Shari's and Mark - June 2008

This year Terry and I got to spend a bit more time with Shari and Mark on the way home from Florida. I got to go to Shari's baby shower on Saturday afternoon and then we went with them to church on Sunday. That afternoon we all went shopping to buy their baby stroller and some other necessities for the baby on the way. We had fun even though it wasn't a very productive trip. The stroller that they picked out had been recalled and will be coming back out, but not for a couple of weeks. But it was fun shopping around. I really need to stay away from little girl clothes, though, because seriously, I am a sucker for them! Here we are packing up the car. After shopping we went with them to look at some houses that they are interested in and later, we went to dinner at a restaurant on Lake Norman. It was Father's Day and the first one in a very long time that Terry got to spend with Shari. :)

I wanted to get a few pictures of Shari when she is pregnant because they are fun to look back on later in life, and fun for the children to see later also. She looks cute! Shari is making her own baby bedding for the crib, so I got to see all of that while I was there. She is very good at sewing and improvising when needed. The baby's room will be coral, pink, and white.

I love these pictures of Shari and Mark! They are both very photogenic! We had such a nice time with them and probably won't see them again until the baby is born in either August or September.

Shari's Baby Shower

Isn't Shari cute when she's pregnant? Shari is our youngest daughter and she is expecting her first baby - a little girl. This will be our first granddaughter and we are very excited. We already love being grandparents and now both Shelley and Shari are expecting. What fun!!  This baby shower was given by the girls in Shari's small group at the home of an older couple who have taken great care of Shari and Mark since they moved to NC. They all go to the same church.

Shari had a beautiful cake and we had a really nice time visiting with everyone. All of us got to guess the date of birth, time of birth, and weight of the baby - I guessed August 30, 5:00 PM and six and a half pounds. We'll see!

It was fun to watch Shari open her gifts and see all of the beautiful little girl things. She got lots of pretty things - I am always amazed how things have changed since I was expecting my children. Everyone was so generous and we had lots to pack up and take home.

This was a happy day for Shari. A couple of her co-workers couldn't make it to the shower, but most of her favorite people were there. I was really impressed with her friends - they were all so nice and personable. Four girls (including Shari) from their small group are seven months pregnant. All four are pregnant with girls and they are all due to have their babies within three weeks of each other! Three of them are going to the same hospital and one even has the same doctor and mid-wife! They have a lot of fun comparing their experiences so far, and I am sure they will have a great time after the babies are born comparing their birth experiences. The other three girls were at the shower, so I got to meet them all.

This picture was supposed to be at the top, but as usual I can't seem to always place these pictures in the right order!

These were the girls who attended the shower. The shower was at the home of the woman who is three from the left.

Shari is talking to Liz here. She doesn't go to Shari's church, but is a friend that Shari met through Mark's boss's wife. She is directly from England and has a strong British accent. She is a wonderful person and I had a good time with her. Oh! I actually managed to sneak into this picture. I really do exist!

Those of you who know Shari, know that she is a talker! This is at the end of the shower. Mark came in and we were getting ready to pack up, but were mainly standing around talking. (Especially Shari!) I was so glad that I was able to be at this important event. I don't get to see Shari often and I really miss her a lot!

COCOA BEACH 2008 - Part 2 - Sea World

We stopped on our way to Florida in North Carolina to see Shari and Mark and have dinner with them. Then we drove on to Savannah, Georgia, that night so that we would be able to get to Cocoa Beach in time for check-in at the resort the next day. While we were visiting with Mark and Shari, he asked us if we wanted to go to Sea World while we were there. Of course, we would like to go, but it is very expensive for all of us to go. He said that he could get us free tickets because his company has dealings with Sea World. Anyway, he called and had the tickets waiting for us when we got to Sea World on Thursday. It was a hot, hot day, but we saw a lot and had a great day.

A couple of these pictures are out of order, (as usual I had some trouble uploading them) but I'll roll with it. We got to eat at the Shark Encounter. It is a restaurant where the tables are situated looking at huge fish aquariums that are built into the walls. The aquariums are full of sharks and some other big fish. You can see in the next picture how close we were to the fish. Matthew really likes watching fish and had a good time.

We also went to the dolphin show and, of course, the Shamu show. We also saw some other shows. The scenery was spectacular - beautiful colors and choreography! Here is Shamu.

This was one of the favorite things that I saw at sea world. Underwater sea creatures never cease to amaze me with their uniqueness and beauty. I have never seen one of these before - it is a sea dragon. It actually looked like a sea horse with leaves coming out of it! It was so beautiful and unusual!

We had a very fun day thanks to Mark!  Bob got to ride the fun roller coaster, we saw lots of strange sea creatures, fun shows, had an interesting lunch and we were REALLY TIRED!!

COCOA BEACH 2008 - Part I

It was so great to be back in Cocoa Beach, Florida for another vacation! We had wonderful weather the whole twelve days that we were there. It was sunny and in the eighties, sometimes nineties. Being by the ocean is one of my favorite things, and we have found a very nice resort that we get to use once a year and enjoy just relaxing and walking on the beautiful beach by the ocean, picking up seashells, eating in the great restaurants in the area, playing games, reading a lot and just enjoying ourselves. This year Bob and Shelley and Matthew joined us from Sunday to Sunday of the first week. They had a frustrating day with the airlines in getting to Florida, but after they finally got there on Sunday night, we had a great time. We stayed on the sixth floor this year and had a double balcony with a great view of the ocean. Here are Shelley and Bob on the balcony that goes along the inside of all of the condos and overlooks the pool area.

Here is Matthew playing on the beach with his sand toys. The water was warm this year so we spent a bit more time playing in the waves, which were rolling nicely every day. We also got to see lots of different birds, some jellyfish, and some crabs.

This is a picture of Terry. As usual, he is multi-tasking! He was trying to fly a kite and talk on the phone at the same time. We thought that Matthew would enjoy the kite, but he was too busy doing other things to bother looking at it much. He's probably too young yet.

This is the view from the inside balcony overlooking the pool area. It is a beautiful view and is usually very busy with people. We spent a lot of time there in the water, reading, eating at the food bar and talking. One day in the second week, I actually played BINGO! Most days there is either live entertainment in the afternoon at the pool or organized games or trivia for those who want to participate. We did the trivia one day and I did Bingo one day. Lost both.

Matthew got to be quite a little surfer while we were there! Here he is on a big wave. Isn't he talented? Oh no! He forgot to remove his shoes! What kind of surfer surfs in sandals? He just isn't up on all of that stuff yet.

The ocean was warm and we really didn't have to get used to it before walking in. I never really swam in it, but Bob, Shelley, and Terry did a bit, and Matthew went into the waves while someone was holding him. Beautiful water!

Here is Matthew playing in the sand. He loved to make rivers and fill up the bucket with sand and then pour water into it so it would overflow into his river.

Here we are walking along the beach one day. I am the one taking the pictures, so I am not in the pictures! I have to figure out how to fix that one of these days. I find that it is easier to just take the pictures myself most of the time. 

We had a wonderful time at the Resort on Cocoa Beach! We also did some other things with our time which I will tell about

 in Part II.

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.

A CHALLENGE

Our book table at the Women's Conference - it was fun to set it up and to sell the books, but it was not fun taking it down! 

Our Women's Conference took place at Cornerstone on Friday night and Saturday of this past weekend. Janet Pope was our speaker. I really enjoyed her - she was challenging to me. She has memorized fourteen BOOKS of the Bible in the past sixteen years along with many other chapters in between. She recommended that we read, meditate, and memorize God's Word. She also recommended that we memorize whole passages so that we don't take verses out of the context and so that we get the whole picture of what God is saying. What I thought was so good was when she said that it doesn't really do any good to just memorize the scripture unless in doing it we are seeking to know the HEART of God. She mentioned that many Christians feel a "disconnect" with the Lord because they don't really know his heart. She gave the example of our relationships with friends. Some people are our friends but we don't "connect" with some the way we do others. It usually takes knowing something of the person's heart for us to connect with them. She also said that just KNOWING God's heart is not enough. We have to HAVE God's heart and then DO the things that God has planned for us to do in the world.

The speaker recommended that we start with Psalm 1 to memorize and ask God to show us what he wants us to learn from it as we learn a verse a day and then take about a week to review it every day. Here it is:  

"Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his DELIGHT is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

This was challenging to me - when Janet recited scripture, she just made it so alive - she knew it well, and it was obvious that she knew the Lord well, too! 

A TIME TO RELAX AND HAVE FUN!

Saturday night was a much needed relaxing night after a week of crazy busyness! It was a week filled with obligations as well as a lot of other things that made my week very stressful. After our Women's Conference on Saturday (very good!), Terry and I had the pleasure of taking Shelley, Matthew, and Bob out for Shelley's birthday. (which was Friday) We went to a new place for us - Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was a good place to get a burger and lots of other things as well. It is decorated in tropical decor and was a fun place. Matthew is usually very congenial about getting his picture taken and pleasantly says, "Cheese!"

Somehow my pictures got out of order, so after eating we all went back to Shelley and Bob's and just relaxed and played outside for a while with Matthew. I love this picture of Matthew lying in the grass!

It was a beautiful week - couldn't help but enjoy the green grass, the trees, tulips, and this nice evening. We are very blessed!  "He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them." Daniel 2.21

Terry decided Shelley and Bob's door could use a little fixing, so he got right to it and was pretty successful in making it close better. What would we do without Terry?

And here Terry is with our sweetie! They are great buddies! Terry loves being with Matthew! I suspect it is the same for Matthew.

Here we are back at the restaurant with Shelley opening her present from us and Matthew helping!

We played with Matthew for about an hour outside back at their house. He showed me how he makes a basket. I was trying to teach him to dribble first, but I think he is too little yet.

One thing that we did that was fun this past week was take Matthew to Toys 'R Us to buy a tricycle. He got to pick out the one he wanted (within reason!) and this is the one he chose. He really can't ride it very far yet. He can make the pedals go around, but it is still hard for him to do it by himself.

Here is our slugger - or slugger to be. He's very protective of that ball! We all played a little baseball and Matthew pretended to be running the bases. We kidded him that he hits the baseball just like he plays hockey and golf! (with the bat on the ground!)

I love this picture of Matthew and his daddy! They make a great pair. Matthew likes to copy everything his dad does! Two sports fans!  :)

By the way, check out my March 28 post! That was only four weeks ago. We had about six inches of snow the night before! Only four weeks later - what a change! That is why I love Michigan and the change of seasons.