Wow

So much has gone on this last month. I really had not meant to let so much time pass between posts.


Elizabeth and her SIL had a good time in New York earlier this month. A quick but rewarding trip!

After she came home the wheels started moving. She was able to schedule her trip over to Korea, to join her husband, for Aug. 13.

Before that date, she and I went to Santa Barbara for a couple days. We planned out trip for Keith's days off. I had a very hard time finding a hotel that was within a reasonable price, for 1 night. As it went, we did not stay in
SB, instead got a room in Carpenteria, 10 miles away. What we did find out, there was a huge celebration going on celebrating Santa Barbara's Spanish Heritage. It was a 5 day celebration that had an 85 year history. Lots of people.

I gave Keith my car keys and let him show us around. He took us into the mountains above SB, and other places he liked to go or places he wanted to go.



He lives close to the pier, and we drove the 1st day, walked around and had lunch there. The 2nd day we walked from his place, which was good as the parade was huge and traffic was closed on the pier during the parade. We went into the aquarium on the pier. We watched this sea star crawl around the side and back of the container it was big and fast, for a star fish. Scientists do not want them called "star fish" any more, but "sea stars" instead. The term star fish will just have to eventually die out with those of us in the "older" generation and our children.

We went to the mission. We didn't go in, but did look around. It really is huge.

This is a picture I took off the pier. If you double click it, you can see the burned mountain range behind SB, where the massive fire was just this last May.

On the pier. We were watching some families fishing, throwing in their lines and pulling in Mackeral just as fast.

A couple days later we had a combination going away/ birthday party for Elizabeth.

We went to Disneyland for Elizabeth's birthday on the 11th. Keith met us there. Again I got a hotel, however, I was much luckier this time. I managed to get a nice one just outside the park. No "big" celebrations going on.

We, meaning Dan and I, had not been there for about 8 years, though both the kids had. This picture shows lots of people and Disney Town in the back ground. This used to be the parking lot. Not only when I was a child, but when my youngest were in grammer school. There is a 4 or 5 tier parking lot, that wasn't there 8 years ago.

We get a hotel because we stay very late and will not drive home the same night. Keith left around 8, but then he had work the next day and is much closer then we are. We got home on the 12th, early afternoon. That evening we met with Ryan's family for pizza. Kinda of a going away for Elizabeth.

Here we are sitting, in the San Francisco airport, just before she goes to board her plane. It was a 12 hour, non-stop flight to Korea.

I admit, I was a little emotional when she left. She needed to go, she needs to be with her husband and we are excited and happy for her/them to be together~~ as they should be as husband and wife. It is just so far away. When we come back from Colorado we are going to get passports. We are planning at least one trip over. We need passports to go to Canada, as we do like to go to Vancouver Island.

We took over their household items that were here, to his folks for the army to pick up and ship over. Apparently they didn't come as scheduled, minor changes in scheduling, and will come on the 1st to get their things. I have also mailed over packages and her computer, (it had some surgery done). Those packages and her computer arrived a few days ago.

I helped set up my old classroom and have even subbed one day last week. School started last Monday.

Now I am up late, finishing some last minute things before we leave for Colorado.

We will take the dog to the vets in the morning, for boarding. The cats are taken care of. The little boy across the street is now 7, and he will earn some money for feeding our outside cat and filling the bird feeder for us. The gecko is with her former owner while we are gone. I gave the fish and the tank to my former classroom and teacher there (we are friends). It has been a busy month and gone by very fast.

My next post will be from Colorado, we will be there 10 days. One thing, besides family, I am looking forward to is some cooler weather. And some catch~up time on my e-mails and catching up on blogs.

God Bless

Happy birthday Mom

Today my mom would have been 83 years old. Happy birthday mom.

Today is Monday

Today is Monday, and there is so much to do. Elizabeth had a good trip to NY and back, with her SIL. The first time E. has been in NY city. We went to NY in 2004 when we took a road trip back to visit my brother and his wife. We visited Niagara Falls, and my SIL took Keith and Elizabeth to Syracuse for a day where they did some sight seeing and shopping. We also visited with some friends in CO., my BIL and his girls in Ohio, and my aunt in NY. That was a great trip, and my mom having a fully contained motor home enabled us to do much sight seeing along the way, and take care of my mom and all her medical needs, etc. I am so glad we drove it, so much to see, but not enough time or money to see all of it. I especially liked not being on toll roads back east. There is so much old architecture to see (much older then in CA) and it is so beautiful, you miss it on the toll roads. More then the experience that we all enjoyed, I am so glad my mother was still with us to enjoy it. Of course, she had talked about it for years so we finally just did it. It was a great experience for us all, and the kids, being newly graduated from high school and 1 year out.

So much to do and so little time. Hopefully we will know today or tomorrow when Elizabeth is heading off to Korea. We need to go get her ticket at the base (about an hour away). She is and needs to finish getting their household items ready for the military to pick up and ship over. Between doing things, Thursday and Friday she and I are going to visit her brother in Santa Barbara, we are planning a going away party next Sunday eve. and a trip to Disneyland on her birthday. I also, pray that the base (in Korea) has a decent Christian church, as I am not sure what is off base. Please pray for her and Ryan.
After we know when she is leaving we will set dates for our trip to CO. We know when we have to be there, those dates were set in early July, so we will revolve around them. Sorry that she isn't able to go with us~~ but glad her sister and family were here in early July for a visit. However, Elizabeth will be with her husband, as she should be, and they will have some grand adventures of their own.
God bless