Caribbean Cruise!!

As most of you know Rex has been traveling for work for about 18 months now. He has been in Florida since January 5th.
Several years ago, we bough into a cruise vacation plan... it has been amazing to have and has allowed us to travel with the kids as well as alone.
WELL we figured that we would take advantage of his location and take a Caribbean Cruise! We had a Delta travel voucher, so I used that for my LOOOONG flight out.
I left Eugene OR. at 1:00pm on Friday Feb.19th and Flew to Salt Lake City.. I had a 4 hour layover there, So my Dad and Kris came and picked me up and we had dinner. It was nice to be able to visit with them a little.
Then I boarded a plane to Los Angeles.. yep how dumb is that... any way.. my flight to Fort Lauderdale left at 10:15pm and I arrived in sunny Florida at 6:00 am the next morning.. which I'll remind you is 3 hours ahead for my body clock.... and sleeping on the plane, well that didn't go so well.... BUT I was in Florida and just 4.5 hours away from Rex. See he was working in Key west, and HAD to finish the job before he could leave.. SO I rented a car and drove to key west. Let me say that was a LOOONG drive. Once I got there, I showered and took alittle snooze while I waited for him to get back from work... It was SO wonderful to see him.
We spent the night seeing Key West, and left the next Morning to drive back up to Miami to get on the Cruise Ship.. we were soooo excited.

Here is a picture of our ship. This day we were ported in Cozumel, Mexico!!! It was BEAUTIFUL!!!


We had an absolutely amazing time, just being together was fabulous! We had 4 ports of call
Costa Maya, Mexico - Bellize City, Belize - Cozumel, Mexico and this is a picture during our tender boat ride in Grand Cayman...


The sunsets onboard the ship each night were beautiful


We got some great pictures taken... but had to narrow it down to 1..they are not cheap...here's what we choose.


We met some great people, who will be friends for life now! Had so much fun with them! Phil & Debbie Scott
They actually live in Ohio, close to where I grew up.. we had a ton of things in common..It was great! We even spent a fun morning in Fort Lauderdale together before we dropped them off at the airport for their flight home.


We spent the rest of the day and night in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. Rex dropped me off at the airport at 5am Monday morning March 1st. It was very hard to say goodbye after our wonderful week together.

We didn't have anyone stay with the kids this time. Figured they were old enough to handle things themselves... and they did a fine job. Andrea really took care of everything, especially Mikayla. She is an amazing young lady!
They were ALL SO happy to see me when I got home. It made me feel very loved and special.
The girls told me that they were hoping that I was going to surprise them and bring Rex back and not tell them... NO such luck, he flew back up to Jacksonville on Monday evening. Not sure how long he'll be there. Could be 3 weeks could be 6... It makes it hard not knowing when he'll be home. And even though I got to see him for 9 days, the kids are missing him, it's been 7 weeks for them.
I think we will be getting on Skype this weekend so they can see and talk to him.
I feel very lucky that I was able to go and spend time with him... and that I have wonderful friends here that looked over my kids while I was gone!!!

A little catch up... AGAIN!

Things are busy busy, Basketball is in full swing. It is SO much fun to be able to watch both Colton and Nathan play together..
The are both starting on the JV team... and both see considerable minutes.. Colton plays much of the game and is the point gaurd. He is very good, and has been given alot of responsibilty. Nathan is playing alot on the JV team and swinging to Varsity.. he doesn't see much time on the floor, but its great for him to be a part of getting ready for next year! I've been streaming the home games so that Rex can watch them. Technology is an amazing thing...



Josh is playing ball for Umpqua Community College. He is enjoying it and continues to improve. I happy that he has been able to keep up with something that he loves so much. He is on the front row #15


Andrea has started her clinical's with her CNA class, and has told me she never wants to live in an "Old Folks Home"
she is doing well, and learning a ton!



Mikayla and I are able to spend more time together after school, since the other kids are at practice or class. It has been very fun and makes us both happy.
Rex is has been working in Jacksonville Fl. for the past month, and will be heading to Key West this weekend.
It is hard having him away for so long. We all miss him.
I'm going to be going down there on the Feb 19 and we are taking a Caribbean cruise for a week! WE CAN'T WAIT.. I'm so glad that we bought cruz points years ago when money wasn't so tight, with out them we would not be able to go now!
I'll try to be a little better about posting... keep you fingers crossed.

NO TIME!!

How is it possible to have not time, when there are 24 hours in a day??? WELL what ever the answer is... It is how I live!
Running around like a crazy woman, most of the time...
It was refreshing to go down my list of blog's and notice that I am not the only one who hasn't updated in quite a while!
I will try and do a better job.. maybe I'll post a picture of Andrea after she gets her wisdom tooth out later today... or some basketball pictures, or maybe holiday shots... who knows what it will be, but I will try and post something new.... besides just text! Until then.. much love to all who read this !!!

This is our dog Ace, he has been sick for a while, and had been noticabley getting worse. He passed away on Sunday.
He was an amazing dog. He was a great companion to us all. Rex used to take him to work with him, before he started traveling. He would LOVE riding in the truck... once at the job he would get out and sit at the bottom of the ladder waiting for Rex.He was a very loyal friend.
Each of the kids have great memories with him! They all loved him! And he loved and protected each of them.
I think that Mikayla was about 3 when we got him, she is missing him alot...and was with him at the end, lovingly petting him.
He will be greatly missed in our home.

WELL... I have been meaning to post a few pictures... and just now am making the time to take care of it...
I'm trying to do better managing my time.. I guess as long as I'm trying, and keep trying thats what really matters..
Josh turned 19 on September 27th... WOW that is weird! He spent the day in Eugene with some friends, and we didn't end up having cake until a few days later... but it was great all the same. He is attending the local community college, and has been practicing with the basketball team.. he is hopeful that he will make the team! That would be great!
Here's a pic with of course a "basketball" cake!


It was homecoming week at school and here are two pics... the first is Nathan sporting a Bow tie that Rex wore to prom... and was an escort for Karla... who is now the secretary at the kids High School... she made sure that it was on just right!!! The theme for the day was 80's prom attire!



Second was "Hippee" day! Here are Andrea and Colton before leaving the house! What a crack up!


Lastly.. I also had a birthday... Nathan sent my name in to the local news channel that post birthdays each day... you can see by the picture below... what age I turned...... I think I look amazing for 87!!! He is such a funny kid!

It's Catch up Time!!! AGAIN!!

I am really not a very good blogger... there have been things that have happened, I just haven't gotten the pictures posted!
SO here we go.....

First off Andrea Kay turned 18... I remember finding out that I was going to have "another" baby.. and then I got the amazing news, that I was having a little girl, I remember seeing her for the first time, and feeling SO MUCH JOY! She still brings me the same joyful feeling and makes me smile everyday! She is an amazing daughter! And is the most amazing big sister to Mikayla.
She makes me feel proud to be her mom..... I'm very lucky!

With the beginning of school, means the start of fall sports. Mikayla decided to run cross country this year, and is doing a great job. Here she is before her first meet.


Both Nathan and Colton are playing football. Nathan will be starting both defence and offence. He only came out for a few plays last Friday... I was SO proud of him. He played very tough, and had the bruises to show for it.



Colton did not seeing any time on the field... but I think he was glad... the other team was HUGE!!! He was pretty excited to get the wear the same Jersey that Josh had both his Jr and Sr. years.... So I'm still watching #84!! It's just a little shorter this year!!



Of course we are busy... but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

Whitewater Adventure!!

Last week, the FFA went on a 2 day whitewater rafting trip on the Lower Klamath River in CA. On Wed. there were still several spots open, so I went as a chaperone, and Nathan and Colton were also able to go. It was SO much fun to do that with the some of my kids....
This was the first day before we got on the river....


On The second day I had a little bit of a scare, when I fell out of the back of the raft, we were high centered on a rock, therefore I ended up behind the rock stuck in an eddie.... one of the other guides had a digital camera that could take video.... I fell out as soon as you see the boat on the rock, and you can see my head come up FINALLY for a quick breath right at the end after every one else falls out...... I went back under, then came up further down past that huge rock....It was pretty scary, I thought I was going to drown.... Here's the clip....


After that wonderful experience.... we stopped for lunch and hiked up a 3/4 mile stream to Ukonom Falls.... Its was SO beatiful, the water was probably only 50 degrees, and we had to swim upstream a little, but it was well worth it and the picture really doesn't do it justice.....




I would have to say all in all, it was an amazing trip with 3 of my kids.... It doesn't get any better than that for me!!!
And I came home with a renewed sense of appreciation for all of the things that I have in my life.... especially Rex and the kids!