The Life of Riley and Those Around Him

Coast to Coast

2010-09-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

What a weekend, we left Orlando at O'dark:30 on Thursday (the second) and arrived in LA at about 0900. Stepped off the plane and could already feel how much cooler it was here and we all rejoiced in that. Didn't have any luggage to pick up, so it was right to the rental car counter and I won't bore you with the details of what a pleasure it was dealing with Carol at the Hertz counter. Let's just say that Dan and Kim and the other guy working behind the counter walked away because it just got unbelievable/embarrassing the way she was talking to me. We were on our way and Carol was soon forgotten.

Made a stop at a Wal-Mart to pick up some things we needed; water, diet coke, and snacks, the essentials to life. We also got some lunch and then we headed to the hotel, hoping that a room would be ready and they would let us check-in because it was hours until the official check-in time. We lucked out and got a room, unpacked and walked over to Disney.

There are two parks here: Disneyland (which is like the Magic Kingdom) and California Adventure. There is also Downtown Disney, shopping and eating.

After walking around Downtown Disney, remembered that Mum and Dad have a brick at Disneyland. So called Tammy to get the number and off we went on the great hunt. It was very easy to find here, everything was in order not like Disney World where they have been moved around and not in order anymore. We had to do a small field day on the brick, got it as clean as we could before snapping the picture.

Back to the hotel to rest for a bit, but that didn't last long. Kim and I went to the office to see if there was somewhere nearby to walk. The guy at the desk didn't have anywhere nearby to walk so we asked if there were any parks and he recommended Square Mile Park and it was only 7 - 8 miles away. So we headed out for a road trip to check it out before actually walking there in the morning.

Turned out to be a really nice park with lots of walking trails. On the way back to the hotel stopped at Vons to pick up some stuff for dinner, salads with chicken for Kim and me, and a sub for Dan.

After getting up bright and early and I mean early, we stayed on east coast time so it was about 0330, Kim and I went for our walk at about 0630 and walked for an hour. Started out we both had jackets on but before we were done the jackets were off but the weather was perfect.

We got to the park just after 0900 and walked right in, we had purchased our tickets last night so we didn't have to wait in a line to do that. It is so funny how everything is so different but the same, it felt that way all day.

At the railroad station looking down Main Street.

Snow White's Castle, just not the same as looking down and seeing Cinderella's Castle, but still fun to see.

The Castle and the Matterhorn, we didn't ride the Matterhorn because we aren't really roller coaster people..

But we did go on the Jungle Cruise and had a great guide, had us laughing the whole time.

The Haunted Mansion, closed for rehab so we were a bit disappointed.

Tom Sawyer's Island/Pirate's Lair

Had to prove we were really there.

Entering into the Disneyland Hotel area, it was at the far end of Downtown Disney, at least from our perspective.

Going to the Expo to pick up our race packages and tickets.

My new best friend.

As always on Disney property, the flowers are beautiful.

Saturday morning we got up at our normal time and headed out to Oxnard. Going up over the mountains and running into fog in the valley.

The church in Oxnard where Mum and Dad were married a few years ago.

On the way back we were looking for a Sonic and got off at the exit for Calabasas, didn't find a Sonic but did find a quaint little town with a farmer's market going on.

They had samples of all the fruit and I tried it all, ended up buying some plums. Would have loved to have gotten more but I just didn't have time to eat it before we left.

Our next stop we Griffith Observatory, saw the Capital Records building on our drive up.

The Observatory.

The Hollywood sign in the distance and again we were really there.

That night (Saturday) we went to the other Disney Park; California Adventure. Didn't do much but did walk around enjoying the sights.

In front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Kim and I went on this ferris wheel.

What is a vacation with a picture of someone taking a picture.

We went to the Pasta in the Park Party and had dinner. The desserts were the best part.

And we got our picture taken with Minnie Mouse.

Race morning, Dan walked up the street from our hotel (4-5 mile mark) and got pictures of us.

That's me in the white on the left center.

With our medals after the race, we got one for this race and the Coast to Coast for doing a race at Disney World also.

Our official times.

And after the race we still had the strength to pick up a car.

We had a really good time and if I ever got the chance to do this again I would.

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

2010-08-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

A week from right now, Kim and I will be standing with all the other participants of the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon waiting for the race to start. We are both pretty excited and looking forward to our whirlwind trip to California. Will fill you all in next week when we get back.

Tour de Pain

2010-08-16T05:40:00.000-04:00

Kim and I did it, we finished the Tour de Pain this weekend. Started on Friday with a four mile race at Jacksonville Beach on the beach. The beach is really packed so it was pretty nice. Started just before sunset and there was a breeze. Would really like to do another race there.

Our next race was Saturday morning, a 5K. Started at the store that sponsored the race and made a loop in the area. Spent some time walking into the sun but otherwise was an enjoyable time.

Went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and have some breakfast and then we went out and about to kill some time. Wal-Mart was our first stop. Then thank goodness for the GPS because Kim thought of going to an Apple Store to see if we could get the cases for our I Phones and we just poked it in and up it came. The Apple Store was a bust, they had run out of the cases, so we just downloaded the app and ordered them that way. But we were now in one of the sprawling outdoor malls so we lots of choices and things to do. Williams-Sonoma was our next choice, lots of nice things but way to expensive. Barnes and Noble was just around the corner and we knew we could kill some time there. By this time we were getting hungry and what should we walk by but a California Pizza Kitchen and that sounded great for a quick bite to eat.

Back to the hotel after that, took some cat naps, read, watched tv and just killed some more time. The last race started at Jacksonville Landing was just across the river. Got there at about 1600 and milled about smartly until our race start time.

This one had four start times and each race was finished before the next one started, it was a double loop right in that area and it wasn't called the Sizzler Mile for no reason. There were some pretty fast runners in each of the races. Both Kim and I had pretty fast times. I ran for a bit at the start and if I had any doubts about running, they were settled then and there, I am a walker and will stay a walker. But I did do the mile in 11:20 so I was pretty happy with that.

Kim and me after the mile race:

We really enjoy the whole weekend and if we have the chance will do it again next year.

Happy Kids!

2010-08-07T15:40:00.000-04:00

Kaleigh says Daddy is hiding, I think he was using the opportunity to catch a few zzzz's.

Just Because...

2010-08-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

She is so cute. This is the first time Kaleigh has had two ponytails that will stay in for a while and she wanted her picture taken and how could I refuse?

Baseball

2010-07-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Riley's third baseball practice, really just an introduction to the basics, no games. He is still at the stage that if the ball (they use a koosh ball, much less dangerous) doesn't just land in his glove he's not going to catch it but it does come close every now and then.Holding the bat is another story, every time he touches it, he holds it a different way and swings like crazy. But he had a good time and that is all that matters. His favorite part was getting his own water and of course, snack.

Our visitor last night.

Didn't want to leave Kaleigh out, so this morning she looked so cute I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures. OK it was probably closer to 20 shots but these were two I really liked.

Pool Time

2010-07-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

We have been having lots of fun in the pool lately. Kaleigh is a regular little water baby and has no problems getting right into the water. Riley has to warm up to the whole thing and still doesn't want to go underwater but he does a bit more every time he gets in the pool.

Lifeboat Drill and Sail Away Party

2010-07-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

As most everyone knows, one of the first things you have to do when you board a cruise ship is to eat lunch and get acquainted with the layout of the ship. Then it is off to the lifeboat drill. Again I have to say, Disney does it right, we were only standing on deck for about 15 minutes and then we were back to our cabins.

Of course the kids found the whistles very amusing, much more so then any of the adults.

As you can see the life vests for the kids were a bit to big, but Disney delivered some smaller ones made just for toddlers to the cabin later that day.

Here's part of the crew, don't really know where the rest ended up.

After the drill, went up to deck nine and watched the Sail-Away show for a while.

It was very tiring watching all that dancing going on.

Then it was back down to the cabins with the verandas and we watched as we sailed away to start our vacation.

As we were pulling out of the port saw all sorts of marine life; sting-rays, dolphins, sharks, and others that we couldn't identify. All in all a great day.

Upcoming Races

2010-07-10T05:54:00.001-04:00

We have quite a few races that we are already registered for, figure if we register we will do them.

Starting next weekend we will be doing another family 5K; Kim, Tammy, Mum, Dad, and me. It is in St Augustine and starts at the old fort.

I think it will be just Kim and me for the Tour de Pain, it is three races in one. Starting with a 4-miler on the beach Friday night at Jacksonville Beach. Then Saturday morning we will do a 5k and at 1630 that afternoon it is a one mile, don't think it will be a sizzler for me. Dan and I are going to make a weekend of it. August 13 and 14.

Then our first big one, the 1/2 marathon at Disneyland. Kim, Dan, and I are flying out for the long weekend and Kim and I will be doing the race. Dan is official bag carrier, photographer, and chauffeur. We are pretty excited about this one. September 5

The next race is part of a series but we didn't find out about it until we missed the first one and only Kim did the second one. We will be doing all three next year. But for now it is the Miracle Miles 15K in Orlando. September 25

Last year Kim and I did the Wine & Dine but it was a 10K and started in the morning, this year it is a 1/2 Marathon and starts at 2230. Again we always look forward to the Disney races because they are so much fun and well organized. October 2

This next one I had to do some arm twisting but Kim came around to my way of thinking so we will both be doing the Disney World Marathon. That was my big goal for this year, wonder what it will be for 2011-2012? We start training for this after the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon. January 9, 2011

And back to where it all started, Disney's Princess 1/2 Marathon, this will probably be an annual event just to commemorate our first long race. Hard to believe how much we have accomplished in the last year and a half. February 27, 2011

These are the planned races, we will be doing some 5K's or 10K's here and there but for the most part this is our race schedule for the next eight months.

Clamp Rack

2010-07-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

Dan had been wanting to build this clamp rack for some time and just hasn't had the time to do it, so Dad volunteered if Dan provided the lumber. Well the wood was over to Dad's workshop in no time and before we knew it we were the proud owners of a clamp rack. Dad built the basic rack and Dan added the shelves and little racks on the end and stained it.

Pretty nice!!!

Parasailing on Castaway Cay

2010-06-30T17:03:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of our cruise was parasailing. Months ago I asked if anyone wanted to join me and one by one our group increased. We would have had more but by the time they decided to go the 0900 group was full and no one wanted to really go alone. We ended up with Dennis, Cole, Leesha, Sean, Tammy, Andy and me.

The excursion didn't start out very well, the guys running the show were having problems getting the parachute into the air, ended up taking 3 tries and neither of them were very happy and we were getting kind of nervous. Finally everything was right and we were ready to start.

I went first with my new best friend from Nashville. Had to fly tandem and we were the two on the end so we became a team.

Part of the crew, never did get the rest in a picture.

This is me just after take-off.

Up in the air, it was really very peaceful and not as windy as I thought it would be.

Coming in for a landing.

I survived to tell my story and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Leesha, looking not to sure.

Ready for take-off.

There they go.

Enjoying the flight.

Just after being dipped.

Andy and Cole on their way up.

Spotting sea monsters.

They really got dipped.

Back on the boat.

Tammy and Dennis on their way. Tammy would have liked to have been first, doesn't like to wait but she was sitting in the wrong spot and had to go next to last. She found the anticipation was much worse then the actual event and she will be right next to me when we do it again.

Their dipping.

And back on the boat.

We all really enjoyed this and would do it again if we ever get the chance. Maybe we can convince some of the rest of our group to join us.

Expedition Everest Challenge

2010-06-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

Last weekend (June 12th), Tammy, Kim, Cole, and I were getting ready to participate in the Expedition Everest Challenge. It was a 5K race with obstacles and then we went on a scavenger hunt. Both were pretty easy, thank goodness. The obstacles were a balance beam thing, that took more effort getting up on then actually walking across. Then we had to step through the tires and the last obstacle was crawling under some netting. The race was held at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Getting ready before the race, numbers and chips in place.

Walking across the parking lot to the start area.

Cole tolerating the crazy ladies.

If you look closely at the above picture, you can see where we signed the board. Tammy and I are on the left, in the middle, in green ink and Kim and Cole are just below and to the right in blue.

Getting our pictures taken at some of the sets.

The two MC's of the preshow, kept us occupies and laughing.

Start line before anyone lined up.

Watching the sunset, race didn't start until 2030 and our group didn't leave the start line until 2055.

Some shots before the start.

Cole trying to look bored but we knew he was bubbling with excitement.

Finally our turn.

Balance, Kim and Cole.

The tires, Kim and me. You can see we were really racing through them.

Forgot we had to jump over the hay bales.

The end of the 5K and getting our first clue on the scavenger hunt. Didn't find out until we got to the next clue that we had two different clues and had to go to different spots. They were really close together but confused us for a second or two.

You can see we are really rushing through the scavenger hunt.

We all crossed the finish line together.

With our new medals.

We all had a really good time and plan on doing it again next year. Always looking for more folks to join us in any of our adventures.

When It Gets Very Quiet...

2010-06-16T08:42:00.000-04:00

It usually means a couple of kids are up to no good, but today they were just in their room and Riley was reading a story to Kaleigh and all the stuffed animals.

Lazy Squirrels

2010-06-03T09:43:00.001-04:00

Since we have put all the feeders in the yard the squirrels have come from miles around to partake in the treats. Andy caught this one, he had overdone it a bit and was taking a rest.

New Puppy and Tattoo

2010-05-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

First an introduction to the newest member of the family, EPIC, Chris and Jaime's chihuahua. He is about ten weeks old and just as cute as can be.

I have been mulling this over for a month or so and finally decided to just Do It! Must say it was just about painless but I think that had more to do with having Chris and Jaime there to keep me occupied so I really didn't think about what was going on around my ankle.

I knew that I wanted the race distances that I have done since I started walking last year and I wanted to leave a space for the marathon I plan on doing in January. Just a little incentive to follow through.

This was the outline before any needles touched my skin. The 13.1k that you see there was changed to just 13.1 because it was a half-marathon. Chris saw it right before Johnny was going to start inking it, so all is well and right in the world.

Here is Johnny working on the outline. Once he started it went very fast.

On my belly so he can do the back of my ankle. The space above my ankle bone is for the 26.2 miles and you better believe I will be back there as soon as I can after the marathon.

Some of the ink going on. A bit messy but cleans right up.

The finished look.

I only had a couple of ideas when I went in and Johnny pulled everything together and came up with the pattern. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Now the hard part, staying out of the pool for the next two weeks.

A Day at Gatorland

2010-04-25T17:20:00.001-04:00

Saturday was our annual trek to Gatorland and the only thing that we missed was the gators weren't very active in the breeding marsh, it was very quiet unlike the last two years we have gone.

This is a little girl that was ready to go.

This is one of the big alligators in the Gator Jumperoo Show and I guess he was just reserving his sunny spot for the day.

If you look close you can see the two baby birds, they were the first we saw today.

Kaleigh and her new-found friends. She walked right up to them and started feeding them the corn. It was just one piece at a time but she was feeding them.

This goat got a map from some other visitors and made a meal of it. He ran right to the center of the pen so the map couldn't be taken away before he was done.

It's going to take a while to get his fill at this rate.

One last piece.

Bye-bye goats, see you next year.

In the swamp walk.

Bad feather day.

Spoonbills, we don't normally see them this close because they nest on the other side of the marsh but for some reason they we on this side of the water walking around in this tree.

Getting ready to go on the train ride. Hard to get this shot because I had the long zoom on the camera and couldn't get back any farther.

Kaleigh wasn't so brave at the splash pad. Hoping Daddy would protect her.

Riley on the other was having a really good time.

Just so you know we did see lots of alligators.

The first ice cream out by the pool this year. I'm sure this will happen many more times this year.

We had a great time at Gatorland, it didn't get as hot as we thought it would and there was a breeze throughout the whole park.

Flower Festival at EPCOT

2010-04-21T10:54:00.005-04:00

This is one of our favorite times to head out to EPCOT, during the Flower and Garden Festival. This year there seemed to be more displays and flowers so we really enjoyed that.

As you can see from the pictures it was pretty overcast but we lucked out and it didn't really start to pour until we left the park. We were prepared and had our raincoats so our day couldn't be ruin in any way.

The display as we entered the park.

My favorite, the butterfly house.

Some of the many flowers.

The bonsais in Japan, I'm always impressed by them.

This is the first time Riley has walked up to any character, it took a bit of coaxing but he finally did it. The whole time we were in line he talked about giving Mickey high fives and getting next to him and when his turn came he got all shy. But Mickey and Minnie were very patient and we got our picture and Riley got a hug.

Snow White is Kaleigh's new favorite princess.

Vikings and troll in Norway.

We did some things today that we had done in a while including the Kidcot Fun Stops, the kids really enjoyed going to all the stations.

Run to the Sun 8K

2010-04-20T11:47:00.005-04:00

Saturday Kim, Tammy, and I did the Run to the Sun 8K in Kim's neck of the woods. It was a beautiful morning and a great race.

Here's the crew. Sami and Breann held down the fort while we did the 8K and then joined us for the 1.2 mile Fun Run which we used as a cool down for the 8K.

Tammy and I finishing up, Kim finished before us because she run/walks and we just walk. Today we were stepping out and Tammy had a personal best.

Here we are on the Fun Run, just taking it easy.

It was a great weekend and we look forward to the next one we all get together for.

Playing

2010-04-07T10:46:00.003-04:00

We have been having such beautiful weather in the evening and the kids have really enjoyed playing outside after supper.

He's looking mighty professional.

Almost got the bat on that one. He did make contact a couple of times but I didn't catch those.

Moving onto golf.

Getting everything set up.

Looks more like hockey.

Chalk is next, he is a very busy boy.

Nikki heading off to the gym, Andy and Kaleigh just returning from their walk.

Riley caught a ride up the driveway.

Time to pick up.

One last slide.

We are hoping this weather stays around for a while.

Everyone In Their Favorite Place

2010-04-06T15:43:00.000-04:00

I think the title says it all!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T08:41:00.005-04:00

Just a quiet Easter at home. The kids had a great time looking for eggs. I think we see a trend forming, Riley went for the ones with candy and Kaleigh went for the ones with money so they were both very satisfied in the end.

Kaleigh's hair is starting to get long enough for a ponytail in the back but just barely.

Getting ready to throw the ball to me.

When it bounced off my head she thought it was the funniest thing ever.

This time taking aim.

All set for church.

Coming home to their Easter Baskets.

And finally hunting for the eggs.

Riley got to dye eggs, Kaleigh was falling asleep so she was off for a nap.

Haircut

2010-04-01T15:42:00.002-04:00

Some shots of Riley's new haircut. He was complaining about his hair being to long and getting in his mouth and eyes. So Nikki took him for a haircut this afternoon and a really cute boy returned.

Next 1/2 Marathon

2010-03-31T13:31:00.002-04:00

Kim and I registered for this race, it will be held over Labor Day Weekend. Looks like it will be lots of fun, can't wait.

Sea World

2010-03-27T16:23:00.011-04:00

Made our first trip to Sea World this year and it was an absolutely beautiful day, the kind I would like to see year round.

Arrived and as always the paying for parking and parking takes way to long, don't know why they seem to have so much trouble getting cars parked.

The side entrance was open so we didn't have to deal with the crowds buying their tickets and we were on our way in no time.

First stop as always was our picture for the day.

Then Kaleigh and Riley checked out the maps to decide where we would go first.

The Manta aquarium won and we were off.

Part of the tank goes overhead and we could watch the stingrays from below.

Kaleigh was pretty fascinated with them.

Head on view of the Rays.

Riley was checking out the shrimp.

I hadn't realized just how big this tank is. The other times we have visited the exhibit was very crowded and we didn't get a chance to really enjoy everything.

Up inside one of the smaller tanks.

Two of my favorite boys.

Not sure what kind of flowers these are but I thought they were very pretty.

Then we came across the Discovery Garden, don't know how long it has been there but it is the first time I've seen it. These are some kind of peppers, I'm sure the are very hot because they are very small and that is how it seems to work.

Checking out the manatees.

This is the first time we have gone to the underwater viewing area for the manatees in a very long time and both Riley and Kaleigh really liked being able to look at everything from the ground.

Look Kaleigh, do you see that big one over there?

Then the puffins. This exhibit has been changed all around, you go in the exit and see everything backwards and where the entrance use to be is now a gift shop.

Finally found the popcorn!

Look at those sharks!
Lunch time, I packed a lunch for the kids and me. Dan and Andy got chicken and I got some fruit for us to share and turned out to be one of best lunches we have had at Sea World. Everyone was happy and ate everything.

Off to Wild Arctic, used the passholders entrance in the gift shop and that takes you right to the entrance after the movie so we aren't walking through twice or waiting in line at the main entrance.

There was a special program going on with the beluga whales and a group of kids were interacting with two of the whales. So we watched that for a bit, found out you have to be ten to participate.

Riley with the Polar Bears, he thought it was pretty cool that he got to go by himself.

Pictures

2010-03-19T14:03:00.004-04:00

This may not be quite the way I expected this hat to be worn when I was making it for Kaleigh but she sure does enjoy it. She wears it all the time, inside out, right side out, to bed, pulled down over her face and any other way you could think to wear it. But she sure does look mighty cute.

Today we went for a walk along the lakefront, it was the first time in a very long time. Not much has changed. It was very windy, so the first leg was kind of chilly and then we turned around and the wind was to our backs and the sun shining on our faces and it was very nice.

Had to look for the rainbows in each of the fountains.

Then we saw two eagles, only got a picture of one.

The Saint Patrick's Day Lion was still out so got a picture of him too.

Here are the pictures I promised from the Princess Half Marathon. Kim and I in our Princess finest, trash bags and old socks, so we could throw them away when we didn't need them anymore. The trash bags came off as soon as we moved up to the start line. The socks lasted about 1/2 the race, not because our hands were cold but because they were good nose wipers.

Here we are after the finish, I must say the race went by very quickly and I did enjoy myself.

Cute Girl, Creative Boy, and Castless Boy

2010-03-16T13:30:00.004-04:00

Been pretty busy around here, but isn't that the same for everyone. Spring finally showed up this past weekend and Kaleigh got dressed up to celebrate, isn't she the cutest?

Not exactly sure what she is doing here but fun was being had.

Riley created this duplo ship all by himself and was very proud.

You would think his best friend was moving away forever but really we are just getting the astronaut boots (casts) off.

He did really well getting the first one off, but the second one was very traumatic for some reason. Not sure if the noise from the saw was scaring him, that his foot was feeling very strange or he really was going to miss the casts but he got very worked up. Thank goodness the assistant removing the cast was very good and fast. They were both off in no time.

Stopped to do some shopping on the way home and Riley got a new pair of Buzz Lightyear and Woody shoes. So much for him wanting to take it easy and relax on the couch like the Doctor said he might. He just wanted to run like the wind and that is what we let him do.

Now we just have to wait and see if the casts corrected the toe walking. Here's hoping for the best.

We Did It!!!

2010-03-07T16:34:00.004-05:00

No pictures right now, when I order and get them I will post.

Kim and I did our first 1/2 marathon today, the Princess out at Disney. We love Disney races, they make you feel so special and lots of little treats along the way.

The day started at 0300 for me which wasn't to very bad. Got dressed, packed the cooler and Kim arrived a few minutes later. The ride to EPCOT was uneventful except some roads had already been closed so we just followed the line of cars and arrived in the parking lot at about 0415.

Had a very scary five minutes as we were getting all our race stuff on, I couldn't find my race number/timing chip. I even called Dan to see if I left it at home, I was very sure I hadn't because I had checked my bag before I left the house and it was in there. So I calmed myself down and looked again and there it was with the trash bags I brought to keep us warm before the race. Crisis averted and we were able to move on.

Got out of the nice warm car into the very cold morning, it was 36 degrees when we left the house and we forgot to look when we got out of the car but it was cool, no wind that goodness.

We were walking over to the gathering area and realized we didn't pay attention to where we parked (where are Dan and Dennis when you really need them?). Figured we would worry about that after the race.

Spent the next hour in line at the porto-potties, by that time we really had to go. It was about 0535 by the time we started walking back to the official starting area and it took us about 15 minutes to get there. So we had about 15 minutes until the start of the race.

Right at 0558 the wheelchair participants started, at 0600 the fast runners and then every seven minutes until 0628 when our group headed out.

The race itself seemed to go by very fast, the first five miles were gone in no time and then I was at seven miles and I realized I was more than 1/2 way finished. Once the sun came up(about 0645) the weather was beautiful and I only got hot in one place the rest of the time I was comfortable.

I knew I had a good pace going but I just couldn't get my brain to figure it out until the last 1/2 mile and I knew I could finish the 13.1 in under 3 hours and that was about 10 minutes faster then the goal I set for myself, so I was a happy camper.

Can't wait for the next one!

Disney's Royal Family Kids' Races

2010-03-06T14:15:00.025-05:00

Today was the big race for Riley and Kaleigh. We really had a good time and it was lots of fun watching all the kids. We saw the finish to the mile run and there were some serious runners in the group.

Practicing before the start.

That was fun maybe I should do it some more.

Riley and Baapa taking a break in the nice warm sun.

Kaleigh's turn.

Do I have to stand next to Kaleigh and have my picture taken?

Okay, if you insist.

Riley taking his practice laps.

Getting ready for the start.

Lots of kids and parent for the 100m dash.

Is it our turn yet?

And he's off!

Well this is fun.

Come on Mama, you can do it.

I think I would rather go the other way.

Nearing the finish line.

I'm coming, I'm coming.

Maybe if my tongue is out it will be easier.

See I made it to the finish line, no problem.

The racers with their medals.

It was pretty much a perfect day to be out and running. Looking forward to the next one the kids can do.

Kim and I do the 1/2 marathon tomorrow morning. Have to be there by 0430 for the 0600 start. So Kim will be picking me up at about 0330. Will update you tomorrow on our race.

Kaleigh Falling Asleep at Lunch

2010-02-18T12:32:00.002-05:00

This is pretty much an everyday thing in our house, as Kaleigh is finishing up her lunch she starts to doze off and it is pretty funny to watch.

You would think she would go right down for her nap after this but as soon as you touch her she is wide awake and ready to go.

Big Girl Bed!

2010-02-17T18:19:00.004-05:00

It's official, we have a big girl living in our house. Kaleigh's crib was moved out and a toddler bed moved in (again thanks to Cheri). As you can see Princess' are the big thing in Kaleigh's world right now.

Seeing the bed for the first time, she was very excited.

Trying it out, I think it is going over very well.

Now to see where and when she falls asleep tonight.

Picture Day

2010-02-16T18:37:00.003-05:00

Hadn't really planned on taking pictures today but the kids just looked so cute and it is so hard to get pictures of Riley because he doesn't like to sit still. So I caught him playing with the pieces of his train set on the table.

Kaleigh just likes having her picture taken, but for some reason it is hard to get her to smile in pictures. Not sure why but she always looks so serious.

Did a five mile walk this morning and let me tell you that first mile was a killer, haven't had a time that slow in quite a while. The rest of the walk was much better so I knew it was just because of the long walk on Sunday and getting back into the swing of things.

The Training Continues

2010-02-14T18:26:00.002-05:00

Today I did the longest walk of my training schedule; 14 miles. That is the longest I have walked in a really long time plus it was at a pace I have never done before. 3:15:16 which works out to a 13:57 pace. I would really like to finish the 1/2 marathon at that pace, if the weather cooperates I will be able to do it. Now I just keep up my normal walking of five miles five days a week and then I will take a couple of days off before the race. The big day is March 7 at 0600, can't wait.

When Will the Florida Weather Return?

2010-02-12T19:06:00.006-05:00

It was a rainy, nasty day here. I realize it is much worse up north but I moved to Florida for warm sunny weather with an occasional thunder storm thrown in but this has gotten ridiculous and I'm ready for the bad weather to end and the beautiful weather to come back.

It was just the kids and I today and we played and had lots of fun. Kaleigh got this block set for Christmas and has been really getting in building towers on it.

Tried getting a picture of Riley's haircut, you can see his eyes now and the rest of it blends together.

Kaleigh always gets upset if I take a picture of Riley and not one of her. So here she is, standing by my leg, poking me and saying "Me, me". She was very happy when I took a picture and showed it to her.

Mum, Dad, and Tammy stopped by for a quick visit. Dad dropped off the bird-feeders I had asked for because the woodpeckers had found the one we had and it was impossible to keep it full. All we do is mix some peanut butter with birdseed (Riley's job) and fill the hole with the mixture. Dan will hang and fill them this weekend.

My excitement for the week was printing out the waiver for the Princess 1/2 Marathon, just means the race it getting that much closer.

Haircut Day

2010-02-08T17:52:00.007-05:00

Another favorite thing to play with in our house. These are birdhouse I painted years ago and now they finally have a use. Kaleigh loves to move them around, stack them up and put stuff in them. Keeps her happy for a good long time and that is a good thing.

Today I finally decided to get my haircut, it had been way to long since my last one and the back was getting pretty curly and unruly. Riley was in the same predicament except we were having a hard time seeing his face. So I went bright and early and when I got home after doing a couple of other errands we headed out again to get Riley's hair done.

As you can see the front had gotten pretty long.

Kaleigh was jealous and wanted her picture taken so I obliged her.

Riley was kind of fidgety until it was mentioned he would get a treat if he sat still and that was all it took and the rest of the haircut went very well.

I didn't get an after picture but I sure you will be seeing some in the days to come.

It's the Weekend

2010-02-06T13:39:00.002-05:00

Where has the time gone? I can't believe it is already February and it is already zooming by.

Yesterday we went to the courthouse and applied for Andy, Nikki, Riley, and Kaleigh's passports/passcards. We got the passcards for the kids for right now because they are only valid for five years and no sense paying for a full passport when they probably won't be traveling anywhere that requires a passport until later. We were very happy that the lady that waited on us was very efficient and got everything done very quickly.

Dan and I went to the commissary, so one more big shopping trip completed.

Riley working on his puzzle, he completed it all by himself and was very excited, as were we.

Muffin Man

2010-02-03T18:30:00.005-05:00

Today was Riley's turn to stay home with me and he got to help me bake blueberry muffins. We made big ones for Baapa and little ones for Kaleigh and him.

Watching the muffins cook.

Enjoying the fruits of his labor.

While I cleaned up he participated in one of the favorite activities in this house, rearranging the magnets on the refrigerator. It's something that can keep them occupied for a good long time.

I May Be Back!

2010-02-02T16:18:00.002-05:00

I know it has been forever since I posted but it was getting to be more of a chore and not really much fun so I took a break. Now I'm going to give it another try.

Life has been going on, just as busy as ever. I'm sure you all know what I mean. I'm still walking and preparing for the half-marathon; it is only 4.5 weeks away. Getting exciting about finishing the race. My training has been right on schedule, did a 12-miler this past weekend, 13:32 a mile pace. This is what I'm shooting for on race day. Still have a 14-miler to do in two weeks and then I will be easing up until race day.

Have already planned to do a couple more 1/2 marathons this year and each month Tammy, Kim and I try to get together and do a 5 or 10K just to do them.

Today was a big day for Riley, he has been walking on his toes for forever and today he got casts on to correct the problem. He did really well getting them on and seems to be adjusting to his "astronaut boots" and you would hardly know he has them on. I told him he looked just like Jagee (Dad) did and he thought that was pretty funny. He will have them on for six weeks and then have some physical therapy.

Can you believe how big Riley and Kaleigh have gotten. A monster has been created in our house and we are blaming Kim because she gave Kaleigh a set of Princess pajamas for Christmas and now all Kaleigh wants to wear are things with princesses on them. She isn't even two and already knows just what she wants to wear.

Race for the Taste 10K

2009-10-13T10:20:00.006-04:00

This past Sunday Kim and I and 4011 of our closest friends did the Race for the Taste 10K out at Disney. First let me say Disney knows how to do races. Very organized and started on time (two very important things for me), we even had someone sing the Star Spangled Banner and fireworks.

The 6.2 miles went by very fast and it was very interesting to see just where we were walking and how we got from one place to another. We went in back gates to Hollywood Studios that I never knew existed and then a back entrance at EPCOT that I always wondered where it went.

We both had very good finishes, Kim ran more than she thought she would and finished about 15 minutes in front of me. Her time was 1:11:20 and she went more than the 6.2 miles according to her GPS . We both ended up with longer distances because of weaving in and out of the masses and for me I always seemed to be on the outside of the curve. You wouldn't think that would add up much but for the both of us it was about 1/4 mile extra.

My time was 1:26:05 which gave me a pace of 13:30 per mile, a personal best for me since I started walking.

Here I am crossing the finish line, that's me right in the center withe the purple shirt.

Here we are after our official pictures (hope to have them soon) and picking up water and fruit. We were looking for Tammy and Dan. Kim has spotted Tammy and I'm still looking for her.

Here we are feeling pretty good about the whole race and looking forward to our next one on the 24th of October. Another one at Disney, but this one is run at night and we are hoping it will be cooler then.

And yes, I did steal all these pictures from Tammy, thanks Tammy.

Nassau

2009-10-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

It's our last full day aboard the ship and we started with a walk. Did four miles this morning and it was just Kim, Tammy, and me walking, everyone else must be tired out from all the good times they have been having.

Stopped in to talk to Dan for a few minutes and then I was off to shower and straighten up the room.

Another beautiful sunrise.

I was back to the Red Sail in about 25 minutes and we headed over to our normal breakfast location and it was just Kim and Tammy. Kim left to take her shower and the three of us got breakfast. The rest of our crew started showing up one by one until most of us were there.

Watched the ship pull into Nassau.

Dan and I were off the ship by about 0910, just going out to do some exploring before our excursion this afternoon.

Ran into one of our good friends and got our pictures taken.

Then we were off to find this church that Tammy had visited on her last trip to Nassau. Had no problems finding it, we could see it from the ship and just headed in that direction.

A very beautiful church and we enjoyed walking around reading all about it's history.

While we were in there the skies opened and the rain came down. We hoped it would stop before we were ready to leave but it wasn't looking promising. So out came the raincoats and off we went. Ended up soaked from the knees down and there was water flowing everywhere.

Didn't really have a destination in mind so just walked. It eventually let up and the walking became much more enjoyable.

A shot of the church after the rain when we walked by it again.

This is Atlantis, a huge tourist area/hotel.

This is our next cruise ship, can't wait.

Got back to the ship to change out of our very wet shoes, that felt really good. Went to the Red Sail with Tammy, Kim, Tom, Sami, and Breann to get a snack to tide us over for our afternoon excursion.

Headed ashore at about 1215 so we could get a picture at the Bahamas sign.

Our tour leader for the Segway was at the gangway when we got back. It ended up being just the eight of us: Dan, Kim, Tammy, Tommy, Michael, Sami, Cole, and me. Tom, Dennis, and Breann were doing the glass-bottom boat tour.

We walked to our taxi and even though it was advertised as being air conditioned it wasn't but the ride was short and we were there in no time.

Got all outfitted with our safety gear and got a short lesson. The instructor made it look so very easy, then I stepped on the segway and thought this is going to be too hard but within a couple of minutes I felt very comfortable and was ready to go.

This was at our first stop, we really needed the break. Found that your feet get sore because you are afraid to move them and tense them up as you are riding. We all appreciated the time to step down and walk around for a bit.

We had a really great time, felt like we were zipping along at about 30 miles an hour but the top speed on these was about 10 mph. If you ever get a chance to ride on a segway, do it. It is a blast and I will do it again someday.

We rode for about an hour and it was all through the woods and on dirt paths. So much fun.

Here are those two people again that always seem to be watching us get back on the ship.

Leaving Nassau Harbor.

Can't believe it is our last night to go to the dining room. It was another great meal and we were kept amused by Guillermo again.

Dad and Ilona, our assistant server.

Paul Handy the Maitre d' and also Jack of all Trades.

Checked out our pictures one last time and then we pretty much called it a night.

This was a great vacation and if you want to vacation with lots of people it is the way to go. Can't wait until June.

At Sea Day 2

2009-09-27T13:34:00.019-04:00

We found that we really enjoyed our days at sea and always made the most of them.

We were back on eastern time this morning so it really was 0515 when I went out for my walk. Kim and Tammy were doing laundry, weren't they the lucky ones. It was long walk day for me and about half way through I decided what was 4.5 more laps, might just as well do 8 miles today. I was planning on moving up to that when we got home so I was just a week early and didn't have anywhere to be.

After my walk went and sat with Dan for a bit and then headed off to take my shower and get the day rolling. I was back for breakfast in about 20 minutes and of course we all sat together and planned our day.

First on the list was to sign up for the On Deck for the Cure Walk benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. On our way ran into Mum and Dad relaxing in these chairs and joined them for a few minutes.

Found out the store where we were signing up for the walk didn't open until ten so we were a bit early. Decided to look at pictures and get the new ones that were out. I ran the pictures up to the room and by the time I got back the shop had opened and Kim and Tammy had started the sign-up and we were done in no time.

Off to the towel-folding demo, Mum, Tammy, Kim, and Sami were the folders. Had lots of fun and the folders did a great job with their creations.

Shots of the dogs they made.

Then some of the crew came in to get introduced and the ship's Captain spoke to us.

Then we played a round of BINGO, we were all hoping the win the $1199.00 and I got very close, only needed one number when Bingo was called.

Right after that was the debarkation talk, so we now knew everything we needed to know about leaving the ship on Saturday. About 1/2 way through the talk noticed that Dan was in the balcony and I joined him when it was over. Gave him a rundown of our plans and showed him where we would be getting carrot cake later in the afternoon if he wanted to join us. He has really enjoyed reading on his days at sea.

Ran into Tom on our way and let him know we would be going to lunch so he headed to the Red Sail and we all met him there a few minutes later.

Today was the chocolate dessert buffet bar and here are a few of the offerings. There was a lot more then just chocolate and we tried lots of different things. One of the the big advantages to having a large group you can just sample a bit of everything and nothing goes to waste.

After lunch we were heading out to watch Breann in the Family Wet Water War but it started pouring on the walk up so that activity was canceled.

By the time we got organized it was time to do the "On Deck for the Cure" walk. There were lots of participants and we walked a mile.

Met up with Dan and Dennis at the Amber Room to watch the Marriage Show, a very funny version of the Newlywed Game. One couple was married 6 days, one for 22 years and one for 60 years. They were all winners and got a bottle of champagne.

On to carrot cake and let me just say it is a good thing we didn't try it earlier in the cruise because we would have needed (wanted) a piece everyday.

We decided even though it was elegant night in the dining room again tonight we were going to put on our best duds, sneak in the back entrance and have dinner in the dining room. Ended up at the wrong staircase so our sneaking in was thwarted but we didn't care had a great time at dinner and saw people dressed in just about everything so we weren't really out of place.

More dancing tonight, can't remember the song but of course Kim and Michael danced.

Then on to a slow song and the Old Folks got up and gave us a show.

Along with Kim and Dennis.

After dinner Guillermo entertained us again with his napkin creations. A pair of shorts or a baby diaper.

A bow for Dad.

A boot.

Then he made this little animal that he cradled in his arms and pet and the next thing we know it is attacking Breann and there were screams and laughter everywhere. Another great meal.

Took a walk on deck and Dan and I called it a night.

Day 5 Costa Maya, Mexico

2009-09-20T08:15:00.036-04:00

Today was a four mile day and not quite as windy. Did a few laps with Tammy and Kim and then it was off to take a shower and head down to breakfast.

On my way to the Red Sail caught another beautiful sunrise.

Today we sat on the port side of the ship and we were glad that we did. Saw this rainbow spanning between two clouds plus we were able to watch the ship pull into Costa Maya.

Costa Maya pier, built just for the cruise ships. Always amazes me how easy the Captain makes it seem to just pull right up to the pier.

Armed guards to keep us safe, not sure from what but they were there.

These were the only buildings we saw for miles in either direction. It was a very nice area for us tourists.

You should see this in the afternoon when we got back from our excursion, wall-to-wall people. I didn't think to get a picture then.

They are just coming out of their dry season, so everything is kind of dried up and brittle but there was no litter anywhere. Such a change from yesterday.

The Home Depot of this little town, Dan would have liked to stopped in just to see what they had.

Gas Station where the gas was $6.00 for whatever their measure was, not sure. But $6.00 seems very high.

This was the same road we were on when we went to Tulum in Cozumel, just much further south.

All the houses had such clean surrounding areas.

And most had a satellite dish.

A couple little stores grouped together.

The little town we visited before the small ruins we saw today.

This is the town of Limones and their Mayan ruins. Couldn't compare with Tulum but still very interesting to see.

Then we were on to the main portion of our tour, a Mayan Homestead or at least that is what I'm calling it.

Francisco our tour guide made a big deal about the purity of the water from the well as has every tour guide we have had so far. I'm still not drinking any water in Mexico that isn't bottled.

This is Don Chucho and he is uncovering our lunch. He was very meticulous moving the palm fronds making sure none of the dirt fell down on the charcoal or the pot with the chicken.

Here is lunch. We had the chicken on homemade corn tortillas with some onions and guacamole and of course some hot sauce that was way to hot for me. Everything was delicious.

Not sure what kind of flower this is but it looked like a type of orchid.

We had some peppers like these that grew in Guam called boonie peppers and they were very hot also.

This is Senora Gloria showing us how she makes the corn tortillas. She was making them and looking all around and watching one of the women from our tour make a mess of her tortilla.

Then Francisco showed us the leaf/frond that Don Chucho was going to make sisal from.

Put it on the leaning sawhorse thing and anchored it.

Then took this triangled shaped log tool and stripped off all the green pulp leaving the sisal fibers.

Francisco showing us the left over fibers.

These are a few of the things that can be made from the fibers.

The seeds in this pod are what were used to season the chicken we had at lunch.

Got back to the ship and who do we find people watching but Mum and Dad on deck 5 just watching everyone come back onboard.

Stopped off to get me a diet coke, my first of the day and I really didn't even miss not having one until now. So I guess just keeping hydrated keeps those caffeine withdrawal symptoms at bay.

Dinner was another fun time tonight. Michael really got into the dancing again.

This is Dad showing us what he looked like when he was a member of the Beatles!

Can't believe the cruise is starting to wind down, we waited so long for it to start and just a day at sea and one more port and we will be heading home.

Day 4 Belize

2009-09-17T15:24:00.021-04:00

Another early morning and let me tell you the wind was blowing hard today. I was either fighting to make headway or get blown down the track. Another thing I forgot to mention is using the GPS to track our miles didn't work so well on the ship because it also tracked the movement of the ship so I was doing 2.5 to 3 minute miles, threw us for a loop that first day but we ended up just using it for the time walked. Made for real interesting downloads of the walks when I got home.

Today I did four miles and because of that I was able to get my shower done and see the sunrise and it was one to see.

We pulled into Belize and because of their coral reef we had to tender. This was the boat that came out to the ship to bring us ashore. It was a very quick smooth ride.

While we were waiting for the rest of the people on our tour I happened to look over and who do I see but the gang getting off a tender and getting ready to get their picture taken.

Still getting off.

Ok that is Dennis bringing up the rear.

Now getting into position for the picture.

The rest of our tour finally arrived and we walked about 100 yards and it was time to take a bathroom break. Most of the people had just come from the ship, don't they plan ahead? I guess not because the break was about 15 minutes long. We were finally on our way and then we found out we would be riding on a school bus for our tour and that was an indicator of how our day went. We really couldn't hear the tour guide, so of course we just quit listening.

The next two pictures are pretty much what we saw for the next hour that we rode the bus, not very interesting or appealing.

She did pass around some of the local money which of course Dan is always interested in so he got some to add to his collection.

The chickens at our Sights and Sounds of Belize.

The dancers, they were pretty good and really looked like they were enjoying themselves but we were inside with no a/c so it was kind of uncomfortable. The one thing I could say was the bathrooms were very clean and that is always a pleasant surprise.

This was the only excursion out of the four we took that fell below our expectations so we were pretty pleased with that because you never really know what you are going to get when you sign up for a tour.

Our bus trip back was much shorter, we went a different route. This is the cemetary we passed on the way back.

Every corner seemed to have one of these carts selling stuff.

Got back to the ship and went to eat lunch, found out later we were all eating lunch at about the same time but didn't run into each other.

Spent some time wandering around the ship and then went to check out our photos and bought the ones we wanted.

Off to dinner and of course it was delicious. After, Guillermo kept us entertained with two forks and two toothpicks. He connected the forks together at the tines and put one of the toothpicks into the tines and used the other toothpick to balance all of that and then we passed it from person to person and everyone was able to do it with it falling. Found out this was quite a feat we accomplished because later in the week he tried it again and couldn't even get it through two people.

After dinner Dan and I were off to get some stamps for our postcards and we got down to guest services (deck 3) and realized we had no cash with us, so up the stairs to deck 10 and got our money and back down we went. Going down is nothing but that coming back up is a killer. I sure wish there were some hills in this part of Florida so I could get use to walking up.

Stay tuned, Costa Maya coming up next.

Day 3 Cozumel

2009-09-16T10:42:00.025-04:00

Today we set our clocks back an hour but I ended up just staying on eastern time because for three days it wasn't worth trying to get use to the change. Dan changed his watch so we knew when we had to be at our appointed places throughout the day.

This meant I was up at 0445 ships time to go walking and this worked out really well because then I was done before six and didn't feel rushed to get ready to get off the ship.

Here we are pulling into Cozumel, did you know that Cozumel is an island off the coast of Mexico? I didn't until we starting planning this trip.

I always like the pretty color the water turns with the side thrusters are used and it is amazing just how easy the Captain makes it look when he is pulling the ship up to the dock.

The area where we got off the ship.

We got off the ship right after it docked, walked to the end of the pier and crossed over to another pier because we were taking the yellow boat to the mainland to visit the Tulum Ruins.

It took us about 45 minutes to get to Playa de Carmen. Forty-fine very long minutes, it was a very bumpy ride with the smell of diesel, but we finally arrived and all that was put behind us.

That's our bus up the street on the right.

We had about an hour ride to get to the ruins but Angel our tour guide made the time go by very fast with all his stories of the Mayans. Just so you know there are still Mayans in Mexico, a lot of them are 100% Mayan and speak one of the many dialects of Mayan.

This is the Mayan calendar which is set to end Dec 21, 2012, but that doesn't mean it is the end of the world just the end of that 5,000 year calendar.

Our first view of the ruins. It was a much larger area then I thought it would be and in very good condition.

Us, just before walking through the wall into the city.

Angel our guide, he was very passionate and knowledgeable about the area. Both of his grandmothers are full-blooded Mayan, so he learned the mayan language to communicate with them.

We learned so much that it is hard to remember. Buildings facing east to west were temples, if there was a thatched roof it was a dwelling. This whole area was mostly for religious activities.

There were iguanas everywhere we went and most of the ones we saw were pretty small.

Stairway leading down to the beach. After our tour of the ruins we could go to the beach but there was only about 50 minutes until we headed back to the ferry so Dan and I opted to walk around some more and then try some of the fish tacos. We were glad that we tried them but I don't think I will have them again, just not flavors that go together for me. Dan also tried one of the local beers, which he did at every port we pulled into. Had to get those beer caps for Jared.

And of course you can't get away from the good old USA.

Our trip back to Cozumel was much better because we were on a bigger, faster boat so it didn't seem so rough. Got back on board the ship at about 1730 and walked up the ten flights of stairs to the cabin, have I mentioned we walked a lot of stairs this weeks. Only took the elevator twice on the whole cruise.

Waiting for dinner.

Entertained tonight by the staff of the dining room, they sang and danced to "Won't You Be My Girl". As you can see Kim, Breann, and Michael were our dancers.

Another great day under our belt, can't wait to find out what happens tomorrow.

Cruise Days 1 and 2

2009-09-15T10:05:00.019-04:00

Well we are back and it is time to start telling the story of our cruise. We had a wonderful time and can't wait until next year when we do it all again.

I thought the morning was really going to drag but had so much to do that the time just flew by and before we knew it we were at the terminal for the Carnival Glory.

Waiting patiently for the menfolk to park the cars and meet up with us so we can all go into the terminal together. Had to fill out the form stating we weren't feeling sick or anything like that.

Some very happy vacationers.

The terminal seemed to be a madhouse but the line went very quickly and we were on board before we knew it. Not many areas of the ship were open to us to begin with and our cabins wouldn't be available until 1330 so we went up to the Red Sail. This was the buffet and we got our first meal of many.

Got all settled into our cabins and then checked out the balconies. All our cabins were right in a row. First: Tammy, Tom, and Sami, then Dan and me, Kim, Dennis, Cole, and Breann were next and Mum and Dad on the end. Tommy and Micheal had an inside cabin down the passageway a bit.

After dropping off all the stuff we were carrying with us off we went to explore the ship. There is no deck that goes all the way around the ship so we will be walking on the jogging track. It is 9 laps to a mile and that is going to get a bit tedious but is better than making turns to walk back and forth on the outside decks.

Of course our first official act was the lifeboat drill and we found that being early didn't pay off.

Doesn't this look like a trouble-making threesome.

Here we are all set for the drill to begin.

This is what it looked like about a half-hour later, just before we were dismissed. We had six rows of people and let me say not a bit of the breeze (if there was one) was getting to us.

They weren't kidding about pulling out of the harbor after the boat drill, we didn't even make it back to our cabins before the ship was moving.

Caught our breath for a few minutes and then it was time to head down to dinner. We were seated at three tables that were placed end to end and that worked out very well for the whole cruise. Met our waiter Guillermo and his assistant Ilona and it turned out they were one of the best things about going to dinner every night.

We were in the dining room for about 1.5 hours but it really didn't seem that long.

Time to head out and walk off some of the delicious dinner.

After doing some more exploring it was time to head back to the cabin and call it a night.

Day 2 was a day at sea and we really enjoyed just wandering around and dropping in to participate in different activities.

Kim, Tammy and I walked just about every morning, I started with a long walk because we had no where to be. Sixty-seven and a half laps later I was done with my 7.5 miles. We didn't eat breakfast until about 0830 because of the walking but hey we are on vacation.

We checked to see if any new photos were available and then we were off to the Fun Ashore Tour Talk. We were early and the Famous Faces Challenge was about to start so we decided to play. It was a pretty easy Challenge and Dan and I got 24 out of 25 right so we were awarded a ship on a stick.

This is a very coveted item and we were lucky to bring one home on our first full day cruising, okay not really but we had a good time.

Dan went up to cabin after this, his goal on the cruise was to see how many books he could read and he used our two at sea days to accomplish this. I was off to Scrapbook Making and met up with Kim and Tammy, we were very disappointed because it was just a sales pitch to buy the scrapbooking supplies they carry on the ship.

By this time the three of us were hungry for lunch so up to the Red Sail we went, just so you know I only rode the elevator twice during the whole cruise the rest of the time it was the stairs. Usually it was about 5 - 6 flights at a time. Most everyone had eaten by the time we got to the buffet so they just sat with us to keep us company.

Kept our afternoon full with lots of activities.

Watched the kids come down the slide.

Chess games.

Kim admiring her medal after winning the Turbo Trivia.

Watched the disco lessons and the bingo game, both were very entertaining.

One of the several towel creation we found in our cabin over the course of the cruise.

This is one of the few sunsets we saw because usually we were in the dining room at this time. Tonight we ate at the buffet because it was elegant night in the dining room and we aren't the elegant type.

That wraps up the first two days, tomorrow we pull into Cozumel where we break up into three groups for excursions.

Time Keeps Marching On

2009-08-29T19:15:00.006-04:00

I can't believe how fast the summer has gone by and how busy we have been. Since we got back from Disney we have been pretty busy. Beside my normal stuff; Weight Watchers, which has been going very well and walking, I'm up to 7.5 miles for my long walk each week and I walk 23.5 miles a week right now, I have been getting ready for our cruise that we leave on a week from today. Hard to believe we made the reservation 555 days ago.

Riley spent the night with us last weekend and we all had a great time. This car set kept him and Baapa busy for a long time. He really liked that we gave him a shoe box to store everything. The next day we went out to do errands and had some more fun, even stopped at Panera for a bagel.

Today Dan and I went out to Downtown Disney to have breakfast at my new favorite place. Can you guess where that is Andy?

I'm sure you got it right. It was Andy's idea to come here while we were at Pop Century and it is one of his best ideas to date. It is nice getting there early and no one else is around.

We walked around a bit after we ate and then went into a couple of the stores before we headed home with stops at Wal-Mart, Books-a-Million, Lowes, and Publix. Didn't get home until almost noon.

Long Weekend at Disney

2009-08-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

Spent five days at Disney and had a great time. This picture pretty much sums up the whole weekend. Riley hadn't wanted to get near the characters the last several times we had visited but this time he was really getting into the whole thing and giving Pluto a hug was just the icing on the cake.

Here is just a quick list of what we did for the five days we were there.

- Checked in on Wednesday at the Pop Century Resort.

- Got rained out so couldn't go swimming.

- Thursday was Blizzard Beach, we ended up leaving just as it was getting very crowded, about 1400.

- Andy and Nikki did the Summit Plummet, 120-foot vertical free-falling slide, can you say wedgie.

- Cross Country Creek (lazy river) was a big hit with the kids, Riley especially liked the cave.

- The bobbing pool, Melt-Away Bay was very crowded but we had a good time.

- Friday I did my 7 mile walk because we didn't have to leave the resort until late.

- Earl of Sandwich has a breakfast menu and the sandwiches are delicious.

- Disney Quest hasn't changed much but Riley was able to do lots more things then we thought he would be able too and he loved them.

- Dinner at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge was fantastic. I would recommend it to any and everyone. It is pricey so I don't know when we will go back but so glad we got to enjoy it on this trip.

- Typhoon Lagoon - voted the best water park by this group.

- Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool; be afraid, be very afraid or at least be prepared. No glasses, nothing around your neck, not holding small children, we made all these mistakes and came out in one piece finding everything we lost.

- Shark Reef; swim with the sharks and non-swimmers can watch from the underwater viewing area, this was Riley's favorite thing.

- Character Breakfast at Chef Mickey's is the best I have been too. We saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto plus had a good meal.

- Kaleigh has moved into the "I don't like the characters so don't let them near me stage."

All in all this was a great trip and just doing the water parks at this time of year was the way to go. Can't wait for our next visit, Dan and I are going again in October for the Food and Wine Festival and the Race for the Taste 10K.

Tammy's Graduation

2009-08-09T11:27:00.005-04:00

I was sorting through stuff before putting it back into the computer after the rearrangement and I happened upon these slides and I just couldn't not scan them. So here you go a trip back through time.

Tammy did wear a dress at least once in her life.

The shed and Dad's motorcycle.

And a couple of the ceremony.

Hope you enjoyed this trip.

Another 10K Down

2009-08-01T19:39:00.002-04:00

Today was my second official 10K and everything went pretty well for me. The race itself had some problems starting with getting into the park and parking. We didn't realize we had to pay the day fee for Moss Park and I'm guessing most people didn't know because traffic came to a standstill and it took us 28 minutes to get through the gate. After that it was smooth sailing.

We checked out where everything was located and I got my transponder for the race time and headed over to the 10K start. The race ended up starting about 20 minutes late because of the gate fiasco.

When we first started I was dead last for the 10K because everyone else started out running and as you know I'm a walker and I don't run for anything anymore. The course was two laps and the forerunners in the 10K passed me when I hit 2.13 miles so you know they were moving. I think the overall winner finished in about 32 minutes.

The course was pretty nice, flat, fairly smooth and mostly shaded. The only problem was there were six water stops and by the time I got to stop 4 and 5 they had run out of cups or water so I wasn't able to get water. I was very glad to reach the sixth stop and see cups of water on the table. The finish was only about .2 miles after that so I finished up strong. My overall time was 1:27:14 which is a pace of 13:53 a mile and that is right where I wanted to be. It is a bit faster then my everyday workouts but that is to be expected.

Just so you know, even though I started out last I ended up passing about 6 or 7 other participants because I was doing a steady pace and they were run and walk, run and walk and they just got slower and slower.

After the race Dan and I headed home so I could shower and then it was off to the commissary. It doesn't pay to be three hours later than normal. It was very busy and ended up taking us about two hours to shop. But now shopping is done for another six weeks or so and that is a nice feeling.

SeaWorld Thursday

2009-07-31T16:44:00.018-04:00

After doing all my normal Thursday stuff with Tammy, Mum, and Dad, well except for going to Panera because they were leaving for their cruise and wanted to be home a bit earlier than normal, I picked up Andy, Nikki, and the kids and we headed out to Sea World.

We were hot, sticky, and sweaty but we still had a very good time.

Getting all set with our sunglasses, Riley and Kaleigh's didn't last very long before they were back in the bag. They just wanted to play with them but they will get use to them eventually. Although it was very cute when Riley would call them his eyes. (Yes his are upside down but that is the way he insisted on wearing them.)

We had a very hard time with the first few photos today because neither of the kids wanted to look at the camera for some reason.

This is at the new Manta Aquarium, it was pretty crowded in here and the line for this was very confusing but our turn finally came and you can see Riley was more excited by being with the fish than Kaleigh was.

Taking a short break for a snack and some juice, we drank a lot of water.

I know nothing of importance is in focus in this picture but it shows just how hard she tries to get to the camera and see what is going on, she really just wants to grab it away from me.

Caught her from the side here so she didn't have a chance to lunge for me.

Riley on one of the rides, he has been on this one before and really likes it.

Not quite big enough for the roller coaster yet, maybe next year.

This is one of those rides that goes straight up and then drops, you can barely see him but he loved this one also.

There he is on his way up.

Kaleigh is all why am I not up there with Mama and Riley. She got very excited everytime she saw them.

I know this looks like he was petrified but he was laughing the whole time.

And when the ride was done all he could saw was "Again, again".

After this we hit Wild Arctic so we could cool down and the belugas were swimming today. Riley was fascinated by them.

Headed out from here, and it always seems like the longest walk to get to our car but it sure felt good to sit down and get the AC going.

Birthday Get-Together

2009-07-26T17:29:00.019-04:00

Seems like all we have done this summer is get together at Tammy's house, and I'm loving it. This time the occasion was to celebrate several different things. First Kimi and Larry were visiting and second this week we have birthdays for Chris and Kimi so we just rolled everything into one.

Don't know how this picture came about but I heard someone yelling don't move and in our family that usually means someone wants to take a picture so I went running to see what was going on and got lucky enough to snap this.

Just in case you have forgotten who everyone is, here it goes: Kim, Dad, Kimi, Andy, Larry, and Shiz-Nit.

Then it was time for lunch, as always lots of good food and I'm sure no one was hungry when they got up from the table.

Riley was very excited to get a big chip, aka a taco shell. He ate it right up like a chip.

The guests of honor.

Jaime and Chris (the Birthday Boy, but not really until Tuesday).

Isn't this the cutest little outfit and she was working it.

This is Riley's new best friend.

Shiz-Nit wasn't to sure about being in the pool but he was a real good sport as you will see in later pictures.

Riley was the target for quite a while and now he wanted to get some people back.

Kaleigh having a good time.

Riley was taking no chances.

I told you.

Then he just floated around the pool for a long time.

Kaleigh learned how to climb back into the pool, gotta keep both eyes on that girl!

Then it was cake time, both Chris and Kimi are chocolate on chocolate cake eaters but we had so many people we needed two cakes and the other was a spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

The official blowing of the candles, Riley was a big help.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Dan and I made it home just before the rains came which was good timing for us.

Orlando Science Center

2009-07-25T18:48:00.007-04:00

This week for our Friday trip out and about we decided to go to the Orlando Science Center, which turned out to be a great choice and we all had a great time.

The directions off of Mapquest weren't the greatest but we got there and found parking but we did end up going in the back door. Everything turned out just fine and we finally found the lobby and got our tickets.

They were having problems with the AC so we got a $3.00 discount off of everyone's ticket and although it was hot we still were able to enjoy the exhibits.

First was what was suppose to be the Mr. Potato Head exhibit which was really the oceans with a few Potato Heads thrown in. Then came the hit of the day, the dinosaur exhibit, both Riley and Kaleigh enjoyed this. There were boxes they could brush dirt off of different fossil and discover them. I think they could have stayed there all day.

Next was the internal body but there were way to many kids there so we didn't really spend that much time exploring.

Plus Riley wanted to see the train. We stayed in that room for quite a while and R and K climbed on everything.

The movie was next, "Wild Ocean", we learned all about the sardine migration off the east coast of South Africa. Riley wasn't to thrilled when the lights first went off but he watched the whole thing. Kaleigh of course went to sleep as soon as the lights dimmed.

Then it was off to Kidtown, lots of different things in there. Riley knew just what to do when he saw the car and the tires. It was very cute watching him.

Kaleigh enjoyed the touch table with all the shells and was very upset whenever I took one away. She exam every one that I did give her.

By this time we were very hot and ready to find some air conditioning. Decided to have Subway for lunch and headed down to the one by Millenia Mall because I wanted to go to the Target before we went home.

I got home at about 1600. This is definitely a place we could visit again and enjoy.

Today Dan and I went out to Downtown Disney to see Harry Potter. I came out of the movie feeling just the way I did when I finished the book, kind of down and depressed hoping the next one would be more like the Harry Potter we had grown to know and love. Glad we went to see it but sure glad that I had read the book and knew what was going on.

Even though we went to the earliest showing, 1015, we didn't get home until almost 1500 so the day just flew by.

A Day with the Kids

2009-07-19T19:10:00.010-04:00

Andy and Nikki went to see the new Harry Potter movie and we got to take Riley and Kaleigh with us while we did errands.

Headed over to the apartment at about 0845 (they were going to the 1000 show) and everyone was ready to leave in no time.

Our first stop of the day was the Wal-Mart on 192 out by Chris's store. We weren't taking any chances on not finding the toaster today. This gave us the option of hitting three Wal-Marts in our circuit. And wouldn't you know it the toaster was in stock at that first Wal-Mart. Still had a couple of more stops.

Target was next on the agenda, looking for new sheets and they had some on sale. Picked them up first thing and then went to look at what was on sale for kid's clothes. They had nothing here today, I was kind of disappoint. Last time the Hunter's Creek Target had lots of sales items.

Our last stop was Best Buy, where when we walked in King Kong was on the tvs and it was the fight scene between Kong and the dinosaur, that is all Riley talked about until we got home. Picked up the new UPS, on sale, also. Stopped at Taco Bell/KFC drive-thru to get lunch and then it was home for us.

Kaleigh fell asleep on the way home and I was able to get her up to the apartment and into her crib without waking her up, which was very good for her because she needs her naps.

Riley had his lunch.

Then it was cookie time. We were watching Herbie Goes Bananas which has to be at least 30 years old, but he was really enjoying it.

That is until he fell asleep. Got him all moved into he bed, he is like a limp rag when he goes out and nothing will wake him up.

About five minutes later Kaleigh woke up (this is after about two hours of napping) and she was ready for her lunch. She even decided she could leave Baapa's lap to come get something to eat.

I always give her a spoon and even though it may go into her mouth, there is never anything on it. She still perfers the finger-method.

Just as she was finishing up, Andy and Nikki arrived home and that was our cue to leave.

A quick stop at Publix and then we were home for the rest of the day.

Dan finished installing the mailbox, hopefully the concrete and 4 x 4 will deter the vandals for a little while.

We Sure Enjoy the Beach

2009-07-17T18:22:00.006-04:00

Another day at the beach. We left about an hour earlier today and when we arrived at the beach it was pretty much deserted. We ended up spending about two hours on the beach but is was very hot and bright with no breeze at all. Didn't spend much time in the water because it was much rougher than our last visit and the waves were really crashing and Riley didn't like the sound so he and I only went in for two short forays to get cooled off a bit.

But as you can see we did have a good time in the sand and that is all that matters.

At about noon we went to the playground/picnic area to have our lunch. Dining outdoors, always the best. After the meal was eaten Riley got to go to the playground and he had a great time. Although we did find out the the slide was kind of hot so only one slide down.

Then we walked over to Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream, after all it is National Ice Cream Month. This is the difference between a small and a medium or a Lauri's and an Andy's.

Riley got to choose the flavor he wanted, he tasted pistachio and watermelon and this time went with watermelon, who knows what he will chose next time. Kaleigh was sharing with everyone when we thought why not just get her an empty cone and put some of our ice cream in it. So she got a taste of everyone's and was very happy.

Back to car and homeward bound at this point. Got back to Andy's and Nikki's at about 1500. Unloaded the car, visited for a bit (because we hadn't talked enough all day) and I got home at about 1600.

Unloaded the rest of the car and started some laundry and rested for a bit until Dan got home for the evening.

This is for Mum

2009-07-15T14:28:00.004-04:00

Just in case you didn't know, my mother loves ice cream and I wanted her to know that while July is National Ice Month (sorry I missed the first 14 days), July 19 is National Ice Cream Day and she needs to have herself an ice cream to celebrate.

JULY IS NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."

The International Ice Cream Association (IICA) encourages retailers and consumers to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month. In 2009, National Ice Cream Day will be Sunday, July 19.

The U.S. ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. About 9% of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the nation's dairy industry.

Founded in 1900, IICA is the trade association for manufacturers and distributors of ice cream and other frozen dessert products. The association's activities range from legislative and regulatory advocacy to market research, education and training. Its 80 member companies manufacture and distribute an estimated 85% of the ice cream and frozen dessert products consumed in the United States. IICA is a constituent organization of IDFA.

Official Photos

2009-07-13T14:15:00.004-04:00

Here are the official photos of our finish for the 5K and like I said earlier we actually finished about 5 minutes faster then the time shown because that is how long it took us to get to the official start line.

As you can see here we were having way to much fun.

Looking forward to the next one.

Where Does the Week Go?

2009-07-11T09:44:00.018-04:00

Started the week with the cold that seems to make it's way around Florida and I'm sure everywhere. I was pretty much down for the count on Sunday and Monday but had some things to do on Tuesday. To tell the truth just getting out helped me feel much better.

I really didn't want to go to Weight Watcher's on Wednesday, hadn't walked since Saturday and made up for it by eating anything I could find. The scales told me exactly what I was expecting to hear (a gain but still under my goal weight) but I knew everything would get better because I was up and about.

Thursday everything was pretty much back to normal, walk with Tammy, errands, and then home. I did stop off to see Andy, Nikki, and the kids which always makes my day.

Friday I was back to walking my speed, did six miles, had a good time, and felt pretty good. Dan was off today so we went out and did our weekend errands today. Started at Lowe's, then BJ's, Target (where we found a patio chair for 75% off), and Office Depot. It was time for lunch by now and we headed to Olive Garden, Dan wanted to try one of their new summer dishes. Everything was very good and we enjoyed ourselves. Books-a-Million was next on the agenda, followed by Kohl's, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Publix and then home.

After having such a good walk yesterday I thought today would be no problems but I just couldn't get it in gear. My first mile was the slowest I have walked in months and it didn't improve much with each mile. I ended up at just under an hour for four miles, that's about six minutes slower then normal. I'm just chalking it up to sounding like I was trying to cough up a lung on the walk. I feel fine but still have the congestion and cough, from past experience that could hold on for a few days or a few weeks. Here's hoping for the few days.

Spent the morning doing chores around the house, Dan mowed the yard, it grows so fast when it rains everyday. I vacuumed, mopped the kitchen floor, and did laundry. Then we were lucky enough to have Andy and the kids come over for a visit and some fun time in the pool.

Riley and Andy having some fun.

Riley decided he wanted to get out of the pool until he realized that he couldn't touch the bottom of the pool and the float wasn't such a bad place to be.

Kaleigh just always looks so cute.

Kaleigh helping Baapa weed some of the plants.

Going for a swim and learning to kick.

The curls have just appeared this summer and aren't they just the best?

Let me tell you, it takes a long time to fill a dump truck with a shovel.

Kaleigh and Andy.

Playing in the little pool, as we now call it.

Riley in his new dinosaur towel, he really like it and thought the hood should be pulled over his face like a mask.

Kaleigh in the butterfly towel, although Riley insisted it was a ladybug.

After a good time in the pool, Andy and the kids headed home and we watched a baseball game for a while.

It Was A Great 4th!

2009-07-04T19:20:00.024-04:00

Tammy, Kim, and I started the 4th of July very early. They picked me up at 0530 to go to Winter Garden for our 5K walk. By the time the race started it was very hot and humid and it took a long time for the walkers to spread out enough that we didn't feel like we were walking on someone's heels. But all in all it was a very good walk.

Coming up to the finish line, our actual time was about 5 minutes less than what is on the timer because that is how long it took us to get to the start line after the race started. There were lots and lots and lots of participants. It was a very good time that we finished in, just what we were shooting for, maybe even a bit faster.

After the walk they dropped me off so I could shower and get ready for the party at Tammy's house. It was the usual cast of characters.

After we ate it was into the pool for most everyone. Here I'm not sure who is carrying who, although we do know that Breann has the longer legs so it must be her.

Kaleigh really loves being in the pool and would really like to know how to swim so she can just go off on her own.

Cheri enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet or at least the quiet of the pool.

The surfer boy.

Jessica was having a good time floating around.

The boys were pretty happy to have gotten Tom.

But Cole got his.

And there he goes.

As you can see from Riley's face he knows he is going under.

And his excitement at having come back up.

Kaleigh playing peek-a-boo with the tube. She actually floated in the tube for quite a while.

Getting warmed up and dried off.

Then the sparklers came out.

The two fisted sparkler.

Didn't notice until I was looking at the pictures that Riley looked like he was trying to blow out all his sparklers.

Chris had been working on his Bronco most of the day and really should have jumped into the pool and gotten cool and clean but he wanted to do sparklers also.

Jared seeing what he could do with 2 sparklers.

Maybe next year Kaleigh can have a lit sparkler, this year she only got to hold one.

Not sure if he is imitating the Statue of Liberty or what but it is Andy so you never know.

Then it was inside to enjoy some watermelon.

Kaleigh brought Luke his ball and she seemed to be saying "Now you give it back to me and then I'll give it to you." She was very cute.

As you can see a good time was had by all and of course we can't wait until the next get together.

Catch Up

2009-07-03T19:06:00.004-04:00

This week seems to have flown by, haven't done anything really exciting but time just disappeared.

Wednesday was the normal Weight Watchers (down 1.6) and shopping, then I worked on stuff around the house. Finally got pictures backed up to my hard drive but I still have to copy them to dvd.

Thursday I was out and about with Mum, Dad, and Tammy. Of course we went to Panera and can you believe there wasn't a single bagel to be found in the place. So we just turned around and left because that is what we come for. Did a few errands and then it was home for me.

Today was my long walk, 6 miles, did it in 1:25:00 which is pretty much my norm. If I can keep this pace for the 1/2 marathon next March I will be very happy.

Then I went over to Andy and Nikki's to take pictures of the kids. I do this every so often and I usually get some good shots. These are just a few of the many that I took. Both of the kids were very cooperative today and Riley was disappointed when I started taking pictures of Kaleigh without him.

A Day at the Beach

2009-06-30T18:41:00.016-04:00

Today was our day to go to the beach. Headed out just before 1000, this time was chosen hoping that Kaleigh would fall asleep on the ride and not miss her nap, didn't work, she was awake for the whole ride.

Seemed to be a lot of people on the beach but seeing as how I don't often visit the beach this could have been a normal day.

Kaleigh wasn't to sure about the water and the feel of the sand.

Riley really enjoyed just running, picking up shells and playing in the sand.

This was right before the only huge wave of the day came in and knocked Kaleigh over. She was a bit scared but got over it very fast.

Playing with the beach toys.

Everyone heading out into the water.

As you can see there really was no surf and every now and again there would be a little hump of a wave.

Burying Kaleigh's feet.

Riley really liked this octopus mold and just stamped with it all over the sand.

Andy, Nikki, and Riley went back into the surf while Kaleigh and I stayed on shore.

Just checking to be sure Dada was still there.

Digging a big hole and filling it with water.

Why do they have to taste the beach? Wouldn't be so bad if she just tasted it once but no! She tastes it, spits out the sand, tries to wipe her mouth out and then sticks another handful into her mouth.

This is when I put the camera away and took Kaleigh into the water to get all rinsed off. Got out to Andy, Nikki, and Riley, switched for Riley and we came back in so he could play some more in the sand.

After we had been on the beach for just over an hour the lifeguard let us know thunderstorms were coming and we should get out of the water. We had just enough time to gather everything up, rinse off under the showers and change our clothes before the rain started, so we kind of lucked out.

All in all it was a fun time on the beach and everyone is ready to go back again soon.

Pool Fun

2009-06-28T08:20:00.014-04:00

Had a really great time playing in the pool yesterday. Both of the kids are real water lovers and would spend the whole day in the pool area if we let them.

Almost forgot that it was haircut day for Andy yesterday, so he is now ready for the summer with a LauriG special.

Those Crazy Kids

2009-06-25T20:30:00.010-04:00

Tammy and I did our walk at her house this week, just over 3.5 miles. It was starting to get hot just as we were finishing up so it wasn't to bad. Then we were off to do errands. Today it was Panera, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart.

Just as I was getting ready to leave their house and head home Andy called to see if I could watch the kids in the afternoon, so after we decided what time I needed to be there I went home to have some lunch and get a couple of chores done.

When I got to the apartment Riley was in his room to take his nap, that never happened but he did end up playing in there for quite a while.

Kaleigh and I were in the living room just hanging out together.

At one point I saw this little hand creeping up to grab my I-pod Touch, she knows there are pictures on there she can look at.

Pretty proud of herself that she actually got to pick it up, but I had it back from her in a flash.

So she decided if she couldn't have the Touch, well shaking up Gramma's soda was the next best thing to do.

After all of this she started to get whiney so off for a nap she went, at first I didn't think she was going to fall asleep and the next thing I knew all was quiet from that direction.

By now Riley was ready to come out of his room and play in the living room. First he had to have some juice and really wanted to do it all himself.

Finally able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

Then he said he was going to go night-night. I didn't believe him!

Kaleigh slept for about an hour and a half, when she woke up we all sat on the couch and watched the end of The Fox and the Hound. By this time I had some hungry kids on my hands so I whipped up a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and they were gone in no time. Plus Andy and Nikki had returned so it was time for me to head home.

Just a Thought

2009-06-24T09:46:00.001-04:00

Came across this today:

"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T18:04:00.004-04:00

Had a spur of the moment get together at Tammy's for lunch today to celebrate Father's Day.

Here is Dad with his present from me. I'm sure it is the best one he got all day.

Dad and Mum.

We had mexican for lunch, Kim and Tammy made all the fixin's and you just had to put them together however you liked.

Tammy even made taco salad bowls and they got rave reviews.

Mum made dessert, a homemade spice cake. Didn't get a picture of that, it disappeared to fast.

A Day at Disney

2009-06-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

Nikki's cousin Amanda is visiting for a week and today was her day to visit Disney. So we met Mum and Dad, Tammy, Kim, Sami, and Breann at the Wal-Mart on 535 and then caravaned to EPCOT. We were a bit early but that gave Kim time to get her special military ticket to use later this year.

We got in after just a little bit of confusion which seems to be normal for us and then we were onto our missions.

Amanada in front of SpaceShip Earth.

Our mission was to head over to Mission:Space and get some fast passes and Andy, Nikki, and Amanda were off to Soaring. We met up at the Living with the Land boat ride. As you can see we had two very happy kids when they both got to sit on Baapa's lap during the ride.

This was our hidden Mickey for the day, Nikki spotted this and it took a couple of seconds for the rest of us to see it. Look at the dark plants and you can see the Mickey.

Nemo was next and Kaleigh is just fascinated by all the fish.

Riley wasn't to sure about getting in the sharks mouth.

Kaleigh was much braver after Baapa slapped the shark across the nose.

Taking a very short rest.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. It was very, very crowded here so we didn't spend much time.

This is where we parted company with Andy, Nikki, and Amanda, they were heading to the Magic Kingdom and we were heading home.

Didn't have any luck with the boats between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios today, both times we just missed one and had to wait the 20 minutes for the next one. But it was just to hot to walk today so we waited.

Both of the kids slept all the way home and for the most part were pretty subdued for most of the evening.

We had dinner and of course a cone for dessert.

Kaleigh went to bed at about 2000 and we asleep in less than ten minutes. Riley held on until about 2200 and then he was out like a light. Both of them slept until about 0700.

ZoomAir Adventure Park

2009-06-19T19:43:00.020-04:00

Did my six mile walk today because the weekend is pretty full and today I didn't have to be anywhere until 0800 and that was just enough time to get my walk in. I did start early, about 0545 and it was still a bit dark but by the time I got my first mile done it was light and everything seemed back to normal.

My place to be at 0800 was Tammy's because we were going to the Sanford Zoo for the day. We left right on time and had a nice ride up to Sanford.

When we got there we all sorts of decisions to make or at least the kids did. There was an adventure park that they could do with a couple of different trails (if that is what you call them). So we finally got the tickets purchased, harnesses rented and everyone on their way. Breann was the first to get started.

Getting some instruction on the proper use of her equipment.

Off she goes.

This was her favorite part, the swing at the end.

Sami and Cole were just starting as Breann was finishing up. There were some problems on their trail. The ladder had to come out a few time so people could climb down because they were to nervous/afraid to go on. After that it went much faster.

After finishing up this part of the course it was time for lunch so had a picnic at one of the tables. Cole and Sami were ready to go on and complete the rest of their trail.

Then Cole went to the Rainforest course which was much higher in the trees. He was going along really well until he caught up to a group of three people and they were really slow so Cole ended up doing a lot of standing around waiting but he still had a really good time.

Tammy, Sami, and Breann went on the train while Cole was doing the Rainforest.

We finally made it into the zoo. I think as zoos go I would rather go to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne and just do the ZoomAir here.

The gang taking a break and having a snack.

By this time we were all really hot and tired and it was time to head home. We had a really great day. Tammy, Kim, and I decided we would like to try one of the courses someday.

Lake Chris

2009-06-17T18:11:00.004-04:00

Weight Watcher's and errands first thing this morning. Stayed the same at WW, which is good so I'm still below my goal weight.

After errands it was my turn to take Riley to swim lessons and Nikki stayed home with Kaleigh because Andy was at school. We had a good day in the pool, Riley still doesn't want to go underwater but that is alright by me, he eventually will. He was very funny when he kept telling me that the shark was biting his butt. After the lesson we went over to the splash pad for a bit.

Finished up my errands with a stop by Publix.

Got home and found that Lake Chris (so named because it is Chris's parking place) was still in the yard, not that we need an ark like some people but by this time of day the water has usually drained. So you can see we have had lots of rain.

Chris was home most of the afternoon but he did make some time to go see Gramma and Grampa and visit his Bronco to take some pictures.

He drove it around the block and that was about it for Bronco work today.

I want to send out birthday wishes to Kathi who must be about 28 seeing as how I'm 29. Isn't that right. Have a great day!

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-16T19:48:00.010-04:00

Today I went with Andy and Riley to swim lessons. Riley likes it much better if he knows he doesn't have to go underwater, so that is what happens. He really doesn't mind going under in our pool so it isn't a big deal.

Here they are waiting for their class to start.

Getting use to the water.

Hamming it up for Gramma to take a picture.

Kick, kick, kick.

Blowing bubbles, which he did alot of today.

Jumping off the wall and turning around and grabbing the wall.

Spider walk, this is his favorite thing to do.

Mainly because it leads to the bucket of toys that the kids can play with at the end of class for a few minutes.

Today we went over to the splash pad for a little bit and Riley had a great time. Although the water was much colder over here.

I spent the rest of my day trying to figure out some software and I'm not having much luck, maybe tomorrow.

What Were You Doing at 0430?

2009-06-13T20:04:00.002-04:00

Well in our house Riley was cleaning up my mess, at least that is what he said he was doing and I appreciate every little bit of help I can get to clean up my mess.

For some reason this morning Riley decided it was time to get up at about 0415. So I tried to get him to lay on the couch with me but he would have none of that so I just let him do what he wanted and cleaning was what caught his fancy. We also watched Galaxy Quest so at least I got some rest time.

We headed out at about 0700 for the lakefront where I went for a four mile walk (13:58 pace) and Dan and Riley went for a walk with the wagon and then played on the playground. Made a quick stop at Wal-Mart and then we were suppose to go to Publix but Riley fell asleep and I wanted him to stay asleep so we went home and he took a good nap.

Spent the rest of the morning playing and got the call that Kaleigh was doing good and the doctor said to keep an eye on her and if her temperature spiked again they would do more tests.

After taking Riley home, we did our shopping at Publix and we went home and took a nap, that boy tires us out.

Chris and Jaime stopped by for a visit and to install the new router so we now have wireless internet in the house again so I'm happy.

Not Feeling Well

2009-06-12T17:49:00.004-04:00

Edited: Just to let everyone know, Kaleigh is doing fine. They came home last night, she still had a pretty high fever but the hospital had ruled out all the normal things and after a night of motrin and tylenol her temp was back to normal. She had a follow-up appointment with her pediatrian and he deemed her to be healthy.

This sweetie-pie started running a fever this morning and it just kept getting worse so Andy and Nikki took her to the doctors. Couldn't find anything obvious so he sent them to the hospital where she is being observed.

We have the pleasure of Riley's company now. Kind of funny because last night we had decided he would spend the night with us and then all the fever stuff happened.

So right now Baapa and Riley are making all sorts of noise in the other room and I'm afraid to so see what is going on, because it is probably no good.

Lunch and the Pool

2009-06-11T18:17:00.003-04:00

My internet has been up and down all day and I wanted to get at least this picture posted, I have lots more (thanks to Tammy). We had a get-together for lunch and then out to the pool for the afternoon. This is GG and Riley, in case you don't recognize them.

Had a really good time and the kids were in seventh heaven having all of us to show off too. Will do more pictures when the internet is a bit more reliable.

She's Quite the Little Ham

2009-06-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

Here is the picture of Kaleigh in her Birthday Outfit. Still hard to believe that she is a year old already. She went from barely walking a couple of steps at her birthday party (3.5 weeks ago) to constantly being on the move and not needing any support to stand up.

I went to swimming lessons with Riley today, that was the fastest half hour ever. We had a really good time. The only thing he just refuses to do is blow bubbles, not sure why but he just doesn't want to. He isn't to thrilled with going under water but he gets over that really fast. I'm going to go a couple more times, once to sit on the sidelines and get some pictures and another to be the in the water person.

Looks like our Taco Bell/KFC is open. When I went to Publix today there were cars in the drive-thru. So I'm sure we will be making a trip there in the near future.