SIMPLY PICTURES

I am working on my laptop technique.... If I plan on using this efficiently in China, I will be needing a lot of practice! Until then, I'm sharing a few pics.

HANGIN' at the VILLA

View from the main floor balcony

TWINKLE TOES IN FLIGHT

SWIMMING SISTAHS

TWINKLE TOES and SPARKLE

CABO BOUND

AWESOME and SMILEY

What is it with boys and JEEPS????

NO AIR CONDITIONING, NO WINDOWS.

GRAMPS, DAD AND TWO BOYS LOVED IT ANYWAY!!!!

SENIOR JUAN PEPE MARTINEZ

A.K.A. as SMILEY


A DAY of SAILING and SNORKLING.....

ON THE FRONT OF THE CATAMARAN.

SPARKLE AND TWINKLE TOES

AWESOME and SMILEY

COOL CABO DUDES

SNORKELING IN FREEZIN' OCEAN

TWINKLE TOES WAS A TOTAL FISH.

BATHING BABES

SUN... FUN..... AND A POOL!!!

twinkle toes and sparkle

A little eye candy......

Ahhhhhhh... Day two in Paradise.


Update on Awesome.... He will be serving his mission in Cherry Hill NEW JERSEY!!!!He will be starting his 2 year mission August 15......I am so very happy and proud of him.

LADY BUGS EVERYWHERE

Lady bugs really do happen in the stranges places...

We just arrived at the Villa. As a single gal lately when I travel, I consider how things just might change when I travel with my gal, Tate. This thought was passing thru my mind when I glanced up and spied this across the bathroom.....

WHAT????? Could this be a lady bug sighting????

Closer inspection....

Does this count as a sighting???

OH JOY PART 2 and 3

Honesty where has the time gone??? My life has been a whirlwind of working tons, a little sleeping, traveling, working tons, a little sleeping and now traveling..... to CABO MEXICO!!!! Oh June where art thou???? Before I start chatting about my OH JOYS, I will say that on June 7th I left Mesa at a friend's to be watched. I will not see that sweet snuggle pup until June 27th.... or so. I crave my gal, snugly, sweet pup that she is. I do know that she is much better where she is right now. Whenever I leave her, she kind of goes thru a mourning period for a few days with hunger strikes and mopping around. When I pick her up, she will not leave me alone and follows me around EVERYWHERE demanding scratches and kisses. Well, maybe not the kisses, that would be ME who demands that. Instead of subjecting her to a few days with me, I decided to leave her for the full 20 day vacation time.

OH JOYS

PART 2
The OH JOY part 2 is the fact that I will be spending time doing the things I love the best. Spending quality time with my family, and vacationing to an exotic place. Cabo exotic??? To me I have not done too much traveling to Mexico and this in itself is exotic. But wait, the Joy does not stop there. Welcome in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. My brother is friends with a Las Vegas mega rich developer who is lending us their huge 6,000 square feet Villa, with private housekeeper, and a large pool directly on a private beach. Why all the secretsy???? John wanted to surprise his kiddos in a fun way with a scavenger hunt with clues leading up to the a video of where we will be vacationing. The kids are beside them self with JOY. So, leaving on a Jet plane on Wednesday, both sets of grandparents, me and brother's family of 6 head off for a week long festivity to Cabo...... Snorkeling, deep sea fishing, para sailing, scuba, relaxing and making memories.

This brings me to my JOY 3

In the middle of these two proud grandparent stands Awesome. Amazing young man that he is..... Just take a look at the goods hanging from his neck!! Let me remind you that I am the AUNT..... This just gives me bragging rights. If parents gushed on like I do, this would be considered tacky but an AUNT, forgivable!!!

The JOY of this sweet nephew is not the fact that he excels academically.... it is his humble pure heart and the solid fact that he loves ME. I really will spend another post on him and his accomplishments. But the JOY part 3 is this..... Some of you have seen those young men in dark suits and white shirts knocking on doors. Ah, the MORMON missionaries. Run for the hills or welcome them in....Whatever. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) it is a choice for the guys of 19 yrs and the gals of 21 yrs to dedicate two years to missionary work away from family, friends, and life as they know it. How unique for someone to choose this path, putting their life on hold and dedicating two years to serving others. Awesome has been excepted to PENN in the Wharton School of Business with a $40,000,00 per year scholarship. He will putting this on hold for two years. The Cabo trip is the final hoopla to life as we know it. Soon Awesome will be serving his mission and once done with his two years, heading to PENN and Wharton and making his own life. How quickly things have change from when I held him in my arms as a tiny newborn. Life marches on. Soon my life will be changing, Tate will be one more cousin.... sadly having to wait to meet the Amazing Awesome Austin!!!

On Wednesday evening while we are having dinner in Cabo, Austin will find out here he will be spending his next two years and how quickly we will be saying goodbye..... I type this with huge tears in my eyes.

I will post where when we find out!!!

CATCHING UP....

I missed my 15 LID..... which was JUNE 7th!!! Thankfully time is just a whizzin' by.

WEDDING IN ORLANDO

I planned on blogging a lot more on vacation. I had the laptop in tow but somehow I was missing convenient ways to hook to the Internet.

For the last week I have been attending my nephew's wedding in Orlando FLORIDA. I had a fabulous time and will blog about this later.... Just a few pictures from the trip.

You may now kiss the bride..... such a sweet and tender kiss....

Presenting the MR and MRS Anthony and Crystalyn P..... After a brief three day honeymoon, Anthony now has been shipped to Germany.

I love this picture of my sister, my brother-in-law the ever funny and entertaining Tony and the happy groom..... Anthony.

Here is Anthony having a little "Nana dance" with his grandma (my mom) Sunny. I have never seen Anthony so vibrant and happy as he is right now in his life. I am so very proud of him and the man he is and will become.

The most gorgeous bride's maid at the wedding is my college going niece....AMANDA!!!! She is such a sweetheart and fun!!!

BEACH TIME

Aside from the gala event, I actually got to lay on the beach just outside of Tampa on Anna Maria Island for three whole hours. No sunscreen was put on and I am feeling a little tenderness, but how I am LOVING the GOLDEN GLOW I am sporting..... I know SKIN CANCER.... you warned me. Next time I will remember to put it on. PROMISE.

I haven't forgotten to share the JOY news..... but I will, I promise. I just have not had time to get it together. It is nothing to do with my China Adoption or a waiting child or anything. Just an amazing once in a life time TRIP to Cabo Mexico...... with the two most important ingredients in my recipe to a happy life..... FAMILY and travel.

TEASE....

Just an update on ME and my joyous news.... I now can tell, but I have got to be a tease for one more day. I finally have time tomorrow as I am traveling to Florida to go to my nephew's wedding. I actually bought a laptop and made sure to have it ready to go so I could blog in the airport or plane. I will promise that I will write the other two OH JOYS and post tomorrow (Wednesday) or at the latest Thursday. I will say that it really is not that big of news to others but brings me such joy that I must share or I will burst!!! Sorry for the tease!!