• Travel & Vacation: One Last Trip Around the Ship (Part 2)

    One last walk on the track around the ship – Daddy and Brina

    Since we had a little extra time after breakfast we decided to go for a walk around the ship one more time to soak in all the memories and the girls wanted to take a few extra pictures.  We were one of the last few people off the boat (we weren’t in a rush anyway because our flights didn’t leave until the afternoon) so we didn’t see a lot of people mostly just workers cleaning and prepping for the next crowd to come aboard later that day.

    Another view of the kids pool area.  This one has a better picture of the “circle” pool that the kids enjoyed.  It looks like its currently being cleaned.

    Brina walking on the track of the open deck

     

    Brina soaking it all in one last time!

    Karlie loved cruising!

  • Travel & Vacation: One Last Trip Around the Ship

    Karlie and Brina hanging out by the dolphin

    On the last day after eating breakfast our family took one more trip around the ship to soak in all the memories before getting off the boat and heading to the airport.  We had a great time on our cruise with the kids.  It was hard to believe Saturday was here and it was time to start heading home again.  So many memories were made during this fun week.  Thankful for a great time with our family.

    Last stop by the Adventure Ocean club before heading to the airport.  Karlie’s giggling at Brina displaying the sign for the picture.

    Karlie snapping a picture

    Karlie is mesmerized by the view

    Brina shivering while Karlie takes another picture

  • Travel & Vacation: Last Day at Sea

    The entrance of Windjammer always had cool food carvings.  Usually there were too many people or we were trying to meet up with people so I didn’t stop to take many pictures.  The girls insisted that I take one of the motorcycle!

    It was nice to have the last full day on the cruise at sea.  Since we had to have all our suitcases packed and out in the hall after dinner we just squeezed in some packing time around all the fun activities that we wanted to do for the day.  We got to do some of the activities we hadn’t been able to do earlier in the cruise like rock climbing and ice skating.

    Nicko wanted to go to the Fisher Price Little People movie so Lee, Nicko, Grandpa Russell, Grandma Penny, Jake, Brina, Karlie and I went to the movie.  You can’t see the girls because they sat near the front and I was in the back row behind Nicko.    It was cute and the kids really liked it.

    Looking out over the Royal Promenade through the glass elevator during the day

    Curtain at the evening show on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas

    The musicians on stage

    Comedian riding a unicycle with a 6 year old kid (from the crowd) on his shoulders

    Singers and dancers at the Farewell Show.  How do they dance so well in 3 plus inch heels?!

    Farewell Song from a group of staff members.  They had servers, room attendents, musicians, and more!

    Brina and Karlie swinging for the last time.  At the end of the Farewell Show Karlie burst into tears, she was so sad the fun week had ended.  She said it went by too fast and she had such a great time she wanted to keep on cruising.  She decided she wasn’t ready to go back to school or chores.  Poor kiddos, it’s always hard when a fun vacation comes to a close.  Thankful for the opportunity and all the fun memories we created throughout the week.

    Looking down on the Royal Promenade at night through the glass elevator one last time.  The girls love all the lights on Main Street at night!

    Karlie holding back tears while Brina is ready to get moving again as they walk over the glass bridge and down the Royal Promenade one last time!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Travel & Vacation: Rock Climbing on Independence of the Seas

    Lee made it to the top and rang the bell!  WooHoo!  He made it look so easy and went up several times that morning!

    The final full day on the boat we spent at sea.  We had a lot of fun climbing the rock wall, going to a movie with Nicko, ice skating, swimming, going to the show, and so much more.  The only thing that we did that wasn’t exciting was pack our luggage because we were heading home the next day.  I didn’t get any ice skating pictures because we were not allowed to take the cameras on the ice.

    Nathan made it to the top! Yay Nathan!

    The girls were proud of Grandpa Russell for ringing the bell too.  Way to Go Grandpa!

    Karlie ready to go rock climbing wall

    Brina was content watching all the family members climb the rock wall.

    Brandon, Amber, and Nathan ready to go rock climbing

    Brandon heading up the rock wall

    Amber heading up the rock climbing wall

    Lee and Amber both climbing up the rock wall

    Grandpa Russell watching the rock climbers.  Brina giggling at Mommy, I had just spilled one of the drinks because the cap wasn’t screwed on all the way (Brina thought it was pretty funny)!

    Karlie listening to the instructions from the worker before doing the climbing wall

    Karlie heading up the rock climbing wall

    Brina all smiles peeking out at me from the basketball court.  Is it windy B?

    Karlie going up the rock climbing wall.  She didn’t make it to the very top but she did get a good ways up and tried it twice.

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Travel & Vacation: Cruising with the Family

    Snapping a picture of Jake from across the table

    After a fun full day at Labadee, Haiti swimming in the Aqua Park,  zipping down the giant water slide, and time at the beach while some people went parasailing.  We enjoyed some evening activities on the boat after our great day at Haiti.  That night the girls ate lobster, tiger shrimp and steak for dinner.  They had a grand time hanging out with the entire family.

    Karlie was so happy!  She got her own lobster tail (and she eat it all)! 🙂

    One kiddo down during dinner….it’s been a busy day!

    Singing “Happy Birthday” to Amber!  Happy Birthday Amber!

    Singing “Happy Birthday” to Josh!  Happy Birthday Josh!  Amber and Josh got an awesome piece of cheesecake in celebration of their birthday.

    Family at evening dinner

    Zach and Nicko hanging out at the table

    Leo all smiles

    Karlie Kool Kat

     Hanging out with my sweet nephew!

    Do you see the girls in this picture? They are on up a floor higher than us.

  • Travel & Vacation: Always Something Fun to Do

    Brina hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma before breakfast

    We had a blast on our first full day on the ship.  The girls were up early before breakfast even opened so we hung out with Grandpa and Grandma a little bit.  We went swimming, ate great food, went to the Freeze Frame Show, had our first formal dinner, relaxed, attended the Once Upon A Time Show, and not long after that the kids crashed.  They were sound asleep within minutes of getting back into the room, cleaned up, and into bed.  Thankful for a great time with family during our time on the boat.

    Where is Karlie?!  Oh, there she is up in her bed reading a book!  Karlie loves to read.  She finished a couple chapter books while we were on the cruise.

    Relaxing for a few minutes before taking off to the next activity of the day

    Pizza and fruit were always a hit for lunch at Windjammers!

    Reading “Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing” to the girls while we wait for the rest of the group to get ready

  • Travel & Vacation: Once Upon A Time Show

    Once Upon a Time Show

    The first full day on the boat was packed full of fun activities from swimming, playing, Freeze Frame Ice Show, our formal dinner together, and more!  After dinner we went to the Once Upon a Time Show.  They re-told a lot of the traditional fairy tales from Cinderella to Snow White to Pinocchio and more.  The kids were fascinated by all the action on the stage!

    They even had fairies flying around!

    Fascinating to watch

    They even had Cinderella

    Some of the outfits made me laugh!

    The girls loved this show!

    Once Upon a Time Show – Rapunzel

  • Travel & Vacation: Our First Formal Night

    Karlie and Brina all dressed up for our first formal night

    Earlier that day we went swimming, played, and went to the Freeze Frame Ice Show.  Now it was time to get dressed up for our first formal night on the ship.  The girls wore their red dresses for the first formal night on the cruise ship.  They looked so cute!  We took a family picture but I thought you would enjoy some of the snap shots we were able to get while waiting for our family picture.  Everyone looked really nice for dinner that night.

    Our little ladies

    This one cracks me up…..they have obviously spotted someone they know, ha!

    Brina taking a picture of Jake and I

    A snap shot of Jake and I on the trip

    Grandpa and Zach are ready for their picture

    Karlie girl all dressed up

    Nicko looking sharp

    Brina, Nathan and Brandon ready for their pictures

    They look thrilled

    Uncle Josh looking all snazzy too

  • Travel & Vacation: Freeze Frame Ice Show

    Yay for the Freeze Frame Ice Show!

    After some time swimming we all went to the Freeze Frame Ice Show!  It was so neat seeing all the people zooming around so gracefully on the ice.  The girls thought they made it look really easy.  We tried ice skating later that week and it wasn’t as easy as it looked when these guys were flying around!

    Karlie super excited to watch the Freeze Frame Ice Show

    Brandon, Brina, and Jeremy are ready to watch the ice show.  We got really good seats too!

    Karlie thought it was cool they had stars on the ice with the skaters

    All the kids on the edge of their seats watching the show

    One of the couples in the show

    I lost count how many times they switch outfits in this program!

    Brina’s comment…..they make it look so easy

    Now that takes talent

    Amazing

    The Freeze Frame Ice Show was really neat

  • Travel & Vacation: Pool Adventures

    Fun times at the pool

    Our first full day on the cruise we had a full day at sea which was really nice because we got to do a lot of fun activities on the boat.  The kids started the day early (at least our kids did), they were up at 6 am and ready to go!  After eating breakfast with Grandpa and Grandma the kids thought it would be a good time to go for a swim in their pools.  The adults caught up on conversations as the kids went swimming.  They were bouncing from splash zone to pool to hot tub.  Much to our surprise most of the pools on this boat were chlorine, in the past most were salt water.  The kids tended to sit more still when they were in the jacuzzi so I noticed we got more of those pictures, ha!

    One of the kids favorite places to swim.  It was a circular pool with moving water.  The kids loved it.  Brandon, Nathan and Karlie are in this picture.  If you look at the back of the picture you can see the ocean out the ship’s window (the water’s about the same color too).

    Karlie loving the extra time swimming

    Brina, Karlie, Brandon and Nathan getting warmed up in the jacuzzi next to the H2O Splash zone

    Brina having fun

    My nephews Brandon and Nathan.  The girls had a blast hanging out with their cousins for the week!

    Brina and Nathan in the jacuzzi

    And there off to the next great adventure…

    Someone’s tired…Zach did a good job keeping up with the group.  Thankfully he can sleep almost anywhere!

    Nicko playing in the pool!