Yahoo! We made it!! We are now officially on a two week break from work! I say "we" because even though I am the one who gets up and drives to work, Glen has been working every bit as hard as I have. If not working on a boat project, then he is helping me with school stuff. He was such a doll - he came to school and spent an entire day helping the kids hammer nails into a tin can to make a candle holder for their present to their family (the candle light shines through the holes in the shape of snowflakes), and he also spent the better part of a day looking for the faux brick paper I just had to have for the bulletin board in the picture! Pretty cute, huh?!!! While I'm singing his praises, I should also mention Glen has become an expert paper grader and he spent his birthday going on a field trip with us to the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. The iMax movie about the Hubble Telescope was fantastic, and... we did celebrate in a more adult way that evening at a party at Fred and Jeanette's. Life may not be the same as when we were cruising, but it is never boring! Anyhow, we are both super jazzed we have two weeks of sleeping past 5:30 in the morning and spending more time together.

After a quick trip to Kaiser tomorrow morning to have an "Oh so wonderful" mammogram and skin cancer check (it's good to have insurance again!), we will then meet up with Andy and Arlene to celebrate Andy's birthday. When we leave them, we will be heading north to Anaheim for a visit to the "Happiest Place on Earth!" I may have to have a 50th birthday, but I certainly don't have to act 50! I can't think of a better place to celebrate! We'll be meeting up with Ron and Mary tomorrow night to celebrate Ron's birthday (we think we have family members or friends celebrating birthdays on just about every day in December), then heading to a hotel so we can be at Mickey's front door right when it opens. We're going to stay Tuesday night as well, then trying out California Adventures for the first time on Wednesday. It's supposed to be really rainy this week, but we are taking our "foulies" and hoping the wetness will shorten the lines!

We tried to get the word out to everyone that we are having a get together on Friday (Christmas Eve). We know it's a hard day to get away, but we'd love to see you all. We rented the Community Room at the Marina and have tons of Italian food heading our way, so don't let us down! :) (We're starting at 2:00 and will be here all day and night!)

Gary and Donna are coming in on a cruise ship Friday morning, and we are really looking forward to seeing them. Gary's birthday was the 17th, so we'll be celebrating that as well! Denise and her daughter, HollyAnne, are driving out from Phoenix on Friday, as well.

As much as we have been lamenting our temporary retirement from the cruising life, we are feeling so blessed to be home and surrounded by so many friends and family members. We love you all and can't wait to see you Friday!

Big hugs, Glen and Sally