Turning 11...and becoming a 'guitar hero'

Jennifer turned 11 years old yesterday. We enjoy the special person that she is and the fun and excitement she brings into the family. We also appreciate the closeness she has with her older sisters and brother, despite the difference in years. She has really blossomed this past year as she has studied hard in school, worked diligently to develop her talents, and made many new friends.

The birthday gift she really wanted was Guitar Hero to play on her Sony PS2. It was waiting for her when we returned from Spring Break and she wasted no time in jumping into it. The photos show Jenn jammin'.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

Somehow my camera setting was switched to video before I could take a picture of Jenn zip-lining. I couldn't figure out why the camera wasn't working. I didn't realize I was filming her until after she landed. Good thing though because now we have a shot of Jenn "in action!"

Warning: For some reason the video loaded sideways. I have spent hours now trying to figure it out and thought I had it corrected but ...well you'll see for yourself. So instead of spending anymore time on the video I decided that you can help me fix this problem. To view the clip put your left ear to your left shoulder and don't blink or you'll miss it!

Caribbean Cruisin'

Spring break this year found us sailing the Southern Caribbean on the Crown Princess. (Yes, the "Love Boat" and no, they didn't play the theme song.) With winter lasting longer than normal this year, it was a nice warm weather break. We had a great time, got a little sunburned and ate plenty of food. Knowing that the average weight gain for someone on a cruise is about 5 pounds we decided to always use the stairs instead of the elevator. The ship has 17 levels and is one of the largest in the Princess' fleet. Our cabin was located on the 12th level (the Aloha deck, notice the Hawaiian connection?) and we did plenty of stair climbing. Our legs and lungs got a great workout and best of all we didn't gain any weight!

Hope you enjoy these pictures from our trip.

"To be or not to be..."

Jennifer was a terrific Hamlet in her school play. She practiced her lines for several weeks so she could concentrate on her acting and not worry about trying to remember what she should be saying.

Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C.

This is the time of year the cherry blossom watch and predictions begin. A news report said that this year's most likely peak viewing days would be between March 27 and April 3, and it reminded us of our wonderful visit to Washington, D.C. and New York City with Jaime and Jennifer during spring break last year.
There are several thousand Japanese cherry trees around the tidal basin and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. and it is spectacular when they open up. It is like walking in a fairy tale. The cherry blossoms typically reach their peak the first two weeks of April. However, with climate change those dates have been moving forward. Among our trips to D.C. to try to see the cherry blossoms this is the first time we hit them on their peak.

We went to NYC first and finished in D.C. The peak days were Friday, March 30th and Saturday, 31st. We enjoyed a walk around the entire basin on Friday with very few people, but the following day, Saturday, when we made the loop again, it was quite crowded. The link below provides information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival:

http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390

The NYC portion of our trip was also fun. Blaine's sister, Marilee and her family, live in NYC and they joined us for The Lion King show on Broadway and some sightseeing.