Saturday, November 30, 2013

Day 1& 2, Kansas City!

 Here we are in Kansas City and we are really enjoying ourselves.
Our room is a suite and we can see the Plaza lights from one of the windows!

We went to the Starbucks here on the Plaza this morning....then we went to the Apple Store and then walked back to the hotel.  I did not take any pictures of the plaza as I will do it on Monday and Tuesday.

This is a really nice Starbucks...no one here is using a computer....I assured Vicki that thiswill not be the case on Monday.  I love the location....right  here in the middle of the plaza and I love the English look of the shop!

Todd is showing us the inside of the truck cab....I am quite impressed...it is compact but there is still room....it is very nice.....it has everything but a shower!  It was fun to see where they are working and staying.....now we can visualize it when they talk about it!

It is a really nice truck....it is very big and very hard to get into.....not so easy to get down out of it....if you don't get down the right way you could slip and fall and could slice your head off....then you die!  We all got down the right way and that Vicki did it really well but she had tie shoes and I didn't and I was afraid that my sandals were going to trip me!

Amy and Davin were there....Davin is younger son and Amy is older granddaughter....I am old enough to  be her GM but instead I am her mother in law!  lol! I think Davin is being Presidential!  lol!

We had a nice ham dinner and had special turtle  ice cream sundaes!  Yum, yum!


                      We  really did like those ice cream sundaes!


       I don't understand why Davin won't smile....he is actually quite good looking when he smiles!  I guess he just likes being Presidential!

Todd and Melinda look like their new careers agree with them....love Melinda's hair!


                                                PHOTO BOMB!


Todd and Melinda went to Pratt Kansas to visit Melinda's parents.  Lula won a quilt last week and was very happy and surprised!

Amy and her cats are enjoying her new quilt....notice there is one around her neck

                                                               
When we first saw Amy we did not realize that Amy had her hair cut.  She looks beautiful wither new hair cut and her new quilt!


                                         Molly looks warm and toasty with her new quilt!


                                   Melinda is going to take her new quilt on the road with her!


GS Tyler did the no shave November,  Molly and husband Dexter did not!  lol!
This is Molly and Dexter's house and Vicki is ready to ago and see Melinda and Todd's place!!

This is the view from Todd's patio.....it is so pretty.  The apartment has a  fireplace and two bedrooms.  We would rent it in a minute!




Sunday
We started the day by going to QT and then to a new Starbucks.  This Starbucks use to be a Hardee's and I loved to go there for their biscuits but they have been gone for quite awhile....it is a really big Starbucks and it was filling up as we left.

Today we drove out to Overland Park and met everyone for lunch.  Did not do a good job with the pictures  We all met at Sweet Tomatoes and it was fun....Davin left first and we stayed a little longer and visited.  Todd and Melinda hit the road tomorrow!

   Melinda looks so pretty, healthy and rested!  It is too bad that she has to sit on the dogs lap while they travel!

                      We  enjoyed talking with Todd and hearing all about his adventures!

                          I think the grandkids are up to something!  lol!


                                     Dexter is thinking that Molly and Tyler went to get dessert!

After we had lunch we decided to go shopping in the Plaza for shoes.  Both of my closed toe shoes are killing one of my toes.  So, I decided to get a pair of white walking shoes and Vicki got them in blue.  I wore them back to the hotel and then laid down until they stopped hurting.  When I went to pay, there was a problem with my credit card...well, I thought....should have told them I was going out of town...not true...someone in Virginia had used my card...now I have no card for the rest of the trip....and maybe that is not a bad thing considering where we are going tomorrow!
We have decided to go ahead and go to Hamilton tomorrow and see the quilt store!



The nice girl at The Walking Store was very helpful!


Mark and Tami finally got furniture for their living room...and a Christmas tree too!

   This is the family room off the kitchen!I see it has a tree too!  Everyone in the family has their tree up!  Yea for our family!  Davin and Amy don't put up a tree because they have three cats!


BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!



WELCOME TO THE msAMSTERDAM and my virtual cruise to.....
 The Grand  Pacific and Far East Voyage!  



 At Sea

The great weather prediction for today never came to pass….  I was able to sit in the sun for a while but, not long enough.  I took the opportunity when the rains came to do some serious packing.  Making progress but lots more to do.  I have to pack for my voyage on the Statendam and pack everything else that I won’t take with me.  This dry dock does create a little bump in the road compared with my normal get on the ship and stay for 7 months.  Tonight we had a wonderful dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.  I dined with Brad, Gloria and our special guest, our friend Rene who is the Spa Manager.  It was a wonderful evening….






Black Friday,….And the winners are!

Today we were up early and got ready for our 9:00 pick up to get ready to go to Kansas City….we are really excited!  No Black Friday shopping for us…..unless it is mid air on QVC!  LOL!

No, we did not shop....did not even look!

The trip only took two and one half hours, so it was a quick one!

Arrived at the Plaza in time for dinner...met Davin, Amy and Candy, Amy's mother.  Had a nice visit and loved seeing the Plaza Lights!


 This is where we are staying…not in this building...it is called the Country Club Plaza!  The whole plaza is decorated every year for the Christmas season.  They start putting up the lights in June and it takes them until March to take them all down!  It is so wonderful, even in the summer!                                              

The horse drawn  carriages are available all year long.  There is something very magical about the Plaza….I would love to live here with a view of the Plaza!  Prices for a condo are comparable to San Diego prices!  Too high!


And the winners are…..


Retha is the winner of quilt #14 and it will be hand delivered to her this week end!

 Quilt #15 goes to Melinda and it will be hand delivered to her this weekend!


BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
                            S'



WELCOME TO THE msAMSTERDAM and my virtual cruise to.....
 The Grand  Pacific and Far East Voyage!  

AT SEA!














































Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving! The Amsterdam is in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Hope you all have had a wonderful day and had more than enough to eat…remember the average person gains 7 pounds over the holidays and I think I gained it all today!  Yum, yum

We started the day at Starbucks, which was not a good thing….1 hour later we were at Rosines place and an hour after that we were eating lunch.  The lunch was very good…turkey with all the trimmings…very good…we each gave Rosine our pumpkin pie so she could eat it tonight while watching the games!

Then it was home to change clothes and off to Mark and Tami's…we snacked for 2 hours and then we had dinner.  By the time we had dinner I had already gained 4 pounds….then we ate and I gained 3 more!

This is the story about the pictures below…Vicki came up with the idea that Mark looks Presidential when I am trying to take his picture….so every time I would try to take a picture…any picture…Vicki and or Aaron would yell Presidential…so here are my pictures!  lol!

                                                         
Lunch with Rosine…she looks good and seemed to enjoy lunch!

                                   A little nappy before lunch would be good….why not?


            My sister Judy and her family ate outside
                                                                                 
                                                                                     
                                      Do you think we might be in for a strange day?








                                Here we are….just getting started!

                              Yes….I did it…….and I am not sorry!  Look Presidential!

                                                        Is this Presidential enough?
                                                                                  
Vicki just yelled Presidential and this is what I got!
I think this is much better!
                                                                 Nice centerpiece!


             People are yelling "look Presidential"  but Joshua is hungry!



                                         Aaron yells "look Presidential"


Mark, of course, accommodates!

Mark and Vicki accommodates!


EVERYONE looses it…..except me….I am the one getting the Presidential pictures of everyone!  lol!

             They are all nuts!

                                                    And this one is so nuts….he cries…he really thinks he is the president!


                                            Okay…….I am better now!
                                     

                                                     And I am still Presidential!



                                  Anyone want dessert!  The dessert is not Presidential!  lol!

We had a good time with these crazy people and are thankful they are our family!

Now, tomorrow we go to see the rest of the family….Todd, don't you dare go Presidential on me…it is bad enough that your little brother makes rabbit ears in all the pictures!  lol!


BE CAREFUL OUT THERE
                             S'




WELCOME TO THE msAMSTERDAM and my virtual cruise to.....
 The Grand  Pacific and Far East Voyage!  

Photos from Jeff Farschman's blog,,,,  http://amazingvoyages2.blogspot.com

Photos and narrative from  Leslie's  Travel blog....http://lesliesh.wordpress.


Nuku Hiva, Marquesas 


Here are the rest of the photos from our wonderful day in the Marquesas….