2006-Dad diagnosed with cancer; 1st cruise/Carolyn, Kauai/Tim & Faith, Oregon, 1st Maui/Dad

 
The year started out good.  Another trip to California in Jan.  This time it was to join Carolyn for a cruise.  She had never been on one and didn't know how she'd like it, so we did a short 3 night one that went to Catalina and Ensenada.

We went out of Long Beach.  Turned out, she loves cruising, too.

Catalina with the brown air of Los Angeles in the distance.  You don't notice it when you're there, but it sure is visible when you get away from it.

We even did a couple cruise ship excursions.  It was a great first cruise for her.

Had to get back to St. Louis so Ken and I could head off on our annual trip to Kauai.  This time we went from Jan. 29th - Feb. 12th and Tim and Faith joined us for a week.  Dad joined us for part of the time, too---our 5th trip to Kauai, Dad's 3rd, and the kids' 2nd. 

Tim and Faith even rented their own car and stayed in a condo nearby. 

It was great seeing them everyday, but they still got to bum around on their own.  They even rented kayaks and went to secret falls.

It's also the year I started my stacking dolls collection with this hand painted set of Hawaiian wahines. 

Dad and the kids were there at the same time for a day or 2 so we all hiked up Sleeping Giant.  

The reward at the middle of the hike was this view over Kapaa.

the picnic table at the top of the mountain.

this was considered an easy hike

After Dad left, the kids did some golfing.  We walked the course with them, but having never golfed before, I wasn't going to start now.

 But it was an enjoyable walk.

the ocean by our resort---KBV

We tried to turn Dad into a snorkeler, but with his lack of swimming ability, we stuck to mostly calm places with him, like the man-made pond of Lydgate.

Tim and Faith took to the snorkeling. 

Another favorite thing of ours was to go to Gaylords luau.  This was at least our 3rd time, but we thoroughly enjoyed it each time.  And at about $50/person (at that time) that wasn't too bad.

Back at home, we enjoyed going to a couple Cardinal games

Especially the one that William treated us to 

Goofing around with Williams wife.

July 3rd---Tim and his band, the Mad Titans, performed at the Creepy Crawl.  

the poster Angie made for them for another show.

In July we made our annual trip to Oregon.  This was right after we found out that Dad had prostate cancer.  

Trying to make the best out of our time in Oregon.

Took Dad to the coast for a few night.

met up with good friend William on the coast

Back in St. Louis, I joined a senior womens volleyball team and played in a bunch of senior tournaments (50 is considered a senior in sports).  We had a really good team and took 1st.

On July 22 we also took out the Mountain Ash tree that Dad had planted when we moved there in 1970.

I made another trip to Oregon in Sept. 

The past few years Dad had started going to church again.  I think it was a comfort for him now that he had cancer.

On Nov. 7th, Angie and Josh closed on their first home---in Ferguson, Mo.

It was a really nice house.

Sept. 30th, Tim and Faith went to TR Hughes Homer Awards, again. 

In Oct., Dad wanted to use up his BOGOF Alaska Airline ticket so I joined him on our first trip to Maui.

He was doing pretty well with his cancer at that time.  It was another wonderful father/daughter trip.

even in the rain

and getting soaked in a cave.  I didn't expect to like Maui and much as I did.  It would take me another 7 years to get Ken to finally go there.

Back in St. Louis and time for celebrating Thanksgiving.  This year Angie and Josh celebrated by getting another dog---Murphy.  A sweet (soon to be 110 lb) Weimaraner.

Faith was our host this year and did a fantastic job!  I never hosted Thanksgiving again!

The Hicks family

Dec. 22---Tim's birthday, but Josh stole the thunder this year.  This was the day he proposed to Angie

the happy couple newly engaged

Xmas eve at the Hicks house.

Even our nephew Joe Gagznos was there.  He was on a business trip in the area, so we invited him to join us at our crazy LaBeaume xmas parties

and another year comes to an end.