The Event ~ The Caribbean Cruise

The long-anticipated cruise that I surprised Tim with was awesome.  We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.  We met some wonderful friends, the weather was great, the food fantastic, the fellowship amazing, the snorkeling awesome, the beaches relaxing.

This is the ship tendered at CocoCay Island.  We took tender boats the short distance to the island.  The other two islands we stopped at we docked.

I loved snorkeling.  What a magnificent underwater world!

                    Tim and I enjoyed riding the tidal waves several hundred feet out from the beach.

Sharing the breakfast table with new and different friends every day always provided good fellowship.

We enjoyed relaxing on the beaches and on the deck.  I think I enjoyed the sunbathing more than Tim.

I enjoyed the peach and rum drinks served on the decks.

I was just gutsy enough to try surfing the wave on the top deck of the ship.  Twice, in fact.  I don't think there were too many 61 year old grandma's that did this!  Both pictures below are me on the wave!

The dining rooms were magnificent!

The views from the islands were picturesque

The coffee was always on ~ along with the cookies, chocolate brownies,

ice cream, rum squares, pizza, sandwiches, decadent desserts, and lots more. . . .

This was between meals!

The staff on ship were delightful, pleasant and lots of fun.  We had the same waiter each nite and shared the dinner table with the same people.  Pictured below are new friends Jolie and Arthur Huntington from Maryland, our waiter  ~ Marcos, and Jack who also shared our table. 

Almost every staff person we met freely shared their faith in Jesus, and were very excited to have our Christian group of about 300 on board.  They talked very openly about their faith once they knew we were Christians.   What a blessing to visit with them. 

We met life friends Jack and Lori Gould and bonded with them and just hung out together alot.  We met them on Sunday morning before the cruise when Jack asked to share our breakfast table in the complimentary but crowded breakfast area of the hotel.  By the time breakfast was over, we had already shared so much and found so much in common.  We enjoyed their company and they just added to the pleasure of our cruise.    They are from Ontario, Canada, and we are already planning to see them again someday.  They are an awesome couple that we had so much fun with. 

Lori and I enjoying the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea.

What was most amazing and a highlight of the entire cruise were the magnificent sunrises and sunsets.  Tim and I got up early enough on several mornings just to walk around the deck and enjoy the amazing sunrise.  In the evening we would gather on the deck again to watch the sunset dip below the sea. 

The sunrise and the sunset is an event that only the hand of our awesome God can place upon the horizon.

We enjoyed a few seminars from Christian speakers as part of our Christian Couples of Promise group.  We listened to Kevin Lehman, who wrote "The Birth Order Book";  Phil Calloway, a Christian comedian; and Steve Green, a contemporary Christian singer.  Sharing that time of inspiration with 300 other cruisers was also a highlight of the trip.  We were able to share prayer together at every meal, which one usually doesn't do with strangers on a vacation.  But our new friends were not strangers ~  they were friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yes, it was a wonderful way to celebrate reaching the milestone of our 40th anniversary!  Thank you, God, my family, my husband for 40 years of a blessed marriage!

The Event ~ The Holy Land

We arrived in cloudy Orlando, Florida on Thursday,  February 10. On Friday, we went to "The Holy Land Experience."   We spent seven hours enjoying the dramatization of Jerusalem, biblical stories, the Crucifixion and raising of Jesus, the "Scriptorium" which was a museum of the history of the Bible from its very beginning.  Quite interesting, as the real documents were there, fragments from the earliest words inscribed on papyrus paper and rock, down through the volumes of the many transcriptions through the ages. 

It was a very relaxing and inspirational day, and reminded us again that Christ died  a horrific death for us, that we might live eternally in heaven.  

We entered the empty tomb where the sign reads "He is not here ~ He is risen"   Indeed, Christ has risen and will come again to gather all His believers to join him in heaven someday.

We enjoyed a communion with "Jesus" around the table with many other people, a trip back to the Ark of the Covenant during the days of Moses, and many other Biblical dramatizations.  It was a very rewarding event and inspirational day and a place we would recommend to anyone to take time to visit.

The Event ~ Circle Tour

Here we are in cloudy, cold southern Florida, anticipating setting sail tomarrow for the Caribbean.  We have a rental car for a couple days, equipped with GPS, THANK GOD!  However, even GPS doesn't eliminate the inevitable "Circle Tour"!    Only my kids will understand that!

The "Circle Tour" is something we always do, unplanned, of course, when Tim is driving in a foreign place.  The earliest "Circle Tour" I can remember was December 1981 going through Baton Rouge, Louisiana, going down a one-way street the wrong way, getting lost, circling around, and ending up where we started before finding our way again.  I'm sure there must have been earlier "Circle Tours" prior to that, especially since we were driving in foreign California on our honeymoon! 

However, the "Circle Tour" has since become a sore spot with Tim, but he still does it anyway.  I thought he was finally learning to take my ribbing in jest,  but last night he threatened to throw me overboard from ship if I blogged about this event!

Last nite driving back to the hotel from Al Capone's dinner theatre at 10:30 p.m., he mis-communicated with the GPS and suddenly did a two-wheelie into a strip-mall parking lot thinking that was his next turn!  I thought he was going to roll the car!  So after a pleasant circle tour of the parking lot and around McDonald's drive-thru, we did get back on track.  Tim seems to be infatuated with parking lots as we somehow "Circle Tour" in and out of those on almost every foreign excursion!

I laughed so hard as I chanted "circle tour, circle tour".  Then last night in bed, I just started laughing out loud.  He asked what was so funny.  I said "your circle tour".  I got into one of those laughing spells that I couldn't quit, and he sort of laughed too!  But that's when he threatened to throw me overboard ~when I said I was going to blog about the event! 

By the way, that was his second circle tour of the day.  I think now he may finally have GPS figured out.  But today we are headed up north about 60 miles, so can we go a day in foreign territory without the infamous circle tour?  Hm-m-m-m!  Stay tuned!    Yes, the "Circle Tour" is an unannounced and surprising event that has become a tradition when touring with Tim!

I just hope he stays away  from the captain's wheel on the ship!  Bon voyage!

The Event ~ 64 Years Together!

Happy Anniversary today to my dear mother and father-in-law.  Today they are celebrating their 64th wedding anniversary.  They are one among few couples who actually reach that milestone.  We celebrate with them in this joyous occasion. 

Last night we had them as diinner guests while Tim and Janel and four of the grandkids were here, along with Annie and Cash present.  At their age, that is the best present we can give them ~ dinner with their family, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.   I was amiss in not taking a picture last night because that was indeed a special event.   But here is a recent picture of them. 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad Stricker! 

God has certainly blessed you through the years.  Your faith has kept you strong, even through the trials we know you experienced along the way.  We treasure the time we have been able to spend with you.   My children and grandchildren adore you.  You have been such a big and important part of their lives.  You were there throughout their school years, attending nearly every special event they were involved in, from music to sports.  You never forgot a birthday, a valentines day, or any other special event in their lives.  Your hospitality has been enjoyed over and over again, as we shared your table many times over chicken noodle soup and butter balls or your special fried chicken.  Your special gift was your patience in always making cookies with the little kids ~ my kids thirty years ago or the grandkids today ~ and playing games with them.   

I cannot forget that you have loved me like your daughter from the very beginning when I married your son.  I love you!

The Event ~ The Mohawk

We have enjoyed having our nearly four-year old grandson Joe with us for the past ten days.  He is certainly a joy to have around.  He is very articulate in his mannerisms and activity ~ he likes to organize, and he likes to "write" very articulately! 

Joe decided he wanted a hair cut like his Uncle Cash - skinned!  So, Cash gave him a mohawk haircut with the help of Annie.  It was a fun event.  Later, cash trimmed it up some more, shaping an N in the back. 

When Tim and Janel and three of his siblings came a few days ago to get him, he kept his cap on for about the first 30 minutes, keeping his secret just a little longer.  When he took it off, the looks of his family were entertainment enough.  His dad says he'll finish the job at home.  But we all really liked it.  Cash tells me I would have never allowed that 25 years ago on him.  He is absolutely right.  25 years ago, it would have been sinful!!

Joe is so darned cute no matter what his hairstyle.  We all enjoyed this little fun event.  And so did Joe.