The Mind of a Four Year Old

For part of our Family Home Evening lesson I had everyone close their eyes and picture a house. I asked the kids what their house looked like.

Kensie- "Gray with a red roof and a chimney with smoke coming out"

Lincoln, eyes squeezed shut- "I don't have one in mine! It's too black!"


The lesson was pretty much over at that point :) We were all laughing too hard.

Cruise Log: Days 8 & 9

We spent the final day of our trip relaxing at sea. The Princess Patter didn't have anything really exciting to offer us in the morning, so we just hung out until it was time for the On Deck For The Cure walk. It was great to be able to support Charlene & to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. We walked {actually we ran the last lap} around the Promenade deck 8 times {can't remember how many miles it was supposed to be....}. It didn't take too long, surprisingly, and since I got my exercise in I didn't feel the least bit guilty about eating 3 desserts at dinner.

The rest of the day was spent doing everything on the ship one last time.Stopping by the International Cafe a time or two, relaxing on the deck loungers, playing games, having burgers & pizza on the Lido, sampling yet another cologne, buying last minute gifts, looking at the art, talking to Razvan {our steward}, etc, etc. I just tried to soak up everything for the last time.

The sounds, the smells, the feelings.

Before dinner we participated in a rousing game of Crackpot Jackpot Bingo at Club Fusion, and although we didn't win the $2,000 we had so much fun {can I get a wh-oh}! We also packed our bags & set them outside our door so they could be picked up.

We went to the final show, Destination Anywhere, after dinner. I really enjoyed this one.......until the last number. The animatronic head dresses were just too much for me. Then Matt & I walked around the deck for one last look at the night sky & dark ocean. We stood & felt the sea air- man, I'll miss that! We caught most of the Comedy Magic Showtime {who knew the Take Home Chef was so funny?} & were rocked to sleep for the last time. I honestly cannot remember a time when I've slept better.

We had to be ready to disembark at 7:45 a.m. Matt & I got up early so we could walk around the ship one more time. We met up with everyone, grabbed a quick bite at the buffet & headed to the Explorer's Lounge to wait. Before I knew it, it was time to leave. I was definitely sad to go, but once we got to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale I was super anxious to get home. We were at the airport pretty early {about 4 hours} so we went through the line to check our bags, then went through the line again {apparently you can't check bags more than 4 hours early. We had 10 minutes- which was just enough time to wait in line again- until we could check our bags. The AZ clan didn't have this problem, as their flight left an hour before ours}. We hung out in the terminal playing games. The airport was SO crowded- mostly with cruise folk, I'm guessing. I finally got to call the kids. It was so great to hear their voices again, and to hear that everything went well while we were away.

We said goodbye to Matt's fam & waited for our flight {which was delayed} to Denver. We were "lucky" enough to have the high-school band from Casper, WY with us once again {they were on our flight from Denver to Ft. Lauderdale}, but instead of the funny crew we had on the way to Florida {"sit back, relax, lean forward, be tense- it doesn't matter to me. It's your flight"...."We'd like to pretend to have your attention"....."In the event that this flight becomes a cruise.."} we got a grumpy, rule-nazi flight attendant. I also got to sit next to one of the band members. She wanted to be my bestie. I could tell because she loved to share the arm rest with me and wordlessly handed me her book {Twilight} several times so I could hold it for her while she got more comfy. She was awesome.

It was so great to land in SLC! The drive home was too long. My whole fam was there to greet us. I had forgotten what Jackson's little voice sounded like. It was wonderful to cuddle him again! Kensie & I cried together and she presented me with a story she had written in our absence {I'll post it later}. Lincoln gave me a hug & told me over and over how good he was while we were gone {he really wanted that present I promised him for being a good boy!}. It's good to be home.

Now, back to reality.

On Deck For The Cure walk- Matt's a robot, apparently

Charlene & Curt

our last morning on the ship

Cruise Log: Day 7

It was a relaxing morning at sea. We didn't dock at our destination until 1:00, so we had the morning to hang out. Alayna & I did some wicked line dancing {which was difficult with the boat a rockin'} & we just hung out, played games, tried out a new cologne {Matt liked to go to one of the shops on the boat at least twice a day to try all the different colognes}, and got ready for the exciting day ahead.

We docked at Grand Turk, capitol of the Turks & Caicos Islands. The ocean was unreal. I could not believe the color and the clarity of the water {I sound like I'm talking about diamonds....}. It was the most amazing shades of turquoise and blue. UN.REAL. Our excursion didn't begin for a few hours, so we explored the shops, checked out Margaritaville {I think there were people who just hung out there all day. They had a pool & everything}, and enjoyed the atmosphere.

We did the reef & ray excursion which was a total blast! First, we boarded a boat that took us out to a reef where we got to snorkel. This was my first time snorkeling, and I felt a little clueless & wondered if I could actually breathe through the contraption. But after a quick lesson I jumped in & didn't look back. It was amazing. I could have stayed out there for hours. I wasn't the least bit afraid of a shark sneaking up behind me {unlike Matt}, though I was worried about bumping into the other people at first. It was SO cool to see all the coral and beautiful fish. We got to snorkel for about 30 minutes {waaay too short!} and then got back in the boat to head to our second destination.

Our next stop took us to a beachy area. As the boat got into more shallow water, I could see gray shadows in the water. Hundreds of them. Swimming around. We'd reached the "ray" part of our adventure.

I got off the boat, stood on the beach for a second trying to remember how to do the "stingray shuffle", and walked into the water. There were stingray everywhere. At first I didn't move around too much for fear of stepping on one, but once I got comfortable it was so much fun! It was an odd sensation to be standing in the water & suddenly feel a slimy presence brushing across your body. They felt really soft, but their tails were a little less inviting. I'm not gonna lie, I kept thinking of Steve Irwin & stayed clear of the tails! One of our guides showed us how to hold one, and Curt actually caught one on his own. I wasn't so lucky. I did get to hold the one the guide had, and even gave it a kiss. I also kissed the barb {eek} for good luck! Matt stayed on the beach & took pictures {wussy!} Marla kept calling the stingrays her babies- "come here baby".........! Our guide found a baby stingray that had been hooked by a fishing line. He was able to get the hook out, luckily. Baby stingrays are cute.

It was such an amazing experience and one that I will never forget {and hopefully can do again someday}.

After the fab excursion we headed back to the ship for dinner. We then hit the Explorer's Lounge for another comedy act, this time by Kevin Jordan {less than stellar}. I think it would be weird to do comedy on random cruise ships. I wonder how much they get paid? We played games & talked on deck for awhile before retiring for the evening.

Cruise Log: Day 6

We docked at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands around 7:00 in the morning. After a quick breakfast we were off the boat for more island fun. St. Thomas was gorgeous! St. Maarten was more of a desert landscape, but St. Thomas was definitely a tropical island. Green, green, green land and blue, blue, blue water. Oh, and iguanas everywhere! On rocks......in trees......

We decided to do an excursion on this island {thanks Marla & Rich!} so once off the ship we boarded our "taxi" {which was more like the shuttles at Disneyland} & our driver took us on a scenic drive through the neighborhoods {on the wrong side of the road, I might add} which were pretty run down. I definitely would not like to live on an island that has no fresh water source & whose main source of income is tourism, but I'll come visit anytime!

The driver let us off at Coral World, a small {very small} version of Sea World that housed tropical fish, turtles, birds, and stingray. Before we explored the wonders of Coral World, we boarded a semi-submarine for a close-up view of the ocean life. We all turned a lovely shade of grey once under the water {color pigments are dulled under water, we learned from our guide}. It was really cool to see fish swimming all around. Some people even saw a stingray & a turtle. Our guide got her scuba gear on and swam around the semi-sub feeding the fish cat food, which brought them really close to the windows.

After the semi-sub adventure we were free to explore Coral World. We were there during stingray feeding time, so we got to feed the stingray. They're weird little creatures! They'd practically jump out of the water trying to get the fish. Matt took pictures because he's a big fraidy cat of the ocean and all sea life that lives therein {Jaws scarred him for life}.

I was enjoying the scenery, but not as much as Alayna, who was looking too closely at an iguana {or was it the turtles} and proceeded to fall down the stone stairs. I didn't witness the event, & no one really knows what happened. It was all a blur to Alayna! She got some nasty cuts on her leg & her pants were ripped {and then strategically taped back together by Marla}. It looked so painful!! Luckily she didn't let it ruin the rest of her day & continued on like a champ! She was wishing they had a shirt that said "I went to St. Thomas & all I got was severe leg trauma". Rich was wishing they had a shirt with an iguana on it that said "I-guana stand up in St. Thomas, but I just can't"!

Our driver took us to a look out area, which was beautiful. There were, of course, people there trying to sell their goods. One of them was a friendly man with a steel drum & a plethora of CD's. I asked him how to play it & he showed me. In only one lesson I was able to play La Bamba to perfection. He then began playing Christmas songs for our enjoyment. Also, if you paid to use the restroom you got to meet Monica Lewinsky, a donkey wearing a sombrero.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking the streets of St. Thomas & trying to find a shop that did NOT sell diamonds & jewelry {they were few and far between!}. While at the outdoor bazaar a comment was made about how much cheaper things were on the previous islands. One vendor replied, "Welcome to the U.S."! People were loving the blood dripping down Alayna's leg. I could tell. She should have said she was bitten by a shark. That would have been impressive.

Once back on board we resisted the urge to scope out the friends of dorothy get-together and instead played a rousing game of Balderdash on the Lido. Then it was time to enjoy another fabulous formal night at dinner. We then headed to the Princess Theater for What A Swell Party (a tongue in cheek look at the Cole Porter era). I really enjoyed this one! The ship was really rocking again but the dancers never missed a beat. After the show there was just enough time to catch the last half of The Incredible Hulk on deck before my nightly rocking to sleep.

Cruise Log: Day 5

After noshing on a dreamy breakfast & enjoying several cups of hot chocolate {the waiters never ceased to be amazed that we didn't drink coffee at breakfast or alcohol at dinner} we got ready for another day ashore. At 10:00 the ship docked at St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles. St. Maarten {or St. Martin depending on which side you're on} is divided into a Dutch and a French side. We stayed on the Dutch side because we learned that the only real differences between the two are the architecture & the "clothing optional" beach on the French side.

We spent some time on the beach collecting shells, then headed for the shops. Most of the shops were selling jewelry or trinkets. St. Maarten is the place to go to get diamonds, apparently, but we stuck to the trinket shops! Of course, the certified diamontologist in Matt came out & we enjoyed looking at all the diamond-encrusted jewelry that we could never afford. We also got a free gold charm bracelet that we gave to Kensie, who now brags that she has a real gold bracelet with a real diamond in it.

It was fun just being out in the atmosphere of the island. It was also fun trying to walk without feeling like the ground was moving beneath me.

We returned to the ship, grabbed a panini & some quiche at the International Cafe, and went back to the room to change. I stretched out on the bed for just a second, and 45 minutes later woke up feeling guilty for falling asleep! Remember how I mentioned that one of the things I was looking forward to was sleeping in? Well, I never did it. Never took naps, either {except for my 45 minute accidental rest}. I just didn't want to miss out on anything. Who knows if/when I'll be able to do this again- I had to take advantage of every second! After chastising Matt for letting me sleep, we headed up to the sun deck where we relaxed with Alayna for awhile before dinner.

It was Caribbean night at dinner. We resisted the temptation of buying cheap tropical shirts & sarongs on the island, so we dined in regular attire. Curt was the only one dressed appropriately for the evening.

We attended Magical Showtime with Tony Laffan {think Take Home Chef} & Kasey-Laura. It was very entertaining & very dramatic. Whatever happened to the days of standing on stage & pulling something out of your hat?

After the show we headed up to.....wait for it......................the lido deck for the nightly pizza run! It was also the Tropical Island Deck Party tonight, which was a blast! Matt, Alayna & I had so much fun dancing with the {drunken} crowd to classics like: The Electric Slide, The Macarena, & YMCA. WE also got our island groove on with the Cruise Director's staff while the band Mozaic played on.

What a fun-filled day! I was bushed by the end of it :)

Cruise Log: Day 4

It was a relaxing day at sea. The waters were rocky all day which meant more bumping into walls. The motion only bothered me one time and that was in Club Fusion watching Alayna line dance. Once I got out on the deck I was fine.

After breakfast & line dancing we went up to watch Kung Fu Panda on the deck. Everyone was feeling icky {colds + upset stomachs + rocking boat = naps for most everyone}. Matt fell asleep watching the movie {and forgot to put sunscreen on- uh oh!} & some of us played games on deck while others rested.

Tonight was the first formal night at dinner. It was fun to get all dolled up and to see all our shipmates in their duds. During dinner we had our first encounter with a guy we dubbed "PhD". He was acting like he'd had a few too many {or maybe he's just a jerk all the time} & was hounding our waiter, Ferdie, to take pictures for him. We named him PhD because of this comment to Ferdie- "This is a PhD camera. Push Here Dummy". Boy, he thought he was funny. We saw him quite often during the rest of the cruise.

Some other "regulars" we saw throughout the cruise were "hacker lady", "Elbows", and "USA". Hacker Lady first caught the attention of some of our group when she was hacking up a lung all over the utensils at the pizza place. She seemed to follow us. Always hacking. Always freaking Alayna out. USA was a young guy who wore a team USA basketball jersey every day. At night he'd dress it up with a sport jacket. He thought he was the bomb. Elbows loved the shows. I think he got to the Princess Theater a few hours early, just to be sure he got a prime seat. He loved to stand up with his elbows on the railing checking out the crowd. At first I thought he was there alone, but later saw him sitting with his wife {I'm assuming}.

After dinner we changed into more comfortable clothes & hit the Motor City show, which was a cheesy song & dance production that was actually pretty entertaining {until they did their own version of Boyz II Men- "Princess Cruise is back again..."}. I was amazed that they could keep their balance & do all their dance moves with all the rocking going on.

Matt, Alayna & I decided to hit the 10:30 movie under the stars, Quantum of Solace. We got prime seats in lounge chairs with unobstructed views of the screen. We grabbed blankets & popcorn {and some pizza for me} and settled in for a good flick. I probably saw 10 minutes of the movie & I was out! I finally went back to the room. Matt & Alayna lasted a bit longer than I did, but nobody watched the whole thing!

The ship was still a rockin'.....

Cruise Log: Day 3

Today we stopped at our first island, Princess Cays,which is a private island in the Bahamas owned by Princess Cruises. We tendered {took a smaller boat from the ship to the island} ashore & it was beautiful. White sand, clear blue water, brightly colored cabanas, festive music, and plenty of lounge chairs. Just how I envisioned a tropical island to be. We spent the day soaking up sun, swimming in the ocean {it took me a minute to get used to seeing all the fish swimming around}, watching the fruit carver, exploring the island, looking at the shops, and resisting the temptation to get my hair braided {c'mon- don't you think I would have looked fab in some sweet corn rows?? not!}.


After returning to the ship we hung out on the lido deck {and partook of our 215th diet Coke with lime since boarding the ship. Those drink cards are a must!} for awhile before getting ready for dinner. The night before we decided to request the same table every night in the Michelangelo Dining Room, mostly due to the location of the table {by a lovely painting of a man wearing a loin cloth & making an interesting face, and something to do with a fish} and Ferdie & Riza, our servers from the Philippines. Tonight was Italian night, and all the servers were dressed up as elves {okay, they were supposed to look Italian.......red & white and green & white striped sweaters with scarves tied around their necks- they looked a little elvish to me}. We also had individual mug shots taken by a photographer who Matt accidentally insulted- "Photographers don't have to be super models" you know.

I'll take time now to talk about the food. Matt & I had so much fun at mealtimes! We always looked forward to seeing the menu & deciding what to try. It was great to be able to get an appetizer {or two}, salad, soup, entree, and dessert {or three} every night. Everything was delicious and we tried a lot of new things including (but not limited to):

• barramundi
• turbot
• smoked duck breast
• escargot
• pheasant
• sweet breads
• pate
• tripe soup
• mussels

I also loved getting the assorted cheeses with bread & grapes on an almost nightly basis. Yum! We quickly learned that the dining room was the way to go- for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why go to the buffet and serve yourself when you can be waited on hand and foot for every meal. No need to even place your napkin on your lap- they'll do it for you! Our motto became "screw the lido deck".

Another thing we learned quickly............avoid the elevators. It was amazing how many people used the elevators to go up or down one floor. I know you're on vacation and all, but come on!

After dinner we headed up to the Explorer Lounge to see comedian Rollin' Jay Moore. He was pretty funny, especially his nose-whistling joke. Our nightly pizza run & some games on the lido deck and it was time to hit the sack.

The waters started getting rocky in the evening, and it was funny to try to walk down the halls without bumping into the walls. The pools on the lido deck turned into wave pools. I was worried that I'd get sea sick, but after watching the waves from our bedroom window for awhile I fell sound asleep.

Cruise Log: Days 1 & 2

*disclaimer- as this is a detailed recording of our vacation for journaling purposes I'm sure it will be quite uninteresting to most of you. feel free to skip down to the pictures if you wish-



Day one was spent mostly traveling. From SLC to Denver. From Denver to Ft. Lauderdale. Flying sans kids was heaven. It was odd and a little unnerving to actually relax on the plane. I found myself worrying about other people's children.

When we arrived in Florida we took a "private" shuttle to the hotel where the rest of the fam was waiting. We spent the evening talking, laughing, eating Cuban sandwiches but not the cream of broccoli soup, and gearing up for the week ahead.

Day two started with breakfast & crazy waiters, a game of farkle {or is it farkel.... who knows}, & a walk through the "everglades" around the hotel. Then it was time to board the ship! I was beyond excited and had no idea what to expect. I knew cruise ships were big and all, but I was in no way prepared for the magnificence of it all. It took my mind a while to comprehend. We boarded the Crown Princess, found our rooms {Plaza 234} and went up to the Promenade deck. We stood at the front of the ship as the big horn blew & we were off!

We spent most of the day exploring the ship. Our rooms were on the same deck as the Piazza, which was something from a scene in Titanic.....gold & crystal & winding staircases. We also discovered the International Cafe which would be a daily stop {usually multiple stops!} for donuts, pastries, panini sammies, and desserts. Yum. Don't even get me started on the food.....I'll cover that later!

We found the library, which provided us entertainment each day with a daily sudoku puzzle, trivia quiz, and board games {balderdash!!}. We also discovered the wonders of the LIDO DECK, which Matt was convinced was only a tall tale. I fell in love with the pizza joint & frequented it daily {most often at 10:30 p.m. when I needed a light snack}. Matt was partial to the grill. We ate at the buffet a few times, but quickly realized that the sit down dining room was the way to go.

At 4:15 we heard seven short bells followed by one long bell which, as everyone knows, means grab your life jacket & head to your muster station {which was the casino for us}. Luckily it was only a drill....... "for exercise, for exercise"

We enjoyed entertainment in the Piazza by Wilson Jean-Baptiste {steel drum} & Spank {doo-wop} & attended the Welcome Aboard show where we got our first taste of Cruise Director extraordinaire Billy London.

After playing some games, checking out the Movie Under The Stars, and ocean-gazing on the deck it was time for the smooth waters to rock me to sleep. I loved the rocking- even when it got rough it was somehow soothing. Our room had an amazing ocean view, and we were on deck 5 so we were close to the water. I enjoyed just sitting on the bed looking out at the white caps & wondering what was swimming around out there. I never spied anything, unfortunately.

I'm Back....reluctantly.

I've returned from a celestial week of sun, sand, and sea. It was over too fast, but as we landed in SLC I thought I would burst if I had to wait any longer to see my babies. I felt that in seven short days I had forgotten their faces, their smell, their smiles. When I walked in the door to squeals, smiles, and hugs galore.........PURE JOY!

It's good to be home.


THANK YOU Rich & Marla, for providing such an amazing get away for us- it was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed!

and

THANK YOU Mom & Dad, for taking such great care of the kids while we were away- Jackson misses grandpa, Kensie tells me that I am not reading "The Witches" the right way {i'm no good at the voice, apparently}, and Lincoln has been calling me grandma all day.

*details of the fab vay-cay to come.......

Bon Voyage!

Tomorrow's the day! I'm off to the eastern Caribbean with HeartNugget {and his fam} for a week of R&R and TONS of fun. I'm hoping that the pit in my stomach from thinking about leaving the wee ones {which we've never done before} is gone as soon as we take to the skies. Some things I'm looking forward to:

1. sleeping in
2. no cooking
3. no cleaning
4. no whiny voices
5. no karate chops

I'll miss the rugrats, but this is gonna be heaven!

Sundry Photos

a little light reading

a sign

after the temple open house

Matt getting sexy for 80's night during inventory. Isn't that stash to die for? gag. It's gone now, thank goodness.

A Glimmer

So far March has not come in like a lion {knock on wood}. I am grateful for that. Today I opened the windows & filled the house with fresh air. Rejuvinating, I tell you! Perhaps by the time we come back from our week in paradise the snow will be a distant memory. Perhaps.....or perhaps not. Either way, spring is here.

p.s. who else is dying at how the bachelor ended??! chunks rising up in my throat as we speak.

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Concert Mania

Well, concert week is over. It was super hectic, but I'm a little sad that it's over. It was such a great week for Kensie- full of memories {for both of us!}. I volunteered to be a parent monitor for a few of the rehersals, and it was fun to be with all the girls in their dressing room & watch them from backstage. The dressing rooms at Capitol Theatre are so fun. Every wall is covered with shows that have been there & autographs from performers.

In CDT every dancer is assigned a big/little sister or brother. It was such a fun experience to watch Kensie with her big sister, Michelle. Kensie wrote her tons of notes & wanted to go see her in her dressing room every chance she could. Michelle made her feel so special, and gave her treats, hugs, and presents every day! Kensie cried the last day when Michelle told her that this was her last performace at CDT {she's graduating this year}. Kensie will miss her & I don't think she'll ever forget her!

Kensie did a wonderful job in the concert. She was in the front most of the time, so she was easy to spot! She had the most beautiful smile on her face the entire time. I could feel the joy. I cried the entire time, of course........

She loved getting flowers and presents from those who came to see her! Thanks everyone, for making her feel special!!

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