El San Juan

Thanks to dave's super-cool boss, we were able to spend a few extra days in Puerto Rico... just to relax after a week of stressful cruising :)

What a way to end a vacation- massages on the beach, brunch overlooking the ocean, enjoying the ocean breeze with pina coladas in hand.

This cruise was a long time coming, but definitely well worth the wait, some of our favorite days we've spent together.

St. Croix and St. Maarten

St. Croix was full of swimming, snorkeling, seashell hunting, and sailboats,

while St. Maarten gave us parasailing, scooter rides, and "interesting" beaches...

Antigua & St. Lucia

a little birdie told me that St. Lucia is one of the most awesome places in the world!

can you spot dave in this picture?

always in search of a good shell, especially a conch!

Antigua reminded me alot of LOST

see what I mean?

the view from the top of Bird Island, St. Lucia

Antigua had tropical fruit just falling from the sky, like these baby bananas. that girl on youtube that says breastmilk is "better than a mango even" must have never tried one from Antigua; those suckers had our mouths watering all day.

we really got a dark tan... just kidding. Made famous by The Bachelor, these mineral mud baths and waterfalls were not only loads of fun but also the best natural spa treatment out there!

i love it when we're cruisin together

can you spot dave in this picture of our ship?
Dave felt right at home with all the people speaking creole... i was totally out of the loop.

only moments after this picture was taken, this monkey jumped on dave's face, which made me jump about 15 feet!

and only moments after this picture, dave decided to jump off the pier and swim back to land. good thing he has a caring wife who will carry his hat, wallet, and shoes for him...

Beautiful Barbados!

signs of spring:

signs of spring fever:

Grandpa Jo

My dear Grandpa Jo passed away peacefully March 11 after a full, long, wonderful life. His funeral was inspiring to me, making me want to give more service, love more deeply, and act more unselfishly. My grandpa was a hard worker, dedicated to his family, his country and most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have many wonderful memories of grandpa, and feel so blessed to have grown up with him in my life. When I turned 8 years old, he took me out to lunch to Chili's and showed me his collection of silver dollars. I got to choose any one I wanted to keep as my own! This was such a treasure to me, I had my mom keep it safe in her closet; I didn't want to risk ever losing it. And at 8 years old, my mom's closet seemed like the safest place I could ever imagine.

Grandpa Jo used to call our cat, Fluffy, "that black cat." I thought this was so funny, because Fluffy wasn't black, but white with black spots. I got a kick out of it every time.

Grandpa Jo always treated my grandma with more patience, kindness, and love than ever thought possible. I can still hear him saying "now, Ann..." as he tried to calm her down when she got all riled up about something (which happens quite often.) At one point, my grandma wasn't able to watch The Young and the Restless, of which she has been a faithful follower since the show began. So my grandpa watched it for her, taking notes on the intriguing plot and love affairs of these deep, well-rounded characters so that my grandma could stay up to date with her favorite show. Now if that's not true love, I don't know what is.

During my grandpa's final days, he comforted his wife of over 60 years by remarking that they've had a great adventure together. This brings me to tears because it is oh, so true. My grandma and grandpa Jo have lived humble, loving lives, sharing their spirit and kindness with their 6 children, and an army of grandchildren, in-laws, and great grandchildren. I hope Grandpa Jo knows how much I love him and what a great example he was to me, and that his legacy will live on forever.

road trippin'

This was what was in view:

When this came into view:

That's right... 100,000 miles on the trusty wagon. In the past, I'd thought that this would be the point at which we parted ways. But nah, I think we'll stay together for a few more years.

Hello, Hong Kong

Decisions, Decisions... Chop-Sticking To My Story, Red My Fortune Cookie, or Dim Sum Plum? Coming soon to a salon near you, this new collection from OPI makes me want to travel to the Far East and wear these colors on more than just my nails. Who can resist Panda-monium Pink? Go here to get the full scoop and try them on your own fingernails. I have to agree, A Good Man-darin Is Hard To Find.

I-da-ho?

2 of my favorite travel buddies- we've traveled across the seas, but this is our first time to Idaho together. And the Duncan farm* potato-growers did not disappoint.

My lifetime travel partner, together through the peaks and valleys.


*look for the "Mart Produce" label at your local Harmon's to find family owned and family grown potatoes from Rupert Idaho. And althrough "cane sugar" sounds nice, "beet sugar" is actually more local and delivers the same quality, again coming from Idaho.

oohh, aahh

A special Valentine's dinner just calls for a special dessert. Only those who are truly loved deserve something as labor intensive and tempermental as Chocolate Souffle. Oh, but when it's served piping hot, all smooth and fluffy with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream... it just melts your heart.