Brian's 26th

Last night we celebrated Brian's birthday. (It was actually Monday, the 25th, but this was the first time we could get together.)

We had quite a group - Brian, Susan, Tyler, Aubrey, Grandma D., Uncle Drew, Jimmy, Ally, Sydney, our friend Joel and his wife Trista and kids, Jack and Amelia (good friends with Brian and Susan,) and Jeff, Maddie, and me.

Thanks to our cattle-ranching friends, John and Sylvia, we had STEAK (THANKS, guys!) and shrimp for dinner and ice-cream pie for dessert.

Brian's had a tough year this past one, but he has a new job, new commitment, and a new attitude so this year is looking lots better. I'm so grateful for his effort and for his family hanging in there together.

Happy birthday. We love you, Brian!

More Dress-Up

I finally got a bunch of photos transferred to my computer and I just love this one of the "girls" all dressed up for Grandma D.'s Christmas party.


They are beautiful inside and out.

Dress-up

I knew there was a reason I kept all those dance costumes through the years.

You don't EVEN want to know how many times I picked up and repacked those costumes this afternoon. You'd think I'd have that figured out by now...

Peas in a Pod?

Not even close.

Cousin on left: "Nana, Nana! There's something gross in the hall."

Nana immediately runs to hall, encounters -

Cousin on right (running from bathroom, toilet flushing): "Don't worry! I put it in the toilet!"

(It looked like a gross bug, but was really a partially-popped pocorn kernal.)

A Perk

You know why it's no fun to watch a TV show or a movie by yourself?

Because there is no one to share a look and a snicker with when something strikes your common funny bone.

I love watching with Maddie, because we always laugh at the same things. Everytime something is funny or has a double meaning or a silly Sargeant-meaning we look away from the screen and share the "isn't-that-funny?- look-and-snicker."

I do it with my mom too. And Amy.

Not so much Jeff. Not because he doesn't share the same Sargeant sense of humor and common meanings, but because he takes longer to process things and is more one-track-minded. He is always saying, "Wait, wait! What was that? Rewind it!" He GETS it. It just takes him longer.

Watching TV shows and movies together. Just one of the perks of a family...

Cruising the MexRiv

I just love that phrase-MexRiv. I feel so worldly saying it. Like I am a real world traveler.

Instead of a hanger-on who was invited to tag along on her mom's real estate continuing education cruise. (Same price for two as for one, pretty much. Much more fun for Grandma D. to hang out with me for a week than be alone in the Mexican Riviera!)

So I got to take a break from all the worrying and nerves of no work and a recession and just forget it all for seven days!


Mom and I in the plaza in Puerto Vallarta. We took a taxi to the beach with her co-worker Dianne and enjoyed a day in the warm sun and water.


In Mazatlan we, hmmm, enjoyed a day in the warm sun and water...Here we are on the grounds of the Hotel Playa Mazatlan, where Mom had been a few years ago with her friend, Dee.

We also enjoyed a folklore show in Mazatlan with the Papantla Flyers.

I tried to upload video of their worship ceremony, but no luck. They climb to the top of this 60' pole and let themselves down by an ankle while the pole spins. Very scary. These "world heritage people" are from one of the oldest Indian tribes in the world, according to their narrator.


The beach in Mazatlan was warm and calm also. We watched parasailers take off and land on the beach all day. I used to be adventurous, but not so much anymore...I just enjoyed watching the parasailers.

Our last stop was Cabo San Lucas at the very southermost tip of Baja California. Mom and I were quite proud of ourselves here as we arranged for a water taxi to take the two of us on a tour of "Land's End" where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean and then to drop us off at a beach to snorkel. The driver agreed to return in two hours to take us back to Cabo. We were a little nervous, both about the arrangements and about the snorkeling, but it all turned out well and ending up being our favorite day. It was an adventure!


The rocks we snorkeled around at Pelican Beach. We saw SO many schools of brightly colored fish. We both wished we had underwater cameras.


The view from Pelican Beach back to Cabo. (Okay, so we weren't that far from civilization and there were other people there, but it was an adventure to US, okay?? You must remember that Mom is 74 years old! And she was snorkeling in Mexico!)


The Pacific Ocean side of Land's End.

I got lots of reading and writing done on the sea days when Mom had classes. I also took a scrapbook class, watched a live cooking show, watched some movies, swam in cool pools, went to a comedy, magic, and music shows and took a tour of the ship's galley (wow!) Yes, Princess is an "old people's" cruise line. Also had lots of quality visiting time with my mom. ("We get to go to lunch together more than once this week!" she said the first day!) A good time was had by all.

Happy New Year!

We had a quiet celebration this year. Jeff, Maddie, Julie and I went to see "Avatar" and got some dinner. Then Julie went home to sleep and the rest of us played "Apples to Apples" and watched the last episode of "Monk" on the computer. At midnight we pushed the panic buttons on our car and truck, beat some pans with a spoon, shouted "Happy New Year," toasted with Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, kissed each other, and went to bed. Man! We are PARTY ANIMALS!!