December Photo Project -- Day 11

This is a DPP cheat because this was actually photographed yesterday, but I didn't have time to post it so I'm using it as my day 11 entry.  Yesterday Matthew and I spent the day visiting the Science Spectrum with a friend and her two boys.  I loved that they were holding hands on their way into the building and got lucky enough to catch them jumping with excitement off one of the curbs in the parking lot.  We had a busy day at the Spectrum, followed by more fun and excitement at Chuck E. Cheeses.  A great day spent learning hands-on science principles with good friends, who could ask for more?!

December Photo Project -- Day 10

Every year the library hosts a Christmas program and features local talent doing something.  This year the high school choir sang Christmas songs and someone read to the kids.  There were also holiday crafts to be made and a visit with Santa capped off an enjoyable evening.

December Photo Project - Day 9

High winds from the other week managed to shake off one of our fence pickets, which makes Nero happy because he can see the comings and goings in the neighborhood.

December Photo Project -- Day 8

The "study in icicles" continues" and it's a good thing I got this shot when I did.  The next morning the weight of the ice on all the Christmas lights pulled everything down.  Now our Christmas lights sit in a pile in the garage, no more holiday cheer as you drive by our house.

December Photo Project -- Day 7

I guess I have a thing for icicles because I spent a lot of time taking pictures of them over the last few days.  I loved watching them form and grow, especially around our icicle Christmas lights. Then I enjoyed watching them melt and shot entirely too many frames of the water dripping off the ends of them.  I will continue with the icicle theme tomorrow with some taken at night with our Christmas lights.  We'll call this section of the DPP, "A study in ice."

December Photo Project -- Day 6

December Photo Project -- Day 5

Apparently these mums didn't get the memo that fall is over and winter is on the way.  Perhaps the foot of snow that fell overnight will help convince them.  Or perhaps there's a lesson for us to learn from these mums, always be yourself, never let anyone or anything stop you from standing out and being yourself!

December Photo Project -- Day 4

An Ipad and a spare pillow are part of a recipe for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Christopher Pop-In-Kins is the newest addition and newest tradition in our house.  A friend recently told me about shelf elves and I loved the idea.  Christopher has been part of the family for about a week or so now and mornings are spent hunting for the elf and excited cries are heard thorughout the house as Matthew discovers Christopher's latest hiding spot.

December Photo Project -- Day 2

Growing up Christmas crackers adorned our tree and served as torture devices because I so desperately wanted to open them and see the prize inside.  I am now torturing my own child with them.  I found some in the closet from years ago and put them on the tree.  While shopping Lubbock I found these little ones that reminded me of the ones on our tree growing up and introduced the Christmas cracker to Matthew.  Naturally he loved the idea of popping them open and was thrilled to know that there was a prize inside.  Now the recurring question is, "Can I open this cracker now?"  The response to that question when I was growing up was always "No," so I took it upon myself to sneak them open and steal the prizes.  I expect that same response/tradition to carry forward in our house now that the crackers have been brought out and shared.  Let the torture and prize stealing begin -- Merry Christmas!

Cruising around the Caribbean

Saturday, June 18, 2011
We arrived in Miami around 6:30 p.m. local time to find something strange coming out of the sky. The locals called it rain, but since we hadn't seen anything like that before we took their word for it, enjoyed the sensation of it hitting our faces and the smell it created and headed to our hotel. After a quick Skyping session with Matthew we got a cab and headed to the Bayside Market. I read up on this place before we left and all the comments were true, this is definitely a tourist spot, but since we didn't have much time in Miami this seemed like the best place to hit to get a little bit of everything in. There were tons of shops and vendors selling everything imaginable, restaurants of all different flavors, music, water, and a view of the Miami skyline. We wandered around for several hours before heading back to the hotel. Our plans to hit more tourist spots on Sunday were cancelled because we had to catch the bus to the port earlier than we expected.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

We arrived at the Port of Miami around 10:30 a.m. and began the process of boarding the Carnival Valor. I say it was a process, but in reality Carnival has this whole thing figured out and it was pretty easy getting everything we needed to board the ship. The worst part was the wait. We sat in the port terminal for about and hour and a half before we were allowed to board the ship and there were tons of people crowded in waiting for exactly the same thing. When they called our loading number we filed up the escalator and boarded the ship.

This is officially where the deer in headlight experience began for the two of us. After our ship cards were scanned and our pictures taken we were told we could head up to the Lido Deck for some lunch. I remember thinking that was great because I was ready to eat my arm, but what the heck is a Lido Deck, where is it, how do I get there...where am I right now?! The nice thing about there being 9 million people on a ship is you can just follow the crowds and you're bound to end up in the right place eventually. Turns out Lido must be ship talk for "fat deck" because this is where the food was and there was plenty of it, anytime you wanted it! We got in line and got our food and then sat back and admired the Miami skyline. Afterwards we wandered around and checked things out, took some pictures and waited for the okay to head to our room. Even after we were cleared to go to our rooms we couldn't do much because our suitcases hadn't make it on board, so swimming was out of the question. We continued to roam around until dinner time, which is an experience I think I could get used to very easily!

Food options were actually very simple -- breakfast, lunch and dinner were served in the dining room and was a more formal, five-star type option, or you could eat on the Lido Deck where the food was done buffet style and was more casual eating. Here the food ranged from hamburgers and hotdogs to wraps, burritos, deli sandwiches and pizza. Some part of the buffet was open 24 hours so you could eat whenever you wanted. This was great when you got out of a show at midnight and you felt like you were ready to eat your arm, but this was bad because it was there even when you didn't want to eat your arm.

Most of the time we did breakfast buffet style, lunch on whichever island we were on and dinner in the dining room. Fine dining is the way to go if you're like me and have a snooty person hiding inside you, or if your are easily amused. The first night we walked into the dining room and were led to our table. The hostess pulled out the chair for me and pushed it in as I sat down and then unfolded and placed my napkin in my lap for me. On the trip home Mondo and I ate dinner in the airport and I joked that I couldn't find my napkin because no one had placed it in my lap for me! Dinner in the dining room was our choice because it was a great way to try new foods. Mondo is the more adventurous eater and a meat eater so he was quick to try anything and everything -- duck, veal, spring lamb, escargot. Not matter the choice the food was awesome!

I'm sorry to go on so long about food, but let's keep two things in mind: 1) I'm a fat chick, so food and I are a natural pairing, and 2) when you're on board the ship there isn't much else to do besides eat, so food plays a big part in the trip.

Sunday night and part of Monday was spent at sea getting to our next port. We took on some shows and explored the ship a little more before calling it a night.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Half Moon Cay (pronounced Key) is a private island owned by Carnival. This small island is in the Bahamas and is the only port where we didn't book an excursion, so we spent the day relaxing on the beach. Because it's such a small island there wasn't much else for us to do, but with white sand beaches, warm, clear waters, tropical breezes and music playing in the background, who needed anything else?!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day spent at sea.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

As we arrived into St. Thomas we were able to sit on our balcony and admire the beautiful islands, the turquoise waters and the amazing homes on the hills. This is what House Hunters International looks like up close and personal!

We spent our morning aboard the Bimini Breeze heading out to Christmas Cove to do some snorkeling. Those pictures will have to come later because everything was shot with a disposable underwater camera, but suffice it to say that it was an amazing morning! Nerves settled in for both of us when we dropped anchor and had to put our gear on. Mondo isn't much of a swimmer and is the only person I know who can't float in the ocean, and I just freaked out because the thought of fish touching me, the possibility of sharks, and a wild imagination all the best of me. As soon as we plunged into the warm clear waters all of those fears subsided and we were snorkeling with the best of them. Our guide Melissa was fabulous, stopping along the way to collect various sea creatures for us to see. I held a small black starfish (I can't remember what it was called), touched white sea urchin (ones that aren't dangerous), and examined, but didn't touch a black sea urchin (the really pokey, dangerous ones). We also were lucky enough to see an octopus and a stingray. Then we loaded back up on the boat and head over to Turtle Cove, aptly named because of all the sea turtles that live in this area. They feed on the sea grasses on the ocean floor and come up about every 10-15 minutes for air. Right after we got to Turtle Cove we were able to spot a large sea turtle, which came within inches of us. We were forbidden from touching them and it was extremely hard not to reach out and touch it when it was that close! We spent about 30 minutes swimming around Turtle Cove admiring the turtles and a stingray who came along for the ride too.

After getting settled in on the boat for the ride back to shore the crew started mixing drinks. St. Thomas is known in part for all the pirates who used to frequent the area and rum is found in large quantities there. Those who know me know I'm a fan of rum and it's hard to say no, especially when it's free. One thing I figured out on the trip is that you can put rum in anything and it tastes good. For the remainder of the trip back to shore I took part in free rum, pineapple and orange juice drinks and soon realized that just because you can't taste the rum doesn't mean it isn't there. About half way back to shore I realized I was wasted! I saw a lot of people drinking a lot of alcohol on this trip and can say I enjoyed the rum (a lot!), but I'm glad the majority of the trip was done in a sober state.

After returning to shore we headed out with our cameras in search of some local sights to photograph. We were short on time and didn't get to see a lot, but enjoyed the parts that we did. St. Thomas is beautiful and I know there is much more to it than what we were able to enjoy. That's the downside to cruising, not enough time at each port to see what's there and enjoy it. Perhaps a return trip is in order some time down the road.

Thursday, June 23, 2011,

We missed the sail into San Juan, Puerto Rico because we arrived earlier than expected -- 6:00 a.m. After spending time on small islands like Half Moon Cay and St. Thomas, San Juan came as a bit of a surprise to me; it's big and urban. We were up and at things early this day because we had scheduled a zip lining adventure through the jungle canopy. After winding through some very narrow streets and hiking up a hill I'd rather not meet again, we arrived at the start of the zip line adventure where we were put into helmets and harnesses.

We had to hike up some more pretty serious hills and before we reached the first platform I realized just how fat and out of shape I really am! I'm not sure how it happened, but we ended up at the front of the line and ended up being the third and fourth people on the line. Maybe that was good because it didn't give me time to chicken out! After being clipped in and safety checked the trip downhill began. I'd love to tell you about the view, but the reality of things is that you go pretty quickly across each line and much of my attention was focused on the line, finishing and trying to remember how to brake. I didn't do the braking the right way and tried numerous times to rip my arm from my body. Two platforms remained and I met a lovely young man from Puerto Rico and we stood and talked about Puerto Rico, cruises and other miscellaneous subjects before he reminded me how to brake. He sent me on my way and wouldn't you know it, I figured out how to stop with only two platforms left! I had a blast though and would totally go again!

After zip lining and some of the most insane traffic I have ever seen and been in, we made it back to old San Juan and began a self-guided tour around the city starting with lunch at Cafe Puerto Rico. It was here that we had our first real taste of the local cuisine, a dish called mofungo. While I'm not exactly sure what it was that we ate, it was delicious and something I would try again and again. We had the chicken and plantain mofungo, which was made from shredded chicken marinated in something and placed in a bowl made of mashed and seasoned plantains. Delicious!

Afterwards we began our hike around the city with a stop at San Cristobal, a fort dating back to Columbus. The architecture reminded me of the missions in San Antonio and the size and construction of the fort was amazing. We also hiked to Fort Morro, but chose to take pictures from afar rather than paying admission into this fort. I enjoyed the walk, albeit a long walk, past the colorful houses. We eventually made our way to a huge grassy area in front of the fort where tons of kids were flying kites. I assume from their t-shirts that they were with some sort of summer school program that was there for the day, but I couldn't' tell for sure. I enjoyed watching the kids and noticed that no matter where you go or what language you speak, kids are kids and smiles and laughter cross language barriers.

As we made our way across the grassy area I noticed a building that I was certain must have been the governor's palace. It's bright colors, domed roof and prime location near the ocean and Fort Morro made it an easy guess. Unfortunately I was wrong! A park ranger informed me that it was a school for the arts. My AABV friends would be envious!

To write about our day it doesn't sound like much, and many of my pictures are similar in composition. Architecture has always been my favorite thing to photograph and a walking tour, no matter who's leading it takes time. We headed back to the ship shortly before setting sail for the day and we were both hot and exhausted, but satisfied with the way the day had been spent.

Friday, June 25, 2011

I knew we had arrived in Grand Turk when I looked out our window and saw a dramatic change in the color of the water. I forgot to get a picture of the entrance to the island, but this is the kind of scene postcards are made from and exactly what I imagined the tropics to be; turquoise waters, white beaches, palm trees everywhere and a wooden pier jutting into the water -- picture perfect! We headed onto the island and waited to begin our excursion, horseback riding on the beach. While I'm not a big horseback riding kind of person, it has always been a bucket list item to go riding on the beach. We spent a good 30 minutes riding around part of the island, in the sand and on nearby roads before heading back to the stables to change the horses into bareback gear. We couldn't take our cmeras on the horses during the bareback part of the ride because we actually went into the ocean and swam on horseback. It was amazing and I smiled whole time!

Before heading back to the port entrance we made a quick stop at the Grand Turk Historic Lighthouse for some pictures. If time had allowed I would have liked to have walked around looking for just the right angles and ways to frame the lighthouse, but unfortunately we were on a tour bus and time wasn't on our side. Instead, some quick shooting and sightseeing and we headed back to the beach. Mondo took this time to look around the shops while I went swimming in the ocean. Before we left the port we walked a short distance to a local restaurant where Mondo ate and I tasted some conch. Conch is plentiful in Grand Turk, as evidenced by the number of shells laying around the beaches, and apparently the locals use the conch meat to create any number of meals from the sea creature. We were only able to get conch fritters during our stay, but something was better than nothing. We couldn't really taste the conch itself because of the batter from the fritter, it was more of a textural kid of meal. The conch was a bit chewy, but the seasoning from the fritters and the sauce they used on top made for a nice local snack.

As we boarded the ship from Grand Turk I realized that our trip was over and I felt some sadness. I wasn't ready for the tropics and the sightseeing adventures to be over. Usually I find myself ready to return home from vacation, ready to get back to the people I know, my own bed, etc., but that wasn't the case this time. Sunday morning we were eating breakfast and waiting for clearance to debark and I noticed a lady across from us wiping her eyes. The gentleman sitting with her asked if she was okay and she replied, "I don't want to get off the ship, I don't want it to be over." That summed up my feelings and setiment precisely! I think it's a good thing Matthew stayed behind with my mom so that I had a reason to come home, otherwise I think I'd be job hunting somewhere in the Caribbean right now!

Monthly Photo Project -- March (Taiban)

This month's photo project had me heading west to what is essentially a ghost town on the way to Fort Sumner. Taiban has never been a thriving town, at least not in my memory, but there was a time when there was a general store that was open daily, and a handful of people who lived there. These days the only claim to fame is the building on the hill that captures the attention of passing tourists and photographers alike.

The common misconception is that this building was once a church, but after reporting on this structure years ago during my newspaper days, I learned that it was actually a one-room school house. Years ago there was even a swing set on the west side of the building; that has since been removed. The school was repainted years ago, but has continued to fall into a state of disrepair ever since. There are no longer any windows or doors on the structure and the wooden floors inside are starting to deteriorate as well. Surprisingly there isn't much graffiti, and what is there is of a religious nature.

All of my previous visits have centered around the school house, but today we ventured off the beaten path (or down the dirt path, as it were) and found more, old, decaying items of long ago. A run down house was littered with a fortune in rusted tin cans, aluminum cans and glass bottles. Old cars also left clues about when Taiban might have been in its hey day.

We also followed a dirt road that seemed to be leading us to one of the many mesas in the area, but instead took us to a cemetery we never knew existed. We explored the cemetery and read headstones, finding that deaths went back as fars as the late 1800s and dated to as recently as 2010. Some headstones were impossible to read because they had been there for so long, or because families weren't able to afford more than a piece of stone or concrete. Others looked like fallen silos with headstones in front of them, and yet another one was a giant crypt type memorial to a lady who passed away in the 1960s. I always wonder about the people who are buried in country cemeteries -- where did they come from, what brought them to this remote and dry area, how did they die.

The Monthly Photo Project was designed to get me out on a monthly basis, taking pictures of the things I love (landscapes) and blogging about the adventures. This months definately hit all of the project's challenges/elements. I enjoyed the fresh air, looking for the right angles, playing with settings on my camera and doing all of this with my family. I look forward to seeing what April has in store for me!

The month isn't over yet!

Okay so I haven't done my artsy fartsy photo for the month of March yet, but I have been thinking about it. Of course spring break was the perfect time to get out with my camera and look for something, but I've been busy spending time with Matthew. In my book that's more important and more special than looking for art for the sake of filling a spot and a promise on a blog no one reads anyway.

So today's post has me teary eyed because my baby keeps proving to me that he's not a baby anymore, but also has me beaming with pride because he's growing up into such an awesome little boy. As much as I hate to think about the baby long since passed, I find myself looking forward to seeing the amazing young man he will become. It seems like only yesterday that we were learning that after years of trying, we were going to have a baby of our own. We brought him home from the hospital nearly five years ago and we must have looked like deer in headlights (or every other parent leaving the maternity ward). We didn't have a clue what we were doing or what we were in for, but it didn't matter; our prayers had finally been answered.

Over the course of the last four and a half years we learned that there may not be a parenting handbook, but grandparents are great for answering those late night questions and calming concerns. We have relished in the fact that God blessed us with a healthy baby boy with a disposition like his father's and a sense of humor like his mother's. Matthew is always happy and spends a lot of his time playing in the dirt, with bugs, fighting (in a good way) with his Dad and singing nonsense songs for all to enjoy.

I could go on forever about how fabulous my child is, but the real reason for today's post is the pride he has bestowed on me by becoming a soda stand entrapeneur at the age of 4. This afternoon, as I cleaned the kitchen, Matthew came in from outside and asked if he could set up a lemonade stand. While I don't the idea was his, it has been him, and only him, out hollering at anyone and everyone driving up and down the street, "Coke for sale...25 cents." I thought it would take longer to set up the lemonade stand than it would for him to stay out there trying to sell drinks, but he has proven me wrong. He has hocked soda's to the neighbors and continues to try to reel in those passing motorists and has been doing so for more than an hour. He has even told his dad that we need to go around town trying to sell the drinks. I think we may have created a monster, or maybe we have created the next Donald Trump (please don't have the hair), or the next Mark Zuckerberg or the next...Matthew Del Toro, millionaire. I am so proud of you son!!

Seeking motivation

I have a friend who blogs on a fairly regular basis. I enjoy reading her posts, seeing her pictures and catching up on her life. For the most part, her blog is the only way I keep in touch and know what's going on with her and her family. The other day I opened my blog page up by mistake and started looking through old posts and photos. I came the stark realization that the only time I really post anything is in December when I am participating in the December Photo Project.

I began the DPP two years ago as a way to try and motivate myself to blog more, but that obviously didn't work. This year a coworker said she really looked forward to my daily posts and was sad to see them go when the project wrapped up. This morning, for no apparent reason, I was thinking about my blog and decided to try some new inspiration.

So, this will serve as the first posting in the newly created Montly Photo Project. It's not as catchy at the December Photo Project, but I just made it up and it can be edited later if inspiration strikes or someone else comes up with a better title. The plan now is to post (at least) a photo a month of something artsy fartsy that strikes my fancy. This takes care of two things: a blog post, and a way to get me out shooting again.

The first post is a few pictures that I took while in Santa Fe with a group of fabulous women earlier this month. We went up to accept an award for outstanding bilingual teaching on behalf of the other fabulous men and women we work with. While in Santa Fe we shopped in Old Town and that is where I took the picture of the fence. Also, a trip to Santa Fe isn't complete unless I take some sort of picture of the cathedral. Finally, I snapped a quick picture of the flag outside the capitol building. It isn't anything fancy, just one that "talks" to me. See you in a month.