I have to say this year, 2023 has been a huge year of firsts for me. In January I went on my very first cruise. My friend Chris and I flew to Long Beach, California and boarded a Carnival Cruise ship right near the Queen Mary. It was a five day cruise with stops in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. I really enjoyed it. We only spent about 5 hours in the towns walking around and shopping. In Cabo we took a taxi to go visit a Costco, that was fun. The cruise we were on had LDS speakers and musicians so the time spent on the ship was super fun. I also loved the swimming pools and dancing every single night in the night club, mostly with a really fun group of women I met on the cruise. Our dinner table companions were fun to visit with. Two friends from Utah and a mother and daugther also from Utah.
My sister Sue came to town to attend the Sewing Expo at the fairgrounds in March. It was nice to be back there in person and we had a lot of fun in classes.
Wally's brother Zack passed away in December, just months after Wally. His memorial was held in March in Bellingham.
In April I flew to Salt Lake when the granddaughters were out of school for spring break. And we had snow, lots of snow! It was a really fun trip.
May was a very busy month, with more time away from home then at home. I did a fun road trip to Medford, Oregon to stay with my two great nieces while their parents celebrated their 20th anniversary in Hawaii. The girls were in school and we had one weekend together. It was a really fun time.
I got back from Oregon and within a week I was on a plane to Salt Lake City. From there Natalie and I flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We rented a car and spent two nights in Pawhuska seeing all things Pioneer Woman. We had a blast. (Even though we would not recommend the hotel we stayed out.) Seeing the lodge was one of the best parts of the trip. The food was the other best part. We spent a night in Tulsa and explored the city, visiting lots of route 66 places. A highlight in Tulsa was visiting their botanical garden. We were even on some of the course for an Ironman race that was happening that morning.
June was my family reunion at the cabin in Island Park. Even though my kids were not able to be there it was a great week with lots of family coming and going throughout the week. Emily and I drove into Yellowstone Park. I got to go to the Playmill and see Beauty and the Beast. Walking around West Yellowstone is always fun. I just ate my last piece of saltwater taffy this week.
Looking forward to Taylor Swift's concert this month in Seattle with family coming for the weekend. Then another trip to Utah to see Alicia Keys in concert, Manti cousins reunion, and celebrate Natalie's birthday.
Navigating life solo has it's challenges but things are going well. I got the new roof on the house in April. Had a fun front patio installed in June. Went through Father's Day and 4th of July without Wally. He is still in my thoughts daily.
