This past week was spent playing host to several special people.  To begin with, my parents arrived for vacation on the 9th.  We hadn’t seen each other since we moved this past August.  They came at the perfect time; while the temperatures back home in Michigan plummeted into the negative degrees, it was unseasonably warm here in San Diego (mid-70’s to 80’s all week).  Megan and Paul baskedin the special attention they received from their beloved Grandma and Grandpa.  Megan broke into tears after they left this morning.  That stunk.

It figures we would go for months without visitors, then in one week have four!  Our friends, Bill and Shannon Bailey, were also vacationing in San Diego this past week.  We enjoyed dinner with the Baileys on Tuesday night.  The Baileys own The Pacific Catalyst, a beautiful 75 foot wooden vessel stationed out of the San Juan Islands (Friday Harbor, WA).  During the summertime, the Catalyst voyages to Alaska on natural history cruises.  Besides their obvious love for nature and the sea, the Baileys are gifted in hospitality.  I met the Baileys two years ago when they invited Adam and I aboard the Catalyst to cruise around the San Juan Islands.  It was an unforgettable experience.

On Wednesday night we had dinner at Crazee Burger with yet another out of town friend, Dan.  He was in town for business and we are glad he was able to squeeze in a visit with us.  Dan came as a representative bearing unexpected gifts and cards from our Romeo church friends.  (Thank you!)

It has been a great week but I’m looking forward to returning to a normal schedule this week.  The kid’s vacation is almost over – they return to school on Wednesday.  I hope that it is not another six months before we get more visitors!

Grandma and Grandpa are finally here! This is their first visit to San Diego and we can’t wait to show them around.  With six people living together in a two bedroom house for the next week, we’ve already agreed that it is okay if we get on each others nerves just a little.  After all, that’s what family is all about, right?

Last week I was sitting at work when my cell phone rang.  It was my five year old calling to say, “The fruit roll-ups came in the mail today.”  What he really meant was, “May I have one?”  By the time I came home a few hours later, the box was half eaten.  I guess it’s not everyday you get to eat a fruit roll-up with your face on it!

MyFruitRollUps.com is a fun and easy to use website where you can create customized one-of-a-kind fruit roll-ups.  The site has more than 400 graphics to choose from, or you can upload your own photo, artwork or logo.  It took my kids more time to choose a picture than it did to create a design.  In literally less than five minutes our order was complete.

MyFruitRollups.com would like to offer one of you a complimentary box of 30 fruit roll-ups (a $30 value).  Please visit the My Fruit Roll-Ups site and tell me how you would design your Fruit Roll-Ups.  Leave your comment on this post to be entered into the drawing.  The giveaway will end on Sunday, January 18 at 5pm.  That should give the winner plenty of time to order in time for Valentine’s Day (if desired).  I will notify the winner via email.