Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Spring is Blooming!!!
My first three daffodils have bloomed. I am so excited that all that hard work of planting all those bulbs in the fall is paying off. I would say that about 80% of the bulbs are about to bloom. Here is a picture of one of the current blooms.
Hopefully I will have a photo of all of them blooming along the driveway in just a couple of days:D
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Cruisin'
Zach and I had a wonderful time on our cruise. We drove to Orlando, spending 2 nights and 1 full day with my grandmother Marna and her husband Dan in a retirement community. We experienced the retired life of riding our bikes to the pool, playing on the putting green, and shuffle board court. It was a nice way to start our vacation.
Following the Segway tour, we very quickly went through a few rows of the straw market. It was a bit crazy and we didn't really see anything of interest to us. We quickly headed to the ship for lunch and then it was off to go snorkeling. We went out on a catamaran to a coral reef. This water was much clearer than at Coco Cay, but also much colder. We were only able to last about 45 minutes in the water. We got to see a lot of beautiful coral, fish, starfish, and even a lobster (pictures on stuck on my camera right now). Zach was shivering the whole time. Even though it was cold, it was well worth it.
The last day was spent on the cruise ship all day. We had a sit down leisurely breakfast, participated/watched several game shows, Zach did a wine tasting, I watched a demonstration on towel folding, etc. We kept ourselves entertained.
A dog that our stateroom attendent made.
My creation after watching the demonstration.
We returned to Orlando the next day and spent a little more time retired before heading home on Saturday.
On Monday morning, we headed to the ship. Once on board, we began eating and didn't stop until we got off the ship on Friday. There was always food around. A typical day included about 4 meals. The best thing I ate on the ship was strawberry pavlova (meringue, whipped cream, and a reduced sugary strawberry sauce with fresh strawberries on top). It was heavenly. I also had french fries and bacon every day which made me a happy sailor.
Our first stop was Coco Cay which is a little island owned by Royal Caribbean. The day was partly cloudy which made the day perfect when the sun was out and okay when the clouds were covering. We rented snorkeling gear and wet suits and spent a lot of time out in the water. We saw starfish, coral, and lots of fish. Some fish were so close we were able to touch them. Towards the end of the day, we attempted geocaching and failed:( Our GPS was only accurate up to 15 feet which was just not accurate enough.
The next stop was at Nassau. The day was packed with activity. We started out very early on Segways. Our tour guide was incredible and we had a lot of fun. I will post a very funny video in the next week of Zach on a Segway. Here is a photo that will have to do for now.
Following the Segway tour, we very quickly went through a few rows of the straw market. It was a bit crazy and we didn't really see anything of interest to us. We quickly headed to the ship for lunch and then it was off to go snorkeling. We went out on a catamaran to a coral reef. This water was much clearer than at Coco Cay, but also much colder. We were only able to last about 45 minutes in the water. We got to see a lot of beautiful coral, fish, starfish, and even a lobster (pictures on stuck on my camera right now). Zach was shivering the whole time. Even though it was cold, it was well worth it. The last day was spent on the cruise ship all day. We had a sit down leisurely breakfast, participated/watched several game shows, Zach did a wine tasting, I watched a demonstration on towel folding, etc. We kept ourselves entertained.
A dog that our stateroom attendent made.My creation after watching the demonstration.We returned to Orlando the next day and spent a little more time retired before heading home on Saturday.
Monday, March 1, 2010
My Addiction
I am here to admit that I am addicted to reality TV. At this moment, I have spent 2.5 hours watching The Bachelor. And I still have 30 minutes left. Craziness I tell you, craziness. ABC has had me hooked for quite a while now. It started with The Bachelor and then the Bachelorette. Then they added Dancing with the Stars by bringing in Melissa. Now, I am watching The Bachelor.
The scary part is that it is not just ABC. I am embarrassed to admit that it goes much further than that. There is TLC that really sucked me in with John and Kate Plus 8. That still is my number one favorite reality show EVER. TLC has a million other shows along with Style, E, HGTV, etc. They all got me. I am not sure that I watch anything but reality TV.
So, with this being the last night of The Bachelor, I thought, next week I can have my life back. Then I found out about Jason and Molly's (The Bachelor) wedding next week. Then, in the end of March, Dancing with the Stars begins which which is combining my reality TV worlds by having Kate (John and Kate Plus 8) and Jake (The Bachelor) dancing. Will they ever give me a break?
The scary part is that it is not just ABC. I am embarrassed to admit that it goes much further than that. There is TLC that really sucked me in with John and Kate Plus 8. That still is my number one favorite reality show EVER. TLC has a million other shows along with Style, E, HGTV, etc. They all got me. I am not sure that I watch anything but reality TV.
So, with this being the last night of The Bachelor, I thought, next week I can have my life back. Then I found out about Jason and Molly's (The Bachelor) wedding next week. Then, in the end of March, Dancing with the Stars begins which which is combining my reality TV worlds by having Kate (John and Kate Plus 8) and Jake (The Bachelor) dancing. Will they ever give me a break?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Pictures From Hiking
Crossing the stream with bags over shoes
Our campsite
Zach crossing back over stream on Day 2 without shoes on
Our beautiful surroundingsMonday, February 8, 2010
Cold Feet
Cold feet pretty much sums up my weekend. Zach and I went backpacking with our friends Tyler, Greg and Morgan. The date was set a while back and we were committed no matter came our way. Snow is what happened to come our way.
It was lightly snowing as we packed the car Saturday morning. By the time we parked at the trail head, there was snow on the ground and snow was still coming down. As we headed down the trail, we encountered many stream/river crossings (double the normal amount on this trail), most likely due to snow melt from last week's big snow. I lost out on the first stream crossing and got wet feet. This is when my feet got cold and stayed cold.
There was point in which we had to cross through rushing water. The guy before us warned us that his dogs nearly washed away when crossing. We tied trash bags over our shoes and attempted to cross. I believe that 3/5 of us made it through without getting wet shoes. Which really means only 2 did not have wet feet since my shoes were still wet from the very first crossing.
We made it to camp and started gathering firewood. As you can imagine, all the wood was soaking wet from the previous snow melt and the current snow...yes, it is still snowing on us. Tyler was brilliant in searching the bowels of the cave for dry wood. We were able to get a fire started (we found out the next morning that we were most likely the only ones able to start a fire according to reports from other backpackers). I was able to get feeling back into my toes by the fire, but they never really got warm. Then it was off to bed to wake up to even colder temperatures outside.
Once out of the sleeping bag, my feet froze solid. It was not until an hour or more into our hike that I began to gain feeling back in my toes. Thankfully I was able to keep my feet dry when crossing the much lower, calmer streams. Zach actually opted to take his shoes off and walk across the biggest crossing in the probably low 30* weather. But, all of us made it out with our toes still attached and working.
It was a cold trip, but a really good one. I am glad that Zach and I stuck with our commitment even if it meant having cold feet:)
...pictures to come
It was lightly snowing as we packed the car Saturday morning. By the time we parked at the trail head, there was snow on the ground and snow was still coming down. As we headed down the trail, we encountered many stream/river crossings (double the normal amount on this trail), most likely due to snow melt from last week's big snow. I lost out on the first stream crossing and got wet feet. This is when my feet got cold and stayed cold.
There was point in which we had to cross through rushing water. The guy before us warned us that his dogs nearly washed away when crossing. We tied trash bags over our shoes and attempted to cross. I believe that 3/5 of us made it through without getting wet shoes. Which really means only 2 did not have wet feet since my shoes were still wet from the very first crossing.
We made it to camp and started gathering firewood. As you can imagine, all the wood was soaking wet from the previous snow melt and the current snow...yes, it is still snowing on us. Tyler was brilliant in searching the bowels of the cave for dry wood. We were able to get a fire started (we found out the next morning that we were most likely the only ones able to start a fire according to reports from other backpackers). I was able to get feeling back into my toes by the fire, but they never really got warm. Then it was off to bed to wake up to even colder temperatures outside.
Once out of the sleeping bag, my feet froze solid. It was not until an hour or more into our hike that I began to gain feeling back in my toes. Thankfully I was able to keep my feet dry when crossing the much lower, calmer streams. Zach actually opted to take his shoes off and walk across the biggest crossing in the probably low 30* weather. But, all of us made it out with our toes still attached and working.
It was a cold trip, but a really good one. I am glad that Zach and I stuck with our commitment even if it meant having cold feet:)
...pictures to come
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Snow Days
So, this year we have already gotten 3 days off school for snow. All of you who live in North, don't even say anything. It is different here as many northerners are experiencing right now. Last time it snowed, a slick little layer of ice formed on the roads, no biggie, but dangerous just the same for those of us who have never been trained in driving on ice. But this time around, we really got some snow. About 36 hours after it began snowing, all the streets have probably at least 1 inch of compacted snow/slush/ice with up to 4 inches of snow surrounding those areas. And, there are no snow plows in sight and there will not be. This would be why people stock up when we hear snow might be coming. When snow does come like this, it stays and keeps a lot of us in.
All that to say, we have had a lot of fun enjoying our 2 days in. Last night, our friends who are in walking distance (4 in total) walked to our house for some dessert and games. We played some Mad Gab. Hilarious. The best card said "Disco Pierre Knead Stoner". Any guesses? At midnight, I decided that I just had to get out there in the snow. What if the sun came out early and it all disappeared? You never know what might happen in the South. So, I suited up and eventually got everyone else on board. I grabbed a cookie sheet, foam board, plastic storage container, and a 3 ring binder. We had a lot of fun "sledding" and "snow boarding" down the hilly streets with our makeshift sleds. The winner by far was the foam board!
Little did I know that this morning we would wake up to every bit of the snow from the night before plus more. Zach and I took it slow with a good hearty breakfast, randomness around the house, and then we were out. We made some things out of snow....
And then went for a walk. On our walk, we ran into some of the neighborhood families that has young children. We joined into the snow ball fight and the sledding (they had a plastic sled). After they went inside to warm up, we finished our walk. Today has been a really GREAT day!
All that to say, we have had a lot of fun enjoying our 2 days in. Last night, our friends who are in walking distance (4 in total) walked to our house for some dessert and games. We played some Mad Gab. Hilarious. The best card said "Disco Pierre Knead Stoner". Any guesses? At midnight, I decided that I just had to get out there in the snow. What if the sun came out early and it all disappeared? You never know what might happen in the South. So, I suited up and eventually got everyone else on board. I grabbed a cookie sheet, foam board, plastic storage container, and a 3 ring binder. We had a lot of fun "sledding" and "snow boarding" down the hilly streets with our makeshift sleds. The winner by far was the foam board!
Little did I know that this morning we would wake up to every bit of the snow from the night before plus more. Zach and I took it slow with a good hearty breakfast, randomness around the house, and then we were out. We made some things out of snow....
And then went for a walk. On our walk, we ran into some of the neighborhood families that has young children. We joined into the snow ball fight and the sledding (they had a plastic sled). After they went inside to warm up, we finished our walk. Today has been a really GREAT day!
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