Florida Trip - Our first Quinces Ball

Our week trip to Fort Lauderdale was primarily to help our niece, Camila, with her Quinces coming-out affair/ball. The main ballroom at the Marriott Hotel was the site for the formal occassion. We spent our first three days, assisting Cami's parents with their last minute arrangements. Cami had already posed for the formal picture below a week before we arrived. This framed photo was on display outside the ballroom doors. Since the theme for the Quinces was "A Venetian masquerade ball", Cami & 16 of her high school friends had been practicing waltzing for almost a month on the week-ends with a hired dance instructor. Cami had chosen teal & gold for her colors. The next picture shows part of the table settings. There were 20 tables of ten settings in the ballroom for the 200 guests. Each centerpiece was unique & designed by Cami's godfather, Eladio, who is a florist. We watched him construct the centerpieces the day before.

The men all wore tuxes & the women formal gowns. I borrowed a gown from my sister-in-law, along with shoes & purse to match. She and I went for a manicure & pedicure the morning of the ball. This was my very first manicure or pedicure in my life. I felt quite pampered.

Cami waltzed with her Dad, as well as two high school partners, at the beginning of the evening.

A delicious dinner followed. Then Cami had relatives & friends light the 15 candles around her cake before the D.J. began the dancing that lasted until nearly 0100 a.m.

Here is Jerry, Louis' brother and family. Natalie, the older daughter, flew down from Welsley in the Boston area, to attend her sister's Quinces. Jerry & Nancy are both physicians practicing medicine in Fort Lauderdale. Camila is a Sophomore in High School.

Another Florida Trip First ...

Can you tell that Louis was pleased as punch to be attending his first professional football game & to be seated in the second row at the 50 yard line right behind the Dolphins' bench? His brother has season tickets for this spot & gifted us with the tickets to the Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders game while we were visiting in mid-Nov. He loaned Louis all the proper Dolphin duds, as well. The weather was perfect for football...in the 60's & low humidity for Miami. We participated in the cheering & "the wave". We could really hear the impact of the blocks on the field! Our location allowed us to watch Dan Carpenter, the ex-kicker from the U. of MT Grizzlies, who is in his rookie year with the Dolphins. Dan warmed up before each kick right in front of us. It was easy to see that he still wears his Grizzly shoe on his right foot, although his left foot was in the regular Dolphin shoe. His fieldgoal kick in the last seconds of the game, won the game for the Dolphins. I caught Dan in midstride with my camera, as he prepared to kick that last fieldgoal. What a great memory to take away with us!

Happy Veterans' Day!

Happy Veterans' Day! The results of the election may tarnish this day in the future. After 23 years in the Army Nurse Corps, it is still near & dear to me. A few of my co-workers have yet to retire. A couple of the children I taught in Sunday School are now military in Iraq & elsewhere. It's great that a couple of days a year are set aside to help us to remember to pray for them.

We celebrated this day so far by wrangling our big ram, who shoots blanks & our largest, most skitish ewe into the trailer & taking them to the cull market. They weighed 470 pounds together. Louis is now on his way to St. Patrick Hospital to talk with a Jewish man who just had Triple Bypass Surgery. He asked for a Jewish Chaplain & Louis received the call. Such unexpected "open doors" are cropping up more often now that Beth Tephila has been in the Missoula community for over ten years.

In less than 24 hours, we will be flying to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our niece, Camila, is turning 15...which is a huge "coming out" time for daughters in the Hispanic culture of her Mom. It's as big as a daughter's wedding. We have been invited to a masquerade ball at the Marriott with 300-400 of their closest friends & relatives. We will be waaaay out of our comfort zone. Mixing with large groups who are drinking, dancing, telling off-color jokes & making superficial conversation is something I usually try to avoid. Our brother & sister-in-law would not take "no" for an answer. So I am now asking the Lord to keep my mind off my own discomfort by directing me to others in the group who appear to be left out.

Louis is excited about the trip, since his brother has offered tickets for seats on the 50 yard line to us for the Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders game. We have never attended an NFL or AFL game, much less had such wonderful seating. I'll take my camera along. Who knows what photo I'll be able to share with you.