Cruise Buddies!!

My cruising buddies from Florida were in town last week prior to sailing away on a Grand Voyage that I was originally booked on.  I had to cancel this voyage but still spent a wonderful 4 days entertaining Mike and Pauline as well as getting together with other friends from my Grand South Pacific and Grand South America voyages.  It is amazing what good friends one is able to make on these long voyages.

Here are Mike and Pauline visiting our local Thelar Wetlands at the foot of Hood Canal in Belfair.

In Allyn we had fun visiting Kenney's School of Chain Saw Carving.  I really enjoyed showing them my area and watching them drink in the beauty of the Kitsap Peninsula.....a TOTALLY different kind of beauty than Florida.

Here we are at the Allyn Waterfront....just a hop and skip from my house.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On Thursday we got together with friends from the South Pacific Voyage.  I picked up Rosemary from her Seattle hotel and we gathered in Magnolia at the home of Cindy and Ed.  We toured the Seattle locks, fisherman's terminal and then enjoyed a nice dinner at Ray's Boat House on Elliott Bay. Below: Ed, Pauline, Karen, Mike, Rosemary and Cindy at the locks.

  Saturday was scheduled for a reunion with some South America cruise friends.  Dave and Marlah invited us for the day of sailing the South Sound on their wonderful and huge 48 foot boat.  Mike, Pauline and I were also joined by Susan who lives in Bellevue.

I also managed to fit in visits with ALL of my children and grandchildren so that I could share my wonderful family with my wonderful friends Pauline and Mike.

The final celebration was on Sunday evening when we attended a party and dinner put on by my travel agency, Cruise Specialists.  This is a wonderful travel agency and they provided rooms at the Marriott as well as this party and gifts for the people about to embark on the Grand Asia Cruise.  Even though I have cancelled the cruise I was welcomed at the party where I met some more former cruise friends.

This is Barbara and Orlin from Tennessee.  They were my tablemates on My South Pacific Voyage. They were quite surprised to see me at the party because they knew I had cancelled the trip.  I will see them again in March because they will be sailing the Grand Med with me.

Finally......this is Shannon who is my Cruise Agent at Cruise Specialists.  She is excellent and always takes great care of any needs and questions I might have.  It was great to meet her at the party.

Alternate Plans..............

I REALLY wanted to have Elliott and Norah over to visit for a few days and play in the gorgeous sunshine we are having but that didn't work out.  SOOOOOOOOOOOO.....after a full day of clogging on Saturday I stayed in Tacoma for a couple of days and helped out there. 

Pictures of MAX of course!  Here he is with his loving Mommy and Daddy.......
looking cute and healthy at 15 1/2 pounds and 24 1/2 inches.  Whew...lots of growing has gone on here!!



















Max spends a LOT of time working on getting his fingers into his mouth....oh yummy.  Here he is in his little bouncy seat being pleased with himself!

I can sit up!!  (With lots of support of course!)

Fingers are better than sweet potatoes any day!!

We are having a streak of hot weather......SO.....I set Max's little tub up on the patio table and let him go for a swim.  He liked it!!

Yummy.....some food!

Max had his first solid food this weekend........SWEET POTATOES!!  A SUPER FOOD!!  He seemed to like it.....but he will need a bit more practice to get the system down so that more goes IN than comes OUT!!

 Then there was the clean up......sweet potatoes tend to spread when your hand goes into your mouth at the same time as the spoon!!

Add a nice clean outfit and we are ready to face the day......looking VERY DAPPER!!

Big Week for Max

Max had a big week.......he turned 6 months old and got off full time oxygen all in the same week.  He still needs the oxygen any time he is sleeping but it is so much easier to carry him around without trailing a tube behind you!  Even though he is 6 months old his corrected age is barely 3 months.  He smiles a lot now and really gazes intently at people and his environment.  Working on getting his hands in his mouth takes up a lot of his time! 

Concert in the Park

Dan is in Boston on a business trip so I am at Alissa's helping with Max and the house.  Thursday is the FREE concert in the park series in Puyallup so we ALL packed up and had a great evening relaxing.  (Except poor Dan working away in Boston!)
  Here are some pics of everyone.....(except me behind the camera!)

 

Kids and Water and Sun

We were supposed to have some nice weather (finally) so I arranged very quickly to pick up my 2 oldest grandchildren for an overnight and "fun sun day"!  We made the most of every sunny moment playing in my yard with new water toys and in the water at my lake.  Their parents (along with Simon of course) picked them up the next day and Alissa and Max came to play too!! It was wonderful.........I couldn't have asked for more fun!!

Cutie...cutie.....

More pictures to come.....Max is getting so cute.  Just had to share this one!