GRAND CANYON

WE LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPE YOU ARE STAYING WARM!!!!!!

AND I THINK I HEAR MY HUSBAND CRYING IN THE CORNER HUGGING A SEASHELL.....

AFTER SPENDING MUCH OF THE DAY FREAKING THE KIDS OUT AND HOVERING OVER THE EDGE, WE CALLED IT TO A CLOSE. OUR LAST SIGHT SEEING WAS AT THE WATCHTOWER IN THE SOUTH RIM. WHILE OVER LOOKING THE GORGE, IT STARTED TO SNOW. LOTS! SO AGAIN WE ARE PRESENTLY STAYING IN FLAGSTAFF. THE ROADS ARE CLOSED AND TREACHEROUS.

(BEHIND SAM IS A SHEER DROP OFF! WE ALL TOOK OUR TURNS TO SEE IT! FUN BUT KNEE WEAKENING. MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE HATED THIS!!!)

EVEN THRU THE JOKES, WE MADE IT AROUND THE SOUTH RIM.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FOCUS ON CHANGING SAM'S PRIORITIES, SEE HOW THE PHONE IS SAFELY LAYING ON THE ROCK WHILE DAD SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING OVER THE EDGE!!?? THANKS ALOT SAM!

SOME OF US TOOK IT BETTER THAN OTHERS!!

IF ANY OF YOU KNOW US WELL ENOUGH, YOU KNOW WE HAD TO PLAY A PRACTICAL JOKE ON OUR KIDS! SO WE FOUND THE PERFECT PLACE AND ONE BY ONE I WENT RUNNING UP TO THE TRUCK TO GET ONE OF THE KIDS TO HELP!

THE LANDSCAPE HERE IS TRULY AMAZING. IT WAS CLOUDY SO TO SEE FOR MILES OVER THE CANYON WASN'T POSSIBLE. WE JUST ENJOYED LOOKING OVER THE EDGE AND GETTING THAT PUKEY FEELING IN YOUR STOMACH=)!

TODAY WAS ONCE AGAIN AN EXCITING ADVENTURE! WE SPENT THE NIGHT IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ AND HEADED TO THE GRAND CANYON FOR THE DAY. THE WEATHER, AS MUCH AS THEY SAY IS NICE YEAR ROUND, WAS BOBBLING ABOVE 45 DEGREES! YIKES! WE ONLY HAVE OUR SUMMER CLOTHES WITH US TO WEAR, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE LOOKS WE WERE GETTING WALKING AROUND!

Joe's Comfort Zone

Until then.....................................Anchors Away!!!! (Joe was definitely meant for the Navy!)

And, of course, We had to finish the day off at the beach. We will be heading out tomorrow with a slight hint of disappointment and towards the Grand Canyon with anticipation.

Coming here has been a great experience for our family. So much of the time, we joke about Joe's "navy stories" and flippantly listening to them. But today, I saw a side of my husband that he prides, honours, and loves. The navy to him was home. A place where he fit in where in most places he doesn't. A place where he was respected for what he knew and was expected to know it. The navy brought him peace and serenity, a self-respect. All the things he so desired, were found in a short 4 years. The only missing factor was his us- his family. Coming here with him and sharing this part of his life has completed a circle for him and for us. Being here, not only on the oceanside but in a military environment, is truly where he fits in and it has been a so great to see him smiling and a little care-free!

Outside the ship, they erected a monument of the famous picture posted in the New York Times fondly dedicated to all sailors. Seems to me them sailors' all have something in common!

You can NOT come aboard and not visit the mess hall. (eating area) There are levels to eating and where. Much like first class- third class. If you volunteered in the Petty Officers Mess Hall, you got the best of the best leftovers. Which of course, Joe did. (No surprise there!) His job.....coffee. For those of you who know the story, This above is Joe's version of a "4 cupper" coffee pot. If you haven't heard the story, I'll be glad to tell you :).

This is the elevator units that lifted and transfered all the bombs and missiles to storage area. For a small time, Joe worked as maintenance for the elevators. Explaination being that when you were trained as a nuclear weapons tech, you and only you were able to handle the bombs. So in order to move the bombs through the elevators, you had to learn maintenance on the elevators "just in case". Hmmm....if the "just in case" ever happened......think there would be an elevator left????? Just a civilian question, that's all.

The flight deck was full of planes that had all been decomissioned and were presently used as teaching tools and tourist attractions. The total area on the flight deck was 4 acres. For us women- that's as big as our property!

We spent the day aboard an aircraft carrier named the USS MIDWAY, the longest serving aircraft carrier in the Navy. We spent 4 hours touring the ship inside and out. With audio tours complete with headphones- it was fun to watch Joe smile and tell us much of what the guys on the tape had just explained to us. Personally, I liked Joe's stories better.....The carrier is much like the one that Joe served on- USS AMERICA. The plane that Joe is standing in front of was on the USS AMERICA. We learned that "she" had sunk in military training tactics in the Atlantic Ocean. It's funny how attached men get to their ships, seeming how it choked Joe up to learn his ship was on the bottom of the ocean.

A GREAT VACATION DAY!

Because the pics are in reverse- please scroll to the bottom of the blog and start there! Love you all!

so before eating at the mexican restaurant underneath us or turning in for the night, we walked to the beach and watched the sunset.

Looking forward to tomorrow........

This is the entrance to our hotel room! What? Can't see it?

That's because we're tucked inbetween Mexican restaurant- (ooo to bad!)- and boardwalk shops! ( T-shirts for miles- Dad!)

I love this place. It's 2 blocks to the ocean front and right on the boardwalk. A mexican villa. Sitting in our room with cracked drywall, furniture that's older than i am, tiled bathroom, and restaurant ruccus outside, Really gives you the full effect. But.........i love it!

While some of us love playing in the sand, and the others love the water, we all had something that we love to do here. Walking onto the beach it sparkled like diamonds. At first I thought it was because of the sun but low and behold- Fools Gold riddled the sand for miles! The real stuff was imbedded in the rocks that line the beach sidewalks. Which may I add you're not allowed to remove. Too bad!

Poor (wet) Baby! His first taste of the beach- literally..........

Hit the Beach!!

The sun was great, the sand was warm, and i couldn't be happier. we spent the morning hanging out at the beach, which I intend to do again tomorrow! Digging in the sand, running from the waves, and UNintentionally bodysurfing!

Last night - we had a horrible time trying to find a hotel. I guess everyone else had the same idea we did, fly south for some heat! We ended up on the beautiful island of Coronado!

It was awesome! We started out scouring the island reminicsing about the days of old. Joe had quite a bit of military training and school here when he served in the Navy. But they wouldn't let us in any farther than the front gate. Unless of course you sign a paper and head to the desert for a short stint in Iraq!!!

The landscape from Sac. to San Diego is outrageously one of a kind. My pictures don't do it justice.

Joe finished up his last claims and we've taken off for our intended vacation-

traveling from Sacramento to San Diego was a beautiful trip. We certainly couldn't drive by Hollywood and not stop for some scenery.

Joe is very intent that I could make it to the "big time" but for now - this is as close to Hollywood as i can get!

What the heck.........

I saw this in a restaurant we ate dinner at...................and yes we stayed to eat there. Thought it just needed it's own posting!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Today, for Valentine's Day, Joe took us to the park in the local neighborhood after he finished his claims. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. sunny, windy, mid 60's, I really am not trying to rub it in but :)>........Brittany and I found this leaning swivel seat. What a riot!

After spinning around on this thing until I couldn't see straight (and after I ate) I flipped off the back! I have thus come to the conclusion, I will NOT be putting mulch around the kids swingsets at home!! OUCH!

So naturally, everyone had to try it!

Even Daddy!

Joe has come to the conclusion that having Sea legs and Swivel Seat Stomach is 2 different things!

Swivel Seat Stomach he doesn't have!

ok ok I know what your thinking and BE NICE! We were having a contest to see who could do more tricks on the swings.


So from us to you- a great big Valentine's Hug!

Hope you all are well and we miss you! Love to you on Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!

Gold Fever!!!

Today was a special day planned just for my husband! Like so many of his favorite things, his job, making money, ho-ho's, playing poker,- Panning for gold probably tops the list! His lifelong dream of "hitting paydirt" and "bringing home the mother lode" would be the conversation of many dinners and construction sites- like so many of his Navy stories- ;) I love you Honey!!

We spent the day in the mountains scouring through the exact site that the gold rush fever started. 2 men who started a sawmill, stumbled across a rock that shown like "goald"! but no one believed them. It actually took a whole year for people to catch the "fever" which spawned a migration of people to the area in 1849- hence the San Francisco 49er's!!

Our luck was much like the ones who showed up late.

Gold Digging 101

Anything...........Anything....................

Nope! Too bad, maybe the poker tables will have more luck!!! >:(
As his wife is yelling in the background- Get More Claims Done!

Pier 39

We took a tour of the USS PAMPANITO, which served in the WWII on the Beach of Normandy.


As you probably know, Joe was feeling right at home!


In all reality, this was great! They let us go on the still in working order ship and snoop around!


Besides the weather being cold and rainy, we had alot of fun investigating a naval ship.

On the boardwalk, they had video games and quarter machines from all generations. I found one I could relate to!

And of course Joe invested a quarter to find out!!

Hhmmmmmm.......looks like a well invested quarter?!?!?

Eating over the Pier..........save the Fries!!!!

We took the fries outside and fed them to the birds!

Feed the birds, tuppins, tuppins to feed the birds! -sound familiar anyone???