2009 03 29 Spring Break and a Spring Project!

We enjoyed a week with Heather, Mike and the Boys in Brookville. We also had an opportunity to visit with Lisa and Eimhin at the Fraley's. We celebrated Eimhin's birthday, too! It was great to see everyone and a good time was had by all.

It was also Spring Break for the boys and they enjoyed having a few days out of school. The weather was pretty nice and we spent time riding bikes, lots of eating and we also spent an afternoon at the bowling alley. As is part of their regular leisure activity, Justin and Peyton enjoy playing basketball and war with their neighbor, Hunter.

Nancy and Heather dreamed-up a project to undertake during the visit. They converted the garage into a play area or as we called it when we grew up - a rec room - for the boys. Oh my gosh - what were we thinking! It was a lot of work but it was well worth the effort. We are so tired, and our backs really hurt. Both of us are in need of a manicure and a Chiropractor.

In any event - the boys and their friends now have a place all their own that they can rough-house in - complete with a well-worn sofa to play video games. On request is a fridge for their drinks (we'll see - someday maybe.) When the chaos get's too much to bear - Heather and Mike can just close the door! Imagine - a bedroom is simply that - a bedroom. No TV, no clutter, no army men - just clothes in the closet and their beds. Hallelujah! Another plus - the living room is more of a sanctuary for the adults. Well, we can dream can't we......

2009 03 21 Visiting the Kids & Grandkids, Brookville, Indiana

We wrapped up our stay in Florida on Wednesday and made our way to Red Bay, Alabama. No, No, we weren't touring the Coon Dog Cemetery (ok, stop laughing) all kidding aside - it's a big deal in Red Bay.... but we did stop by the Tiffin Factory to have a couple of items looked after on our Rig. Since they are pretty stacked up this time of year we decided to leave the bus and drive to Indiana to see Heather, Mike, Justin and Peyton.

My gosh - time really does fly! The boys are so tall and are almost young men.....Where are our babies?????We drove straight through from Alabama, so we've spent today working a puzzle, doing a bit wrestling with the boys, and of course relaxing.... Tomorrow we're going bowling, bike riding and a bit of shopping. The boys want to go on a road trip - so we may find a day-trip somewhere for their "Spring Break" get-away. We have a quick lunch scheduled with Lisa and Eimhin on Thursday and a big family breakfast on Friday - before they head back to Seattle. We'll wrap up our visit in a few days and make our way back to Red Bay. The kids will be back in School, and Heather and Mike both will be working and going to school - so no real need to hang around long this time of year. We plan to come back and spend a bit more time this summer.

2009 03 15 Space Shuttle Discovery Launch, Titusville, Florida

Wow - timing is everything - we are so lucky!

We've been staying in Titusville and were fortunate to be here and to get to see NASA launch the Shuttle Discovery. We scouted-out a great viewing spot across the Inter-coastal from Launch Pad 39-A and waited for the big event with a bunch of other folks. We were advised to grab out spot early as traffic would be horrible and all the prime spots would be snagged by the early birds - so we arrived about 3 hours before launch. It only took 6 minutes or so for the Shuttle to leave the Earth's atmosphere - but what a fantastic 6 minutes we had. Just an amazing feat! Traffic rumors were well founded - it took about 3 hours to travel 7 miles back to The Great Outdoors.

The experience was just tremendous and we get to scratch another item off our Bucket List!

2009 March, 14 - The end of our South America and Antarctic Journey

Pack-up! The party's over - and yes, we are sad.

We just got back from the most amazing 82 day journey you could imagine, arriving on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009.

When we left Fort Lauderdale in mid-December we were unsure about life on a ship for so many days. We can assure you - it is not difficult! What a wonderful way to travel.

We were absolutely excited to be visiting so many exotic places - places we've dreamed about, read about and watched on TV. We are extremely fortunate that we were able to make this trip happen at this time in our lives. Every port of call provided a glimpse into the lives of so many people. It was an amazing experience. Our travels were filled with visits to beautiful places - amazing wonders of the world. From day one we were filled with excitement, eager to explore every area. But most of all, we wanted to experience the culture and meet the local people - to hear about their lives. And boy, did we ever get to do just that.

When you are ever bored - or have trouble sleeping - click onto our photo album. At some point I will get caught up and post my short stories about our experiences. You may have already read a few that are posted in this blog - but there are many, many more that haven't been included yet. For now, let the photos take you there.

Chao!