Grateful for Thanksgiving

November 25-27, 2009

Grateful for:

X, KC, Jami, Randi, Callie, Rayson, Meredith, Tyson, Taggart, Britni, Brian, Dalia, Tesila, Jerry, Erin, Ava, Sam, Tom, Shalaun, Emeline, Audrey, Lincoln, Carrie, Matthew, Scott, Luke, Maggie, Stephanie, Jerel, Caden, Carlie, Joshua, Amanda, Cameron, Kim, Anissa, Justin, Dillon, Greg, Kylie, Samantha, David, Daniel, RayDean, Jon, Michael, Darren, Robert, Sarah, Joseph, Stephen...and LANE!

Cooperation and happy attitudes of everyone listed above

Great food throughout the 3 day holiday celebration

A really fun and entertaining ping pong tournament
(ping pong photos disappeared when posting the collage...arrrrgh!)

RayDean saying that she wanted the silly ping pong ball trophy more than the cash prize...but I knew better. Still, I liked what she said

A morning playing soccer

Chris and Lorie sharing there new condo

Seeing a pile of G'kids watching vidoes

Time for building puzzles and playing board games

That everyone reserved time to be in a group photo!

Wanna portrait or two from our winter morning photo shoot? Hope so.

Love, Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

Food, Glorious Food!

Culinary delights, Crafts and Cruising

We mostly took pictures of the food we
weren't allowed to eat.
Everything else we ate - EVERYTHING!

...nuff said.

It's time to come home.
We have missed you!
Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

PORTS-OF-CALL

Side Tours
(random order)

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico:

While visiting a glass-blowing factory Lane
volunteered Carolyn to try forming super
heated glass into a crystalline work of art.
It shattered on que.
(yikes, how many people have blown on that very same pipe?)

Oranjestad, Aruba:

Submarine ride & beach time

Costa Rica: (I do know how to spell it, pardon the misprint below. I'm too lazy to change it.)

LaPaz waterfalls, gardens, wildlife, hiking.

Acapulco, Mexico: (too wet to be photographed)

Shotover jetboat ride. A 40 minute thrill ride
surrounded by mangroves and complete 360
degree spins on the axis completely soaking
Carolyn sitting front row far right side while
Lane sat protected 2nd row far left behind the
driver (he felt jipped).

Back on ship to deck 13 for 2 rounds of
mini golf. We top off our day by climbing the
rock wall as the ship sails away into the sunset
...Carolyn's socks still wet from the jet boat sloshing!

THE MAIN EVENT

Cruising the Panama Canal:
This day is a day for wearing sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. Oh, and drink plenty of water - recommend every 15 minutes. Air temperature will feel 10 degrees higher. We plan to see most of it outdoors at ship railings...just like everyone else. Shortly after we begin the captain points out the LDS Panama City Temple off the starboard side.

Canal facts:

-It opened in 1914
-20,000 people died during the construction, mostly from jungle related disease
-It takes approx 8 hours to transit the 50 mile canal from Panama City to Colon'
-Transit saves 20 days of sailing around tip of South America
-Surprisingly, crossing from Pacific to Atlantic is actually SE to NW
-Transit is through a series of locks, each with two lanes
-Lock length - 1000', (our ship is 965', a.k.a. "Panamax" vessel)
-Lock width - 110', (our ship is 106', a tight fit, see photo - taken looking down from upper deck)
-Tolls for our cruise ship to pass through - $40,000, based on weight
-In 1928 a gentleman paid 36 cents in tolls to swim the canal in 10 days

This night Lane is tied up with last minute business emails so we miss the Reflections Dining experience with our new friends but settle for the Windjammer Cafe' instead. The napoleans were worth it!

Tonight we sleep in the Gulf of Mexico!
Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

DAY AT SEA

A "day at sea" means that from sunrise to sunset
we can be as active or laid back as we want to be.
Each evening we find the ship's newsletter
"Cruise Compass" on our bed, (usually beside
an animal shaped from towels). It outlines
the next day's schedule of activities. It predicted
for today..."one thing is guaranteed.
It will be another unforgettable day."

Upside: It was a great day!
Downside: I can't recall much about it that
stands out from any of the other memorable
"unforgettable" days at sea.

Night.
Love, Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

PANAMA CANAL CRUISE

November 1-16, 2009

Royal Carribbean - Serenade of the Seas

...inside the big boat...

Sunday. We meet our cruise guides at the San
Diego airport and shuttle to the ship dock where
we pass through security and go on to check in.
Lane and I are stopped for a medical screening
because Lane had a sore throat on Friday
...permitted to proceed. Lucky!

After grabbing a quick snack at a dockside cafe
and waiting through security a second time we
stand in line to board. It moves quickly and we
step foot on the "Serenade of the Seas", a
fabulous luxurious cruise ship that will be
our home away from home for the next
14 days.

The lobby is astounding - also known as the
Centrum - with a view from deck four on
up through the ships center to deck 13! Our
compact room is on deck 3 and is considered
large (170 sq ft). It has all we could ever need
and it's even bigger than our Canadian
Rockies camping tent and larger than our motor
home we toured in for seven weeks in 2006.

This should be fun!
Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

October Summary

October 2009

In addition to visiting China we...

...went to our first mission reunion (Pleasant Grove) - how nice to be there.

...attended G. Conference for the very first time - amazing!

...enjoyed Sam's inaugural BBQ at his new house - with added grape-picking.

...sat in awe to see G'ma Creek learning to play the cello - at age 75!

...took a roadtrip to surprise Anissa & Justin in Disneyland - thnx for the invite Cam & Kim.

...offered our apartment as a gathering place for Ava's birthday party - super cute 3 year old.

...appreciated G'pa Creeks puppet theater - looking forward to next year.

...decided Halloween wasn't worthy of celebrating anymore - except for hanging "the witch is in" sign.

It's already time for another trip to Disneyland.

Then again, who needs Disneyland? Wherever Lane is IS the happiest place on earth.

Love, Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane

China Trip October 7-22 continued

Our trip was spectacular! China is exciting, exotic, and entertaining. Our timing placed us there immediately following the 60th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China - a National Day Celebration. Wherever we went we saw evidence of the party that China threw itself the first week of October. Banners, flowers, street streamers, and special exhibits.

The weather also cooperated with clear skies and pleasant temperatures.

Lisa, was our tour guide who shepherded 21 tourists around to four different regions of her homeland. She referred to us as her "happy family" and urged us to be like "sticky rice". Our diverse, yet all-American group made it all the more enjoyable as we laughed and practiced our daily Chinese lessons on each other.

All for now. As always we are glad to have gone and happy to return.

"Do you recognize our place in the great drama of human history? This is the focal point of all that has gone before. This is the season of restitution. These are the days of restoration." Pres. Hinckley

Much love and gratitude for you,
Dad & Mom
---Lane & Carolyn---