Trip to Cape San Blas

Since my last post, our family made it back to Cape San Blas for a weekend. After one trip was canceled and trying to find a house for another weekend, Lindsay said why not just go sooner than we had planned. I feel like it was a fast decision, but we were lucky enough to find a house. We just planned and packed quickly. This time we stayed on the bay side rather than the Gulf side. 

One thing is for certain, the bay will win out for future trips. We always went to the bay when the kids were little, but when we went in 2020 we got a Gulf side house. Hands down all loved the bay side, so Sandy will just have to walk over to put her toes in the Gulf side. Now, the bay is actually just trapped Gulf water so really I am getting my salty experience on either side. If I am honest, I liked the bay side too. The one who didn't or maybe he did was Gus. Gus was a bad dog though. He couldn't relax because he could see everything from the window so no one was leaving out that back door without him. He didn't understand the salty taste of the water. He threw up all the salt water that he ingested despite my best efforts. Next time, he will stay home with a sitter.

Other than that we had a marvelous time together soaking up the quiet life the Cape holds.

Here are a few photos of the trip.

Sunrise and you can see low tide. The tides are very prominent in the bay and bring with them loads of sea life. We didn't keep any of it...just enjoyed seeing it. All of the sanddollars and starfish are alive.

Tucker did reel in a small shark. He was quite proud and asked if anyone his age had ever caught a shark before? HA!

View from the porch. The water you see is wonderful for swimming. Shallow and clear. Pure Gulf water. Lots of patches of grass for finding starfish and sand dollars and other things too.

Jeff and Paul Allen's birthdays were last week but we waited until we got to the Cape to celebrate. I felt like I rushed their birthday a bit, but I think they would have chosen the trip over the regular day we usually have.

The boys put each one of those candles in the cake. I also felt he cake was rushed. It is the fudge frosting that I know is popular in the south. Not sure about other parts. It is time consuming and I didn't even clean up the cake pan. I was making it the night before we left.

I failed to get a better picture of the birthday boys. When you have 3 little boys around, the mind doesn't work as well as it once did. They did however get the candles blown out and the cake was delicious! All that icing was cleaned up off the pan before we left for home. Paul Allen is 33 and Jeff is 64. I have 9 months on him.

I am back worn out and spent most of yesterday moving slowly. Grateful that we got to go and now there will be a knee replacement for Jeff in July and of course the usual with Mom. I am still planning a day a week for tutoring Tucker. I am also doing something each week with the kids. It is a busy season, but I am grateful to be able to share time with them. 

In my next post I will share more about what I have been stitching on and a book I read. I have 2 new books sitting in my stack ---deciding which I will start today. Both look like they will be great.

The stitch is a gift for a family friend that graduated from high school this year. I had no idea she would like a stitch, but I got word she would.  I am just trying to finish it by the end of June. More details later on it.

 

Tired, but oh so grateful for time with family making good memories. 

Sandy

Summertime Is Here

 After the surgery mess, I did take a full day to myself on Friday. Jeff and I did go and take a short walk on the beach early Friday, and I took Gus on a shorter walk than usual. He wasn't all that happy about that, but I plopped myself down in my clean house and read and stitched most of the day. I pretty much rotated between my 2 books and my stitching all day long. It was a very nice day if I must say so myself.

This did not seem to be Hank Heron (named after Hank Aaron). He didn't fly off and he let Gus and I walk around on the deck. Hank would not do this. Do we have a new guy or girl on the bayou? If so, he may be Lenny or Linda Longlegs.

This surgery tried to ruin our mini vacation to Cape San Blas, but I have recovered that. Woohoo! As for the surgery, the next date the doctor can do it is August 1st, but that is if United Health Care approves it. I am actually not holding out hope for that and honestly that is not a good date. I am praying and thinking to myself right after Christmas sounds about right. We shall just have to see what happens. I am not in charge of this...All in the Lord's hands. I will say I am thinking the insurance company is going to slow roll it until I am officially on Medicare. I did sign up the first week of June. Don't have my card yet, but I am sure it is in the system. I am going to go with Florida Blue which is Blue Cross in other places for my supplemental insurance. My mom has it and it has been a good fit for her. Enough of that. The waiting game is on.

Vacation had been canceled but a mini one has been rescheduled. I am all in for that.

These lush ferns look like they are suspended in air, but they are on the old wagon wheel and obviously loving life.

Gus turned 8 yesterday. Seriously, it seems like just yesterday we drove to west central Georgia to pick him out. 

He is a loyal boy. 

He goes everywhere I go. 

He loves to swim, take the same old paths for walks daily and is a good pal to the grandkids. 

Tucker has had his first tutoring day here and it went well. I think he was quite proud of himself. On one of his breaks he entertained himself by throwing a rope in to the water like he was casting a net. I'd say he did this about a 100 times. His form was pretty good. You may notice Gus is wet because he seemed to think he needed to go get the rope about that many times too.

Summer is here and it is time to be on the water and enjoying the fact that we live where people go to vacation. Valerie is learning young as each of the boys have.

The kids have all been getting out on Saturdays to either fish or swim. I have made it a point to sit on my deck in the mornings or evenings. 

Jeff's therapy went so well. I am so pleased about that. He is really trying to keep up with the things he taught him. I think he is early enough in his walk with this ugly disease to see the value of the therapy. I am grateful for that. One day at a time.

If I have learned anything about the trials that have come along lately, it is to value each day. 

I will be checking in with everyone today and I will share what I have been stitching on soon. 

Until next week,

Sandy

Cancellation News

Well folks, my surgery was canceled less than 24 hours prior to go time.

I don't know who is responsible, but I have had all the phone calls I want to deal with today. I will share more later, but for my surgery day I am going to give myself a hey day. My hey day is going to be watching a movie on my recovery list, reading one of my books in my stack and stitching on my latest stitch.

Bottom line is - it is the doctor's office saying my insurance, United Health Care had not approved the surgery. The UHC person says the doctor didn't get the information to them in time to review and approve. Both are accusing the other. 

Jeff doesn't handle things like he might once have, so he was so unhappy that I had to just be so quiet and stable. He was saying no insurance that you pay that much for should have the approval process at all. He also thinks they saw I am about to turn 65 and decided to hold out on it. Who knows?!!! Lindsay was pulling out all her contacts since she is still at the district office for the schools which is where our insurance still comes from.

This I do know, God is in control and I am a believer in things happen for a reason.

Remember, when I was supposed to go to Haiti and the trip was canceled at 8:00 PM.  Katie and I were supposed to fly out at 5:00 AM the next morning. At the very time we would have landed in Port-au-Prince, riots were breaking out and Haiti hasn't been the same since. A week after that a church group was taken hostage. 

So, I will just go with the flow.

Be back later after I have come down from the high energy levels I have been at all week trying to get my house perfect and so much more.

Just wanted to give my prayer warriors a heads up. Thanks, guys.