Disney - Where Dreams Come True

Rick and I had the opportunity to visit Mickey and Minnie a few days before his annual sprinkler show. We purchased a day hopper pass, and did we make great use of it. We experienced three parks on Saturday with a million other people. On Main Street in the Magic Kingdom I did experience that magical feeling of one of the "happiest places on the Earth."  Sunday we did Universal Studios which was another fun day. As I write this post I am waiting at the Orlando airport to take me to another magical experience - the birth of my first son's child.

Galveston, Oh! Galveston

The Friday of Labor Day weekend Rickie came home and asked if I wanted to go on a road trip for the weekend. Duh! In fifteen minutes our bags were packed, my brother was called for "Premium Dog Care" for Abby, and off we were to Galveston. I had never been other than to get on a cruise ship several years ago. We made it to our destination by 10:30 PM.  The next morning we started our touring of the city. We toured Bishop mansion, Moody mansion, an offshore drilling rig, and Alyssa. We drove the sea wall, ate at Fish Tales, stopped at Buc-ees, and watched a movie about the hurricane of 1900. We ended the day with the dog races. The next morning we headed home. We vacationed in Rickie's style - a 48-hour fun-filled road trip.

Luggage - a Legacy and an Adventure

I graduated from high school in 1975. My parents gave be a 3 piece set of Samsonite luggage for a graduation present. This was quite ironic at the time since my family really did not take family vacations. Oklahoma is the only state I had been to before my senior trip to Florida; and going to Oklahoma was really just going to the lake.
When Greg and Chad each graduated from high school I followed suit and gave each of them a set of luggage. We did take family vacations, ski trips, and mission trips outside the state; so I knew the kids would have opportunities to use luggage.
However, I really had not thought much about luggage, until I was on this last trip staring at many pieces of luggage. It was at that point that I realized the symbolism of luggage, travel, and the legacy that Bennie Scoggins started many years ago with the graduation present. Greg, Chad, and I all travel more than the average person with our luggage to different places with different purposes, but each with an adventure (or job) just waiting to be experienced.

Alaska - The Last Frontier

August 9, I lacked one state on my bucket list item to visit all 50 USA states. I really started this adventure the year, Chad graduated from college. Up to that point, my life (and money) was my kids. In 2007 both boys were gainfully employed and off my payroll. I treated myself that year to a trip to Italy, France, and Spain. I also got married that year. But that is the year, that I started my bucket list. I was on a plane looking at the USA states and started putting x's on the states that I had visited. I believe at that point I had been to about 35 states. I made a list of the states that I needed to visit, and the adventures began. Most of the states were visited with my sister and Cheyrl. We usually would take a spring trip, a fall trip, and a summer trip each year.
In March of this year, Diana and I started planning an Alaskan cruise with Brenda and Dominic Lampe. In June, Diana, Cheyrl, and  I got my 47th, 48th, and 49th states (Montana, Idaho, and Oregon). We also visited Washington and Canada on this trip.
On August 7, Diana, both Rick's, and I started this last adventure. We flew to Seattle. We had a great day and half with a friend. We dug clams and picked up oysters for dinner. Brian cooked us clams, oysters, crab, and steak for dinner. We visited the Ballard Locks, Pike's Meat Market. and a car museum in Seattle. Saturday, August 9, we boarded our cruise ship and off to the Last Frontier we sailed. Sunday was our day out at sea. Monday, my feet touched Alaskan ground in Juneau, thus finishing off this bucket list item. I will do another post with pictures of this great trip.

Spring updates

I do not know where my time goes. It seems that while I was working I would find time at night to blog. Now I never find time to blog. Anyway to catch up the last several months I will just list some of the events in our lives.

• Girls' Spring Break trip to New Orleans
• Greg announced on April Fools day that they were expecting a baby.
• Nascar - Sunday race got rained out until Monday, so we missed it
• Easter - Family meal at our house with Fergusons, Greg, and Lisa's family
• Rick Ferguson retirement from TI with a party
• Chad got to come home for a visit, and he actually got to come to Rick's retirement party
• Jenna got engaged to Jared. YEA! Now there is a wedding to plan.
• Fredericksberg - Rick and I took a road trip Memorial Day/his birthday weekend. We visited the WWII museum, LBJ ranch, and Luchenbach, Texas. Fun get away weekend, but very educational.
• Chicago - Rick and I went to Chicago to cook a meal for Anvil.
• A Wedding - Nic and Emily. Greg and Chad were groomsmen in it. Chad got to come home for the weekend.
• Four funerals (of great people) Ruth Massey, Wes Eldridge, Chuck Glass, and Dorothy Block

What a Crazy Start for March?

I will let the pictures tell the story.

March 1, Saturday, was a beautiful day with 78 to 80 degree temperatures.

March 2, Sunday, during church we had a "Thunder Sleet storm."We all had a surprise when we went outside after the worship service. We already had 1 inch of ice pellets.  (Don't you love Rick and my "selfie."  Look at all the colleges we are wearing. Someone dug out the ski clothes.)

We could not resist taking the riding toy out for a spin or two. While we were out it started sleeting on us. It was like being pelted with BB's. I love living in Texas.

Ready, Aim, Fire

Rick and I each had toys that we took out last weekend and played with. Rick's is a pistol that he had never had out of the box. He is going to get his handgun license this weekend, so he decided he better meet his gun. His time with his gun was very successful, the dummy did die.

Analyzing the dummy.

Loading the gun

FIRE!

I also have a new toy that I got to shoot, just in a different way. I probably was not as successful, because I did not nail the shot. My camera has many more settings and features than his gun, which means I have many more hours of practice ahead. Here are my three models - Abby, the cows, and Rick.

Abby is already used to the camera.

A cow getting a pedicure with Henry.

One of the herd.

 Notice my name in the bottom left corner on the pictures. I am also learning Photoshop. Have I said lately how much I love retirement.