Spring Fever Bad

Can't wait until summer and Catalina, been thinking a lot as the weather changes and it's not too hot here in Bakersfield reminds me of the ocean and makes me long to go. Things I remember about that little Island:
My first trip was with Mimi and my sister when I was 7 years old. My mom had to stay home with baby Chris, they weren't invited. We rode on the big SS Catalina. Mimi had us wear white pants over and it kinda became a tradition when I was growing up. We went every summer after, as we got older we got to bring our cousin Keri and then our cousin Kathy. I remember a trip when I was in the 8th grade getting to bring my best friend Coleen Koop and how excited we were that we couldn't sleep the night before we left. That also became a tradition. I remember going one year when it poured rain, but it was a warm rain and we played volleyball in the mud by the beach. I met a boy over there that year and he followed me all around, lol. We only talked, he gave me his number but I never called. I remember going over with a large group of teens when I was in high school. We had Heidi Horlacher, Sandra Berry, Larry Jackson, Pat Getz, Jon Fink, Blaine Holsonbake (before we were dating) and Kristi Atkins. We blew the fuse in the Atwater hotel with all of our blow dryers going at once. We had so much fun on the motor boats, snorkeling and the flying fish boat. I remember the boys were on one side of the Atwater Hotel and the girls on the other side in adjoining rooms, four in each for the girls, the guys had their own. I remember playing "murder in the dark". Blaine and Pat told us they met some girls and they wrote postcards and mailed them to themselves from the "girls in Saugus" dorks! The next year before Blaine's mission we took Paul Abbott, Blaine Holsonbake, (this time we were dating and it was a much better trip, lol) Debbie Paulson, Aaron Stubbs, Heidi Horlacher, Jimmy McCune and Robbie Rathbone. I remember walking up to the bell tower and looking out over the bay and wondering what my life would be like the next year. This became a tradition along with dinner at Antonio's, and snorkeling at Lover's Cove. I went with my friend Jan Loose the summer after Blaine had left on his mission. Just before Blaine came home I went with all of my roommates from Ricks college. That was a blast, that night when I went up to the bell tower and looked out into the harbor, I said to myself, next time I come up here I'll be Mrs. Holsonbake. Blaine came home and we got married in the Los Angeles Temple and then came to Catalina for our honeymoon. We upgraded from the Atwater and stayed at the Pavilion. Great memories. We continued the tradition but instead of going every summer we have gone every other summer bringing the kids. We went in 1984 when Devonn was a baby, then in 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 2000, 02, 04, 06, 08 and yay now it is 2010. Too many memories to list them all. Now we have a son in law and daughter in law that come and grandkids. Blaine still loves his haircuts at Lolo's although he doesn't have enough hair for a flat top anymore, lol and of course his Shaved Ice and Icecream. One year Emilee and her friends would come out of a store and there was her dad sitting on the bench eating his shaved ice, then later they would come out of another store clear down the street and there he would be on another bench eating his shaved ice. LOL. the island is small so we could let the older kids take off and meet us for dinner, movie, flying fish and snorkeling. I love that little Island! August, Catalina here we come again...