Family Trip to Orlando - Spring Break (really?)

 

Eric, Michelle, and Cheryl

Orlando escape room (Alice in Wonderland) - March, 2026

So - There are only three of us in the Escape Room 

because Zach and Katherine were both sick,

and Keith didn't want to go.

Zach and Rachel stayed in the lobby where Zach fell asleep.

Katherine stayed in the Air B&B where she slept.

Turns out Katherine had the flu, and both Zach and Eric had Covid! 

No one else got sick!! 

The escape room was fun! 

Eric and Zach at Universal (before illness)

Universal was desperately crowded

because it was spring break

all across the country.

"Mimi and Grumpy's Bench" --

Gramps and Mimi visit the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

The Gardens were pretty, 

but Gramps dropped the rental car key

somewhere on the grounds.

A kindly visitor found it

and turned it in. Lucky us!

Swimming with the manatees at Crystal River - cold! 

I was too cold to get in the water

which was murky and not at all clear like I had seen in photos.

Zach and Gramps stayed on the boat, too.

The manatees were friendly that day,

and Katherine especially loved the outing. 

Family Scrapbook February 2026

 

There has been more than the usual amount of snow and ice so far during 2026. 

Here is Eric and family out playing in January's snow/sleet. 

Eric and Rachel took Keith and me out to brunch

as a late Christmas gift

Keith and I at a neighborhood event in January. 

Jonathan and Katherine on a camping trip to Virginia February 2026

A Valentine's costume party for Eric, Rachel, Zach, Michelle

California, January 2026

I took a four-day trip to Palm Springs, CA, and Joshua Tree National Park with Katherine and Jonathan in early January. Above, Katherine and I take a selfie at San Jancinto State Park, a really cool place accessed by a rotating arial tramway. At the top of straight-up rocky mountains, there is an unexpected magical place of forests, streams, overlooks, trails, and snow. 

After that, we explored Joshua Tree National Park, which had very different terrain. 

It's a desert: dry, rocky, cold, windy, and other-worldly. 

Photos below.

The Mormons gave the Joshua Tree its name. 

They thought the trees looked like the Old Testament prophet Joshua,

his arms raised, guiding them to their new home. 

They had good imaginations, ha.

 

The sandstone rocks were weirdly formed by eons of blowing wind. 

Here we are at "Skull Rock." 

Heart Rock

I eventually ditched the hat because it kept blowing off

Some of My Favorite Things

I love trees, especially in the winter.

Could be many trees....

Or just one (or is it three?)

Could be artwork too.

Yes, that's me.

Seems like it is just for me.

Also for me.

I love water too, and beautiful colors. 

Now for some comic relief...

My children think it's funny how much I detest Sponge Bob.

I love this!

The blog software would not allow me to download the last picture

so I will just copy what it says:

Dear God,

Thank you for 2025.

For every closed door that protected me,

every open door that surprised me,

and every step where you went before me.

Amen.

New Year's Eve 2025

Watching Duke football win at Tobacco Road in Raleigh