Forgotten Blogs - Cruise

Sometimes life is just so fast that it doesn't get blogged about, and that can be a real shame. We should all slow down in life and spend more time on our computers, iPhones or Blackberries. You know, cause that's what life is virtually all about, right? So today I am going to make up for lost time on the computer and do some Forgotten Blogs, or maybe just one.

Chris and I went on our "Babymoon Cruise" back in July. I know that seems a little early to be going on our last hurr-ah before the baby, but the cruise lines have a rule that you can't be past 20 weeks at the end of your cruise. So at 18 weeks, Dr's note in hand, we set sail on the Celebrity Solstice for 7 days, stopping in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The idea was to have a relaxing time away together and catch up on our reading, sleeping, and eating. Mission accomplished.

Relaxing Time Together

Reading

Sleeping / Air Drying Wispies (armpit hair)

Eating

(This was the first meal served to me in the Grand Dining Room.

I was without words.)

In Puerto Rico, we took a 20 minute taxi ride to the beach, laid out in a sandstorm, got bitten by microscopic organisms in the ocean (30 feet away from a couple expressing their deep feelings for one another), then took the taxi back into town for some sightseeing and a quick stop off at Senor Frogs for a beer and a water with lemon. Here is some footage from that day.

In St. Thomas we took the ferry over to St. John and snorkeled along an underwater trail. Chris opted for his short shorts instead of the speedo and blended right in. St. John was the most beautiful place we have been to and we hope to return for an extended stay in about 18 years or so.

In St. Maarten we did the Tiki Hut Snorkel excursion, which consisted of snorkeling off a floating Tiki Hut and exploring some sunken ships and canons off the coast. We brought some delicious canned spray cheese to feed the fish underwater. The locals had never heard of that before. It's an old trick Courtney and Harper taught us last year in the Bahamas. This may have been the first time that fish of this region have ever been introduced to Sharp Cheddar. They loved it.

The Babymoon may be over but we are committed to spending some quality time away together at least once a year. Vacations with friends are great too, but the alone time gives us a chance to fall in love even more. Several years ago, we met a couple in Costa Rica who were on vacation just like us. They had children in high school and wanted to get away and reconnect. They joined us for dinner one night, but the man talked with Chris all night and then I chatted with his wife. She admitted that they had vowed not to talk about the kids during their trip, but they were finding they didn't have much to say to each other. Bob and Liz really made an impression on us. We can't compare ourselves too much though, because there was one striking difference between us and them. In our non-air conditioned bungalow, we found the switch to the ceiling fan on the first day of our trip. Bob and Liz found it on the last day. Before that, they were pushing the open mini-fridge against the foot of the bed to cool them at night. Simple physics and a good pair of eyes could have told them there was a better way.

Out With The Old...

...In with the new. When we moved into our new home a year and a half ago it was a very exciting time and a blessing from God. He always provides and gives us much more than we deserve. Chris and I really enjoy working on the house....him probably a little more than me, but still its a great way for us to spend time together. Our project this summer has been to remodel the master bath. Finally after hard work and a reasonable budget, it is finished. We did most of the work ourselves including the demo, plumbing, cabinets, fixtures, and painting.

Gone are the stripes, formica countertops, and 24" sink base made for children 4'0 tall. The old toilet, green fixtures, and cream colored paint....also gone. We attempted to peel the wallpaper off by hand, sliver by sliver, but gave up after removing an equal amount of drywall as wallpaper. So instead of opting for a new wall paper pattern, like something out of the Martha Stewart Home Collection, we went with paintable wallpaper. We reused the old basic mirror but had it framed for a steal at Hobby Lobby.

For the commode, we opted for the elongated bowl with the water saver feature. It's a few inches taller than our old one and Chris occasionally will hear a slam come from the bathroom as as I hit the seat hard, still expecting it to be 1970's regulations height. I'll get used to it eventually, especially since my bladder is now about the size of a walnut.

We added a bright new shower curtain and a memory foam bath mat that I wish they would make flip flops out of. All I want to do is stand on it and drip dry. A painting we recently purchased while roaming the streets of Puerto Rico hangs on the back wall behind our sinks.

While almost everything has been updated, we let our little friends stay. They hang out on the window sill. Sometimes I feel like they're staring at me, but I think most of the time it's the other way around.