let me just tell you...

yesterday and today and...
probably tomorrow...
have been/will be a little less than exciting
at my house!!!



the most thrilling thing i have done
is stare at katherine's ceiling
waiting for the dry wall to dry
so that i can paint it tomorrow
and then watch the paint dry...

tomorrow sounds like it's going to be...
just like yesterday and today:S

has yours been as exciting as mine???

love and blessings,
dani xx

the other palace...

(a collage from our first visit)
(click on image to enlarge:)
when i was blogging about the patron incident yesterday, memories of the "other palace" john and i have patronized several times came to mind."the other palace" is also known as
the aventuras spa palace.
our first trip there was the most amazing, romantic vacation we had ever enjoyed!!!

puerto aventuras is about 50 miles south of the cancun airportand worth every minute of the commute:)

when we arrived, we were greeted with a glass of ice cold champagneand i a bouquet of native flowers.SWEET!!! (i had no preconceived expectations about the trip nor the palace;john and i just wanted to get away, and we did so on a total whim...) i was so taken aback with our welcome...

once we got checked into our suite, we decided to go grab a bite to eat.it was in the middle of the afternoon, thus we were the only ones in the mundaca, an open, ocean-front restaurant at the palace.talk about royal treatment!!!

this is where we met oscar and alejandro!!!they took great care of us, and we became fast friends with them.oscar was the straight-man and alejandro was the comedian.we spent every morning and afternoon with these twoamazing gentlemen.

aventuras palace is located on a coral enclosed inlet.the water is calm, cool, and clear... PERFECT!!!and, did i say that we were greeted along side this inlet by a drink waiterevery 10-15 minutes taking drink orders???I TOTALLY DIG ALL-INCLUSIVE!!!

the aventuras palace, now, has a golf course, a world renowned spa, and six restaurants. the spa was being built as was the golf course the first time we went. however, when we returned the first time, all these were completed...AMAZING!!!i didn't think it could get any more amazing...but, it did!!!

the morning we were to return home,we enjoyed our last breakfast at our "paradise found".oscar and alejandro were there to send us on our way.they wanted to take our picture for us: we wanted to have one taken with them. when we told them that, they cried...
we both teared up as well...

we have had the privilege of getting to visit with oscar on our return visits. however, alejandro left the palace to run a disco tech in playa del carmen...i would totally love to get to see him again as well as oscar!!!gosh!!! i am soooooooooo ready to go back and play:blove and blessings,dani xx

al patron...

i did a guest blog post over at robin's party of five blog, today. so, i thought i'd just share it here as well...



as robin is lounging on a beach somewhere in mexico... i find myself remembering my last trip to mexico...

in september of 2006,  john and i went to the moon palace  with my cousin and her husband.
 we had an awesome time!!!  (i've never been to mexico  and NOT had an awesome time;)

(a moon palace visual)

(click to enlarge for better resolution:)

the third or fourth day we were there,

 we all went to breakfast

 and drank our way through it

 (MIMOSAS!)

 we then went out by the pool

 and started drinking margaritas.

the palace resorts are all all-inclusive,

ie. ALL you can eat and/or drink...

nothing.in.moderation.

after, a couple of margaritas,

 my cousin and i decided

 to hit one of the swim-up-bars.

so, we jumped into the pool

 and swam up to the first bar.

 there we met several gents

 from scotland

 who were in cancun on holiday.

(patron silver)

after a little talk of politics,

 i announced that i was "treating"

 everyone to a shot of patron (tequila).

(lol, i've already said the palace

 was all-inclusive, right?)

after everyone had a big laugh,

 the bartender said he could

 do shots for us

 but not patron shots

 as they didn't carry that particular brand.

 hence, i went with cuervo silver...

after doing "shots with the scots",

 my cousin and i swam up to the second bar.

 at the second bar

 there was a group of couples

 from pennsylvania.

 this group was all into

 harley davidsons and cycling.

now, i don't know 

what brought up the subject,

 (i suppose nothing really had

 to have brought it up;)

 but my cousin and i proceeded

 to tell this bunch about

 our great aunt addie.

 the next thing i knew, 

i had told this whole bunch

 that my great aunt addie

 had ridden shot-gun

 with al PATRON (capone)

 back in the day...

my cousin started laughing

 at me as did the crowd,

 and she said,

 "guah, dani,

 how much have you had to drink?

 it's "pitino" not patron!!!"

then, i started laughing!!!

(rick pitino)

"how much have i had to drink?

how much have you had???

 'pitino' is rick's last name.

 you know,  the one who used

 to coach basketball at uk 

but coaches at louisville, now!"

(al capone)

"it's capone!!!" i continued,

 "al capone!!!"

needless to say,

 everyone got a big laugh at our expense... 

well, it was really not

 "at our expense"

 because we probably got the biggest laugh

 and have since several times over:D

(al capone's 1930 armored cadillac)

but, it is true...

OUR GREAT AUNT ADDIE

 DID, INDEED,

RIDE SHOTGUN 

FROM HENDERSON, KENTUCKY

 TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

 WITH THE NOTORIOUS,

 AL CAPONE,

BACK IN THE DAY!

love and God's blessings,

dani xxx

vacating...

i have my rescheduled blood work appointment tomorrow (tuesday).
if all is well, i think i will be going on a sabbatical. so, if you don't hear from me for the next few days, don't worry:)

i will be back!!!

love you all!!!
dani xx

the janes...

i have had a rather uneventful weekend with the exception of the etsy shopping i have done...

my cousin and her husband, who live quite a distance from me, just welcomed their first baby, a gorgeous baby girl into the world...

(miss lucy jane:)


i got to thinking, "what would a gorgeous baby, lucy jane, be without a pair of 'mary janes'???"

shoeless!!!

lol, not really!!!

however, when i happened onto clinka's apples blog and then an etsy store she had linked, pedrosprout, i knew i HAD to order miss lucy some of these:


(handmade mary jane booties from australia:)

i only wish katherine had had a pair when she was a baby...

IN EVERY COLOR, HA!!!

i cannot wait for them to arrive. they are simply adorable!!!

love and blessings,
dani xx

what do i get when...

i cross a bottle of scotch
with a
lizard???
?
?
?
?
?
nope, not a drunk gecko!!!

this lizard is MUCH bigger than a gecko!!!
?
?
?
think MONSTER-sized!!!
?
?
?
?
?
?
are you still thinking???
?
?
?
?
?
you give up???
?
?
?
ok, i will tell you...
...
...
...
what i get when i cross a VERY big lizzard with a bottle of scotch is...


(scottish whiskey and the loch ness monster, "cheeky ness")

THE FUNNIEST PACKAGE

I'VE EVER RECEIVED IN THE MAIL!!!

thank you soooooooooooo much, amanda!!!
i love it!!!
you made my day!!!

BAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

(i waited til you returned from holiday to write this post...)

did i tell you that...

WE MISSED YOU WHILE YOU WERE GONE???

well...

WE DID!!!


love and blesings,
dani xx

a hard write...

how does one write passionately about a subject
upon never tasting of the alternative???

i am having a really hard time writing today. it's the 4th of july, independence day, in the usa. and, i really want to write something meaningful and substantial about the freedom with which i have been blessed. i just don't think i can do it justice.

thank God and my forefathers i've never known anything but freedom!!!

(stansell,gonsalves and howes
american hostages in colombia)

i think part of my problem is that two days ago i watched as marc gonsalves, thomas howes, and keith stansell were spirited away to freedom after having been held hostage by a group of colombian guerrillas (the farc) for over 6 years. these three have yet to speak publicly about their experiences, respectively. however, according to one of the other hostages, over the years the group of 11 suffered indignation, pain, fear, and illness.

an experience such as that is what i think qualifies a person to write about his/her appreciation for freedom. my take on the subject of freedom pales. and, THAT is an understatement!!!

i love being an american, thus i AM patriotic!!!

however, i'm PROUD to be part of something so much bigger. i'm proud to be a part of the goodness in the world in which we live. there is a lot of good!!! and the "goodness" comes as a result of justice, tranquility, defense, prosperity, and liberty from which we ALL should benefit.

today, i think i shall celebrate my freedom and the idea that one day all will celebrate the same:)

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

well, he didn't write the dictionary for naught...

there are defining moments in one's life.

lol, i have had many of these moments while blogging!!!

i guess webster didn't write the dictionary for naught...

here are a few of my little epiphanies:

a bum here...




a bum there...



a holiday here...



a holiday there...



a loo here...



a loo there...



nasty cows here...



nasty cows there...




Christmas pudding here...



Christmas pudding there...



a stone here...



a stone there...




a cubby here...



a cubby there...



a footy here...



a footy there...



a garden here...



a garden there...



a mum here...



a mum there...



ELISE IS A NEW MUMFOR THE SECOND TIME TO (NOT SO ) LITTLE BOY BLAKE!!!
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS!!!


have a beauty-filled day:)

love and blessings,
dani xx

the best...

you all are the best!!!

(a "sheye sun flare"... totally by accident, HA!!!)

when katherine and hannah got their blogs up and going on saturday, they were kind of at a loss about with whom they were going to blog... i wasn't sure either.

i don't know how many 15 year-old bloggers there are out there???

it didn't matter, though. many of you took them under your wings and have blogged with them...

thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

YOU ARE THE BEST, AND I AM SOOOOOOOOOO GRATEFUL:DDD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


(savannah... e&t's first born, baby girl:)

i know many of you are keeping up with "project baby-watch"...
well, unless something has changed (ie labor), elise will go in at 7am (aussie time 4pm this afternoon kentucky time) to be induced. please keep her in your thoughts and prayers:)

she posted pictures of her family's last day as three if you'd like to go and wish her well...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



many have asked how i am feeling???

you are the best!!! (have i already said that???)

i am feeling MUCH better. i was supposed to go monday for blood work and a doctor's appointment. however, the doctor's office called, and i will have to reschedule. it's a holiday week here in the us (july 4th)...

but, i AM better:)

thank you!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

that's all for right now...

i hope you are all having a beauty-filled day!!!

love and GOD'S blessings,
dani xx

beautiful boy...

the baby watch continues;)

we are ALL still anxiously awaiting the arrival of elise's and troy's beautiful baby boy... she posted pictures after her doctor's appointment on monday.
they were amazing!!!

the last picture of her tummy was my favorite... i suppose it was the way the light was hitting it because i thought it looked like baby "blue" was poking a heel, elbow, or knee a little north/west of her belly button;)

i asked elise if there were a protrusion, but she said, no... but that she would love to get a picture where you can see bumps and lumps sticking out (a hand or a foot) and how beautiful that would be...

i had seen a photo like this...


it would be beautiful, wouldn't it...

however, nothing will be more beautiful than the image of elise holding her new-born baby boy!!! she is nearly two days past her due date and still patiently awaiting his entrance into this world. many are patiently, lovingly waiting with her. please, keep her in your thoughts and prayers as the days are long.

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

"beautiful boy"
haiku by dani

awaiting your boy
beautiful, beautiful boy
oh, so anxiously...