Special Surprise Vacation...Revealed!!

If you haven't heard or guessed, it was a Disney Cruise!!!

And forgive me now for picture overload. We actually only had the camera with us a few of the days because we were too busy having fun!

And be not mistaken, we did board the ship in our swim gear. That is my tip numero one for you. You may look a little white trash getting on the boat in your swimmies, but when you don't have your room until the afternoon and have kids, you need to head to the pool.

This cruise was out of Florida. The five day to Key West, Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney's private Castaway Cay. There were definite ups and downs with the cruise, but nothing that was a deal breaker that wouldn't make me take another one, because we will! The rooms are the largest of any ship I have been on. We went to the show every night and they were impressive. The kids clubs, awesome. Dinners, tastiest I've had on a cruise. Check in and out was the easiest thing EVER. The service was top notch. Now to the downers. The breakfast buffet was nothing to be desired and super cramped. The pools could use some updating. On our sea day they were jam packed. And they didn't have endless snacks. And mama needs her snacks. On other ships you could mosey somewhere and find a cookie or pizza (the did have pizza actually), but on this ship it seemed like everything but the bars and lounges  shut down at night. I guess there is room service.

And lucky for us there was a rocket launching over at Kennedy so we got a once in a lifetime, front row seat, to the launching of it. And it was insane! We saw it launch. Moments later heard the rumble. And moments after that actually felt the power of the take off. It rocked! 

The rest of these photos are just a couple of my faves. Jack endlessly water sliding. My favorite Indonesian, Arsa. A sweet shot of jumping on the bed. Kisses on the deck. Making flubber (one of Jack's favorite activities on the ship). Pirate night. Millie stealing the camera (and the show) and walking around with a winch at bingo taking random shots. Standing like flamingos. Jack learning to swim under water.

I know this looked like a blast. And it was. But nothing brings you back to the reality of traveling with a five year old and a two year old when Jack tells Millie she is a sassy britches in the airport and her screaming at the top of her lungs," I AM NOT A SAAAASSSY BITCHES!"

 

 

 
 

 

Couple's Retreat

My intention is not to make you all jealous of this:

 Or this:

 Or this:

Well, maybe this:

But to let you know why I think a couple's retreat is so necessary to to a happy you, as well as a happy couple.

Anxiety levels were high leaving our squishy faces for eight days. It was the longest and furthest we would have ever been from them. And we could only check in every other day. I may or may not have cried for a sec in the backseat on the drive to the airport.

Anyways, on to better reasons to leave your children. Unless you like a good, heart palpitating cry. Whether it is an over nighter or a week, YOU NEED THIS. Chris and I try to do it every couple of years, with an over-nighter thrown in there once a year. Here's why:

Number One: Let's just get it out of the way, we all know what it is. Sleep. I don't care if it is on a hard mattress, rocking in the middle of an ocean, it was uninterrupted. Except for the Captain on the loudspeaker in the morning informing us of our morning Zumba and Bingo options.

Number Two: The ability to remind ourselves why we love and dislike our spouses. Sometimes we find ourselves in such a daily grind that by the time dinner is served, baths are had, and most importantly, TV is watched, we haven't had the chance to chastise each other for unauthorized gropings and not picking out a shirt to be ironed before 11:00 p.m. And that is sad. Bickering and genuine laugher go hand in hand in a marriage. Without it, I think days become muddled and a spark is lost.

Midway through the cruise we were fighting like brother and sister. Knit picking everything about one another. There's nothing like being on a boat with no where to go to make you look at each other and say, we need to knock it the hell off. 

It was fun to hold hands and act like newlyweds, as many of our fellow cruisers thought we were. Our waiter was shocked when I told him I was 29 and had two kids. *Whether or not he was stroking my ego and my wallet, Mario was given an extra tip for that. 

Number Three: Having ME demand a different dinner because I did not like the first.

Number Four: Being able to actually use all my sweet living room dance party moves. Where can a stay at home mom like myself show off all that I got? On a floating dance club full of fifty-somethings and a few younguns, that's where. I may or may not have kicked them all off the floor to serenade my husband with an awe inspiring rendition of "Shoop" by Salt 'N' Pepa. I know the thought of my Olive Oil arse Beyonce-ing it up has you on the floor rolling right now, but it was F-U-N. Especially watching my husband teetering between embarrassment and being somewhat impressed???

Big thanks to my dad and step-mom for the trip for Christmas, it was awesome. Minus my dad's last night spent in the boat's infirmary with kidney stones part. We will forget that happened Dad.