• Counting My Blessings: Week In Review

    It was a great week with my family.  We had some good fun together while accomplishing a lot of little, but much needed tasks around the house and yard.  The girls have been enjoying their summer adventures too!  Love hearing about their days and what they have been learning at camp and the adventures they are enjoying.   Thankful for an opportunity to have an extra day with my family over the July 4th Holiday.

    I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.

    Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:

    Monday –Thankful for a great July 4th Holiday to celebrate our country, time with my family, and a chance to have an extra day at home to get some items done!

    Tuesday – Thankful that Jake took the girls into summer camp so I could get into work earlier.  Also, grateful that I was able to get off work at lunch to pick up the girls and spend the afternoon with them.  We had a lot of fun hanging out together.

    Wednesday – Thankful for Jake and the girls help getting some items done around the house.

    Thursday – Thankful for an opportunity to spend extra time with extended family.  It wasn’t on the schedule until last night, but my Grandma Willa was in town visiting so we had an impromptu dinner with Grandma, my brother & his family, Aunt Pat, and my cousins and their families.  We had a great meal, the kids played well, and a good time of catching up.  Grateful for an opportunity to see family.

    Friday – Thankful for the girls summer camp and the adventures that they have been able to enjoy this summer.  They met a lot of neat people this week and was able to get in a lot of biking time (also the importance of staying hydrated on hot summer days in South Carolina).  Both girls were grateful for the camel backs this week.

    Saturday – Thankful for some time to catch up on projects around the house and yard.  Grateful for Jake and all he does for our family.

    Sunday – Thankful for the freedom to worship and fellowship with other believers.

    What are you thankful for today?  I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today.  It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day.

  • Cruising on “Serenade of the Seas”

    We had the privilege of cruising on Royal Caribbean’s “Serenade of the Seas” ship on our last vacation.  The first evening we were aboard the boat was full of exploring the ship, our cabin, the schedules, activities and the amazing services they had to offer.  It was our second cruise and the “Serenade of the Seas” was a bigger ship as well as a longer trip.  We were excited to have the opportunity to explore more islands during our trip.   Both of us slept very well aboard our time on the ship as they cruised from island to island during the night.  We met a lot of really neat people and was able to spend some quality time with our family.  “Serenade of the Seas” is one of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships.  Here is some information about “Serenade of the Seas”:

    Ship Facts

    * Maiden Voyage: August 1, 2003
    * Passenger Capacity: 2,114 double occupancy; 2,502 maximum
    * Godmother: Whoopi Goldberg
    * Gross Tonnage: 90,090
    * Length: 962′
    * Beam: 105.6′
    * Draft: 27.9′
    * Cruising Speed: 22 knots

    Ship Highlights

    * Rock-climbing wall
    * Portofino Italian Restaurant
    * Chops Grille
    * Latté-tudes,SM a specialty coffee house featuring Seattle’s Best Coffee®
    * Seaview Café
    * Themed bars and lounges
    * Casino RoyaleSM
    * The Colony Club, a unique British colonial-style lounge with self-leveling pool tables;
    * Beautiful indoor Solarium
    * Indoor/outdoor country club with golf simulator
    * Adventure Ocean® youth facilities
    * Day Spa and Fitness Center
    * Sports court with basketball/volleyball court

    These were just a few of the details of “Serenade of the Seas”.   We enjoyed amazing food, great entertainment and a fun times.  We would go again if we had the opportunity.  If you have never cruised before it is an experience worth trying at least once.  None of our party got sea sick.  The trip was pretty smooth and the service wonderful.  Check it out if you are thinking about taking a cruise.  Who knows who you’ll meet along the way!

    A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  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.  Go with a good attitude and looking 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!