Passing Muster

If you've been on a cruise before then you know that nothing fun occurs until after the muster drill. Our muster drill was not a great experience. Owen and Olivia both hated the life vests- add to it the alarms, hundreds of people, and having to be still and quiet for a period of time and you have a recipe for a breakdown (which Olivia did). It got so bad that a crew member finally said that one of us could leave the drill early and take Olivia back to the room. Below is a video of the kids prior to the drill. I think it clearly illustrates the problem with the life vests.


Immediately following the muster drill was the sail away party. It was a lot of fun. There was singing, dancing, and confetti (a piece of which is stuck on Brian's head in this photo). Olivia was recovering from the traumatic muster drill experience, so she was still trying to adjust during much of the sail away party. She did lighten up a little when Mickey and his friends joined the celebration. As the ship pulled away, it blew the horn. To my suprise, the ship's horn played "When You Wish Upon a Star". How cool!

After the sail away party, we let the kids run around in the splash zone before going to the room. I think that getting wet helped to put Olivia in a better mood.

By dinner time, everyone was in a much better mood. There are three regular dining rooms on the Wonder, so we got to eat at a different one every night (with only one repeat). On the first night we ate at "Triton's", which is the most formal of the three. All of the food on the ship was fantastic- and there was plenty of it. Following dinner Owen went to the nursery, and the rest of us went to the nightly show. On this night, the show was the "Golden Mickeys" which was an Academy Awards-like show that gave awards to the "best" of Disney (best villian- Cruella Deville, best buddies- Woody and Buzz, etc...). Each "winner" preformed a musical number when they accepted their award. It was a really cute show. This show marked the end of day one, and we all went back to the cabin for some much-needed sleep.

Ready to Cruise

We have just returned from our Spring Break Cruise on board the Disney Wonder. This was a fantastic vacation! Our 4-night adventure took us to two islands in the Bahamas. Now that I'm back, I must say that 4 nights were not enough. Disney certainly knows how to treat their guests! I guess it goes without saying that I will be publishing several posts chronicling our trip.




The vacation began last Saturday. We left the house after lunch and drove to Cape Canaveral, FL. We weren't going to board the ship until Sunday, so we stayed the night at the Radisson Resort. The kids were tired and hungry after the drive. Fortunately, we met up with Brian's mom and Charlie quickly. Note to self: going on vacation with grandparents is great- extra eyes and hands are very helpful.


After eating breakfast the next morning, we still had some time to kill before boarding the shuttle to go to the cruise ship. We passed the time by walking around the resort. Olivia enjoyed feeding the fish in the koi pond, and Owen was just glad to be outdoors. We checked out at noon and boarded the shuttle. Olivia started getting really excited at this point because she realized that she was about to go on "Mickey's Boat".

Swamp Run

This morning I participated in the Swamp Run 10K. This was my first 10K, and I'm a little tired this afternoon. I ran a decent race and finished in 58:25. My goal was 60 minutes, so I'm thrilled with this time. The race was held at Laura Walker State Park, and the course was great. Part of the course ran around a lake, and another portion was on a nature trail. It was a true cross-country adventure. In this picture, I'm about to cross the finish line (which is good because I do not think that I could have gone another step). My cousin, Thomas, has really gotten into racing since going with me last time, and he also ran today. He did well enough to earn a trophy.


After the 10K race, there was a 1-mile fun run. Brian, Olivia, and Bailey ran in it. Want to guess who finished dead last? That would be runners #530 and #531 (Brian and Olivia). Olivia "ran" pretty much the whole way, though. Brian said that what really slowed them down was Olivia's fascination with the lake. Apparently, their course ran by the lake at two different points, and Olivia didn't want to go away from the lake once she got near it.



Eventually, everyone made it across the finish line and received medals for completing the run. All things considered, the race was a lot of fun.

P.S. Brian wants it to be known that had he not been with Olivia, he would have finished at the top of the pack.

Owen's First Birthday

Today was Owen's first birthday. It's hard to believe that he is already a year old. Time really flies! We had a family party this afternoon to celebrate the big occasion. The first picture here shows the birthday boy with his party hat and personal cake. Owen really liked his cake, but I think that more got on his face than in his mouth.

Owen received a lot of nice gifts. He hadn't quite gotten the hang of opening them, but Ava and Olivia were more than happy to help him out. I think that Owen actually got a little overwhelmed at one point, but he managed to get through. The present that Brian and I got for him was a baby swing. And where did we put that swing?---On our new swingset, of course. It just so happened that one of last year's swingset models turned up on a truck at Brian's work last week. Since the set was an older model, it had been marked down- way down. Brian was able to get a really good deal on it, and so we had an extra little birthday surprise for our kids. They enjoyed playing on it, and we are looking forward to using it a lot this spring and summer.

Eight Years and Counting

Warning: This is going to be really sappy.

To My Dear and Loving Husband

By Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me ye women if you can.

I prize thy love more then whole mines of gold,

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that rivers cannot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.

Thy love is such I can no way repay,

The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.

Then while we live, in love let's so presevere,

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Return to the Zoo

At about this time last year we took Olivia to the Jacksonville Zoo. We had such a good time that we decided to go back again this year. There were several new things to see and do. Since our last visit, the zoo had added new stingray and komodo dragon exhibits. Of course everything was new for Owen since he wasn't born when we went last year. As always, the elephants and rhinos were a big hit. Here are some pictures of our afternoon with the animals.

Nice Weather = Outdoor Fun

The weather here has been crazy lately. At the beginning of this week we were bundled up in our heavy coats, but for the past few days we have been able to wear short sleeves. We let the kids go outside and play today because the weather was so nice. Olivia practiced riding her big-wheel. She's getting pretty good at using the peddles. I think that she'll be ready for a real tricycle soon.


Owen, on the other hand, still has a long way to go. I don't think that riding interests him too much at this point. He would much rather play with a ball or with Reecee.