Swimming

We decided not to get too excited the first couple of days.  The kids were infatuated with the pool anyway, and you have to go for that first walk on the beach.

We did go to Mega for groceries.  Millie wanted the little kids to see the store and pick out baked goods.  Dave and Laura came along too, so Dave could get ingredients for limeade, and hopefully for foccacia bread to go with the planned spaghetti supper.  We couldn't find yeast however, and I didn't bring my dictionary to look up the word.  Turns out we were too tuckered out to cook so we ate in the resort restaurant again.

We had a really cool experience  Monday night.  There is a group in Mazatlan that is working to save the endangered sea turtles, and they planned on releasing a bunch of babies into the ocean at the resort.  All my grandkids got a chance to release one!

Tuesday was another low key day, but some of us rode the bus to the Golden Zone, the tourist area.  More walking on the beach, swimming in the pool, and we bought shrimp from the guy on the beach.  He goes at the crack of dawn to the fish market and walks the beach in front of the resort with a cooler.  He always sells out.

Gracie has wanted to get braids in her hair since her parents were there in March, so that was a priority.

 

She sat so well for the lady, usually she hates to have her hair messed with.

We stuck the spaghetti fixings in the freezer and cooked our shrimp.  We ate every bit.

Father and son shrimp cleaning team.

Home!

Well, we made it home!  We did have a wonderful time, not without a few hiccups.  We had trouble getting there-remember how nervous I was about making our Mexico City connection?  Well we didn't.  The Butte Delta people messed up our boarding passes so we had to get them printed in Mexico City, therefore missing our connection.  I love that my daughter-in-law is on my side-she took the Delta people by their short hairs and stood her ground until they agreed to put us up in the airport hotel for the night.  The only problem was there wasn't another Aero Mexico flight into Mazatlan until the 20th-four days from then!  So instead they flew us to Culiacan, about 120 miles from Mazatlan, and then we took a taxi to Mazatlan.  Crazy but it was cheaper than buying bus tickets for 11 people and quicker since we wouldn't have to stop in each little town.  Our luggage made it just fine to Mazatlan and after we arrived Tuesday morning, they brought it to the resort.

Here we are at the airport in Butte:

Then Salt Lake:

 

Then here we are in Mexico City, after our blowup at Delta, at the Carl's Jr. where Sam threw up on the floor.  (Oh yeah, of course we had a sick kid-makes the day complete!)  He doesn't look sick but boy he sure tossed his cookies!  He did it all night the night before, too.

At least we only had to walk to our gate from the hotel-no taxi needed.  Gracie begged her mom to please not wake her up so early again!

But we made it-in time for lunch:

 

And we got to see Dave and Laura for the first time in about four years.  I called Dave from Mexico City and told him to have dinner on me, and hopefully they would see us on Monday.  So glad they did see us!

We were exhausted, but we were finally there.

See Ya Later!

Doing the final packing and details for the trip.  Gotta go pick up the rental cars, drop off the dogs, make sure the house is buttoned up, etc.  Say a prayer that we make all our connections, nobody gets sick or hurt (hear me, Tia Irene?) and that we have a great time!

Riding off into the sunset.............

43 Years!

Happy anniversary to my sweetie!  We've been married 43 years-seems like 5.  That time just flew.  I told him this morning we would at least make 60 years-he wasn't so sure, but I reminded him his mom lived to 94,

We just had a quiet dinner at Sir Scott's Oasis.  We're going to be celebrating all week next week, so this was enough for today.  Our gift to each other is taking our whole family to Mazatlan, so we didn't have to unwrap anything!

Car Socks and Other Stuff

I actually finished these socks about a month ago, but the way my life goes these days, I'm finally posting about them.  I got the yarn from a garage sale.  There were several balls of yarn, I think I paid $5 for the whole thing.  No labels, but the girl I bought it from assured me it was all machine washable.  I think I'll err on the side of caution.   They started out intended for me, but Stan took a liking to them, plus I thought they were a little scratchy.  Stan will wear them over cotton socks when he's doing things outside.  I would have just worn them as regular socks so this is better.  I call them my car socks because they were made completely in the car-either riding or waiting to pick grandkids up from school.

I swear I had pictures of the socks half-finished, but I can't find them on my computer.  Maybe they're still in my camera.

 For the trip I started a pair for me (really).  The yarn is more of Deborah Norville Serenity sock yarn-wool, bamboo, and nylon.  This one is a girly color in a self-striping pattern.  I should be able to keep these.

Had a bit of a scare last week.  I had all my pre-op tests-blood, chest x-ray, and EKG.  Imagine my shock when my doctor calls and says I have to go right away to get a CT scan because there is a spot on the lung area on the x-ray!  Had the scan on Friday, but I'll probably have to wait til Tuesday to hear any results, Columbus day, ya know.  Sort of nervous, but I trust in God.  Years ago another doctor found a calcification in my abdomen during a kidney x-ray.  It hasn't shown up since on x-rays, but this particular technician might have been extra good and it finally showed up again.  I guess I'll find out pretty soon.  The trip is still on, and I have been cleared for the knee surgery.

Still a bit nervous about the very short layover time in Mexico City, but we're going to do everything possible to make sure things go smoothly so we can make that connection.  I will look over all their immigration forms to make sure they made no mistakes, and I'll remind them to have all their papers ready.  I think I'll talk to the flight attendants too, maybe they can radio ahead or something.  (One can wish-this is an American airline company, after all.)  We do connect with a Mexican airline and they just might wait for us-Mexican service is top-notch.

Did a bunch of baking this weekend so I can survive.  Some I will take with me, but most of the baking was just my regular food since I can't buy much.  I made a wheatless apple pie.  Very tasty but the crust didn't hold together very well.  I also made crackers, sugar cookies and my chocolate waffles.  I make a huge batch of the waffles and freeze them.  I spread the waffles with sweetened cream cheese for a yummy snack.  I always fix one to take with me when I leave the house, just in case I get hungry and can't find something else wherever I'm at.  I didn't like the cookies, the sorghum flour was a bit too pronounced-next time more coconut flour and less sorghum.  Some of the cookies really crumbled so I put them in a Ziplock and labeled it "Safe Cookie Crumbs" and will freeze them for use later in a cheesecake.

Well, pray for me and hopefully I can post a couple more times before we leave.

And We had a Birthday!

Chris, our first (but not oldest) grandchild turned 16 Friday.  I can't believe he went from this curly-headed tot:

To this curly-headed teenager in such a short time.

 

He hasn't changed much, still a heart-breaker!

Fun Saturday

Sorry I haven't been posting as often-not working as much, so I really don't have an excuse!  Unless you could say that Stan has been canning like a crazy man and of course I get roped into helping.  If I don't want to help I have to make up an excuse to leave the house early.  Can't resist him when he shines those green eyes on me and asks if I'd like to help!

We've been fairly busy otherwise, too.  Getting ready for a vacation with 13 people is a full-time job, and add getting ready for major surgery and it's no wonder I have no time left at the end of the day!  Last week I went to a "Joint Replacement Class" sponsored by the hospital.  It's designed to answer our questions, encourage us, and give us a good idea of what we will be going through.  We had one hip replacement and three knees.  (Sounds funny, doesn't it, but that's how we introduced ourselves-and that was NOT prompted by the class leader!)  I got a good idea of anesthesia choices and I think I know what to choose.

Anyway, on to fun things.  Gracie has been obsessed with horses almost since birth.  I think it's a girl thing.  We finally connected with our good friends, Wayne and Connie, and arranged for the three youngest grandkids to ride their horses Saturday morning.

Connie introduced the kids to "Girlie" a gentle 25-year-old mare.  It didn't take Gracie long to touch the horse, but it took over 20 minutes to convince her to get on.  Sydney got on and rode around for a while just to show her how easy it was, then they tried to get her to ride with Syd, walked the horse over to a flatbed trailer so it would be easier to mount, but finally it was a threat from Mommy, "You came here to ride a horse.  If you aren't getting on, we're going home!" 

"Noooo, Mommy," she cried, screwed up her courage and got on.  Then you should have seen her face!  And of course when it was time to go we couldn't get her off!

Sydney was doing so well, Wayne put a bridle on "Smokey" and put him in the round corral.  Syd got the hang of handling a horse in a heartbeat and trotted around that corral like he'd been doing it for years.

Then Sam, who wasn't afraid, just not very interested, decided he should ride, too.  He loved it!

Wayne and Connie's grandson, Colton, has been on a horse since birth.  He'll be 3 in December and is happiest on the horses.

He wasn't too happy to share the horses-there were only two kid's saddles so they had to take turns.  That did NOT please him!  Here he is with his mom getting a talking to.

Then Gracie got on Smokey with Syd and together they  trotted around the corral.  It was such a cute sight to watch, four kids that nuts about horses, even with the fit that Colton pitched!

We spent about 2 hours there.  I'm sure Connie was exhausted from leading that horse around the yard over, and over, and over....................

Gracie and Sam are making thank you cards to send to the Speakmans.  They haven't stopped talking horses since!

After getting kids to their respective homes, cutting Syd's hair, and showering myself we went to a 50th anniversary party for another close couple.  That was really nice-they have eight kids and two of the daughters went to culinary school.  The food was fabulous, and the tribute to 50 years of devotion and good parenting was touching.  The hubby even shed tears when each kid got up and reminisced or joked about their childhood.  They still live on the same farm outside Manhattan that they bought back when they started their life together.  All three daughters have built houses on the property, and all but 2 of the boys live in the area.  One of the boys even married a cousin of Stan's.  Talk about full circle!

They held the party on the property, the third event we've attended there.  First was their oldest daughter's wedding that I had had the privilege of singing for, then the husband's 60th birthday, then so many years later their 50th.

Oh, and the daughter whose wedding I sang at?  Her kids are now grown and married.