End of the Year Reflections

As the end of another year nears, I find myself being pulled every which direction. `Tis the season I guess. The boat stuff takes a momentary back seat on my priority list as the holiday routine moves center stage. 2007 went by in the blink of an eye – 2008 is lurking just around the corner. Seems an appropriate topic for a blog entry.

The Florida Conrads continue to enjoy the warm weather that Orlando graces us with. The close proximity to the ocean isn’t a bad thing either. It’s hard to believe that we have been here for more than four years now.
As much as we miss our families and friends in Idaho, California, Texas, Arizona and Utah, the glue that keeps us here has a strong bond. Today, as I type this entry, our high temp is supposed to reach 80. Chris commented that he was bored with the warm weather. I’ll bet three days in Idaho right now would cure him of his boredom. I am not as bashful at admitting that I do like 80 degree days in December. Admittedly, snow is pretty, but I prefer to enjoy it on TV or inside a snow globe. I distinctly recall that it is not so pretty when it is on my driveway and needs to be shoveled.

As I sit here trying to recall the highlights of the year, friends and family come to the forefront of my mind. Looking through photos helps me put the year into chronological order. This past spring, Debbie met up with her daughter Alison following a pre-wedding cruise, and our guest room was again at max capacity. Rod and Lisa had reservations for a few weeks following Debbie and Alison's departure and Sharon and Ed rounded out the year of visitors. Living in paradise does help encourage visitors – I doubt we would get near as many if we lived in Fargo, ND.

After school let out for summer break, we set out on our planned Bahamas trip. Jace and Amber joined. Unfortunately the weather did not permit our crossing to the Bahamas, but we made the best of it and hung out in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and the Keys instead. There are several blog entries below detailing the trip. Hopefully, 2008 will be a better year for getting to the Bahamas.

This summer, Rod and Lisa ended their 2-year boat adventure and moved back to Boise. Bitter sweet for them - I am sure. For a few weeks, their boat was in a slip one down from ours. It was fun having them and their boat so close. Now their boat is in the yard at Harbor Town (our marina) so we still go visit her every now and then.

In July the Florida Conrads went to Boise for Alison’s wedding. It was the first time I had been back to Boise since we left for Florida. Amber wasn’t able to join us because it conflicted with her departure date for USCG bootcamp in Cape May, NJ. The wedding was beautiful and made for a good opportunity to visit with family. While in Boise, Chris and I stopped in at our old jobs and visited with former employers and co-workers. We got to see and spend some time with Robin Labrie, Paul Grisham, and Marce Barrera. We drove around our old neighborhood (The Boson’s weren’t home but I could tell they still lived there because of the flower color-combo out front - it was signature Leslie.) We got to tour Robin Labrie’s new subdivision (what talent that girl has!) It was great to see everyone that we did see – but sad that we did not get to see everyone we wanted to.


The fall brought a sad event for us – Park’s cat Taffy had to be put to sleep. She had been with us in Boise, and made the long drive to Florida in the backseat of Chris’ truck. One of my most vivid memories of that drive is Taffy screaming Meeeoooooow, Meeeeoooow for 2700 miles - Park read her stories and, occasionally, the cries would subside. Taffy had been sick for a long time – she had been diagnosed with diabetes shortly after we arrived in Orlando. Even still, it was very hard to say goodbye to her.

Fall also brought another big event – Amber left for Port Huron where she was stationed for active coast guard duty. It was sad to see her leave, but she makes us all so proud. She plans to start Airman’s school (in Detroit) in January or March, 2008 and then go on to AST training in North Carolina. Her goal is to become a rescue swimmer. Lofty goal indeed – currently there are only 2 women AST’s in the USCG. If anyone can do it – I have faith that Amber can.

Brandon landed an internship at a company that makes computer programs for retailers. He finally got to say adios to Walmart. No more working on Christmas Eve – yeah. He is still living with us, and has one more semester at UCF.

Park is in her first year of middle school. It was a bit of an adjustment for her at first – but now she is doing great. All of her classes are advanced placement and she gets almost all A’s. Smart kid – wonder where she gets that?

As always, this year was packed with ECSA and other boating adventures. Some of the highlights are featured in the entries below. The majority of our weekends and vacation days were spent either sailing or working on the boat. We love LaLeLu, but she is very demanding.

More than any year previously, this year I felt myself frequently in a tug of war with time - the current of life. I guess time moves as fast as you let it. My goals for 2008 will be to enjoy more sunsets, sleep in longer on Sundays, and spend more time floating on the raft in the pool. I am looking forward to the challenge.