Bahama Mamas!

I have recently entered my 42nd season as I like to call it. My birthday was on October 10th. This year I received a very special gift from a very special lady. My Mom who is an avid cruiser (approximately 4 cruises per year) decided to take me along for my birthday. Of course I was looking forward to some Caribbean weather and swimming in that "blue water" But most of all I was looking forward to some one on one time with my very busy Mom. Yes this lady can run circles around most 20 year olds I know!

Our trip began at 5:30 in the morning as we were chauffeured via van to New York City. The driver made it in record time and all I can say is I am glad I don't have to drive in that city!

We boarded the BEAUTIFUL Norwegian Cruise Line Ship named the Jewel, and what a Jewel she was. Absolutely stunning. Of course the moment we boarded the ship I couldn't help but go into vacation mode with the Island music playing, fruity drinks, and festive atmosphere. Of course New York City in the back ground was a bonus.


Our journey would take us to Florida, Norwegian's private island, and the beautiful Bahamas.
The first two days were "sea days' I especially love those as it is all relaxation, enjoying the pools,
food, and of course doing one of my favorite past times reading.
One could get used to this. The private island was absolutely beautiful and my Mom was soooo
excited that she decided to rent this HUGE floating tube approximately 6 foot in diameter. I was
a little unsure about this thing as I knew it would not be that easy to steer and it did not come with a
paddle. My mom assured me that all would be well. Well quickly enough the current took us past
the buoys that for obvious reasons we were not supposed to go beyond. I casually say to my Mom
as she is obliviously soaking up the sun "Mom we have gone past the buoys" I was not prepared for
reaction of "all out panic" I truly have never seen my Mom so frightened. She then proceeds to say
"Rhonda get out! Get out! You have to swim us back to shore" I try to assure her we will be ok.
"No Rhonda Please Please You have to get out and swim us back!" So out I go into the Caribbean
water that I am not 100% convinced does not have a few sharks swimming around" And I proceed
to swim with one arm and pull the raft with the other one back to shore. By this time on-lookers
are observing this and much to my embarrassment my Mom says "Look at my daughter; look
how strong she is! She's a triathlete!" Now I know what my daughter means when she says "Mom!
you're embarrassing me" Anyhow we left the island with a killer tan and for me a pretty good
work-out!


The Bahamas

Four Cruise Ships in Port







Atlantis in the Bahamas

Another beautiful view of Atlantis

And what would a cruise vacation be without meeting new friends!

I truly treasure the time I spent with my Mother. She is one of my greatest blessings and I love and
admire her more than she knows! Thanks Mom for the trip of a lifetime!

"I Hope They Call Me on a Mission"

It was exactly 1 week ago today that I dropped my first born and only daughter Victoria off at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center. There are no words to describe the pride I felt as a mother as I hugged her, looked at her beautiful face one more time, and watched her walk into the training center. For those of you who know me you would think that I cried a river; but this was not the case. I have still yet to cry since dropping her off. Why? Well let's see I prayed; and as a friend said "Your prayer was answered and it was a gift given to you"

In the 2 weeks prior to her leaving I found myself a little sad and feeling somewhat down at times. Sad because I would not see her for 18 months, sad because the house is never quite the same when she is not here, sad because sometimes change is just hard. I hate feeling sad so I prayed. I prayed for peace, I prayed for happiness, and I prayed for the strength to send her off to this "Most Important Duty" with my whole-hearted blessing. Well peace is what I got. I remember waking up on a beautiful Saturday morning a week before she left feeling that "peace that surpasses all understanding" I also woke to the thought "Hey Rhonda you have a good friend who sent two of her boys who are Marines off to the Middle East during war time! Get over it!" Sometimes this is how the Lord speaks to me the stubborn child I am.

I had a wonderful little stay in Utah; I stayed with my good friend Brenda Armitage (said mom who sent two boys off to the Middle East) She took me for a beautiful ride up Payson Canyon in the town she lives in. The colors were beautiful and the mountains majestic. It was so nice to take in some of God's Handiwork. I made my famous or not so famous Chicken Piccatta (SP?) for their family,went to a Hippie Coffee shop named "Joe's" and had the best Hot Chocolate and Bagel w/ Avocado, Tomato & Cream cheese. I also enjoyed some down time reading and relaxing.

 A beautiful view in Payson Canyon - The yellow are Aspens that only grow above a certain elevation. We were about 8,000 feet above sea level.


Another pretty view in the canyon - Thank you Brendi!


I have said before that I am proud of so many of Victoria's accomplishments but above all I am grateful for the kindness she shows to others and her willingness to serve: Here is just a little excerpt of her amazing testimony:

 I know that while this Plan of Salvation is universal it is also the most individual and personal experience imaginable. I love my family and am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever. I am eager to share this knowledge with as many of Heavenly Father's children as will listen because I know that, just as He had a plan for me, He has a plan for them to come to the gospel and truly begin their journey back to Him.


Rock on and preach the word my little missionary!!!

Giossi Vacation Take 2

...Well let's just say after two days of camping on the river, and I do mean camping, no RV's or Pop-up campers here, we were all looking forward to a soft bed, hot shower, and a toilet that flushed. We headed to one of our favorite places in Maine.....Kennebunkport. This is a quaint coastal town that in my opinion, embodies all New England has to offer.

We enjoyed some very fresh seafood on the Arundel Wharf....here you can watch the boats stroll down the river and sit out on the sundeck.

Two of the greatest kids I know

The next day it was time to split the girls and boys up - because sometimes you just have to do it. The girls were off for some sailing on the Schooner Eleanor. The Boys were off to another beautiful town called Ogunquit for some deep sea fishing.

My lovie as I like to call her - the sweetest girl ever


View from the wharf in Ogunquit

Zach's catch of the day - supposedly the mate had the fish off the hook and in a bag before Dad could even get a picture.

The boat "The Bunny Clark"





Love these signs all over the town.



The town at night

Much fun was to be had in Kennebunkport; but as sad as we were to leave we were all looking forward to a little home sweet home. But of course not without a little fun on the ride home.

Giossi Family High Adventure! Part I

What do you get when you combine the beautiful state of Maine, tent camping, a raging river and the Giossi Family? You got it - a High Adventure vacation. We had so much fun in Maine last year, that  it was a unanimous vote that we vacation there again. We just may make Maine the annual Giossi Family Summer Vacation.

We arrived in The Forks Maine on the afternoon of Monday August 20,2012.  The GPS claimed it was a 5 hour trip - but of course GPS's do not take into consideration the need for a 13 year old boy to empty his bladder every 1/2 hour. 

Once again we were in campsight #1 which is on the sparkling Kennebec River. The afternoon consisted of setting up camp, a short hike to Moxie Falls, dinner in the "Crabapple lodge", and of course a campfire later in the evening complete with S'Mores.

The grown-ups tent complete with tent poles (last year we forgot the tent poles and it was Dan VS Wild with rigging up the tent with rope and tree branches)

Zach and Bobby's (Bobby is Zach's friend that he got to invite on the trip this year) two-man tent.

Boys fishing in the river

We took a hike to Moxie Falls which is a 90 foot waterfall. We laughed and took lots of pictures.

We blew our air-mattresses up with a bicycle pump; which was a team effort and took a ridiculous amount of time. We needed rest for our big day on the river the next day.

After my first nights sleep in a tent, I was reminded why I limit my nights camping to 2. But no worries because we are so excited for our day on the river. We meet in the lodge for 8:30am are fitted for life jackets, watch numerous videos of rafts flipping over, and get quick safety instructions and lessons on how to paddle - after all it is a team effort.

We take a quick bus ride up the river and the excitement builds along the way. We can already tell we have a very cool river guide by the name of "Chip" 

The river is running at 4800 cubic feet per second. The sun is shining and this is going to be a good good day.

Yup - that's us getting swallowed up by the Kennebec River!

We rafted some big Class III - IV rapids and at the bottom of the river were able to do some swimming in the river. We rafted with Crabapple and highly recommend this family owned and operated company!

That evening we had more campfire and tent sleeping! I am now looking forward to a hotel room and a hot shower. Stay tuned for part 2 of the Giossi Family Vacation.

Swim Like a Fish or Sink Like a Rock

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature." - Henry David Thoreau



Above is beautiful Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. The American writer, Henry David Thoreau lived here in the mid 1800's for 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days in a tiny little cabin in solitude. Many of his writings were inspired by this lovely landscape.

This past Friday I had the opportunity to visit Walden Pond with my children, my dear friend Jen and her two beautiful "sweetpeas" (The cutest 3 year old twin girls you could every lay your eyes on) Jen's two sisters joined us as well.

The purpose of our visit was to once again enjoy another summer day in beautiful New England - and for me a chance to practice some "open-water" swimming with Jen( who also doubles as my "swim coach" twice per week) as The Cranberry Triathlon is soon approaching.

I somehow manage to squeeze into my wetsuit with some welcome assistance from Victoria (also known as #1girl and firstborn) We pry it up and on to the best of our ability; we are laughing and I am sweating all at the same time. I feel like the Michelin Man; it seems hard to breathe but hey these things are supposed to fit snug right?

The plan is to swim the .5 mile across the pond; take a brief rest and swim back. If for some reason I don't think I can swim back I will walk the wooded trail back to the beach.

Off we go Jen, Melissa (both former competitive swimmers mind you) and me the "mud turtle". Let me just say I don't mind being slow but it is imperative that one breathe while swimming. My breath feels constricted and the range of motion in my stroke limited. I am thinking, I should not be having this much difficulty - I have been swimming consistently and building my endurance. Somehow I manage to make it almost to the other side - Apparently I swam well over the 1/2 mile due to my zig-zag pattern across the lake - wonderful.

I am anxious and troubled and all I want to do is rip the wetsuit off! So off it comes. My bosom bursts free and I feel like a free woman and can once again breathe! My idea is to simply walk the wooded trail back to the beach, wetsuit in hand. But I also really want to know if I have the ability to swim the .5 mile back.

And in that moment my friend Jen takes this sorry, wet, heavy suit and ties it around her waist and says "Let's go"  I try to protest, but I should know by now not to argue with this woman when her mind is set.

Once again - Off we go. And I swim and swim and swim the freestyle stroke all the way back. I can breathe and I can sight and I am happy.

When we reach the shore - Jen is my "Superhero" I try to apologize - she tells me to "Shush" and just say "Thank you" So I thank her for the 100th time.

“Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find.” 
― William Shakespeare

Life Change!

The words above ring so true to my heart lately. It has been a year since my last post and so much has come to pass. It would be impossible to to try and capture it all in one post. But let it suffice to say I have made a very big "life change" I have been a working woman, wife, and mom for the past 25 years. I worked for the same Human Service Agency for 19 of those years. After much thought, prayer, planning, and care I resigned from my position on June 30, 2012. I am so looking forward to this new chapter in my life with No Regret!

Having said that this summer will surely go down in the books as one of the best. To have unlimited time with my family and friends has been priceless. I have soaked up the lazy summer days and have taken advantage of all a New England summer has to offer. Beach days, Pool days, Vineyard weekends, a day on Nantucket and even a few mornings of sleeping in (for me that's 7:30 a.m.). Seasons change, this I know, but for now I will just bask in the glory of it!



Trip to the Vineyard with my #1 girl - we had the time of our lives



Onset Beach with some of the best friends a woman could ask for.



 A day on Nantucket with my Mom and Tori



A Sunset sail across the Cove with the hubbie and little man



And of course a good old New England Lobster Bake right in my own backyard