Situation

Sitting here helping Soph with her homework. She has homework every week and a spelling test every Friday. So far, she's made all 100's. She's making improvements with her math, though I can see that definitely is not her forte.

I had a nice chat with Soph's teacher last week. It seems she has opened up quite a bit (Soph has told me in past that she's only shy when she wants to be) to the point her teacher and I agree that both Brooklyn and Sophie need to be separated. So next month, (thank goodness), Mrs. Wilson shuffles everyone around to a new table. Actually, that's good and bad. She currently sits next to a boy that is very bright, especially in math.

You see every afternoon, I would review Sophie's school work and ask why she didn't complete her math worksheets. The stock response she told me daily was, "well, Brooklyn didn't do hers either. That's why I didn't do it.".....arghhh! If Sophie is going to be a follower, I would prefer she follows someone bright in areas she's weak. I'm sure she'll outgrow being a sheep if she has an ounce of her Daddy's character, who is without question not a Norway lemming even though he's Belgian.

Wow! I definitely don't want to go through the situation I'm in EVER again. The last time I went to the ER was when I delivered Sophie. So, it's been awhile since I've required medical attention. It actually started Friday, when my head was hurting pretty bad around my brows and my eyes, sharp stabbing pain. Then my eyes turned bright red. I thought I had pink eye at first, but was not sure since the symptoms were totally different other than my eyes being red.

It got to the point Saturday evening, I decided to seek what was really going on as it was quite alarming and I knew hubby was leaving Sunday. So as a family, we all went to the new ER located off State Street, which btw is very nice and new, St. Mark's Hospital. Luckily, there was no waiting at all and we were immediately escorted to one of the rooms where they attached me to all the different vital machines. Don't laugh but my blood pressure was elevated (i.e. 124/74), due to nerves, cramping in my stomach (i.e. stomach virus, something I've never had in my life until now), and the issues with my eyes. Of course the nurses thought my bp was normal, my temperature was only 99˚F... so really no temperature. All my vitals checked out to be fine, except for the cramping thru out my gastrointestinal tract, ughmm... diarrhea, some tiredness, headaches and red eyes. I believe the supplements I had been taking alleviated all of the other symptoms which I did not exhibit - i.e. nausea, vomiting, fever, etc. associated with a virus.

The ER doctor told me basically that my now diagnosed "iritis" is likely a manifestation of the stomach virus I had. I guess the remnants of the virus making it's final attack before fading; and thankfully it did the next day, Sunday.  It was also confirmed today by my primary doctor I definitely had a virus according to the CBC lab results.  All my numbers were back to normal; it lasted 7 days exactly.

Finally, after 2.5 hrs in the ER room, gulping my yummy, delicious (NOT!) GI cocktail, getting a couple of prescriptions, etc. the nurse once again took my vitals. All was back to normal, my oxygen saturation was 96, which is good and my blood pressure was "my" normal 115/60. I'm so glad we went to the ER. I would never have known what I had until it was probably too late. Iritis is something very serious and can eventually cause cataracts, glaucoma, to loss of vision (yikes!) if not treated right away and aggressively. In this case, I would have preferred having "pink eye" which is a lot less serious.

First thing Monday morning, I immediately made an appointment with an Opthamologist who could see me the same day, accepted my insurance, and was accepting new patients....sheesh!  The doctor now has me on medication (i.e. prednisone) for the inflammation. Luckily, I was spared not having to take an antibiotic since there were no signs of an infection. My doctor said, "we can do a lot of tests, spend lots of your money..." if I want to find the etiology of my iritis. But, I said "no".... I just want it to go away as soon as possible, especially because after going through all of that, there's still a big chance they still won't know what caused it anyway. We can currently chalk it up to the stomach virus and also the possibility that I may have an antigen called HLA-B27.

An HLA-B27 is sometimes ordered to help evaluate someone with iritis that is not caused by a recognizable disease process, which is the case with me. Because I reacted strongly to the stomach virus, my eye doctor suspects I may have this antigen. This will be confirmed when I have my next lab work. Very curious to know.

So the little bit of research I was able to do was enough for me to be grateful we went to the ER when we did. Otherwise, I might have thought I had pink eye, even though it wasn't anything I've experience in the past. Early detection is key to resolving this iritis issue, as well as, getting on proper medication as early as possible before it can lead to a more serious outcome.

As a side note, I think it's odd how taking medication like prednisone drops will help you from getting cataracts and glaucoma initially. But if you take it long term it will actually give you cataracts and/or glaucoma.  There was a lady in the waiting room at the eye doctor. She had been suffering 2 years to find our recently she has Crohn's disease, after many colonoscopies, surgeries, endless tests....taking steroids.  She now has cataracts at a very young age (i.e. 40's)  in my mind.

Anyway, hubby always thinks I'm against using conventional medicine, but when it's serious, acute, I have no qualms at all. First address the problem with something that's going to work immediately, then once every thing is back on track and stabilized,  I can then fix the secondary problems that arise from it more naturally.

For more information about iritis, I found this article which I'm posting herein. Below the article is just a recap of where we are with our move:

 IRITIS / UVEITIS

IRITIS, a form of Anterior Uveitis is a term for an inflammatory disorder of the colored part of the eye (iris). In the majority of cases there is no specific cause. Occasionally, iritis is just one symptom of a disease that affects other organ systems.  These are called connective tissue diseases and include: rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoid , lupus , scleroderma , Behcet's disease , anklylosing spondylitis, Reiter's disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and B-27 disease.  Sometimes, it is necessary to establish whether iritis/uveitis is a manifestation of one of these or some other underlying systemic disease. 

The symptoms of iritis include light sensitivity, red eye, blurred vision, tearing, pain, and sometimes floaters. The pupil may appear small in the affected eye when compared to the normal pupil. Frequently iritis is a recurrent problem; after a few episodes patients become very astute at early diagnosis. Iritis is sometimes confused with conjunctivitis, a much less serious disorder of the clear outer lining of the eye.

The secrets to the successful treatment of iritis is early detection and proper choice of medicines. Therapy consists of anti-inflammatory and dilating drops. These medicines decrease the inflammation and reduce the scarring that can occur.  Persistent cases may require more intensive treatment.  Successful treatment of iritis depends on careful and consistent compliance by the patient.

In serious cases, complications may arise. Cataracts, glaucoma, and corneal changes are possible consequences of both the disease and the medicines used to treat it. Careful observation is needed in the resolving phase to monitor potential problems. If the medicines are withdrawn too rapidly, a recurrence is very possible.

What are the symptoms of iritis? The symptoms of iritis usually appear suddenly and develop rapidly over a few hours or days. Iritis commonly causes pain, tearing, light sensitivity and blurred vision. A red eye often occurs as a result of iritis. Some patients may experience floaters, small specks or dots moving in the field of vision. In addition, the pupil may become smaller in the eye affected by iritis.

How is iritis diagnosed? A careful eye exam is extremely important when the symptoms of iritis occur, as inflammation inside the eye can affect sight and could lead to blindness. A slit lamp, which illuminates and magnifies the structures of the eye, is commonly used to detect any signs of inflammation.  A diagnosis is often made on the basis of an eye examination from an eye care provider.

Since iritis can be associated with another disease, an evaluation of the patient¹s overall health is sometimes necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment. In some cases, blood tests, skin tests, and x-rays may be conducted and other specialists may be consulted to determine the cause of the inflammation.

How is iritis treated? Treatment of iritis is often directed at finding and removing the cause of the inflammation. Steroid eye drops (1% Pred Forte) and ointments are the main stay of treatment.  They work by quieting the inflammation.  Additionally drops that dilate the pupil may be added to reduce any scarring which may occur and make the eye more comfortable.  The application of hot packs may also provide relief from the symptoms of iritis. In severe cases, oral medications and injections may be added.

A case of iritis usually lasts 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, the patient must be observed carefully to monitor potential side effects from medications and any complications which may occur. Cataracts, glaucoma, corneal changes, and secondary inflammation of the retina may occur as a result of iritis and the medications used to treat the disorder.

Loss of sight can be prevented: Since iritis is an inflammation inside the eye, the condition is potentially sight threatening. Proper diagnosis and prompt treatment of iritis are essential. To minimize any loss of vision, the patient should have a complete eye examination as soon as symptoms occur. If diagnosed in the early stages, iritis can usually be controlled with the use of eye drops before vision loss occurs.

So, we're planning on moving for sure in 2 more weeks. We won't close on our house until the end of the month. This works out perfectly so we don't have to rush and move out the same day we close....waaay tooo stressful.  I certainly don't need another iritis attack!

I can't wait to get moved/settled in before the first snowfall. Looking forward to having someone else remove the snow for a change. And hey we have a heated lap pool right next to our town home. Sophie can't wait to jump in. Although, I would prefer she waits until next May.

Our new kitchen with staggered custom cabinets.  If you enlarge, it'll give you an idea how my vision appears, just 10x worse, cloudy and blurry.

That's all the excitement for now, albeit not a lot of fun for me :o/  However, I do feel things are going much smoother now.

One last final word, it's easy to not take a supplement when you're feeling well. But if you're under a lot of stress, I think the most important thing you can do for your health is to take probiotics on a daily basis, 2x a day, eat yogurt, drink probiotic juice, eat kimchee, sauerkraut, etc... just anything to supplement your gut with all the good bacteria. It can help keep at bay any food poisoning, stomach viruses, or viruses in general you come in contact with from taking a foothold in your body and your health.  I'm back to regaining a good flora and fauna in my gut this winter.  Hope you do the same :)

Be Well!

Not the status quo

Yes, I am still here. Staying ever so busy with mundane business, packing boxes starting with obscure areas of the house, getting all my ducks in a row for our move to take place the first part of October. I've had so much on my mind that I've almost forgotten to pick Soph from school twice, especially on Friday's when she gets out early. If it were not for hubby inquiring and reminding me from AZ, I would surely have forgotten Poopsie for sure. If you know me, you know that this is so unlike me; you see my middle names are "dependable and reliable."

So, we are moving the first of October. We're moving in an area I've had my eyes set on the past year and a half. Sometimes, I can't believe it's actually going to happen (or maybe I should first knock on some wood). We are going to rent to see how the market behaves before buying our "retirement" home. Heck, we may even consider buying the town home we're renting. It's a huge step down from what we've had in the past, not in quality, but in size.  We want less fuss with everything in owning a home, to include square footage, yard work, snow removal, etc. When I see all the big homes with big yards around us, all I can think of is "work, work, work!" Am I showing my age....lol.

Soph's first day at school was Tuesday, August 24th. Her teacher, Mrs. Wilson is fantastic. She's very experienced / qualified having taught 5th grade English and specializes in Reading and Math. Soph likes her a lot! One of the things I really like about this school is that all 1st graders rotate in a French class. Next year I'm going to enroll her in the French Dual Immersion Program, which actually starts in 1st grade, but I missed the deadline due to the fact I wasn't sure which school Sophie was going to end up at. Anyway, students in this program receive 50% of their instructions in English and 50% in French. Her Daddy is going to have fun helping her out with her French and maybe I can freshen up on my French a oui bit.

Soph loves her new school and prefers to bring her lunch everyday, which is fine by me. She was so worried that she would not make any friends, but knowing Soph-Soph I knew it wouldn't take long; she's very easy going and caring. She made friends immediately with 2 girls the very first day, Brooklyn and Lanon. Mrs. Wilson said at this age, there's no competition in who's getting more attention or who's getting left out and that the three girls all get a long very well. She calls them the Three Musketeers. Lanon's mom and I are becoming pretty good friends too. Lanon's mom, Anna, has her own hair salon plus she's a Realtor. Currently, I get free manicures in exchange in helping her out with her website (not that I'm any good at it, but as with everything it's all relative)....lol.

There are a lot of boys (as previous) in her class - 14 boys and 8 girls. Another 1st grade class has even more boys!; Of course at this age, Sophie isn't very excited about all the boys. Her response to boys..."eeeewww, boys, boys are disgusting, boys are not my friends. I like girls. I'm friends with the prettiest girls, not the boys."

I am definitely not going to be a Room Mom this year, but I will volunteer from time-to-time not only to help out but to see what they're learning. I like to be involved in Soph's education as much as possible. Even the school Principal said that they have found that children of parents who get involved in their education do better academically and socially.

Here's a picture of Sophie hopping in on the driver's seat at every opportunity. I go through this pretty regularly, where she climbs into the drivers seat and pretends to be driving. All the buttons, knobs, dials on the dashboard fascinates her so much! She must get this from her Daddy. I can't believe she's already talking about getting a convertible when she's older.

Last final note, we lost Ernie. The past few months, he was having excessive complications due to his old age. It actually all started last fall/winter when his neurological problems became apparent... unable to walk, tripping all over himself, running into things, barking at Chief all the time, roaming around in circles aimlessly in the backyard, getting lost in corners, paralysis....it was really sad to see the decline in his health. He was also having some kidney issues, drinking a lot of water and barely eating. He used to weigh 45 lbs. and dropped down to 35 lbs. Of course, he was 14.5 years old and never once was sick. He was the best sentry dog anyone could ask for. He will be missed. I'm sure Scottie is very happy to see Ernie :)

Ernie-Bernie, March 1996 - September 2010

Just Soph-Soph

Look at this cute baby deer!  (Click on photo to enlarge.)  She was very close to the side of the road on our way back to the house.  She walked across the street to meet up with her mother and sister. When she safely got to the other side, we looked at each other as if we knew one another.  It was so precious!! And made my day :)

So things... I feel, are winding down (with our house) and you can actually smell fall in the air.  A couple of days ago it was barely 60 degrees in the morning.  For the first time in quite a long while, well, since I was a kid, I'm sad to see summer just about over.

I don't know about others out there, but it seems the older Sophie gets, the busier I become.  For some reason I was thinking it would become less busy.  I was talking to my dentist about it very early this morning and he said the same thing.  He's a lot busier now that his kids are older, with all their extra-curricular activities and basically ferrying all of them around town.  I can relate and I only have one child!

By the way, one of the things I always like for my dentist to check is the deterioration/recession of my gums.  This time, I believe I've been able to significantly slow down the process.  I can actually see as well that my gums are not receding, but in fact are growing back together perhaps (?).  For the past 3 months I make a conscious effort to actually swish my mouth a little before ingesting Asea.  I have to say, I'm pleased with the results and wished everybody knew about this unique product.

On the topic of teeth, take a look at Soph-Soph. She actually lost both of her upper front teeth. But I only have a picture of her with one tooth gone. Because of the way she smiles, you hardly notice the gaps, even with two teeth missing, which I apologize I do not have a picture at this moment.

And so to really show that she lost her tooth, I had her smile really wide and big like this....lol.

This next picture reminds me of Minnie Mouse :)  I wonder why....lol

It seemed Soph's teeth were loose forever, actually since the start of summer.  She recently lost both in less than a 2 week span, practically right after her photo shoot. They just simply fell out.

This last picture I think really shows how creative she is.  She can spend hours doing arts and crafts (which equates to big mess!) versus playing with her toys (which she really isn't in to anyways).  She's mentioned in the past she wants to be an artist and paint pretty flowers.  She did this masterpiece all by herself using things she could find around the house.  And then surprised me by taking photos with my iPhone.  This one isn't too bad.

Flower in vase, Aug 6, 2010

Soph's photo shoot at University of Utah

This past Thursday was Soph's photo shoot for Waterford Institute.  For those that don't know Waterford School is a private school here in Sandy, Utah.  It was a big project to promote their educational products on their website and entailed at least 5 days of shooting.  The photos below were taken with my iPhone, definitely not by the professional photographer.

Me: "Soph smile" Yep! This is what I get, a perfect forced smile.

In total there were 30 models/kids between the ages of 4 to 8 and several model/adults to represent the teachers. It was pretty interesting and fun, a little tiring until the right shot was finally achieved.

The photographer was hilarious, claiming that it was due to the fact he was functioning on 4 hours of sleep. However, one mother in particular did not appreciate his humor so much, as he made a negative comment about her daughter's choice of clothes.  Of course, assuming she received the same email like everyone else she would have known that the kids were not supposed to wear white, black or anything busy.  The mother later asked me "what does busy mean?" Oh, well, I guess that explains it.

Getting headphones adjusted and body positioned just so

Having to deal with so many kids, the photographer basically color coded all of them when giving out instructions. Soph was known as the "pink" girl.  Of course!!  And the "red" boy, oh boy! appeared to be suffering from Tourette's syndrome and ADHD shouting out "sh@t" and "they're gay!"

I can't imagine how they can coordinate all 5 kids in a classroom to do the same thing at the same time.  Well, it only happened for a split second. I believe the photographer was lucky enough to capture that shot with his fancy camera.  No kidding, this is snapshot of what it was like....  ["Red" boy needs to put his arms down. "Red" girl needs to stop looking as if she's reading the Wall Street Journal newspaper.  "Light blue" boy needs to stop squinting.  "Green" boy, perfect, don't move!  "Purple" girl needs to smile more and looks as if she's stuck in the moment.  "Pink" girl needs to lean forward more, etc.  Okay, "red" boy needs to turn around.  Everybody needs to place their hands on the keyboard. "Pink" girl needs to pretend she's writing/calculating...] and on and on for 3 hrs.  I was exhausted just listening to it all!

Sophie with her pretend teacher

One of the things Sophie was supposed to do was accept an award from her teacher with a big grin and with lots of excitement on her face.  Did that happen?  If you know Soph, you probably already know the outcome.  The photographer said, "NEXT, go get the "green" boy.....Thank goodness, there was one boy, yes the "green" boy (aka Vance), that took his cues spot-on.  I believe it also helped that he was the oldest in the bunch.

Pretending to be working on the computer

Another cute little girl began crying because she was shivering from being cold and just broke out in tears....So she was out of the picture, literally and figuratively, for awhile.

I actually have to give a lot of credit to the photographer and the crew.  They did an amazing job with all the kids.  I think working with babies, kids, and animals are probably the most challenging.

Once the pictures have been selected to go online on Waterford's website, I will leave a comment herein with the link.

Soph's pretend teacher and photographer

So the lesson I learned about this particular photo shoot....things like tears, unruly behavior, no smiles, people in the way, can be resolved by blurring things out.  I asked Soph if she enjoyed modeling; she said "it was very boring" but still liked it anyway because she made some money, which by the way is going into her savings account for college.

Meet Zuri

Knowing it was going to be a beautiful day Saturday, we decided to pass the afternoon at Utah Hogle Zoo.  I was particularly interested this time as I had been wanting to see Christie's (African elephant) new baby girl for quite awhile.  The last time we were at the zoo, Christie was about to give birth in 2 months.

So, Zuri, which is Swahili for "adorable or beautiful" was born August 10, 2009.  She made her public debut when she was 1 month old and weighed slightly over 300 lbs.  She now weighs over 750 lbs since mid-June and is absolutely the most adorable and cutest thing ever!  Her mother weighs in at about 7,000 lbs for comparison.  If you want to keep track of Zuri's adventures, you can click here Baby Zuri.

Here's a video (uploaded by Deseret News) of Zuri, that captures her personality perfectly:





Here are my amateur photos:

Christie and Zuri

Hmmm...."that looks pretty good."

Zuri... "I think I want some too."

Very playful, wallowing in the mud and splashing.

The longest eyelashes I've seen on a girl....lol

Ohhh...that leaf really looks tasty!

Trying very hard to reach those leaves.  Unfortunately, this giraffe was not successful.

Finally, my hubby doesn't seem to realize that my biology degree consisted of only one semester of zoology.  And so, noooo, I was not aware that camels can go for 6 months without any water and can drink 30 gallons of water in 10 minutes.  Whoaa!

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend and staying safe!

June (yes, I know a very insipid title)

I can't believe it's already July.  Oh, Yes!  Happy 4th of July everyone!

Just think Sophie starts 1st grade next month.  A gazillion of things have been going on the past month and I don't see things slowing down any time soon.  I'm so glad I've found a product like Asea that is a boon to my boundless energy and endurance; a requisite to accomplishing everything on my plate while staying sane and strong.

I now see why the "reactive molecules" found in Asea is very popular amongst professional athletes, as well as, for those looking to repair and replenish their cells for better health.  I'm so happy with the team I'm in.  It's so close to the top and includes some of the original founders like Dr. Gary Samuelson's wife.  For those that don't know, Dr. Gary Samuelson is the atomic physicist who discovered how to replicate reactive molecules (found in your healthy cells) stabilized outside of the body.  It only took 16 years for someone to accomplish this feat that is undeniably cutting edge and a medical breakthrough.  Click here for more information about Asea, the only Redox Signaling product available.

Sophie has her first paid assignment with Craze Agency the middle of July.  I'm working on trying to get one of Soph's friends, Charlie in on this project so that way she'll be working with someone she knows.  I'll have more information about this later.

We recently had friends come visit us from AZ, and had such a great time while they were here.  I originally met my dear, beautiful, friend (inside and out), Tanya when we lived in Mesa.  Tanya's little girl, Jaida and Sophie were both enrolled at The Little Gym when they were like two years old.  We're both introverts and so it took us about a year before we finally introduced ourselves to one another...lol.

They have three really amazing, cute kids.  I just love this family! Jaida is probably the most precocious child I've met. Sometimes I forget she's only 6 years old. Bryson, to be honest reminds me a lot of my hubby.  He's such a cute little boy with the most amazing blue eyes (just like his mother).  And Rylan, oh my goodness is the most adorable, sweet natured baby with a bubbly personality. He's irresistible and incredibly cute.

My other friend, Kathryn and her husband were here recently as well.  Kathryn and I used to work together when Fleet Mortgage Corp was around in Columbia, SC.  It's been like 10 years since we last saw each other.  She and her husband were here in Utah visiting, looking for their new home. Can you believe it!  Of all places for her husband to transfer, they chose Salt Lake City.  I'm really looking forward to hanging out with them.  They too have a new baby boy, Cooper.  I usually don't look at mouths right off the bat, but Cooper has got the prettiest lips and is definitely a cutie.

It's going to be so much fun having Kathryn and her family here....just like old times, when we all lived in Lexington, SC and worked together in Columbia, SC eons ago.

Soph is doing well in her swimming classes.  Initially, I thought she had forgotten everything she had learned the past 3 years, but now she's made drastic improvements and is enjoying it more than ever.

She's still enrolled in gymnastics and likes it a lot even though she's struggling with her backbends and climbing the rope.  On the bright side, she's a wiz when it comes to doing the hula hoop on the balance beam.

So now we're waiting to get everything finalized with the selling of our house.  And then the real work begins when we have to pack and move.  I certainly hope we can get all this sorted out and get settled into our new hibernaculum before school begins and winter sets in.

This is just a snapshot of what's been going on with us.  Hope you and your family have a great holiday weekend.  Be Safe and Be Well!

Weather woes

Date: June, 17, 2010 - Wednesday

I believe we're finally over the cold snap here and we can now enjoy some warmth (I hope).  I checked the thermostat this morning and brrr... it read 65 degrees in the house.  Of course that's with one window ever so slightly opened.

Poor Soph had swimming lessons yesterday and temperatures dropped to 56 degrees (we're definitely below average temperatures which is the low 80's); now that's what I call a FROPA.  Still, swimming lessons carried on at Draper Pool; they do not cancel lessons unless it's raining.  At least she had her wet suit and the pool is heated to 85 degrees.  She seems to be enjoying swimming lessons a lot more this year, only because her instructor does not make her jump off the diving board....lol.

At first I was disappointed I was too late enrolling Soph in her usual swim classes.  But now that I see how much fun she's having....WELL.  It's funny how things work out and so far I'm pleased (including the cost! I'm saving almost $15/class).

Yes, a lot has been going on as you can see by the mere fact I don't update my blog as often as I would like. I don't even know where to begin -- the house has consumed a vast majority of my time.  I kid you not, we had an average of 5+ showings a week.  Once we lowered the price of the house, then the offers started coming in. It almost looked as if there was going to be a bidding war.

Now that we have our solid offers, I can stop showing....Whew!  If all goes well, we will be moving the end of summer.  If not, I fear I may start shoveling snow in September.  Who's idea was it to move here?

All I can say is the next place we live will include, in the HOA, snow removal on the driveway :)

Weird and not so wonderful weather

Today is Monday, May 24th and this is what I woke up to. Whose idea was it to move here?  Do I sound like a broken record... lol.  Hubby said it was in the 60's when he arrived into Phoenix and could imagine what it was like in Utah.  Draper City is going to have to change the sign to "no parking on the streets until June 1st" instead of April 17th for the snowplowers.

Off to shoveling snow :o/

Fun in the sun in Florida 2

Because we had so much fun last September in Florida, we decided to return to the Sunshine State for our spring vacation. We covered a lot of ground packed in 8 days, visited Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Sea World, Epcot, Cocoa Beach and West Palm Beach. Our trip didn't get off to a good start as we had to hang out more than 2 hours in the plane, waiting for the snow storm to let up, the plane to get de-iced, and everything else in between that resulted in a series of 40 minute delays...whew!!

Seven hours later, what was supposed to be a 4 hour trip, we finally arrived in Orlando to bright, sunny, warmer weather.  Here's a view from our hotel room.  If you like to golf, this looked like a great place to do so.

Once we arrived at the parks, the lines were quite short even for all the popular rides. The longest we had to wait was 10 mins, although there was one ride where the wait time was 40 mins., but someone kindly gave us their Fast Pass tickets.  How cool was that!!  Although this probably makes the 10th time hubby has been on the "It's a small world" ride, he does it for Soph as it's actually one of her favorite rides at Magic Kingdom.

While Universal Studios was a blast for both hubby and me, especially all the simulated, 3-D, 4-D rides... not so for Soph.

We didn't have time to try out all the different rides, but out of the ones we did, Vince and I REALLY liked The Simpson Ride.  That was such a blast that gave the sensation of really being on a roller coaster initially, getting spit out of Maggie's mouth after we got close to her tonsils, spit and all.  And had lots of loop de loops through donuts and one surprise after another in a make believe theme park called Krustyland.

Epcot was beautiful with all it's the artistic gardens. Here's one I like not only because of Mickey and Minnie but because of the sunflowers, one of my favorite flowers.

We got to eat at the French restaurant, Les Chefs de France.

Meet the animated Remy, the French chef rat from Ratatouille. Here again, Soph was not too sure about the rat. Vince and I thought he was soooo cute!

However, she fell in love with the French kitty.  So we got her a smaller version of the kitty that has now become Soph's constant companion.

Last September, we ate at Germany which was quite delicious.  Next time we want to try out Italy.  It's so  much fun to eat at all these different countries.

Sea World is always a fun and pretty place to visit.  Unlike Universal Studios, the surrounding was more peaceful and calm, no loud music blaring.  Hmmm! Are we showing our age?

Our little family

Shamu Show

Here's a manatee, a large aquatic herbivore marine mammal.  I always learn something new when I visit Sea World. Manatee's closest relatives include the elephants and the hyrax (found in Africa and Arabia).   If you look at their faces, they are actually quite cute.  This is the first time I've seen a manatee calf nursing.

I also learned that the reason flamingoes are pink is because they eat shrimp, brine shrimp to be exact.  It's the beta carotene, (you know the same beta carotene found in carrots that makes it orange) in the brine shrimp that actually turns the flamingoes feathers pink. Who Knew?

In this picture, it looks as if Sophie is swimming with the dolphins, getting ready to dive up.

Then we made a quick stop to Cocoa Beach and had lunch....on our way to West Palm Beach.

Sophie and me

Daddy and Sophie

West Palm Beach was probably Soph's favorite place of all....no loop de loops and walking everywhere. Actually, it was a great place for all of us. We stayed at Marriott's newly opened Oceana Palms, located at The Palm Beaches.  It was like home away from home and believe me we did not want it to end.  Our spacious luxurious villa had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a well equipped kitchen and laundry.  Here are some photos although the photos really don't do it justice.

View from our back patio

Nice cabanas

Master Bedroom

Lots of ooohs and ahhhs

Master Bathroom

Sophie's Bedroom

Sophie's Bathroom

Living Room

Fully equipped kitchen with a better dishwasher than we have in our own home.

Back patio off living room.

Sophie loved her room.

Soph's favorite swimming pool at dusk.

Here are some more photos, that ends with a very tired, but satisfied Sophie on the plane back to Salt Lake City.

Daddy, Soph...our hotel in the background.

Soph could spend hours playing and making sand castles.  But what kid doesn't like playing on the beach? Including the big one.

Becoming such a big girl!

Daddy and Soph (in the cold water).  Too cold for me!

Just Me

Rinsing off the sand.

Soph's favorite water slide.

Who can resist that face at Lion Country Safari.

Feeding crackers to Cupid.

Walking on the beach.

The End!