Caribbean Cruise 2013

Dance Dance Dance! I ate with Joseph so he would dance with me

Beautiful St. Thomas

Balcony Room - a must on warm cruise

Mandatory Prom Picture - he sits in shade I sit in full sun...how does this work?

My favorite place was Princess Cays

Me and Pammy

Didn't rent these but if we had a baby with us, we would

Joseph and Dan in Hobie while Pam and I rocked in cute chairs

Back to work - oh lookie! Audrey came to work! Oh how blessed.....I leave again for Wenatchee then Texas - just a quick pit stop here.

Everglades

SO while hubs and I with 2 friends are in Ft. Lauderdale waiting to board a cruise to Caribbean - we go to Everglades Holiday Park - home of "The Gator Boys" - on Animal Planet. 

It was raining pretty good and we really felt a little "Murican" with the entire setting. Honey Boo Boo lives near here I am sure - or at least a bit of her culture is here. I heard a lot of " I seen this"

The beauty was breath taking - nature in pristine-ness but with Air Boats buzzing all around. Gaters everywhere. This picture made me smile - trying to get the beauty of the lily flower buds with the rain ripples..

Our Air Boat tour was one hour. There are nearly 5,000 square miles of this massive water ecosystem. What a massive display of aquatic hyperactivity. These are the facts:

The Everglades are wetlands in southern Florida. The measure about 100 miles by 60 miles, and range from Lake Okeechobee south, almost to the tip of Florida. They run from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. They include a variety of ecosystems from grassy marshes to cypress swamps and mangrove forests. They were long regarded as impenetrable by human beings, and remained largely unexplored.
Their original name in English was River Glades. This was changed to Everglades by cartographers in the 1820's.

Very beautiful - even in the rain, thunder, and lightening. 

REAL HUGE VULTURES - there were tons of these guys living there.

Laughs

Audrey laughs at my jokes - she really does

Peace

There was a time when I could not sit like this and be at peace. There were 3 years where my heart and my stomach were one organ, conjoined into a mess of uncontrollable complete turmoil.

We have been blessed beyond measure - we are mere worms, filthy rags, yet God blesses us.

Tonight after a few days on our new (old) boat, I sat in the hot tub listening to the spring birds busy getting their nests ready for babies. I smiled. I was taken back to those 3 years of conjoined organs - and remembered how I tried to smile with the spring birds but just could not. I remember grieving that I could not fully experience the joy of simple things: birds, the wind, rain.

My heart is once again separated from my stomach and is at peace.

Time does heal. God heals.

I love birds. 

Only ONE

There is only ONE empty tomb in the entire universe.

How profound is this?

Muhammed, L. Ron Hubbard, Buddha are all still dead in their graves.

Christianity is a little snotty in the resurrection area - the only religion who has a risen savior, able to forgive sins. This is significant in this world! Hugely so.

Adrenaline Rush Completed!!!!

The 3 B's Adrenaline Rush is over! Baby AUDREY CORDELIA MAE TOLENTINO arrived March 22! NUFF SAID!

Three B's: Adrenaline Overload

Most people have crazy excitement in their lives at intervals - I think God knows we need to come off of adrenaline rushes to recover before the next rush.

My heart has been racing, I am not sleeping, I feel complete adrenaline.

GUESS WHY????

Three B's:

In my life in one week time I have THREE MAJOR MAJOR things happening.

Boat: We got a SCREECHING deal on a new boat (well new to us, but 2000 Carver 326 AFt Cabin)
Beats: Jordan released his first single and is #1 on Maui radio "Sunset Tonight" - I can and do stream live
Baby! My first granddaughter is coming soon - not to get too graphic, but believe me, it is impending.

Be still my heart!

In case you missed the baby news:

http://tolentinotrivium.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-like-pink-things.html

World Premier of "Sunset Tonight"

I am traveling so much but still manage to get in on the important things. Jordan's new single debuted this week. I was able to stream the radio interview from Las Vegas! Jophus recorded it and made MP3 of it. Oh yes....technology is awesome!

The guy who mixed this recording also mixes for Rhianna and Beyonce - he is great! I heard the rough before mixing and had to wait until this debut to hear the final. LOVE IT! Way to go Jordan! Now on Itunes too .....

Hear it here - they did edit out where he gave a shout out to his mom :)

https://soundcloud.com/jordantolentino/sunset-tonight-world-premiere

Vanderhoff Family Showing Love

Cheyenne and Maki hostessed the shower 

Yummy Food!

Cheyenne's friends decorated - I think Cheyenne will be doing their hair for a while to pay for this!

How can I not smile with my Sand Monster?

I am so honored and blessed to be a part of these beautiful, loving women and children. Truly.

Isn't the baby cute?

It's a girl

TWO beautiful home sewn quilts by TWO relatives! How lucky is this? Amazing job!

Alzheimer's and Stroke

My parents - Dad has Alzheimers and Mom had a severe stroke - like I have said before.

For months now, mom has been house bound since she cannot get into a car anymore. My wonderful big brother and his wife shopped to get a mobility van. This is a SLICK van. All automatic, very cool.

Friday: Dad cannot learn to drive it, and did not want her to go in it. I begged him to show me how to use it - and us three went to Olive Garden for lunch. It is very uncomfortable for him to sit in back seat, and a huge blow to his pride.

Saturday: Dad agreed to let sister Judy and I to take her for a ride, but "don't let her get out of the van" - I think I forgot that. First we drove past our old houses, looking at The Nut Brothers house, which is still there! These 2 brothers lived in this house with no electricity! They would come on their porch each morning to shake out their jeans (in their underwear) and they scooped up free horse manure to sell for their money. Smart dudes.

We then went to Del and June's to see if she could get in their house with electric chair. She DID! Went around to back, make shift ramp, and COFFEE TIME! BAD news about that - her fatty wheels picked up a ton of mud that we did not see until we got back home and it got all over the place. It was dry enough for me to follow her around with a broom and dust pan like a clown following horses in a parade - minus the red nose.

Sunday: Most blessed news- I took mom to church for the first time in one year! Hallelujah! She is so beautiful and sweet - it melts my heart.

Monday: I go to the doctor with mom with a list of ailments. I narked on her, saying that mom can no longer get in or out of bed by herself. The doctor looked shocked and asked mom if she exercises. Mom LIED and said YES! I once again narked on her and she was busted. 

• FUNNY THINGS: One morning Dad was telling me that MOM has Alzheimers...oh boy.
• In dining room, we sat in Howard's table since he was not there yet. The entire hall was looking and waiting for the fight to come - Howard did not come! We laughed and laughed about what he would do when he came - I was in his chair, so I was preparing to hang on so he could not push me on the floor.
• Next dinner time, Dad forgot all about how we did that to Howard :( 

Palettes and Pairings

So I have done this once before. I am not an artist - at least with paint - well at least with acrylic paint. I can do much better with oils actually. BUT four of us did this. It is fun. First things first - you get a glass of wine (probably to numb your senses so you don't get too embarrassed by your artwork)

You have to follow directions. Wow - that is not as easy as it sounds when you are with friends. I think we got in trouble a few times. Get TWO pumps white, one pump other colors. That sounds easy - not. The pumper thingys didn't work very well.

THEN stucco-look your canvas - after painting water on it. Was the water supposed to drip? Who knows...who cares. Where did that window come from? I don't remember putting it up there - we thought it should go on the door, but then she made us put it on top. Weird. We obeyed.

Add stairs, and red and black paint. Weird again. Just blob it on - all over...who cares. Go for it. More. Just do it. It is very blurry isn't it?

Well now, fancy that - add more colors on top the red and black and it kinda looks like something. Wow - the greens and pot look almost real. I could almost see myself GOING here. Pot as in flower pot - this IS Washington State, afterall. Gotta clarify.

No casa is complete without a sign by the door. DANG - why did I marry a Tolentino? Oh well, I guess Vanderhoff is no better. Got it. (REALLY ~ it is better than Dekoekkoek though)

SO fun to see them finished. We were told they look better from afar - like my face.
Love my friends. Love my fun. Love my life. Thank you God.

Notice how this started out clear, then got more blurry as it went. Really, I only had one glass of wine. Really.

The end. Palettes and Pairings Issaquah.

Kefir

Ginger Kefir
So my friend Marji gave me some Kefir grains - yet another thing I have to learn about and discover interesting things to so with. I waited quite a while (keeping them in the refrigerator to remain dormant) until I tried. My first batch - grains, 1 quart water, 1 teaspoon molasses. Wait two days. After two days, I removed the grains and started another batch same way with those. I took the Kefir water, added fresh ginger, bottled it tightly for two more days. Then, refrigerate, wait until chilled, and had my first taste. AMAZING! REFRESHING! NATURALLY CARBONATED! GOOD PROBIOTICS!

Now, I have my next one brewing with lemon juice instead of ginger.

This is fun.

Seattle Camino Day 4

Last day - wanted to see if Costco hot dogs tasted same as Korea. They do. WELL Charles came in, and ate with us. Come to find out - when he lived in Korea, he walked right past the school she taught at every day! Crazy small world!

Kona will miss her.....bad dog.

Seattle Camino Day 3

Day begins at Westlake Center

Oh yes we like this a lot. Seattle's Best first store was on Vashon Island, but this is the Seattle flagship store. 

Walked to waterfront..... 

Oysters at Ivars 

Amazing place - must see 

Must do Space Needle 

Monorail back to Westlake after walking everywhere.