Making A Change

Haley 's 4th grade teacher, Mr. Seneca.

I know she is happy, look at her smile.

House Divided - Gooooo Gators!

Today is Florida vs Florida State, otherwise known as Celena vs Ryan, sooooo let's Go Gators!

Thanksgiving Turkey's by Nolan and Haley

The kids wanted to make Thanksgiving centerpieces this year for the tables. They had an amazing time creating them and stuck with it even though some were time consuming.

Short Visit but Lasting Memories

It was a quick day to Florida but a wonderful time.

We spent the day house hunting for Grandpa Sam and Grandma Sandy.

They are close to knowing exactly what they want.

We had a delicious lunch from The Texas Roadhouse.

Most of all though, we spend precious time with the people we love.

Thanks for making the long drive.

Raise Your Glass to Celebrate 39 Beautiful Years!

So many people showed up in my life today in one form or another. With all of the new ways to communicate, distance is no longer a challenging matter. From e-mail messages on the computer, to text messages on the phone, to both phones ringing off the hook, to answering machine messages, to facebook, to front door deliveries, and even pick ups, I feel truly blessed. For all the goodies from family and friends, thank you for your genuine kindness. Of course we ended the day at The Olive Garden with the family. A wonderful memory it will always be.

Ryan and CelenaNolan, Celena, and Haley

Dad, Celena, and Mom

Valerie and Celena

Celena and Paul

Staci,Celena, Laney,

Cody and AaralynEmily and Haley

Nolan, Haley, and Emily decorated

this cake for me.

Rick and Valerie Ryan cutting the cake even though

he is still recovering from surgery.

The Black Stallion Literacy Project

Haley's field trip to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center to see the live show of "The Black Stallion," presented by the Arabian Nights of Orlando. The fourth graders completed a book study prior to the show, attended the live show, and then watched the movie. What a magical sight it was seeing the story characters come alive.

The Black Stallion and Alec

Haley and Madison

enjoying the show

Haley and Celena

Brylee and Haley

Lauren and Haley

Lunch after the show

Celebrating Life On A Cruise and In The Bahamas

Family vacations are always refreshing. It was such a blast to see the excitement and curiosity in our children's eyes. This was Nolan and Haley's first cruise. We departed from Port Canaveral and traveled to Nassau, Bahamas. The weather was perfect and the sea was mostly calm until the last night. We cruised on the ship, Carnival Sensation. Some activities onboard the ship included putt putt, ping pong, dance parties, break dancing, the 80's show, the pool party with the hairy chest contest, get to know who you are traveling with the spoon and string game, the water park, the hot tub relaxation station, the photography studio, the casino, the fitness center, and the hot stone massage. We had a wonderful time dressing up for dinner each night and sharing stories and laughter with our family and dining room staff. The kids enjoyed the magic tricks each night at dinner with silverware and dental floss. On the island, we visited the Atlantis and the Aquarium. We shopped at the Straw Market. Then we spent the day at the beach. Nolan and Haley spent most of their time jumping off a pier. After dinner, we took a night taxi tour of Nassau with a native Bohemian. The kids couldn't believe that we were getting in a car with a stranger. We saw both sides of the Bahamas this way, the rich and the less fortuate. We learned that real estate was a real mess with many lots having signs of several owners so if you bought the lot it might not really be yours. Many multi-million dollar homes were vacant because of this. People would lose them after purchasing beacuse of several owners having the lot. We visitied the cemetary of Anna Nicole's grave, we saw Nicholas Cage's vacation home, and the town's Friday Night Block Fish Fry with the Battle of the Bohemian bands preparing for their Christmas showdown. In the evenings we wold take walks on the decks and enjoy God's natural beauty, go to shows, and have a blast dancing. Nolan was a fabulous dancer. Haley mostly watched everyone else. The kids loved having ice cream at all hours of the day and night. Ryan loved the never-ending pizza buffet. Celena couldn't get enough of the chocolate covered strawberries. After relaxation and exhaustion, it was always a pleasure to return to our tidy, little room with our nightly towel animal creation with chocolates. Another memory of authentic blessings with our beautiful children.