the Michael Jackson songs on the stereo system playing as all the controversy following his death being discussed. The ladies thought that it was neat the 3 sister-in-laws came here for a getaway and questioned why we chose Isle of Palms and what we had planned for the days ahead. Helene and I laughed as we looked at each other and replied “No agenda, we just showed up” and the lady next to me just laughed.<br />We all needed time away from work and a little R&R-much needed with the unemployment likely at a 26 year high-9.6%. <br />I typed this story as Helene waited and then the deed was done, she like the lady and they did a good job. She said Kayla will not believe she actually came on vacation and cut her hair off. We met Diana back at the room and she was preparing to head downstairs. Camille met us at the resort and we hung out at the beach for the afternoon and the clouds started rolling in around 4:40 PM so we came back to the room and all took showers. Camille recommended our dinner meal be at Red’s Ice House since it is a local place with good food ( <a href="http://www.redsicehouse.com/">www.redsicehouse.com</a> ). It is one of the places that hold Yappy Hour and it’s perfect for you and your pooch! My 3 pooches are not vacationing with me now so I will check it out for future reference, they LOVE to travel though.<br />We made our way down a different route following Camille as we went through Mount Pleasant to Shem Creek area. Mount Pleasant is where Darius Rucker (lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish <a href="http://www.dariusrucker.com/">www.dariusrucker.com</a> ) just bought a $600,000 beach home and we passed it as we drove to the restaurant. He is known for his efforts for fund raising in this area to give to local schools with the proceeds from his concerts. <br />We parked in a lot outside and made our way to the back of the restaurant which was not terribly crowded and offered a lot of outside seating since it has access to the water from the front. This is an area that the locals bring their boats to dock while they have a meal or beverages. It sits on Shem Creek and there are several restaurants across the stream opening with 1 being an Inn to stay overnight, Camille states that it is usually booked a year in advance. This is a very pleasant area as the water runs between several restaurants and we can see a catamaran leaving. I am unsure how many islands there actually are in S.C. because there are so many, from what I understand each has a little different feel from the descriptions. To name a few are; Sullivans Island (Jimmy Buffet style-very casual), Wadmalaw Island (Charleston Tea Plantation is located here, home of American Classic Tea), Johns Island (resides The Angel Oak Tree that is estimated to be over 1,500 years old), Edisto Island, Kiawah Island (they have alligators also because Helene has been there she says), Morris Island, Daniel Island (Camille lives here), James Island, Seabrook Island and Isle of Palms. <br />As we entered there were several people with their dogs and the bar staff/wait staff brings them metal beer buckets with ice water for each of them and places them at their owner’s feet for the dogs. Red's is just an awesome spot on Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant with an awesome view from the creek, shrimp boats and local boats pulling in for and evening sunset view. The seafood is great they must buy right there locally. The outside seating is first come first serve and they have a sign posted that reads: “No Swimming, No Unattended children, No Drunks” on the dock going up to the front door. It was built in 1947 and remains rustic looking with 2 floors. We had storms building in the west and we asked the waiter as we found a table outside if he thought it’d rain much (today there were no predictions for rain supposedly). He said it’s hard to tell because storms usually circle and come back around because of the Island so you never know, we opted to wait it out as the sprinkles were few but had began, made up our minds on an appetizer and beverages since we were starving. Diana was the DD tonight so Helene and I ordered a pitcher of Red Deck Punch; it was cheaper by the pitcher than the glass. I ordered us some seafood queso as an appetizer, it was spicy and good! As the dip arrived the rain started much more frequent with the clouds still building and getting darker so we moved to the bar area so we would not get soaked and thought we’d wait it out since we had our name on the list to be seated inside. <br />They were able to seat us inside in about 20 minutes and we examined the menu (again) and we ordered. Diana-shrimp basket, Helene-scallops (her & Thomas’s favorite), Camille-grouper sandwich and I had an all American burger so none of us would have the same thing and we could sample each others, again. Meanwhile the storm intensified and there were severe weather watchs all around us as every big screen TV was broadcasting all around us as everyone was getting concerned as the storm was not passing and intensified. I jokingly say I’m not scared of anything but thunder and lightening and we were experiencing plenty of that right now! As we were trying to wait out the storm, there were 2 different bachelorette parties that came through. You can always tell as there are a bunch of girls together celebrating with the “chosen one” wearing a plastic crown or a different colored boa around her neck for all to gawk at as they hooped and hollered with excitement for the evening ahead of them as they prepare to embrace marriage. Suddenly the roof started leaking above Diana’s side of the ceiling just to the right of her, then the tiles began to bulge and the waiter placed a Corona bucket under several places as they began to leak with an increased flow-oh my we all thought. People were crowding in and as they came off their boats to avoid the storm they joined us here at Red’s-we were like sardines for a bit. The electricity flickered twice with a delay returning the 2nd time; I tried to distract myself with all the storms upset by watching a Portuguese Waterdog that one of the guests had with them. We were obviously done since we had paid and our table had been cleared for a while so we moved to a table in the back, away from the bar and waited it out….<br />Off to our vehicles we traipsed in the water covered parking lot, said our goodbyes to Camille and made our way to the resort for the night. I prefer NOT to be out in all this weather! <br />Helene, “I hate this place” as we entered into our room again after dinner and our beds were turned down with mints and 2 new bottled waters, new bathroom linen and the trash had been taken out-again….Diana said she didn’t know if she’d be able to get enough points so she can come back by next year but she’d do her best. Since the storm continued and we had our curtains closed we sat around talking/laughing together. Diana said she started going gray after 23 hours of labor or the blow out in the One-sy and she recalls calling Helene who told her to cut the One-sy off “since it was such a mess”, they chuckled as she said Francois was having a cow when she walked over and started cutting. Chelsea was constipated and then the ‘blow out’ happened. Diana said all those books and classes when she was pregnant never prepared them for that! “I had a full blown panic attack with that one, ‘who does that’ as Raquel says with their own kid!”<br />Diana made her nightly cell phone call to Francois and thought she’d go see if the restaurant downstairs was still open so she could get a piece of chocolate cake but she returned to the room (without a piece of chocolate cake that she had been drooling over the picture in the resort booklet for 2 days) then she began preparing for bed but said “we need chocolate tomorrow to keep here in the room!” Helene was out 2 minutes after her head hit the pillow. Diana commented to me as she came out of the bathroom as I’m typing that it always takes her twice as long as Francois to get ready for bed. I said “the same thing happens at my house”, Thomas usually waits until he sees me start my reading at night to head off to bed since it takes him 3 minutes short of 5 to get ready. We laid there (in separate beds) talking about our Ipods until 1:50 AM and different features that we each utilized on ours. She dozed off with hers in her hand and I reviewed my songs on mine as I prepared to settle in for the night. The storm outside has calmed some but occasionally there will be a clap of thunder that the air conditioning unit is not able to mask….maybe I’ll use my earbuds tonight also?<br /><br />Sunday, June 28, 2009-today will be a hot, sunny day, my kind of day. The forecast says high temperature today will be 95 degrees with 91% humidity, so it feels much hotter than the 90’s. Helene and I made our way to the fitness center and let Diana sleep but upon our return she was awake and getting ready since she wanted us to all go to the breakfast buffet here at the resort at the Lettered Olive restaurant. Diana called down to see if we needed reservations for the breakfast buffet and they were already shutting it down after she got dressed and ready so we laughed and decided to just go get wet! Breakfast/fiber bars with fruit it is for Helene and I, Diana chose an Adkins bar…<br />As Helene and I got our beach bags ready and dressed for the water Diana read to us the weather forecast from her Ipod and it states today is a heat advisory as heat index expected to be 105 and temperatures in the high 90’s, “everyone should drink plenty of water” so we packed it up. Diana stayed in the room and studied for her exam and admitted to watching “only 30 minutes of Fox News”. I never realized how opinionated she is with regards to politics until this trip, she cracks me up. She and Thomas would have a lot in common I feel as they seem to have the same views. She even refuses to watch CNN because of their political views and she is very aware of bills being passed (or not and why) in the senate/house, I was impressed. From what she says her dad was probably a big influence about her passion for political views. She loves to watch Glenn Beck and Francois likes Bill O’Riley, she reports. We chuckled as we talked (a little bit) about politics and Diana says Francois will not even buy a lottery ticket-now that’s funny. He believes in solar energy as a project in college allowed him to use solar panels, Thomas has always told me he’d like the option of solar power in our home. Funny how their beliefs are still so similar even with all the miles and years that separates them since childhood.<br />Helene and I came back to the room a little before 6 PM but as we lay by the pool (the “closet pool”-haha) there came another wedding party parading past us a little after 5 PM. Their colors were black and dark purple with yellow flowers that matched the bride’s yellow shoes. Helene laughed as the cabana boy retrieved us cups of ice for our beverages and she said, “Gosh, I hate this place”. Her idea is that we could just stay here and become wedding crashers and survive by eating the wedding cakes and I could make my own mimosas with the champagne from the weddings-we’d be just fine. <br />When we returned to the room it had been cleaned/replenished again with all the Aveda products/coffee, etc. and we turned to each other and said, “We hate this place”, Diana laughed and we got showered and ready to head to dinner. I suggested to Helene that we take Diana to “Five Guys” so that she could see that it was a burger joint not a boy joint….<br />Our dinner was great and Diana responded by saying, “now that was a good burger” and she said “I’m even going to eat the bread!” She enjoyed all the trimmings and even ordered bell peppers while we ordered 1 small regular fry and 1 small Cajun fry (I love spicy so if Thomas is not with me I like to indulge in the spice) to share among the 3 of us and that is plenty here! <br /> I had shared with the girls that Thomas and I had found local Walmarts when we traveled to have souvenirs that were “more cost effective” than actual souvenir shops so we used “Carmen” the GPS to locate one, the nearest being on Folly Beach so we are off in pursuit of bargains for the families at home. As we drove back to the resort we passed a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, I haven’t seen one of those since Brandon was a baby in Plainview, Texas and that’s where I’d shop. Then there was a billboard advertising the store and it’s tag line was “Get your pig on” with the website of <a href="http://www.thepig.net/">www.thepig.net</a> I laughed to myself as it brought back great memories for me to relish in on the drive back to the resort. We admired the beautiful evening as the sun had set and the view of the harbor as we crossed the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway which was awesome to take in….Diana thought we should call the resort restaurant and tell them to “hold us a piece of that chocolate cake” in case they close early due to it being Sunday. This was the chocolate cake she had dreamed about for 2 days now. Sure enough as we got back we asked the front desk staff if the restaurant with the chocolate cake (picture in the magazine) was still open. Elizabeth said they closed earlier tonight because of it being Sunday but when she saw the disappointment in Diana’s face and Helene and I growned with the disappointing news she just presented to us, she picked up the phone and made a call to Hudson’s Market which is located across the street but is part of the resort. She reported to us that typically no one answers the phone when they call and they should already be closed so maybe we’d be in luck-Diana was. Elizabeth spoke with someone and they were holding chocolate cake for us so we made our way to the Market, knocked on the door and a young lady met us with an entire small chocolate cake. I do not mean small in terms of a slice, I mean small entire cake-almost 6 inches in width but 4 inches tall! She would not allow us to pay for it so we ran across the street back to our room to satisfy Diana’s chocolate cake craving for 2 days and we cracked up as we realized we had nothing to eat it with except coffee stirrers! Shocker-we made it work….The 3 of us shared some of the cake, talked about things in life as they change and how fast it happens, then we look up and wonder where the time went. I talked about how I feel about Date nights which are important, on any reoccurrence whether its weekly, monthly or whatever works best or you lose touch with each other as a couple. I shared with them that I have always hoped that Thomas and I would both live to celebrate at least our 20th anniversary so we use our anniversary to evaluate each year that has passed. Where we are at, where are we headed, are we on the same track, are we needing to improve in any specific area and what we are excelling at. It helps us evaluate on a regular basis without looking up and saying, “how did we get here”, it works well for the 2 of us. God willing, we will be together (alive) for many more years so we thank him daily and keep looking above for direction.<br />Thomas had called my cell earlier before we returned to our room so I called him back and left a message then he called me back at 11:10 PM and we chatted. Us girls were laughing so hard as we were talking about men, kids, bowels (for all) and life when my cell rang that I couldn’t grab it fast enough so Diana grabbed it and answered it and she could hardly talk either because of her laughing so she handed me the phone. Thomas said “sounds like you all are having a good time” and he’s right. It’s been relaxing and fun getting to know each other better. Jason and Lauren had dinner with Thomas at the house tonight he said and Caitlynn is at Sam’s house since he and Tracy just got home today from being out of town. Sam had gone to the beach with his dad and had been gone for a week and Tracy just got home from camping since Thursday so they were proclaiming “our daughter” rights as Tracy likes to call it and Caitlynn was spending the night with them. Thomas has been taking his antibiotics since Friday evening so he told me he was feeling 100% better but he still sounds like his voice is not back to normal yet. I’m glad he’s been able to spend time with his son, that’s always good for him. I talked to Caitlynn and she’s well as her and Sam are making cookies and Sam was using Tracy’s gardening gloves to remove the pan from the oven-his mother will not be happy with that choice…<br />11:29 PM Diana is sectioning out the remains of “the chocolate cake”, she utilized the coffee stirrers to divide it out because we didn’t dare to call the front desk and ask about plastic utensils. Helene said, “I still hate this place!” Diana commented, “this is Chelsea’s kind of dessert, mostly frosting and a little bit of cake.”<br />Helene realized she missed watching Army Wives tonight (whatever that is…) and obviously Diana also watches it and told her they will show it again so she turned on the TV and sure enough it was on and they both watched it with intent-I am not a TV watcher as most of you know so I read and typed as they watched the show with great intent. <br />Diana told me if I would show her how to text then she would text Camille since she hadn’t answered the email she sent her earlier and so the learning process began and we used a picture of Helene to test and send to Francois. As we finished, Camille called (we had sent her a text for Diana to learn from-saying ‘call me’). We made plans for her to meet with us here for the breakfast buffet and this time we would be there by 9 AM and after Army Wives went off Diana began to settle in and Helene was settled in bed as she watched the rest of their show. Diana shared her Ipod earphones with Helene to hear Bill Engvall (part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy) talk about Vicodinland, they cracked up! I typed this story in between texting Dustin at the lab as he had a “split” patient…..all is good. It’s been another good day! Today in history: Joey Logano, 19, became the youngest NASCAR driver to win a Sprint Cup race, one of NASCAR's top races.<br /><br />Monday, June 29, 2009-hazy morning but a long night as I was helping Dustin titrate a patient at the lab so I slept in until 8:40 AM. Helene actually got up and was ready to go with me to the fitness center but I had to get some more shut eye when she was ready at 7 AM so she climbed back in her bed also and we all slept and got up to meet Camille for breakfast. She arrived bright eyed and bushy tail and we went to the Lettered Olive for their fabulous breakfast buffet ($17/each but worth it!). We all had the buffet, I had to have another mimosa with mine. Talked about dogs, politics, healthcare and enjoyed each others company as the copper ceiling fans cooled the inside while we sat and we all raved about the Carolina cheese grits that we ate. We admired the palm trees and magnolia trees outside the windows and the local artwork displayed on the inside walls, this is a very serene setting. <br />After we ate and chatted, Camille was leaving as she needed to begin working by noon so we took this opportunity (our last for this visit) to take another picture with all of us outside the restaurant and hugged as we departed again. <br />We had valet retrieve the car and made our way to the Isle of Palms City Hall to collect our free t-shirts. Diana had printed off an offer she found while researching our stay that offered a free t-shirts to anyone who printed something off their website so she was kind enough to print pages for each of us so we could write our name, address and emails on the pages in order to turn it in at City Hall and get the t-shirts. Of course we took a picture with all of us holding our new shirts in City Hall before we left. As we drove back down Sweetgrass Basket Highway we pondered our sweetgrass backet purchases that we’d all like to make to take back with us in recognition of this great trip. <br />I thought to myself (and later repeated it to Helene) how much genuine thought/planning/preparation/studying the area Diana had done for our trip and I thought how considerate that was for her to commit to this trip and she could NOT have done better in any of the selections! <br />Of course Helene had bought her baskets from Henrietta Smalls (1607 Hamlin Rd., Mt Pleasant, SC, 29466, home 843-881-0753 or cell 843-860-0922) who has a booth actually on Sweetgrass Basket Hwy which is in Mount Pleasant. There are several along the way but we returned here because of Ms. Smalls hospitality and sweet nature when Helene bought hers earlier in the week when she was just as pleasant-Diana bought 2 baskets and she threw in one (that she had made as she was trying to teach her granddaughter how to make these baskets) and I bought 1 to take with me. She wanted our names and said when we return, she will remember us and give us a discount as she did today. Diana said as we got into the car “I love her, she is absolutely precious” and she is a very pleasant lady with southern manners-that’s a pleasure to experience. Charleston has been named “Most Polite City in America” from people who have visited historic downtown Charleston and so the overflow of the hospitality is among its small islands I do believe.<br />Returning to our room after our outing, I asked the girls what they’d like to do and Diana said, “we’re going to the beach today, its our last day” (without any hesitation) and we did just that. Besides I needed to try out my new beach chair that I got when we went to Walmart-in the beach! Water temperature is 83 degrees in the ocean today and the resort is out of umbrellas (all rented already) the sign reads as we made our way to the beach. We saw dolphins and brown pelicans as we lay on the beach; they are just so graceful and full of beauty to watch. I tried to take pictures but not sure how well they will be after cropping but I will see….The temperature today is supposed to be 94 but it didn’t feel as hot as yesterday, humidity is 83%. Diana stayed with us for an hour or so, loaded down with sun block (we did not want her to go back home sunburned) as she did lie in the sun after we returned from playing in the beach. She then went back up to the pool area while Helene and I stayed at the beach until 3:30-4 PM, we then went back to the pool area closest to the resort until 5:45 PM and returned to the room to find Diana resting but she had packed most of her things and decided we would be taking the African liquor home with us. She said she was not taking it home but she expected us to drink it for the 4th of July since I had talked Helene into coming for the night to our house. She said since I had taught her how to text then she would text us to see if we were drinking it or not, she’s very funny. She called Chelsea and I got to talk to her. Afterwards I asked Diana if Chelsea had a cell phone and questioned if she could text. They are on Verizon as we are and so is Helene but Chelsea doesn’t have a text plan on the phone plan. I got her number so I could call as Verizon is free cell to cell on its plan. <br />And no Diana did not return right back to the room in “5 minutes” like I told Helene earlier. Helene agreed that she had probably given up on us and returned to the room but she didn’t specify a time that she thought Diana had stayed outside but she surprised us when she said she sat under the cabana for about an hour before returning to the room. She talked to a lady that had a purple cast with crutches “smoking on that thing as she sat by the pool and the only one that offered me a shady space and made room for me” Diana declared until the sun started coming thru and she thought we had passed out on the beach or floated out with the tides so she came on back to the room. She was just lying down resting when we came in around 5 PM and got showered and ready to join the “welcome party on the plaza”. It was really nice as we were able to experiencing a taste of Wild Dunes, enjoyed music, games with a DJ (limbo for the younger, limber ones here), sampling from Wild Dunes restaurants, and wine tasting. We sampled everything from fried shrimp to purple mashed potatoes (yes, the mashed potatoes were actually purple!) and smoothies. As we went into the Hudson Market to look around, suddenly there was a clap of thunder and an intense rain shower for about 10-15 minutes so we decided since we didn’t want to be swimming back to our room, we’d just stay put eat ice cream-that always fixes things! When the rain subsided we came back to our room, took care of the resort bill, relaxed and just had a little down time. Helene made herself and I a nice cup of hot tea and we talked about our return next year-if we just didn’t “hate this place so much” we could book it now-haha!!<br />Our evening consisted of Diana on her Ipod, Helene reading a book she’s trying to finish and I was getting caught up on my story journal then called my handsome husband at 10:40 PM and he’s feeling better every day, even actually sounding better. He talked to both of the girls (they thanked him for allowing them to have me for this trip, he laughed as he said “ok but she had made up her mind she was going..”) Then I declared my love and devotion to him, told him good night and I’m excited about seeing him and my girl tomorrow. We had an early morning since Diana’s flight is due to depart at 6 AM so I (as the sleep expert) advised her NOT to take her Ambien since she really needed 8 hours of sleep (not to be a zombie) when taking it. Helene said “well she doesn’t have to drive” and I said “no but she’s got to be able to drag her body up if they change gates so she can get there!” We all chuckled and Helene offered her some Tylenol PM that she had with her, we all agreed that would be safer since its 11:05 PM and we need to leave Isle of Palms to go to the Charleston airport by 4:30 AM. Diana made her nightly call to Francois and Helene was out like a light after I quit talking to her….<br />Diana came in to tell me that as she talked to Francois he was trimming the ivy, a neighbor’s dog was barking, he’s moving recycle bins and talking to her on his cell phone as he reports to her a story in USA Today that he read titled “ERs see more homeowners with do-it-yourself injuries” as cash-strapped homeowners are trying to cut costs by doing things themselves instead of hiring it to be done because of the recession-quoted: Saving money on repairs can backfire. Diana encouraged him to go ahead and do his chores and she’d talk to him later as not to encourage any distractions to allow for errors since Chelsea wouldn’t be able to drive him to the ER if he needed it-now that is funny….<br />Diana climbed in the bed with Helene and said, “This is our last night we get to sleep together” and we giggled…Lights out.<br /><br />Tuesday, June 30, 2009-Started the day early as my alarm went off at 4:15 AM for Diana to get up and take a shower, Helene and I just needed to put shorts on and take her to the airport. Diana says she can’t keep up with stuff as she misplaces things frequently and she claims to take a bit to get ready so I believe she had set her cell alarm but I didn’t hear it and she got up when mine went off. Her Delta flight departs at 6 AM so we were off as soon as she got ready. We all agreed it’s been a good trip with rest and relaxation-no special agendas (“we just showed up”) and just time to reconnect and recoup, if we just liked The Wild Dunes resort-haha but “we just hate this place”. <br />Helene and I returned to our room at 6:45 AM and decided to take a little siesta since check out wasn’t until 11 AM, we had pretty much consolidated things and just needed a few minor packing details. We had already decided yesterday that we would load the car and be at the pool (the closet pool) by 11 AM to enjoy our last hoorah of sun before driving back today. The temperature will be a high of 94 degrees today with humidity only at 32% so it was a good farewell day-weather wise. We ate fruit and snack bars and apples for breakfast and lunch so we could stop late afternoon and have our dinner on our drive home. So we packed a bag with clean clothes to change into after we showered there at the pool area and we did so right around 2 PM, we were on the road by 2:30. Nick called Helene and I returned Caitlynn’s call-all is good but I do believe the families are ready for us to come home; we are rested and ready for the upcoming week. <br />We stopped in Charleston, SC to fill up with gas and paid $2.39/gallon and we are driving north to finish our trip as we return home. We stopped in Charlotte, NC to eat at P.F. Chang’s-now that is a great closing to a great trip! We made it to my house at 10 PM and Helene drove back to Clifton Forge-home….<br />Today’s date in history: 30th June 1936 : The book Gone with the Wind is Published. In <a href="http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1939.html">1939</a> Gone With The Wind was made into the Oscar Winning Film<br />30th June 1953. The first all-fiberglass-bodied American sports car, the Corvette was produced on this day and with it's sleek lines is among the best car design ever produced by the American Car Industry.<br /><br />Pockets of Paradise-being thankful for simple discoveries. For many of us, our days seem to be filled with e-mails, meetings, and planning, but do you ever stop to think of the daily joys that we might take for granted? I like to think of them as pocket gifts. Haven’t we all felt the delightful “Aha!” of reaching into our pockets and unexpectedly discovering money, a lost piece of jewelry, a feather, or a long misplaced note? With each new surprise comes reminiscence. I think of all these surprises that in our rush through life we often overlook, and I collect them in my thoughts under the label Paradise, which the dictionary defines as “exhilarated joy, a state of bliss or delight.” Pocket experiences are special deliveries waiting to be revealed. On an early morning walk or drive as the sun is beginning to rise, you can feel the exhilaration of life as you hear the singing birds. You may smell freshly cut grass or stop to look deep inside an open flower to discover the multitude of colors and textures that make up a single flower petal. You may witness a beautiful dragonfly, with its transparent wings, gracefully flitting from one perch to another. Also, the sky is most fantastic show on Earth and is given freely to each of us. What bits of paradise have you collected in your remembrance pocket to carry with you today? As you empty its contents at day’s end, realize all the special treasures that you have discovered and are yours to keep. Transfer those discoveries with love and put into the pocket of your heart. Appreciate all the good things that have happened, and take the time to let your imagination and wonder soar with the joy of each discovery. And please take tie to look around at all the beauty and peace nature can offer-I love life!Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-77790179653873619692009-06-17T21:23:00.000-04:002009-06-17T21:25:05.483-04:00Texas Trip-January 20-25, 2009 (Business and Pleasure)So on an invitation to come join Charlotte Nolen for a “Girls Night Out” sponsored by Proverbs 31 Ministry <a href="http://www.proverbs31.org/">www.proverbs31.org</a> (and a local Christian contemporary radio station in Houston) that she and I both enjoy so I thought I’d research the cost of flights as I enjoy being with her, for any reason. Besides I owe her one as she came all the way to Virginia to visit my family here in the recent past. <br />While Thomas and I were in CA last month we got an email notifying us that flight costs were dropping and compared them to the flights we have booked in the past. I was able to get a round trip with taxes & all (except the newly implemented $15 charge per checked bag by most airlines) for $188.00. I would even fly from Roanoke instead of Greensboro, NC or Richmond, VA that we typically fly out/in from to save money. So my flight was supposed to leave Tuesday from Roanoke at 8:05 PM and land in Houston Bush International (IAH) at 12:10 AM. Charlotte’s flight wasn’t coming until Wednesday the 21st and she would be flying into Hobby Airport in Houston. Since Houston is so large (everything is bigger in Texas) they actually have 2 big airports but they are about a 45 minute taxi drive from each other-notice I said “taxi drive” as they drive the fastest and can fit a square in a round hole with their driving skills and that’s exactly what it would take to make it happen in 45 minutes in Houston traffic….anytime of the day WITH luck on your side! So as the story goes I booked the flights to join Charlotte and emailed the itinerary to her and said “Yes, I’d love to join you” and she was pleasantly shocked when she checked her email to find it. She was getting it all planned out for us as she travels for the State of Texas as an employee so she used her points to book our hotel and rental car for our expedition together. It’s funny because she is actually part of my ex-husband’s family but as she responds to that description she says, “She divorced him and we kept her” and we’ve always been good friends with common interests. Charlotte is very creative, talented and amazingly intelligent and we have a good time when we are together-she keeps me grounded when I need that, there are very few people who do that for me besides my wonderful husband. Speaking of my husband, he inquired why I did not have a hotel reservation for my arrival date since I would not be joining Char until the next day. I reminded him how frugal I can be and decided against paying the cost of a hotel for a few hours and I opted to just rest in the Houston Airport until Charlotte had time to fly in, get the rental car and retrieve me. He was not crazy about the idea but knows how I am when I make my mind up so he settled for that then asked me again about “my plans for staying in a hotel the night I arrived” and I again assured him that I would be fine watching the people and hanging out in the airport until noon the day after I arrived.<br /><br />My flight departed Tuesday, January 20th at 8:50 PM (slight delay) from Roanoke and I changed planes in Charlotte and was joined by mostly people who were returning from the United States Inaugural Ceremony for the 44th President this country chose on November 4th. As USA Today reports: <a title="More articles about Barack Obama." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per">Barack Hussein Obama</a> became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday before a massive crowd reveling in a moment of historical significance, and called on Americans to confront together an economic crisis that he said was caused by “our collective failure to make hard choices.” Mr. Obama spoke just after noon to a sea of cheering people, appearing to number well over a million, who packed the National Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and beyond. Four hours later, at the end of the parade route, he left his car and strolled with his wife along Pennsylvania Avenue on the final steps of a long march to the White House, holding hands and waving to cheering crowds. In his inaugural address, Mr. Obama acknowledged the change his presidency represented, describing himself in his inaugural address as a “man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant.” But although the crowd and the podium around him were full of elated African Americans, Mr. Obama, the first black to become president, did not dwell on that in his speech. He spoke for about 20 minutes, after taking the oath of office on the same Bible used by <a title="More articles about Abraham Lincoln." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/abraham_lincoln/index.html?inline=nyt-per">Abraham Lincoln</a> at his first inaugural in 1861, emphasizing his determination to unite Americans in confronting both the economic challenges facing him and the continuing fight against terrorism. The problems, he warned, “are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.” With his wife, Michelle, holding the Bible, Mr. Obama, the 47-year-old son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Africa, was sworn in by Chief Justice <a title="More articles about John G. Roberts Jr." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/john_g_jr_roberts/index.html?inline=nyt-per">John G. Roberts</a> Jr.<br />I arrived in Houston at 11:40 PM and after retrieving my luggage I found a massage chair set that sat outside a Mexican café located in the airport. The chairs are for a fee to enjoy the massage feature but by midnight I felt like most people had given up on hopes of getting a chair massage for the day so I planted myself for the night. I got caught up on emails with my laptop and checked in with my family and got settled. The thing about an airport of this size is there is ALWAYS someone coming or going and Lord to see all the funny people that we share this great big world with is ALWAYS entertainment enough for me. By 3:10 AM I had decided that I could lay my big suitcase down flat and my backpack with my laptop on top of it and it’d be perfect height for me to lay my legs across to sleep, then placed my purse directly behind my back in the massage chair-off to get some shut eye from here……..<br /><br />I woke at 5:15 AM and the rush had already begun on this Wednesday, January 21st day of 2009 as I sit in IAH (Intercontinental Airport of Houston). I looked beside me at the Mexican café and the sign read that it opened at 5:30 AM so I was quite anxious to put a lip-lock on a good ‘ol Texas breakfast burrito so I people watched until that time. That time came and went without any sign of the café’s employees reporting to work yet so I waited….then this gentleman walked past me to the café and read the sign. He turned to me and said, “It says they open at 5:30 AM” and I responded “Yes but it is 5:45 AM and no ones arrived to start the coffee or bacon” he just laughed and walked towards me and the set of massage chairs where I still occupied 1 of them. He asked me if I lived here in Houston or was I traveling through, business or pleasure? I responded by telling him I used to live in Texas but not Houston, traveling here to Houston on business and pleasure AND looking forward to a TexMex breakfast burrito since 5:30 AM. When he noticed that the empty chair within the set I was sitting in took money (for a massage) I told him he could have a seat and unless he wanted a massage it wouldn’t cost him anything and hopefully the employees of the café would realize they were running late to open and get in a hurry to cook us some breakfast-he laughed. He was probably Thomas’s age as we talked and he told me he was meeting a friend that was flying in around 10:00 AM and I told him that my ex-husband’s cousin was picking me up around 11:00 AM for our stay in Houston. He told me he was then driving with his friend to Dallas for a few days and he lived in Philadephia. The 1st couple of employees arrived a few minutes before 6:00 AM and after we smelled the coffee brewing we made our way inside and found a menu. For any of you who have ever eaten at any airport you are full aware of the cost so when I saw the price of a breakfast burrito ($7.50) I asked the new acquaintance if he’d like to split one and he agreed so we placed our order and he asked me if I’d like to watch a DVD while we ate and waited for our rides. Since I still had a good 2 hours (if Charlotte made her way in traffic in a timely fashion) that would be fine with me to pass the time. He pulled out a small laptop and I suggested we use mine since it has a 17” screen and placed it in the middle of the table facing out so we could sit opposite each other and still see the screen. He had the movie “The Star Chamber” with Michael Douglas in it. The movie was released in August of 1983 (my son would have been 2 years old at the time) but anything with Michael Douglas in it is worth watching a couple of times. We ate and watched the movie and as it ended I made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face while he watched my suitcase. I thought that way if he was a thief he’d just get my clothes and he would not do them justice when he wore them so it wasn’t a big risk. I returned and he began to tell me a little bit about his life/family. Evidentially he has 1 child-a daughter that is 26 years old which is the same age as Brandon would be if he were alive today. He was divorced from her mom for many years and has dated off and on but found his true soulmate he believes; but instead of marrying her he chose to move-in with her and after a 3 year relationship she got cancer and passed away in less than a year. As he told me the story I can tell the way he handled the relationship was a huge regret in his life and he feels as if he failed her in some strange way by not fulfilling the commitment to her before she lost her life. He was obviously there every step of the way with her until her last moment of life. He’s currently a recovering alcoholic for several years (not sure how long exactly but he was recovering before they had moved in together) and is an ever-creating relationship with his daughter who is engaged to be married soon. I talked very little as I mostly let him talk as it seemed he just needed to, for you all that know me that is a sacrifice in itself for me. I did tell him I was born and raised in Texas, married 4 years ago and moved to VA to join my husband who has lived in VA since the 3rd grade. He has never been to VA but had heard it is pretty. I boasted and told him I felt as if we live in the prettiest part of VA-southwest with the Blue Ridge Parkway and all its beauty outside our windows at home! I talked with him as I felt he needs to be continuing the growth of his relationship with his daughter and know that the best he can be is when he stays on the track with recovering from his alcohol addiction, for their sake. I believe our children are our legacy as God gives them to us to be a gift and it’s our responsibility to grow them in a healthy way.<br />The time passed quickly as I listened to someone else talk for a change and before I knew it Charlotte called my cell phone and I directed her to a common area for us to meet and off we went to start on day together! <br />I was so excited getting to spend time with Charlotte and we talked, talked, and talked. So much to catch up on where do you start, didn’t matter we just started. We went and checked into the hotel and thanks to modern technology she had bought herself a GPS and we made our way around the 14 lanes of traffic in Houston as if we drove it everyday. Now Charlotte had rented a Pontiac G6 and I was so excited to see it because the new models are automatic transmission with the capability of manual standard-when I saw that I asked her if she had tried it and so responded, “NO, I don’t know how to do that!” I assured her she could and I’d be glad to assist her in the experience, she cracked up and I think she quickly remembered why we have such a good time together-that’s because I help her step outside of her comfort box! <br />We got settled in our room and it was very nice and she, like myself is used to traveling so we had our little routines when we settled in, standing back to watch was entertaining to see the end results. We then checked out all the amenities that were offered for the guests and then for the love of both of us we found a Sam Moon’s location-Kati bar the door…we both LOVE Sam Moon’s !!<br />10.19.2006<br />SAM MOON CENTER WOODLANDS OPENS<br />Sam Moon Group is pleased to announce the successful opening of Sam Moon Center Woodlands. The 156,533 square foot center opened on October 19, 2006. The Center includes Sam Moon Trading Co., Sam Moon Luggage & Gifts, and the Sam Moon Home Décor Store.<br />We both have only been to the Dallas locations so our adventure would begin in locating this one in Houston for a little shopping. We put the address in the GPS and off we go again…and then reality set in as we came upon the traffic. We progressed 6 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes so by the time we arrived at our haven we had exactly 29 minutes to shop before their closing time. Now any of you woman reading this knows how it feels to be on a mission and if any of you have ever been to a Sam Moon’s you know it will be done! We made our selections and proceeded to pay for our treasures as they announced they “will be closing now” and we were happy with it all. <br />We had passed a Pappadeaux’s restaurant as we drove to Sam Moon’s and Charlotte and I had both decided then that is what we would have for our dinner as there were none in Lubbock, Tx where she lived nor Roanoke, VA where I live but we had both had eaten at one before and this definitely would be a good choice for our evening meal. After the traffic driving to Sam Moon’s, Charlotte decided to let me drive to our dinner destination. Off we go and I love driving in big cities! Charlotte just laughed and said, “ok sister”.<br />Pappadeaux’s is a seafood kitchen and their bread served before the meal is wonderful. The desserts are absolutely wonderful as well and needless to say we both had plenty leftovers to take back and place in our hotel refrigerator. They were worth sampling later! We arrived back at our room and with our full bellies, bedded down for the night. As usual I travel with my reading light so I could do my devotions and nightly reading without disturbing my friend who’s in the bed next to mine and I thank the Lord for our friendship as we lay our heads down. In our journeys we often encounter individuals who are going through various challenges and have experienced countless heartaches. Like tiny spring bulbs, they too are trying desperately to climb toward that warm bright light. Maybe we should reach out to those people with a smile and a warm embrace and offer them the hope and encouragement they long for. Maybe our compassion gives them the inspiration to start a new day-to open their wings and fly. Our ability to heal and to help others is unlimited, and by lifting each other up, opening our hearts to strangers, and offering hope and encouragement to everyone you meet, it helps them on their journey of growth and understanding. <br /><br />It’s morning in Houston-Thursday, January 22nd. The weather in Texas usually always (is that proper English?) feels hot but the mornings in Houston start comfortable, even in January. Charlotte and I ate breakfast at the hotel where it was a nice hot meal buffet with a great selection of fruits, yogurt and cereal. Charlotte let me drive again-so lucky me; I decided to sample the manual shifting and it was worth it, it was fun and I explained it to Char as I drove-she just laughed at me and said, “Ok”. Our first destination for the morning was Target Super Center for some essential women products. Charlotte and I are around the same age but she’s in better ‘shape’ than me as she’s not ever married nor had children, though she has helped raise several nephews and had close friends with kids that became teenagers, not to mention she helped me with Caitlynn for about 6 weeks and that was a learning experience I’m sure she’ll never forget. Caitlynn was in the 4th grade and as I traveled still as a respiratory therapist, my mom had been my nanny and decided she was ready to move back to the Austin area before school was out for the summer so Charlotte graciously offered to help me with Caitlynn when I was out of town for my job Mon-Thursday until school was out. I loved to hear her tell me the stories as Caitlynn never loved going to bed so she’d come up with every excuse to stay up later ; Charlotte never budged as she knew my bedtime rituals for my little elementary princess. I think this was a good time for both of them and they both learned a lot from each other. <br />So as I feel I am approaching menopause at this time in my life, I have decided to embrace it. Sure menopause can bring with it some unpleasant side effects, but I’ve learned to envision it not as a disease but as a rite to passage that opens the space for deep reflection. It allows me to listen to my body and heart and evaluate things more effectively I feel so I insist-LET ME CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT, Charlotte agrees-haha! <br /><br />Friday, January 23, 2009-Charlotte and I looked at digital scrapbook websites and a few websites that she uses on a regular basis and wanted to share them with me. For those of you who like photography, cooking or just entertaining blogs these are them: <a href="http://www.shabbyshoppe.com/">www.shabbyshoppe.com</a> and <a href="http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/">www.thepioneerwoman.com</a> these are 2 of Char’s favorite so I will pass them on….<br />I went online and booked a rental car for me to drive to my brother Marcus’s and Nicole’s to see them and their kids. Even though it’s a 3 hour drive one-way, I am NOT going to be in the same state and not see my nieces (and great nieces) and great nephew and with all 5 of them now, I do mean G-R-E-A-T! Besides I know Texas is a big state, I’ve been driving it all my life so I’m excited to be here and able to drive. When people not from Texas come to Texas to visit and drive in it they are amazed at its size-hence our state motto ”everything’s bigger in Texas”. As they say about us Texans: Now people from wide open spaces tend to think a mere hundred miles is a skip and a jump! So, what’s a 3 hour drive………………<br />The frugal person I am, I got a great deal on Travelocity <a href="http://www.travelocity.com/">www.travelocity.com</a> . Charlotte and I had breakfast downstairs here at the hotel, Charlotte was gracious enough to use her ‘points’ so her room was comp’d for us and I believe she was even able to use her ‘points’ for the rental car she used while here. She will actually fly home (Lubbock, Tx.) tomorrow morning so I thought I’d spend the rest of my time checking out the NERD office (Thomas and I made a new investment venture in VA, they have the main distributing office here in Houston and also supply to San Antonio area currently <a href="http://www.nerdenergy.com/">www.NERDenergy.com</a> ) and then head toward the Austin, Tx. area. I have talked to Nicole and the kids on the cell phone several times and the kids keep saying, “when are you going to be HERE?” Days are a hard concept for kids, Justin understands a little more as Nicole can tell him ‘in how many school days until I come” and he definitely holds you to that-he doesn’t forget anything! Nicole and I laugh when we talk about the difference in the 2 older kids-Justin and Allison as Justin is structured like Nicole (Caitlynn tells me that I went ‘way over board with teaching Nicole systems’) and he likes everything done by a schedule that he’s aware of beforehand. Allison just goes when you tell her to and she’s probably not going to be on time because she has to load her babies and get her music/headphones for the vehicle. <br />Charlotte drove me to IAH (Bush International Airport) to pickup my rental car. As I went to get my rental car the gentlemen I spoke with told me to take my pick from the lot-so I went for the new Charger, I like to drive with speed! Charlotte and I said our good-byes, we always have so much fun together-even if we just chat, it’s always good. As I drive off and deal with the Houston traffic onto I-35 North I ponder about life and the impact different people make on each of us as they come into our lives for a reason-sometimes we don’t see those reasons until much later. It is always surprising how such a small part of life is taken up by meaningful moments. Most of them are over before they start-although they cast a light on the future and make the person who originated them unforgettable.<br />I called Marcus (my youngest brother) to tell him my ETA and wanted to meet them for early dinner with his family. Michelle his wife, Mahailey the oldest daughter who’s 5 years old now and Mallorey the youngest daughter who’s 3 years old. Since Mahailey had school today and I had traffic coming out of Houston we thought we’d meet in Gruene, Tx. <a href="http://www.gruenetexas.com/">www.gruenetexas.com</a> (“gently resisting change since 1872” 1845 - 1974<br />Arriving in Texas in the mid 1840s, German farmers became the first settlers of what is now known as Gruene, Texas. Ernst Gruene, a German immigrant, and his bride Antoinette, had reached the newly established city of New Braunfels in 1845, but acreage was scarce. Thus, Ernst and his two sons purchased land just down river, and Ernst built the first home in Gruene in early fachwerk style. His second son, Henry D. Gruene, built his home (now Gruene Mansion Inn) and planted his surrounding land with cotton. Having become the number one cash crop, the cotton business soon brought 20 to 30 families to Henry D.'s lands. Henry D. built houses in various styles -- a Victorian cottage (now Lone Star), a large brick home, and a frame house (now Gruene Haus) for the foreman of his farm. The first mercantile store (now Gruene General Store) was built in 1878 and a cotton gin (now Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar) powered by the Guadalupe River was added soon after) for dinner, we ate at the Gristmill River Restaurant. Gruene Hall <a href="http://www.gruenehall.com/">www.gruenehall.com</a> which is located in this small town is the oldest dance hall in Texas, it still has the wooden dance floor that it originated with. <br />Gruene Hall<br /><a href="http://www.gruenehall.com/" target="_top">Gruene Hall</a>, a bar and dance hall, was built in the 1880’s and soon became the social center for the community. It still stands at the end of Hunter Road and the intersection of Gruene Road. It is oldest dance hall in Texas and many country-singing stars and legends have performed there over the years. Willie Nelson, George Strait, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett are some of the well-known singers. A complete list of the singers is displayed inside the hall.<br />Mostly this town is a tourist town as people walk around to shop for antiques, have a selection of Texas cooking and even a winery for wine tasting. The first time I came to this town, it was raining and Marcus and Michelle brought Thomas and I here to eat some good ‘ol TexMex food and then dropped us off to sample the wines. We of course found a few we liked so we headed home with a new case to add to our cellar in VA. <br />We met at 6:30 PM at the restaurant of choice for dinner and I was pleasantly surprised as they told me we were also waiting on Ashlie (Michelle’s only sibling who’s younger and recently had a baby boy) and her family. I was excited about seeing the new cousin to my nieces and his parents. Mahailey and Mallorey entertained me on our wait. Mahailey told me all about her kindergarten class and he would be going on her 1st field trip without her mom to Sea World with her Brownie Troop-she was excited about it. Mallorey was much more talkative than she had been in the past, I can’t believe how much they’ve grown from Sept. when I spent time with them last. We had a wonderful meal and visited with each other as we sat inside but the floor to ceiling windows were opened for a little breeze. The new baby boy is gorgeous and both he and Ashlie are doing very well. I sat with Mihailey next to me on one side and Marcus on the other side of me. Michelle sat across from Marcus and Mallorey sat across from me. Mahailey (in typical girl fashion) was fascinated with my phone and looked thru all the pictures and I took some of us and let her take some also. I ordered the chicken fried steak, which was to die for and enjoyed as much of it as I possibly could but it was rather large so I took the leftovers with me. As we exited the restaurant Gruene Hall there was loud music coming from it and they keep the screened windows open almost year-round since the weather is usually warm here and we could hear music coming out, of course. It sounded familiar to me and as we listened closer, we realized it was Los Lonely Boys playing. I had actually used a few of their songs for mine and Thomas’s wedding reception since they are a true Texas band! We stood outside and watched/listened as the girls danced around, it was a perfect evening. I shot a video on my camera so I could share it with Thomas upon my return. It was time to depart so we took pictures, said our good-byes and went our separate ways as I head to Nicole’s in Pflugerville to spend the night. It’s always sad saying good-bye since I’m not really sure when I’ll be back to Texas to visit. Hopefully as the kids get older their families will travel to VA to visit us-there is so much history and many things to do on the east coast where we live, I’d love them to be able to spend time with us there also. <br />I got in the rental car and made my phone call to Nicole so they’d know I was about an hour out from their house as I leave here and it’s 7:50 PM. Allison was getting out of the bathtub but she needed to ask me one more time, “what time are you getting here?” I assured her I was coming as fast as the long arm of the law will allow me-so here I come, ready or not!<br />I arrived at Nicole and Juan’s by 9 PM which was later than I had anticipated when I left Houston early afternoon but I am here and that’s what counts. I knocked on the door and Allison and Justin saw me and Allison ran off to tell her mom, Justin let me in. Of course I grabbed each of them and squeezed them as tight as I could before they squealed! Naturally Allison had so many things she wanted to show me and Justin was playing on his new PS2 (handheld video game) so he wanted to show me that. Nicole looks great and Juan looks just as good as he was watching something he had on the DVR (digital recording from your TV as you choose the shows/times to watch whenever you want-then you can erase or fast forward as you choose). We visited a little then the kids helped me unload my things and we decided that I’d just keep my luggage in the entrance hallways since I wasn’t sure where I would sleep. I usually sleep in Justin’s bed after we get Allison to sleep but we have also used the air mattress to sleep in the living room floor-we can decide later. We talked and Nicole had let the kids stay up later than usual since I was coming-bedtime for them is usually 8:30 PM. Since they had already had baths, we talked and Allison told me “we are all going to sleep in Justin’s bed” and I looked at Nicole, she said “if ya’ll can all fit, whatever Aunt Raquel wants to do.” I did just that so I got ready for bed and joined the 2 kids and Justin read to Allison and I. He is an amazing reader-his skills are definitely above his 2nd grade level that he is currently in. I’m glad because I love to read (and write) and hopefully he will too! It’s good to be with them all again-Good night! <br /><br />Saturday, January 24, 2009-We got up early and the kids did as well since Justin was going to have his 1st ever Pine Derby Race with his boy scouts troop, right here in Pflugerville, Tx. We laughed as Juan had told Nicole when we started preparing the pine and was looking at options he could not believe the extreme people go to for their pine derbys, I think he was overwhelmed at that point and wished he’d started earlier with Justin to prepare his. We woke up to a cold, rain morning but I had promised the kids we’d go to the Donut Shop this morning so we did. We got all our favorites-including kalaches (a little sausage in a yeast roll with cheese---mmmmm mmmm good!) The first time I came here and brought the kids, they had never had anything but donuts here so I bought me a kalache and shared a bite with each of them and since then they like to get at least one with their visits. We took some back to Nicole’s as she was nursing Lauren and trying to get everything ready for our morning event. So we got everyone loaded in carseats in Nicole’s SUV and I followed them since we did not have too far to go. It was actually held at a local community park here in Pflugerville. Nicole had brought Caitlynn here during her December stay to take photographs of her, it’s a nice setting. The morning as I said was not the typical and quite chilly but the wind had picked up (typical Texas fashion) and seemed much colder than it was. We entered a cute little red barn/building that they held functions in; surrounded by Boy Scouts and their proud dad’s (and family members)-at this point I am unsure which of these is more excited and anxious to race their pine derbys. Lauren was in the stroller, Allison was hanging with Nicole and I, Justin and Juan proceeded to get registered as Justin stopped a couple of times to say hello to little friends that knew him. I was drinking a NERD but it was too cold to hold so I had placed it in the stroller carrier. Now I am not a pine derby expert by any size of the imagination but this looked much more sophisticated than back in my childhood times-they were using lasers to verify starting placement and photo finish completions. I think they mean business this morning. Yes, my nephew-in-law was correct as some of these people had gone to great technical extremes in the creation of their derby cars-WOW. They were all colors and shapes with precise detail that even I was impressed. They raced 3 cars at a time and it was a triple elimination to go further in the contest. Justin’s car made it twice but not the third time. We were all proud of him as he represented well and he’s always a good sport. I was thankful to be present for this event with my family to support him. All of us traveled back to their house to pack. I had made hotel reservations for the night in Brenham, Tx (home of Blue Bell Creamery-lip-smacking good ice cream, only in Texas) <a href="http://www.bluebell.com/">www.bluebell.com</a> and they would be following me there. This would allow me to spend more time with them before my flight at 6:30 AM from Houston and let them have a little overnight getaway also-nothing like a little adventure, leave that up to Aunt Raquel since I never like to be too predictable! How boring would that be? This would also make me driving 45 minutes to the Houston airport instead of a 3 hour drive-besides who wouldn’t want to go to Brenham, Tx.? <br />We arrived and registered at the front office, made our way to our room to unpack and Nicole needed to nurse the little woman so we had a short stay before we were off in search of dinner and ICE CREAM! We found a steakhouse that reminded Nicole of the local one we used to eat at when she was growing up in Dumas, Tx. and I’d come visit. As we sat down she laughed as she recalled a visit we made to eat at the local one when Caitlynn was small. She reminded me that Caitlynn hid under one of the tables and then would run out with her white linen napkin on her head saying, “wooooooo, I’mmmmmm a ghooooooost!” and run around-Oh my gosh, I had totally forgotten about that. I used to joke and tell people to be careful what they say about other people’s kid in restaurants because God does how a sense of humor. Before we decided to be blessed with Credit Card Caity (as the Dr. referred to her when we had our sonogram to see if it was a boy or girl), we used to go to restaurants and I’d ask Lynn why people allowed their kids to act the way some did and then I’d say, “I’d be taking that child to the bathroom and getting them straightened out right quick and in a hurry”. Until my 2nd child started out to be ‘one of those children’……..<br />We ordered, blessed the food and enjoyed our meal together then relaxed a bit. Afterwards we were in search of Blue Bell and we conquered. Justin was excited because his mom let him ride in my rental vehicle instead of making him ride in his booster in her SUV, so he sat in the back seat buckled in like the big boy he has become. He’s always so calm and quite the conversationalist, I love spending time with the kids. They say the funniest things! Our caravan made its way back to settle in for an early evening at the hotel. Nicole nursed Lauren and told me of a funny that Justin came up with another day and time. Lauren has a ton of hair on the top of her head and we laugh and say she has a Mohawk. Well Justin informed her that when he was born and came out of his mom, he left a little hair, then Allison came and left a little so when Lauren came she took it all-how funny is that and who would of thought that up? We laughed and laughed! I often wonder why did God would make flies, and why, oh why, did he put hair on women’s toes? Why does God allow two eyebrows to merge, thus resulting in a unibrow? And how does a unibrow contribute to God’s plan for living creatures in the garden of life? I’ve searched the whole world and even Googled it. There is simply no answer to these questions….<br />Nicole and Juan have tried a couple of wines but never really found one they agree on, typically men like drier wines than some women so I brought them a bottle of Llano Winery’s Texas Sweet Red. They both tried it and both liked it, I guaranteed them it’s a good diverse wine for many tastes. Juan and Justin played PS2 together while Allison entertained us and we played together as Nicole fed Lauren then got her ready for bed. I showed her the Pioneer Woman website that Charlotte had shown me because the lady who it belongs to cooks, homeschools her kids and does digital photography (2 of the 3 things Nicole is interested in) and I thought she’d like to look at it later. She started looking at it and loved it, she said “oh I’m going to have to read more of that when I get home”! <br />You should of seen us-we had 2 double beds so the boys decided they’d sleep together (there’s 2 of them-they’re not crazy) and the girls-all 4 of us, even though one is small and one is short, it was still 4 but we got in a lot of quality ‘togetherness’. It’s hard to believe Allison will be in Pre-K in the fall-where does the time go! <br />All settled in we were asleep shortly and I had already had my clothes laid out so I wouldn’t wake them when I got up and out of there by 4 AM to get to the airport. I loaded my luggage and left them a napkin that I have written “thank you for joining me” on and to remind them again that I love them all and will do whatever to spend time with them frequently. Nicole woke just after I left out the door and walked out to the my vehicle with me and we said our goodbyes and hugged.<br />I will tell you as I have said to others that are close to my in my life; when I go visit Nicole and her family I feel like I have arrived. I did not birth her but I’m her aunt that was always very involved in her life as she grew up and she came to live with me (by her choice) when she was in high school. She gave up her high school in Dumas, Tx that she was active playing volleyball, friends, jobs and her immediate family to come to a town that I lived in (Anton, Tx.) with less than 2,000 people. I by no means thought I could handle a teenager since we’d just lost Brandon a little over 2 years prior to her coming. Her becoming a part of my immediate family was probably one of the greatest blessings in life that I’ve had the privilege of participating in. She is so well rounded and I see on a daily basis what a grounded and faith based wife, mother, niece, daughter and friend she has become as an adult-that is what life is all about. I am truly blessed…..Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-29354014093148245302009-06-10T16:12:00.001-04:002009-06-10T16:14:34.490-04:00Williamsburg-Virginia Beach, VA trip for May 16-23, 2009Well the day we were scheduled to leave (Sat morning) I got a phone call on my cell phone. I woke up to Robin calling from the lab and she asked me if we have workman’s comp insurance? I responded by saying yes we have it, it comes out of my pocket-why? Then between Robin & Kim talking on speakerphone to me I was unsure what they were trying to tell me. Then Robin explained to me that there had been such a loud sound around 4:07 AM that they thought a car had crashed into the lab and in fact Kim says that it scared her so bad she almost cried! Evidentially there had been an earthquake that was rated as 2.8-3.0 on the Richter scale. The Roanoke Times reports: The Roanoke Valley was shaken early Saturday by a magnitude 3 earthquake that rattled buildings from Vinton to Salem and prompted people to flood emergency dispatch offices with dozens of calls. There were no reports of injuries or property damage. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:08 a.m., was in the Cave Spring area near Garst Mill Road, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to researchers, similar incidents are recorded about once a year in Virginia, but most are hardly noticed because they typically happen in sparsely populated areas. "These earthquakes are fairly ordinary," said Martin Chapman, a research assistant professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech. "There's nothing remarkable about it, other than the center being in a populated area." The USGS initially reported the quake registered at 2.6, and throughout the day upgraded it to 2.8 and then 3. John Bellini, an USGS geophysicist, confirmed quakes are not "common everyday occurrences" in Virginia, though they might be on the West Coast. <br />With all the excitement I decided to go ahead and finish packing/loading the pickup. We had decided to take a car and the pickup so on the days that Thomas and I are in class Caitlynn and Douglas can have transportation. It’s an exciting day as Douglas Mitchell (my black child I affectionately refer to him when someone inquisitive asks who he is when he’s with our family) will be flying into Richmond today at 12:30 PM. Douglas has been a part of our family since he was in 2nd grade when he and Brandon became friends shortly after we moved from Hale Center, Tx. to Anton, Tx. when we bought our house with land there. Douglas and Brandon were inseparable and his mom refers to us as his white family and we all get a kick out of it. His birthday was yesterday and he turned 27 yrs old. He is 30 days older than Brandon would be. I’ll never forget the first time Douglas came to spend the night and was getting ready for bed and pulled out a plastic bag that he slept over his hair. Our type of hair has to stay clean without oil and they need oil for theirs to grow and be healthy. It was hilarious when the boys were in the bathroom getting ready and I walked by and heard Brandon tell him “well I hope it doesn’t fall over your head and you suffocate during the night!” Out of the mouths of Babes. Those 2 boys would make me laugh all the time. There was a time when the boys were in the 4th grade and Douglas’s family moved to Levelland, Tx. (which is 45 minutes from Anton). I told his mother Frances that I was claiming stepparent rights and we would have to come get him every other weekend and we did. We would pick him up on Friday afternoons and we would take him back after church on Sunday afternoons so he has been a part of our family truly. He took trips with us and one of his fondest memories was the trip we took to Austin to see my family for a few days. Lynn (Caitlynn and Brandon’s dad) and I took both of them to a sporting good store and bought the boys Dallas Cowboy helmets and gear, they loved all of it! The minute we got back to my mom’s they were outside throwing their new football and testing out all of their gear! Douglas dug many post holes with Brandon, even in the scorching hot summer sun and there were days that they walked all over our acreage picking up any piece of glass that may have been there for years because Lynn didn’t want them sitting around with nothing to do. The boys would spend nights out at the hay barn roping of the roping head with their music going and they’d talk about horses, hunting, castrating pigmy goats, stacking hay, planting wheat, and chickens-Brandon loved his chickens and loved talking to his PaPa Miller (my dad who got him started)about it all. One of my Nana Miller’s favorite stories to tell was when my dad was a young boy (about 2nd grade she recalled) and she got a phone call from the postmaster. The postmaster said, “Catherine, your chickens are here and you can come pick them up now.” Nana’s reply was “ I DID NOT order any chickens, what makes you think they are mine?” He told her because Art came here and mailed the order after I told him he couldn’t mail cash. She said “Art ordered chickens without telling me?” He assured her he did not of those details but they needed water/feeding so she needed to pick them up! So that’s when my dad’s love of agriculture began-the rest is history or should I say family history. <br />There would be nights that they’d stay up almost all night but regardless they were never inside. They were the best of friends for the duration of Brandon’s life and he will always be special to me for the duration of my life.<br />Thomas and I had decided to drive separately so we’d have 2 vehicles so Tracy and I had decided to go early this morning to shop at the outlet mall in Williamsburg while Thomas and Caitlynn left a little later so they could pick Douglas up at the Richmond airport and we’d all meet at the condo in Colonial Crossings which is where we’re staying for the week. So after answering my cell phone this morning I tried to let Thomas sleep so I went ahead and put the Rat dogs in the compound as Sam Booth would be caring for them during our absence. If Val stays in our bedroom she protects Thomas by letting him know everything going on around her so he is not able to sleep in usually if she’s on guard in our bedroom. I took care of all the clothes and Thomas/Caitlynn would load groceries from the house to bring with them. Tracy met me at the house around 7:30 AM and off we were for shopping. As Tracy likes to call it “sole therapy”. She will spend the night with us and then drive back to Roanoke on Sunday. Our hope is to go to the beach for the daytime on Sunday if the weather holds out for us. We left for our trip on I-81-North with just my music and the beautiful day ahead of us. At 8:15 AM we passed Buchanan, VA and it’s always such a beautiful drive through the mountains-no matter when we come this way. Below the draw there are cattle standing in the stream that I believe actually feeds into the James River in this area. The weather was great with a few scattered clouds and 68 degrees outside so I drove with my windows down and sang to myself. Just call me a “child of the wind” which is a very funny story that Caitlynn shared with me after she and Kati Hurt made their first overnight stay away from home-in Pigeon Forge, TN-by themselves. They went on the last weekend of April for Kati’s 17th birthday; I purchased the hotel suite for them as Kati’s birthday gift since she wanted to go to this area of TN. The story as Caitlynn told us was great as she describes herself as being a “bigger girl that her body was built with vegetables and smart water” and Kati has to take a deep breath to create a shadow. So as Caitlynn tells the story, “it was hot and Kati decides that she doesn’t want to run the A/C so she rolled all the windows down”. “As sweat is rolling down my back”, Caitlynn reports “Kati decides we need to be children of the wind with our hair blowing everywhere!” They made it home safe and sound along with a lot of funny stories to tell us from their first overnight trip alone. <br />8:30 AM I called to see how Douglas’s flights were going for him and he had just landed in Dallas to change planes after his layover then it would be direct to Richmond from there. He flew one time to Houston and met us as we were flying in from Belize and then we all (including Douglas) drove from Houston, Tx. to VA. He had never been to a casino so on that trip as we alternated driving shifts home we usually slept but Thomas asked Douglas if he had ever been to casino and he had not. So with Thomas’s usual nature, we stopped in Louisiana and dropped Douglas and him off to go in and “try it out” as a first life experience for Douglas. Caitlynn and I slept in the pickup because we could stretch out while they were gone and when they were ready to go they called my cell phone and we drove around to pick them up and we were back on the road for the 23-24 hour trip to VA. Douglas says since that trip he will never drive to VA again, he will always fly (but he never complained). We laughed at the memories as he and Caitlynn rode most of the way on that trip in the back seat and they acted like brother and sister (most of you parents I’m SURE have experienced road trips with your kids). Nothing but love!<br />Tracy and I stopped at McDonalds to get a bite of breakfast. As we pulled up to park I heard Steven Tyler’s song and the line in it that song I love states: Life’s a journey, not a destination, I agree and the fun part is the journey with your friends and family every chance you get….Our route from I-81 north took us to I-64 east to Richmond then we took the loop around Richmond onto 295 south where it begins the VA Civil War Trails, we resumed I-64 east to take us to the Williamsburg Prime Outlet Mall-our destination for now. We were approximately 4-5 miles from our arrival point to shop when I was in the right lane while Tracy was ahead of me about ½ block in the left lane. She started to change lanes after looking but didn’t see a car in her blind spot. I saw it coming so I laid down on the horn to alert her and she did swerve and the car in the lane she was trying to move into also swerved. Then the car pulled up next to Tracy and gave her the universal sign language with one finger that indicated to her the driver’s anger….my poor wife! <br />Off to the shops we went, looking for good deals is our mission. We had a good time and enjoyed our therapy but we were not able to truly call it sole therapy since we realized neither of us had bought a shoe one for the entire day…what the heck? We went to the condo and no one was there since Thomas, Caitlynn, and Douglas had gone to get groceries for the week. I took Tracy into the front room where Douglas must have placed his luggage when he arrived since there was a big red Fireman bag; she had to see his starched clothes. He’s worn them since we met and all cowboys in Texas starch all their clothes. There was a time when he was younger and he’d starch all of his things but since adulthood he now takes it all to the cleaners but trust me-they could stand without a body in them due to the starch! I pulled a pair of pants out and showed them to Tracy and she just laughed. They arrived with “the goods” and we helped put it all away. Douglas looks great and has become such a nice young man. I love watching him and Caitlynn together as he has always treated her like the brother she wishes she had, she states. Yes, I mean he wrestles with her and reminds her that he can still “whoop you; you’re not too big for me to whoop”. Thomas enlightened us that the forecast for tomorrow was not looking good as they are predicting rain and colder temperatures throughout the day as a front is moving through so we altered our plans. Tracy and I went to the pool and laid out in the glorious bright sunshine for about an hour and a half-felt great with good conversation and company. Caitlynn and Thomas started getting the stuff ready to prepare dinner so Tracy and I joined them at the grill after we ran to get charcoal to cook with from Wal-Mart. Thomas was told the grills were gas but they were not so we had to make a quick trip to the ‘saving store’. Brandon used to say; Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart that’s our store, we shop there because we’re poor”. We all set the table, blessed the food provided and ate our dinner together as we laughed and shared stories of the past and enjoyed each others company. Thomas had several beers by this time (if you know what I mean) and we talked about running as Tracy and I would like to do the race in San Francisco next year in May as it is called Bay-to-Breakers that Dr. Killeen had told me about. He said it looks like a blast as every walk of life runs it-it is an 8 or 10K I believe. Thomas informed us that he ran a 5 minute mile as a teenager so he had “no doubt that I can run a 10 minute mile now, that should be very easy”. Oh my gosh, I can not believe he said that so I tried to clarify his time quantity as Tracy and I told him with our regular running we do 12-13 minute miles as an average on a 5K and he confirmed that he could still currently do a 10 minute mile---are you kidding me? I told everyone at the table that he had told Caitlynn and I a couple of months ago that he thinks he’s the most physically fit person in our house-what? We still laugh about that since I run 3-5 times a week and he plays seasonal hockey as a goalie. I believe that means he stands in the net until a puck comes toward him then he moves, right? I’m Texan not Canadian like my handsome husband but I have watched him play hockey a few times in the last 7 years…..Anyway everything in life is perception I guess but regardless, he agreed that he can run a 10 minute mile at any time currently and he’d prove it to me so I agreed to hold him to that! We all laughed except him…. The rest of the evening was spent with Caitlynn and Douglas watching cooking shows as this is her favorite, Tracy and I talked as we sat outside on the deck in rocking chairs, and Thomas rested in the big whirlpool Jacuzzi tub in our bathroom. The kids finished off the evening as they watched bull riding since Douglas had confiscated the remote control after watching enough Paula Deen (<a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/">www.pauladeen.com</a>) “Remember when I said springtime makes the whole world a fresh green salad? Now it’s time to grab a fork and dive right in! Happy spring, and remember, this season and every season, I send you love and best dishes, from my kitchen to yours”. To float a boat made out of butter, Douglas said he was done with that! Do people who cook really have “Butter Rangers” that assist them in the kitchen? I mean I’ve never had big buff young men wearing “Butter Rangers” on their t-shirts come waltzing in my kitchen (or any of my friends that I know of?) to assit me in preparing my food with butter-I guess just Paula Deen has them. It’s been a good day with a good ending.<br />Sunday, May 17, 2009-we woke up to a drastic weather change as it is overcast and cooler with 52 degrees outside and 90% chance of rain. So Tracy and I definitely changed our plans to go to the beach and decided to make a quick visit back to the Prime Outlets again. I had only spent $34 so not too much damage yesterday and besides we needed to exchange Caitlynn’s bras since she did not like what I had selected for her yesterday. (When I asked the lady at the Maidenform store for her best 38 DD bras she looked at me strangely then I explained to her that they would be for my well-endowed daughter who is 15-not sure where those genes came from? She responded with “15?”) As I came out of our room for the morning I laughed as Caitlynn was sleeping on the floor in the living room and Douglas was sleeping on the couch, we laughed because there was another bed in the room Tracy slept in that neither of them could of used. I knew the two of them had talked until wee hours of the morning and rightfully so since it had been awhile since he had been here in VA to see us, I believe 2 yrs actually. Thomas began cooking breakfast for us and I got ready as we had an owners meeting at 9:00 AM before us girls could leave for our attempt at sole therapy again. Tracy, Thomas and I ate and I was sure to reconfirm his statement that he could run a 10 minute mile and he still acknowledges it, even after he slept??? (maybe he hit his head yesterday that I wasn’t aware of?) The kids slept off and on while Thomas and I were gone and Tracy cleaned the kitchen for us. We returned so Tracy and I headed back to the Prime Outlets for a little bit. Midway into our shopping trip it began to rain and rained for the entirety of the day. That did not seem to bother us as we had joked about not buying any shoes yesterday but then today we stumbled across a store named “Closet” and the logo was a red stiletto heel, appropriately named we thought. They had the cutest shoes and by the time we left Tracy had purchased 3 pairs of shoes and I had purchased 5 pairs, what did I just say? That’s right 5 really cute pairs of shoes, this was a weird day when I out purchase Tracy in shoes…Oh well Tracy’s weakness is the “Lucky” brand store so we returned there and she made up for my out buying her in shoes. Upon our return to the condo Tracy loaded up and headed off to Roanoke. Meanwhile the 4 of us sat around and watched TV, ate and talked-a lot. I cracked up as Caitlynn got up from sitting down and she’d have to pull her pants up as that is one of Douglas’s pet peeves. He told her to get a belt and she told him she has one so he told her to put it on then! He tells us that is a pet peeve of his with his employees. Thomas continued cooking in the kitchen as he worked on his famous spaghetti sauce and also prepared some extra hamburger meat to use later for tacos that Caitlynn will prepare. He makes me laugh when we go on a trip because it is difficult for him to relax and just do nothing. But he does enjoy cooking and he used to do all the cooking when we first met/married. He recalls when he would cook for the family when he and Sherry were married and she’d “fuss” over the way he did things or moved things around in the kitchen so rather than create friction he’d just not cook. He made a point to tell me that story shortly after we married when I would ask him if he’d like me to help him and he’d deny help each time. His love language is definitely acts of service so I’ve always joked and said our prenuptial agreement was that he cook and I clean so I fulfill my responsibilities as I would clean as he prepares the meals. For about the last year Caitlynn has taken over almost all of the food preparations at our home so I think he enjoyed the time today of just puttering in the kitchen, on no time schedule but with a goal in mind-DINNER. We sat at the dinner table, blessed the food and enjoyed talking to each other. Afterwards we watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs which was Game 1: Chicago #4 vs. Detroit #2, Detroit won. Thomas went to bed first as he was the only one who HAD to be up and out of here in the morning. I stayed up and talked with Douglas and Caitlynn until she bailed on us around 1:15 AM then I was behind her 45 minutes later. Good night….Today in history: A filly named Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness in Maryland (Preakness Stake’s results: Twelfth race at Pimlico, in Baltimore Purse: $1,100,000. Track: Dirt. Distance: 1 3/16 miles. Three-year olds.) She is the 1st filly to win in 85 years. Headline news: UPDATED STORY: May 17, 10:01 pm LOS ANGELES - An earlier reported 5.0 earthquake is now being reported as a magnitude 4.7 earthquake, which struck tonight in South Los Angeles, and minutes later a magnitude 3.1 aftershock occurred, but no major damage or injuries were reported. The "moderate'' 4.7 quake struck shortly before 8:40 p.m., a mile east of Lennox, a mile south southeast of Inglewood and 10 miles south southwest of the Los Angeles Civic Center, according to Caltech. The rumbling lasted 10 to 15 seconds and was felt throughout the Greater Los Angeles area and as far south as San Diego, according to various witnesses. It was the strongest quake to strike the Southland since the magnitude 5.5 earthquake that hit in Chino Hills last July 29. The 3.1 aftershock occurred just after 8:45 p.m. a mile north northwest of Hawthorne and 3 miles southwest of Inglewood, according to Caltech. A 2.5 "micro quake'' also struck in the area at 8:44 p.m., according to Caltech. No fires, structural damage or injuries due to the earthquake were reported in El Segundo, Inglewood, and the city of Los Angeles or Los Angeles County, fire and police department officials from various agencies said.<br />Monday, May 18, 2009-started out partly cloud, cleared before noon then by evening started getting cloudy again. The temperature today will have a high of 65 degrees. Thomas got up at 6:45 AM and was out the door by 7:15 to work in the Richmond office. I got up and did my devotions, read my “The One Life Solution” book that I’ve been reading. It is written by Dr. Henry Cloud. I then worked on writing my resume for the Leadership Roanoke Valley nomination that is due by June 5th. Douglas and Caitlynn are still sleeping but this time she slept in a bed, not the floor! It’s time for me to be off so I went to the gym to workout since I had not ran since Friday and I felt like I did nothing but eat yesterday due to the rainy day-it always makes me just want to snack it seems. After my hour workout I returned to the condo where Caitlynn had prepared her and Douglas “steakums” for lunch. So I was glad to make guacamole and a sandwich and they were watching a reality show about mobile home makeovers? Do people really do that since they just depreciate? Afterwards the 3 of us went back to the outlet mall since they had not seen it and we walked around and made a couple of small purchases. Caitlynn had a gift card that she used and she entertained the saleslady at the Perfumeria, the saleslady laughed and laughed as Caitlynn was in search of “her own fragrance”. We left and then returned for her purchase after she thought about it and walked around a bit. We headed back to the condo and had an afternoon snack and Douglas got comfortable and fell asleep on the couch (he is on vacation), Caitlynn went into our room and watched a cooking show and I resumed my writing on this story. We will look forward to having Thomas back with us this evening, he always livens things up. He arrived close to 8:00 PM with 2 ½ inch porterhouse cut steaks. Douglas, Caitlynn, and I laughed as she had asked me about 2 hours earlier what she should fix for dinner and I had told her to just let Thomas decide since we had eaten what we liked today since we were here all day, and it’s a good thing since it seems he already had decided and made his purchases. He said that he thought this would be the last day we could grill out due to the weather forecast so he thought we should take advantage of it. I went outside with him after he got the steaks on the grill and we chatted as we caught up on the day’s events. I love spending time with this husband of mine and watching him do the simplest things such as this, I realize he’s quite the perfectionist but makes things happen. We had the salt and pepper outside with us when Caitlynn came to retrieve it as she was preparing the side dishes in the condo while we grilled. As she began to take them, Thomas asked her to wait a minute and he opened up a paper towel he held and put a small amount of each into it and then gave the set to her to take. When the steaks became very close to ready he stood above them and rubbed his hands together to create a grinding effect to cover each of them. My thoughts go back to him telling me stories of days when he was a Boy Scout/Eagle Scout so I believe he can improvise with anything. The four of us enjoyed another nice, quiet meal together after we blessed it and thanked the Lord for providing it for us and the time to spend together.<br />As the Stanley Cup Playoff continues, tonight is Game 1: Hurricanes #6 @ Penguins #4 and the Penguins take the first win. Then we all sat around and watched Spike TV (a cable channel) with the season premier of “4th and Long”-4th Quarter Training (After moving into their new home at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Michael Irvin puts the 6 wide receivers and 6 defensive backs through a grueling set of full contact drills designed to test their ability and they will eliminate one weekly. The final one left will actually hold a place on the 80 man roster for the Dallas Cowboys this next season...) The four of us watched both together and Caitlynn would occasionally text Kati Hurt or Lindsey Page Blankenship but was mostly attentive. Thomas’s favorite NFL team has always been the Cowboys. We called it a night for Thomas and me as we headed to our room. He got in the Jacuzzi tub in our bathroom and worked on his Suduko puzzles and I resumed my writing. My reading for today from the Living Faith: Children’s lessons as we learn the song “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so……” It is a simple tune with a simple message, but within it lays the truth that gives meaning and purpose to our lives: The love of God is revealed to us through Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. From the beginning of my life as a Christian that simple song holds truth. But since then I have continued to be blessed by a seemingly never-ending series of revelations that show me over and over the full extent of God’s love-from my relationship with my husband and our 4 year marriage to our two beautiful and faith-filled children and on to the blessings of friends who never stop challenging me and affirming my faith while we share good conversation and meals around the table. In all these ways, and in so many more, God continues to reveal himself to me, and I am blessed. God, thank you for the ways you reveal yourself to me.<br />Tuesday, May 19, 2009-We woke up this morning and Thomas immediately ran his hot water in the Jacuzzi tub and grabbed a cup of coffee and off he went! The temperature was 52 degrees and expected to be clear with average temperature of 67 degrees. I worked on returning texts, calls, and emails then when The Today Show (<a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/">http://today.msnbc.msn.com</a>) came on I was right there enjoying it, it is really the only thing I watch on TV if it’s not football season. I like it because it gives me a good diversified view of many areas of our world (finance, beauty, investments, weather, and travel). One of the topics today were the fact that Google’s CEO spoke at the commencement exercises for University of Pennsylvania and told the graduates to “Disconnect and Log-off at least once a week”, obviously our country’s culture is cultivating our children who struggle with balance as they are in this environment that we as parents struggle in that area too. He said they will never realize what’s important to them unless they learn to do this regularly. Another newsworthy topic is: “Shuttle astronaut’s tweets are heavenly”: In space, anyone can hear you tweet. Story goes: 325,000 follow astronaut’s mission, musings via Twitter. Astronaut Michael Massimino now in orbit on space shuttle Atlantis is the first person to Twitter from space. (A Tweet is 140 or less characters) Since reaching orbit, he has tapped his tweets into the shuttle’s laptops and e-mailed them to Lemasters. She posts them to twitter.com/Astro_Mike. “The one regret that I have when I look out the window and I see how beautiful the Earth looks…is that you can’t share it with everyone,” says Astro Mike.<br />Then one of the topics The Today Show spoke of was: Pillow Talk Study-People taking laptops to bed has surpassed 30% (no wonder we have sleep issues…job security) and also there would be “No day at the beach” as 35% of Americans not taking vacations due to the economy this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics: Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in April (-539,000), and the unemployment rate rose from 8.5 to 8.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Since the recession began in December 2007, 5.7 million jobs have been lost. In April, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all major private-sector industries. Overall, private-sector employment fell by 611,000. The number of unemployed persons increased by 563,000 to 13.7 million in April, and the unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 6.0 million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 3.9 percentage points.<br />Unemployment rates rose in April for adult men (9.4 percent) and blacks (15.0 percent). The jobless rates for adult women (7.1percent), teenagers (21.5 percent), whites (8.0 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) were little changed over the month. The unemployment rate for Asians was 6.6 percent in April, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.2 percent a year earlier.7/<br />Thomas resumed working from his laptop and made a lot of phone calls to several of his offices, Caitlynn and Douglas were still sleeping so I ate a bowl of cereal and a banana and off to work out at the gym here on location. Upon my return Thomas decided we would go to Milano’s restaurant for a later lunch around 2 PM. I laughed as we started out the door and Douglas socked Caitlynn in the upper arm area, it was so loud I said, “uuhhh I felt that over here!” Caitlynn said “The 1st is bad but the 2nd is worse”. I replied “then why don’t you run” and she said “cause he’s gonna chase me so I might as well just stand here and take it.” We all laughed, he’s always treated her like a sister. <br />After our lunch with Italian food Thomas was driving with Caitlynn as co-pilot and Douglas and I sat in the back. We drove towards Busch Garden then Thomas turned into the Amheuser-Busch Distilling factory located here in Williamsburg Anheuser-Busch Cos. is a St. Louis-based, publicly-traded corporation that primarily produces and distributes more than 100 brands of beer, most notably Budweiser. In 2006 Anheuser-Busch sold 125 million barrels of beer, with gross sales of $18 billion and net income of $2 billion, making it the United States' largest brewer. Among the corporate divisions is Busch Entertainment Corp., which has 11 theme and water parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and (the soon to open) Aquatica in Orlando, and Busch Gardens and Adventure Island in Tampa. Other BEC parks are SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld San Antonio, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA in Virginia and Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. The security guard stopped us just before we walked in and instructed us that they no longer do tours so we returned to our car and headed out to sight see. We decided to go to Williamsburg Winery (<a href="http://www.williamsburgwinery.com/">www.williamsburgwinery.com</a>) since we have never been there and we try to go to any wineries in an area we are visiting: Williamsburg Winery is Virginia’s largest winery with an annual production of some 60,000 cases. With approximately 100 wineries in Virginia, the Williamsburg Winery accounts for almost one-quarter of all wine production in Virginia. Thomas and I did the tasting while Douglas and Caitlynn looked around at the setting we were in and after a purchase we were off to our next venture. Thomas took the Colonial Parkway drive since he has never made this drive before, so we did it together. The Parkway takes you to over the James River to Historic Jamestown, VA, Jamestown Island, Island Loop Dr, and then the Glasshouse of 1608. Along the pleasant drive we saw squirrels, geese and a deer-what a great afternoon for a drive. The trees that surround us are very tall and there are areas of water with the smell of honeysuckle from the woods as we make our drive. Initially we passed an area that had a small beach area that people were fishing and laying out in the sun. Then there was a farm area with cows standing in the small valleys and as we left that area and got more into the Colonial Parkway drive there were several cyclists riding. As we began to pass one ahead Thomas told Caitlynn to “reach your hand out and smack his booty as we go by”, we laughed and I said as we got slightly closer (and the body frame) “I believe that’s a woman” and as we passed her Thomas agreed as he said “Yeah, sports bra”. We all chuckled. So as we stopped to read the marques on the Island Loop drive, the facts written were these: The colonist arrived in 1607 to this area. Confederate troops guarded the river channel during the Civil War. Six out of seven people died out in Jamestown for the 1st 18 years they were here due to medical problems. Within 3 days of reaching the New World the 1st Jamestown colonists had assembled a small boat to explore the remaining area around them. VA vintage (wines) often spoiled during shipment so they colonists began making their own vintages. Colonists wondered of the deep/tall forests of VA. 1640 Jamestown potters were making their own pottery needed. Powhatans (Indians) traded for staples with the settlers. Jamestown imported silk from the Mediterranean and the orient. King James called smoking “a filthy novelty” but tobacco proved the salvation of his VA colony..……We headed toward the condo when Thomas saw “Trader Joe’s” and we had seen this store in CA but had never stopped so he and Caitlynn (the 2 shoppers in the car) went in to see what it was all about while Douglas and I sat in the car talking. They returned with 2 bags and they were both excited over their discovery. Now we’re en route as we’ve completed our drive and came back to the condo to relax for the rest of the late afternoon. After we got back to the condo for a bit Douglas began talking about going to get beer and Caitlynn told him the two of them could run up to Wal-Mart and get it. He seemed to think that they wouldn’t sell it to him if she was with him because of her age, we laughed as I said yes because you have an ID and she doesn’t but she looks older than you. Caitlynn said, “I will just say that we’re married. I went to Africa and brought Jesus to your colony, saved your soul, stole your heart, and brought you home”. The three of us cracked up! I decided to take a quick nap and when I woke-up I smelled food being cooked. Thomas, Douglas and Caitlynn had gone to the outlet mall to get a wok for Caitlynn as she would begin another chapter of her cooking class and will need one so she’s been looking around for one. Caitlynn had prepared dinner so we all ate together in the dining room, we thanked the Lord for our time together and the food provided. Afterwards we watched the next Stanley Cup Playoff game came on at 7:30 PM (EST): Game 2-Chicago vs. Detroit which went into overtime for a final score of 2-3 with Detroit winning. I had to wake my husband as he had dozed off and I didn’t want him to miss the replay of the winning goal…now he’s off to hit the Jacuzzi before bed. Caitlynn came in the living area after talking to Lindsay Paige and Douglas was watching TV when there was a strong smell of marijuana before Caitlynn came back in the room. I confirmed it with Thomas and Douglas (he’s a fireman and runs rescue in addition to his job). So when Caitlynn came back in Douglas asked her if she’d been smoking marijuana outside? She said “NO why?” and we both responded because we both smelled it. I shared with them that I smelled it yesterday when I came back from working out and walked up the stairs. Caitlynn said “how do you know what it is?” and Douglas asked her if she really didn’t know what it smelled like and she said “No, I have never smelled it that I am aware of”. Douglas said “well you really need to know in case anyone ever tried to give it to you to be safe”. She replied, “Well, how do you propose I do that? You got a scratch ‘n sniff?” We both just laughed, she is crazy. Her cell phone rang and she stepped outside briefly to talk to Lindsey then returned and told us as she came in she had found the marijuana culprit. I said “what, how do you know?” She replied, “because he asked me if I wanted any and I told him I’m trying to cutback since my husband has me on a budget”, Douglas and I cracked up. They watched Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and laughed as the show was about a lady having twins and Tyler had to deliver them. Caitlynn said “I don’t know why anyone would want to have a baby” Douglas and I snickered as we both remember what a handful she was as a small kid….She prepared me a strawberry shortcake to snack before I went off to bed since I was trying to eat up all the strawberries that Thomas had gotten (when he and Caitlynn came down as they stopped on the side of the road and purchased them-just for me since neither of them eat anything with ‘berry’ in its name). But after she fixed it up for me I had to wait until the Cool Whip defrosted since Douglas told us when they bought it the first day we arrived that the container reads “Keep Frozen” so everyone’s been putting it back in the freezer after each use-I tried to explain to them that it means if it’s not going to be eaten within a 2-3 day span, not after each use……..Good night!<br />Wednesday, May 20, 2009-VSRC Conference begins today @ 7:30 AM so we all drove into VA Beach. Douglas and Caitlynn were ecstatic about getting up so early-haha. Needless to say they both slept the entire trip. The conference has been held at the Hilton which is on the boardwalk ever since I can remember and it makes for a great meeting place (Caitlynn & Jason always seemed to enjoy the frozen grapes and the mint smelling chilled wash towels that they bring to you at poolside to wipe the sweat from your brows during your visit to the pool sitting on the top of the building-and I love both of this amenities here!). Caitlynn and Douglas went through the vendor booths with Thomas and I and they usually came back around with me since Thomas knows so many people and with his curious nature he’d ask detailed questions about 90% of the products, if they were hanging out with him entirely, they would have to hear all the sales pitches also so they meandered through. I mostly asked questions with sleep related products only. Douglas was interested in a lot of it since were booths that represented companies with oxygen supplies, etc., he was curious due to his time spent with the fire/rescue in Anton, Tx. Caitlynn has always had a fascination with the healthcare field in general since that’s all she’s ever been around from birth to now so she learned things also as she too interest (yes, she’s full of questions). The morning started out at 52 degrees and the sun was nice bringing warmth but the wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean was cool, to the point that even sitting directly in the sun as we ate lunch it was still chilly. We ate on the outside area of Catch 31 (one of the restaurants here at the Hilton) that is on the boardwalk/oceanview where they have several large fire pits, so as we sat outside to eat we were around the fire pit which made things nice and warm for today. They are setting up the 31st Street amphitheatre (which is directly across a walk from us) for a free outdoor concert tonight here by Toad the Wet Sprocket, we would have to miss but we got to listen as they did the sound checks after setting up. We allowed Caitlynn to go shop on her own as long as she checked in by text periodically for a couple of hours in the afternoon while we finished the conference. Caitlynn still believes that we have tickets to go to the Richmond Art Museum (I love museums and she’s aware that since I am a Docent for the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, I love to try to visit as many when traveling as possible so that wasn’t awkward to her when I told her about the tickets) for tonight so we drove back to Williamsburg so that we could all change to go to Richmond for the supposed Museum event, now we have a 45 minute drive from the condo. As we got close to our destination there were a lot of people everywhere and the police were directing traffic, Caitlynn said, “there must be something else big going on around the museum”. We kept searching for parking and she told me to ask the lady taking money for parking what is going on here. As we got up to the lady I handed her the $3 to park and didn’t give Caitlynn time to ask her anything (well actually she did ask but the lady didn’t have time to respond) before we started driving back to our spot. Caitlynn said, “I don’t know why there are so many girls with Daisy Dukes on and cowboy hats but it looks like a concert to me.” Then she was getting frustrated with me because she said we didn’t give her time to get her hair done, etc. and she “looks like white trash” she said. At this point she still had no idea why or because of who we were here to see or do. We had Douglas and Caitlynn go ahead and get in line to enter the Innsbrook After Hours amphitheatre (<a href="http://innsbrookafterhours.com/">http://innsbrookafterhours.com</a>) while Thomas and I went to the “Will Call” window to pickup the tickets I had purchased online. As we returned Douglas told us he told her who we’d be seeing tonight and she was very excited. She had bought Jason Aldean’s newest CD just a couple of weeks ago and his “green tractor” song is her ringback tone for her cell phone. She was sure to “let me listen” to the new CD one afternoon while we were driving to do somewhere in Roanoke, so I knew she liked him as a country artist. Now we are in the mix of over 3,000 + people, country people waiting to see new country star Jason Aldean (<a href="http://www.jasonaldean.com/">www.jasonaldean.com</a>) with guests Marna and Macy. Douglas fit right in as he wears nothing but John Deere t-shirts and tonight he chose his brown t-shirt with green writing that read: Friends don’t let friends drive red tractors. So he was amongst the rednecks with us-I wondered if even 10% of these people have ever even ridden a horse in their life or been on a tractor? And there were a lot of young fans it seemed but all of them are definitely country fans. I’ve never seen so many John Deere tractor shirts in one place in my life-my black child fit right in as he’s got his t-shirt on and yes he had been on many horses and John Deere tractors (the first time for both was with my family)! I guess he’s been on ‘other tractors’ but prefers the ‘green ones’, maybe because he works on them at home and that’s mostly what he’s been around his whole life so to him, there is NO other tractor. The concert was good (even though I am not a country music fan) and Thomas even enjoyed it. He left to go get Caitlynn a concert t-shirt and a license place cover that read “Hick Town” with origination of Georgia since Jason Aldean is a Georgia peach. The band did play some good guitar music (‘licks’ as Jason would say) and threw in a little Lynard Skynard then told a story to the crowd about an episode of Country Crossroads (Caitlynn tells me it is a current music show on TV where they match artists up with other artists from another genre to do an episode with them) that they just finished filming. Jason Aldean told the crowd that they never could really relate to any of the music artists the program offered them until “a guy named Bryan Adams came along and they worked perfectly well together so we got us a story now that will come on in June”. After the concert we worked our way thru the loads of people to get to our vehicle and then we waited, waited, and waited until we could make it out of the parking lots. I’m a people watcher and trust me, there were a lot of interesting people to watch as we waited! I drove as Thomas and Douglas had partaken in beverages with all the rednecks around us at the concert so off we go in search of dinner. Since it was almost 11 PM we had a hard time (except for fast food) finding a restaurant opened so we settled for a FGI Friday’s. Douglas decided on BBQ ribs, typical Texan I’d say. We ended our meal and made our next hour drive back to the condo. Since both of the guys slept, Caitlynn and I sang (to the radio) and talked. Shortly before 2 AM we were back at the condo for our much needed rest-it had been a long day with a few hours drive time…night!<br />Thursday, May 21, 2009- Thomas and I were up and gone nice and EARLY as we had a conference day. Douglas and Caitlynn had decided the night before that they would hang out at the condo and not be needing to get up early today. The drive wasn’t too bad going into VA Beach except for the backup through the tunnel to get to VA Beach, which is normal for this area (and without the tunnels, you do not get to the beach area). Thomas & I had lunch with 2 of the Fisher-Paykel reps and then finished up our conference day and quickly made our way to the pool area at the top of the Hilton where the conference is being held for a couple hours to enjoy some vitamin D (that we all need a little of-I feel I need more than a little!). The Hilton is Oceanside and from the top you can see the entire boardwalk and all the activities below. It’s a great view as there is an indoor pool and the outdoor pool is an infinity pool, so as you are looking at it you never see the edge of it-just the Atlantic Ocean. The weather held out for us topping out at 82 degrees and we enjoyed every drop of sunshine. Afterwards we left and returned to Williamsburg early evening and retrieved the “kids” for dinner. We decided (as our tradition-we make 1 visit to Capt. George’s during our beach stays) to make this our Captain George’s meal night since Thomas and I had a salad for lunch and a very light breakfast. We felt like we would make Captain George’s worth it since we’d be good and hungry by the time we ate. Douglas had never been to a place like this and his favorite is crawfish (trivia I learned watching a cooking show with Caitlynn-there are crawfish as large as lobster in Australia) and they had that along with almost 50 other options on their buffet before the dessert options. We took pictures outside the restaurant as Caitlynn and Douglas “pick on each other” they raced to the truck afterwards….Caitlynn told Douglas that she “let him win”. We drove back to the condo and settled in for the close of the day. The guys guys turned on the TV to watch the Stanley Cup Playoff, Caitlynn & I joined them shortly after the 2nd period. Game #2: Carolina vs. Pittsburgh with Pittsburgh winning in OT. Caitlynn and Douglas stayed up talking to each other and to Vanessa (Douglas’s girlfriend in Tx.). They always enjoy spending time together-doing nothing or whatever, doesn’t really matter to them. I would say this was the best weather day during the week so far-but I’m prejudice because I love the sun. As I jokingly tell my family-it’s the only bad habit I have….<br />Friday, May 22, 2009-The morning brought on a nice sunny day with initial temperatures of 60-62 degrees and the day ended at the warmest point with 82 degrees. I worked out and Thomas prepared breakfast for all of us to eat together. Afterwards Thomas and I enjoyed the sun at the pool for an hour and a half before we had an appointment. Thomas and I left for our appointment and “the kids” stayed hanging out-I think they both wanted to nap actually! We returned by 6:15 PM and Caitlynn had prepared us dinner-Mexican food with tacos and burrito makings, Douglas helped set the table. Of course I had to make guacamole to complete all the makings and we blessed the food and had a good time talking and reminiscing. It’s good to be here together and I love seeing what a nice, responsible young man Douglas has become and seeing him bond with Thomas. Afterwards we all cleaned up the kitchen and sat down to watch the Stanley Cup Playoff Game 3: Detroit vs. Chicago with Chicago winning in OT. Detroit stills remains up 2-1 though. Douglas and Caitlynn gathered their things and I began packing our stuff up as we would be leaving to go back to Roanoke in the morning. We had been undecided whether to stay longer since Douglas would be flying out on Monday (Memorial Day holiday) or just come back for his flight that morning. Thomas had talked to Jason and the duplexes had not been mowed since we were in the truck, so we thought it best to go home so he could do that and then drive back Sunday evening and stay in a hotel close to the airport in Richmond (3 hour drive from Roanoke) as Douglas’s flight was for 7 AM and he’d need to be there at least an hour and half before time. We would check out in the morning and head back to Roanoke. It’s been a good week! <br />Saturday, May 23rd, 2009-We woke up and began cleaning the refrigerator out and packing up the remaining items for our trip home. The guys drove the Taurus and us girls drove the pickup home. We chose interstate since we needed to get home by mid afternoon to allow Jason daylight to mow. Caitlynn took a small nap and so did Douglas in the other vehicle. It’s been a standing joke all week that all’s Douglas did was rest, watch TV, and enjoy a little beer-his response was “I’m on vacation, I’m supposed to do that!” We all laughed each time he responded with that line, Caitlynn just said “Right…”. We arrived at home and immediately I got a call on my cell phone from Robin White who works for me and she’s sick. I needed to go to the lab to look at the schedule as this is a holiday weekend, and if she calls in she is sick! Caitlynn and I had the entire truck unloaded before Thomas and Douglas arrived then they unloaded their vehicle. Douglas came with me and we went to the lab so he could see it and hang with me. I got the patients situated and we went back to the house since Reba was coming to the house to spend the night with Caitlynn and we are going to grill out. Thomas and Douglas stood out on the deck getting our meal prepared on the grill and I worked in the kitchen to prepare the other fixings. Jason had come to get the truck and mowing supplies then he came by for a bit after he finished mowing at the duplexes but did not stay for dinner with us. We made a fire in the chiminea and the kids all swam and Thomas and I sat by the fire and visited with each other. As I sit here and watch the fire I remember how small Douglas and Brandon were when they became friends and watching Caitlynn and Reba play around in the pool reminds me how fast time rolls by. In my mind’s eye I have always had landmarks with Caitlynn as she grows up since I was only privileged to have her brother thru his junior high school years. I have had other children in my life that I have been honored to be an intricate part of but none of either of my children have grownup and left my home (Jason was well on his way when I married his dad) so I have a lot of pressure on my parenting skills with her. I’m unrealistic think that I could remember all the particulars so I struggle to remember all the significant moments of each year. I sometimes ached in wanting to look into her eyes on the first day of middle school and assure her that she’s ready for the coming adventure. When she gets home from school after a day of defeat, did I notice the dejection in her eyes? Was I attentive in teaching her along the way that kindness and sincerity will always win more friends than cute shoes and or a pretty purse? I’m preparing myself to look at my girl-now in high school, then college and possibly married-and panic at the thought that the next time I blink, she and Jason will be buying their first houses. Time really goes by TOO fast. She does things for herself, catches rides with friends (a select couple that I allow her to ride with), have sleepovers that don’t require so much supervision (inserting loud laughing and loud music), and responsible for her own school projects. I know without a doubt that I want Caitlynn to make good decisions in life, the time it takes to blink is the time our kids will make their worst decisions. It’s during those times when I may turn my head that they’ll learn life’s greatest lessons. Now isn’t the time for me to rest. It’s the time to use my energy I’ve been saving to catch her before she hits the ground. As our children move from elementary school to junior high school and through high school and college, they will lose their footing every now and then. If I’m not there to catch them, who will? Maybe some parents think their friends will be there to catch them-I feel like it’s the parent’s responsibility along with a lot of praying. I could lose track of who their friends are (especially Jason in college now) and more importantly, what they are like. Suddenly I was faced with 8th grade boys needing to shave and mean girls declaring that my precious girl needs to diet (as she likes to entertain us as she claims “this body was built with vegetables and vitamin water” I am proud she is comfortable with herself). Where did these kids come from? What upbringing did they have? Who is that boy’s parents and where do they live? Who all will be in the car, and how long has the driver had their license-with or without accidents (including finderbenders!) I realize that while I’m trying not to do too much and allow them the space to make choices, I lose more than the free time I gain. I now know it was easier when I only worried about completing spelling assignments and simple math problems. It was easier when we could pull out our hair while we worked on a school project together. Time quickly fades, and suddenly our children are spending time with peers I’ve never met if I do not stay involved. Worse, I have no idea if that boy is up to no good with my girl and if his ethics and priorities are as important to him as they are to me. School fundraisers and hauling school projects back and forth seems like a walk in the park compared to sitting up waiting for car lights to come through the window before 12:01 AM. Yes, it’s true that once my children leave home and begin their lives without me, I won’t have to be bothered with school plays and fundraising drives. No more bake sales, construction projects or book reports for research papers. When life has slowed down enough for me to have the time I think I need to be involved, my children won’t be here any longer if I’m not careful. So bear with me if my life’s a little overbooked. I’ll do my best to juggle all of my commitments and not appear too rattled while doing so. That is what I have to do if I want to meet the boy that will eventually try my patience by bringing my daughter home after midnight.<br />It’s hard to believe that Jason is finished with his 2nd year in college (Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA) and Caitlynn’s finishing her 2nd year in high school! Later that evening as we sat outside still watching the kids in the pool and throwing the tennis balls for the 3 Rat Dogz (actually 2 of the 3 since Shugs is old and cares nothing about chasing a silly ‘ol ball but he does like to start out by barking and chasing the other 2 as they begin to run after it. It doesn’t take long for him to get tired and stop dead in his trail to return back to my lap…Shugs is 10, Gizmo is 7 and Val is 3 yrs old) Jason returned to demonstrate his newly acquired skills that he’s learned as he will be assisting someone this summer doing balloon creations at parties. He made all kinds of balloon creations to demonstrate for us, including a ‘heart hat’ (instead of a hard hat) for his dad and placed it on his head. That’s all it took for his dad’s curiosity to begin and wanted Jason’s help to learn the technique. Then a little while later Lauren (Jason’s girlfriend) joined us after she got off work, we had a nice evening with the family. Around 12:45 AM we decided to call it a day, Jason and Lauren left and we all bedded down.<br />Sunday, May 24, 2009-Today is Memorial Day. This is a day of reflection for all of our country’s servicemen that have given their lives to make this a better country for us all from generation to generation. For me, I also reflect on the love ones I have lost so it’s usually very sentimental to me-ironic that Douglas is here with me this year but I am proud he is, it’s always great to spend time with him. We went to our church for our service and as it began Jason and Lauren came to join us. It’s nice having the family together. After our service we went home and had lunch together (Jason and Lauren left us after the church service). Thomas & I had decided to drive to Richmond with Douglas and stay the night to take him to the airport in the morning so we would not be so rushed in the morning. Caitlynn decided to stay in Roanoke and spend the night with Reba (her mom has cancer and while we were gone to Williamsburg a nurse had taken her off her seizure medication and she had a relapse that caused her to be back in the hospital), instead of driving in the car for another 3 hours she said. Thomas, Douglas and I loaded our things and took the Blue Ridge Parkway route instead of the highway so Douglas could admire the beauty that we are blessed enough to see everyday. He rested off and on and Thomas and I enjoyed the quiet time as we have frequently done since we met-we’ve spent a lot of time driving the Parkway. It’s a slower route since the speed limit is 45 MPH but it’s worth it. When we made it to Richmond we were in search of finding Copenhagen (a whole roll) for Douglas to take back to Texas. I, of course asked Douglas how much he had used while he was here in VA and when he told me the amount. I paused, thought before I spoke then started my constructive criticism as I lectured him on the health issues (as if he’s not aware of them). I had told Douglas earlier that Thomas is a ‘provider’ and if you mention something that you feel you need, he makes it happen. I on the other hand am NOT that patient, I am resourceful but I have my limits and know when to quit. Thomas will go and go like the energy bunny with new ideas for the task at hand until he completes that task-today it is finding Douglas a whole roll of snuff for him to take with him to Texas……so-Katie bar the door, here we go! Thomas was driving and Douglas co-piloting, we literally looked high and low for snuff-from Wal-Mart, tobacco stores (that Thomas’s GPS kept sending us to bogus addresses) to Sheetz. I’m not where they actually settled for the purchase but we got it, I told you Thomas would make sure of that! Then since we had attempted Bottoms Up Pizza (located in the old downtown part of Richmond called “Shockoe Bottom-where the streets are still made of brick) earlier in the week and they were already closed, this is where we were having our dinner. Douglas needed to experience it and we all enjoyed it. You can either buy the pizza by the slice of ‘pie’ or the whole pie but I usually can’t eat more than 1 slice due to the size but oh is it good! We ordered a “whole pie” with half pepperoni (for Douglas) and half loaded with all the good stuff (Thomas & I prefer this kind) . I had a slice and the guys finished it all but 1 piece, so we took it with us for a later need maybe?.....<br />After an afternoon of driving, our bellies were full as a tick now, we were ready to bed down at the hotel-so we did. Douglas visited with Vanessa on his cell for a bit but Thomas was already sawing logs. I had told Thomas that I wanted to get up and take Douglas to the airport and we’d leave around 5:20 AM since his flight is scheduled for a 7:00 AM departure. The lab had 2 bad patients so I was texting/calling (but texting much more than calling) to Dustin and Tiffany until 4:50 AM. Actually I kept my cell phone in the pocket of my pajamas the entire night to assist the techs. I dozed off around 5 AM before my alarm went off 10 minutes later and I woke Douglas up and we were out the door shortly afterwards. It was a quiet ride as he’s not much of a talker when he wakes but it gives me time to relish in the time we’ve had together for the last 9 days and since he comes every 2 years I enjoy every minute of it! <br />“Count your breaths, they are a limited gift” by Lt. Cmdr. Stephen M. Lee from The Flagship-Hampton Roads Navy Family paper. Written on May 21, 2009, I happened to read it….<br /> The vehicle was speeding when it fish tailed, over corrected and went head long into a shallow ravine in the outer bend of the two lane road. As the first and only person on the scene, I arrived at the crumbled truck and saw a young woman trapped inside. She gave no response, the eyes were pinpointed. Her heart was threatening to leap out of her chest as her lungs pumped like racing billows. I called 911. Her body temperature soared. After checking for and finding no cuts or gashes, I could do little to help her. It was obvious her head had impacted the windshield by the web shaped cracks in the glass. The seatbelts lay open. Who knew what other injuries she had suffered; perhaps she sustained neck or internal organ damage. With no response to word or touch, her non-responsive eyes stared ahead, no twitching and no movement except the pumping of her lungs and thundering heart. No emergency personnel had arrived yet. I noticed pictures, scattered all over the vehicle, of her with young children and a happy looking man. What had been her hurry? What was so important that she had to speed and take such a great chance? A thin plastic shopping bag let through the image of the happy third birthday candle and assorted party favors. Today was her child’s birthday; she had been racing to make everything perfect. Instead, her life ebbed away in rapidly increasing and labored breaths, as the emergency crew began to descend the bank of the ravine. Although it had seemed hours, it had only been a few minutes. As paramedics loaded her into the ambulance, I prayed for her and all she loved. Her family would not see their mother come through the door to start the birthday party, to make demands or give warm hugs. For her child’s third birthday she provided, tragically, only one unwanted gift-a long season of tears. There is a certain way in which we similarly hold our lives in low regard and toss it about carelessly. For instance, mindlessly cutting in and out of rush hour traffic, take unwarranted chances to achieve a quick adrenaline rush, needlessly working until exhausted, unhealthy consumption, and a hundred other specific and unwarranted risks you can name. Yet, we will rationalize our desire to fulfill our immediately perceived need out weighs the risk involved to self and to anyone else connected to us. In scripture, we’re told that our lives are like “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes,” but, at the same time our lives are of great value. Two truths, our lives relatively short and at the same time intrinsically valuable. Our lives are too short and at the same time too valuable to pour out on needless risks. The point is not to merely avoid unnecessary risk, but to live mindfully of the great gift life is and then pour out this gift purposefully and intentionally for the greatest effect. Count your breaths; they are a limited gift on loan from God. Please, use what you have left on them wisely and invest them with due care.<br /><br />I went back to the hotel to join Thomas around 8 AM, took a little nap until we go up to eat breakfast by 9:30 AM. We returned to our room and I slept for a hour, loaded our things and checked out. We had a nice leisurely day together as we made our way home-you guessed it, on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoying our time together as he stopped and picked me flowers, we talked and reconnected…life is good and we are truly blessed with our family and friends.Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-10081143607610937612009-05-06T22:46:00.000-04:002009-05-06T22:49:03.501-04:00Massanutten Ski Week-January 31-February 7, 2009Well, here we go again-our family! Thomas & I invested in a timeshare that is located at: 1822 Resort Drive, McGaheysville, VA 22840 several years ago: <a href="http://www.massresort.com/">www.massresort.com</a> To be exact I believe it was the first year we were married. It is located outside of Harrisonburg, VA which is north of Roanoke-about a 2 hour drive. We felt since this all season resort was so close to our home it would definitely be utilized for us to entertain family/friends and so we are doing so this week. Our scheduled stay is the 5th week of each year which happens to fall on Superbowl Week-you all know how much I LOVE football so we thought it’d be appropriate to hold an all week celebration for our family/friends. Not really, we won’t be celebrating the end of football season all week long but it will be a sad time as the season draws to a close so we’ll have the usual 1 day celebration as all good Americans do then we’re off to the slopes, waterpark, tubing or just plain ‘ol relaxing in the mountains! <br />Thomas, Caitlynn and I have been planning and preparing for a week now as the day finally arrives that we do the loading/organizing and travel to our destination spot-Saturday, January 31, 2009. We got up this morning and started our preparation to depart by 10:00 AM. The temperature here at home in Roanoke is 28 degrees as we woke and began loading the vehicles. Notice I said vehicles since we always have to take 2 due to the amount of food that we take to the condo. We like to have everything we need for our meals, snacks and entertainment food and for everyone coming during our week. We were completely loaded to the brim, with only enough space in the pickup for Thomas to drive and Caitlynn to co-pilot his driving while I drove his car with enough room in the driver’s side and nothing else wasted. Off we go for our adventurous week. As I was outside of Harrisonburg I called Glen’s cell phone to check on their progress. He had called Thomas as they were having breakfast in Lexington and then they’d head to the resort also. Carla, Kristen (13 yrs old), Mileena (Kristen’s best friend), her mom-Linda, and her brother-Adam (who is 10 yrs old) were all traveling together in their van. As I entered the road to the resort they had pulled off to the side of the road and waited on me since they had never been here. I took them to the waterpark and all of then but Glen opted to stay there for fun in the water as we were going to get registered and see where we’d be staying. We had an hour and a half to wait until we could actually get into the condo (3:00 PM) so we went back to the waterpark and watched the rest of the crew and visited them for a little before we came back and unloaded our vehicles then sorted things out in both upstairs and downstairs. Thomas started his famous spaghetti but as Caitlynn reminded him “I can’t believe your using Ragu, you never do that” but with all the fresh “fixings” he puts in it I have no doubt it will be good and everyone will enjoy it. Caitlynn & I prepared queso dip and Glen prepared the garlic bread for our entrée this evening. When it was time for Glen to pickup his crew and bring them to the condo (6:00 PM), he left to return and we planned dinner to be ready at 7:30. Caitlynn ran outside to greet Glen and his bunch as they returned from the waterpark. I saw what looked like van lights and told her “that’s them” so she ran outside and yells “Glen my little Princess” just in time to realize that it was not Glen but a Chinese man who thought she was crazy!….As Glen escorted his group to the top floor (above our floor which is a mirror image of our floor-complete with 6 person hottub in the master bathroom, full kitchen, dining area, fireplace, decks, master bedroom with bath and another bedroom with 2 beds, not to leave out the fact that the couch makes into a full-size bed) the girls squealed and said “this is nicer than our house” and then when they set eyes on the hottub they squealed even louder, shut the door and started the water! <br />After everyone got settled and hungry-we all came to our condo floor to eat dinner together and spend some time getting to know each other. We all sat around talking and sharing stories of events, people, and times that we have shared. Thomas and Glen have worked together since 1991 so they have seen each others families grow and change with the times. Carla was cracking us up with a story about the time Glen was having kidney stone issues and she told us that as he sat around in his boxers, he kept “fiddling with himself down there”. She said he had a funny look on his face as he keep groping so she asked him “did you pass a stone yet”, as he had a peculiar look on his face as he looked up and had something in his hand that he opened it for Carla to find a earring back that must have been lodged in his underpants! Caitlynn held her own as she is so funny naturally-even if she’s not telling stories. The kids all went back and forth between both floors but ironically they did hang out with us mostly to share in the laughter. As Caitlynn now has a full mouth of braces-top and bottom, she is also fortunate to also have to wear a nice bright red retainer on the top section of her teeth so Carla was amazed that she could still talk but Glen laughed and said maybe they were trying to slow her down from talking-you think? Kristen and Mileena are friends from school and play soccer together. Carla and Linda met as their girls hang out together and Linda helped coach the girl’s soccer team. She recalls her famous line she used with Kristen the last season as being “What are you do doing?” as she recalls and demonstrates her reactions when she yells this. Linda shared with us the story of how her ex-husband and she found Mileena’s name as it is so unique. She said she used to be a big fan/player of Mortal Combat which is a video game and she said there was a “big, bad woman that was just awesome and had an awesome body” so they named her after this video woman because she was “so bad” as her says respectfully. Their family moved here 3 years ago from New Mexico so they are adjusting to the cultural differences here in Virginia as Linda tells us is so different.<br />All 3 of us mom’s sitting here have thyroid issues and we talked about that and the fact that research has changed the normal values that are acceptable. Linda has been doing some research in the information of it and so we all participated in that conversation. Carla shared a story with us that she remembers when Kristen was small and she loved playing in her mom’s lipstick. One day she heard her in their bedroom and she yelled at Kristen that she had better not be in her lipstick! Carla said that every time she would get into them she would apply it around her whole mouth as she was young and didn’t really aim. She said that the next day Glen went to put on a pair of his underwear on and as he turned and walked away, she saw lip prints all over the back of his underpants! She said to Glen, “is there something I need to know because those don’t look like lips!” We were all laughing so hard as I’m sure as parents we can all imagine how that felt. It wasn’t long before they realized that when Carla yelled for Kristen to NOT be in the lipstick, she grabbed her dad’s underwear and wiped her mouth to erase the evidence of her curiosity. Thomas chuckled as he told Carla “and you should of told him you wouldn’t be kissing his ass anyway so those couldn’t be your lips!” Kristen used the chocolate chip cookie mix that Caitlynn gave her and she made us Jesus cookies meaning they were large as she started putting them on the cookie sheet, Carla said they were Jesus cookies because “Jesus those are large!” Glen told her that “they will never cook being that big” but they did and no one cared how big they were as they were ALL gobbled up! After we let our bellies settle then I gave them all blind taste tests for NERD, which is a new business venture Thomas and I have invested in recently (<a href="http://www.nerdenergy.tv/">http://www.nerdenergy.tv</a>) . We tested Rockstar, Mother Load, Red Bull and of course NERD. All the kids chose NERD and the both adults tested (Glen and Linda-Carla said she “can’t just sip something or it makes me sick”) chose NERD to be 1 of their top 2 so we did label comparisons and talked about how we came about this venture. As we all sat around we each talked about our families and growing up, in-laws, and parents. Caitlynn shared a story with us when she and her dad (Lynn) were watching an animal show with one of her visits to see him. There was a Silver Back gorilla in the show and Lynn asked her if she knew what “that is” and she said she knew it was a gorilla. He corrected her and said “no, you see the silver line down its back-that is the meanest gorilla in the jungle. That would be your Grannanny (which would be my mother). We spent the next few hours reminiscencing of the many memories several of us here have had together and for the rest of us we were getting to know one another. Kristen came back down to our floor at 1:05AM as she reported to us it was hard for her to go to sleep as she kept hearing all of us laugh so loud down here! After Carla gave Kristen something for a headache, we all decided it was time to call it a day. We departed to lay our heads down to sleep at1:30 AM but as I finished getting ready for bed with my nightly routine, Thomas was snoring so I talked with Caitlynn for a few more minutes then I was off to read and in bed myself to close a nice day.<br /><br />Sunday, February 01, 2009-As the bright sun filters through our bedroom window the temperature is 45 degrees, Thomas was up to start making breakfast. Happy Superbowl Day-43rd game with Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals in Tampa Bay, Florida. I am cheering the Cardinals on for several reasons, the first being I have always liked Kurt Warner and secondly they are the underdogs as everyone expects Pittsburgh to win as they have been in the Superbowl before. The preview game show will begin at noon for TV coverage. <br />As everyone started waking up-the kids first except for Caitlynn, they came to our floor. Glen tells us as he comes to eat breakfast that he heard the kids saying they were going to come down to see if “my good man Mr. Thomas has something to eat” (as Kristen affectionately refers to Thomas frequently) they’re not crazy, they know who does the cooking around here! As they bounced onto our floor they were pleased to see the progress that Thomas was making as he had biscuits, sausage, bacon, coffee (juices/milk for the kids) and was putting the finishing touches on the eggs. Everyone had breakfast as they woke and came downstairs to join us. Linda came down with her Steelers lounge pants, Thomas stated he’s for the underdog Arizona. The night refreshed us all and we spent some time getting ready for the day and Glen’s group prepared the pack since they would be heading back to Roanoke/Salem today. After everyone finished getting ready and was pretty much packed, lunchtime was upon us. We sat out Thomas’s famous tuna-which I have never seen anyone including kids not like eating this! Sure enough we all enjoyed it along with soft tacos that Caitlynn had just finished preparing for everyone. With the adults sitting around talking again as we’ve been able to do with this getaway, we laughed as Linda told us about taking her 2 kids back to NM last year. She really wanted to teach her kids about fishing-catching, cutting & gutting them. She relayed to us that she was raised fishing as a way of life with her dad and she wanted her kids “to get the big picture of that true way of life”. Glen and Carla reported to us Kristen’s realization as Glen told her “this is the fact, every one we catch we will clean and eat”. As he gives us the details Carla grimaced at the thought. Linda is from Albuquerque, NM so we got on the subject of the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta www.balloonfiesta.com that is held there each year where 5,000 or more hot air balloons have mass ascension out of the valley of Albuquerque in the wee hours of the morning in the fall season-it is truly amazing that everyone should see at least once in their life. Lynn, Caitlynn and Shugs (my only Rat Dog at that time) attended and other than Lynn’s constant complaining we had a good time. <br />Caitlynn joined in with her humor and it’s so funny to hear Kristen and Mileena laugh with her funny tales or comments. She announces that she is wearing my least favorite pair of pants that she wears because she loves them. They have holes everywhere so she wears a pair of basketball shorts under them-if I get a chance one day I’ll have to dispose of them….<br />The afternoon was already upon us so Glen’s group loaded up and we said our good-bye’s as they departed. It was a good time to be had by all and we made some new friends along the way which is what life’s all about. <br />Thomas and I made our way to the Woodstone building where he enjoyed the sauna and hottub as I worked out in the exercise room for an hour. He drove back to the condo and I walked it as I felt like I ate all day yesterday, besides the weather is beautiful at a sunny 59 degrees here in the mountains. Nothing like the mountain fresh air! There were quite a few golf carts out as the golfers are enjoying the day here as this is considered an All Season Resort with its own large golf course-not sure “how big exactly” since I am NOT a golfer. I will have to do a little investigative work on the golfing as I will use that to entice Nicole and her family with the golfing here since Justin is learning to golf with Juan so they’ve been trying to play on a regular basis. <br />As I make my way I think about how blessed I am as I’m able to take time to enjoy our surroundings. I walk and focus to open my eyes, stretch my mind and let go of the security blanket of what I think I know…….Upon my arrival in the condo Thomas pointed out that Caitlynn had baked us a couple of cookies and left them for us to enjoy. She left a note in the floor in front of the front door that read “upstairs taking a nap….hopefully napping” with a smiley face.<br />The Superbowl pregame show is on and I love watching the interviews as you get such an up close and personal view of the players that you watch play a game that they love and play with such passion each week during football season. The entertainment was music by Journey an hour before the game and I was shocked as I watched them perform because the lead singer is not the original man, he is Asian but performed for the crowd well. I told Thomas it was almost like going to a funeral and seeing the wrong body in the coffin as I did not expect that at all. Matt Lauer from The Today Show interviewed our new president that’s been in the office for 12 days now, that was entertaining and I enjoyed it also. The NFL named Kurt Warner “Man of the Year” and presented him with an award. I talked to Nicole as they are in Texas also getting ready to watch the game. Juan (her husband is also a Cowboys fan like Thomas), we talked as she tells me Lauren had her first fever on Friday evening but is somewhat better today. <br />Halftime for the Superbowl score is Steelers 17 and Cardinals 10. The last few minutes of the 1st half, the longest touchdown run (100 yds) in history was made for Steelers by a defensive end: James Harrison #92. Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band performed at halftime but Thomas and I enjoyed watching the commercials more than their performance. Some of the commercials have brought back 3D, that was kind of cool. We chuckled as Caitlynn has slowly started taking over the top floor since Glen’s group left today so she’s been coming down off & on during the game to get some snacks to stock up there for her. So occasionally we’ll here her abruptly jogging done the steps and selectively picking her next batch of snacks. Thomas and I are enjoying our own little smorgasbord of snacks. As the game time is dwindling down it is very exciting so this marks 2 great teams that deserve to be in the Superbowl. The game was won in the last 35 seconds with a catch by Santonio Holmes (made MVP of this game) with an amazing catch making the final score Steelers 27, Cardinals 23. Pittsburgh Steelers (coached by Mike Tomlin currently, began coaching this team at 32 yrs old) makes history today by being the only NFL team to be 6 time champions of the Superbowl. Ben Rothelishberger is the quarterback for Pittsburgh and his is 26 yrs old and this is his 2nd Superbowl win.<br />Thomas and I completed our evening in the hottub in our room with wine & candlelight as we relaxed and spent some alone time as Caitlynn was off to watching a movie/sleep upstairs. It’s been a good day.<br /><br />Today is Monday, February 02, 2009-Ground Hog Day. The temperature is 52 degrees @ 10:00AM and the weather channel is predicting things to start cooling off mid day today with a slight chance of snow showers by Tuesday. “Punxsutawney” (who lives in PA) saw his shadow this morning so he predicts we will have 6 more weeks of winter weather: Frankly I love that because it just seems that winter gets shorter and shorter with less snow each year. We’ve had a few days with brief snow showers but nothing significant to speak of in Roanoke this year.<br /> <br />Monday, February 2nd, 2009-Thomas woke up to take a conference call and is working from here today so he’s on his cell and laptop, busy at it. Once Caitlynn woke she graced us with her presence from her “own floor upstairs”. We chuckled as I said “it’s always fun and games until someone gets an eye put out” as MawMaw Nolen would often tell her grandkids as they would horse-play. I however was referring to the fact that she claimed the upstairs place as hers for now as she “likes living alone” she told us. I said to her, “lots of people do until the bills come in and someone has to pay them if you like the amount of space you have and the amenities. She just gave me that “ok, thanks mom” look but she still came down to see what we were having for breakfast-funny how that happens don’t you think?<br />Louise called and she is driving here this morning with Lauren (she turned 2 yrs old in November), which I have the honor of babysitting while she skis with Caitlynn today. They will spend the night and go home on Tuesday sometime. So since I have time to spare after dealing with a few work-related issues I am walking to Woodstone to workout. I have joined my office in a 100-day challenge for “Get Healthy VA” and there were 54 teams (last account I had) that for the next 100 days (beginning Jan. 21st) we are competing on weight loss and activity tracked for each team so since I am the team captain-I should be setting a good example. Besides all of that I am not getting ANY younger and have another 5K to do March 14th in Roanoke so off I go. After I finished an exceptional workout I began my walk back to the condo and it was very obvious that the temperature had dropped (as they were predicting) to 41 degrees and the cloud cover was moving in-it’s still beautiful making this 9 minute walk. There are several small pond areas that the geese are enjoying even though there are several frozen patches throughout. Not many people golfing today but I’m hopeful for the weather to change in hopes that we get snow here. Upon my arrival after my exercise, Louise and Lauren had arrived. When I walked in sweaty and looking lovely I’m sure, Lauren said “Hey Aunt Raquel!” Now that is a nice greeting. She had a bag full of toys and books she so eagerly showed me and Thomas. She joined us as we put together a puzzle on the floor. I giggled as Louise brought in 5 pairs of shoes as she tells us that Lauren LOVES shoes. I would agree as that is a common trait all of us women share, I’d say. Caitlynn came down as she and Louise were planning their ski session for the afternoon. Thomas & I are going to go swimming with Lauren as there are several indoor pools to choose from here at the resort. As the girls dressed for their ski event, Lauren and I prepared for our swim. Lauren & I stood on one of the decks and said our good-byes to Caitlynn and her mom for now and I took pictures, one with my phone and sent it via text to Lynn for him to see his daughter in ski gear. Then we waited on Thomas to finish up and head out which took about 45 minutes, so in that time Lauren had dressed and undressed about 5 times. Now there is rain/snow mixed falling as we left the condo and the temperature has dropped to 38 degrees but feels like 34 with the wind. I’d say that Louise & Caitlynn chose the perfect time to go ski as this is great ski weather as it turns out to be with the weather change. <br />We’re off to the Woodstone recreation building to take Lauren swimming. I got her in the pool first and then Thomas joined us after taking a dip in the hottub which is just to the inside of the pool area from where she and I were. I spent a few minutes in the hot sauna and I looked out the door and low and behold who’s standing there-Thomas was holding Lauren as she waved to me when spotting me. Louise said she had not had a nap today but she’s still going full force! After we finished swimming we took her to ride the little kid’s rides that they have for the children, they require money but Uncle Thomas just shook it with his hands and for a 2 yr old that was plenty. Lauren then tried out the video games and since the screens change to entice any passer-by, she thought she was pushing the buttons and pulling the handles to make things happen-she loved that! <br />We made our way back to the condo through the snow as it is coming down in really big flakes now and we began to prepare dinner as I figured Louise and Caitlynn would be returning hungry, around 7:30 PM ish…. We opted for leftover spaghetti and so I prepared Lauren’s meal first while I was also waiting on the garlic bread to cook. She surprised me by eating an entire banana (except for the bite her Uncle Thomas begged for and she granted his wish), a small bowl of spaghetti, several Ritz crackers with cheese (typical for a Rothe to LOVE any kind of cheese!), a handful and a half of grapes, 3 small carrots, and 1 tomato that she reached over to Thomas’s vegetable tray and dipped it in ranch dressing before devouring. Of course by this time she is down to only her pull-up again and loving life. I laugh as I watch her because it brings back so many memories of Caitlynn when she was little-she hated clothes! As soon as I’d dress her she’d turn the corner in a dead run and be pulling every article off her body. Then the race was on as she’d run and hide so no one could get her clothes back on. From exhaustion we would give up trying the catch her and calf rope her to dress her again but while she was hiding her giggle would be a dead giveaway where she had chosen to hide! All of Brandon’s friends would laugh because every time they were at our house (which was all the time since he loved being at home out in the country!) she’d be half-way naked or jumping on the trampoline butt naked usually upon their arrival. Good thing we had no neighbors for miles…<br />We I read Lauren several books I was amazed to see how well she knows the letters of the alphabet and with 1 particular book-she really enjoys to be read to. Louise & Caitlynn arrived and we escorted them in as Caitlynn had a little pain in her left leg, above her ankle area on the outside. Thomas feels like it’s tendonitis probably. Us girls ate dinner and Lauren picked at my food as she took a few bites and ran around and Thomas was STILL troubleshooting his laptop modem issue with HP and Verizon as he tried to transition his phone service to a modem use as a way of getting internet on his laptop Friday before we left on Sat. no luck so far and he’s been trying for 12 hours total for the last 2 days. We cracked up as Lauren entertained us now naked as she stacks her puzzle pieces then sits on them and of course the more we laughed, the more energy she seemed to create. Every time Louise asked Lauren if she wanted something or if she could get something for her she responded to her mom , “no Aunt Raquel do it” and Louise grinned as she said “ok, now I know how your dad feels when we’re home as she always wants me to do it there”. I got Caitlynn to lie down and put ice on her leg while we put the movie “Racing Stripes” in to watch. Lauren has a yellow platapus that she carries around and calls it a duck, she loves it and searches for it when she’s ready for it. I asked Louise where she got it and she told me it was in a bag of things that Helene had given her that was Kayla and Nick’s “kid” things. She believed this was actually Kayla’s in the past and Lauren has graciously adopted it. One of the things that I so greatly respect and admire about Louise and David as they strive to raise Lauren in this day and time is the fact that they are always instilling pieces of family history for her in everyday life. When I say this I mean they encourage her to always use the “title of each family member when addressing or referring to them (ie: Aunt…cousin….Uncle, etc.) and they implement bits and pieces of the family past such as this stuffed animal of her cousins so that she will have a great appreciation of her family roots when she gets older. I love to see that because with the busyness of our daily lives we live today it’s not seen very often and I feel there’s a big breakdown in the time families spent together like I recall as a child growing up in my home as compared to today. There will be a day and time that Lauren will appreciate this attribute as her parents are giving her a heritage and for that I’m thankful.<br /> Lauren never went to sleep so after the movie went off Louise took her to their bedroom and read to her and she was off to night-night land in no time-I creeped in to take a picture of her in her motionless state, she’s so cute! Caitlynn was off to her upstairs domain and Louise played her DS game, Thomas was emailing tech support back & forth in between playing a computer game as I’m typing this story. The snow is still falling and it is so peaceful. We’ve never been here for our week when it did not snow, the snow makes the trip complete for me. As I head off the do my quiet time, I think of how ironic it is that my reading is almost always related to the day that’s just been completed for me. The Living Faith daily devotion reads: Jesus’ Humanity Enlivens Us *The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. Luke 2:40-the reading for February 2, 2009 I always let this phrase roll around in my head like the last sip of a favorite drink. I savor it because it reminds us that Jesus was a child who grew up, becoming strong and filled with wisdom. Like the rest of us, he didn’t start out that strong or wise. I can’t help but wonder what he was like as a child, what seemingly nutty things he might have done. Jane Goodall, advocate for the chimpanzees, took garden worms to bed as a child to keep them warm. Did Jesus bring home some ragged stray and plaintively ask, “Mom, can I keep him?” or climb a tree attempting to put an unfledged chick back in its nest? Thinking of Jesus as a child enlivens his humanity for me and makes it easier for me to continue to follow the man he became. Dear Jesus, fill me with your wisdom and strength so that I may follow you. <br />Interesting that we have spent the day with Lauren as a young child and have seen her strong-willed ways and how intelligent she is yet she is still very much a child with so much to learn and such a bright future ahead of her. I pray for her nightly as I do all the children in my family, that God would write his name on their hearts and use their parents to be Godly examples to create a passion in them to seek Him in all they do. Good night all. <br /><br />Good morning, today is Tuesday, February 3, 2009 and they are saying we got 4-6 inches of snow and the current temperature is 30 degrees. The day is starting out sunny and will melt parts of it away I’m sure before long but for now we will enjoy the majestic view of the mountains covered in fresh fallen snow-it is quite picturesque. I sent via text the girls at the office and Nicole/kids (Justin, Allison, and Lauren-yes I have a Lauren on my side of the family also since last August) a picture of the view outside our back deck here at the condo. Kim sent me back their version of their view at the lab which had an audio clip and it was somewhere that had snow covered cross-country skiing place with huge mountains-they are so humorous. It was obviously not what they were actually looking outside their window in Salem, VA! We are in hopes that some of my staff will be joining us later on this week. <br />Thomas prepared a nice breakfast for Louise, Lauren and I as we let Caitlynn sleep in this morning. We were impressed to hear the sound of the geese to the little pond area outside the condo as they must be returning after flying off yesterday when the weather changed so drastically. Afterwards Louise, Lauren and I got our snow clothes on and went outside in search of an area to make a snowman. Louise said that Lauren had not liked the snow before (last year) and wouldn’t even walk in it, she was in hopes that her fear had changed. So Louise immediately laid in the snow outside the condo (with Lauren standing beside her) and started making a snow angel. I laughed as I proceeded out the front door to observe her actions and it made me think of the days when Jason and his friends from Jr High would get in and out of the hottub at Thomas’s house to make snow angels in the middle of winter-still not sure if they were dressed or not as I never really watched but just heard the stories from Thomas since I was usually only there for a brief visit from Tx. when we dated. I smiled as I remembered their excitement when they shared the stories themselves with me. We are in hopes that he will be able to join us at some point this week to ski but when I sent him a text after the weekend when we got here he said he was busy getting caught up in his accounting class so I did send him a text picture of the snow and how cute Lauren looked getting ready to swim yesterday as we left-he in turn sent me a text picture of the snow there at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Maybe as the week passes he’ll be able to join us for a little bit. <br />Louise found a good spot to build a snowman but had to resort back to carrying Lauren as she didn’t want to walk in the snow. Lauren stood there and I talked to her as her mom became the artist creating a snowman before her very eyes, she observed with great caution and as Louise finished I had Caitlynn hand us vegetables to make him come alive with features. So he had celery sticks for his ears, a carrot nose and tomato eyes. There was an old tortilla that Caitlynn had thrown outside yesterday in hopes that the birds would eat it, their loss was the snowman’s gain to be its hat. Then Louise topped it off with a small ball of snow to secure the hat better-Lauren smiled as her mom talked to her as she completed her masterpiece. At this point she did begin to take a closer look and showed a little more interest in the project her mom just completed so I was able to take pictures. David was unable to come so I will be sharing the pictures after our trip is over this week-he’ll like them as I have been able to get some good ones. As a parent can you really ever have enough pictures to look at with your kid(s) in them? I’m thinking not! I then made my way down the golf cart trail to take more pictures as Louise and Lauren headed back to the condo. With me and nature out here alone, it gives me time to once again think about all of my surroundings and realize how perfectly simple life is intended to be. As humans we are the ones that complicate things and by the grace of our Heavenly Father we have the simple opportunities to reconnect and renew balance in our ordinary lives. <br />Thomas continues to be on the phone with tech support and the same issue with his laptop, he goes between HP and Verizon so Louise, Lauren and I got ready and went to Le Club to swim as they have an isolated kid pool that is heated and other amenities. The sun is out but the high temperature for the day was 33 degrees as some of the snow melts away with the warmth of the sun. This time as we got out of Louise’s vehicle Lauren walked, even though there was snow-Louise and I noticed but didn’t make a big deal out of it in hopes that she will get better while being around it. We had a good time swimming and entertaining Lauren as we had the kid pool to ourselves except for a 4 yr old little boy but his mom only watched and read a book, she did not swim. After awhile Lauren was obviously sleepy so we gathered our things and we’re off to the condo for some lunch and then they will drive home to Rocky Mount. Louise told me that David called this morning and was going home from work as he was not feeling well so he’d be there upon their arrival. We returned to have lunch and load them up for their departure for home. With a full belly her “baby doll”, blankets, and her yellow duck I felt confident that she’d sleep as Louise drove them home to see her daddy! It was a great visit and we enjoyed every minute of it! After they left I straightened the kitchen and talked to the lab several times and Bari regarding work. Caitlynn stayed downstairs after we had all said our good-byes and we talked, she talked about several of her friends, school and our plans for the evening. I like hearing her perception of relationships as she is not easy swayed at all and has very definite opinions of certain things involving relationships. Women typically don’t have the power over their own emotions. You can’t have power over anything if you don’t have power over who you are and you can’t have power over who you are until you have the courage to say no out of love, versus yes out of fear. Women say yes because they are afraid of what others will think of them, what others will say about them. I’ve tried to teach her to do soul searching when forming an opinion and make sure you’re right with God then do what’s right regardless of other people. If they are your true friends they allow you to be different out of respect. She’s becoming quite the young lady that I am proud of her but feel like I have such a mission ahead of me for the next 2 ½ years, with God all things are possible.<br />Then I settled on the couch to read for a bit and relax. After a couple of hours I decided to go do my workout so Thomas and I left around 7:00 PM to go to Woodstone so he could swim and enjoy the sauna and hottub there until I was finished and joined him before returning here. We ate our dinner as Caitlynn had prepared BBQ for sandwiches prior to us leaving. Thomas and I then started a movie with the fireplace blazing and relaxed as Caitlynn had been back & forth to chat with us and bake us chocolate chip cookies again but then she was off for the duration of the evening. It’s been an enriching day full of good times and relaxation for all.<br /><br />Today is Wednesday, February 04, 2009 and I woke up to my cell ringing at 3:00 AM and so I talked to Robin at the lab regarding a clinical judgement call on a patient. Then I called Robbie at the lab as Sunday was his 21st birthday and I wanted to make sure he survived! I was off to bed again after toasting myself a PopTart (strawberry and I only had 1) and having a big glass of water. My cell phone rang again around 8:15 AM and it was Nicole. She cracks me up, of course I sounded groggy and she apologized for waking me-not a big deal to me as I love to hear from her and besides I’m on vacation. Whether it be a health related question, opinion seeking, talk to the kids or just to chat it doesn’t matter as long as she thinks for me! Thomas was awake shortly, made coffee and headed to the hottub here in the condo and Caitlynn is still sleeping in her upstairs area. She will be moving down here later today as Bruce and Tracy will arrive this evening to join us and we’ve like to give them some privacy before we have another group coming in on Thursday. Caitlynn has definitely enjoyed her “space” upstairs as she has practiced for living on her own so I have full confidence that she’ll do well when she leaves the nest in a little over 2 yrs., after all she is her mother’s child-right? Scary….<br />It is a brisk 24 degrees (feels like 16 though) and the high temp for today they are saying is 32 degrees, partly cloudy. Thomas remains working on a Suduko puzzle while enjoying the hottub and I kept his coffee full until I joined him for a bit. I’m grabbing my breakfast after making reservations for the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre for us to attend this evening as a family before Bruce and Tracy arrive later this evening. Caitlynn had mentioned it with interest the last time we were here for our ski week last year but we had never gone so now would be a good time. I took Thomas and Jason to one similar in Roanoke at the Holiday Inn-Tanglewood for one of Thomas’s birthdays when we were dating and we had a good time so I hope this one is as entertaining for us. <br />Off I go out the door after starting laundry and vacuuming to go workout. Thomas is on the phone with his offices and working on an excel spreadsheet for tracking production in his offices. Caitlynn is upstairs watching TV so I am sure they will be fine in my absence. I had a good workout out then swam, enjoyed the wet sauna, then moved to the dry sauna before I changed clothes to head back to the condo. Surprisingly Thomas is STILL on the phone with tech support with his laptop connection issues and Caitlynn is asleep upstairs now. After eating I caught up on my texts, phone calls for work then laid down to read before I needed to get ready for our family outing-The Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at the conference center scheduled for 6:00 PM. So for something to do that had never been done before for this trip would be Caitlynn attending her first Mystery Dinner Theatre, she’s excited. Thomas ended his tech support call to go with us as a family, which was nice. So as we expected, it was entertaining and we enjoyed it-the buffet was great with quite a selection but we especially delighted in the steamed crab legs. Since Caitlynn had a slight reaction to cracking them last time we were in VA Beach last year, we were sure not to let her touch them but Thomas & enjoyed them enough for all 3of us. We returned to the condo (Thomas let Caitlynn drive us back-I of course sat in the back seat as we veered down the mountain side-she is a good driver though. I’m sure it’s due to his instruction and patience) and got comfortable as Bruce & Tracy were driving in this evening and should be here shortly. Caitlynn baked chocolate chip cookies and we greeted them at the front. It is a very brisk 18 degrees outside now as its 10 PM but feels like 10 degrees with the wind chill. We watched an older DVD together without Caitlynn as she was down here with us but doing her own thing in her room. Afterwards we were off to bed. We all stayed downstairs to allow Bruce and Tracy space and time as they rarely get that at home. I am thankful for the day and friends/family that we enjoy spending time with. <br /><br /><br />Good Morning, it’s Thursday, February 05, 2009 and a bitter 14 degrees when I woke again at 5:50 AM. Thomas was up at 7AM and left for his office in Mechanicsville then Waynesboro to return here this evening. I have the fireplace on in the living room area and my Itunes music playing softly not to wake up Caitlynn as she moved downstairs with us yesterday evening. The sun is bright even though it’s cold and they’re predicting the high of 25 degrees today. I prepared a smorgasbord of breakfast food including freshly made coffee (with cream & sugar as Bruce likes, Tracy is not a coffee drinker) and milk and set it outside the upstairs door then sent a text message for them to retrieve and enjoy their room service for this morning! I fixed myself a small breakfast burrito and caught up with the office several times as Kim took over a sleepless titration for Robbie this AM for me-all is good now. She & Darrell will be joining everyone here this evening early. I will head back to Roanoke around 2 PM to take Caitlynn and friends (Sam, Tiffany and Jake-Tiffany’s boyfriend that they became “promised” to with a ring for Christmas) to see Larry the Cable Guy. Thomas would be returning to prepare dinner for our friends as we are in hopes that Kim and Darrell Wells will be here by then also. The drive to Roanoke was uneventful with me having a lot of good entertainment from my daughter, I often wonder what age she will be when she allows a complete song to play for its entire way through-maybe that’s just too much to ask for a 15 yr old that has such a diverse love of music? Anyway it’s always good to just hang out with her-no place to go (except for the road trip we’re on) and just let her talk about whatever comes to her mind. It’s always interesting to hear her thought process. <br />We picked up Tiffany on our way in to town then went to our house where Jake met us then Grandma brought Sam to the house shortly afterwards. The Rat Dogz (Shugs-10 yrs old last month, Gizmo-7 yrs old until Oct of this year and Val-3 yrs old until Sept of this year) were so excited to see us! I finished signing payroll checks and gathered the kids to take them to the Salem Civic Center for their evening performance then I went to the lab to work a bit and gather my mail from the week. I returned to my house to write dialog for an interview from Our Health magazine as they will be featuring Sleep EZ Diagnostics, Inc. as a private practice and is interviewing a patient of ours and myself for the article, deadline is tomorrow. Of course they did not notify me until this afternoon as to what the deadline was so I am down to the wire since we did not have internet except for a couple of days while in Massanutten. <br />Caitlynn sent me a text around 10:00 PM and they were ready to be picked up so I left right after I emailed the interview and off to get the kids I went. We returned to the house around 10:35 PM and told Sam and Caitlynn I thought we should just make a quick stop at Kroger’s then drive back to Massanutten tonight, this meant we would arrive around 1:00 AM but I could do it if they could. They agreed and immediately put their Ipods in their ears as I was in control of the radio station this time-off we were into the night. Actually both kids slept at least half of the drive and I sang. I knew I should have been a backup singer, why am I doing sleep? Sometimes we miss our calling until later in life but I’m not sure my backup singing could pay the bills though-my daughter reminds me often that it won’t. We arrived safe and sound as Kim, Darrell, Thomas, Bruce, and Tracy were watching TV as they waited on us. We all chatted for a bit then off to bed we all went…..<br /><br />Waking to a cell phone (mine-as if that is a shocker to anyone who knows me…haha) before 8:30 AM on this Friday. A bright beautiful morning with a temperature of 16 degrees, high expected to be 40’s today, first time since Monday when the cold front came thru bringing the snow which has been wonderful to see as we are here in the mountains. We ate breakfast after Thomas & I prepared it and everyone came from downstairs and we were all awake except Caitlynn and Sam. After they woke up we cleaned the kitchen and waited for Jason & Jessica’s (our neice) arrival which was shortly before lunchtime. <br />We all headed for the Le Club where we could swim, work out, play basketball, racquetball, enjoy the hottub (inside or out), sauna (wet or dry), or swim. Kim, Tracy and I worked out then joined the rest of them in the hottub then moved to the sauna and back. Jason and Jessica went to the indoor waterpark initially but joined us after they realized the cost. It’s always good to have them around. Later that late afternoon Thomas, Bruce and Darrell headed back to the condo to begin our dinner preparations. We had quite a crowd now so they started the process and we joined them shortly afterwards. Everyone got into comfortable clothes and meandered between both floors as Jessica indulged in the nice big hottub upstairs (I loaned her some bubbles to enjoy) and others took showers in the bottom floor, then we all began working together for our meal. We blessed the meal as we once again come together and realize how fortunate each one of us are to have each other and be able to enjoy some “down time” together and regroup. Life can be down at times and it may seem to have too few “highs” in it. The highs are laughter, fun, activity, and involvement with others. I am thankful for this beautiful and magical creation called life. <br />Kim & Darrell finished grilling our burgers and Bratwurst, we all got a good laugh as Kim came downstairs and asked us if the Brats needed to be skinned or not! (what? Has anyone reading this every skinned a Brat-really?) We had never tried them that way but what the heck? Since Jason is the Brat connoisseur, we asked him what he thought since he had not eaten anything but Brats from his plate tonight and it didn’t seem to matter to him! EVERYONE of us definitely had plenty of food to eat! Afterwards we sat around talking and catching up, listening to Itunes on my laptop as Jason and I like to compare new music that we’ve found. Thomas left and made arrangements for those wanting to snowtube at the lifts and then they left for the adventure. Most of the women stayed except Jessica. Darrell and Bruce all stayed while Caitlynn made chocolate chip cookies for us to enjoy again. After the snowtube group returned Jessica and Jason decided they would leave and drive to Clifton since a friend of Jessica’s was having a birthday party so they left close to 11:00 PM, the rest of us watched a movie and called it a day. Jason and I sent texts to each other as he was driving back to Roanoke in the early morning hours-it’s always great to have him with us even if it’s for a short time. He’s become quite the young man and handsome, compassionate and nurturing like his dad. I can’t believe he’s a sophomore in college!<br /><br />Saturday, February 7th, 2009. Checkout day so we all ate breakfast together and what a smorgasbord as we were getting the groceries eaten before we had to packup the remains. It was 48 degrees before 9 AM and was expected to be in the 60’s today so it will be good weather for the drive home. We were all gathering and cleaning as we packed our families. It’s amazing how fast it goes with teamwork! We enjoyed the help as it is typically Thomas and I trying to get everything done to get ready to leave after a week. Kim and Darrell left in their truck, Tracy, Bruce, and Sam left in “Ellie” which is Tracy’s vehicle, and then Thomas was in his truck with Caitlynn and me “the Lone Ranger” following them as we all left the mountains of Massanutten to drive to our homes. It’s been a good week. I was greatly inspired by the mountains here as I write yet another story; Let is always have a mountain within our soul with a peak so high that we never quite reach the top…for then we always strive for greater things and will not be content with merely climbing hills.Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-30573349777950682302009-04-28T21:56:00.002-04:002009-04-28T21:59:58.933-04:00Southern Sleep Society-Atlanta, GA April 2009Southern Sleep Society annual meeting-Atlanta, GA April 16-19, 2009<br /><br />So off Tiffany McGuire (my youngest sleep technician from the lab-she’s a high school senior this year) and I go as we are driving to Atlanta for a sleep conference meeting. From Roanoke to Atlanta where our hotel is located, we should be driving approximately 431 miles. The beauty of that is we are leaving at 8:30 AM from Roanoke where it is 38 degrees this morning as we loaded and it is expected to be wonderful spring day for our drive as we pass thru North Carolina, South Carolina and then arrive in Georgia so we are looking forward to the adventure. I needed to make a couple of stops before we actually were down the highway with the first one being at the sleep lab (Sleep EZ Diagnostics, Inc. <a href="http://www.sleepezcenter.com/">www.sleepezcenter.com</a> ). Payday is Friday and they don’t mind me being gone (they probably in fact enjoy the time) but they do look forward to payday so I am leaving the checks with Michelle to disperse for me Friday AM. Next we are driving down I-81 to Christiansburg, VA so that I can have the regular oil change performed on my car and since my inspection sticker expired on the last day of March I thought it best to go ahead and not push my luck and get that replaced while they are at it. After a little bit of a wait since they said I needed a license plate light replaced to get the inspection sticker (why is it they ALWAYS find something that needs to be replaced so they can charge $3 for the part and $15 for the labor?), we were on our way to make 2 more local stops for marketing while in this area. First stop was Dr. Rivero’s office with literature for sleep issues and cardiac implications, a copy of Our Health magazine with Sleep EZ Diagnostics, Inc. featured as an independent practice/interview with one of our CPAP patients, and their Easter “goodies”. They are a great office and love Sleep EZ so we naturally take good care of them. Next was my stop by Rotech (Home medical equipment company) to leave off their Easter goodies and to point out the article in Our Health magazine for Sleep EZ as they had several there sitting on their coffee table as you enter. Annalise, the location manager had not seen the article so she was excited when I showed it to her. I was the one who came from Texas to train her when she first started here and I worked for Rotech. She had just been hired as a clinician for this location, she is now the manager and it is always good to see her. I had not planned on being there long so I pulled up to the front door horizontally so I’d be there very briefly and left the car running with Tiffany sitting inside as she waited on me. As I walked out the door a Parking Enforcement agent pulled up directly in front of the car as “she” faced it. I greeted her and apologized for parking next to the fire lane but explained instantly to her that I had no intentions of being there long. She sternly reminded me that the fine is $100.00 and I immediately thanked her for her patience with me as I told her “I could not afford that and my husband would not appreciate it either”, I thanked her and got into my car to get ready to drive off. She looked perplexed and said “ok” and we departed. I drove off and cracked up as I couldn’t wait to get on the phone with Thomas as we had just had this conversation the other day as he told me I wouldn’t be able to get out of a ticket if it were a woman police officer as I had done so 3 times when I made a trip to Texas last August. He just laughed and said “huh-ho” and was thankful not to have to pay a fine. <br />Ok now we are really on the road to drive to Atlanta for the conference. I kept telling Tiffany she could stretch out and take a siesta by all means as I think sleep is important-haha, she didn’t and hung right in there for the entire drive. Not to anyone’s surprise but we talked the whole way (in between my singing of course) and did not run out of things to talk about! We stopped in North Carolina for Subway to eat lunch. We talked and listened to music of various types and talked more-imagine that. Right as we passed through Greenville, SC I realized I had forgotten my bathing suit even after I had reminded Tiffany on several occasions as we planned for the trip. So after I used my GPS on my phone I realized there was no Walmart (what southern town has no Walmart?) but they had a huge Target so we re-routed as we turned around and traveled 3 miles back to the Target. We did not want to have to find a Walmart or Target in downtown Atlanta so we settled for this one.<br />Tiffany and I were off to shop for bathing suits, she obviously is maybe a little less than half my size but we had a good time and found each of us a perfect choice to purchase. As we were in the dressing room her cell phone rang and it was Robbie from the office with a question for me and when I did not answer my phone (which was in the car currently) then he called hers. I called him back as we were checking out and he asked us what we were doing so I told him “trying on bathing suits” he commented, “I didn’t think you could do that”. I told him “yes you can you just have to leave your panties on to do so for health reasons”, then I told him “well you wouldn’t because you don’t wear panties” and we laughed. I answered his question and we were off to get gas and hit the highway again for the remaining stretch to the hotel in Atlanta. We arrived into the congestion and traffic at 5:45ish that was with 4-5 lanes each way and curb to curb traffic. As my phone GPS reminded me, “0.6 miles to heavy and congested traffic ahead” and that is was. Tiffany commented there would be no way she’d drive in this everyday as she said it makes her nervous. We got to the Hyatt located at 265 Peachtree St., NE, Atlanta, GA, 404-577-1234 at 6:15 PM and our room was not ready so they were going to text me when it was. Tiffany and I looked in the gift shop, asked for the location on the conference which would be here in this huge hotel, watched all the people coming and going, then decided to walk over to the Peachtree Mall that had a walkway connected to the hotel. The walkway was above the traffic which looked really cool and we settled for a local pizza place to get our food and sit in the designated tables in the middle of the mall. We eyeballed the DQ as we walked past it and questioned why Chik-fil-A was closed so early here. As we finished up I received the text that room #201 was ready for our arrival to settle in from the long day of travel. We did so then rested for a bit and decided at 8:40 PM neither of us should try to settle down for the night without DQ ice cream, so we made our way to satisfy that craving and then came back to our room for the night. It’s been a good day.<br /><br />Friday, April 17, 2009-we woke up to a pretty day starting in Atlanta and made our way to the conference area to check-in and start going through the exhibits. The day started with temperatures at 45 degrees and ended with 69 degrees.<br />This was a small conference presented by the Southern Sleep Society (www.southernsleepsociety.org ) and it is a sleep professional group that is located here in Georgia but the members are from all over as they have been united since 1979. I thought it was best for Tiffany as this is her first exposure to a sleep society conference since she came to work for me. I had already told her that some of it would be over her head but it would give her something to chew on and think about as she is new to the field of sleep medicine but very interested in pediatric sleep. Continental breakfast was available 7:30-8:00 AM then the talks began at 8:30 AM (30 minutes later than scheduled) and lasted until 5:10 PM. For our lunch break we walked back over to the mall and had DQ, I ordered a kid’s meal with a burger and Tiffany got a chicken strip basket since she says they have the best gravy. I laugh and think to myself, yes and you should eat it on a regular basis so that you don’t blow away! By the afternoon break we were cracking up because one of the physicians that spoke earlier was sitting next to Tiffany and by now he had his head hung low and was sleeping during the other talks-how ironic is that? At least he’s with a group of professionals in case he thinks he needs help diagnosing himself….. After the day spent hearing talks we are heading back to our hotel room before our Awards Dinner Banquet at 7:30 PM at South City Kitchen @ 1144 Crescent Ave., (Midtown) Atlanta, GA, 404-873-7358 <a href="http://www.southcitykitchen.com/">www.southcitykitchen.com</a>: Celebrating its 15th year as one of Atlanta's favorite restaurants, South City Kitchen Midtown specializes in contemporary Southern cuisine with a sophisticated twist. Combining the energy of Atlanta with the warmth of a Southern home, the restaurant is nestled in an updated, historic bungalow on the city's famous Crescent Avenue. Dine on local specialties such as shrimp and grits, buttermilk fried chicken, she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes and banana pudding while enjoying the view of our exhibition kitchen or the Atlanta skyline on one of the best patios in the city. This truly is dining the way the new South intended. . As the people from this area describe it there are 3 areas in which people live in Atlanta and Midtown is one of them. We decided since we had not be outside any today and the weather looked great, we’d venture out for about an hour since we had that time to spare before getting ready for our dinner. We found a SunTrust for Tiffany to cash her check and walked up and down the sidewalks in both areas from our hotel to see many sights that were appealing to the eye with architecture along the way and art work. This is the Peachtree area of downtown and it has many sculptures throughout the area and several very old churches that are beautiful with their ability to age gracefully. We returned to our room for a bit and I briefly reviewed the local paper. The headlines for today are: “Jobless numbers offer some hope” as GA job losses are as follows for each metro area, Dalton has 6500 jobs lost which is a 8.6% change, Atlanta has 115,900 jobs lost which is a 4.7% change, Albany has jobs lost which is 3.9% change, and Gainesville has 2,200 jobs lost which is a 2.8% change. Other headlines are: President Obama is in Mexico and he will not renew assault weapon ban. In the vehicle world the headlines are: Toyota Prius a star on the rise. Saying hybrids gets slightly bigger for 2010, and the gas mileage is phenomenal. It is a gasoline-electric hybrid which is rated at 50 miles a gallon but with practice the motorists can actually get better mileage. Last year, more than 241,000 were sold and the company’s goal is 1 million this year. For local news: the Atlanta Dogwood Festival begins for the weekend today. It is a huge aspect for the artist market with over 250 creators from across the country. The festival is 73 years old and due to the drought last year it was moved to Lenox Square but this year was returned to its Piedmont Park stomping grounds. It expects 50,000 visitors to attend each day.<br />We got dressed and made our way to the concierce desk since we were in need of a taxi to take us to our dinner for the Awards Dinner banquet. It’s been a very nice afternoon with typical springtime temperatures. The taxi driver was “interesting” as Tiffany put it. He drove like he was driving in New York and was listening to a spokesperson that was evaluating the personality of the lion in the movie The Wizard of Oz, are you kidding me? He dropped us off after cordially opening both of our doors and the evening began. Tiffany and I knew no one but as usual it didn’t take long for us to meet a few people. There were probably 60-65 people from the Southern Sleep Society that were with us. We had family style hors d’oeuvres that consisted of grilled BBQ shrimp, pulled pork that was wrapped in a crepe, pimento cheese with vegetable tray and scallops with sautéed cauliflower. Then we had a choice of a salad or she-crab soup, we both chose the soup. It’s a local favorite and I see why! I chose the salmon for my entrée and Tiffany ate their fried chicken which is what they are known for here at this restaurant. Shortly after our meal they brought out several platters of family style desserts and OH MY GOSH-the banana pudding was delectable. Tiffany and I had actually asked for our desserts to be out in a “to go” container but the waitress said that would not be possible since their desserts are served family style also. There was also a fudge brownie type of dessert and an assortment of several types of cookies. Tiffany swore off any more bites of anything since she was absolutely stuffed after the entrée so she missed out, I on the other hand had to at least sample the banana pudding (even if it meant unbuttoning my pants to get up from the table! My Nana Miller taught me to eat dessert first!) and it was SO worth it. Everyone was very nice at our table and there were several conversations going around at the same time but we all seemed to have time to visit. After the awards we got ready to leave as we were stuffed to the gills and the Respironics rep from Houston and a woman sleep doctor from Houston were ready to leave also so we all took a cab together since we were all staying at the same hotel. We rode in a van and it was a much calmer trip than our previous taxi ride. As soon as we got to our room we changed into our PJ’s to get comfortable (so we could breathe) and we settled in for the evening. <br /><br />Saturday, April 18, 2009-Our meetings began at 8:00 AM and we arrived 15 minutes early and I went to get coffee and something from the continental breakfast and arrived back ready to learn. Tiffany passed on breakfast but had some juice I brought her. When we had a break (they delayed it for 30 minutes) she decided she would go get her some salt that she said she needed, she returned from DQ with hash browns and a French Vanilla Moolatte with cool whip cresting it (she who says she “doesn’t really like sweets”). While she was gone the director of the conference called her name and 2 other peoples names that had been draw and had won a gift. I went with her to collect it and it was an Anti-Snore Shirt. She was not quite familiar with this article of sleep clothing so I explained it to her, she thought she should make Robbie try it on when we get back to the lab. We laughed and then she thought she’d just donate it to the lab for future reference. <br />We returned to expand our minds with the next few speakers for the day. The funniest one was Dr. Max Hirshkowitz who is a pulmonologist that is board certified in sleep medicine and is from Texas. He opened his talk on “Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease” with a powerpoint and made the statement: Kids get a video and watch it over and over and over, adults buy a video and watch it once and maybe again if it comes on TV. He started his presentation as he opened up the powerpoint and we all could see “Sleepy” from Snow White as he yawned and had his head back as if he was ready to sleep. Dr. Max Hirshkowitz said “Snow White, a lady with a strange sleeping arrangement-7 guys. One of them snores and is a dwarf. He has no nares so an oral appliance will not work and he has cranial maxillary facial issues”. All of the sleep people (all of us in this meeting) laughed! His next case study presentation he used was a study originally done in Canada. He commented, “The great thing about Canada is they track everything in healthcare, the downfall is they don’t let you treat anything”. I laughed as Thomas is from Canada but they have socialized healthcare system which I’m afraid we are headed toward in my lifetime here in the US. <br />The final speaker was Dr. Wallace Mendelson of Galveston, Tx., he spoke yesterday also. He did a fellowship in Israel and told us of 2 professions that he learned while there and had never heard of them since. One being a Combat Optometrist who would stay on the battlefields so that if the servicemen were to break their glasses while in combat this eye doctor can make them new ones there on the battlefield. The other is an Implosion Therapist who when a prisoner is released/returned then they drive them to where the capture happened (glad we don’t do it like that here in the states). That is to help reverse the trauma to reenact-I’m not thinking that would be more trauma than relief? <br />So our lectures were over by noon and most were off to a conference sponsored golf tournament-Tiffany and I do not golf so we will venture off to the Dogwood Festival.<br /> <br />We had no newspaper delivered to our room today so I’m unsure of the current events so I will tell you a few important things going on for the year 2009: This year has a few noteable milestones. Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln would have turned 200 years old this year of 2009. (Thomas Jefferson would be 266 years old-for those of you who know me well, you know he is one of the people I would have LOVED to meet!) In comparison, Barbie is a sprightly 50…and still looking good. The same year Barbie was born (or rather first manufactured), the doors of the Guggenheim Museum in New York opened. All of these American icons have had an impact on our world. They have given us greater knowledge and freedom, artistic beauty and, most importantly a doll with a never-ending talent for reinventing herself. Barbie inspired kids along with other memorable toys of the last century like Easy Bake Oven (it keeps creating and cooking today), Slinky, GI Joe, Superball, Lincoln Logs, Mr. Potato Head (his parts are still interchangeable today), Play-Doh, Yo-Yo, Etch-A-Sketch, and Silly Putty. As I think of this list of toys, I think about how sometimes the simplest ones were the best ones. Perhaps because they invited your imagination to take over. Loads of imagination went into designing New York’s Guggenheim Museum <a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/">www.guggenheim.org</a> a visually stunning building inside and out. Much like the new Taubman Museum of Art we now have in Roanoke, VA. The Guggeneheim foundation (Since its inception in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has been a preeminent institution for the collection, preservation, and research of modern and contemporary art. The global network that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has expanded since 1997 to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin. Each constituent museum unites distinguished architecture with great artworks, a tradition that has become a Guggenheim hallmark. Looking to the future, the Guggenheim Foundation continues to forge international partnerships as it works on developing new museums in the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Thanks to its celebrated collections, special exhibitions, conservation efforts, educational initiatives, and scholarship, the Guggenheim is internationally recognized as a pioneer and touchstone for all cultural institutions) has ambitious plans to open the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the Unites Arab Emirates in 2012. Over in D.C., the Lincoln Memorial has housed the impressive 19-foot high statue of our 16th president since 1922. Bicentennial celebrations include a Birthday Gala and a Memorial Rededication. Lastly, the Galapagos-a well known chain of islands that is home to an astonishing 2,900 species. Thanks to conservation efforts, this part of the world remains virtually as pristine as it was in 1835 when Charles Darwin visited. Nowadays, that’s a rarity except for maybe Barbie; a hundred years from now she still won’t have a wrinkle! <br /><br />Tiffany and I gathered ourselves for an afternoon walk that everyone tells us takes 30 minutes as we head back to Midtown to find Piedmont Park for the Dogwood Festival. We met a nice older couple along our way and we escorted them majority of the way to the festival. As it was getting to be mid-afternoon I thought it was best to get some lunch before we actually arrived at the festival but it was within eyesight for us now. Tiffany told me she is a very picky eater and she was right. I saw a Jason’s Deli (which we have in Texas, Caitlynn and I used to love to eat at the one in Lubbock-we looked for an excuse each time!) and suggested it since she had never eaten at one. We entered and I thought she should look over the menu so we could order, when she glanced at it she said she didn’t feel like she would like anything on the menu so we made out way down the walkway to Subway so she could order her sandwich the way she likes them: dry with mustard and turkey. We ate and enjoyed it as we are off to the festival. WOW at all the people, hardly enough walking room but there were people of many facets of life. We strolled through the park area and then headed back for our walk to the hotel. Tiffany was in hopes of finding a tanning salon on our walk but the one we came across she said she could tell, “it’s too expensive”. I asked how she could tell that from the front of the building and she assured me “I just can”. As we walked our return route we opted to walk on the opposite side of the roads this time for a change in scenery and that it proved to be. There was an Open House in a restored condominium building so we made our way to the 2nd floor of the building as the young couple who owned it offered wine and cookies as the people came in and out to observe. Tiffany nor I accepted any wine or cookies but the living area this little couple occupied was very cute and due to the small size they had created a very practical living space without clutter-which I loved! <br />The day was nearing the end of the afternoon as we arrived back at our hotel so I read for a bit and journaled, Tiffany talked to her dad on the cell phone and she made a short visit to the gym and upon her return I made my way there to do my running time. The exercise was good as I needed it after sitting in meetings for the last 2 days, not to mention the drive here also. We got cleaned up and went to the Hard Rock Café for a much needed burger-nothing like a good burger! The Hard Rock’s are always so busy, loud, crowded but with great paraphernalia and music with videos, gotta love the old school music back in the day! Locally there must have been several proms as the teen crowd was all dressed in formals-they are looked beautiful.<br />We made our way back to the hotel and began gathering our stuff and simi-packing as tomorrow would be the day to leave. I was happy of the thought to see Caitlynn and Thomas (and the Rat Dogs-all 3 of them), they would be ready for rest as Caitlynn’s dad Lynn arrived the day we left and will fly back to Texas in the morning. Caitlynn has not seen him since summer so he finally decided he’d come here to see where she lives and meet her friends so I thought it was a good time since I would not be there. I have the best husband in the world as he opted to not come on this trip as he felt he should be available if Caitlynn and Lynn needed a “break” while he visited. He stayed at our house during his trip so he would not have to afford a hotel and Thomas let them use the Ford pickup with his GPS for Caitlynn to be able to show him a little bit of her stomping grounds here where we’ve made our home in Roanoke,VA. Lynn has never been to VA, in fact he’s only been to Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Tennessee in his entire life to visit. <br />Tiffany was excited about going home also as she tells me that she used to get home sick when she was younger but she says she’s better now though she still feels lonely when she’s not at home and is relieved when she knows she’s headed back. For this reason she states she has decided not to go away for college in the fall and she will attend a local community college, VirginiaWestern in Roanoke. She will continue to live with her dad and go to college. <br /><br />Morning came early and I let her sleep later than we have been doing due to the very 1st class at 8AM not being of interest to us but we were there by 8:45 ready for the 9AM. Today will be completed at noon as the end of the conference. I can tell that Tiffany is overwhelmed with the information (not to mention the terminology) but she has said for the last 1-2 yrs that she’d like to be a nurse so this will be the 1st of many lectures she will sit in on that physician’s present information. I think she struggles with what her dad wants her to do for her education after high school versus her insecurity to make decisions on her own. This is a fact that she makes known as we talked on our drive here, she says she “just can’t make decisions, it’s just too hard for me” she tells me. This is obviously an area she struggles in and is very aware of it with the help of a counselor she meets with on a regular basis. That is something I have honestly never really struggled with, what to believe in or the ability to form my own opinion. I believe we are all here by a greater being above us and he freely gives us a free will to use but choose wisely and look to him for your choices to head down the right paths in life. This reminds me of a story that motivational guru Zig Ziglar tells of a memorable revival service led by early twentieth-century evangelical firebrand Mordecai Ham. He is perhaps best known for being the preacher on the night of Billy Graham’s conversion. One evening, before taking the podium to deliver his typically fire-and-brimstone sermon, Ham was approached by a stranger. The man pulled the preacher aside and said, “Mr. Ham, I am here because I’m curious. But I just want you to know that I don’t believe in heaven, I don’t believe in hell, I don’t believe in God and I certainly don’t believe in prayer.” Ham thanked him for his honesty and stepped onto the stage and addressed the large crowd. “Folks, we’ve got an unusual man at our service tonight. He doesn’t believe in God, and certainly doesn’t believe in prayer. So I want all of us, the entire time I’m preaching, to pray that God will kill this man before I’m through.” As soon as the words left Ham’s mouth, the non-believer leapt violently from his seat and elbowed his way past his fellow congregants into the aisle. He sprinted toward the door and burst out of the building, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs, “No! No! No! Don’t you do it! Don’t pray that! Please, don’t you do it!” So as the old saying goes: “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” Hopefully with time this will be a passing phase in Tiffany’s life as I wish her the best on her path for the future.<br /><br />The release from our conference lead us to check out and have valet bring the car so we could get on the road home. It’s an overcast day but that makes for good traveling weather as far as I’m concerned, so off we go….<br />I encouraged Tiffany to sleep as it will make the trip seem faster (why that is I am still unsure of even at my age?) but she stated she has always had a difficult time sleeping in a vehicle but after the first hour her head was back with her mouth open for a good 45 minutes-regardless of my driving as my daughter likes to tell everyone that I am the worst driver she knows. I began looking for a place to eat and Tiffany woke up as she did share with me that she loves Out Back Steakhouse as they usually eat at the one in Roanoke when it’s someone’s birthday-especially hers. She shared a story with me about this last birthday meal when her family met there and Robbie joined them late so they pulled a chair to the end of the table and the waiter who served them had very hairy arms. So every time he’d have to reach past Robbie to get to everyone when he needed to service the guests gathered for the family meal and Robbie was grossed out by the hairy arms passing his plate each time! <br />We stopped in Clemson, SC to eat at their Out Back Steakhouse which looked to be very new. We got our bellies full without even having dessert and made our way back to the highway to home. Caitlynn kept texting/calling me as she wanted me to give her my ETA because she was beside herself. She couldn’t wait to show me what Thomas had done when he put his racing carburetor on her truck over the weekend and it was running smoothly now when they’d start it, she could not wait for me to see! Our arrival was 25 minutes ahead of schedule so we had time to get Tiffany loaded and on her way so she would not be home too late due to school in the morning. Following that Caitlynn showed me her prize possession-her truck WITH the new carburetor and then we left to go watch Thomas’s hockey game as his season was coming to a close this week. Off to another week of family, work, and planning for another trip. <br /><br />All my travels in life lead me to think about all the things I am so fortunate to have in my life-the best things in life are definitely free, enjoy them all!Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-90406799426073616312008-12-28T18:49:00.002-05:002008-12-28T18:54:59.185-05:00Anaheim, CA-December 2008December 12-20, 2008 Anaheim, California trip<br /><br />Well as most of you know Thomas and I love to travel to California, not only because of the great wineries but it has diverse scenery (which I like to think it has much to offer like Texas). This trip began as a business trip for the 2008 International Respiratory Congress and this is the 54th annual convention. Each year it rotates the location and we lucked out to come to this one in CA. Typically it is held the first week in Dec but for whatever reason this one is closer to the middle of December which puts a rush on Christmas when we get home this year! Since we were going to be gone so long I felt Caitlynn would enjoy seeing Nicole and the kids in Texas so we flew her there yesterday from Greensboro, NC then Thomas & I did a little shopping and stayed the night in Greensboro since we had a 5:50 AM flight to catch at the GSO airport.<br />I have been a RT for many years (Brandon was a baby when I started school) and I had not ever come to this particular convention until the year I opened the sleep lab (Sleep EZ Diagnostics, Inc.) in Dec. 2005. The first one I attended 2005 was in Las Vegas but they only had a small amount of classes/seminars related to sleep medicine. Thomas also had never attended this particular conference even though he’s been a therapist for 20 + yrs. Last year it was held in Orlando, Florida so we both attended as the information in sleep medicine had increased. Not to mention VA Tech made it to the ACC Championship game which the announcement was made to hold the game in Jacksonville, Florida. We made that game day one that we were not going to be able to attend any classes and we headed out in the rental car-driving to the game! VA Tech won but it was a struggle…ironically so Helene had gone with some friends from the hospital to also attend so we hung out with her for the latter part of the game and afterwards as we ate. Needless to say our agenda will not be involving a playoff football game this time but I’m sure we’ll find plenty to do while we are here in addition to our classes.<br />We arrived at 10:45AM into LAX (Las Angeles, CA) and gathered our luggage and retrieved our rental car. As we checked out our rental car at Enterprise, we noticed gas prices to be more than home but much less than when we were in this area for part of our honeymoon 4 yrs ago-$1.71 per gallon currently. We made an immediate stop at one of our local burger joints-“In-N-Out”….it was delicious as we remembered! We had barely driven 3 miles outside the airport property when Thomas stumbled upon it….or did he put it in his GPS (“Karen” he affectionately named her) anyway we are here! So for you to better understand the ‘difference’ of this burger place from others, I will quote their wrappers that come on their burgers:<br />• The first In-N-Out opened 1948<br />• All our burgers are made with fresh beef that’s never frozen<br />• Our buns are made with-out preservatives the old fashioned way-from real sponge dough<br />• We hand-leaf our lettuce every day<br />• Our fries are peeled and diced daily from fresh whole potatoes<br />• We’ve cooked our fries in 100% cholesterol free oil since 1948 <br />**Not to mention they use a dressing that tastes similar to Thousand Island and since I am probably one of the few people left in the country that actually still order that as my salad dressing-I love it!<br />After we sat outside and ate our meal in the beautiful sun shine and a temperature of 72 degrees, we proceeded to locate our timeshare. Gotta love the LA traffic and its lunchtime so everyone’s out running around. <br />I like to see the Metro system in use as they utilize it so effectively in this area, it is generated by electricity and the stations are located strategically for public use.<br /><br />We weren’t exactly sure where the timeshare is other than it’s located within 1-1/2 from the Anaheim Convention Center where our seminar will be held this week. As we neared the address Thomas and I realized much to our surprise since we are not familiar with this area of California that we are in the Disneyland property also. The name of the timeshare is the Dolphin’s Cover Resort. It’s a nice property and conveniently located for our use while we are here. After checking in we got unpacked for the next 8 days and look at all the literature that the resort gave us regarding all the events happening. Later we located the hot tub for Thomas and the exercise room for me (I haven’t been on the treadmill in a week as we stayed very busy getting ready for this trip and also having our Christmas party for our employees as we do a Sleep EZ/Freedom Respiratory party). Since I am contemplating my participation in a 5K on Sunday here, I had better get started! As we returned to our condo we planned our evening. We went in search of groceries and retrieved them then we ate our dinner which consisted of our Macaroni Grill leftovers from the night before in Greensboro. Yes, I hand carried them with us (we hate waste) and we enjoyed them almost as much as the night before. I say it would have been the same if we would have had endless bread being supplied along with olive oil with fresh ground black pepper for dipping that delectable bread in………anyway we did have a loaf with our leftovers so we enjoyed it! I made my way to seek a tub filled with hot water and bubbles-now that was nice. We completed this Friday evening as we watched the brilliant full moon tonight (read attached article relating to it): <br />Year's Biggest Full Moon Friday Night <br />By Robert Roy Britt<br />Editorial Director<br />posted: 11 December 2008<br />01:24 pm ET<br />The full moon Friday night will be the biggest one of the year as Earth's natural satellite reaches its closest point to our planet.<br />Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days. But the orbit is not a perfect circle. <br />The moon's average distance from us is about 238,855 miles (384,400 km). Friday night it will be just 221,560 miles (356,567 km) away. It will be 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during the year, according to NASA.<br />Tides will be higher Friday night, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because the moon's closest point to Earth is called perigee. The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.<br />Some other strange lunar facts:<br /> The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Eventually it'll be torn apart as an expanding sun pushes the moon back toward Earth for a wrenching close encounter. <br /> There is no proof the full moon makes people crazy. <br /> Beaches are more polluted during full moon, owing to the higher tides. <br />The moon will rise Friday evening right around sunset, no matter where you are. That's because of the celestial mechanics that produce a full moon: The moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth, so that sunlight hits the full face of the moon and bounces back to our eyes.<br />At moonrise, the moon will appear even larger than it will later in the night when it's higher in the sky. This is an illusion that scientists can't fully explain. Some think it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon vs. stuff overhead. <br />Try this trick, though: Using a pencil eraser or similar object held at arm's length, gauge the size of the moon when it's near the horizon and again later when it's higher up and seems smaller. You'll see that when compared to a fixed object, the moon will be the same size in both cases.<br />You can see all this on each night surrounding the full moon, too, because the moon will be nearly full, rising earlier Thursday night and later Saturday night. <br />Interestingly, because of the mechanics of all this, the moon is never truly 100 percent full. For that to happen, all three objects have to be in a perfect line, and when that rare circumstance occurs, there is a total eclipse of the moon.<br /> Gallery: Moon Images <br /> Skywatcher's Guide to the Moon <br /> Top 10 Strangest Things in Space <br />Then followed by Disney’s firework display they do nightly @ 9:30 PM as we stood on our balcony in fascination at the amazing colors.<br /><br />Today is Saturday, December 13, 2008 and the weather is expected to be a high of 59 degrees today with cloudy skies. Thomas and I woke and he fixed breakfast and we prepared for the day as we would be walking to the convention center to gather our registration packets. It’s a mild but pleasant day. Thomas had left Dietmar a message yesterday announcing our arrival and dates we would be in the area as we’d love to spend some time with him. <br />After out down time with Thomas at the hot tub and me in the exercise room we returned to the condo to watch the announcement show for the recipient for the Heisman Trophy. This is the first year in history that there is not a senior nominated and the 3 nominees are from Univ. of Texas-Colt McCoy, Oklahoma Univ.-Sam Bradford, and Florida State Univ.- Tim Tebow. I love football, especially college ball and being from Austin (which is where I grew up) I LOVE the Longhorns so this is significant to me. Plus I truly enjoy watching the program/selection as they interview each nominee and give a little history on their lives. The thing also that I liked the best this year is the fact that all 3 of these amazing young talented men are strong in their faith, family and mentoring. They mentor rather it’s to young people, missionary work, or mentoring the players that they play. The gentleman that won was Sam Bradford from OU. Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow—who received the most first-place votes—was third with 1,575 points. Between the 3 nominees their teams were 35-3, now that is impressive. As I have always said since Lynn and I divorced-my daughter is my primary responsibility meaning that it is my job to raise her to be a responsible adult as we live in an atmosphere of mutual respect, love, and accountability in our home. With Tebow’s acceptance speech he said to his parents: “There were many times that you pushed me in times that I didn’t want to do anything and you always expected the best from me regardless of what I was doing-playing or being organized & motivated, for that I love you and couldn’t have done it without you!”<br />We prepared to leave as we went to The House of Blues as they were holding a Welcome Party for the AARC attendees with John Waite performing live for us. We enjoyed the food and entertainment for a couple of hours then we came back to get ready for bed. I have to be up by 5:50AM to report for the 5K Fun Run the AARC is sponsoring. Lucky me, I registered yesterday when the conference opened and ironically I got my favorite number 8 as I walked up to the booth, it was on top so it was mine…..I’m feeling good about this.<br /><br />Well I left this morning Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 6:20AM to walk to the Marriott which is where the 5K will begin. I left Thomas in bed to sleep in today. The temperature is 42 degrees without the sun being quite up yet but it feels good, especially for a run. I noticed at the convenient stores around our resort that gas prices had dropped today to $1.59 per gallon. <br />I completed it with a 37.23 time, not bad considering I haven’t been running regularly since the 1st week of October. Came back to the condo and Thomas was watching the Cowboy news and since the time is 3 hrs behind here from home, that means he’ll be able to catch some of the football games today in between our classes. The Cowboys will not play until 5 PM here. I fixed us breakfast and off for a bubble bath (I never take the time at home to take these so I’m enjoying them here!). Dietmar called and we will meet him on Monday afternoon, we’re looking forward to seeing him as we have not seen him since Thomas and I came on our honeymoon to spend a day with him and Rose. Rose passed away about 2 yrs ago. She had a very charismatic personality while Dietmar was quieter but just as cordial. <br />We went to our classes then back we came for the “big game”. Dallas defeated the Giants 20-8 so Thomas was ecstatic! I thought we were going to get thrown out for disturbing the peace as he was jumping up and down and screaming at his team thru the TV. Dietmar called and we confirmed our place to meet and time for tomorrow. I spent some of my time watching the football game and downloading family pictures on Snapfish. Caitlynn and Nicole called us today as they are enjoying their time together as they rested after church then off to bed. We ordered pizza and spaghetti to be delivered and enjoyed an evening in. We finished the night off watching the magnificent fireworks as Disney’s ritual at 9:30PM. <br /><br />Monday, December 15, 2008 is another great day in California…though it started raining during the night and continued on through most of the day. The temperature was a high of 56, though it felt slightly cooler with the rain. The people from this area feel as if this is a cold-front so they are wearing coats, no flip-flops (as usual) and some even had on toboggans? Thomas and I went to our classes then returned to get the rental car form our resort so we could make our way to meet Dietmar and his friend for dinner by 6:00PM. We are unsure about the traffic so we thought it best we leave ahead of time as we were traveling on unfamiliar ground for us so we were going to depend on “Karen” to navigate us. Dietmar had given Thomas a cell number to call as we left Anaheim and as I had predicted it was a female’s cell number. Since we were going to be early as Dietmar told Thomas our reservations were not until 6:00PM, I thought we might need to call the restaurant and be sure we are not too underdressed as we were casually dressed. The hostess said it was a casual environment so we felt good about it. Thomas took me to Martin & Kathy’s for New Year’s the last year we dated and he did not inquire about attire, So horrified to my surprise when we arrived at their new home in Chesterfield, they would be dressed formally with a tux and floor length dress for Kathy…we brought casual slacks and winter sweaters-no dress or tux. In deep regret Kathy and Martin dressed down more than they had originally planned but needless to say-we were VERY UNDRESSED for the occasion! <br />The restaurant was located in a very quaint area of San Juan Capistrano which is located about 25 minutes from Anaheim. We arrived almost 30 minutes early so we wondered into Chico’s which is located in this strip mall area. I love Chico’s but it is really too expensive for me but the signs advertised on the front window was “65% sale”, so I thought what the heck when Thomas headed inside….So I looked around on the sale racks and found a cute skirt and it was originally price at $98.00 and got it for $5.38, that’s right less than $10.00-I love those kind of sales. Thomas just smiled. <br />Cedar Creek had a beautiful Christmas tree with a roaring fireplace in the area we were seated. Their tag line is: food-spirits-ambiance and its address is: 26860 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, CA, 92675, 949-240-2229 www.cedarcreekinn.com. We were fortunate to meet Dietmar there in a timely fashion and be introduced to his friend Marie. We had a lovely dinner and ironically we all ended up ordering some type of fish. There was plenty of good conversation and I shared with Dietmar the story that I so enjoyed writing on our recent trip with Hans to Canada. I forewarned him that there are stories about him in there also, he grinned and said “umm humm”. The meal was great and the company was very pleasant. We told Dietmar if he can’t remember how long it’s been since he came to VA then that is too long-he needs to come visit us soon! Marie told Thomas & I we should come back to this area to sight-see as across the street there is one of the missions that are in CA and they have a good history about it and it is something to see she says. <br />From the website regarding the missions: Much of California's history began with the Spanish Missions. The chain of 21 missions along California’s El Camino Real (“The Royal Highway”) represents the first arrival of non-Native Americans to California. Life for the California Native Americans was forever changed. In addition to Christianity, the missions brought many other things to California such as livestock, fruits, flowers, grains and industry. This was also the start of the civilization in which we live today. However, as a result of the arrival of the Spanish, many Native American lives were lost. Every one of the California missions tells a story about the history of California. All have been, to some extent, restored and can be visited today. <br />Dietmar is headed to Albuquerque, NM on the 18th this month and he will be going to the Santa Fe area also while he’s there. He tells us he used to work in the area so he’s familiar with it. Marie has 2 children-1 daughter and 1 son that live in area. The son is an attorney and never married, the daughter has 2 kids which are her only grandchildren. Marie is quite the conversationalist and we had a nice time learning about her. Dietmar told us how much he enjoyed the sibling’s trip to Germany this past May, and yes he clarified that he would like to make the trip again! After our meal we took pictures and said our good-byes to each of them and headed back to our condo in the light drizzling rain. Regardless of the rain everything is so pretty though as the quaint areas are decorated for Christmas. After our short drive back to the resort we got ready for bed and listened to some Christmas music as we wound down. We missed the fireworks but it was worth it!<br /><br />Today is Tuesday, December 16, 2008 and the day started off cloudy but cleared off by lunchtime and stayed clear for the rest of the day with a temperature of 54-56 degrees. Thomas & I took care of catch up issues with our offices and computer work for the morning as we also had breakfast he prepared. We then made our way to the hot tub and workout room for activities. After we got back to our place we got online to compare ticket prices for the Anaheim Ducks hockey game. This is the last night they will play here until Dec. 31st, we will be home by then and Thomas wanted us to go to a game while we are here. We secured our tickets online so we got ready and planned our bus route after we bought our tickets to take the A.R.T. which is one of the local transportation trolleys for this area. It cost $3.00 per person for the day so we bought our passes at the resort office. While we were in our resort I gave him a shirt that I found at the Marriott gift shop on the morning of my run. It was on the clearance rack and marked down since it was for the “2007 Stanley Cup Champions-Anaheim Ducks” and it in X-Large also. I surprised him and gave it to him as I said, “I figured you’d need a hockey shirt to wear to the game”. He put it on immediately and out the door we went. <br />It was interesting talking to a lady that came to the same conference we did for Respiratory and her husband was with her-they are also going to the Ducks game. They are from Canada so we got into a conversation regarding the difference in socialized medicine vs. our industry with our government here in the states. Thomas told them that it really bothered him that the US has taken over the NHL. So they talked about that and she told us that we are fortunate to be able to go to game for a reasonable cost as they are unable to do so. She said they’ve been married for 20 yrs and this will be their first NHL game to go see. She felt it was a good thing for the sport that the US took it over as the program needed more $ to make things happen for the players and it has since the US got involved. The game was held at the Honda Center here in Anaheim. It is huge! The building is 650,000 sq. ft. and is lined inside and out with marble and granite from around the world. The building’s roof spans 444 ft. by 329 ft. with more than 100 ft. above the arena floor. It has 3 levels of seating and can hold 17,174 people for hockey games and as many as 18,325 for stage events. Tonight’s game is the Anaheim Ducks vs. New York Rangers. This is the Ranger’s 1st trip to Anaheim since Nov. 1, 2006 so the crowd is really fired up. The goalie for the Ducks is a native of Switzerland who is 26 yrs old named Jonas ( pronounced “Yo-nas”) Hiller and his goals-against average an save percentage both ranked in the top 5 in the league. During the final week of Nov. when he went 2-0-0 with an eye-popping 0.50 goals against and .984 save percentage so the NHL named him one of their “Three Stars” of the week. He won 6 of his final 9 appearances and saved just under 95 percent of the shots fired at him last season. In June of this year the team rewarded his progress with a contract extension that pays him more than $1 million annually this season and next. So needless to say this was a good game but the Ducks lost 3-1. <br />We caught the trolley back and Thomas had me get off early (before our stop) with him. After we got off he walked right to P.F. Chang’s for us to have a nice dinner. This is one of our favorite restaurants when we are in an area that has them. We counted and we have been to 5 different P.F. Chang’s in different states. The first one we ate at together was when I had husbandnapped trip to Nashville, TN that I totally planned with his office and he knew NOTHING about until I told him at the airport that he was going with me! So for the next 3 days we spent time in a wonderful bed & breakfast that was ran by a grandson to one of the original men who founded Nashville. So of course for dinner our first night I took Thomas to have his first dinner at a P.F. Chang’s…he’s loved it since! <br />After we finished our dinner, we took a couple of pictures outside and made our way walking the rest of the way back to our resort which was about 6-7 blocks. We needed to work off our meal anyway. Tonight we missed the fireworks but it was a good evening regardless….<br /><br />This morning we were woke up to the sound of rain and the high temperature for the day was predicted to be only 52 degrees. Today is Wednesday, December 17, 2008. Everyone in this area said that if the rain was so needed they wouldn’t like it. Thomas and I got caught up on office work we both had to do and then we got ready to head out to Temecula for our tour of the wine country. We haven’t been out to Temecula in 2 yrs so we were looking forward to the day. The weather continued to be rainy/overcast with occasional downpours…. <br />As we left our resort and start out on 95-E we passed the Angel’s Stadium. The entrance design on the outside was cool as it had 2 baseball caps facing each other so that all who entered had to pass. It was quite a stadium. <br />The traffic is 4 lanes each way with an option of 2 more lanes but they are toll roads that you can use at a cost….next we took 15-S about 24 miles from Temecula. At this time the rain is heavy and we came to a community named “City of Elsinore” since we asked “Karen” to find us a post office en route to our destination-this was her choice. It was a good one I might add as this town had a lot of character and very historic. It was founded in 1888 and celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and a little history on this town:<br />Native Americans have long lived in the area. Lake Elsinore was incorporated as a city in 1888 (even before Riverside County's creation in 1893) but was inhabited well before then. In the 18th century when the lake was natural it provided a spot for Spanish ranchers and American trappers to replenish their supplies. It was named Elsinore after the Danish city in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", which is now its sister city.<br />The lake went dry in the 1930s and was refilled in the early 1960s. More than a week of heavy rains in 1980 flooded the lake, destroying surrounding homes and businesses. Since then there has been a multi-million dollar project put into place to maintain the water supply at a consistent level allowing for homes to be built close to the lake. Unfortunately there are no provisions to allow the water to spill out via a river, so the overflow must be diverted into the Temescal Canyon Wash. In 2007 there was an aeration system added to help with the lake's ecosystem.<br />This would be a nice place to spend a little more time in…maybe next time. As fate would have it, the rain almost stopped in time for Thomas to drop me off to mail all 14 of my postcards I had gotten finished yesterday and wanted to get them in the mail to our loved ones. <br /><br />As we drive into Temecula we located their Chamber of Commerce for free maps of the wineries. Our goal was to go to different ones than we’ve already visited. Evidentially when we were here originally as we drove through here to go to Las Vegas on our honeymoon, we stopped at Callaway’s and then go back on the road for Vegas. A good memory of Callaway’s was when I discovered that Thomas had never tasted a pomegranate. As we drove up the driveway to the winery, they were hanging from trees along the drive. I told Thomas what they were and he didn’t even know what a person would do with them. I explained to him that as a kid my parents would give them to us for snacks to eat. Ironically the winery as we went inside for the tasting, had a wine made from pomegranate and we sampled it. As we departed I asked one of the employees if they minded if we got a pomegranate off one of the trees-she obliged so we did just that. Thomas pulled the rental car under one of the trees on the driveway and I assisted hoisting him up (from the car door on the passenger side) and he collected one for us to sample (him initially) the rest is history.<br />Then 2 yrs ago when we were came to Carlsbad, CA and toured the Baja of California we also took a day during that stay from Christmas Eve thru Jan 2nd to drive to Temecula for the day. We enjoyed it tremendously as it is much smaller wineries from what we saw in Napa Valley (on our honeymoon) and the people took a lot more time to explain processes, etc. to you. We when we here before, there were some wineries that we WERE to only ones there at that particular time. Thomas found his most favorite Port (he LOVES a good Port) at a winery named Palumbo, we did not purchase it since it was $85.00 bottle but the winery only made less than 1,000 bottles to sale. But he remembers it every time he tastes another Port-anywhere, never found one better to date he says! On that visit we ended our day with a wonderful dinner at a steakhouse in historic downtown Temecula and Thomas vowed we would return at that time. <br />We gathered our maps and off we went in search of a new winery. The weather was still balmy but only mildly sprinkling now as we called and made reservations for our first winery as it was by reservations only. It’s named Briar Rose and was only 10-12 minutes from where we left town. We took Rancho California Rd, Calle, and then Madera DePlaya Dr and then another turn to the winery located at: 41720 Calle Cabrillo, Temecula, CA, 92592- It sits on a small mountain that overlooks a valley: Located on the grounds of a former Disney set designer's home, and named after Sleeping Beauty's alias, this magical winery is modeled after Snow White's cottage, and produces all estate-grown, moderate-level production wines (about 2,400 cases per year). Copper walls and wood furnishings give the tasting room an "inside the barrel" feel; VIPs are led into an adjacent space, which is outfitted with plush couches, a river stone fireplace and offers herbs and flowers at an essence table for a multisensory experience. Fun Fact <br />The property boasts one of the oldest olive trees in Temecula that was planted by one of the Valley's early pioneers.<br />Many years ago before developers discovered Temecula, the valley was dotted with small, family owned farms, orchards, and vineyards. Briar Rose Winery marks a return to those idyllic times as Temecula's first, reservation only, boutique winery. It is the fruition of a lifelong dream. In a sense the owners, the Linkogle's, have come full circle and want to celebrate the return to a small, family-owned business. They welcome you to enjoy their wines, wander the gardens and savor the enchantment. They are dedicated to producing small lot, limited production wines made from the most intensely flavored grapes from their lush vineyards. Annually, they produce about 2400 cases. Specializing in red, the estate-grown offerings include an intense award winning Estate Zinfandel, award winning Viognier, Orange Muscat and Reisling. Other offerings include a lively, fruity Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sherry, Chardonnay, Sauginon Blanc and a special Reserve Aleatico Port. <br />Thomas & I BOTH enjoyed their cabs and I usually don’t like cabernets but their production is smooth and clean tasting. They have a unique wine that has a very slight hint of lemon and it’s very unique as it finishes crisp and clean-a good all around wine to share with others, it’s called Citronier. Needless to say after we sat around for a very extensive wine tasting and a nice talk with the winemaker (the husband-Leslie, to the lady Doreen that assisted us) we joined their wine club. He and Thomas had a lot in common as he is a German also. They’ve been married for 31 yrs and bought this place in 1985 but grew and sold grapes from their land to other wineries until 1998. They started the process of acquiring all the CA license, etc. and it took 5 yrs to finalize all the requirements the state mandates. In 2003 they had their vintage year and just recently did a press release as they were chosen by the Indians in this area (The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians has called the Temecula valley home for more than 10,000 years) to make a wine for the mission grapes that only the Indians have the rights to and the vines are 120 yrs old. After the Indians approved the production/taste this winery made this summer, they were allowed to produce less than 200 bottles. The winemaker opened an unlabeled-private bottle to allow us to taste it and share our thoughts of it with him. They are waiting on the artwork for the label to be approved by the Indians and then they will name the pricing for its release. How cool is this to be trying such an exclusive wine with this couple! Since the “mission grape” was used and the Indians are very traditional with the worship, they are leaning toward naming the wine “Sacrament” as long as the Indians approve the name also. We will watch their website for any updates regarding this….. www.briarrosewinery.com We laughed together as we walked out since Jason had been texting me to ask about details for Dickens of a Christmas at home in Roanoke. I guess he has never been and was looking into taking Lauren but was unsure due to her busy work schedule. It’s funny because my daughter prefers to talk to him and his son typically texts me more frequently than his dad-funny how that happens but not at all bad…at least they contact us!<br />As we depart and drive to our last winery, since we started after lunch and we spent 2 hrs and Briar Rose (but enjoyed every minute of it-education & all) it has started to rain again. We proceeded our drive to Maurice Car’rie Vineyard & Winery located at: 34225 Rancho California Rd, Temecula, CA, 92591, www.mauricecarriewinery.com . It is a much bigger winery but no one was there but us, just like the previous winery. I’m sure a lot of it is to do with the weather and the fact that it’s in the middle of the week, not to mention Christmas holiday time. We were greeted with a most pleasant older lady who spoke with a very strong German accent. Thomas asked her where she was from and indeed it was Germany. Of course he then had a lot to talk about with her-including the history of all his siblings (and his own) names and where they came from. They were having a end of the season sale of 20-50% off on all products (other than wine) in their winery so we found several things we felt like we’d enjoy taking back to VA with us. A little history: The Maurice Car’rie Vineyard & Winery is nestled amidst the rolling hills of beautiful Temecula Valley. The winery was founded in 1986, and designed after a Victorian-style farmhouse. The 46 acres of vineyards were the first vineyards established in the region in 1968. Owners, Buddy and Cheri Linn, and winemaker, Gus Vizgirda, are focused on wines that are ready to drink at a fairly early age. They handcraft 14 varietals that have received hundreds of awards and accolades in a long list of competitions. <br /> After a relaxing afternoon in Temecula we are now in search for Penfold’s Cattle Company in historic downtown Temecula. They are located at: 42072 5th St., 3rd Floor, Temecula, CA, 92590. Description: A study in dark woods and warm lighting, this romantic eatery and special occasion favorite plays host to mostly locals enjoying splurge-worthy lunches and hearty steak and seafood dinners. Faded sepia-toned photographs of the Old West hang over high-backed booths and regally upholstered Victorian-esque chairs inside, while an expansive deck overlooks the street below. It is more expensive than we typically treat ourselves to but we feel since we only come every 2 yrs (if we’re lucky!) then we can splurge this evening. We are celebrating some down time together after our conference and recognized how blessed we both are in many areas-we toast to this together to start our quiet evening filled with great ambiance. Penfold’s has recently undergone a new management team (according to Doreen form Briar Rose) and they have now decided on which local wines to carry for the restaurant. Since Thomas really liked their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon he bought a bottle to bring in with him and had our waitress open it & pour it as he also expressed to her his great interest in Briar Rose. The waitress laughed and said “the couple that owns it comes in frequently to eat and always ask if they are carrying their wines yet.” She stated they are very nice and also make very nice wines. First we ordered an appetizer of scallops (Thomas’s favorite) but they had an awesome sauce that was slightly sweet and tasted wonderfully! Next we ordered our meal and Thomas had their Ribeye and I had their filet with a lobster tail-umum good! We closed our meal off with Bananas Foster-we paid our debt and off into the rain we went…..<br />On the drive back to our resort Thomas said that if he didn’t know better he’d think it was snowing as we moved through the mountain areas headed back to Anaheim-about 78 mile drive for us to our resort-we missed the fireworks but what a great evening we spent together!<br />Today is Thursday, December 18, 2008 and we woke to see snow on the mountains that are off in the distance-not sure how far but they have not had snow on them during our entire stay until now? As I turned on the FISH (Christian contemporary music that is carried on satellite also) radio station they have been playing Christmas music this week as I listened and they made an announcement that CA had snow for the first time in 3 decades in the Malibu area-so it is snow! It is sunny today but the temperature is only 48-52 degrees. Thomas and I opted to just hang out in our resort and relax. So we went to the ice cream social 2:30PM at the snack bar here at the resort ($1.00 per scoop/$1.00 for a brownie). Afterwards Thomas got into the hot tub while I worked out, had to counter the brownie I had split with Thomas…I talked to Caitlynn & Nicole several times today and they are making Christmas desserts and had lunch with Justin at school today. It’s so hard to believe he’s in the 2nd grade already-where does the time go? <br />We decided afterwards we would walk to Downtown Disney to ESPN Sports so we could watch NFL game tonight. Due to us being on PST (pacific standard time) that is 3 hrs behind us while in VA, the game would be on at 5:00PM. We did just that and walked back to our resort and ended our evening by watching Disney’s fireworks then watching a Christmas movie on the Family Channel together on the couch. I fell asleep at the very end so afterwards Thomas woke me so we could go to bed……<br />I woke this morning and called Nicole and Caitlynn, they will go to see Marcus and his family as they drive to San Antonio to spend the night tonight. Juan has his office Christmas party there so they will stay the night then head back to Pflugerville before lunch so they can put Caitlynn on the plane by her flight tomorrow at 5:40PM. We will leave at 1:40PM from here then we change planes in Dallas where we will meet up with Caitlynn there so we all fly into Greensboro, NC together. Thomas and I went down for the continental breakfast the resort provided today and met a really nice family form Utah that are vacationing together for the week. They are Mormons and the parents we spoke with have 6 girls and 1 son, the grandkids are also with them. He has traveled extensively and has recently been researching the possibility of buying land in Belize. He says he just bought a book to study the land that is “2 ½ inches thick”. So we talked about our experiences when visiting there, etc. They had a 2 yr old grandson named “Carter” and he was a cutie. Carter is next to the youngest (being 3 months old) and before him is his sister that sat next to me. She had 2 older brothers there also but she was the talker-I guess since she was the only girl out of 5 kids. She had a lot to tell us! Afterwards we said our good-byes and headed back to our condo. I researched the Crystal Cathedral as I thought I saw a sign and did not know that we were less than 2 miles from there! Caitlynn & I have watched Dr. Robert Shuler from the cathedral for years on TV. We packed a couple of boxes that we were mailing home to ourselves (airlines charge $15.00 per bag checked on American Airlines nowadays) and then I googled the information and off we went to the location: 12141 Lewis St. Garden Grove, CA 92840 <br />Constructed from more than 10,000 plates of glass, the Crystal Cathedral is packed with more than 3,000 seated worshippers every Sunday for service, as well as hundreds more who experience drive-in worship in the parking lot, via a nine-storey tall sliding glass doors which allows them to view the service. The cathedral is also most famous as the filming place of Dr. Robert H. Schuller's "Hour of Power" TV show. <br />Building History<br />Dr. Robert H. Schuller said, "When the local congregation reached 10,000 and we needed a bigger church building, I remembered how wonderful it had been at my little drive-in church (where the ministry began in 1955) where there had been no walls or ceiling-it was there I fell in love with the sky! And that's why we built the Crystal Cathedral with walls and a roof of glass-crystal-clear glass that lets the sun and sky sparkle through our wonderful sanctuary." On September 14, 1980, in Garden Grove, Calif., Dr. Robert Schuller dedicated the Crystal Cathedral "To the Glory of Man for the Greater Glory of God."<br />Affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, the church then known as Garden Grove Community Church was founded in 1955 by the Reverend Dr. Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, and is considered the world's first "seeker sensitive" church. The first church services were held in space rented from the Orange Drive In Theatre. In 1961, the congregation moved to a new sanctuary designed by famed architect, Richard Neutra . Construction on the Cathedral began in 1977 and ended in 1980. The initial estimated cost of the church was $6 million, but the final cost was over $17 million (about $55 million in 2007 dollars). One way Dr. Schuller found to help finance the construction of the Crystal Cathedral was to invite donors to give $500 for each of the 10,000 rectangular panes of glass, which raised over US$5 million by its completion. The entire building was built to be “green”-eco-friendly. Upon moving from the old Neutra sanctuary to the new Johnson sanctuary, the congregation changed its name to the Crystal Cathedral Congregation. One of the church's mission statements is, "Find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it." The Crystal Cathedral organ is one of the world's largest pipe organs, located at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. The Cathedral pipe organ, made possible by a gift from the late Hazel Wright of Chicago (viewer from the Hour of Power), is the third largest church pipe organ in the world. Conceived by famed organ virtuoso Virgil Fox, the organ unites the Aeolian-Skinner organ from Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center in New York City with the Ruffatti organ built for the former sanctuary in 1977. <br />There have been numerous additions and refinements by noted organ builders. There are 287 ranks of pipes and over 16,000 individual pipes, all playable from two five-manual consoles. White oak cases hold the nearly 11,000 pipes in the chancel area. Included there is a rank of forty-four 32-foot pedal pipes, originally in the organ at Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California-a gift of the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church of La Crescenta. The South Balcony divisions of the organ contain 5,000 pipes, and in the East and West Balconies are 549 horizontal trumpet pipes-the largest collection of such pipes in the world. <br />The statues (there are around 20 total inside & outside) are all donated among the campus which is now 40 acres. They were preparing for the play “Glory of Christmas” that is performed live before Christmas, with live animals performing. It was a very good tour provided by Bill Russell who is a current member of the church and is retired. <br />We left and found a UPS shipping store and then….you guessed it-a “In-N-Out” burger restaurant and we indulged ourselves in the rental car. Off we headed back to the resort and I started packing while Thomas went to the hot tub for a bit. He came back and we watched the Richmond vs. Montana in the Football Championship Subdivision title game with the University of Montana-Richmond won. We then watched several Christmas shows on the family channel here in the condo, then to our surprise as we had lost track of time the fireworks were going off outside our balcony door so we again watched for our final night. I talked to Nicole as they had driven to San Antonio for the night since Juan’s office was having the Christmas party there and Caitlynn wanted to watch all 3 kids. She said Caitlynn did very well with them! Nicole text me to say “good birth control”-I agree! Off to bed after gathering things to pack and preparing for our final California morning……<br />Good morning-December 20, 2008 today will be the warmest day since the day we arrived-looking to be 60 degrees for the day. We got up and Thomas fixed breakfast that was pretty much a smorgasbord as we were eating the last of our breakfast fixings and any other leftovers we acquired the last couple of days. It was all good and we got our bellies full and put the finishing touches on getting ready and packing as our flight is at 1:40PM but the rental car has to be checked in by noon. Off we head in the CA traffic headed towards L.A. and as usual there is quite a bit of traffic even on this Saturday morning. Thomas is thinking maybe because it’s the last weekend before Christmas? Maybeeeee but I’m thinking this is just L.A. Everything is on schedule as planned until we get to LAX (airport) and when Thomas used the kiosk as I waited in line with the luggage he came back to me and said “we need to talk to someone because when it printed our tickets it shows our departure time as 8PM and we are supposed to change planes in Dallas at 7:45PM”. So we waited our opportunity and spoke with an American Airlines ticket agent and she explained to us that they took 2 planes out of commission due to “mechanical issues” this morning so several flights had to be cancelled and are backed up to get people out. That made us confirmed on the 8PM flight but we could go on stand-by before that flight if we’d like. So with much effort on Thomas’s part as we were ready to get home AND the Dallas Cowboys play at 8PM tonight (but it’s only on the NFL Network) so it will be very difficult to watch unless we are somewhere where the game is be televised, we made our 2nd flight attempt on standby. Meanwhile I got hold of Jennie (our niece) and she will pickup Caitlynn in Greensboro as we were originally scheduled to change flights in Dallas along with her from Austin so we would be flying into Greensboro all together, now our plans are changed. I spoke with Nicole to be sure Caitlynn knew what was going on with us and everyone’s good and squared away but us. As we fly into Dallas, much to what I expected, the football game is on every TV in the airport-after all we are in Dallas. Thomas & I saw on the boards that display all flights coming or going that there were no more going to Greensboro tonight as we arrived at 8:15PM so he sat in front of one of the TVs and watched the game while I confirmed we had no other options for today and confirmed our options to resume our trip tomorrow to go home. We are scheduled to be at Louise’s for Christmas dinner/gift exchange at 2PM. We are confirmed for the only flight with availability tomorrow which will get us into Greensboro at 11:15PM but we decided to come into the airport early to go on standby for the only other flight tomorrow which is at 8:15AM. If we make it we should be able to make the Rothe Family Christmas celebration! <br />The airlines put us up in a Holiday Inn Express by the airport and gave us food vouchers for tonight and tomorrow for breakfast. We get $10 each for dinner tonight and $5 each for breakfast. Since it is 10:50PM as we catch the shuttle to the airport, we decided to order food in the room to be delivered. Of course we have none of our luggage as it went on from LA so we will wear the same clothes tomorrow and the hotel gave us a toothbrush & toothpaste for our personal hygiene for the night. <br />Sunday, December 21st, 2008 Thomas and I catch the airport shuttle from the airport on a nice brisk windy morning at 6:05AM. We get to the airport nice and early to try to make the first flight on standby. After we get thru security we decide to go have a nice breakfast to kill some time. I chose burritos and Thomas had a regular full line breakfast-both were great! Much to our delight we made the standby list and we were the only ones since there were 2 seats left only-good choice to get up early!! So we landed at noon in Greensboro and made the Rothe Christmas Family celebration at 2:20 PM. I love this time of year as we spend time with all our family, it’s great!Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66635762360585697.post-61022778836585709862008-12-28T17:41:00.003-05:002008-12-28T18:22:24.464-05:00Thanksgiving in Canada 2008Thanksgiving 2008-Our trip to Canada<br />Well, here we are a week and a half from Thanksgiving for 2008. As the last few years have evolved and we have taken on several major life changes (like getting married and moving to VA from TX for starters, starting a new business, then transitioning to having a college child, not to mention my daughter becoming a high school student….) So Thomas decides that maybe we should take his parents and go visit his home country-Canada. Much to our regret Denyse is unable to come on this short notice as she has other commitments that she feels obligated to attend and we understand and appreciate the servant’s heart that she has for touching terminally ill patients and their families, so we graciously accepted her decline. Thomas and I found a resort in Quebec City, Canada that actually had availability for our Thanksgiving stay. We met Denyse in Lexington, VA to pickup Hans for our driving trip headed to our destination of choice! We left Roanoke by I-81 northbound and will continue on this highway until we get to the US/Canada border. Of course in grandma’s fashion she has emailed us a list of contacts/family members-complete with names/addresses/phones that she would be honored for us to visit. And then the following day she sent another email with an added list-haha! Thomas’s last trip to Canada was at least 8 years ago and this is Caitlynn’s first trip to Canada. Me, while I went to Canada for business the first year Thomas and I were married but wasn’t able to do a lot of sight seeing then so I too am looking forward to this trip. The temperature here at home was 32 degrees Fahrenheit as we left our house.<br />As we get stopped for gas in Pennsylvania, several hours into the drive I asked Hans when his family came to Canada as I knew he met Denyse while they were going to Ottawa University. We had a very enjoyable time as he relived the time of their meeting, marriage, children being born and the transforming of his career in the midst of those times. He talked of his career and the many turns it took as he was a very detailed/exploring young professional that strived to figure things out and liked practical application that he could teach others along the way which is how he became a professor and was involved in academics. He spoke of the times when he took his family as the few exiled from Germany to Canada and at that period he stated the French Canadians preferred to be by themselves and did not want to be “blended citizens”. He told us the university required the students to either take English or French courses and they required you to take classes opposite of their natural tongue. That in itself tells me that the students in that era and that setting had to be very motivated but as he speaks you realize they felt so fortunate to obtain an education they never questioned their abilities, they just accepted it as the way it was and set their sails to accomplish all they could with passion. He spoke of the many obstacles he encountered after completing his studies but in an effort to begin his own business (which occurred during Thomas’s early high school years) it required him to be away from Denyse and the kids for that period. Which I found interesting as he stated, “After being there for a while and listening to people, I realized their struggles even though most had a bachelors degree but never utilized it”. “Many of them helped me sort my ideas and I learned a lot but soon knew that it was not the place that I wanted to raise my children”. Most of the times Thomas also recalled with his dad and it’s good to hear the two of them exchanging thoughts as Thomas asked his dad details of his specific job/business during those years. I feel he was learning more of his dad’s thoughts during that time of their lives. He spoke of things that are typically not discussed at those times with parents and children. During the times when we grew up, children typically did not question though they wondered-we just accepted what we were given and definitely did not question our parents efforts. Those times have changed and at times I feel it’s better but in some ways I feel we have learned to grow in relationships with communication, especially when it’s constructive in our daily lives. <br />Throughout our highway travels en route there are many temperature changes, including beautiful snow showers. As we got to NY, I was sure to bring it to Caitlynn’s attention though its dark since she has always wanted to go spend time in NY-she likes the big city busyness. The snow falls in nice big flakes and it is really pretty as we watch it flow outside the truck window as we travel down the highway. There have been several wrecks, mostly on the opposite side of the interstate that we have seen. Some areas looked to have black ice and the others as the snow is coming down heavily it seems like people just don’t want to slow down. As it is getting close to 8 PM we decided to make plans for stopping for a quick dinner as the GPS “Karen” is telling us our ETA will be 3:05AM at the timeshare in Québec City where we will be staying for the next week. Hans told us of a restaurant that he and Denyse often stopped when making this trip, he was unable to recall the name but felt it was within this area. So Thomas thought they’d call Denyse on his cell phone & she “googled” it then called us back and gave us directions for our safe arrival. Caitlynn asked grandpa what kind of restaurant it is and he told her “you know a truck stop but Denyse and I have always enjoyed the food”. That brings back memories for Caitlynn & I when my dad moved to Oklahoma City and he loved for us to meet him at the “Petro” which also had a diner named the “Iron Skillet” and it was exactly that- a truck stop. He was like me in that aspect as he worked odd hours, preferably night shift and so he often would eat at places such as this since not everyone was up! <br />At this time the temperature is 14-19 degrees Fahrenheit with occasional snow fall. The restaurant is named “Longway Café”, we ate dinner while Hans had breakfast. We all enjoyed the meal and conversation now we are off to complete our destination. At this stop we are 26 miles from the Canadian border. Of course as we enter Canada, the signs are bilingual and the distances are indicated in kilometers only. Going thru customs was quite simple and we were glad that Thomas & Caitlynn had made a meal list and a grocery list before they went grocery shopping before we left Roanoke, and everything is neatly packed in the back of the truck. Denyse was concerned as she thought it might be an issue when crossing the border-thankfully not. Hans had told Thomas before we left that Canada had recently passed a new law requiring all travelers to have snow tires and all terrain tires were NOT considered acceptable-only snow tires effective Nov. 1st. He had checked again before we met today and due to the high demand and the lack of supplies to convert for the new law, they extended the timeframe to Dec. 15th so we were safe. We drove on the outskirts of Québec City to the timeshare (Chalets Mont-Sainte-Anne in Beaupré) and we arrived at 4:05 AM. Caitlynn & I were amazed that Hans had not slept at all not even taking a cat nap the entire trip. At times when she & I woke Thomas and Hans would have classical music on the radio as they escorted us onward! We, of course were awaken when Thomas pulled up to the Tim Horton’s (which is a very Canadian tradition and it’s comparable to Dunkin Donuts with the added benefit of sandwiches or Panera in our area-their pictures on the menu have a donut with every sandwich!) for donuts & café at 3:20 AM! Very good! We stopped for gas and noticed that the price is the same regardless of where you go here in Québec at .85 cents per liter. We unloaded everything from the pickup truck into the chalet, which had a large open floor plan with a fireplace, 4 bedrooms, and 3 floors so plenty of room. The four of us drank a toast to our week of family time, safe travels, and the ability to enjoy it all. Hans spoke of the times as he grew up in Germany during World War II when there was nothing to eat and the unemployment rate was 60% before Hitler put everyone to work building the Autobahn. He tells us that’s why he can’t stand to see waste especially of food and he questions why people would put more food on their plates than they can possibly eat.. Off to bed we all went @ 5:20 AM on this Saturday, November 22, 2008.<br /><br />Our tradition (Thomas & I) since we began traveling together as we dated then married was to cook a nice full breakfast where we are staying then we would either eat lunch out (typically lunch is cheaper than dinner when eating out) as we are sightseeing then cook our dinner back at our condo or vice versa, so our plans are the same for this trip. Thomas & Hans were on the cell phone making contacts with family so they could plan our next few days according to travel, etc. Caitlynn & Thomas went to register us into our chalet and bought an arm full of wood for $7. As we begin our first day we have chosen to stay close to our area of Beaupré/Québec City since we had driven 958 miles the day before. Our first visit was to one of Denyse’s sisters who is 64 yrs old (she is the baby girl of the family) her name is Clémence and Marc Paquet is her husband (address: 375 route du Pont #44, St-Nicolas, QC, Canada which is not far from the bridge that crosses the river to go to Québec City, home# 418-288-5159, email: <a href="mailto:kemianctil@hotmail.com">kemianctil@hotmail.com</a> ). Clémence babysits a lawyer’s children and her husband Marc is a sailor who just returned from the Caribbean after bringing a ship back for the owner who lives here but vacations there seasonally. Upon our arrival, Caitlynn & I were surprised as they greet with a kiss on each cheek. As Caitlynn stated later, I’m just not there yet with the “kissing thing”-haha. Marc served us coffee which they call café here and it is very European as it is dark/strong. They do offer cream/sugar but no one uses them, Caitlynn & I enjoyed the flavor of the coffee and were generous with the cream/sugar using almost all of it -haha. Their lifestyle here is much slower paced and they look forward to having café with visitors/family, almost as a custom it seems. We talked about many things including how Hans got to Canada and he enlightened us that he was a gymnast while in school in Germany but could not compete because of his left elbow. He cannot straighten it and this would count against him in competition so he became a trainer instead. Hans had jumped over a fence when he was 6 yrs old, landed on the elbow and must have shattered the bone in 3-4 places. During this era though medicine was not as developed as it is today and there was nothing they could do for it the doctors told his parents. Hans said his parents would talk about him and refer to him as “always doing crazy stuff”. Trust me, he’s only changed slightly over these years! Marc’s English is fairly good and Clémence’s English is broken but understandable. Hans remembered coming to Canada less than 10 years ago for 15 days in a French immersion program to improve his ability to communicate. This trip has been good for Thomas to freshen up on his French also though I never heard Hans speak it. Hans told me that Denyse could never speak German in spite of the classes she took in college.<br />They have 2 daughterswith the oldest being Maude-pronounced ‘Mode’ (356 Des Sizerins, St-Nicolas, QC,Canada, G7A 3H6, home # 418-836-2094, Cell 418-806-1452 email: <a href="mailto:paquetpooh@hotmail.com">paquetpooh@hotmail.com</a> ) Maude just turned 30 on Oct 31st and her husband is Keven. She and Keven married in July 2004, same year as Louise/David in Sept 2004 and Thomas/I in Oct 2004. They have a baby named Sofiane (pronounced Sophia) and she turned a year old Oct 25th, she’s trying to walk but not quite able to do so though she entertained us with her attempts! Keven built their home and Maude is a lawyer who practices in highway safety laws. She told us that Canada only requires license plates on the back of a car and that they are finally getting digital cameras in place to use as cars go through customs at the border. She said they were having issues though as people will travel with a bike rack on the back of their vehicle so the image is distorted, that’s their next focal point. Interestingly enough, her sister Manon (pronounced ‘Mon-o’) lives only 2 houses from her. Manon (348 Des Sizerins, St-Nicolas, Canada, G7A3H6 ) is expecting a baby in early March, her boyfriend Jean Philippe built their house 3 years ago. Both of them are very pretty ladies and the men in their lives play hockey together on a regular basis (along with the entire country here!). We spent more time at Maude’s today as she wanted to give us a tour of their home. The nursery is very cute and she told us that her sister (Manon) did all the painting in the room which included some scenery-the painting is very good. Maude seems to be very outgoing and enjoys being with people. The baby was asleep in their bedroom upon our arrival but woke up and was entertaining all of us later. We watched football as it is the Canadian football playoff series. Maude enjoys going to NY shopping and she tries to go biannually. She spends 3-4 days there, she & friends made the trip and she had just returned recently. Manon is already on maternity leave as in Canada a whole year is taken off for maternity leave unless you are employed by the government (socialized medicine in Canada) Manon being a nurse, will have a year before and 1 year after the baby is born. The time off is interchangeable between the mother OR father during the leave which I thought was very interesting. If you do not work for the government then you are still given 1year maternity leave as Maude was telling us that the government gives a rebate for childcare in Canada. We had a great visit with both girls as we walked to Manon’s home to visit for a bit. She was quieter than Maude at first since Caitlynn & I just met her (noone can be too quiet around Caitlynn or I since we enjoy talking…..) . She is currently 26 yrs old. They both remembered Jason and asked Thomas about him and how old he is now and what he’s doing. Manon showed Maude a new stamp (Stamp It Up) that she had gotten and they were both admiring it. I asked them if they also scrapbook and they both smiled and told me they do and they love “stamping” also which is very popular in the States. Manon asked if she could prepare lunch for us as she states “I can make food that you will like”, so on Wednesday when we take Hans to catch the train for Ottawa we will come here for lunch with her as she is on maternity leave currently with the baby due in March. After our visit with the girls we drove Clémence home and asked her to join us as we would travel to St. Jean-Port-Joli in the morning, she was glad to come with us since she will be off from work. <br /><br />Today our objective this morning (Sunday) was to get Thomas a new goalie stick and begin searching for some ski gear for Caitlynn. She says she is ready to attempt some Canadian skiing this week. Oh my gosh… they have hockey stores like we have Dollar Generals in the US! The store we went into was 2 times bigger than Gander Mountain, it’s huge and even with it being a Sunday before lunchtime there are people everywhere! I’m talking about whole families-moms, dads and kids. I got Jason a new Canadian hockey hoody for Christmas. After our purchases we picked up Cémence from her home and she joined us for our day trip. As we started down the road she told us she was the only child of Denyse’s siblings to actually be born in St. Jean-Port-Joli. <br />The drive is flatter than I expected, except for the mountainous area on the north shore close to where we are staying. We drove close to the St Lawence River on Hwy 20 and on the south shore. We can see where the water is icing over. The temperature today as we begin is 23 degrees and it is quite windy. Hans was reminiscing of a time when he was driving to St. Jean-Port-Joli with Denyse before they were married and he was stopped by 2 police officers as he was exceeding the speed limit. He didn’t speak French well enough to communicate nor could they speak English so the cop consulted with his partner and after deciding they could not communicate effectively with him, the one office walked back to Hans’s car and as he leaned into the window he just pointed at the speedometer so Hans would know the correct speed and let him go! He & Denyse had met at the University of Ottawa as they were involved in the Drama Guild which was sponsored by the university. He said the professional group later tried to get him involved in theater as a career but he said not interested as his interest were more in science! <br />After graduating from college in Ottawa, Denyse went to the School of Rehabilitation at the University of Montreal. After her second year she spent her four months of internship in Vancouver in physical and occupational therapy. As we drove into the small community of St. Jean-Port-Joli, Hans and Thomas both pointed out the small church in the center of the village. Denyse’s parents’ funeral services were held in that church. Our destination was Denyse’s brother’s place, Raymond Anctil (190 de Gaspe Ouest, St. Jean-Port Joli, QC,Canada, G0R 3G0, email: <a href="mailto:anctil@globetrotter.net">anctil@globetrotter.net</a> , can be reached @ Odette’s 418-598-3446) he is the youngest child of Denyse’s siblings and is 62 yrs old now. He manages a manufacture of plastic business but he says he’s trying to retire but continues sailing as that is his passion. He and Odette have 3 daughters with the youngest being 22 and she is a dancer in Quebec and she goes to college and performs in the theatre arts at the university. She actually has a performance scheduled for Dec. 13th that her parents boasted about to us (She was also born on her dad’s birthday as he so proudly tells me). He says none of the girls have a license to drive except the youngest, though they all do drive. He takes care of 2 of his grandchildren: Melina and Cedric whose mother is his daughter Sophie. He stays very involved with Izaak who is the oldest of the 3 grandchildren and is Julie’s child. He is also very actively involved with the marina and trying to get the youth of the area involved with sailing as they will learn “to survive and rely on themselves when they are out to sea”. His daughter Julie was actually born at sea and spent at least 2 yrs on the boat as they sailed. As I listen to his stories of life and sea, it is very obvious that he is a simple family oriented man that loves the sea! He described to me how the river outside his home flows. The arctic waters flow deep and they flow upstream because it’s cold and is drawn up. The inland waters are the ones that flow downstream and flow on top of the river then when the tide comes in (high tide) the salt water floats on top and pushes the rest down so you can have a mixture of all 3 at any given time. I was amazed at all the frozen salt you can see on the shore. Raymond and Odette live in separate places (this is her home she designed that we met them at: 605 de Gaspe Ouest, St. Jean-Port-Joli, QC, Canada G0R 3G0, home # 418-598-3446 or 418-598-7045) but they get along well as they are very involved with their children and grandchildren and as he said to me during our meal, “we had 3 children together and now grandchildren and we do what’s best for them”. As an artist Odette simply signs her work simply with “Odet”. She is a“Maquettiste Sculpteure” and creates a wide variety of fascinating forms of art, including wood carvings from wall hangings to photo albums. When we arrived, we were greeted with great excitement by both! They have an amazing view of the river from the front of the home here; there is a lighthouse on a small island a few miles off shore. Odette seems like a very happy spirit as she smiles all the time. They had our lunch being prepared and Denyse’s sister Françoise Anctil who is 72 yrs old (502 de Gaspe Ouest, St. Jean-Port-Joli, QC, Canada G0R3G0, home # 418-598-6713 email: <a href="mailto:franctil@videotron.ca">franctil@videotron.ca</a> ) met us there to see us all and spend time with us as well. She is a retired nurse and was in the teaching aspect of healthcare, she has not worked as a nurse for years but had achieved a high rank as facilitator. She walks with a single tip cane and has just recently had to get her eyeglasses changed and is having to wear her older ones that she is not fond of as they are tinted and longer the right lenses. She states she’ll hopefully be coming to “the city” meaning Quebec City to get her new ones. I laughed as she told she thought it could be done as she sat there and was disappointed when they told her they’d call her when they were complete! Her husband died 1-2 yrs ago and he ran a dairy before he died. Thomas remembers bringing Sherry & Jason to spend a couple of days with them previously as he learned a lot about the diary business. Françoise never had children of her own, though she has great memories of helping raise Clémence due to the age difference and she has a very special godchild named Annick who was a daughter of a nursing classmate. Annick “chose her to be her second mom” as she reports to me with great pride. Françoise is 13 months younger than Denyse (4th girl born to Eustache and Cecile’ Anctil). We learned many things about the family history. It was very educational and interesting to sit around and visit with the family members. Françoise speaks broken English, Raymond speaks English very well but Odette does not speak any English but she is a very socially gracious and a happy individual. We had a wonderful time as Odette and Raymond served a 5 course meal accompanied by a nice, wide selection of wines, finalizing with cafe. There was a very generous vegetable platter with never-ending fresh French bread/butter (I loved every piece I ate!). Then Sturgeon (at type of fish-smoked) was served as a delicacy, Caitlynn & I had some new tasting experiences as we were all seated around the table together as one big family. Our next serving was sautéed escargot (snails) which I had never eaten but they taste like a strong mushroom, the seasoning was one with cheese, garlic, & etc on top as it was baked, Raymond explained how he created it. I ate all of mine but Caitlynn graciously gave hers to Raymond and ate more bread and vegetables instead. The meat entrée was grilled cod, done perfectly and then he served almond flavored rice followed by fried potatoes-all was delightful to our palates! The final touches were a wonderful wide selection of cheeses from the area and Raymond explained each of them to us as what type and where they originated from as Odette refilled the bread baskets and placed a variety of crackers with it for us to choose from. As European fashion we closed with fresh café. I see by spending time with this family where the traits of my mother-in-law come from and I have been blessed for it to trickle down to my husband. I heard the story of this family’s gratitude when Hans accompanied Clémence to Janine’s wedding when Denyse was in Vancouver and unable to attend so Hans went to represent her for her family. Even Raymond commented on how they were all truly touched that he would participate in such a manner regarding their family event. Raymond spoke of the recent trip he made to help Marc bring the sail boat back from the Caribbean as it was a very difficult time he stated, what typically took 10-13 days for each section of 2 ended after 40 days then having to get the coast guard to pull them in for the final stretch. There is a palm tree decorated in the living room of their home as a Christmas tree and when I commented how cute it was he stated that Odette loves the sun/heat so this is how they choose to remind them of warmth. Raymond talked with us about sailing as we were surrounded by Odette’s recreation of many sails boats made of wood including the one that used to be at Eustache’s home. He told us he took it as a younger boy and played with it in the bath tub until it broke! Odette has restored it and it is placed in a glass case in their home. There was also a lighthouse that was made by Eustache and it has a neon light that glows on it currently as he pointed it out for us. Raymond tells us the light has never been changed since it was created by their dad as it continues to glow. It was very pretty and created with much detail as we observed it with honor and we listened to the stories Raymond so graciously shared with us as I asked many! Odette escorted us to her workshop where she creates her art. The two of them showed us many pieces that hold a lot of history for their family. Raymond was sure to point out and demonstrate the use of an antique iron that was used by his mom. Caitlynn was amused to hear the story of its use. It required the user to place the base on hot coals then taking the “iron” part out and ironing with it. He also told us of Odette’s responsibility for the upkeep/restoring of the markers in the area across from their house. This is a small parking area advertised as a landmark where people can park and enjoy the river and read of its history (later Janine tells us Violette was responsible for creating this area). After we finished our meal we went to Francoise’s home which is a short distance from Odettes’s house and towards the village. Françoise’s house is where Denyse’s parents spent their last days. Raymond followed us but Odette, after thanking us for coming to visit and giving us hugs/kisses (including a big, big hug to Thomas that he delighted in!) stayed at her home.<br />Francoise lives in a small home but it is filled with many memories and history. It has a breathtaking view of the Saint-Lawrence River and all the way to the North Shore as it also has a huge picture window in the living area. Conveniently she also has a lounge chair sitting where she can take phone calls and a small dining table in the front area-all arranged ideally around the awesome view! She has a wall grandfather clock that is similar to Denyse and Hans in their home but she states is not as old. Immediately upon entering Raymond wound the clock and told us that it’s due to be done every Sunday afternoon on a weekly basis so he was taking care of it for his sister. This is also where they had the family celebration that Thomas speaks of when the whole family came in 2000 and the Chalet that all the kids loved playing in by the water. We saw pictures of their parents Eustache and Cécile and looked through their 50th wedding celebration album as they had been married 50 yrs on July 13, 1981. Eustache passed away in 1990 and Cécile passed in 1991. Eustache was 27 yrs old when they married, he was born in 1905 and Cécile was born in 1907. From the stories that were told it sounds as if Eustache was very talented and could do anything he made his mind to do, even in those difficult times. Their parents did not raise Denyse as it was difficult times and her father’s brother Adrien and his wife Antoinette never had children so they took Denyse to help out. As time pasted she remained living with them in Thetford Mines at first then the family moved to Victoriaville, while the rest of her siblings (all 7) were raised in St. Jean-Port, Joli area. They had a sister that passed away from cancer at her age of 42 named Violette. Raymond describes her by saying she was “free as the wind”, meaning free spirited. He recalled that she went to see a D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine) in Belgium and was told she was having “the usual female problems” when in fact she became increasingly ill so she went to a M.D. (medical doctor) when she returned to Canada and by that time the cancer that actually started in her ovaries had now spread to her lungs and she lost her life to it after a 2-3 year battle. The siblings present were describing Jean-Yves (1 rue des Passants, Marsoui, QC, Canada, home #418-822-5159? email: <a href="mailto:jyanctil@globetrotter.net">jyanctil@globetrotter.net</a> ) who is now 65 yrs old. I can tell by their description of him that he is probably similar to Raymond in the aspect of he loves the outdoors and the water that they choose to live near. He’s recently retired but not currently married, and he has 3 children with 2 boys and a girl. The description of him by his siblings was that he “preferred being alone in the wilderness”. Denyse says that he lives “way far east of the Gaspe’ peninsula and a very detailed map of Quebec is needed to locate his town of Marsoui”, that alone means he probably likes for you to call before you come see him-haha. Evidentially he uses a CPAP and Thomas spoke with him on the phone earlier today as he brought him supplies from the US, we left the box with Raymond as he will be sure Jean-Yves gets them. During our time together eating, Raymond told us their dad was involved in the forestry service as a supervisor, he loved the outdoors. When he traveled (walked) throughout the woods he would come upon a chalet that usually was deserted and stay on the front porch to sleep as he felt more comfortable in the open space. He told us also that Eustache had made the decision to have his body given to science when he passed away instead of burying him because he “didn’t want anyone looking at him dead!” He also felt strongly about children being able to learn and this would be a way that the university could still use him and he’d make a difference even after he was gone. Raymond states he knew that would be his dad’s wish and agreed with him, Clémence also states she was one of the few that supported his decision also. The family tells us that if you die in the winter in Canada they store your body on ice until the ground thaws and they can bury you in the spring. I thought they were kidding but they all verified this as a fact of life , so if I were around, I too would have to support Eustache’s decision to be donated to science instead of going on ice! I’m not so sure I could be on this earth without talking for 6 months so take me then! Francoise snickered along with Raymond as they talked about the funeral having a hundred people present but there being nothing there but flowers-no casket or urn as the university has a biannual ceremony for the donated bodies (ie: 40-50) then divides the ashes after cremation into the same number of urns and ships them back to the donating family-6 months later (Francoise explained this in great detail as she used to work in that area of the university). Then their family had another ceremony and 30-50 people attended with Eustache’s urn. I’m thinking Eustache was a smart man! <br />Raymond took us down to the legendary Chalet that sits below Francoise’s home. It sits closer to the river and is small but has a lot of character not to mention a generation of memories for all the family. The wind was bone chilling, the night very dark but the excitement was worth the wait for Caitlynn and I as we darkened the doorstep with Raymond, Hans, and Thomas. It was small to my surprise but maybe it’s because the stories Thomas has been telling me were so big in his heart! It was a single room with several small single beds, table with a couple of chairs, and an old stove for fires. The side wall to your right as you entered had several brooms and a dust pan hanging in a holder across the wall. Raymond tells us that they have never locked the door and for some reason the Chalet is always well kept. The area was very tidy on the inside, even to be outside. He states “young kids” from the area have used this place for years to hang-out but have always taken good care of it, including the family when they get together. He says they all understand that they are to leave it in good order when they leave, even the neighbors. This place allowed the kids to feel like they were on their own but close enough if they changed their minds and needed to come back to the house. Thomas recalls many good times spent down here with friends and family, it was a very chilly evening with the wind briskly blowing and the temperature to be 22 degrees-Fahrenheit (without the wind chill). We found our way to the Chalet as we carried a couple of flashlights to guide us, Raymond in the lead. As we made our way back to Francoise’s house Raymond, being a true sailor he is was sure to point out Neptune and Venus across the open sky for us to admire as he seems to love so much in his world here. The water around the shore was frozen, there were even parts that looked like a wave was about to make shore in all it’s glory and was frozen in motion around us, it was a great night to reminisce with family memories as I learned so much more of this family I had joined 4 years ago now. <br />Upon our re-entry to join Clémence and Françoise at Françoise’s home, I noticed a picture of Lauren Henry on her dining table. Françoise told me she is Louise’s godmother and informed me with great pride so I shared my stories of keeping Lauren just last week for Louise. Louise’s team played hockey against Thomas’s team and I shared photos/video on my phone that I had taken then. I told them of getting her to say “Go Mommy Go” then after Thomas saved a shot to his goal I got her to say “Go Uncle Thomas” and her pronunciation was perfect with Tho-mas being 2 full syllables! Everyone in the stands were laughing and clapping for her with great excitement from her, of course she grinned from ear to ear in all their praises! They all aahh’d and oohh’d at her and how big she’s gotten, being the proud aunt I also grinned ear to ear! Raymond took care of Francoise’s wall clock as she told us the story of her clock, she told Hans it is not as old as the one at his and Denyse’s home since theirs was made in 1928. One of my favorite stories was one that was shared with us was the one Raymond spoke of the family reunion that they had here at Françoise’s as a big canopy had been installed to shelter the guests from the summer sun and that is where food was served and people visited all day. Hans and Denyse’s whole bunch came in 2000. Thomas had told me it was because of a family reunion/celebration had been planned that they came from VA, while it was because they were coming that the rest of the family had been invited to come for that “celebration” time. They stated Jean-Yves loves kids (better than adults Raymond really said) and he got into the mud, covered himself and came out as a “mud monster”. Raymond said he was naked but his entire body was covered in mud-scared all the kids who loved it and made all the adults mad. Later, Thomas and Hans told me after we left that evening that he actually had a Speedo on and he wasn’t naked. It was hilarious to hear Raymond tell the story with Françoise and Clémence commenting on the event! Thomas remembered a story that he loved as he was about 15 yrs old (1976) when he came to Canada with his French club from high school and most of the cousins were in the Chalet down from Francoise’s house (the one we had just visited while here) playing tug of war when his cousin Jean Francois had the opposite end from Thomas and then decided to let go. As he did, Thomas went out the door, off the porch and fell backwards as he rolled and hit a big rock. His head was busted open and everyone was asking him if he was ok, Jean Francois was apologizing and due to the blood/gash they took him to the hospital. He lost consciousness at some point so they performed a CAT scan while he was in the Canadian ER. They said in great humor that Jean-Yves tried to pass him off as his son due to the Canadian health system as his ER visit would be paid for by the government but since Thomas kept speaking English they did not believe the story. Jean-Yves tried to tell them what had happened when he hit his head and woke-up-suddenly he spoke English??? Thomas found Eustache’s certificate for auto mechanics form 1953 sitting on Françoise’s dining table, I told Thomas that’s where he got his genes for being able to fix things. Raymond said their dad had an “engineering mind, there wasn’t anything he could not do!” Evidentially, Denyse’s birth mother- Cécile never drove though her husband did and her aunt and uncle that raised her (Antoniette and Adrien) neither one ever drove either-I found this to be interesting. They were all trying to remember different dates and who all had been to VA since Denyse and Hans moved away from Canada. Thomas remembered that it was 1967-1968 between Christmas and New Years when they left as he said Hans didn’t let them take any snow gear to VA as he stated “it never snows there so you won’t need any of it”. Thomas said they arrived in Iron Gate on Dec 31st and it was snowing. Thomas told Hans, “I was livid with you since we didn’t have any gear and it WAS snowing here the first day we got there!” Hans laughed and didn’t recall what he had told the kids before leaving to move. Thomas also shared the story of how his mom taught him to drive-by getting him a paper route when he was 11 yrs old. He said he started asking her if he could drive and she said no since he was not old enough. He said he kept asking each year and finally when he was 14 yrs old she said, “next year you’ll be old enough” and the next year he learned and it was all history from there. Then he told us everytime Hans and Denyse left the house together he could use a screwdriver and start the Volkswagon Bug and move it around in the driveway just so he could “drive”. Upon their return they’d ask about it-if that’s where it was left or not and Thomas would never really answer them as he went about his business……It was a wonderful evening filled with great memories as families come together to relive and remember each other!<br />As we headed back to Québec City and were going to take Clémence home first she told us their elections were coming up on Dec 10th, she said she dreads election time-Hans just laughed. Here in the states on November 4th this year, we had just made history by electing the first African-American president. For most this was a monumental time in history, for others they questions the time/reasoning for the public electing him for this position-time will tell only. Regardless who is in office for our country, God is still in control. <br />It was weird for us as it seems to get dark by 4:30 in the afternoons here, Clémence said that after winter starts, Dec 21st, the days get longer but it really feels like Belize time to us! We came back to our chalet and ate a light dinner, started the fireplace and watched Sunday night football. Hans told us of when he learned to drive as he was fighting in World War II in the Hitler’s youth. One day during the war, Hans was in a tank with another guy who was driving the tank and after the driver got shot Hans was told to take over the driving. He told them he didn’t know how to drive but they didn’t care-he either drove or stayed where he was and got shot at. He told Caitlynn & me that he was drafted when 15 years old and that he was deeply affected when he saw a good friend of his, who was only at an arm length’s distance being hit and having his head blown off-it was horrific and he said to this day he still recalls the memory in great detail. Hans remained active in WWII for 2 years as he fought for Hitler in Germany. He told us “anyone who believes in war is stupid, it’s absolutely senseless he said!” As they talked again of the move to VA, Thomas remembered attending the Expo before they moved from Canada and he was so disappointed he couldn’t ride the roller coaster as he was not tall enough. Hans said the measurement tool just showed that he was too short. Thomas said he didn’t recall that but thought his parents just didn’t want him to ride.<br />Today was the football game for the Gray Cup, which is the Canadian teams “superbowl” and Calgary Stampede beat the Montreal Allouettes.<br /><br /><br />The temperature as we began was 24-28 degrees Fahrenheit with overcast skies and occasional slight snowfall and today we started off slowly as we have had a schedule each day until today-Monday, November 24, 2008. We ate breakfast together and after we all prepared for the day our plan was to sight see and have a leisurely day to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us here in Québec City, Canada. Québec has a population of 750,000 and is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. Denyse called this morning before we left to be sure Hans went to the bank to get money and make sure to use Canadian money while in Canada. I did so en route to town and he laughed! Denyse wanted me to ask Thomas if he recalls Clémence coming to live with them in Cornwall to finish high school when he was just a few years old. At first that was not a memory Thomas had remembered some details. Hans told us of his and Denyse’s honeymoon trip to NY and their return to Canada as they went through customs. He said they asked what they had brought back and he told them the few items they purchased and they still went through everything in their vehicle and left it a mess he said. Hans asked them to straighten the mess they made of their luggage and vehicle since they found what he told them originally to be true. They told him they were not responsible for doing that, he told them then he’d just wait and hold up the line until they fixed what they messed up. So they straightened things and the newly wed couple was on their way home! Now I know where my sweet husband’s disposition tends to become stubborn when he feels you should just do the right thing. Hans told us the story of him being at Ottawa University for his 2nd year and needing money to make it through the year when he applied for a job with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to report to a post in the Northwest Territories. He and Thomas told us that’s where the phrase “cabin fever” came from as due to the snow in the winter where they were stationed they were not able to do anything but sit in a building with the other police and not see anyone, etc. Hans said it was the strangest test he had to take as it asked if he played bridge, did he like cards, etc. He said this was to determine if he was able to get along with others but stay in a closed off area for extended periods of time without going crazy. Two days before he was to leave and they were flying him there since there was no other way to get you in after the winter came there, he received a phone call and they weren’t going to allow him to go since he wasn’t a citizen and there were security clearances needed so he was very disappointed he recalls. He states he just struggled through that year with various odd jobs as his parents were never able to help him or any of his siblings financially. He said he feels this was the best lesson, people tend to overindulge their kids and then they never strive to excel or truly appreciate their help.<br />Our first stop for pictures was at an old church that Thomas says Denyse has brought the family on several occasions to visit, it is well known for the miracles that happen to people when they have come to be healed- la basilique de St. Anne-de-Beaupré’. It is truly magnificent in splendor. Our next picture point was Chute Montmorency. It is very icy as the water falls and Thomas said it has been made tourists friendly. There is a gondola that can be ridden up for a closer view of the falls with a restaurant on top of the mountain. It is closed most of the winter because of the cold weather, as the rails to the gondola are iced over. Next we drove into Québec City and parked our truck to walk down to Old Downtown “Le vieux Québec”. We took pictures and went in all kinds of shops. We stopped in one store that had quite a few figurines of all sizes that reminded me of the Michelin Tire advertisement when I was a kid, a man who used to be on commercials when I was a kid. He was a big and round man with different round bands of white around his entire body. The lady in the store explained to Caitlynn and I to answer our questions about the small figurines. She said there is an Indian tribe called “Inuit’s” that settled in the northern part of the province and these were some of their symbols. Neither Caitlynn nor I, knew there were Indians here in Canada. The sights are beautiful and very European in art and architecture. We stopped in a local market/bistro for sandwiches and soup with some café as all people in this area seem to enjoy around us-Hans & I fit right in! After our touring here, we proceeded to drive around the area Keven suggested to go look for ski equipment. Caitlynn and Thomas found the store Keven had told them about which is where his friend’s the manager, named “Hype-Radical Sports”. Thomas got his skis waxed and Caitlynn got new boots/skis before they venture off for skiing this week. Grandpa was the entertainment as he and I waited on Thomas while he assisted Caitlynn with the multiple attempts to find the best fit for her boots. Grandpa found a white feather Christmas tree that was about 12 inches tall and he wore it as a hat-quite funny! After an afternoon of wondering around and taking pictures we returned to the chalet for dinner. We grilled chicken while Hans found us some music to listen to and Caitlynn built the fire in the fireplace. After dinner Caitlynn & I took the men to enjoy and relax in the hot tub until 9 PM. Us ladies went to Tim Horton’s for French vanilla lattes, to the IGA for more eggs, and to pickup some more firewood then returned to retrieve the men. They placed their swimming trunks on the back cover of the truck and upon our arrival to our chalet they were frozen like popsicles! As we sat by the fireplace and watched the weather channel, Hans shared with us a story about he and Denyse driving all the way up to Gaspé’ in the Volkswagen about 6 months after they married and took a tent to camp along the way. Hans said the area wasn’t really ready for campers but they found a great area with a beautiful view and setup their tent. He said he heard a rumbling outside of the tent after they got settled for the night and he went to see what it was-to be greeted by a bear! He said Denyse screamed, he laughed as he remembered the event. I asked him if she stayed or made him sleep in the car with her, he said “no we slept in the tent”. Thomas laughed and said “now that’s love!” They married when Hans was 30 yrs old and Denyse was 22 yrs old. Hans said that Denyse’s aunt/uncle that raised her communicated with them via amateur radio after they moved to Virginia every Sunday morning after we came back from mass at 11:00 AM, without fail. He said he’d talk to Adrien and Denyse would talk to Antoniette. She passed away in 1988 while in Clifton Forge after he preceeded her in death from Victoriaville in 1981. <br />As we watched some Monday Night Football, Hans and Thomas spoke of a time when Hans smoked cigarettes-a time I am unfamiliar with as I never knew he smoked. To hear Hans’s version of the story was entertaining as Thomas was laughing and he remembered the time they talked about well. Hans said it was a football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins, evidently a very intense game and when Hans started to light a cigarette-he realized that he already had 2 of them burning he told himself, “that was ridiculous and I quit”. That was over 15 years ago and he’s never resumed the habit since. I admire his willpower and in the last several days of listening to him I realize that he is all about self-control and common sense when it comes to personal matters in his lifetime (as well as my husband’s thoughts). He takes no medications at his age of 80 yrs old currently and is the picture of health. He states that at one time the doctors tried to give him medication to take so he wouldn’t get up so many times at night to go to the bathroom but after using it for a prescription period that they gave him to use, he thought it was “useless and stopped taking it and accepts it as part of his age”. The doctors had placed him on high blood pressure medicine a year or so ago for 6 weeks but during that time decided to monitor it himself at home along with changing his activities on a daily basis and monitoring his foods. Upon his return to the doctor for a check-up they verified that his blood pressure had stabilized without the medication. Today he remains active as he loves to hike and he swims on a regular basis at the YMCA when home. Best to my knowledge he also has Denyse swimming somedays now in between her busy schedule she maintains!<br /><br />So today is Tuesday, November 25 and we all slept in then had a good breakfast together. I first got up in the early hours of the morning and the snow was falling lightly but when we all started moving before breakfast the snow was really coming down and the wind was blowing-accumulating very nicely. So you can imagine with the new ski gear, which one was ready to get outside on the slopes and give it a shot! Caitlynn and Thomas prepared and it was only within walking distance so Grandpa and I escorted them to the slopes. The outside temperature is 29 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is very strong! The skiing is very different from what we are accustomed to and the elevation is also different. One of the trails is 4 kilometers long and due to the conditions today there are only several trails open and they were only open until 3:00PM. So off they went and as Hans and I got to the lounge we met a very nice lady from Germany, she and Hans had many things to talk about. She is currently living in Georgia and is in academics, she is probably in her mid 50’s with 2 children that are here skiing with their father today. She asked Hans if he was an academic and he began telling her what his career was most recently after retiring. I enjoyed the part that he told her about working with some of the first computers that required punch cards and she also did recall that time period. Hans laughed as he told her of bringing them home and his children would be so excited to see him bring them home and LOVED to use them to play with, Thomas would use it as a track to race his toy cars on! (I like to think this is where his passion for fast cars began!) She was fascinated that Hans was 80 yrs old as she told him, “you radiate with health!” She inquired if he has been healthy most of his life. He told her that when he arrived at the University of Ottawa he had a pinched nerve between the 2nd and 3rd cervical vertebrae and was then told my many doctors not to do anything or he risked “snapping it one day and being paralyzed” so as his nature he told them “forget it!” then left. Hans said you can look at their wedding pictures and see him leaning to the right as it still bothered him. He had another doctor see him and wanted him to come see him so he did. This doctor told him that he had been following some of the research and believed that he should exercise to strengthen the muscles so that he wouldn’t go to sleep one day and wake paralyzed because he moved a certain way and the muscles were weak. Hans said that doctor gave him exercises to do and after 20 yrs of doing them “nature fused the vertebrae together and have never had problems since”. She asked him if he or I ski and I told her it had been 19 yrs since I have done it but Grandpa actually skied last April with the Boy Scouts he volunteers with, after 60 years of not skiing and didn’t even fall! We all laughed together, mine was not because of the entertainment but in gratitude and pride to be a part of such a driven yet loving father to my husband, I know how very blessed I am to be a part of their family! We each spoke of the changes in culture and families have in this period of our lives as she spoke of the busyness each of us undergo in our daily lives and the need to slow long enough to enjoy our families. She told us they have at least 1 family vacation a year even though her kids are 17 and 20 yrs old now. She spoke of the 20 yr old (girl) being very driven and lives/works in NY so she NEEDS to slow and this is the only time each year she takes off from her job. Hans told her about the European trip that Gudrun and Dietmar, his only surviving brother and his only sister attended with him last May. It took him and Gudrun a year to talk Dietmar into finally agreeing but they felt since he had lost his wife, Rose he really needed this trip. After his long delay in agreeing, he was the first to depart after they all got to the airport to return home after being together for 2 weeks for their trip to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the surrounding areas. Hans affectionately recalls Dietmar telling both of them that he “had a very good time and they needed to do this again”. He feels this was a very good thing for Dietmar as he was so saddened and withdrawn after Rose’s death. Hans was pleased in having a part in bringing needed happiness to his brother by the 3 of them traveling their home country together. Thomas and Caitlynn returned with the stories of the slopes and we headed to the chalet to rest and eat. Hans talked about when his brother Horst was in WWII and hated it. He said he was driving an artillery truck and saw soldiers coming (they were from England) and he had decided enough was enough so he parked the truck and waved his white flag as he wanted it to end-regardless of what the consequence were at that point. Lucky for him they just took him back to England and just used him as a worker in the fields for a couple of years before they allowed his return home. During 1945 Hans spoke of Oma (his mother) basically “going crazy” as 2 of her 3 sons were involved in the war and she was unsure which ones were dead or alive. Dietmar was only 9 yrs old when the war began so he was home with their mom. They did not find out until they came to Canada and were contacted by the military that Siegfried was killed while operating a tank in 1943 at the age of 18 in Sicily. They were told that he had a leg wound and was able to get out of the tank but must have died after that escape. They said others tried to help him but he told them to save themselves and stayed there until the end of his time. Hans describes Siegfried as amazingly talented, he said “he could do anything and all of it was well done, he painted and drew along with wonderful articles he’d write-things that were published all over in different papers and magazines”. He was obviously never married nor had any children.<br />Hans spoke of times when he or his brothers (Siegfried, Horst and Dietmar) would go out after dark to get the fruit that was not ripened to take to their house. He said they did this because the food was so scarce and if they waited until it was ripe it would all be gone. Food was very hard to come by during that time. <br />Horst passed away shortly after his retirement at age 67, he was survived by his wife Helga and 1 son-Stephen. His wife Helga passed away in 2006. Stephen hasn’t ever married nor had any children. Horst was also Thomas’s godfather.<br />We watched a movie together as it continued to snow outside. We rested for the rest of the evening after we ate our dinner. It was a nice quiet evening that we all enjoyed.<br /><br /><br />Today is Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008 and we woke to rain, so much it actually cleaned off our truck from the days past during our travels (it desperately needed that!). The temperature is 34-37 degrees Fahrenhiet for the duration of the day. The four of us are off to Tim Horton’s to eat breakfast out this morning as we have not eaten breakfast out since we arrived. I personally am looking forward to their French vanilla latte with cream & sugar as it has proven to be very delectable since my first sample the morning we arrived here so I am excited! We ate then took Hans to a local bank as Denyse had asked him to do. We noticed as we were driving that gas prices had dropped to 82.4 cents per liter which created curiosity and conversation amongst us for what could be happening in the US since we’ve been out of touch….Afterwards we made our way to a local post office as Thomas is curious about retaining his citizenship and I need stamps for the postcards I’ve been working on for a couple of days. Next stop is to take Hans to the train station to travel to Gudrun’s where we will join him Friday evening. We laughed as I reviewed his ticket voucher last night since he will have Wi-Fi on the train and we don’t even have that in the chalet we’re staying. He recalled his time in Germany as a youth that the only transit (unless you were very wealthy) was trains but it was freight trains and you had to “just catch it” meaning most were on the top, etc. and he said there were times that a person would be on top and as the train proceeded to go under a bridge, that person was knocked off! He also said the trains had no restrooms, Thomas said that’s where the phrase “mooning” came from. “If they hung half out the window then it was called a half moon, if the whole bottom was hung out the window then it was a full moon”. I’m not so sure about that but I know the trains traveling today are equipped with bathrooms and Wi-Fi! After we left the train station, we were asked by Manon to come for lunch so we were en route to her home as planned. Upon our arrival she greeted us and we sat around and talked as she put the finishing touches on our meal. She also gave us a tour of her home and she had started on the nursery a little but was working on it currently. She had her Itunes pulled up on her computer and the song that it was stopped on was James Blunt and when Caitlynn inquired about the type of music she likes in reference to this artist she stated “oh I like him okay”. Manon told us that Maude and Keven have tickets to see him in concert as they like him very well. There were several pictures around that looked as if they were taken in the Caribbean so I inquired about 2 of them. She told us she and Jean-Philippe joined her dad Marc and her uncle Raymond last year when they were bringing the sail boat back to Québec, the one Raymond spoke of earlier. She told us it was just the 4 of them on the boat and she said the boat was named “Moby Dick” and they were aboard for 13-14 days. Manon told us stating, “it was an old boat-nothing worked. Everything that should work did not, all broke”! Sounded as if they had quite a time with that trip and she was glad to be home. <br />I have noticed in our visits here that everyone dresses the table with linen tablecloth and serves wine with every meal. Thomas actually drank Canadian beer with his meal after she offered it to him, this was the first Canadian beer she’s drank since we have been here. They are like me in the respect that I feel that when you eat with your family it is really a valued quality time to spend together. I have always enjoyed meal time with my family, rather if it’s 2 or 20 of us together-it’s always good! She then finished preparing a great chocolate dessert that she baked and offered us café with it. Manon has a nice latte/café machine in her kitchen that does it all! She created a perfect latte!<br />Manon drove with Caitlynn as Thomas and I followed them to the mall, she thought we should definitely see their mall after she and Caitlynn talked during our meal. We did a little shopping then she escorted us to Colette’s to greet her then she was off for her maternity yoga class for the evening. We had a good visit with her and she doesn’t think her English is very good but she seems to do well with us. She told us she has had to learn it since she works in the ER at the hospital and during the tourist season (which is spring-summer) she has to be able to communicate with the people from the cruise ships, etc. She told Thomas that the maple syrup was out of season as they are usually collecting it during April, Thomas was wanting to get some fresh to take back with us for gifts. I told her next time she and/or Maude go to NY they need to call us or we should just make this an annual visit so it’s not so far between visits and seeing everyone-she agreed as she smiled and departed! <br /><br />Colette and Rodrigue Forcier (2680 Rue Vigneault, Quebec, QC, Canada G1W 1X5/Ste-Foy, which is located on the North Shore but not far from the Saint-Lawrence River and a suburb of Québec City, phone 418-651-9917 and email: <a href="mailto:coursforcier@videotron.ca">coursforcier@videotron.ca</a>), Colette is Denyse’s oldest sister and she is 75 yrs old. Her English is VERY limited so we thought it best to come here with Clémence or Manon to translate for us but Clémence was working this week. Colette was so excited to see us and Thomas did a fabulous job communicating in French with her. She had told him that “everyday that passed during our stay and she had not seen us yet, she feared we would not be able to come visit her before we left for home”. Colette has 7 children with only 1 girl as the middle child. She currently has 22 grandchildren and all but 2 of her children live in this area. I thought it was interesting that none of the family we have visited here have great grandchildren to date, I believe it may have been due to the fact that most of them completed their studies and then started their families later in life than what we currently see as the trend recently in the states. We had a very good visit with Colette and she insisted on preparing dinner for us to eat with her so we obliged. Caitlynn told Thomas that she’d like to learn French for a foreign language instead of Spanish as she enjoyed listening to the language. Colette and Thomas had a lot of catching up to talk about and she told him several times that she was so glad we came as she said “each day that went by I didn’t think I would get to see you and your family”. We ate soup, cheeses/crackers, vegetables/salad, croissants with ham and drank wine except Caitlynn had Coke. Colette asked Thomas how to pronounce Caitlyn’s name and her best attempt was “Kat-Lin”, we all laughed as she tried so hard with each attempt. She mixed ketchup with mayonnaise together for a dip and Caitlynn loved it. Thomas told her that his mom used to do that also but she had not done it in a while, Caitlynn told him she’d be sure remind grandma next time-haha. We finished the meal with grapes and fresh prunes from Iran and café. She said her husband has been ill and he is a diabetic so he was upstairs resting. She was very proud to show us her family pictures that are in her basement, she has them arranged very nicely with mounts on the wall. The pictures included 2 individual pictures taken of Eustache and Cécile when they were 50 yrs old. She also showed us her high school graduation picture dated 1951-1954 and I was surprised to see their sister Janine in it also. She said that Janine was with her because she skipped a grade. As we gathered in the living room Thomas and his aunt talked summarizing the visits we’ve had with all the family. Colette told us that Raymond & Jean-Yves as young men used to swim in the river we saw (St. Lawrence) at St. Jean-Port-Joli from the church that their parents services were performed to Francoise’s house, almost daily. She said they loved the water from the time they were born! Outside of the picture window Colette has a big tree with a white trunk. She pointed to a piece of fabric tied higher than half way up the tall tree as it marks how much snow they had last year. It actually is at the same level as the 2nd floor of the house-amazing! Caitlynn and I were in awe so we took pictures….As I watch Colette talking to Thomas I notice how she has several mannerisms similar to Denyse’s, especially the way she rests her left hand on her cheek/jaw area and her pinkie finger rests on her mouth, Denyse does the same when she’s evaluating her thoughts as she speaks to you. I noticed when I first saw her how much she physically looks like Denyse also. That’s always so funny to discover how 2 members of the same family, who’ve been far apart for a long time could behave the same way and still resemble each other so much. Thomas called Denyse on his cell and let the two of them talk while we were there. Colette brought Thomas the printed email that Denyse had sent her siblings announcing our planned trip in hopes we would be able to visit each of them. As we began to leave we talked to Colette about tomorrow being our Thanksgiving and she showed us on her calendar that the Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving in Oct, this year it was the 13th. We said our good-byes and as we pulled away she stood there waving until we were all the way down her street. Thomas said she had tears in her eyes as she hugged him good-bye. <br /><br />This morning is Thanksgiving for the US and we woke up to a nice slow snow which would stop then proceed. The temperature is 32-36 degrees Fahrenheit for the day and we had decided yesterday we would grill American burgers for our meal this afternoon. I had fallen asleep last night after reading my Living Faith reader that Denyse gives each of her children, it’s an annual subscription for Christmas from her to each of them. I am very thankful for my family, friends, and my many blessings. Thomas and I talked after we both woke up how thankful we are for many things, including our health. Nicole, my niece called me first thing this morning as we speak frequently as if she’s my own daughter. My cell phone rang from a call with Kati Hurt on the other end. She was crying and asked to speak to Caitlynn. Her stepmom had passed away during the night and we are unsure exactly what happened as she just said her dad told them this morning that “Lane got sick during the night and they took her to the hospital and she didn’t make it”. Lane had just turned 31 yrs old in May. She and Willie, Kati’s dad had been married 19 months only. We had actually invited Kati to come with us to Canada but her dad preferred her to be home with the family for the holiday, I can’t help but be sad and feel bad that we are not there for Kati during this time as she has kind of adopted our family since we met her 3 yrs ago. After Caitlynn got off the phone with Kati she shared with us Kati’s concern as she felt unsure if she missed leading Lane to the Lord as this is Kati’s passion. She is a very good example of a balanced young lady and she is always consciously confirming that she acts as a Christian example and she felt convinced that she didn’t do her job for the person that had married her dad less than 2 yrs ago. Caitlynn reassured Kati that she is an example and for someone to be around her and not be witnessed to was definitely a rarity. We had so much to be thankful for in our lives and we should know that things can change in any second. We will keep her and her family in our prayers and stay in touch with her until we arrive home.<br />It has been snowing then raining now as the afternoon comes around it is snowing again-it’s calming yet pretty! We headed into Québec City after we ate breakfast at the chalet, but stopped by the registrar’s office to connect my laptop to the wireless internet to check emails. Denyse had sent another email with more information for us as we headed to Montreal as Thomas had spoke of wanting to visit Victoriaville & Drummondville so Densye sent us some addresses to refer to. Thomas took us to downtown Québec and dropped Caitlynn & I off at “Benjo”, the famous toy store that Manon told us about. It was huge, like 10 times the size of Toys ‘R Us in the states! We did a little shopping for the kids in the family (even though some of the toys have instructions in French) and then we came back to the chalet to start the fireplace and watch football before we grill….Dallas Cowboys are playing and Thomas was feverishly trying the be sure it would be on our TV at the chalet! Halftime score is Dallas 24, Seattle 6-Thomas is happy! So, as the game is going, Caitlynn & I prepare our dinner which consisted of spaghetti and grilled hamburgers. After we ate the game ended and Dallas won so Thomas was off to the hot tub as I began packing up our things so we could depart by 8:30 AM. Caitlynn is talking to Kati on the phone again and as the evening is winding down and I’m upstairs by myself I decided to read the Living Faith for today, as I read the daily portion at the end of each day to review the day and its events. I have always told Thomas & Caitlynn how its ironic how more times than not it is exactly what I was dealing with for the day. So as I open it up and read I realize it is very appropriate for the day regarding Thanksgiving as it’s dated for today. I then go into the room with Caitlynn and have her put me on speakerphone so I can read it to both of the girls (she & Kati), this is what it read: The title: Welcome Each Day In Gratitude, Thursday, Nov 27, 2008 **Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; bless his name. Psalm 100:4 The reading: My spiritual director, who died suddenly earlier this year, taught me a lot about being thankful. Long before we ever met he had been diagnosed with cancer and given only a short time to live. But to everyone’s surprise, he survived. The cancer was successfully treated. From that time forward, he saw every day as a gift. God had given him more to do. He didn’t dwell on this. He didn’t want people to mistakenly believe that one needed to brave death to realize and be thankful for God’s goodness. Indeed his cheerfulness in the face of continuing chronic health problems showed there was more to it than that. I miss him. But his life and death helped serve as a reminder that one of the beauties of our faith is that even in death we find reason for thanksgiving for all that those we love were to us and continue to be in our memories and prayers, and in our gratefulness for all those we love who continue to share our table……<br /><br />The morning (Friday, November 28, 2008) welcomed us as we woke with nice thick snow flakes and a temperature of 29 degrees Fahrenheit as we loaded the truck and prepared for our travel day. We are headed to Montreal to see Janine and Jean Fortier as we are scheduled to have lunch with them. Our breakfast this morning consisted of you guessed it-Tim Horton’s as we pulled away from the chalet at Mont-Ste Anne in Beaupré. Tim Horton’s made a mistake and gave me and Caitlynn sausage when we ordered bacon but their hot chocolate and French vanilla latte with cream & sugar made up for that! Thomas definitely enjoyed the ‘extra’ sausage from us. As we began driving thru Québec City the snow continued and the temperature was 31 degrees Fahrenheit with everything covered in snow around us. The churches in this area are quite majestic and they are throughout the communities, even in the snow covered areas they are still so bold and are sure to catch any looker-by’s eyes. The snow continues as we drive and it is a very pretty snow fall for us to witness-we enjoyed the view. Thomas recalled when grandmaman came to Clifton after Denyse “talked her into it as she needed someone to assist in her care at that point in her life so she moved in with Hans & Denyse. He stated that in her last days, he tried to help care for her as much as he could also but couldn’t take care of “changing her” as he did not feel comfortable in that area since she was a woman, admirable of a grandson I’d say. He talked a little about her final days, spent in Alleghany Regional Hospital as one of her sisters had come. Yvonne (the sister) had flown in from Ottawa to be here to help in the last few weeks of Antoinette’s life. After death grandmaman was cremated so her ashes could be brought back to Victoriaville and be buried next to grandpapa. We turned off the main road and headed for Victoriaville just on time to see the sun trying to make an appearance as we drove over a bridge. Thomas felt easier about traveling off the main road in the truck as he saw the glimpse of sun appearing since we do not have four-wheel drive! The road we traveled is quite wooded and Thomas said it’s common for caribou to be out here eating. We were going to 545 Notre Dame Ouest, Victoriaville, QC, Canada G6P 1T2 as this was Grandmaman and Grandpapa’s (Antoniette and Adrien) home where Denyse grew up. Thomas said they referred to Denyse’s birth parents: Eustache and Cécile as Grandpapa Eustache and Grandmaman Cécile. As you enter Victoriaville you can look to the north-east and see small mountains and the town has several factories that function and a dairy. Thomas told me he sailed on the lake one time that you see to the north in the town. The town is about the size of Christiansburg, VA. The original home of Grandmaman & Grandpapa is a duplex style and has been renovated to be white with blue trim. Thomas said he remembers someone always living on the top since they lived on the bottom half. We took a picture as we drove by and stopped. Now we are in search of cheese curds-Denyse LOVES them fresh, Thomas told me! So we’re thinking if we get them today, Sunday would still be considered fresh for her…..Our stop for them was at Fromagerie @ 101 rue Aqueduc, Victoriaville, QC G6P 1M2 819-752-6821 <a href="http://www.fromagerievictoria.com/">www.fromagerievictoria.com</a> We stopped to get gas as we headed to Drummondville and as Thomas pumped it a gentleman came for to the truck and cleaned all the windows for us, I remember this at service stations when I was growing up, they performed these services on a regular basis for customers. (Are you sure you did not miss the fact that you were not supposed to pump your gas and attendants are the ones to do it? ) Haven’t seen that in a LONG time! As Thomas returned after paying and he had a bag of Lays Ketchup chips-never seen those before either but he remembers walking to the store from his grandparents house and getting these as well as cheese curds for a snack. So are we drove the same route Thomas said they drove back and forth to Grandmaman & Grandpapa’s from their home here, we ate cheese curds-my first experience. It tasted like more definite tasting mozzarella cheese as it squeaked my teeth with each bite-Thomas and I enjoyed a whole bag together! Caitlynn opted to pass since she “didn’t want her braces squeaking on anything” she told us… <br /><br />The temperature is 33-35 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow is dissipating as we drive northwest to Drummondville, there’s much less snow in this area. As we drove into town we passed Domaine Trent which Thomas described as a place they perform theatre arts like the outside play “TEXAS” which I took he & Jason to see with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Phifer, it’s located near my dad’s home town in Texas. We did this with one of his first visits to Texas with me when he and Jason drove. As we get towards downtown we see a DQ-Dairy Queen and it was very small. Thomas said they are only up half the year as people don’t want ice cream as it gets so cold here. We laughed as we spotted a KFC-Kentucky Fried Chicken as the sign read “PFC” instead of “KFC” due to French translation, now that is funny! (I took a picture) The next address is 290 Laurziere, Drummondville, Canada which is where Thomas grew-up and lived until they moved to VA when Thomas was a 3rd grader. His parents sent him to a school with nuns who taught him English as they prepared to move to VA. He laughed and grinned as he told the story of forgetting his bus pass one morning and the bus driver waited while he ran back to the house to retrieve it, he can’t imagine today a bus driver waiting……He said they only had 1 car and Hans worked at the factory so he had the car. When he got to the house to get the bus pass Denyse ran behind him yelling and chasing him though she was pregnant with Martin yelling “Zut, Zut!” He said he was thinking how embarrassed he was at that time bit I bet he never forgot his bus pass again! Thomas says this town is about the size of Roanoke and the housing looks mostly modern. The main street is Boulevard St Joseph and we passed the hotel named Le Daulphin which is where Thomas recalls they all stayed there while the movers where packing their belongings ready to move to Clifton Forge. He said Martin was 3 weeks old at the time. Thomas said the kids in his family that were of school age attended catholic school while living here. <br /><br />We are now driving southwest to Montreal and at this point there is very little remaining snow in very few areas along the highway. This part of the trip actually looks like I-35 North as you leave Ft Worth, Tx. pretty flat with a few trees and fields. We continue driving until we begin to get closer to Montreal where we will visit Janine and Jean Fortier (1064 Bernard Ouest Apt#34, Montreal, QC, Canada, email: <a href="mailto:jafort@videotron.ca">jafort@videotron.ca</a>, home #514-495-1011) Denyse’s sister and brother-in-law. They really live in Outremont which is a suburb of Montreal. <br />Jean (the husband) recently had surgery in October for intestinal cancer and his health is still guarded but at least he’s home now. Janine says after being in the bed for 6 weeks it is hard to regain his strength. Thomas talked to his aunt on the phone while we were at Raymond’s as she was planning our visit and wanted to know the timeline for our travel there. Thomas spoke with her again as we got to the outskirts of Montreal and we’ve decide to meet at Maiko Sushi (Japanese food@387 rue Bernard Ouest, Montreal, H2V1T6, 514-490-1225) for our lunch. <br />As we enter the city we have to go thru a tunnel and as we come out it is surprising to me that with it being such a big city they only have 3 lanes of traffic per way. Thomas said that on the other side of town there are 4-5 lanes of traffic for each direction. Montreal has a population of 1-2 million. Caitlynn wanted to know why everyone’s license plates still say “Québec” and Thomas explained to her that we are still in the province of Québec, Canada has 10 provinces with Quebec being one. Caitlynn responded by saying so we are divided into 50 states and Canada is divided into 10-correct!<br /> It is very obvious this is a big city as there are a lot of people and traffic. Montreal is known for its great subway throughout the city to transport a lot people and by the looks of things around us it is effectively utilized.<br />The restaurant where we met Janine for lunch was actually a block and a half from her house which in this area are multileveled housing that are 3 or 4 stories tall. The restaurant was nice and Janine stated that they entertain friends at this place as the food is good and cost is efficient. Her husband did not come but she apologized as he is still not feeling well enough to get out except for when he has to go to therapy. She told us the doctors gave the impression that when they removed the cancerous mass they got it all. It did not seem to have spawned any cells off and it looked like an amazingly clean removal. They are hopeful as he is 76 yrs old currently and seems to be improving slowly. He will see a gastroenterologist the first week of Dec. for follow-up. She also looks like Denyse and the difference in their age is 11 months with Denyse being the younger of the two. She laughed as she told me “for 1 month of the year we are the same age”. Janine had 4 children but lost 2 sons in wrecks at ages 26 and 33. They have only one grandchild which is a granddaughter named Zoé, she is 22 yrs old and goes to college. She will finish her degree this year but is looking to get a PhD in counseling. Zoé comes to stay with them when she is on breaks from school and works with children on her summer breaks. She recently took a trip to Sénégal, Africa. Janine tells me she’s been trying to retire for 15 yrs but works only occasionally as a social worker, she currently has 4 active cases, regarding kids. She says she “doesn’t know how to retire”, must be a common trait in this family along with them all giving back to their youth in their areas and with being providers for people they love. She told me she has been to VA twice and both times flew into Roanoke so she’s seen our city she said. She is a very pleasant sweet spirited woman who is obviously been diversified in her life and describes many things with a positive outlook. She laughed as she remembers Denyse coming to visit when she was younger and she always felt so close to Denyse and thought she was a special person. When she and Denyse were talking on that particular trip she told her “you’re my favorite but don’t tell the others”, she smiled from ear to ear as this was such a pleasant memory for her. Janine told us that she has always tried to keep up with all of Denyse’s children but she “feels there’s still so much more to know about each of them!” We enjoyed a nice bottle of Riesling (Caitlynn had Sprite) with our meal and then had café and cappuccino with our desserts. Caitlynn loved their steamed rice as she reported it as “amazing” so she ate Thomas’s also! Janine commented on how well Thomas speaks French, I was glad she told him that as I thought he was doing very well but he told her he really struggled calling Clémence on Saturday as it had been so long since he had spoken the language even though it was the first language he knew. I think as we were there for a week he became familiar with speaking it with much ease and elegance. Janine talked about our visits with the family before our arrival here. She told us a story of Manon (as she described her as a “very patient person”) when she had taken a trip in the last couple of years with some friends, I was unsure where she told us they had gone. She said that Manon likes to mountain climb, she described it as “rock climb” and recalled Manon telling her friends as she left by herself to go “if I am not back by 8 PM, send someone after me” and she laughed as she left them for her adventure. As it turned out Manon did not come back as thought by the evening time nor by morning so they sent someone out to search for her and found her on a ledge where she had slept for the night. The story was the weather got foggy and she was unable to leave so she stayed there without fret as she is that type of person her aunt described in saying “she knows what to do to survive on her own”. Janine also told us that Manon is a blackbelt in self-defense, she seems like an athletic young lady. She spoke with Thomas about how Jean-François “felt sorry about the accident when you busted your head at Françoise’s home, he spoke of it often”. She told us that recently Raymond swam the distance from Odette’s home to the church in St, Jean-Port-Joli just to be sure he could still do it! We continued to talk about this area and our plans as we are nearing the end of our trip to Canada. She pulled a plastic bag out from under the table and gave me a candle with a lovely scent, she said Denyse told her that would be something I would like, she gave Thomas a Canadian calendar with wonderful pictures for 2009, and gave Caitlynn a really nice ink pen and she explained to her that her granddaughter Zoé loved these type of pens and she hoped Caitlynn would also. We all thanked her and apologized for not doing the same and she smiled and said, “you all being here is my present” and she again thanked us for coming to visit her. Caitlynn noticed that the pen was the same brand of markers that Grandma (Denyse) had given her for Christmas a couple of years ago, Janine told her they are a popular German made brand from this area. Caitlynn told her she would enjoy them like she has the markers! We noticed as we sat there that there were many Jewish people walking outside the restaurant. Janine told us there is a very big community of Hassidin Jewish in Outremont and that they typically have many children at a young age, like 4 kids by age 20. She says they are difficult to work with as they do not like to allow anyone in their communities and they are very private people that DO NOT like ANY change. She told us their Jewish culture forbids them to do anything after sunset on Fridays as that time is considered sacred. She actually has a neighbor who called her one evening at dark to come turn off her oven since that was considered labor to perform….I can’t imagine. Thomas inquired with her about their sister Violette that has passed. Janine described her as “very strong willed, best fashion with clothes, and had the best taste for food”. She tells us that she had a boyfriend for 8 yrs and then they married but separated after 2 yrs in the marriage without ever having children. She said Violette told her once that she didn’t think she wanted children and then confirmed to her that having children wouldn’t make her a woman-she already was one! She said all children loved Violette and that sometimes she thought most of them “rather have Violette as their mom, kids loved her!” Violette was extremely intelligent she said and worked as a translator for the university in Québec, which is where she lived when she passed away. She had also worked in Alaska and when she came back she was the one responsible for creating the park area dedicated to the ships looking outside Odette’s house, Janine described this project as being “very special to Violette”. I think it’s very nice that now Odette maintains its upkeep for that area. Janine recalled a time when “she was dating an Inuit Indian from that area and he obviously had hit her and she left him but went to retrieve her Italian typewriter that was a prize possession of hers from their place they lived together”. “He must have hit her again upon her return and needing to sort things out in her mind/feelings she went to Eustache and Cécile’s home (her parents)”. Janine said that it was “obvious of the markings on her face that something happened but neither parent asked her any questions, just welcomed her and made her comfortable until she was gone again after sorting things in her mind for her next venture in life”. She said that’s how their parents were, loving people that loved their family unconditionally or with judgement. I see these same traits in Denyse as I have always told Thomas that I hope one day to be able to love our children in the same aspect as his mother does her children.<br />As we prepared to leave she walked down the sidewalk with us toward our vehicle and she asked Thomas if Hans & Gudrun would like some fresh bagels as they have the best in North America (she said its been featured in magazines) and wanted to get him some for us to take him if he’d like that. The bagel place is named St-Viateur Bagel and is located at 263 St. Viateur-West which is only a few blocks from Janine’s home. The story of the bagel shop is as follows:<br /><br />Since 1957, St-Viateur Bagel has been a central part of the culture and daily life of Montreal. Its legendary landmark bagel shop operates 24/7 and sells over 1,000 dozen bagels a day.<br /><br />St-Viateur Bagel was founded by Myer Lewkowicz who brought his, now famous, recipe from Eastern Europe. The art of bagel making means hand rolling each one and baking them in a wood-burning oven. The current owner, Joe Morena, with over 45 years of experience in the bagel business, ensures that the traditions at the St-Viateur Bagel continue to be respected.<br /><br />Over half a century, this family business has grown to include 4 bakeries and 2 Bagel Cafés in Montreal.<br /><br />So she rode with us and she & I went in to get them-it was “fabulous” (Janine’s word!) as they were open 24 hrs and were kneading the dough and had some baking in a huge brick oven and coming out by the dozens! There were 20 lb bags of flour all in the front of the store. We also got some cream cheese for us and for grandpa and Gudrun to enjoy! Thomas covered the bag of bagels with his leather jacket to keep them warm hopefully. We drove her back to her neighborhood and ironically so I looked up and there was a street named “Avenue Bloomfield” and I pointed it out to everyone as that is the street we live on in Roanoke. As we said our good-byes I gave her the last of our bag of cheese curds Thomas & I had opened after we left Victoriaville, she was thrilled and departed after hugs and cheek kisses for all….. The downtown traffic is intense as we get out of Montreal @ 3:50 PM. Caitlynn called Kati to check on her from my cell and offered her our house if she needed it while we are gone. I was sad we weren’t there to be with her in her time of need…..<br />As we drove we passed over Lac des Deux Montagnes (Lake of Two Mountains) which is a very big lake. The temperature is 34-37 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s getting dark as we drive. Now we are crossing into Ontario, which Thomas describes this as the English speaking area of Canada. I have noticed that the traffic signs are in both French and English and the license plates now say “Ontario”. The temperature has dropped since we left and we are 75 minutes from Gudrun’s and it is snowing again.<br /><br />We are heading to Orleans where is Gudrun’s home is located, it is a small community outside of Ottawa. Ottawa has a population of 1,200,000 which makes it the 4th largest urban area in Canada. It is ranked 6th in the world in terms of its quality of life by the Corp. Resources Group. It is the capital of Canada also. <br />Gudrun is Hans’s only sister and she has 2 sons: Berni Bannach who is a forensic pathologist for North Alberta (17117-69 Ave., Edmonton, AT5T2W6, cell 780-991-9651, email: <a href="mailto:bernardbannach@yahoo.com">bernardbannach@yahoo.com</a>). Bernie has 2 sons- Mitchell who is 12 and Garrett is 10. Mitchell takes fencing lessons and is planning a trip out of the country this next year with his teacher to study and learn more about that sport. As Bernie’s mom, Gudrun, says “Bernie is a CSI guy”. Shawn is the younger and he lives in Ottawa, very close to Gudrun’s house. He is in the army and his position requires him to travel all over the world frequently to many different places, this week he is in Ukraine. His wife Jacqui was in the military for 8 yrs then in the reserves for 2 yrs. She just changed jobs within the last year but still works for the government in the Rescue and National Defense division but has a “desk job” now as she describes it. Best part she says is its 8-4 Mon-Fri. Jacqui turned 40th in June this year and she will be going to Cuba in January to celebrate with her twin sister. She was raised in South Africa and met Shawn in the service while in Yukon Territory and they’ve been married for 18 years.<br /> <br />As we enter the area Gudrun lives in, it is now sprinkling with snow mix and is 31 degrees Fahrenheit but you can see the ground had been covered with snow. Thomas decided that we’d kill a little time before getting to Gudrun’s and changed sets with Caitlynn (15 yrs old) and allowed her to practice her driving skills in an empty parking lot. He encouraged her to give the truck more gas so she could feel the change in the tires and the way the vehicle handles. She did very well and so he allowed her to drive the last couple of miles to Gudrun’s including going through a traffic light then into her neighborhood. Upon our entrance into Thomas’s aunt’s home, I noticed there are quite a few paintings on the walls. Several of the paintings were by Rothe’s and I inquired about a couple. She had a beautiful ocean scene painting by her formal dining table and I asked about it and she said it was a painting that their dad (Herbert) had seen at a local art display and fell in love with it so he bought it. She got it after his death and I can see why he loved it at first sight as when you look at it, it just comes alive with brilliance. It looks as if there is a dim spot light shining on it but in actuality its just the painting itself and it just makes you feel warm even though it seems that it is a scene that would have wind blowing on the water. Gudrun and Hans were sitting at the table with a bottle of red wine and had a bowl of pistachios so since we’re family we loved joining in …haha. As I looked around later I also saw a watercolor painting that Herbert had painted himself and it was of a sailboat in the water-very well done! I thought it was interesting that when Hans & Denyse married, they brought the French and the German worlds together yet each of the 2 families had a lot of similarities such as the love of the water which was very common in both families and I can also see their love for their family. Hans & Gudrun had gone to a play last night named “The Constant Wife” by W. Somerset Maugham performed at the Ottawa Little Theatre. We sat up and talked about old times, people/family, and travels. The one thing I did notice while we were talking is that Gudrun would call Hans by his first name “Guenter”, he says he never went by that name after coming to Canada since NO ONE ever pronounced it correctly which frustrated him (he reports to us as he smiles but shakes his fist) so he solved it by just using his middle name instead. Gudrun called Jacqui, her daughter-in-law (Jacqui and Shawn Bannach, 541 Rougemount Crescent, Ottawa, ON, Canada KYA3A1, home #613-834-4572, email: <a href="mailto:jbannach1213@rogers.com">jbannach1213@rogers.com</a> ) and told her we were here and asked her to come with her daughters: Jessica (14 yrs old) and Nicole (10 yrs old). They came and joined us and this was the first time I had met Jacqui though I’ve met Shawn when he came for Hans and Denyse’s 50th wedding anniversary last December in VA. He had come with Gudrun and his 2 girls but Jacqui had just changed job and wasn’t able to attend with them. Their daughter Nicole was the highlight of the evening for the 50th wedding anniversary as she entertained us all with her love for dancing at the reception. Hans was amazed at her and her ability to “just go out there and dance around with all these people here”. We enjoyed a lot of conversation with memories filled from the Rothe side of the family. Jessica, Nicole, and Caitlynn enjoyed each others company and getting to know each other as they played Skip-Bo, Table Ping Pong, and a German game called Menich-argere-Dich-nicht throughout the house. Jessica tells me that her favorite subjects in school are French and math, Nicole’s favorites are gym and music. Nicole is longing to get a guitar as she wants to be a “rock star”, she is very entertaining! Jacqui and Gudrun told us that they have been addressing an issue with Nicole since she has been forgetting to bring her homework home with her after school, they said it’s because she gets distracted “with other things she tries to keep up with going on around her”, she is very smart and doesn’t miss much! Jessica is quieter but just as smart and already 5’ 10” and looking more mature than at our meeting last year. She told me that at her catholic high school they can choose English or French for each of their courses. This is a little different from when Hans went to Univ. of Ottawa as they had to choose English or French for the entire curriculum as a whole but not for individual classes. Hans laughs as he said when he enrolled they said “now what are we going to do with you!” as they did not offer classes in German. We have enjoyed spending time with the girls as they are very nice young ladies. Interestingly enough, Gudrun and Hans have 2 totally different versions of Horst how he was taken as prisoner of war by the British and was sent to England for 2 yrs before returning home. Gudrun’s version was that they got tired and stopped and asked a farmer if they could have dinner and get a place to sleep. The farmer offered them the barn to sleep in and while they were sleeping apparently the farmer reported them and the British soldiers came and got them and took them to England as prisoners of war. So we all laughed hysterically and Gudrun decided that we would have to call Dietmar and he’d tell how he heard the story for the one with the most accuracy….<br />Gudrun shared a story of she and Joe (Joe and Gudrun were together 11 yrs before his passing with cancer in February 2007, and he was from Portugal) driving through Portugal at midnight when they had electrical problems with their car and the lights would not work. She said they had to stop where they were on the road at the nearest area available to park and TRY to sleep until morning when they could drive without needing lights. She told us they might have slept an hour or two only because they were worried about gypsies in the area. Caitlynn was unfamiliar with what the word ‘gypsy’ meant so she explained it, she thought that was interesting as she has never been exposed to them. As Gudrun told the story she laughed with the memories and said that it was only 1 of a couple of times she had to sleep outside and she was thankful there were so few.<br />Hans reported the story about the 3 of them (Hans, Dietmar, and Gudrun) traveling back to Germany in May this year as they encountered issues trying to get to Prague. He said they had recently opened the Czech Republic borders to the rest of Europe and they wanted to travel through during their visit as it would cut the distance for where they were planning to go. The police stopped them and they were unsure why but it was required by law to have lights on while driving a vehicle. Obviously without their knowledge the rental car had only 1 light that came on so Hans got out and tried to work on it a bit. It suddenly came on and so they proceeded with their trip. As they drove they realized they needed diesel fuel so they stopped but the store wouldn’t take Euros as payment-only Czeck marks. The three of them got back in the car and drove on to find some place else where they could get diesel with a credit card and they also wanted to buy lunch at this time. They were rethinking their decision at this point as the next place they stopped told them they should not go to Prague as they have had a lot of car theft, even when you stop, people were stealing cars. Finally as Gudrun says, “we found a run down joint and just got coffee only as they were very unfriendly”, they then returned to their vehicle and “went straight to just get out of there!”<br /> Gudrun had a black and white picture in her office space upstairs that she put Caitlynn in to use while we were visiting her home. She told me Joe had done many things in his life to make a living (Hans also said this about himself frequently on our trip) and this particular picture is when he was a matador-now I do not have any uncles that I can say that about, even being from Texas-haha! That’s an exciting job and I’m sure never a dull moment-no pun intended…<br />Thomas spoke about a time about 14 yrs ago when he and Jason came to visit Oma in Kitchener and stopped in Ottawa to attend the Buxter’s Festival on Sparks Street, he said Jason absolutely loved it and wanted to go again, and again, and again during the stay! They went to Guelph to Oma’s apartment, which was a retirement community and listened to her play the organ for at least an hour, it was beautiful as Thomas described it. Gudrun has the organ Oma owned and played in her upstairs room but there is noone in her immediate family who can play it fluently she states. <br /><br />Hans and Thomas talked about the trip in 1998 that all 23 Rothe’s took as Hans had dreamed to do. Hans planned the trip so his children would learn the history of what/where his background was as he grewup. And what his story was, the places where he lived, the relatives he still had. Denyse’s role was really to see that the trip developed as Hans had planned it. (Janine said to us “this traits of organization and timeliness is a typical German aspect which Denyse has this feature and less common in Hans” and we all laughed) even though they made a lot of miles and had to catch many trains for transportation. Hans said that “no one took that picture with all 23 of us pulling our luggage from train to train within 10 minutes only between changes and none of us missed even 1”. At this time when they went to Europe, Martin was living in Belgium as he worked there and the family spent 2 weeks traveling Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxemburg, Holland and Belgium. It was quite entertaining hearing the stories as most of the grandchildren were young and pulling their own suitcases. The group was large and the week at the timeshare was divided so everyone would have a time to stay there. However, they joined together to have a look at the house in Oppach where Hans and his family lived during his youth. Oma lived in that village and that is where she married Herbert (Opa) in the small Lutheran church in that village. Thomas said the church when they saw it was about the same size as St. Joseph in Clifton Forge, VA. Thomas and Hans told us about Denyse actually getting to play the pipe organ there on their visit to that church with great joy as obviously it was very involved with the history of the Rothe family! Hans said that Denyse felt truly blessed sharing that “through music one is able to communicate with people even if your can not understand each other through language”. Hans spoke with admiration about her music ability for that occasion and as she had first played “Amazing Grace” for Homer’s benefit. It’s at times as these that I see and believe in true love between two people regardless of their backgrounds or how many years they are together or regardless of the circumstances-it’s a constant passion to believe in each other and their lives together. Hans actually glowed when he recalled this event with his entire family present! <br />Herbert (Opa) and Ella (Oma) Rothe were among fortunate couples who were able celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and then among the elite few to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. They celebrated their 60th out west in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island in June 1983 with the family. Thomas remembers a salmon fishing trip while they were there with Hans, Martin and Francois. Thomas and Gudrun commented how much they love that area of the world and would love to be there anytime! Herbert passed away in September just 3 months after the 60th wedding celebration with his family and Gudrun recalls him saying as the family started to leave that he’d never see them again though at that time he had no signs of bad health other than just being older. He lived to be 80 yrs old and passed away in 1983 with lung cancer-he smoked for years and even in the end he would smoke 2-3 a day. Gudrun says he’d re-light the same cigarette several times after putting it out. Ella (Oma) lived to be 94 yrs old and passed away in 1998. She celebrated her 90th birthday with her family in Kitchener 1994. She lived in Kitchener by herself until the 3-4 months before her death when she moved with Gudrun. She states Oma had asthma as a child and it went away in her adolescent years but returned in her adult years. As she got older she used inhalers to help her breathing Gudrun tells us. She told us a story of Oma (Ella) dancing with a young man at a dance when she got “winded” and couldn’t breathe and the guy thought she was breathing like that because she was with him, when in actuality she was unable to breathe! Needless to say she must have waited for more dancing with other guys until she met and married Herbert (Opa)….<br />In 1967 Oma and Opa left Ontario after Opa retired at age 67 and moved to British Columbia. Gudrun described that time as “my heart being broken since Hans and Denyse took their family to VA that same year as her parents moved also”. Herbert told her he didn’t think he’d survive Ontario’s weather another season and Horst (his son) was also there in British Columbia. <br />Horst & Helga had moved to British Columbia in 1953 without jobs at the time as they heard it was beautiful. They had lived in the Black Forest region in Germany and were looking for something like that in British Columbia “it would be like home” they told Gudrun and the family. They caught the train and when they ran out of money they stopped and picked apples and stayed in Vancouver. Helga never drove or shopped, Horst did all of that. Gudrun recalls “he even bought her undergarments for her”. I’m not thinking I would allow Thomas (my soulmate) to even do that for me! After Horst had completed 8th grade he switched to the Trade school and he learned to become a Baker and Hans recalled him making “wonderful cakes”.<br /><br />Hans served the last of the wine bottle, I made sure he divided it between me AND him and much to humor us he licked the bottle opening and said, “no worry, no waste”. We all cracked up laughing at him!<br /><br />Horst was married to Helga and they had 1 child-Stephen, he turned 40 yrs old this year. He never married. Horst was Thomas’s godfather. Hans and Gudrun told us Horst was the only left-handed sibling (and Thomas too is left-handed) but when Horst was young, the teachers did not allow him to write with the left hand. Gudrun and Hans said Horst never had guitar lessons but “played wonderfully”-maybe this is where Jason got his gift for playing guitar? I joked and told Thomas maybe that’s why Horst drove so FAST, he could express himself that way or maybe in the commanding behavior he demonstrated? The family left Horst with their grandparents for 3 yrs while Herbert and Ella moved and took the rest of the family to Switzerland. Hans doesn’t recall the move personally but he thinks they may have left Horst there as it could be due to his medical needs at the time since he was born with a cleft palate. <br />Thomas shared a story with us when he and Sherry (Jason’s mom) came to visit and see Deception Pass. He said Horst picked them up and was driving a tiny little car (with Helga in the front seat also) that looked like it wouldn’t make it down the street much less on the scenic tour he was about to take them all on! He said Horst drove it 110 MPH and Sherry was about to rip his arm off the entire trip! They obviously knew him at White Rock, British Columbia at the border as they called him by name and then just waved him on. Later Thomas found out that Horst would go across the border to get gas frequently so they saw him a lot. He drove “like he didn’t care if he ran off the road or ran over something-he just kept on driving!”<br /><br />Hans had 4 siblings in his family 4 boys first, then a girl. Horst was the oldest-19 yrs older than Gudrun, Zigfred-18 yrs older than her, Hans-14 yrs older, then Dietmar-8 yrs older than Gudrun and then she came quite a while later. Their parent’s names were Herbert and Ella Rothe and they did not learn English until they came to Canada in 1967. Gudrun said that her mother never told her she had 2 more brothers other than Dietmar and Hans since the other 2 were gone due to the war, so she recalls a knock on their door at home and a young man stood there whom she didn’t know. Her mother screamed and started crying as she started running to the door, Gudrun unsure what was going on, also started screaming because her mom was doing that….it was Horst! He had been taken to England & kept as prisoner of war and had been released to come home. Gudrun says she doesn’t remember much about Germany as she was 2 yrs old when they left East Germany, moved to Hanover in West Germany and then came to Canada in the spring of 1952 when she was 9 yrs old- she came with Oma (Ella) and Dietmar. Hans, Horst and Opa (Herbert) had come in 1951. Gudrun recalls their arrival to Canada as it was 7 yrs after World War II and peoples attitudes were still negative about Germans….I can only imagine how they felt since the only time I’ve been in a foreign land was when I CHOSE to travel there not when I exiled out of my home country to a new country and didn’t have a choice but be there-I wasn’t “googling” a great place to spend some quality relaxing time of my choice”…..<br />We talked about the Christmas holidays and what our plans were and shared with Gudrun about Louise’s family tradition she started years ago. She takes ALL the nieces and nephews for the entire weekend usually the last weekend before the 25th of December. On Sunday of the kids stay their parents along with Hans and Denyse come back for a turkey dinner and family gift exchange, it’s a great time and we all enjoy it. Since there are 13 grandkids (counting the families stepchildren also) now from 21-2 yrs old it’s rare that we all get together so we look forward to this time all together. Gudrun smiled and rolled her eyes as she remembers when Hans would hitchhike from University of Ottawa to Kitchener for his breaks since he didn’t have his first vehicle until after his first year of working during college. I asked him how long it would take him to get where he was going and he said “about the same time as if I drove myself”. He said Ella (Oma) never learned to ride a bicycle and Herbert (Opa) took his driving test 4 times but was not ever able to pass the exam for his driving license so he never drove. So we learned on this trip that neither set of Thomas’s grandparents ever drove which would be extremely rare this day and time. Raymond (Thomas’s uncle) talked with us previously on this trip about how he thought it would have mentally helped Cecile (their mom) to be able to drive during their childhood as she would have been able to get out of the house with good reason occasionally, I feel it possibly could have helped, as I frequently take different routes or get on the Parkway in Roanoke since I’ve moved in Virginia, because I’m not used to living in town. It’s my refuge on some days.<br /><br /><br />Good morning Ottawa! <br />Today is Saturday, November 29, 2008 and we started with a delightful breakfast that Gudrun had prepared. The temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit with bright sun shining and clear skies as the snow is melting from yesterday. Our plan is to take Caitlynn to her cousin’s house so Jacqui can take the girls to the movies and the mall-as girls love that stuff at their ages! They made these big plans last night before they left Gudrun’s place.<br /><br />Hans, Thomas, and I went to downtown Ottawa to see all the sights. This does seem to be more of a bilingual area of Canada, probably because it is the capital so they are use to English speaking visitors. The current gas prices here are 75.2 cents per liter which is lower that we saw in the Québec area. <br />In Ottawa there is no subway here but there is a great bus system to transport people and it is well utilized. Hans told us that Gudrun parks her car in Orleans (the suburb where she lives) and takes the bus into Ottawa so she doesn’t have to worry about parking or traffic. They too have 2 lanes each way for traffic. As we entered the town the sign read “Centre-Ville”. We toured the Parliament buildings after we parked and then we walked to the Chateau Laurier (which is a hotel with performers at times in concert) where Hans had worked while in college. He says “I did whatever it took to make money”. By this time the sun was hidden as the skies turned overcast. We continued our walking tour and as I had made it a ritual since we founded Tim Horton’s I thought it only proper on a blustery day to get a French vanilla latte so we located one in the mall area where we were on Rideau street. Thomas thought it was only customary to introduce me to a local treat called “Poutine” which he went in the same area to get the treat at New York Fries, which was located in the food court of the Rideau Mall. It is a snack known in Québec City, it is French fries covered in what I call roast gravy and sprinkled with cheese curds. Now I would not have known what to think had I not had the opportunity in Victoriaville to sample cheese curds and to my surprise this snack was quite tasty! So the 3 of us shared an order and enjoyed café and my latte.<br />We continued our walking tour as we passed the “Ottawa Little Theatre” and Hans told us he and Denyse first met in theatre arts. Denyse helped with props (which also required some sewing of costumes) and Hans was building sets before he actually got a small role. Then he says he had “a fabulous man who directed and really encouraged him to learn to speak English well until he finally got a role as the main character for a play”, he was thrilled at his accomplishments as he relayed this memory. Thomas laughed and said, “yes he just kept practicing with the words but had no idea what he was saying”…haha.<br />We toured the campus of University of Ottawa, which includes about a 12 block area (Hans says, “Wow it has grown!”) in the downtown area of Ottawa. Denyse finished her college here in Ottawa before she went to the University of Montreal for 3 years, Hans completed his Bachelors Degree from this university also.<br />There is a canal that divides the city, the “Rideau Canal” and Hans tells us when it is iced over people ice skate on it….by the looks of it now it’s not quite frozen completely. Not enough for ice skating so there are people running and bicycling on the walkways to the side of it. Hans showed us where Denyse’s college dorm was, on the other side from the main campus. I laughed and said, “a long walk for a date Hans”, he just snickered. <br />We started our drive back to Gudrun’s and the weather turned as it created small snow flakes falling around us, it’s always so nice to see snow for me. We returned to Gudrun’s by 5PM as she was planning to have dinner ready by 6 PM. The girls and Jacqui would be returning from their excursion to join us. Gudrun called Dietmar and left a message for him to call so he can settle the discussion on the details of Horst being taken as a prisoner of war from our conversation from the previous evening. Shortly after that the phone rang at Gudruns it was Denyse checking on Hans then it rang again and it was Dietmar. Gudrun told us he had not felt well last week when she spoke to him but he had taken the flu shot and thought it was just a cold. Dietmar wanted to know both versions from Gudrun and Hans regarding the incident that lead to Horst being taken as a prisoner of war and he agreed with Gudrun’s version. Thomas laughed and said Hans must have seen his version in a movie or something, Hans laughed as well and just shrugged his shoulders.<br />Dietmar and Gerda had 2 children: Erik and Fred. Erik is currently 47 yrs old and is married with 3 small children. Erik is still working on completing his college studies as he and his wife juggle the children. Fred is 45 yrs old and not currently married with 1 daughter who is 20 yrs old, works as a teller at a bank as she continues her college. <br />Dietmar and Gerda divorced and Dietmar remarried September 1, 1985 to Rose and she passed away with cancer on July 17, 2007. Rose never had children. This past October, Dietmar came to visit Gudrun. He came to attend the 50th anniversary of his engineering class graduation, in Hamilton, Ontario. Hans shared how intelligent Dietmar has always been as he told us Dietmar “had finished grade 10 when he arrived to Canada so they went ahead and put him in grade 10 then 2 months later put him in grade 11 and then shortly after Christmas he finished!” Hans declared, “Dietmar watched me struggle with money for school so he learned from that so he worked a few years then completed his studies”. <br /><br />Gudrun pulled out some family photo albums for us to look at with her. Their mother Ella (Oma ) was stunningly beautiful, I would describe her as flawless. Gudrun also has a painting from a picture of her mom that is in her entry way as you enter her home that was recreated very well. We looked at all kind of pictures including a small photo album that was obviously aged and Gudrun said her grandmother had given it to her when she was a little girl-Hans loved looking through it with her. We saw pictures of Denyse and Hans when they married and Gudrun commented, “Isn’t Denyse beautiful? I have always thought she just looked so pretty, sophisticated, prim and proper” as she marveled at the picture with the two after exchanging vows. We agreed as they were and continue to be a charming couple! I’ve always told Thomas since my first visit to his parent’s house and saw pictures of Hans on the wall with the family that he looked like Al Pacino so Thomas loved telling Gudrun that I think Hans looks like a movie star, she of course just chuckled. She did show us pictures when she married Gerhart , her sons’s father on December 31st 1960 and he passed away in December 31st, 1994. Hans & Denyse went to the wedding but Hans had been injured in the lab, an explosion happened close to his face and he had to have stitches in one of his eyelid. They lived in Cornwall, Ontario at that time and Madeleine & Thomas were small kids. Thomas said Hans has always had a knack for “fixing things” and he told us that in the mid 70’s Hans got a new Zenith television kit that he had to put TOTALLY together, in other words it came completely unassembled. So he worked on it for a long time, actually until Denyse told him it had been there long enough and told him he’d have to move it upstairs until he could finish it! They laughed at the memory of it together. Obviously this is where Thomas learned where to take apart and put things together as he does so well around our house! There is NOTHING that he can’t fix.<br /><br />Gudrun reminded us of how proud she was that Hans & Denyse entire group of children and their grandchildren attended Bernie’s wedding in July 1993 in Edmonton, Alberta. Thomas told us about him canoeing with Martin on Lake Louise and they saw an avalanche, it was the first and only time in his lifetime to date to experience this! The family described Lake Louise to be a breath taking sight as it was so calm, turquoise in color as you looked across it but if you looked down in the water it was crystal clear and you could see everything! Gudrun was admirable when she told me that Hans and Denyse’s children “gifted them a wonderful room in The Banff” (resort in the Canadian Rockies). <br /><br />Today is the day we will head home to Virginia, it is Sunday, November 30, 2008. The temperature is 21-23 degrees Fahrenheit as we woke at 6:30 AM so we could be on the road by 8:30 AM. As Gudrun style we woke to have a full breakfast feast that she prepared for us to eat together before we departed, it included the bagels Janine sent for she and Hans. Hans said his favorite was the poppy seed, Thomas teased him and said that’s probably what affected his short term memory and they both chuckled. Gudrun is a fabulous hostess and very gracious to allow Thomas and I her room as she slept on the couch, not to mention that she’s a great cook! She would not allow us to help clear the table, she said “I have all day to do that, sit down and we can talk”. We talked about children and parents and Gudrun told us the story of Eric (Dietmar’s oldest son) having some behavioral issues when he was an 8th grader so Dietmar and Gerda decided it was of his best interest to send him on a sail boat to the Mediterranean for school. He didn’t like it much so he begged to be able to come home for Christmas and they allowed him to do so after struggling with their decision. He hid his passport when it was time to return to the boat and they never found it nor he never told them where it was so he was unable to go back and finish the year, though his parents had paid for the whole year. <br />Hans told us at the table that the US was slow and let very few people in when he came over in 1951 so that was another reason he went to Canada as they would allow them in immediately. <br /><br />Our initial stop as we left for VA was 1124 5th St. East, Cornwall, Canada which is where Thomas lived before the family moved to Drummondville. As we drove from Orleans, Canada (Gudrun’s home) the drive looked a lot like that we drove between Anton, TX. which is where we lived-it’s near Lubbock, TX. where I worked-flat with several dairies and farming animals. Except for the snow that was still evident around us. As we enter the town of Cornwall, Hans had some recollection of several landmarks before getting to their old home. The house was originally built when Hans and Denyse bought it 50 years ago. Thomas was born in the local hospital and we drove past it on our way to the house (I took a picture of it). Hans saw a Santa Claus on the front porch and said the house looked the same except for the Santa! As we sat in front of the house I took a picture and Thomas described the street as being dirt then, not paved as it is today and he said he remembers the milkman coming in a horse-drawn carriage. Hans worked as a chemist while they lived here and Denyse stayed at home with her hands full as she cared for Madeleine and Thomas and Hélène. Hans said that in those days you very rarely would see women work outside the home, especially when there were children at home. The town is very active with hockey (as they ALL are in this part of the world!) and we were unable to find the factory where Hans worked, he believes there is now a shopping area where the factory used to be. We left town heading towards the “bridge to the US” as Hans stated. We went over the bridge then into customs, I noticed as we waited in line there were 2 cars with NY license plates. I commented aloud that I had found it unusual that once we got into Canada, I had seen so few license plates other than Canadian ones. Thomas said that was because this is not tourist season, people tend to avoid coming in winter for fear of bad weather here. Now we are in upper NY State and the temperature is 33-35 degree Fahrenheit. There is light shining from the snow in the fields around us as we drive.<br />Hans told us as we spoke about the Christmas holidays coming up that as a kid in Germany they never put their Christmas trees up until Christmas Eve, I can’t imagine waiting until that time in our home. I find a lot of the enjoyment in coming home after work and on weekends, pulling in the lights and playing Christmas music to make the holiday feelings last longer than just for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think a lot of the feeling is the ambience around you.<br />Outside Syracuse, NY the temperature is 31 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow is blowing with mild accumulation. This is a pretty town with a lot of old historic looking buildings. The University Hospital is a magnificent building with a lot of splendor. We’re all admiring the sites as Hans munches on the M&M’s he got when we stopped for gas. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him eat candy before but I know he likes sweets as well as I do. Denyse is good at having a dessert after a meal-I so look forward to those visits with them! Denyse called to check our progress and said it is freezing rain in Clifton and we made plans to meet her with Hans in Lexington to have dinner with her at that time if our trip stays uneventful.<br />As we drive I LOVE to sing, all kinds of music-even though my family’s opinion is I should stick to my regular profession. I have them convinced that I should have been a back-up singer! So if I’m in my glory and sing the wrong words Caitlynn loves to correct me (as if that will frustrate me enough to stop singing-NOT) then I just tell her that was the live version of the song….haha!<br />We just drove across the Pennsylvania border and it is 34 degrees Fahrenheit as it is raining and currently no signs of snow except in the far distance on mountaintops. The further we got into PA there are signs of scattered snow and then we had a light sleet. Because of construction, the traffic narrowed to a single as we came through NY so we were delayed and further slowed down because of the sleet. It looks like we will not be able to wait and have dinner with Denyse as our ETA reads between 10:00-10:15PM to Lexington. We made our phone call to Denyse and decided we’d eat on our own and meet her in Lexington, VA at 10:45PM. It still amazes me when we drive this route, even after several years how we see the Welcome to West Virginia sign then it’s not long before we see the Welcome to Virginia sign as it just seems like such a fast trip between the 2 states. I’m still used to driving in Texas when it takes a full day to drive the state before you even get to another state!<br />Our choice was Golden Corral in Winchester, VA since we wouldn’t have to wait for our food and could eat and get back on the road. The food was good and we all got our bellies plenty full-off we go!<br />Denyse was there in the Walmart parking lot as we arrived so we unloaded Hans’s stuff and gave Densye the cheese curds we brought her. She was very happy and we all said our goodbyes and gave our regards as we departed for our last stretch and they drove off for Clifton Forge. <br /><br />As we got closer into VA we noticed that the gas prices are now $1.65 gallon and even more enlightening as we drove into Roanoke we were shocked to see the prices are $1.43 gallon, now that is good! The temperature is 37-39 degrees Fahrenheit with light fog, we had to make a detour off I-81 coming in from Arcadia because of a wreck, there was an occasional slight drizzle. At the time we pulled in our driveway we had driven a little shy of 2,700 miles since we left our driveway 9 days ago. Many miles to see many people/family for many experiences and stories-quite enjoyable!…<br />I’m looking forward to seeing a magnificent sunset at home, we have the best view in our backyard but it really makes it nice when we are sitting outside by the chimney-together!<br /><br />Hans quote pertaining to our trip as we came to the end: I enjoyed how everything came together and the reception we received from everyone. I also enjoyed talking with Raymond because I haven’t had a chance to spend time with him like this visit.<br />Thomas’ quotes pertaining to the trip: I surprised myself on how well I was able to communicate with my French family. I am impressed on how well on both sides of the families the future generations have already began to settle with families and homes of there own. I am thankful for the weather we experienced.<br /><br />Caitlynn’s quotes pertaining to the trip: Grandpa is amazing he is so fabulous. I am so glad he came with us. The trip was pretty awesome and I would enjoy going again, but only if grandpa comes he is such a party animal. I just love him.<br /><br />Raquel’s quotes pertaining to the trip: I found consistent similarities between both families, they both have very loving and giving spirits and are humble people. They were all so genuinely happy to see us! I missed my 3 Rat Dogz though…<br />http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=272574352/a=91520860/t_=91520860Raquel Rothehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805008276685324722noreply@blogger.com1