Cruising the Gulf of Mexico with a Finnish Slant.

We spent the night in Galvaston, and went to church there Sunday morning. 

I took this picture on the church lawn, they definitely have prettier dandelions in Texas! 

On board in church clothes waiting for our rooms to be ready!! 

Then it was back up on deck as we sailed off !!  A little windy. 

Dad found a Tony Hillerman book in the 'lost book' library on board. 

We went to the ice show that first night. Jerry Gearheart was picked out to throw rings out to the juggler, but the ice clown chose me for me for a kiss!! 

Our dining room was one of these three large stacked areas, with a huge chandelier in the middle  

This is Dad's and my table with the Heuers, Moes,  Gearhearts as well as Brittany Gearheart and her friend Emily.   Of course there were the three young couples at the next table. 

Food was delicious and often pretty too. 

On Wednesday we were off to a private island off Roaton for snorkeling and canoeing. There was native food there and a virgin pinacolada too. 

Here we are on our way back to the ship. 

Dad finished his Hillarman novel and then found an old Finnish romance novel ... Perfect for brushing up on his Finnish. 

Then he recognized that this photo of a statue was one he'd seen in person. It's of the Finnish composer Sibelius and he'd seen it in a park in Helsinki. 

On Thursday Dad and the Heuers hiked up to the ruins near Costa Mata.   I hung out with Barb and Randy and read and played games. 

He was pretty exhausted when he got back. 

We hot tubbed  and swam several times, Dad was off in the sauna when this picture was taken. 

We played games, read and went to see a comedian the last day. 

Sunday we were up early, meeting the four in the Gearheart sub group to walk off early. We drove them to the airport in Housten. Then after a 31/2 hours we were in San Antonio. 

Where we visited and got lots of love and hugs from some adorable grand children!! 

A Plethora of Brittanys and a Road Trip

I worked a lot this week getting ready for our Texas trip.  But first ... On Monday Nell and I went to a buying appointment. 

I found two side tables and a dresser with a mirror. She got a large bookcase and a 30's quilt. Amazingly she fit it all in the back of her minivan. The girl has skills! 

At work on Tursday Wednesday and Thursday, I managed to work all my new buys into my reduced space at the mall. 

I also recognized the shopper above as Brittany  from  'houselarsbuilt a well known intagrammer and blogger. She's quite artsy with a Scandinavian twist,and lived in Denmark for 3 years with her Danish husband! 

I also shipped off the Lladro I got at DI last week for a buck and sold on eBay!  Double boxing seemed like a good idea!  Well since your wondering, $172. It's the first Lladro I've ever seen come out on a cart there. 

On Thursday night Brittany was busy hosting a boho dinner for her bunko group. I love that she borrowed these goodies from me!  Didn't she do a great job. 

Thursday night Dad and I got to see another Brittney excel.  Brittney graduated in public health with her Master's!! 

We're all so proud... 

As is her family. 

Loved this publicity poster for the U's Korean Campus!  Don't you? 

We shopped on the way home, then I cleared out the van, and Dad tossed in the spare tire ... Then laundry, snack prep and packing...

We were off at 7:30 A.M. And then arrived 

At this door in Amarillo about 11!!  

Off early Saturday towards Galvestin    I posted this picture of a giant Sam Houston on our trip group's 'Groupme' page and found out that Kelsy and Trina and their hubs were just two miles ahead of us ... Whoa ... 

Here we go following Mickey through Houston!  We stay in Galveston tonight and board the cruise ship tomorrow with 14 assorted other Moe/Heuer friends and family, including Brittany Gearheart of course. (And Kelsey and Zac's friend Briahna!)!

It was the Best of Times it was the Worst of Times

What a week!  High highs and low lows too.  Lots of hard work and lots of fun!  

Monday lasted forever as I stripped all the paint off the parlor floor ... A gallon and a half of chemical stripper plus 8 hours made for one exhausted grandma ... 

Then Tuesday was all about fun. My art group met and we made garden cloches from chicken wire!  

The two on the right are mine. Then I was off to junk in SLC, running into my darling friend Marci before meeting Arlene to attend a session at the Draper temple, with Zupas afterwards!   Dad of course did his temple shift that night. 

Wednesday was back to the grindstone with a day at work, where I painted ...

this smaller cupboard that I bought to replace the too bulky cupboard for our bathroom. 

After work I did have a nice break when Becca brought me my birthday and Mother's  Day gift from our kids (thanks all I love it, even Dad, who tried to talk me out of it, loves it!) 

Isn't it a beauty?! 

Then Dad and I worked on sanding the parlor floor. He had the big sander, while I worked the hand sander around the edges of the room. I was so exhausted that I actually had an adrenalin rush before I finished up about 11:00 P.M.

Up early on Thursday so I could get the floor stained before heading to a day at work!  

That night Dad put on two coats of varnish!! 

On Friday I finished up most of the leaf cleanup in the back driveway before a couple of dealers came to set up early for Fleaology..  

Then Nell and the girls came. Penny was pretty entertained by all the activity, so much so she couldn't fall asleep at nap time. 

Eleanor went back  to the patio and brought a chair up to 'her' fairy garden and entertained herself for literally hours, playing with the 'characters'. What a charming child!  

My neighbor CoraLee came by for her next door neighbor privilege of early bird shopping and got these greatly reduced treasures from me!! 

Set up was exhausting, mainly because the parlor floor had taken so much of me earlier in the week. I did  unload the van from the 3Dotters sale though, and Nell helped out by doing the final sweep up in the back drive after I paid a dealer's 2 buff sons to load the blue van seats from the back patio!  

Then Dad came home and helped haul all the big stuff out of the garage. When Trevor got there he helped Dad muscle the heavy and bulky red and white cupboard down from the 3rd floor bathroom. (Just ask Spencer what a nightmare it is, he helped Dad haul it UP, last December and will never be the same!! ) 

Here's my finished booth. It was too dark for pictures by the time I'd finished but I took this shot first thing Saturday. 

Belle Brough, a first time Fleaologist from treasures had an amazing booth.   

And my friend Nikki had lots of goodies that she set up late. 

Briahnna stopped by bright and early on their way to an outdoor adventure that we missed participating in, due to the Fleaology rain delay!  

Brent York, seen here with our neighbor Debbie Nelson, he worked with shoppers all day to print out, sign and send letters to Udot and to the Governor in hopes of saving our house and others.   

After Dad's run, he managed to get all the furniture back into the parlor.  He then vacuumed the whole house. 

Which was good because Dad's cousin Kathy Pace came by. You may recall that I met her several years back at the flea in Hoytsville! He took her on a tour of the house!!  

Towards the end of the sale Trevor got in a bike ride!!   

Now sadly I must mention that this is our final Fleaology, at least at the house. We had two policeman come by with a ticket for operating a business in a residential zone.  I think we realized it would eventually come to that, but it's still a sad thing. 

That night we met the Moes and assorted kids, and friends at Cafe Rio in Orem, which was fun. Then off to the play,  unfortunately my knee was killing me, so despite the fact that I love the story and thought the play quite decent we headed home at the intermission. 

On Sunday Dad headed to Bountiful for the farewell of his mission president's granddaughter who is going to Finland. I went to Sherri and Wade  Oldham's farewell as they go to manage a church welfare ranch in Nevada.  I think I've mentioned before that he's a hobby farmer who also raises Clydesdales and beef cattle! 

Sherri is a convert to the church, having been raised Moravian. She said growing up she always doubted their concept of the trinity and intuitively felt that families could be together in the next life, rather than until death did they part. She bore powerful testimony!  She's so fun, so loud and so outspoken. She said " I know it's true, and I can't  help myself! I have to share it!"   And she does! 

That night was Finnish night. We had Stina and her girls.  Her husband, who works as a church auditor is in Japan, where he might just meet the first Finnish sister to serve there as a missionary there!! 

We also had the Coopers and their youngest daughter Katie join us. Katie has just been called to Finland, she goes into the MTC in July, we think she'll still be there when we go in!

Long time friend Margaret Cooper just happens to be Wade Oldham's only sister!  

Our Finnish dinner was delightful. Dad was in Finnish heaven!! Can you get trunky to go on a mission?