Our Key to the World...

Nevermind the fact that we went on this Disney Cruise way the heck back in January, it was so much fun, i would post it even a year later! My problem was that i couldn't decide which photos to post because there were so many parts of the trip that i wanted to include, and i didn't want to go overboard where it would take forever to scroll through them {let alone the time it would take to upload!} then a good friend shared a website that does these awesome mosaics which allowed me to include as many photos as i wanted! problem solved!

Our trip started at the airport where it was slightly reminiscent of the crew in "Home Alone"...there were 16 of us all together! Jake strapped Emma to the rolling suitcase and it was so cute to see her rolling through the airport--she loved it :)

We gave Alec his very own "Guitar Hero edition Nintendo DS" that morning and he was SO excited to be one of the "big boys" playing his DS on the plane. {all the boys sat together trading games, etc.}

The magnificent view of Mt. Rainier...

Arriving at port canaveral and checking in--upon check-in they issued us our "key to the world" card which we used to purchase anything onboard and to exit and re-enter the ship at port...

and finally boarding!

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Once we got on the boat we all ate at the lunch buffet and then went up on deck for the cast-off party. it was so much fun...they handed out streamers to all the kids and had music and dancing and made it really exciting overall.

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That night i snapped a picture of the sunset from the deck

Overnight we sailed to Nassau, Bahamas and the shipped docked in the morning. Grace was excited to get her hair braided there. They have outrageous prices posted, but they will actually do it for a fraction of the cost. According to the sign, her hair should've cost around $200, but we paid $50! It took an hour and a half to finish, but was well worth it because i didn't have to worry about her hair the rest of the trip {swimming/chlorine/tangles, etc.} Taylor got hers done too. After they were done with the braiding, we went to the straw market to buy some souvenirs and then headed back onto the boat.

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Disney has 2 AWESOME kids areas called the Oceaneers Club and the Oceaneers Lab. It was basically like "camp disney" with counselors and games and activities {like making Flubber} and they LOVED going there! they could go from 6am throughout the day till 2am {though WE never left them longer than a few hours at a time...}and we were given a pager in case they wanted to be picked up...but that wasn't the case...we basically had to drag them out! On the last day they even had the kids learn a fun song and dance called "Friendship Rocks" that they performed for the parents on the big stage.

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This was our stateroom. We actually booked later than the rest of the family and all they had available was a room with a window--which was really cool! we could look out and watch as the sun rose or set, and also as we pulled in and out of port. One of the kids favorite parts was the towel creatures that housekeeping would leave--everyday they would run in to see what it was. this day it was a monkey hanging in the corner.

The boat had AWESOME shows every night! but the only one i got pictures of was Toy Story--The Musical

  

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After the Bahamas, we spent a day at sea. The kids spent a lot of time in the pool, especially the Mickey ears hot tubs {and there was a cool waterslide that i thought i got a picture of, but must have just got it on video.} The kids loved being able to go order their own food and drinks since it was all included.

 

The next day we docked at Castaway Cay--Disney's private island. Once again they had a kids area called "Scuttles Cove" where you could check them in and then take off to the "adults only" beach called "Serenity Cove". Emma was so adorable in her swim cover-up...One of the highlights was the "Flying Dutchman" from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. When they were done filming they brought it to Castaway Cay where it makes for a pretty COOL photo!

{and check out mom's "all-terrain" wheelchair they issue!}

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Dinnertime on the boat was a show in itself! Every night we experienced a different dining room with a different theme, but our 2 waiters stayed with us, so we always knew them. They too, were awesome....after the first night they set the kids and adults at separate side-by-side tables and totally took care of their dinners, drinks, etc.

And the meals! i ate things i've never had before and that i'll probably never eat again {unless i go to a 5-star restaurant and order escargo} but it was the coolest experience to try all these new things...everything tasted wonderful, especially the desserts :)

Here's the kids at their table when we ate at the "Animator's Palate"

and it was Brett's birthday a couple days prior to the cruise, so they brought him the coolest piece of cake with a chocolate cruise ship on top!

 

Some of our yummy dinners and desserts!

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The last night was themed "Pirates IN the Caribbean" {get it? we were IN the caribbean :-} so all the characters had on their pirate attire. that was one of the most fun parts about the cruise. the kids got to see characters and take pictures constantly cause they were always out and about, especially around the dinner hour. Of course alec had to have a picture with his namesake...

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The boys hanging out....

The pirate party up on deck was so much fun! they played the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the big screen and had music and dancing with all the characters and a cool show! then a huge midnight buffet with a fireworks at sea. it was loads of fun.

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But alas, our trip came to an end and it was time to leave....ahhh! we didn't want to leave! we could have stayed for much longer :) but we all promised we would be back cause it was too much fun not to go again! we packed so much into the days we were there and made so many fun memories. the kids still talk about it and ask when we are going to go again :)

If you ever have the chance to go--I highly recommend it!

This was our farewell photo....

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and last of all, this is the photo of the sunset i snapped through the airplane window on the way home

What time is it?...Summertime!

So school is out for the summer, and lucky for me--most all the other kids in the country got out before we did--so i saw some pretty fun ideas on some other blogs. I saw this idea here. Like i said, lucky me, cause this is not something i probably would have thought of on my own, especially since my thoughts lately have been focused on heartburn and ankle swelling {but that's a different post altogether.}

I was going to do a basket for them each individually, but then decided it would be better to put it all in one and there would be less conflict that way. I found that Michael's has a really great {i.e. "cheap"} kids section with lots of fun, crafty, artsy things. all the stuff my kids love....and after i left Michael's i headed over to Dollar Tree for some treats, where i also picked up the basket and balloon.

Here is what i put in the basket o' fun:

Water guns

Modeling clay

Glow bracelets

Wood jet gliders--boys

Charm bracelet kit--grace

Grab-a-bubbles {bubbles you can hold in your hand}

Dry erase game board--for car trips

Candy necklaces

Watermelon twist gum

Airheads, Puckerooms, & Funtoos

I would have given it to them when they got home on the last day, but when i picked the kids up we went to Chuck E. Cheese with some cousins and then to a family dinner at my mom's, so it worked out better to give it to them the next morning. they were super excited to play with all their new stuff, and my favorite part.....it gave me a chance to sleep in a little!

p.s. {extra points if you can name the song the title of the post comes from!}

Airforce One...do you copy?

A couple weeks ago my mom, dad, sister, and i flew down to San Antonio, Texas for my brother's graduation from basic training in the Airforce. i didn't really have any expectations of what it would be like, but if i did, it would have exceeded all of them! it was very emotional {which could possibly have to do pregnancy hormones} to see my brother accomplish something of that caliber--and after hearing about everything that basic training entails, it was even more impressive.

We flew out wednesday afternoon where we were seated right in the middle of the entire Sounders FC soccer team. this guy was sitting on my left...we shared an armrest {sigh} hmm....i never knew soccer players were so cute...but i digress! we picked up our rental car, and drove to the hotel where we promptly went to sleep because with the time change we had to get up at o'dark hundred {3am seattle time!} in order to get to the lackland airforce base for the festivities. after a wrong turn on the freeway {oops!} we made it there in time and lined up for the airman's run.

this was probably the most exciting part, just because it was the first time we had the opportunity to see him, if only for a second. everyone started cheering when we saw the first flight coming into view, and from there it was a frantic scanning of all the trainees that had on the exact same clothes with the exact same haircut {can you say "where's waldo"?} but we were lucky enough to have picked the right side of the street because here he came right there in front of us, close enough to reach out and touch!!

we could see his eyes scanning the crowd too, in hopes of seeing us among all the other family members there to see their son/brother/boyfriend. we yelled his name and though he didn't turn his head, {they weren't allowed to} his eyes were looking to the right and he cracked a smile, so we knew he saw us. {click on the pictures to enlarge it and you can see his half-smile} after they all passed, we ran across the street taking our chances that they would do a u-turn up ahead and he would be on the opposite side of the street when they ran back through. we were right! and he sneaked a peek at us again as he ran past.

from there we had to wait 3 hours on metal bleachers until the coin ceremony began. this was where they were given their airman coin and officially graduated from trainee to airman. when they had all been presented their coin they concluded the ceremony and released the family members to come greet their airmen.

it was a mad dash from the bleachers to the floor to find him...again: where's waldo? they all looked the same! and the poor guys waiting for their family to come....they had been instructed to stay in formation until their family members came, so they couldn't move or look around...

they were at the mercy of us finding them! mom ran up to him and put her hand on his arm and he tentatively turned his head to look at her.....{he said he had to make sure it was actually someone he knew, so it wasn't a case of mistaken identity, lol}

.....then wrapped her in a big bear hug. we all took turns hugging and taking pictures and commenting on how good he looked!!!

the rest of the day he had base privileges so he could go anywhere with us as long as he stayed on base. We were all starving after being up so early so we went in search of food.

{a little side note: b4 we left, we googled Charley's Subs to see if there was one anywhere near the base since that is matt's favorite place to eat, but the closest one we found was a half hour north}

we went to the mini-mall that had the Exchange and commisary and a food court and as we walked in, lo and behold, was a Charley's Subs! matt looked like he had died and gone to heaven! {it obviously didn't show up on google since it was on a government base} the day passed by quickly and before we knew it, it was time to say good-bye. not too difficult for us...we had a cush hotel to go back to...but for him it was back to being under lock and thumb. at least it was only till the next day. we went back to the hotel and crashed! it was a long day....and we had another early morning ahead of us.

this time we found our way to the base easily and settled ourselves in yet another set of bleachers {oh joy} waiting for the graduation parade to start. this part was really cool to watch.

they recited the airforce pledge, motto, song, etc. and really focused on the big accomplishment that it was for these young men.

did you know that only 25% of men aged 18-35 are even eligible for entrance to the airforce? and out of the all the guys in his flight, he was one of the few to earn his first set of stripes...way to go matt!

after the graduation ceremony there was an open house at their dorm where we got to see where their living quarters. matt took us through their daily regimen and what their day entailed. whew! i was tired just hearing about it!

after that they were given town passes from 2-8, so we went into san antonio and walked around the town. it just so happened that he graduated during "Fiesta"....a 10-day celebration of parades, food, and fun {also known as drinking}, so there was no shortage of people in town. we had lunch, visited the alamo, and even took a dip in the hotel pool {on the roof} before returning him to base.

the next day was another all-day town pass so he got to leave at 9am. we took a riverboat tour of the riverwalk {there's a river that runs through the town} which gave a detailed history of the town and many of the buildings.

{if you ever visit there, i highly recommend it!} then we ate lunch at a yummy mexican restaurant.

and once again, the day passed by too fast and it was time to take him back. this time it was for good since we would be flying out the next morning. it was hard to say good-bye, but we were all so proud of him and knew that he was moving on to bigger and better things. monday morning he would leave at 2am for a flight to san francisco where he would be stationed in monterrey for his linguistic training learning his assigned language: ARABIC...Wow!!! we all gave our last hugs, and off he went. it meant a lot being there for such a meaningful moment in his life. and it was really special to see my dad and him together...my dad went to his basic training for the airforce at the same base! like father, like son, eh?

Congratulations Matt!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

back at the hotel we crashed once again ready for another early morning. our flight was at 6am which meant we had to get up at 3am. {and if you count seattle time it was 1am!} we "attempted" to return the rental car, but as we approached the airport, every rental agency had signs to return their cars except ours. lucky us. we stopped probably 4-5 times to ask for directions. we were given detailed maps each time. we drove by the same landmarks multiple times. it felt like we were in a labrinth, always knowing it was somewhere nearby, but never being able to get there. all the while our time is ticking by and we are getting closer to our departure time. finally we have only 20 minutes until our flight is supposed to leave and we still can't find the car rental. we stop at a different rental company to ask them and they tell us "we're sister companies, just return it here!" ahhh!! so we hopped on the shuttle to the airport and walk in to find an insanely long line at security. we pretty much know we've missed our flight by now, but get in line regardless. amazingly, the line moves quickly and we are at the check-point with only a couple minutes till our fight leaves. if our gate had not been literally 30 steps from security we would have been out of luck. but this pregnant lady can run when she needs to. i was the first through security and ran {sort of} to the gate and said "we're here, we're here!" the attendant said "you just made it! we were getting ready to close the doors" talk about cutting it close! we literally sat down and the plane backed out from the runway. i think we all zonked until we got to salt lake city where we had a connecting flight.

it was an awesome weekend, but not a relaxing one--if you get my drift. my ankles/feet were so swollen from the heat and humidity in san antonio and the flight to and from. i needed a vacation from my vacation--but i wouldn't have missed it for anything!!

Home is where you hang your heart...

Home is where you hang your heart--and we hang ours in Poulsbo now....April 1st we bid farewell to our lovely Port Orchard home that we spent 3 and 1/2 years in. We didn't anticipate moving until summer since we wanted the kids to finish out the school year in P.O., but we found the right house in Poulsbo and decided to go ahead with the move. It was hard to do, considering how much time

and effort we put into remodeling the kitchen, LR, bathrooms, etc. but in the end, more space, and being in Poulsbo won us over. I would post some pics of the house b4 we refinished the cabinets, floors, and got new furniture, etc., but unfortunately they are on the old hard drive that went ka-put, so you'll just have to use your imagination. :)

One of the downfalls to moving was that we went from GARAGE to NO GARAGE. So everything that WAS in the garage had to find a new home. We had a yard sale and really tried to get rid of many things that we had been holding onto for years that just sat in a box/tote. The kids had a great time weeding through their toys when i told them that they could keep the money that they sold for. Alec kept bringing more toys out throughout the day after he played with them "one last time."

Lulu was so funny...she climbed into this basket that seemed much too small to be comfortable, but made herself at home and stayed in there for a good portion of the day.....silly dog :)

And i have to post these pictures in honor of the kids....they thought it was the funniest thing when my dad helped this lady stuff the huge Lovesac in her trunk. If you've ever seen the movie "Robots" you'll know what i mean when the kids couldn't stop referring to the lady's car as "aunt fannie."

After what seemed like a million years of packing, the day of the move finally came {too soon!} and we loaded up the u-haul only to find that even with all of our purging, we still couldn't fit everything into one truckload. My dad and Angel ended up going back early the next morning {in the pouring down rain} and loading up the remainder of our stuff....and i was shocked to find out that it took up the WHOLE truck! TWO full truckloads?!?!?! We spent the rest of the day cleaning until my feet and hands couldn't take it anymore and i deemed the house officially clean and called it quits. {did i mention i hate moving?} We drove down the driveway "one last time" and over to our new house, {that didn't feel much like "our" house}, where we had a nice spaghetti dinner with my mom, dad, and sister's family.

and a BIG shout-out to my mom...I honestly don't think i could have done it without her. She helped me pack my entire house, organize for the yard sale, even stayed to clean my other house, and helped me unpack into the new house. WOW...that's motherly love!

our new place:

it's bright and open and we feel like we can breathe!!

p.s. if you want our new address, drop me an email....

Last but not least...

So this is it!! For anyone that doesn't already know...our 4th and final little one is on the way. The kids all had they're fingers crossed at the ultrasound that "IT" would be a girl...and they got their wish! She will arrive sometime around the first week of August and we are all eagerly anticipating her arrival {some more than others...namely, ME}