I am being completely honest and impartial when I tell you that my nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews are the smartest, most beautiful human beings I have ever been lucky enough to know.

thanks, Annie for taking the picture

They left before the dawn cracked this morning and it is way too quiet at my house. A whirlwind of a visit and I miss them already.

So much has happened since we last talked! My nephew Nat and his wife, my sisterfriend, Sarah and my beloved Genevieve, Seth and Ben arrived on Monday to overlap with Will for one night. Will jetted back to Boston on Tuesday and on Wednesday, my sweet niece, Annie with Lucia and Micah arrived from Philly.  Woohoo! Full house. I would be showing you stick figures again (no, I still haven't found my &*%## camera) but Sarah took pictures yesterday so I can share a few with you.

Seth goes off the high dive!!

Ben paddleboards with daddy

little landlubbers from Philly take to the water

Bet you wish you were here!

I am feeling more thankful than usual this morning even though I have been up since the early hours with Sophie, who has decided to be scared of thunder and lightning in her old age. We don't see much of this in the Keys in winter. Anyhoo, grateful because our fishing trip isn't today. It was yesterday!! A beautiful day on the water and I could not be more grateful this morning, looking out at the pouring rain and purusing the pictures that Paul and Debra were kind enough to drop off, taking pity on the girl without a camera.  arrghgh

sunrise

Cap'n Skip

Will and Paul hunting fish

dinner

Lenore, Will, moi, Bill (in lucky fishing hat), Debra and Paul

Grateful for such sweet friends, for a day on the water, for this beautiful life.

so true

Well, I have been unable to locate my camera and am starting to think I need to get a new one, thus causing the old one to magically reappear. I am a busy bee as always and here is a quick update before I hit the shower, pick up my friends, Maria, Gail and Florence and head for the annual Voices charity luncheon on Duck Key.  Woohoo!

I picked up my handsome and sweet and very cool nephew, Will, now 16(!) on Tuesday, I think, and so glad he got to see his grandparents for a couple of days before they left.

So, I took my parents to the airport - how the time flew - and I miss them SO MUCH already. I'm sure they would have liked to stay longer as the temperature in Michigan on their return was in the 40's. Imagine.


I have not been in the pool for a week because I've had so much going on - instead just hopping in the canal to cool off and swim with the girls - so hoping to take Will and meet Gloria at the pool later and I will be sure to post a picture later. NOT. Because I can't find my FREAKING CAMERA.

de plane de plane

So, I can't find my camera. I have torn apart my house, ginormous handbag and car to no avail. These are the last pictures I transferred to the laptop. They are of the mug rugs I made for the latest swap at the Quilting Gallery. The theme was the Sochi Olympics. My swap mate was a nice lady named Sandy from Iowa. I'd show you the cute mug rugs she sent me but did I mention? I lost my camera.

The big event you missed was the retirement party for Sue, our fabulous water aerobics instructor. Everybody was quite faclempt when it came time for her speech. Not sure who took this shot:

The five of us with the butterfly wings on our heads were the musical entertainment for the evening. Glad there is no video of that performance! Or is there . . . ?