It's time for another update!

Our vacation started with a surprise

for the guys to a Mariners game.

It is little hard to keep it a surprise when Rayme didn't want to bring a jacket (after all we don't need jackets in Mexico) and then proceeded to take the stadium blankets out of the car to make room. I finally convinced him he might need a jacket and the blankets can stay in the car. It was a fun game and the Mariners won the game! Go Mariners!!

We make it to Puerto Vallarta without any issues, OK maybe I should warn anyone that goes to Mexico about the timeshare vultures. Man, I thought I made it through without being enticed to their cunning ways, little did I realized that Rayme, Marc & Vaughn were nabbed behind me. Dang, they have them. The question - do I move forward without them or go back and save them? Of course, I go back but I don't save them I get sucked in too. We did get some fun excursions that we did enjoy later in the week.

We finally get to the resort - it is

huge!!!

Then onto finding our rooms and

this is what our view was.

It was beautiful!

My favorite time was at sunset and every night we would decide where we wanted to eat. My vote was always to go to the restaurants by the beach.

Some of the excursions we enjoyed was a trip to Yelapa. The only way to get there is by boat. We had a wonderful boat ride and even spotted some huge Manarays. It took us a little while to figure out the two fins thingy out of the water. Process of eliminations we figured it out.

Here is a picture of Vaughn para sailing, and Yelapa.

Here is Rayme on the zip line.

Rayme, Marc & Vaughn had a blast on this adventure.

The reason you don't see a picture with me is I didn't go. A few days before we left for our vacation I was sick with vertigo (spinning) and the instructions included that if you have vertigo you would not be allowed to go. Plus I already experience enough spinning for the week.

This was a very relaxing vacation. Most of my decisions is where I want to lay by the pool or go the beach. Ahhh - it was paradise.

Thanks Marc & Vaughn for coming with us on another great vacation! You are awesome travel companions.

More wonderful memories were made.

Rayme and I celebrated our 28th Wedding Anniversary this trip. I am very lucky to have a great traveling buddy that doesn't mind carrying my bags. I tip him well.

I probably should let you know that all of us returned home healthly - no swine flu here.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone!

An update is here!

I realize that it has been sometime since my last post, and with that lots have gone on in my life. Travel, celebrations, learning opportunities and more travel and more celebrations!

The first I would like to report on is our cruise to the beautiful tropical Southern Caribbean. We started our vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We stayed a couple of days to enjoy the beauty of Puerto Rico and one of our stops was the Rain Forest and a hike to LaMina Falls. Our tour guide said it was just under 2 miles and cautioned us the trail was bit up and down. It was worth the hike.

We traveled with our friends on this cruise I think the total in our group was 17 (not all went to the Rain Forest). Lloyd decided to take a plunge in the pool under the waterfall. It was much colder than he anticipated. In the first picture you might notice Lloyd isn't in the picture because he was in the van trying to keep warm. I may want to remind you that all of us were still adjusting to the warm climate of Puerto Rico.

It was a busy cruise, it was a 7 day cruise with stops in St. Thomas, Barbardos, Dominica, St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Kitts.

We had a great time with our friends on our vacation! We had the opportunity to learn the finer art of playing Hand & Foot, how much luggage can fit in a van with passengers, and that you can lose carry on luggage, that you can all pay the same amount at the hotel and some get suites and some not, how many entrees the guys will order on the cruise ships, or how many pair of shoes the women pack. Yes, it was an educational trip too.

Onto the next weekend after we got home. A few of my friends attended Time Out for Women - a Women's Conference in Seattle.

I need a spiritual boost once in a while, and this time was just what I needed. It had many top notch speakers reminding us that we are daughters of God and we are loved by him. Sweet assurance!

Of course, what would be a womens weekend to start out with some shopping - we stopped at the Alderwood Mall. It seemed it was really a necessary stop because Dawn needed to find a dress for her son's upcoming wedding.

We stayed at nice hotel in downtown Seattle not far from the conference center. Finding our hotel room we needed to have an escort to our room because you needed to have a key in the elevator and go up and around or was it down and over through the doors, and if you need to go back to the parking garage you need to go back to the lobby go into another set of elevators not the ones on the right but the set of elevators on the left. You get it? We did manage to make it to our room, but I would have to say it took all 4 of us to remember our directions.

The next weekend is my Grandma McConnell's 90th Birthday celebration!

I also had already signed up for a overnight scrapbook crop for that weekend too, and since the crop was the night Friday night and Grandma's party was Saturday afternoon I thought I can do both.

Nicole was able to come from Las Vegas to help celebrate Grandma's birthday and to participate in the crop.

Let me take you back a few years ago for Christmas, I decided to make a 12x12 scrapbook to give to Grandma, but since I get this creative ideas very close to the occasion I gave her a album with the layout pages without the pictures. My plan was to enlist my extended family members to give me some of their favorites pictures to be included in the album, I didn't get as many pictures as I planned, so I needed to come up with the pictures and of course it took longer than I expected. So thankfully Nicole came at the perfect time and put the finishing touches on the album and we were able to give it back to her for her birthday.

Onto the next weekend - Utah! Michelle graduated from Paul Mitchell Beauty School!

This is Michelle with her friends (classmates) Kendra and Rochelle.

For their graduation the graduate made up a model with hair and make up and explained the techniques and inspiration that they used. She has passed her cosmetology tests and now just as to complete her needed hours and should be finished in the next week or so.

After the graduation and dinner, I was able to convince Rayme, Michelle & Chyla to go to Roberts Crafts. Robert's was having a moonlight sale - open until Midnight! We were there and they announced that there would be a drawing at 11:00PM and being that was only a few minutes away we stayed for the drawing and wouldn't you know it Michelle won the $50 gift certificate.
You have to know Michelle had declared herself as "not crafty" and so Nicole and I benefitted from her win fall. Thanks Michelle!

For many of us this winter has been a very unpredictable one, it apparently followed us to Utah as we enjoyed Friday & Saturday in the 60's, on Sunday our drive back to the airport included a snowstorm. When we fly into Seattle it was sunny skies. Go figure!

Another great weekend! Thanks Michelle for graduating and giving us an excuse to come visit. It was wonderful!! Oh, thanks for giving me some highlights, your Dad's and Nicole's haircuts.

Sorry the post is so long, but it has been a long time.