Just Don't Smoke

I have a fellow classmate from high school who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. She has been very candid on Facebook about her condition and her treatments. Today I read her blog, "Just Don't Smoke". You can read it too by clicking on the title. Molly will tell you all that she has gone through in the past 9 months since learning that she had lung cancer. It will break your heart and it will educate you. She will tell you what it is like to not want to eat, to be sick for weeks on end and to depend on others for everything. Today she is a survivor. Listen to what Molly has to say.

Summer Vacation

I love road trips. Well, I did until yesterday when we returned from a long trip to Texas. It was a great trip....I just got tired of the riding. Can't really complain about the driving as Kirby did most of it. But, it really was a fantastic trip to visit friends and family. We left about 5 AM on Thursday and returned 8 days later. The majority of our time was spent in San Antonio with Ray and Lucy, our long time friends from boating days.

We really enjoyed downtown San Antonio with the river walk and all the Mexican markets and we especially loved all the great Mexican food that we had. We just can't get it like that here in Charleston and really miss it. I know - it is bad for us but we don't do it often!!

Our first day downtown we went to the Farmer's Market and then toured the new area of the river which our friend Cullen had designed - so we had a great tour since he was narrating for us! And then we returned on our last day and did the old town section of the river. Both are fantastic!

We also visited the cute little town of Gruene (prononced "Green"). I thoroughly enjoyed watching the river rafters coming down the Gruene River. And we had dinner at the Gristmill River Restaurant in New Braunfels.


We enjoyed visiting with Mac and Consuelo who now live in New Braunfels and also Marjorie and Luigi in their new home in San Antonio. We were so fortunate to be able to spend time with people who have meant so much to us.

From San Antonio we drove east to Houston to visit with Virginia - also a former cruiser that we had met in Mexico years ago. She and Jay were in Mazatlan on their 53' sailboat when we met them. Later we all spent a lot of time together when they built a home just south of San Diego on the beach and we were living in San Diego. Virginia has recently moved to the Houston area to be near her family. (She is family to us!!)
The next day we drove on east to Pensacola to visit my Aunt Lee and her family. My cousins Mike and Lori were there and I hadn't seen them in years and years so it was a wonderful reunion!

4th of July in the Hood

We had a really good time at the 4th of July celebration here in the "Hood". This little guy was celebrating and volunteered to be "sent to the moon"! On the second mail box blow up he finally made it! What we did was remove the real mailbox, replace it with a cheapie one and then blow it up. Then I was unsatisfied so they reconstructed it and put Mr. Frog onboard and did it again. It was great fun and I know...we are sick but did I ever say we weren't??

Senor Froggie

Ready for Blast-Off!

I think Senor Froggie had too much fun!

Some of the kids had their own party!

Christie (daughter)

"The Group!"

Kirby (husband)

Jake was very traumatized as were all the dogs.

Casey (grandson)

Brendan (grandson)

Yea!! We had sparklers!

We had so much food as I am sure everyone did! And the fireworks provided were just the best....always are! Phil and Michael came through with the best and the kids did a great job of orchestrating the whole thing! Thanks everyone for a great time!