Sunday, March 10, 2013

Cruising, Falling & Thawing...

So, the cruise was wonderful. While the adults had a great time, with the exception of being bummed about the less than spectacular weather, the 3 year old soaked up every fantastic moment! It didn't matter how long the line was to see any character, she wanted to see them and was willing to stand in line to do it! There was plenty to do on the ship and lots to explore. Quinn spent a bit of time in the pool but only her Daddy was willing to go in with her. Our time in Nassau was brief. We took a van over to Atlantis, quickly toured through the hotel there and went to find a beach. The beach was quite disappointing for a few reasons. It was chilly. Q was afraid of the small waves. Vendors were constantly harassing you to buy this, have your hair braided, etc. The beach was small. We didn't stay long. We took a van back to the street where you get back to the boat and visited "The Straw Market" which we had been told had good shopping. Another fiasco! People pestering you left and right, wanting to put your name on something to hold it for you. Q got her Hello Kitty purse and I bought her a cute little Bahama doll. I did buy a pretty bracelet in the linen shop and a Bahamas coffee cup at Starbucks. That was it for souvenirs. The next day we docked at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, but because the weather was so chilly and windy, it was hard to have a good time. At one point Q was determined to get into the cold water, she threw off her coverup and headed toward the water. She didn't stay in long though and she was ready to put her coverup back on! It would have been a very different day if the sun had been out and it had been 20 degrees warmer. The water was beautiful but the weather just didn't do it justice. It was all we could do to stay and eat lunch (at 11:00) and walk around meeting more characters. The ship itself was beautiful! Very "turn of the century" with lots of art deco touches. The staff, of course, was wonderful and the service amazing. It was a bit crowded at times with many people doing the same things at the same time but the rooms, while small, were well laid out and comfortable. After all, we weren't really in there too long anyway. All too soon it was over and it was time to go home. If I ever go on a cruise again I would like to maybe to a 5 night and go further south, down to St. Thomas or St. Barts, something like that. We were all disappointed about the lack of beach time and warmth. It was so chilly that on Castaway Cay H had to invest in a sweatshirt since he hadn't brought anything but a suit coat! Quinn even tried karaoke with her Daddy. She looked adorable but he did most of the singing! It's been a chilly week all week. On Wednesday morning there was a light snow on the way to work and while walking up to the door my foot slipped out from under me and I landed on my knee! I felt like things were happening in slow motion. My legs kind of did a modified split and I landed on my right palm and right knee. My knee is a little swollen but I haven't had an extreme amount of pain. I took a couple days off walking but I was able to walk today and it was only a little swollen. I'm hoping it goes away very soon! Today we have had quite the warm up and I've spent a good deal of time in the back yard picking up lots and lots of doggy dodo. There is still a thin sheet of ice in some spots so I wasn't able to get it all but warmer weather is predicted for the rest of the week, including rain tonight, so maybe I'll be able to finish. While I was out doing that H took the pups up to the high school for me for a run. They hadn't been out in a couple weeks and they were sure ready! H said it was wet and a little muddy so he had to spend a good deal of time wiping them down when he got home. Tyler comes home in a couple weeks. He has one more week of work in Hawaii and then will spend a week selling his worldly possessions and maybe spending a day or two enjoying the beautiful Hawaii beaches. Amber and Andy had their ultrasound last Thursday. We are thrilled to find out we are having another granddaughter in July/August! Honestly, either boy or girl would have been wonderful. Quinn is excited to find out she's getting a sister. And a random: I bought this orchid a couple years ago. One of the first ones I ever bought. Last summer it spent a good deal of time outside on the table, growing a couple leaves. A couple months ago is started a new stem and now this! I amaze myself! That's all the news worth sharing! Have a good week!