here's another one...

More little slivers of our cruise, most self portraits save the dolphins.


I can hardly believe I have checked off the boxes:

swim with the dolphins
see the rain forest
go on a cruise
see South America
see Cozumel
climb a lighthouse
see the Mayan Ruins
walk Bourbon Street


so glad we took pictures because when I am wipping up baby puke it helps remind me....

braids

My hair was braided in Honduras by two lovely little woman who insisted it was not too short to do. They sort of hijacked me into their folding chair and just started twisting and pulling my hair at both sides, before I knew what had happened I had braids on both sides like a man in need of a toupee. Had no other choice but to let them continue braiding (which was their goal, I might add) and 129 braids later I looked like a native.

A white girl with braids is a very funny sight.



Especially a blond and kinda sunburned one, don't you agree?

The upside to the story is I paid less than the $1.00 per braid asking price for the lovely do and they played Christian Reggae without me even asking. We didn't eat Red Beans & Rice until Belize.

Finally Docked!

Having grown up going to Mexico and spending lots of time on fishing boats I thought I was prepared for "cruising," but the reality is I had no idea!
Here is Charley on Bourbon Street, at the start of our vacation and the look on his face says it all...we were so innocent!

Hit New Orleans around two thirty and had to wait for the welcome cocktail party at 6:00 pm...so what were we to do but walk Bourbon Street? Right?

Would you have not done the same thing?

The night before we only got two hours of sleep because it was hard work packing up seven people to be gone for ten days and then our six year old had to be convinced that he was not being moved to a new home. (He still has not really bought into the whole concept of being adopted, even though he has mastered the spelling of his new last name.) Anyway, so with that small amount of sleep and a long flight half way across this great nation we landed in party central. We are babes in the Lions Den. Helpless Babes.

Did you know that on Bourbon street the food is BAD? Not edible really. Would not feed it to Jeniva, Big Dog. But when you order a drink they top it off with a shot.

Really.

Generally Charley and I do not drink, not even wine anymore because we just have too much going on and it makes it hard to chase children. Plus all my MS medicines say that I should not drink and having MS sometimes makes me feel and sound drunk. Thus, those Innocent little candy named drinks and shots were A. L.O.T.

We had two drinks and two shots before four.

At this point we are not even officially on the cruise portion of our trip as it was Saturday before last and the boat did not sail (why do they say that? those boats DO NOT sail...they are floating cities on the water) until the ninth and we were just a few hours into vacation and pretty much sloshed. Sad.

Funniest part of the story? Here I am, strolling down Bourbon Street, listening to my early birthday present that I have filled with 500 of the best worship songs I could find, DRUNK. Singing out loud about God like a drunk Irish Girl. Came home with 48 beads but showed no one nothing. I swear.

The picture of the two of us is a self portrait the following morning right before we got on the ship

More to come...Cruises are F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. !!

getting there

We had perfect flights getting there but the flights back were the scariest ones I have ever had to be one..it is bad when right before landing the Steward reminds the passengers that in the event of an emergency landing that we are not to take any carry on luggage. We paid close attention to her because we were sitting in that emergency row, it meant something to us.

That and the snow and lightening outside the plane was just too much to watch.

Patrick & Gil

Woke up this morning to the news that Patrick Sweeny has Pancreatic Cancer, the same thing that Gil died of at the age of 35. It is a very horrible illness to get.

The worst kind of cancer if you ask me because by the time one finds out they have it, it is usually too late.

It is a silent and sneaky thief of lives and usually lives that are way too young.

Sad day.

~~~~@

On a happy note we are packing up the kiddos to go on our big boat ride.

I'm too excited too sleep!

Can you believe the places we will go, on a boat?

The things we will see?
The places we will eat?
The places we will swim?
The places we will sweat?
The Library on a BOAT?
Or the theater?
Or the place to waste our money?
Or were we will lay our heads?(Yep, this is our suite!)
Or park our fannies?
Did I mention they have a writing room? !!
And an indoor pool too...
A bar called Charlie's Champagne Room.

My plans do not include hardly anything at all on the boat because I am thrilled about where the boat is parking (do boats park? no, they dock)...I think we are going to need a vacation from our vacation. Did I mention that my wonderful husband provided this get away for us with his hard work? He won it!

The only thing missing is going to be five little voices that we love so very, very much.








~~~all of these pictures are from the boat we will be on...later I will post pictures of the places I am going to see. Charley teases me and says he is not getting off the boat.

I told him: I jump, you jump.

The Government

I have spent days and days and days on the phone, in line and at various offices trying to procure our passports...seems it is easier to be an American than to leave America.

Well, let me restate that, one can leave this place easily enough but one can not be assured of re-entry without a passport. I asked.

Just why are we in such a hurry to get one?

We are planning on going on a cruise here:Without the nine billion children in tow and soon.