Poor soggy Papa

We've been waiting for these pictures to come back. Every year when we go to a hotel we get a water camera and take photos but the annoying thing about that is they're old-school: you have to send them out to be processed, then wait for them to come back.

Then there's the thing where you've lost the camera temporarily until you're entirely unpacked, so you might not see your pictures for a month (or more).  I have been known to find rolls of film in my drawers that are YEARS old. I have one now, as a matter-of-fact, sitting in my desk drawer that I never took in to be developed.  It's about 6 years old now.

Anyway, back to the pool. We took these great pool photos of when Steve broke his foot then went on vacation with us to Florida. We'd planned for it for months and really did not want to cancel an account of a broken foot. We just wrapped it in a trash bag, duck taped it, then wrapped it again in a Disney shopping bag. We did this every day while we enjoyed the pool in Florida.

We had to do this, you see, because our pool had a lazy river. You just have to float around in a lazy river and that's just what Steve did.   He had a great time that first day but we didn't watch how long we were all in the sun and Steve got sun-sick and spent the night vomiting and had a bad tummy burn. So the next day we took advantage of the lovely poolside tents. Steve got to stay out of the sun a bit, still float when he wanted to, and even watch the World Cup that day. It was perfect.

Everyone had fun in the water - we enjoyed the warm but not miserable weather, the afternoon thunder/lightning storms, the drinks by the pool, and sleeping well at night. It was the perfect vacation - even if we did overdo the sunshine that first day. 

Princess lunch

Princess Alyssa got her surprise lunch - meeting the Disney Princesses. Five in all, these are her favorites.

Happy birthday Alyssa

Spent a special day with the Birthday girl. She's so big now (6) I can hardly believe that much time has passed. She wanted to see every character but we ran out if time. Here are a few we met.

Noteworthy Anniversary memories

Noteworthy anniversary events and injuries.

1. On our one month anniversary, Steve asked me to make him a pair of cut-off jeans. He insisted he wanted to wear them while I cut them so that I would not get them too short.
Being the practical joker he used to be, he said, as I got ready to snip, that I had his skin in the scissors.

I did not believe him. And I proceeded to cut.

As blood ran down his leg and tears ran down my face, I realized that THIS time he had not been kidding.

2.  On our 2 year anniversary I delivered the news to my hubby that we would be parents the next year. That was a much lovelier surprise.

3.  On our 4 year anniversary, we spent the day at the hospital with Luke, who had contracted meningitis. That was a scary one, but had at least, a happy ending.


There were a few anniversaries in between that were lovely but somehow not as memorable for one reason or another. Romantic dinners, houseful of kids, fun stuff happened as the years passed.

Then....
4. On our 9 year anniversary, Steve arrived home with his hands behind his back. Michelle, six years old at the time, was so excited because she thought (as I did) that he had brought me flowers (which he NEVER did). She had been watching too many old movies in those days.  As I greeted him, Michelle went around behind him to see what the surprise was. When I saw her shocked look I asked Steve what he had.  He just stared at me, and pulled his arm from behind his back.  His arm was in a cast, he had sliced open his arm pretty good at work and the ER doc did not want him re-injuring it so over-wrapped it for safe keeping.  He never should have told the doc what his plans for the next day were.

Many of the later anniversaries were spent at Disneyland, and once in a while, at Knott's, in the days when Knott's was still nice.

5. In 1991 Steve got what he calls, a "Get out of Jail" pass.  We used to keep this calendar on the wall where we marked important dates. Steve has never liked calendars and has never been very good about holidays or special days. So when I saw a day marked on the calendar in August of 1991, I said, "hey, what's this day you have marked here?"   He looked at me, smirked, and then replied, "oh nothing, just our ANNIVERSARY!"   He has never let me forget that.

6.  For our 25th anniversary, Steve really wanted to go to Ireland. But he got laid off in March and I had just finished Grad school.  I told him that getting laid off was the perfect opportunity to go then he would not miss work, so even though it was spring, we decided to take our dream trip.  Such a great trip, all too short, but it was just the beginning.

7. Last year I flew out to CA and surprised Steve - He's been staying with his dad in CA, and he did not expect to see me in August last year at all. He swears up and down it almost gave him a heart attack when I walked in, late one August evening, unannounced. I've always loved surprises. Even dangerous ones.  Maybe especially dangerous ones. :)

8. Today is number 38.  How did that even happen!?  Steve woke up this morning with a spot on his knee that sort of hurt, thought nothing much of it and went to work. Now it's festered, swollen and a little purple, so we'll be spending the evening at Urgent Care. It looks like maybe a spider bite or something close. This, just after getting his cast off from breaking his foot last month.

Memories.  They make us.   Aren't we glad we have them?   I am.

Happy Anniversary, hon.

Pills for the aging.

2 Heart meds. LASIK. Antibiotic. Non-steroidal Antihistamine for chronic itching.

Can you believe all for a dog? At 16 years old, Andy feels pretty good most days. He's a bit under the weather right now but this handful will hopefully get him more comfortable.