Monday, February 27, 2012

Day 1- Day at Sea!!

After spending a restless night trying to sleep on the ship as it rocked & rolled ALL NIGHT LONG, I woke up to sea sickness like no other. I legs could barely hold me up, my hands were shaking, and I wanted to barf ( I said it) like no other. I was not alone though. Julie had spent the whole night sick, and Tucker & Cass felt sick as well. So we all took some motion sickness medicine and went back to bed. So I have to admit that Day 1 was not starting off as I had imagined it would. After spending the day resting me, Cass, and Tucker recovered enough to do some exploring and went in search of ice cream cones and frou-frou drinks.....

May I also just say how weird it is to be out in the middle of the ocean and completely surrounded by nothing but water. Kind of unnerving. This night was also our first "Formal Night" and we all got dolled up to head off to dinner looking FINE!!!!

After a fancy dinner of stuff like lobster and ribs we went to see a musical show in the main stage. It was pretty fun. Photo opportunity anyone...say cheese!!

On any cruise they have all these photo booths set up everywhere so you can get pics taken. We took advantage of these booths (EVERYNIGHT) and made it our personal Glamour Shots. Everyday it was a different back-drop, a different outfit, and a different pose...even stupid silly ones (there's a story coming later about that).

I just want to thank my awesome sister and brother for letting me be a part of their family for a week. They included me in their family pictures and made me feel loved. I just love spending time with them and love them all so much!!

First Night!!!

So on the day we got on the ship it was Tucker man's 14the birthday! I just want to take a moment to write about what an awesome young man he is!! I know I've written birthday tributes about him in the past but sometimes you just can't say enough about how great you think a person is. I love this kid!!! He makes me smile everyday and laugh till my belly hurts. He has a great outlook and a sweet personality. I love that I got to spend this week "cruisin'!!!" with him. Whether we were miniature golfing, exploring, eating yummy desserts, or being silly....he really does make my heart sing. I love that he always says, "Hey, Steph". And I go "What?" and he says "You're cute!" And I say thanks. Its kind of our silly thing that we do. I love him even when he "fabricates" stories to get out of getting in trouble. He is truly growing up to be a kind, sweet, funny, smart young man. And I hope that he always stays my friend and never gets embarrased to be seen with me because I WILL hug and kiss him every time I see as long as he will permit me to. That's a promise!!! Happy Birthday Kid!!! I hope that you had a great birthday, not many kids get to sail off to the Caribbean for their 14th birthday.

MiAMi bAbY!!!

After getting some rest we woke up to warmth and palm trees....two of my favorite things. We went for a walk to explore Miami before we headed off for the big boat.

After getting through security and going through the hassle of getting on the ship we stopped to pose for a picture to begin our adventure. By the way, I haven't mentioned how great my Big Sis is for including me on their family vacation.....even if I do look like the dark haired step-child amongst all those blondies. jk
My pics may come in a weird order as I receive more from everyone's cameras. FYI.

CRuiSiN' BaBy!!!

After a year of planning and saving up, we (Rick, Julie, Cass, Tucker, and I) decided to go on a cruise to the Western Caribbean. So as the blistery cold of winter settled in we packed up our "warm wear" and headed of to sun, the ocean, and the beach......

What shall we do on our 3 hour flight.....let's play with the camera on the plane....

Before we know it and MANY MANY hours later, we finally arrive in Miami. So day 1 of our adventure is over and we head off to bed to catch some R&R, for the next day we were going to set sail off into the wide open ocean......