VayCay2016 Part 1

A part of the fun of going on vacation is sharing those memories and good times with family and friends upon return. 

And so I will be doing just that in my next several blog posts.  

To begin,  Gracie was not at all happy to find my suitcase out of the closet and on the bedroom floor on Saturday.  The following picture is worth a thousand words:

She was happy though to have a live in dog/house sitter for the week.  Her and Aunt Angie bonded.

This vacation was one that was planned way in advance in anticipation of repeating or even exceeding last years vacation which had gone down in history as being one of the best/funnest/greatest vacations ever!  

Spirits were dampened though, when several family members were unable to be a part of this years vacation.  A few changes were made though, and we proceeded to plan our time away but with a bit of a heavy heart. 

I had a roller coaster ride of emotions.  One day the scavenger hunt was on.  The next day it was not.  I did not feel there was a spirit of enthusiasm in many of the others who were going and I thought, why put a lot of effort into something that others do not care to do?  After my final cancel of the 'fun stuff' I did a complete turnaround and the game was on when I found that Marissa was really excited about it and disappointed to know it might be canceled.  I couldn't let my girl down.  The games are not mandatory, so I thought what the heck.  If just one or two want to play...  well then by golly we were going to play and have fun however small the group!

Upon arrival to the hotel Gary picked up off the ground, (right where we parked our vehicle) confirmation that my decision was right on...   

I pulled out my lists, going through the motions,  and braced myself for what would (unbeknownst to me) become another great/awesome/fun vacation.

We texted the lists to all team members while they were en-route to the Pyramid (where we stayed) so they could get started if they were interested in participating.  Everyone seemed excited to be taking part in the fun. 

And so the competition had begun...

Thursday night awards would be given, the WHEEL OF FORTUNE would be played first with the kids, then with the adults, and then LET'S MAKE A DEAL as our grand finale!

Gary and I were there two days earlier than the rest.  So we had time to unwind a bit.  We enjoyed  dinner at a sports bar where the cream of crab soup was the very best I've ever eaten.  Which of us guessed the total check without going over would 'get' to pay for the meal.  

It was close but Gary won.  I mean lost.  Thanks, honey!

to be continued...  

We Have Grown Apart

For some reason I am not able to pull any photos off of my IPad to post on my blog.  Just another one of those life glitches I suppose.  Life has plenty...  This one being a minor glitch but I did want to share the beautiful sunrise with you from this mornings beachfront condo.  Sorry it won't let me.

It was hot today and I did almost nothing at all for the entire day.  We did venture out for an early dinner.  I had cream of crab soup ...  What am I thinking on a hot summers day!!  But it was good.  The best.  Awesome.

I sat out on the balcony for a while and reflected a bit ...  Thinking back to the very first time I laid eyes on the big, mysterious sea and my thoughts back then...  I was eighteen at the time.  My thoughts were, Wow!  I would never be any closer to God than I was then... Alone in the black night feeling the strength of those waves stinging my legs as I bravely walked on and on... following the oceans edge until the familiarity of my hotel was out of sight...  Just me and God.  The better part of my life was in my future then as I asked God for answers to some of life's more difficult questions and that He embrace me and remove the lonely from me.

That was over forty years ago.

The sea and I have many memories to share in those forty-some years.   We would come together time and time again and my love for its mystery and beauty would never grow old.

We have grown apart a little though... The sea and I.   I am not the same impressionable girl I was back then.   Too much of the world has left me jaded and not nearly as much in awe as I was back then... During those years of innocence.  Growing older, I complain about the hot sun and the mess that the sand makes as it clumps between my toes.  The ocean waves still roar ... Likely the same as they did those many years ago.  Still beautiful.  Still mysterious.   The sea did not change.  But I am sure that I have.

I watch the seagulls soar above in the clear blue sky without a care and I think of my mom... Many years gone.   She loved it here.

The memory of years gone by sting, just as those ocean waves stung against my skinny sunburned legs that warm June night of my youth .... A lifetime ago.

the beach the beach the beach

Sorry I have been so blog-absent lately.  I have been busy in the office trying to wrap things up before BEACH TIME!!  We will be headed out on Saturday and I am so looking forward to this vacation!  I need time to relax, regroup, and have fun.  It has been a tough year.   Too many losses.  Too much heartbreak.

My focus now is in trying to get all of my hearing aid deliveries taken care of and working on the fun stuff for the beach..

It is going to be better than ever before, I hope,  with prizes being quadrupled and the game has morphed into something even bigger.

We will start off with a scavenger hunt like last year.  This year I am a lot more organized though, and I have Photos/Videos/ and Items  separated so as to make it easier on the teams.

Top prize is $500!  Holy cow that's a lot of loot!

I've been saving and working hard all year for this, so let the fun begin.

Second place will be $100 and Third place $50.

Only three teams will be competing this year...  But I look for a lot of energy and enthusiasm.  Especially when I tell them about the bonus Wheel of Fortune/Let's Make a Deal Finale!

Oh yes.  Lots of planning and saving has been put into this vacation....

So stay tuned.   And bear with me...  I will be back to blogging when things slow down a bit.

Gracie will be bonding with Aunt Angie who will be house sitting/dog sitting and I look for them to have fun together as well.

One year ago...

  I can almost hear the sound of those ocean waves beckoning me... come... come...

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh