Girls Are Great

Can I just say my two oldest niece's are amazing mothers with the most beautiful daughters. My oldest niece had a little girl in 2008. I got to see K for the first time when I went to Vegas last year. She is so cute and has the best personality. After seeing her in May and again last summer I really expected her to remember me when we saw her in November. I was wrong. We pulled up and K was outside playing with her mom and she cried when she saw us all. Luckily it took about 15 minutes to warm up to the family and she really loved Brian.


My other niece had her daughter early November and she is so precious. M is adorable and has the cutest dimples. Both my niece's are fantastic mothers. I am so proud of them. They are patient and loving. I was very pleased to be able to spend so much time with my sister's family. The boys always have a great time there as well. I think Brian was ready to try for a little girl of his own after playing with K and holding M while we were there.

I miss my niece's and their little girls so much since we have been home. I hope I am able to make it back to visit more often so the babies don't forget who I am. The thought of them growing up and not knowing me can be very depressing.

The Hosman Clan

For the first time in many years, Brian was able to spend some quality time with his family. Before our trips we stayed in Coalinga and had Thanksgiving with Brian's parents and his brother, Greg's family. Sheran along with the help of Greg's wife Paula, made a wonderful dinner for us all. We stayed a few days before we had to leave for Disneyland. We were able to visit with Brian's older brother Steve and his family as well.

After returning from our trips, Brian took the boys back to Coalinga for a few more days. He was able to spend more time with his brothers and even took a day to visit his sister and her children. It had been probably twice as long since he had seen his sister. The boys and I were able to attend her wedding this summer while Brian was deployed. Brian, the boys, and his brothers did some Geocaching around Coalinga during their visit. He always tries to get others addicted to his new hobby whenever he has a chance.

Another day trip the guys took was to Wasco to see Brian's granny and his aunt, uncles and many of his cousins. They all met at church but of course the time went quickly and he soon had to return to Fresno. Although I know Brian would have liked to spend more time with his family, he is very grateful for the time he did have. That has to be the hardest part of living in Germany. Being away from our family and not having that connection seems to get more difficult as times goes on. I just hope that we get better at coming home and visiting more often than we have in the past.

Cruisin'

After our wonderful and exhausting trip to Disneyland, Brian and I took a seven day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. We left Disneyland on Wednesday and drove back to Fresno. On Friday we took the boys to Santa Cruz to stay with my brother and sister in law. Saturday morning we had to catch the Amtrak to Long Beach. That was an adventure in itself. I thought when I booked the train/bus we would be dropped off at a station in Long Beach where we could catch a cab to our hotel. We were dropped of at a bench bus stop on the side of the road in front of the Queen Mary Hotel. This would have been great if I had booked our room at the Queen Mary but no, of course our hotel was about a half mile away. Luckily a Passport bus came by every 15 minutes and took us right to our hotel. We weren't quite sure what time we were allowed to board the ship Sunday that is why we did not want to try to travel and board all on the same day.

I have always wanted to take a cruise and figured this may be my one and only chance so I booked a fabulous Spa Suite room. The ship had a wonderful spa on board and unless you were in one of the spa rooms you had to pay daily to use it. The spa had saunas, a salt water hot tub, and many other relaxing things to occupy our time. We were out to sea on Sunday evening and all day Monday and Tuesday. On Monday Brian and I had a couples massage. It was Brian's first massage and he enjoyed it.

I loved just being out to sea. Feeling the rocking of the boat and relaxing really made me realize we were actually on vacation. The food on the boat was delicious and very abundant and the shows were amazing.

Our first port was Puerto Vallarto. It was so hot there and I was very under-whelmed to say the least. I was thinking why would anybody want to come to Mexico? We made our way back to the boat very early and hung out at the pools on board.

Our next port of call was Mazatlan. Now this was more like it. The weather was a bit cooler and we were scheduled for a Show, Sightseeing & Shopping tour all day in a nice air conditioned van. Our guide took us around the city and showed us many highlights. Then we went to watch a cliff diver. He dove 47 feet into the ocean where the water was only 6 feet deep. He does this all day long working only for tips. It was very cool to watch and I lucked out and captured an amazing photo. Later that day we saw an authentic Mexican show with singers and dancers. Even in Spanish the singing was awesome. Finally to finish up the day we were dropped off for some quick shopping and then back to the boat.

Our final port of call and my favorite was Cabo San Lucas. You were not able to actually pull into to port there so we docked a ways from shore and took tender boats back and forth to the pier. First thing that morning Brian and I had scheduled a Snuba tour. This is a cross between scuba diving and snorkeling. You have a mask and regulator but the mouth piece is attached to a hose that goes to your tank. The tank is put on a raft that floats above you and you are able to dive down about 20 to 30 feet. They also put a belt of weights around your waist to help you stay under the water better. As soon as I jumped in the water I felt like the weights were pulling me down and I panicked a little. I almost completely chickened out but our guide suggested I take off the weights and I could still use the mask and mouthpiece but stay at the surface. This worked out great. I followed above the group and was never more than 10 feet away from them. Brian absolutely loved the Snuba. He was like a little kid seeing things for the first time.

After we did our hour of Snuba we were allowed to just snorkel and that is when Brian took our little camera and got some great underwated pictures. In the same area we were doing our tour they also did Helmet Diving. There was a sea lion that would also come up to you very close because he was used to getting fed.

When we finished our Snuba we went into Cabo to look around and have lunch. I was shocked by how clean the area around the pier was kept. Shopkeepers could be seen sweeping or hosing down their store fronts. This was our shortest stop so after lunch we had to go back to the boat.

We had another two days at sea before we returned to Long Beach. I have to admit these couple of days were pretty depressing for me because I was not ready to let our vacation end. Brian and I have been married for 16 years and this was our first real vacation together without the boys. I enjoyed it so much and hope and pray we can steal away another chance to do it again sooner rather than later.

So that is our cruise in a nutshell. I can't believe we were able to pack so much fun into such a short time. All of our trips were done in the first two weeks we were home. Now we get to spend some much needed time with family.

Dinosaurs, Mummies & The Simpson's?

When Brian and I planned our trip to Disneyland I added on a day at Universal Studios and also a Medieval Dinner Show as a surprise to the boys. I was so excited about Universal Studios. It had been more than twenty years since I was there last. It was fun but one thing is for sure it seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid.



We took the tram tour first and the boys got to see all the sites where many of their favorite shows and movies were filmed. I was very excited to see Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. While on the tour, our tram had to stop and we all had to be real quiet because they were filming a scene from Ghost Whisperer close by.



One of the first attractions we went into was the House of Horrors. This is a 15 minute walk through haunted house. I remember it from when I was little and I knew that scary things would jump out at you and touch you. I made Brian go first of course. We made it about 100 feet into the attractions and both boys were clinging onto me for dear life. When we passed an exit the boys and I decided to use it!



One ride we did make it all the way through was the Jurassic Park water ride. It was a fun ride with a pretty good drop at the end. It also had a lot of the scenes from the movie in it. Brian and I rode it once and the boys decided on a second go around.



The Mummy roller coaster was described in the brochure as the scariest indoor roller coaster ever made. It wasn't that the ride itself was so scary it was the effects. You go through the ride which was mostly a few hills and a couple of turns, you stop and then you see scarabs crawling all over the walls and then it fells like they are crawling on your legs. It really freaked me out the first time. After the bugs you do the ride backward. It was a good ride. We all rode it twice.




Another great ride was the The Simpon's ride. It was a virtual roller coaster. Kinda hard to explain. You sit in a row and are lifted up in front of a green screen. You feel like you are going up and down and side to side. At one point in the ride Maggie the baby is exposed to radiation and grows really big. She picks up the "roller coaster" and sticks it in her mouth like a pacifier. You can smell baby powder and when she spits you out you actually get wet!



After Universal Studios we went to the Medieval Dinner Show. As you go in you are given a crown of a certain color. That is what section you sit in and also what knight you are going to cheer for. Unfortunately we were given the knight who is the
"bad guy" So of course he kicks butt all the way to the end, but he dies because he is bad. The boys loved the show and believe it or not they enjoyed the food. They even took a picture with the green knight when the show was over.


All in all the trip was a success. I truly enjoyed going to Disneyland at this time of year. I never had been there around Christmas time. All the Christmas music and the decoration were amazing. I would love to go back and do it again, just give me a few years to save my money up!

Catching Up

Six months between blogs is apparently too long. The reason I know this is because of the hate mail I keep getting from my many fans of my blog. Now it seems I am so far behind I can't catch up. I am not going to let that stop me though. It's a new year and a new start. I have been keeping busy especially since Brian came home from Afghanistan in October. He took leave starting November 1st and then we went to the states just before Thanksgiving.


Our trip to the states was filled with many adventures and lots of fun times. We spent Thanksgiving with Brian's family and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving we headed to Disneyland. Boy, I realized how old I really was after walking around the park on the first day.


We stayed at the California Grand hotel and was that ever nice. We had our own entrance into both parks and it made it very convenient. We could even watch the fireworks from our room every night. I did not take my good camera with me because I knew I would be too lazy to tote it around so our pictures leave much to be desired but you get the idea. We spent two days in the Disneyland park and one day at the California park. Then we took a day and went to Universal Studios and also went to a Medieval Dinner show. The boys had so much fun. The trip was their Christmas present and I do not think they were disappointed.

The pictures with the characters were taken at the restaurant in our hotel that we ate breakfast at every morning. It was a great place to eat with lots of music and fun. The last time Brian and I were at Disneyland was Brian's Grad Nite over 19 years ago! They did not even have California Adventures back then. My favorite ride was definitely The Tower of Terror. It was a free fall and lots of fun. The boys could not get enough of California Screamin'. I think they rode it 3 or 4 times.

We rode almost all the rides except It's a Small World (I know, it's a classic!) and we were not able to ride Splash Mountain, it was not running.

This is me and the boys waiting for the Bug's Life 3D show to begin. We have our 3D glasses on and we are sitting under a huge ball of dung.

There is so much more I have to write. Unfortunately I have been working on this one post for waaay to long. I really do not like how it adds the photos and it takes me forever to get them just so. Anywho I am done for today. I do promise there will be more to come very soon.

Til next time.

.

It's Been Too Long

Wow it has been forever since I have written on here. My niece scolded me earlier today so I thought I would at least put something down. I am sure everyone knows Brian is gone for his four month deployment. It is always so hard to say goodbye. Before he left we tried to make the most of what time we had left. I booked an amzaing room at a hotel right next to the biggest amusement park in Germany. We were able to walk right into the park from the hotel. We stayed and rode rides for about 5 hours the first day and then went back to the hotel to swim in the pool. The boys had so much fun and I would love to go again.

After getting back from Europa Park Brian was driving the boys to school and Evan won tickets to another amusement park on the radio. That meant more rollercoasters. We only spent the day at Holiday Park and it was smokin' hot but we still had fun. After all that it was just driving back and forth to the airbase to see if they would release any seats for Brian to fly out. Friday he will have been gone two weeks.

This last week a very dear friend that I have had for 12+ years flew in from Italy with her boys for a visit. It has been a fabulous time. I always enjoy visiting with her and our kids are all around the same age and get along famously. Sadly they leave on Sunday, but then I only have til Tuesday when I fly to the states for 8 weeks. I decided I did not want to do another summer in Germany without Brian so I am going to stay with family. I am going to spend one month with my parents in Oregon and then one month in Fresno and Coalinga with my sister and Brian's family. I am really looking forward to it. I am just ready to be done with the whole long flight with 2 boys and 2 dogs!!!

Well it is very late and I need to get some sleep. I will try to add some pictures on here soon, I promise! Night all.

The Latest In My Life

It seems like forever since I have posted on here. You have probably almost written me off. Planning for my trip took up more of my time than I thought. I flew into Las Vegas on Wednesday, a day before anyone else arrived. Thursday morning I took the opportunity while I was still alone to get a hot stone massage and facial. I have had a few hot stone massages before, but this one was WAY better. It was 70 minutes of pure heaven which is kinda fitting since the price was astronomical, but worth every penny!! The facial was a complete waste of money.

Thursday afternoon my sister and her family arrived. I shared a room with my niece and her beautiful baby girl. Our room was attached to my sister and brother in law. I was so blessed to have all this quality time with my family. To be able to share all the intimate details of the wedding was beyond wonderful. Truthfully Las Vegas I could take it or leave it. I am not a gambler and granted I did not explore the city at all, but the time with my family was so precious I would not have changed a thing.

Friday the rest of my family arrived, along with everyone else who would be attending the wedding. We had a nice dinner that night. Everyone who came in for the wedding with the exception of my other sister and her husband. It was a fabulous evening of eating and drinking. I love it when my all my family gets together. We always have a great time. It was pretty funny actually. The brides family was at one end of the table and the grooms was at the other. Let me tell you the brides end was a lot louder than the grooms with all our laughter.

Saturday, my sister, my two nieces and myself went to get our hair done. I was supposed to get just a shampoo and blow dry. When I got in the chair the lady said your should have your hair cut "this way". It was what I asked my normal beautician to do but she would not cut off that much, so I had her cut it. While she was cutting she said you should let me do you makeup. I said sure. Then when she started my makeup she said she did not like my eyebrows and I let her shape them as well. The hair cut sucked big time and I of course regret it. Fortunately I am not one of those people who obsess over their hair. It always grows back. I was supposed to be at the salon to take pictures of my nieces while they got pampered. I did finish in enough time to get quite a few good pics.

The wedding was so beautiful. My niece was a vision and the groom was incredibly handsome. A side note on the groom: I had never met him before and I really liked him. He seems like a very sweet and patient guy and I think the two of them will be very happy. The ceremony was short but perfect. The chapel was very nice and looked incredible.

Sunday was a day of rest. My sister and niece finally got to relax and let their hair down. We had a great Mother's Day breakfast with my whole family before my brother and his wife flew out. That evening my parents, my niece and her new hubby and my other niece and myself went to a dinner show "Tournament of Kings" I have to say that was toward the top of my list of highlights. The show was very entertaining and the food was good. I wish the boys would have been there. They would have been in awe.

My flights both ways were uneventful and although very long, my seats were good and I was not uncomfortable the whole way. I left Las Vegas at 10:30am Monday morning (Vegas time) and arrived home 10:30am Tuesday morning (Germany time). It was 15 hours of travel time. I am finally over my jet lag. My house is clean and my bags are all unpacked. I do have some laundry to do still but all in all it is back to life as usual. Brian is supposed to be on a plane in 9 days and I am not looking forward to it. Truthfully I think I am in denial. I think I have rambled on long enough. I guess that is enough for now. Til next time.