Cruise 2012

During February of 2012 - Steve and I went on a cruise with some neighbors to Cozumel, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.   We were a little nervous after we went on the cruise last fall with Steve's Brothers family that maybe we weren't cruisers.  Well we don't love that you can't spend more time in each port - and I am not sure we love Carnival Cruises - but this cruise was so much fun.  It was great to get to know neighbors we didn't know that well prior, and to have people to visit with - but it was also just an awesome way to relax.   I grew up taking vacations that were go, go go... and I tend to still plan vacations that way - well cruises don't really allow that they force you to slow down - sit on the deck and read books.   It was a great week, and while I am not sure we will always be cruisers we were definitley glad we did this cruise.

The first stop on the cruise was Cozumel - it was unlike any part of Mexico I had ever seen they had armed guards keeping people away from the the tourists, so we didn't really get to see any of the locals - we took an excursion out to the Mayan Ruins - Book of Mormon country - it was crazy how much was being made out of 2012.

This was Steve making his way down one of the ruins that they let us climb up --- it was insane how steep (scary) it was to come down --- it is moments like this that always remind me I am a little more afraid of heights than I like to admit, and my depth perception maybe isn't what it should be - thanks for passing that one down Mom.

Stop two was Limon, Costa Rica - it was beautiful - going through the country side to make our way to where we rode a tram through the rain forest and did a couple of short hikes - above is one of the many birds of paradise found. 

Steve and I at the bottom of the rain forest - we took a tram ride down through it was pretty cool - although we didn't get to see any monkeys because it was the middle of the day and too hot.

Probably the coolest thing we saw in the rain forest - there were ants and bugs everywhere but watching the line of ants work together to carry their leaves back to to their home was pretty awesome... just made it difficult to use the hand rails.

The third and final stop was Colon, Panama - where we got up early and got on a bus to drive to Panama City, then we got on a little boat with small plastic chairs to spend the next 6 hours going through the Panama Canal - above is the view from the back of our boat while in one of the locks.  It is one of those experiences where it is cool to say you have done it, but so boring to actually do --- I was so excited to be in Panama though and see Panama - because my great grandmother - Mary Johnson - lived in Panama as a little girl - her stepfather was one of the Chefs down during the building of the Panama Canal - and at the opening of the Canal - she was sitting off to the side as a 12-13 year old girl would do when she was given permission to attend the celebration.  Teddy Roosevelt was at the celebration and saw her and invited her to dance -- so as we toured Panama City and looked at all the old military housing - I could picture her spending her adolescence in Panama - I would love to go back and spend more time in Panama City - and Costa Rica.

After we docked on Sunday monrning, Steve and I got a rental car and drove up to West Palm Beach to catch our flight home - we had all day so we took our time driving up the one and stopping at different beaches - it always amazes me to see skies like these --- and the heat of the day in Florida in the middle of February. 



2011

The Top 10 of 2011



I tried to put them in chronological order but sometimes the picture uploading doesn't work as planned - so hopefully it all makes sense still.



#1 - Tahiti - Awesome - Incredible - Amazing Place - Late February Early March





#1.1 - one of the reasons we went to Tahiti - Steve had lost 70 Lbs - and still has kept it off
#1.2 - my sweetheart turned 40 in January of 2011



#2 - We found out we were pregnant through our second attempt at In-Vitro - unfortunately - at our 10 week appointment we found out the baby had died - and so we got to have the fun of an induced miscarriage at home - if you ever get the choice - I would say go for the DNC.

#3 - Steve got promoted to Premium Services Manager at work in February  - it meant going to an evening shift - 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM - Tuesday through Friday - hopefully the shift won't be forever but congratulations Steve!!!





#4 - All sorts of Trips - New Orleans/ Gulfport and Alabama - in May after Jill's work conference there
- Other trips included (some pictured below)
Phoenix in April for the Railroad Revival Festival Concert - Mumford and Sons
Washington DC - to see Kathleen in July (just Jill this time)
Jill to Dallas in June for work
Vegas over Labor Day for a Men without Hats Concert (they didn't show but we saw them the next week in SLC)
Dude Ranch just outside of Zion's National Park (Jill with her book club)
One Cabin Trip in July with Jill's Family



4.1 - Cabin in July with my Dad and Carolyn and Mark and Cera



4.2  - Trip to see Kathleen in July in Washington DC





#5 - Combined Family Trip with Steve's Parents - Jill's Dad and Carolyn and two of her boys.  We went to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and then we continued on with Steve's parents down to Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara and Las Vegas.  - Standing in front of Lake Tahoe

5.1 - we needed a picture with Jill's dad unfortunately the only one we have is with Steve's eyes closed.

5.2 - Whale Watching cruise with Steve's Parents - just off the coast of Santa Barbara - we got to see a blue whale an amazing and rare site!

6 - Mark and Cera got married in August - it was such a beautiful day!!!

7 - We went to Disneyland and on a Cruise with Dave and Kim and the Boys.

7.1 - Just off the boat in Ensenada Mexico

8 - Steve and I went to New York in December - amazing to see the town decorated for the Holidays.

9- The reason Steve and I went to NYC - we tried In-vitro again in November for a 3rd and final time - and unfortunately it didn't take - so we took a little trip.

#10 - The windstorm on 2011 - on December 1st our house and many of our neighbors got hit pretty hard.

4.3 - Railroad Revival Festival concert in Phoenix.


So 2011 - maybe wasn't what we expected it to be when the year began - what year is - what it was though was a year of ups and downs - many friends lost loved ones this year and it reminded us of some of the losses we have experienced, but it also reminded us of all the love we have shared.   "To take the sorrow out of death we have to take the love out of life"  --- I don't know about you but I am and have been surrounded by a lot of love in 2011 and throughout my life.   So, again much like 2010 I can't say I am sad to see 2011 come to a close, but I am happy that I lived and loved during it.  
Happy New Year - Bring on 2012!!!

Wind Storm 2011

Since we have been married Steve has been telling me how much he hates wind.   I have always wondered where this strong hate for something like wind came from.  Yesterday, December 1, 2011, I found out.  We prepared for the wind storm as the news suggested those living in our area do.  About 3:00 AM, I woke up and couldn't stop worrying about what else we maybe could have done.  By 6:00 AM I woke Steve and he went out to see if there were a few more things we could do.  He said it was hard to even breathe outside and came in with this look on his face and said I don't even want to tell you what is happenning to our roof.   For him to go in and out I had to stand with my full body weight up against the door.   The power went out at 6:30ish and Steve and I sat on our couch watching out our upper windows as the wind litterally destroyed parts of our roof.  For the next few hours we watched and listened to shingles just fly off of our roof. 

What I must say about yesterday is that we learned two things

1 - How great it is to see a neighborhood come out after the storm and check on one another, help one another pick up the damage.  We met neighbors we had not had the chance to get to know.

2 - It is a reminder of how powerful nature is and how important it is to be prepared for an emergency.  When original estimates for power were 48 hours - I was actually pretty surprised by how prepared Steve and I were to deal with that.  Power was actually only out for 18 hours which was nice.   Overall we feel pretty lucky, it could have been much worse and it is a good reminder.

We even got to have a little candlelight game night







More Summer 2011

My brother, Dad, Steve and I all went to the U2 Concert - it ws awesome!!!



I have seen U2 three times and I think this was the best... so much better outdoors than at the Delta Center




We spent lots of time with Little Miss Aurora and she just keeps getting cuter and cuter... she loves her uncle Steve especially when she can feed him.





In July we went up to the Cabin with My Dad, Mark Cera, Aurora and Caroline and her son --- this was Mirror Lake in July - still lot's of snow





Why won't these guys talk to me Uncle Steve



Summer 2011



Summer 2011 - was a great summer filled with a lot of different adventures a few are pictured below - with more to come soon ---- including Mark and Cera's wedding - Yay - so proud of them -

We have done a lot of hiking this summer it has been great - this was from one of our hikes above Mueller Park




I took a quick trip to Frederick Maryland in early July to see my friend Kathleen and her family before she has her next baby in October - this is while we were visiting one of my favorite memorials - FDR




Just last week we took a road trip with Steve's parents, My dad, Caroline and two of her sons - this was at the beginning of the trip - at the Salt Flats - on our way to Carson City, Reno and Lake Tahoe - our first stop.




Our first stop in Yosemite National Park - Steve and his dad hiked a little further up rock than I did... but I did go part of the way ---




Another picture in Yosemite - sorry for the funny face Steve but I wanted to put one up with my dad - so I could prove he did come :)




Steve and I in Yosemite - hiking down from the Grand Sequoia grove of trees.




After my Dad, Caroline and her boys left on Saturday - we headed south to San Luis Obispo and Hearst Castle - nothing like standing next to Margaret to make me look like the Jolly Green Giant




After San Luis Obispo - we went to Solvang, and for our final adventure Whale Watching off the coast of Santa Barbara - it is hard to see but that is a blue whale - less than one % of the population has actually seen one it was a pretty awesome sight even if after 6 hours on a boat we only saw one.



New Orleans

Steve and I have always wanted to go to New Orleans - so when I had to go for work in May - we decided to make it a vacation as well and Steve flew down to meet me for a long weekend.  It was a great trip and we got to cover a lot of ground.

Walked around most of New Orleans and took a bus tour of the city and surrounding area, and then we drove up to Baton Rouge one day, and over to Mobile Alabama another day, finishing the trip on the Gulf Coast in Gulfport and Biloxi Mississippi.  It was a great trip and I was so glad I got to share it with Steve.

One of the homes rebuilt in the Ninth Ward by Brad Pitt - they are all very architecturally interesting

Jill at Jackson Square -the St. Louis Cathedral is behind me

Another famous food of New Orleans - Muffaletta

At the San Francisco Plantation - it was a great tour ( and not crowded at all - probably
our favorite plantation that we visited)



Baton Rouge Temple

In Mobile we toured the USS Alabama - it was so cool they really let you climb all around the ship

Oak Alley Plantation another beautiful stop on the trip

Steve at the famous Cafe Du Monde - the Beignet's were amazing