Spring Break 2015 - Part 3 - Mazatlan

We docked in Mazatlan early on Wednesday morning. We had decided to just do our own thing, no pre-planned tours or excursions booked. We got off the boat and were greeted by multiple resort guides, offering us a day pass to their resort, with access to beach and pools. We accepted one of the offers, and hopped in a cab to the resort.

We spent the morning on the beach before it got too crazy with tourists and beach vendors. Seriously, if I had a dime for every person that walked by wanting to sell me silver, sunglasses, or braid my hair...

The kids had a ball splashing in the warm ocean waters, and Steve and I enjoyed lounging on chairs watching!

We saw a couple of guys offering parasailing, and asked Olivia if she wanted to give it a try. She hadn't seen anyone do it, but she is adventurous and brave and decided to go for it!

The second she took off, Grant was begging to do it too. I didn't think he was big enough (and was secretly hoping he wasn't!), but he marched right up to the guys and asked if he could do it...and much to my surprise, they said YES!

It was a little sketchy watching him take off...but before long, he too was sailing high above the ocean!

I was grateful to have both kids safely back on solid ground. Here's the guy that made it all happen!

By about noon, the beach was packed and we decided it was time to head on out. There's something about a jam-packed beach that doesn't necessarily scream "rest and relaxation"!

We headed into town to grab a bite, and found some good photo ops along the way.

Yep, we're classy like that!

Cheers to another great day!

We headed back to the ship by way of a golf cart cab. I think it legally should have only held three passengers. But the guy insisted he could fit all five of us, and proceeded to speed through the streets of Mazatlan. Jack held on for dear life, and Steve documented the whole thing. It was hilarious. And for Olivia, who is learning to drive, it was a good lesson on how lucky we are to live in the United States and have actual rules of the road to follow!

We capped off the night with a breathtaking view of the sunset as we sailed out of Mazatlan and continued our journey southward. Next stop. . . Puerto Vallarta!

Spring Break 2015 - Part 2 - Cabo San Lucas

Our first port stop was in Cabo. We had decided to do a ship-endorsed snorkeling excursion in Cabo. We got off the ship, and boarded a catamaran for an hour ride out into the Sea of Cortez. It was pretty windy, but plenty warm and it felt good to feel the cool ocean breeze!

Steve, Olivia, and Grant sat right on the edge for the ride out.

Cheers! Don't forget to hydrate!

Sailing past "Arches"

Jack stayed close to the center of the boat with me.

 This was the kids' first experience with snorkeling. They are all super strong swimmers, but Grant was a little freaked out when the tour guide announced that there had been some jellyfish sightings recently, so to proceed with caution. Grant got all his gear on, then laid down on the boat to practice breathing through the snorkel. It was hard to tell if he was really nervous, or just wanting to appear nervous. He's goofy that way sometimes...

We saw some really cool fish, the water was the perfect temperature, and it was super fun to be out there with the kids. Makes me think that we need to get to the Caribbean or Hawaii in the not too distant future where they can really see what it's like to swim with the fish!

Grant and I got back on the boat sooner than the other three, and enjoyed some cool drinks and snacks in the sunshine. I love this little squirrel of a kid. 

On the ride back to the ship, Grant got a little more adventuresome and "surfed" on the mesh at the front of the boat. We were heading into some pretty good waves, and he and the other kids were loving it! And no one fell overboard!

Our cruise ship in the background

It was windy!

When we got back into Cabo, we still had a few hours before the ship left again. Steve found a restaurant to hook up to wi-fi and check in with work while the kids and I did a little sightseeing.

Homer drinking a Corona. Perfect.

Grant thought this street performer was pretty cool!

This ATM machine cracked me up. "Cashola - Say hello to your money" Seriously...so funny!

We were all tired and a little sunburnt by the time we got back on the ship. We got cleaned up and enjoyed another yummy dinner, and were all ready for bed by the time we turned out the lights. Next stop...Mazatlan!

Spring Break 2015 - Part 1 - Bon Voyage!

For years, I've been wanting to go on a cruise. Steve has always been a bit reluctant, fearing that he wouldn't like being stuck on a boat for a week. As we were looking at options for a family vacation over spring break, I brought up a cruise. To my surprise, Steve agreed! Based on our spring break dates and availability, we opted for a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, on board the Norwegian Star, with stops in Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.

We flew out early Sunday morning, March 29 to Los Angeles. Just as we were getting ready to taxi to the runway, the pilot came on and said that there was heavy fog at LAX, and there was going to be a delay. We ended up sitting on the plane for another two hours before we were cleared for takeoff. I was watching the moments tick by and beginning to panic that we wouldn't make it to the port on time! When we finally were on the ground in LA, I breathed a sigh of relief. We took a shuttle to the Long Beach cruise terminal. There was a lot of excitement circulating through the kids.

This was Grant as we got on the shuttle. 

This was Grant five minutes later. 

The boys, each on their own electronics, while Olivia and I
waited in line at the port terminal to check in!

We made it to the port right on time, got through the check-in process, and were escorted up to our room to drop off our carry-on bags (the rest of our luggage was delivered to our room later that afternoon), then to a private restaurant exclusively for suite guests. We felt like celebrities!

We each had key cards that were our passes for all onboard activities, food, drinks, and the key to our room. There was also an app for our phones that allowed onboard texting to family members, as well as monitoring of our daily charges. Pretty cool what technology can do!

Our room was on the 12th floor. We opted for a "family suite" instead of two tiny rooms, which gave us a bit more room, and also put us up near most of the activities on the ship!

One whole wall of our room was floor to ceiling windows.
We enjoyed the view of the ocean all week long!

We unpacked and tucked our suitcases away for the week, then went out to the deck and watched as we pulled out of Long Beach and into the wide open sea.

I sure love this guy!

We spent the afternoon exploring and familiarizing ourselves with the ship. The kids were all three so happy and playful, giddy with excitement about the week ahead!

We capped off the night with a carnivorous dinner in the Brazilian steakhouse on board, then were gently rocked to sleep by the rolling waves of the ocean.

On the first morning at sea, Steve and I and the boys all woke up early. Olivia was still sleeping, so we decided to let her rest while we got out of the room. Steve and I hit the gym, while the boys went to shoot hoops and get a donut. We agreed to meet back at the room at a designated time. When Steve and I were done at the gym, we headed back to the room. No boys. I stayed put, while Steve went looking for them.

A few minutes later, he texted me that he'd found them in the arcade. I quickly replied "Were they swiping their cards?" To which Steve responded, "Check the account!"

I logged into the app, and nearly fell over...those two had racked up $250 in arcade charges in less than 30 minutes! Turns out, they were playing the "grabber" game. You know, the one where you get one chance to grab a prize? Well, they were trying to "grab" $1,000 cash...and get this...they wanted to win it to help pay for the trip! We had a stern chat about not swiping their cards without permission, and told them they were banned from the arcade for the rest of the trip!

We spent the rest of Monday chilling out, exploring some more, and taking advantage of the "all you can eat" ice cream bar!

The pool deck was pure craziness.
Live music multiple times each afternoon and evening.
Poolside games and entertainment, tons of kids, and lots of noise!

Steve and I enjoyed poolside cocktails and "mocktails"
nearly every afternoon. Good times!

Fresh fruit and treats were delivered to our room
every afternoon by our "butler" Chris!

Grant is still mastering the ice cream cone licking.
He ended up covered in ice cream every afternoon!

Norwegian Cruise Line is what is known as "freestyle cruising". . . meaning you can choose how dressed up you want to get. Some cruise lines have strict dress requirements for restaurants. Knowing my kids (mainly, my boys), I knew that having to dress up for dinner every night would not go over well. This was about as fancy as they got. Though Grant did actually tuck in his shirt one night!

We enjoyed some great nighttime entertainment throughout the week, including magicians, comedians, amazing acrobatics, and more.

Science Camp

Jack just got back from a week at 6^th grade Science Camp, an event he’d been looking forward to for about seven years. The trip is a “right of passage” of sorts for the middle school students, and for many—Jack included—it’s the first time away from home.

He packed enough clothes for a month. As I kissed him goodbye, I placed bets with a friend on whether or not he would come home in the same clothes he left in!

All ready to roll! 

I held myself together better than I expected as I hugged him goodbye. I felt myself choke up just a little as he squeezed me a little longer, a little harder than normal. But thankfully, my sunglasses hid any sign of tears!

We got daily emails from Jack’s teacher, giving us a brief recap of each day and letting us know that all was well.

When the bus pulled back into the school on Friday afternoon, he got off the bus looking a little older, a little more independent. But he wasn’t too grown up to give me a side hug, in front of his friends, nonetheless! 

Over dinner Friday night, we got a complete recap of the week, including every hike, every meal, and every moment in between.

He joined five “clubs” over the week:

• The “Hard Core” Club: this entailed eating an entire apple…core and all
• The “Polar Bear Club”: this one required him to dip his entire head in an ice cold stream, and hold it there for 10 seconds.
• The “Banana Slug Club”: to join this one, students had to KISS a banana slug. Better than kissing a girl, I suppose!
• The “Scrub Club”: this one wasn’t an intentional club…to become a member, you had to slip and fall, on accident!
• The “Waste Warriors Club”: this one meant going three meals without wasting any food. No big surprise here…Jack is quickly taking over Steve’s title in the house as the human garbage disposal!

He had great counselors, and his teacher is a rock star for putting up with thirty 6^th graders 24/7 for the week!

Jack with his teacher, Mr. Wheeler

Counselors Conner & Nick were Awesome!

It is a strange feeling having one birdie gone from the nest. I remember when Olivia went four years ago thinking how the house felt a little emptier, a LOT quieter, and how my heart had a bit of a void in it. So I was somewhat prepared for how it would be this time around.

It’s interesting how the family dynamics shift when one person is missing. I’ve noticed it over the last two and a half years that Steve has been working in LA, how we adapt to fill the void. But with a child missing, it's even stronger. Grant missed his best buddy. But he also was a lot more pleasant without a big brother intentionally bugging him a lot of the time! It’s almost as if a family is like a puzzle. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way, but it takes all of them together to complete the picture.

I think these little jaunts of independence stretch the apron (and heart!) strings to better prepare us for the eventual “launch”.

And in case you’re wondering (and much to my surprise!), Jack showered twice during the week. But he came home in the same sweatshirt he was wearing when he left! 

Before...and after. Same sweatshirt. 

Real Life Horror

I've often commented that the main road heading in both directions from our house looks like the perfect setting for a horror movie. It's a two-lane windy road, lined with large oak trees. Much of the road has little to no shoulder, with an embankment on one side, and a steep drop-off on the other. It's a popular route for bicyclists, though riddled with danger since there is no shoulder to provide a dedicated lane for cycling. While the road is heavily traveled during commute hours with drivers trying to escape the traffic on the freeway, during the mid-day hours, very few cars are seen. It is not at all uncommon for me to drive the entire 2.5 miles to school and not pass another car.

I drive back and forth on this road, headed one direction or the other, at least 8 times a day.  I know it well. And aside from the occasional mudslide, or wild deer or turkey running in front of my car, have never had cause for alarm. Until today.

I feel like I should start the story with "It was a dark and stormy night"...but in reality, it was a crystal clear afternoon. I have been home sick in bed the last two days, literally only crawling out of bed long enough to get my kids to and from school. My energy is drained, every inch of my body aches, and I'm coughing with every word out of my mouth,

I left the house a little early, hoping to get to school in time to be in the front of the carpool line. As I came into the unincorporated part of the road, entering the small town of Sunol, I came around a curve and saw a woman ahead in the distance standing in the middle of the road. At first, it looked like maybe she was trying to stop traffic to help someone pull out of a long driveway. Besides me, there were no cars coming in either direction.

As I got a little closer, she appeared to be in some sort of distress. She was waving her arms around and it looked like she was screaming. At what—or who—I couldn't tell. I thought maybe she was on drugs, or suffering from some mental instability. After all, it's not entirely normal to be screaming and waving your arms around, all while standing in the direct line of traffic.

I slowed the car significantly, as she was literally standing in the middle of the road. As I approached, I made eye contact with her and realized that she was covered in blood. She had blood smeared on her face, down her chest and onto her shoulders, and her hands were obviously bloody. I had no idea what the situation was, and felt my heart begin to race. Had she killed someone? Was someone trying to kill her? There was obvious panic in her voice and in her movements, yet I didn't think it was a good idea to stop and get out of my car. I cracked my window just enough to call out "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

She responded with a scream "YES! I need you to call the police!"

In the distance down the driveway, I could see a man walking toward her.

I yelled back, "OK, I'll call the police!"

I kept rolling around the next curve, and about 200 yards ahead, there was a driveway on the right side of the road. I pulled in, put my car in park and dialed 911.

"911, What's your emergency?" the dispatcher asked.

As soon as I opened my mouth, my voice started trembling. I did my best to give an accurate description of my location, what I saw, and what I could ascertain from the situation. Within a matter of minutes, I could hear sirens coming from all directions. Police, fire, and paramedic crews were en route. The dispatcher kept me on the line until the officers arrived, in case there were any questions or problems in locating the site. After what felt like an eternity, she came back on the line and said that they had a suspect in custody, and that the woman was okay—she was just bleeding from her mouth and it appeared to be a case of domestic violence.

It took a good couple of hours for my heart to stop racing, and for the image of her bloody face and hands to begin to fade from my mind. Honestly, it felt like it was straight out of a horror movie. Thankfully, it wasn't more serious (though I in no way mean to infer that domestic violence isn't serious!), and authorities responded in time.

It is scary to think of what might have happened if I hadn't been driving right at that moment. Would someone else have seen her? Would they have slowed to ask if she was alright? Might it have been too late?

I don't know what this woman's situation is/was. But I could tell from her appearance that she had had a hard life. It would have been pretty easy for me to swerve around her, not make eye contact, or notice the blood on her face and hands, and just chalk her behavior up to a drug-induced craze. And who knows? Maybe that's how it started.

I'm reminded of a quote that goes something like this, "Be Kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle." I hope that as I go through my life, I can remember this message. To look for ways to help, uplift, and even save another. And I hope that if I ever am in need of that kind of help, someone will be there to offer it to me.

Miserably Behind . . . But Still Alive!!!

My blog has taken a back seat to life the last 18 months. I waffle between feelings of guilt for not recording the details of our life, and the realization that I actually CANNOT do it all.

Steve has been working full-time on a light rail project in Los Angeles for the last 18 months (and off and on for the 12 months before that). He is gone Monday to Friday most weeks, so I'm on my own. We're hopeful that his assignment will be winding down by the time the holidays roll around, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I've made the best of the situation in many ways. I've done a lot of crafty projects and sewing this past year. I've completely forgotten how to cook—a good night is scrambled eggs and toast. The DVR is set to record a whole bunch of shows that are of absolutely no interest to Steve (think Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles), and I watch them at night when the kids go to bed.

I've put 23,000 miles on my car since July 2013. But Steve has only put about 1,000 on his two vehicles combined, so as a whole, we're probably below average. The funny thing is rarely do I drive more than 5 miles in any direction from home!

The old adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" has proven true in our case. The distance between us truly has helped us to appreciate each other more. We try to make the time together count and not sweat the small stuff. And believe me . . . most of life is filled with small stuff.

The kids have missed having their dad around as part of their every day life. It's been a year of big changes, and more lie ahead.

Olivia is now a sophomore. 15 years old. Getting ready to learn to drive.

Jack is in 6th grade. Discovering that girls kind of dig him. Wondering when he's going to start sprouting armpit hair.

Grant is in 3rd grade. Has lost 8 and grown 4 teeth. Is creatively expressing himself in many ways. Case in point: His teacher told me today that she nearly fell over with laughter when reading Grant's latest essay, about my chocolate chip cookies. His first sentence? "The first time I tasted my mom's chocolate chip cookies, I fell into a coma for 3 days." Wow, who knew?

When I look at our 17 years of marriage, this has by far been the hardest . . . on both of us. For different reasons, but equally challenging. And yet, I know we've all experienced some tremendous growth, and for that I am grateful.

My goal for the next few weeks is to get caught up on the big happenings of the year so when I print my annual blog book, it's more than 2 pages long. Stay tuned!