Merry Christmas!

I know - I'm a day late in wishing everyone Merry Christmas. Better late than never. It seems like this holiday season has raced by so quickly. Troy and I are definitely looking forward to a new year and a new start.

We will have the new boat survey done on Friday and that will probably be the deciding factor in whether we buy her or not. We are both really excited about owning a bigger boat.

We had a wonderful Christmas at my mom's house and then, later in the day we had dinner at Jessica and David's house with all of our kids. It was so much fun to get to have all the girls and their families together in one place.

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! ~Author Unknown

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” (Luke 2:13-14, NLT)

Signed Contract

We did it! We signed on the dotted line and now the fun begins. Next week we will have the new boat surveyed and go on a sea trial. Hopefully it will all work out and we will own a new boat in the next few weeks. We are both really excited. 2008 is starting out so much better than 2007 did!

Remember - all my sailing friends - Different Drummer will be for sale soon. We sure do hate to part with her, she's a great boat - so don't forget to spread the word!

"I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving - we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor."-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! (Luke 2:8-10 NLT)

Anticipation!!!!!

We did it! We finally made a decision to make an offer on a new boat. She's a 1982 Morgan Out Island 416. We are in negotiations now and are hoping to have a deal hashed out today. We have been agonizing over this decision for weeks now and it feels good to finally decide (one way or the other). Now - we just need to wait and see. If it works out then I guess it was meant to be, if not, we still love Different Drummer!

Here's a picture of the "hopefully soon to be purchased" new boat. Her name is s/v Escape, but we will most likely rename her.

If this all works out then we will have a boat for sale pretty soon. Spread the word!!!!!!

"The ocean has always been a salve to my soul...the best thing for a cut or abrasion was to go swimming in salt water. Later down the road of life, I made the discovery that salt water was also good for the mental abrasions one inevitably acquires on land."
-Jimmy Buffett

What a Week!

Wow - It's been quite a week for the Jones Family. First, Troy got his great news from the PET Scan. Now we can relax a little and try to get back to normal (whatever that means). We are just so happy to have that behind us for now. He won't need to go back for another scan until March.

We had a great time at the TMCA Commodore's Ball. Troy looked so handsome in his tux! We had a great time and really enjoyed seeing everyone looking their best. We were very honored and surprised to receive the Don Smith Memorial Award of Mariners of the Year. We definitely didn't expect that. We had made so many great friends through the TMCA and are looking forward to lots of sailing with them in the coming year.

We are still agonizing over making an offer on a new boat. I think we will probably make a decision one way or the other in the next day or so. Right now we are leaning toward making the offer. It would be nice to have more room, but we sure would miss Different Drummer. It's been a much harder decision that I thought it would be. Stay tuned!

Now - bring me that horizon. (The last line from Pirates of the Caribbean)

Woo Hooo - Yippeee

Dr. Jac just called Troy with his PET Scan results. NO CANCER! Wonderful news. I think this is the best Christmas present ever.

We have big plans this weekend. We are going to the Texas Mariners Crusing Association's Commodore's Ball. We get to get all dressed up and go to a party. I can't tell you how excited Troy is about wearing a tux. This will be the first time I've ever seen him in one in the 11 years I've known him (sorry Jessica). I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work. ~John Lubbock

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36

Overdue Update

I know, I know. It's been way too long. Everyone who normally reads our blog has probably given up on ever seeing anything different! Really, no news is good news - so they say, whoever "they" are! We are doing great. Troy is feeling better and stronger every day. He still has issues with eating and dumping syndrome, but that is to be expected. He went back to work last week! That was a milestone for us, especially for Troy. He says it felt good to get back to work.

Check out the article I wrote for an online news paper with news about boating around the Galveston/Clear Lake Area. I think it's on page 7 on - http://www.waterfrontbeatonline.com/ - Byron is doing a great job keeping us educated and informed with The Water Front Beat!

We had a great Thanksgiving with my family. We didn't get to sail to Double Bayou for the annual French Picnic because the weather was really cold and windy, not to mention rainy. A few brave souls did make the trip and we hear that they had a great time. I hate that we missed out, but we sure were warm and cozy!

Troy has his PET Scan next week and we are a little nervous about that. I try not to worry and I am usually successful in that endeavour, but when it's time for the actual testing I just can't help but to worry a little more. After we get the "all clear" that we expect, we will be happy for another 3 months or so until the next test.

Check our our video of John's boat s/v Buddha sailing over to Double Bayou:

"Not all who wander are lost." - JRR Tolkien