Anticipation!!

Saturday Terry and I are leaving for Cocoa Beach, Florida, for TWO WEEKS!! I have tried several times this morning to upload a few pictures of the resort where we are owners (one week a year), but to no avail. This is the only picture that I could get to come up. We have gone to this time share for about seven years now - and no, we don't get bored. This beautiful pool is in the front of the huge building and the ocean is on the backside. Who could get bored living right on the ocean? I love it and so does Terry. It is like a home away from home to us. We know all of the cool restaurants to go to and many other wonderful things to do. Orlando is just 45 minutes away also. 

This year Shelley, Bob, and Matthew are meeting us there like they did last year. This year Shari won't be with us because she wants to take her vacation when the baby is born at the end of August or early September. Matthew is eagerly awaiting Saturday - he actually remembers the ocean and beach there!

On the way to Florida (we are driving) we will stop in Charlotte and have dinner with Shari and Mark and then head on to Savannah where we have reservations for a short night. Then we will get up early and drive on to Cocoa Beach. On the way home we will spend a day and night with Shari and Mark.

We are looking forward to having Matthew with us again this year because he is a little older and will enjoy everything just a little more. I can't wait. (We are also very happy to have his parents there, too.) More pictures to follow!

The second week we are in Florida we are staying by ourselves (Shelley, Bob, and Matthew will be flying home) at a beautiful condo owned by a friend. It is also in Cocoa Beach, so we just change places. This condo is on the Banana River which is an inter coastal waterway. We are only a 10 minute walk from the ocean on the other side of the condo. The Banana River is beautiful and has lots of dolphins, fish, and manatees. We also have the use of a small rowboat while we are there, so it is nice to go out on the water - beautiful! 

THE OL' BALLGAME!!

Tonight was Matthew's first experience at a real Tiger ballgame! He was excited about it, and we were excited about taking him. Just like his daddy, he is liking all kinds of sports and already knows the Detroit teams and some others. (Boston is one of Bob's favorites and it just happened that the Tigers were playing them tonight. So Matthew wore a Tiger shirt and a Boston hat of Bob's.)

Here we are starting out from home all exuberant about going to the game. It was a beautiful night for a ballgame - just comfortable, sunny weather!

We started out eating in the restaurant inside the ballpark. Matthew had already eaten at home, so he just had some french fries - he was really wanting to get inside the actual ballpark and it seemed a long wait.

 

Matthew is going to wonder in years to come where his grandma was at all of these events. I am always the one TAKING the pictures! Matthew wanted his own seat and is very comfortable here watching the ballgame! Fortunately there was always an extra seat nearby for one of us to sit, so Matthew had his own seat for at least part of the game. But, like any two and a half year old, he didn't stay seated for long. It was more fun to climb up and down and play with Grandpa.

Daddy and Grandpa would run down to the front with him between innings hoping that one of the nice players would throw him a ball. No luck! Here are Matthew, his dad and mom. I think that Matthew was really having a great time!

My blogging skills are lacking because this picture got out of order. While we were waiting for the check at the restaurant, Bob took Matthew outside to see the ferris wheel. He decided he didn't want to go on it. I think it was still a bit scary for him. He was very intrigued here by the huge blimp flying overhead.

What is a ballgame without food? Matthew is munching on a hot pretzel while intently watching the field. We also had Cracker Jacks!

This picture got in twice!! I'm losing it!

So did this one!

AND THIS ONE! The preview didn't show them, so I added them again! Honestly, not my fault! I've tried to delete them, to no avail.

What good is a grandpa if you can't get him to buy you something? The vendor went by very close to Matthew with all this great stuff. He saw Terry - he knew a sucker when he saw one! Matthew liked his very cute tiger.

We were lucky enough to be able to meet the real "PAWS". Matthew thought that he was a real tiger! He wasn't afraid and went right up to him, but did not want to sit on his lap for a picture. You have to draw the line somewhere!

It was a long, but fun game and little Matthew is beginnning to tucker out. The eyes are getting sleepy and the exciting evening is taking its toll - besides not having had a nap!

As the game wound down, and the Tigers lost to Boston :( , Matthew was out like a light! He didn't even know that the Tigers lost and we were on our way home! It was a wonderful night - a LONG game (over three hours), and Matthew's first experience with A REAL BALL GAME!

Busy Time!

The past couple of weeks have been very busy for me! Actually I am having fun, though. I am heading up our committee to produce a new church pictorial directory. It is a very involved job and you really can't know how much work until being involved in it! I have a very good committee helping me, though. One thing that I am having a ball with, is actually being able to do the front and back cover and all of the activity pages myself. I just learned a new program on my Mac called Pages. It is wonderfully easy to use and does everything I could want. I have the front and back covers done and have started all of the activity pages.

I am just waiting to receive some pictures on CD from people. So far I have used all of my own. I have been really pleased with the quality of pictures that I can take with my digital camera. I love taking pictures and working with them on the computer! Lately I have wished that I could have taken photography and/or graphic art when I was in college. I really enjoy working with pictures, colors, and layout. Oh, well, at least I can do this directory and have fun with it.