Carribean Cruise Part 1

Well, we finally made it home from our cruise on Sunday and boy was I ever ready to get home. I had a great time but that was the first time I have been away from my hubby and kids and not been able to talk to them. I could have called but the cost was high and also it probably would have taken a master's degree to figure out how to dial out internationally. LOL.

Me and my MIL met up with her sister Mary and hubby Doc in New Orleans on Saturday afternoon, then boarded the ship on Sunday morning.

This was the first thing I saw when we arrived in Downtown New Orleans. I just had to take a pic.

MIL with her sister Mary and hubby Doc at Mother's restruant for breakfast

This was outside our hotel.

Me, MIL, and Aunt Mary on my first Trolley ride.

Our first stop was Costa Maya, which is a small part of Mexico and seemed to be very poor. We took a golf cart ride around the island and I got some really great pics.

Then we headed to Guatemala and I will have to say that I don't think I want to go back. It is a very poor country and very sad. My favorite part was getting to see the little children come up to our boat in their handmade canoes. We went down the Rio Dulce river and this is where the poorest people live. Then ended up in the town of Livingston and I was a little scared but was very humbled by how they live.

These children were so small. I could never imagine my little one riding around in a canoe at that age without me.....Loved the parrot on the front of their canoe. Their seem to enjoy the simple things in life.....

This little girl touched my heart. She was so sweet and she never really smiled a real smile, you know the smile that comes through your eyes....I wished I could have brought her home with me.

Fishing for Tilapia.... Isn't that green water just amazing??? I couldn't get over it.

Well that is the first half of our week. Me and my MIL played cards everyday (she taught me how to play Canasta). Then we would just sit out on the deck and watch the ocean. We met the nicest lady, Vivian, and just fell in love with her. I meant to get a pic but for some reason didn't get around to it. She would ask everyday how April and Brandon were doing and loved hearing about all of our family. We just hit it off and I will always remember her. So Vivian, if you are reading this, hope you and your hubby made it home safely and I hope one day we can meet up again. So Ms. Vivian, if you are visiting my blog please leave me a comment in the comment section at the end of this post with an email address so maybe we can keep in touch.

Stay tuned for the 2nd half of our week.........

Thankfulness

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of love, family and of course, food! I had one of the best Thanksgivings I have ever had and I have so much to be thankful for this year.

1. My daughter, April and her husband had a safe trip home from Taiwan with our new grandson Harrison, in which I was still on my cruise at the time. But he is just perfect!!!! I went over on Monday and spent about an hour with him and then had dinner with him for his first Thanksgiving.

2. I had all my immediate family and my MIL, SIL, and BIL to celebrate with.

3. I have the BEST hubby I could ever ask for.




4. I finally got a pic of all 4 of the girls together. Ha!



5. Hubby's job


6. and most important, my Jesus!! None of this could be possible without Him!!


That's just a few of the things that I am blessed with everyday. I could go on and on but I'm sure that would take all day.

Harrison loved wearing Will's hat.

Harrison meeting his Great Nana for the first time.

Prayer for April, Brandon and Harrison

April and Brandon are on their way, as we speak, to Taiwan to get Harrison. Please keep them in your prayers for this loooooong 24 flight!!!! Pray they will have a great time and safe flight home. They will be back next Thursday around 7 pm. To keep up with their travels check out her blog at livingtolove.com

Looking Back.....

I have been thinking a lot lately about when I first got pregnant with my first daughter April. I was so young and had no idea what to do to prepare my 18 year old self for a baby. Me and Boogs didn't have a "pot to pee in" as they say. But by the grace of God we became parents to a sweet newborn baby, that we just had to learn as we went to take care of our new bundle of joy. Our whole outlook on life changed in an instant! Our life revolved around taking care of and loving this new baby. We had no time to think of anything else. Looking back now I wonder how we did it. We lived in a one room studio apt. that had a bathroom and a kitchenette but somehow that was enough at that time. I don't even remember wondering to myself if we would ever live anywhere bigger! We were surrounded by family and that seemed to be enough at the time. But of course we did move to a bigger place and we did have another baby and then we went through some pretty difficult times, divorced and then our Mighty God brought us back together. I know that our journey was tough and I used to be embarassed to tell our story but as I have grown older I feel like it's a love story and I don't care who knows about it and I want to tell the world!!!!

I guess all this has been on my mind so much because BreeAnn will be having a baby of her own soon and she will be going through something similar to what me and her daddy went through and what I mean by that is that she is so young. I know her world has been turned upside down in an instant. I pray she never gives up. I want to encourage her to always focus on her little family, to lean on God to get her through tough days and to always make it her priority. I lost my focus on my marriage and just didn't want to work hard at it and gave up to easily. I pray that she and Will not let "giving up" or "failure" be an option, that they will always dig deep and remember what brought their sweet family together.

April and Brandon will be traveling next week to Taiwan to meet their son, our grandson Harrison and bring him home for us to have the chance to show him all the love that our family will be showering him with. It is so surreal to me that my first daughter will be a mother to this sweet boy. I so remember so well the day she was born. When they handed her to her daddy she was wide eyed and looking around then sneezed. It was just like she was excited to be in this world and couldn't wait to explore. And that is just how she is today. She loves to explore, loves to learn, and loves everyone!!! I have said so many times that I wonder who and where she got all that energy from!! So, April I love you so much and you have made me and daddy very proud. We may not have had a lot of material things while you were growing up but I hope that you felt the love that we have for you. I pray that you and Brandon have a safe flight over and that when you meet sweet Harrison that you will feel all that love that we had and have for you. Be safe and I love you very much.

I know I take my husband for granted sometimes and I know I don't do this on purpose. I am so lucky to have a husband that is selfless, encouraging, patient and most of all loving. He is a great dad and papa, a hard worker and loves life. I love him more today than ever!! We may not have much in the way of material things but what God gives us everyday in blessings with such great and loving children and grandchildren, our home, job, and the best gift all, of knowing that we all have the chance to to be or become one of His children at no cost is enough.

So I lift up all my children to Him and ask that He will watch over and protect them during their exciting new journey that He is taking them on because all my chilren are on journeys right now and I hope they will take advantage and make it count so one day they can all look back and say " Wow I made it!!! I made a difference!!!!! And my life has meaning!!!! And I never gave up!!! What a story that will be for my grandchildren one day.

Ok, I'm gonna post this now. I feel like it's all over the place but it's my blog so here goes.......