Those beautiful waves...SPI, I will miss you.

     Our month at the Island is almost over. We have two more nights to enjoy all SPI has to give. The sun is setting right now and the sky is pinker than pink. We spent a couple of hours this afternoon at Clayton's Beach Bar...it is right on the Gulf and it is very nice. We sat in the open air area and enjoyed some boiled shrimp and fries. When we were done, I walked over to the railing area and stood there for at least 10 minutes, looking at those waves. Growing up, my daddy would bring us girls down to the Island for the day and we would play in the sand, getting just as dirty as humanly possible two little girls could get. Our swimsuits would fill with sand and it was so funny to us then. Daddy always brought his fishing pole to throw out in the surf. Back in the very early years, we loved to play on the Boca Chica side. Daddy would start a fire and we would watch as he sliced potatoes and onions into a big cast iron skillet, stirring them around till they were mushy and greasy. To this day, the smell of "Boca Chica Potatoes"cooking brings back some wonderful memories. I still cook potatoes and onions that way...we don't have them often but when we do, they are never as good as they were on the beach, with some sand in them, I imagine.
     As a little girl, my daddy would let us ride on his back as he waded into the great big waves. I always felt so safe with him. He was so tall and strong and he always made it to the second sand bar, where we would hop off and sit in the water for hours, riding the waves. He always brought the big tractor inner tube so we could all hang on and dodge those big waves. My cousins, Jay and Anton, would come down every summer and they would get to go with us to the beach. I know their memories of my daddy are very special. When my daddy died, Jay and Anton were just as sad as we were. My daddy, their Uncle Jim, was a real hero to a lot of people, I have found out over the past three years.
     So today, when I looked out over those Gulf waves, I shed a tear thinking that I would probably never see the Island again. If we do come home to visit, we will not take time to come to the Island. This move to Alaska has become very reflective for me. Today I remembered how it felt to be a little girl riding on my strong daddy's back, and wishing that I could ride in those waves with him, one more time.
     Once again, I am blessed...

Missing my girlfriends already...

I have always been blessed with an abundance of friends...great friends, in fact. Friends that support me no matter what I do. James and I have two couples that we will miss terribly. The six of us have had some really silly, fun times together. Jeff and Tammy Cleckler and Holly and Carl Leatherman are the kind of friends that you pray you will find. Tammy and Holly used to teach fourth grade with me, back in the days when I was teaching. We formed a close bond for lots of reasons, and we found out very quickly that our husbands also liked to hang out together. We spent many weekends at the Island together, enjoying the now defunct bed and breakfast, Casa de Siesta. The men loved to horse around in the pool and eat at Dirty Al's...wait, they still love to do that. The three women that belong( kinda) to these men are so happy that our men get along and have become best friends. For the past 8 years, the six of us have spent many a fun time together. We make a real effort to keep our friendship together. This past week, Holly and Tammy and I had two nights together on the Island. In fact, the Clecklers and James and I have rented side by side condos for the month of June, just so the boys can be together. We are going on a dinner cruise on a big ole sailboat on Thursday of this coming week, and we will laugh and share memories of our happy times together. When James and I decided to move to Juneau, one of the big hurdles we faced was leaving our family and friends. We will miss our friends...we will try to Skype and FaceTime each other and have promised to keep in touch, but we all know that things will never really be the same again. James and I pray that our friends will come see us in Juneau. Through thick and thin, and all the in-betweens, our friends have been there. They were our rocks, when my dad was so sick. They kept me sane when I broke my back, and they helped us out when Hurricane Dolly destroyed our home. Christmas parties and lake gatherings, Algodon Balls and weekly dinners, birthday celebrations and girl luncheons...we have done all of those things TOGETHER, because we have so darn much fun when we are with each other . They are the friends that everyone deserves to have, and we have been so beyond blessed to have them as a big part of our lives. I try not to cry when I think of these friends and how much I will miss them. So when we finally leave for Juneau, I will say "see ya real soon", and not goodbye...

Hurricane season....please wait till we move!!!!!!

Moving to Alaska means not having to worry about hurricanes ever again...well, I will have to worry about Mom and Marigayle and will pray no hurricanes like Dolly will ever come again. But in Alaska, we will have different problems with weather. Supposedly Juneau has high winds, but as one resident told us, "We just don't name them like ya'll do!" Blizzards will be exciting, the first one anyways. We will prepare to hunker down, just as if we were waiting on a hurricane. We have also heard that a tremor or two may shake us up, and that doesn't sound like much fun either, but we will look to the locals and follow their lead when bad weather approaches. Every one will know the Texans are in town...we will be the crazy bunch running around in our shorts and flip flops in November. We all have boots for the snow and coats warm enough to stand below zero temperatures. We have gloves, mittens, socks, knit hats, sweaters, light jackets, cleats for the snow and whatever else the Bass Pro Shop had for sale this past winter. We are ready for anything weather-wise, and pray we can dig our way out of the snow when it gets deep. Our new home comes with a snowblower and I have two tough  men to shovel those sidewalks. I am sure we will all take a tumble or two on the snow paths, but we will try not to act like newbies. Those sourdoughs are going to love us!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

A mother and her child...

I have these 2 incredible children. Now, I know everyone has incredible kids, so I know I am in good company when I brag a little about them. The last 2 days, my daughter, Ryan, and I have spent some much needed time together. We are making good use of this very peaceful condo at the Island. The men are in Harlingen, still working on this darn Jeep that James decided to make from scratch...who does that?? Oh, wait, I know....MY man does. Anywho, this has given Ryan and I a little time to ourselves. We have scrapbooked, gone to Dollar Tree and Dollar General, had manicures and pedicures and ate like little piggies at the Island Brewery. By the way, the beer bread at that Brewery place was sooooooo good. I had two pieces and then had to bring home my whole dinner because I was miserably full.
So to make a long story short, I have enjoyed the time with my daughter...the child that refused to let us go to Alaska without her, even though she is leaving a great job and lots of friends. She is going on blind faith that her daddy and I will take care of her and that she will find a job. Caleb has at least seen Juneau and he fell in love with the town. Ryan hasn't had that chance. But I know our daughter...she will love it in Juneau. She is so very much like me and I know that she will be find her own way on her own terms. Now, if I could just get my mom and sister to move up there, everything would be perfect. I do know that my mama will come visit and Marigayle is saving up money to come out there, too. We will keep in touch and will pray for each other every night, knowing that God is watching out for us all, as He continues to shower us with his blessings, whether we deserve them or not.

My daddy...

     It is Father's Day. My daddy should be here for me to hug and kiss. Just over three years ago, my daddy went to live with Jesus. I take great joy in the fact that he is standing tall, out of pain, and I am pretty sure is hunting every early morning, in the mountains of Heaven. But the selfish Liz would like to have him here with me. I know he is in that better place that everyone talks about but I still very selfishly want him here with me. We were blessed to have him 8 more years after his heart attack. That heart attack should have taken down the average man, but not my daddy. My daddy was a great man, a man that everyone should strive to be like. He was my hero every single day of his life. He worked hard to provide what we needed. He loved us all so much and that is one of the main reasons he stayed around those extra years. He refused to give up. When the end was near for him, I could hardly stand to see him, and for that I am eternally sorry. I try to remember the man that I knew as a little girl...the man who loved me unconditionally. So on this Father's Day, I want you to know, Daddy, that I love you and I WILL see you again, and when that day comes, I will run into your arms and feel safe again.
     I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is so very much like my daddy. James Ray Startz, thank you for being the daddy every kid deserves to have. I honestly don't know what I would do without you, my precious husband. My daddy loved you...you were his son, through and through. You helped nurse him for 8 years and for that one fact, you are my hero. The kids and I love you so very much...Happy Father's Day!

My First Guest Designer Job with my pitiful little scrapbooking abilities!

After many, many years, I have finally found a hobby. I have fallen in love with scrapbooking and all that goes with it. I have actually even completed a couple of albums, which is a very big miracle for me. I love collecting all the goodies to MAKE the scrapbook, but seldom find the time or energy to actually USE the stuff. And then I found the monthly kit clubs...and oh, dear me, did I stumble onto the "funnest" part of the whole business!!!! I can just sit at home and wait for my monthly kits to come in to me. Wheeeee!!! I am currently a member of 4 kit clubs and I love them all. But...my favorite right now is The Paper Bakery Kit Club. And I got chosen to be their guest designer for the month of June. How fun this has been!!! I have made 4 projects with the June kit and will be posting on the Paper Bakery Blog on the 17th. I am going to post the photos of my four pitiful little projects and hope I don't offend any "real" scrapbookers. I promise to get better...really, I will...ok, maybe I won't but I will have fun trying to run with the big dogs!!!

Lizzie Finally Has a Mac...and an iPhone. The world as we know it may end!

Last year I had Caleb research good web computers for me. He searched and searched and finally decided the Google Chrome was the machine for me. At $400, it was perfect. I loved that computer...lightweight and it was a zippy little rascal. Then it quit charging and to make a long story short, after returning it for the third time, we decided to just get our money back. Thinking that any computer would be fine, I ordered a little Acer for $200. Biggest piece of junk invented...Acer should be ashamed to themselves for even selling that computer. Caleb has had a big Mac for years and recently spent his money on a Macbook Pro. This past week, Caleb let me play with his Mac Pro and I loved it. He has tried to get me to get an Apple computer for years, but the cost held me back. So he has been saving his money and he told me if I paid for part of it, he would chip in his $900 savings and order it for me. I chose a Macbook Air. It came this morning. It is wonderful...Caleb was so right. Yesterday, after hating my Droid 2 for two years, I was finally able to trade that rat phone in for an iPhone 4S. In two days I have gone from technology poor to rich as rich can be. I love the phone and will use it to keep in touch with my friends and family with the super cute Face Time feature. But as nice as the phone and computer are, the thing that really makes me happy is my son. My son wanted me to be happy so badly that he chipped in his hard earned money to get it all for me. I don't know a lot of 17 year old boys that would do that. My son is God's blessing to James and me. He has brought me so much joy in the past three years while I have homeschooled him. He is a true child of God and once again, I am blessed. And yes, my dear daughter Ryan...I haven't forgotten you. You love us enough to trek to Alaska with blind trust that we will find jobs and be ok. My heart is full as we move forward to the big moving day...

My Best Friends...

It is 5 in the morning and here I sit...wide awake. Not bushy tailed, but awake. Woke up at three and couldn't go back to sleep so I am up watching infomercials and wondering if I need some of Joan Lunden's special face cream.
Today my two best friends in the whole wide world are coming down to the Island to visit. Caleb and I will take them to lunch and we will just hang out and get caught up with all the gossip and family happenings. When I reflect on what is happening in the next month with this big move, I am having a hard time knowing that I am leaving my friends. Becky and Tita are my sounding board and they are the two people that know my heart best. I will miss our lunches and giggles. I will miss their faces and their absolute love of me and my family. We will email and talk on Skype but it will never, ever really be the same. I am leaving them to follow the dreams my family has. Leaving my friends and family is my only regret. I know we will stay in touch, and I will pray for God to watch over them. And I will pray that I will get to hug their necks again, some time down the road. I am blessed...

And while I am at it, let's talk about FAT!

Why can't I stop eating??? WHY????? After having vertical sleeve gastric surgery a year and a half ago, I lost about 35 pounds right away. Guess what? Those 35 pounds are creeping back on. 17 of them are right back in the stomach, bat wing arms, and tubby bottom. Even with a tiny little tummy, I can overeat. I can eat a little cookie here, and 15 minutes later I can eat a pile of Cheetoes. Some Velvetta cheese and crackers go down easy, and then I still eat dinner, or lunch, or whatever meal I need to call it. I am so disgusted with my fat self. I know there is a thinner girl in me...but truth be told, I haven't seen her since age 17, when I was considered the fattest girl in my class and I weighed a whooping...wait for it....wait for it...a whopping 132 lbs. What the He**???? My legs are killing me from the three year old back injury, and at this rate, they will always hurt. I need diet buddies...people who understand fat and the joys of having it. :( When I was at Long Elementary, I seemed to do better with my friends encouraging me. Now I just have myself and I have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can't be trusted with food of any sort. Who's with me????

THE HEAT!!!

The number one reason that the Startz Family is moving to Alaska is we are sick of the heat...sick of it! James' job requires him to be outside all day and the older he gets, the worse it gets for him. I, on the other hand, am in full blown menopause and I am unable to get any help from an estrogen treatment. Lord knows I tried the meds, but started to have those little mini strokes, called TIA's. Our family doctor said no more of that, and now I am on nothing, except some herbal meds, called Estroven. I do think the Estroven helps, but I am never cool enough. So the thought of living in a place that might get into the 80's during the summer is very appealing to us all. Yes, it gets cold and yes, it rains a lot, but that is the price of having great summers. We are just so ready for this new weather!!!

Bumming at SPI before we leave...

Last weekend we had a huge auction at our place. We sold everything that we can't take with us, and trust me when I say this, it was quite the junk palace out in that shop of James'. The only sad part about it all is that now the house looks empty, and I mean super, sadly empty. Marigayle bought most of our furniture so it is still in the house, but all of my decorations and trinkets are down and ready to be boxed for the move. Last year, way before we made the decision to move, I had rented a condo at SPI for the month of June. Since I refused to waste a dime of that money set aside for the condo, we decided to keep the plan and hang out at the beach for the month. In hindsight, it actually all worked out, because with an empty house, things feel strange anyway, so we have sorta semi-packed ourselves up and moved to the Island. The condo is beautiful and we are literally hanging over the bayside when we are on the balcony. Best part is that Tammy and Jeff Cleckler are also here for the month and we are having fun with them right next door. James will drive back and forth as he still is working on a couple of projects, but Caleb and I are officially beach bums. The Island is crazy crowded on the weekends, so we are staying off Padre Blvd. and just sneaking down to the Blue Marlin for food as needed!

Alaska Bound

Welcome to my blog...I decided to start this blog to chronicle the events getting ready to take place in our lives. After living in Texas for the past 52 years, we are moving to Alaska. Strange, right??? Not to me...not to my husband, James, and kinda not strange to my two children, Caleb and Ryan, who are going with us. We leave our hometown of Harlingen, Texas on July 8, 2012. We must be in Bellingham, Washington to board the ferry to Juneau. Juneau is very unique...the only capital city in the USA that you can't drive to. You can fly in or come in on a ship of some sort. We are moving because we are sick and tired of the horrid heat. We are ready for some cold weather and some beautiful new mountain scenery. 
So come along with me on this adventure, which I have dubbed, "The Startz Family's Big Fat Alaska Adventure". I will try to blog once a day, and will try to include some photos here and there. I am very new at all of this technology "stuff", but with a little help from the kids, I think I will muddle through!

The Adventure Begins...

Welcome to my world!