Let's Get it Started!

Time to get started posting cruise photos--these are all from our first few hours. We only had to wait about 45 minutes or so in the terminal before getting on the cruise. We were all very excited!
Right when you get on the cruise you go straight to one of the restaurants for lunch. Our waiter made some napkins into a goofy hat and ears for Joe and Pluto came to visit our table. My kids do not like characters and cringed when they saw them coming. What's wrong with them?

Ollie, Billy, Grace, and Joe walked around the ship a little after lunch while Hannah, Harriet, and I watched some of High School Musical on the big screen on deck. We had to wait about a half hour or so before we could go to our rooms.
Once we could get into our rooms we started unpacking. Do you like our baby Christmas tree?
Before we left the port we had to go through the safety talk and practice wearing our life jackets. Then it was back to the pool deck for a big "Adventures Away" party.

And then we were off....for a super fun week, lots more to come later!

Home and a New Year's Giveaway

We are home from a week long Disney cruise!  We had an a.maz.ing time!  I can't wait to share pics and tell you all about it.  Maybe tomorrow--I have lots and lots of pictures to go through and upload first.  For now, I am going to talk about New Year's because Lisa over at Homeschool Mom-Lisa is having a Target gift card giveaway.  Go check out her blog, read about mops and her crazy mopping habits, then leave a comment but don't read my comment.  It's a little embarrassing but I commented anyway so that I have more chances to win the gift card.  

So, on to New Year's--I'm supposed to talk about any traditions that my family has.  The only thing that we do every year is have a big New Year's day dinner.  When I was a kid my mom made this same meal every year and now as an adult with a family of my own I make the same meal--pork roast, spinach (she made turnip greens but I don't like turnip greens so I make spinach), black-eyed peas and rice and sweet pickles and onions (otherwise known as "Hoppin' John), sweet potatoes, and corn bread.  The greens signify money in the new year and the "Hoppin' John" is for luck.  Of course I'm not superstitious nor do I believe in luck but it's a tradition to eat this meal every year.  I usually make some sort of resolution but it's never very deep or serious.  Last year I resolved to eat dark chocolate every day (to fight cancer of course) and I almost did it!  I missed a few days here and there but not often.  I would buy bags of the Dove promises after holidays when they were cheap and keep them in the freezer.  That made it easy to keep my resolution.  :0)  I hope you all have a Happy New Year, I'll be back soon with pics!

FPOP Party Pics!

I'm going to let these pictures speak for themselves....

Christmas With My Family

Grammy, Pop, Aunt Cici, and Harrison came for a short weekend visit and we packed in a whole lot of fun! First up was the show and after the show we all walked around downtown to see the lights and enjoy the festive Christmas atmosphere.

Saturday morning Cheryl went out in the rain and picked herself a fresh grapefruit and she and Grammy ate that for breakfast.



We had a very relaxed morning, sitting around and also singing some Karaoke. Cheryl had lots of fun with this! Grammy and Joe sang a "Little Drummer Boy," duet and it looks like Pop thought that was pretty funny.


And finally--presents!! Harrison is sporting his new pretty awesome sleep pants in the pic below.









They had to head back north on Sunday morning, we said goodbye and went to the final performance of "Joseph." It was such a great weekend. It was special to get to celebrate Christmas with them in person.

Benjamin Calypso

Brothers Go to Egypt

Theatre Pictures--Christmas and Joseph