"If We Are the Body"

Now that we are attending a new church (again), I thought I'd take a brief moment to talk about our church-going experience since moving to Florida.  It's been an interesting one, to say the least.  I'm so thankful I was exposed to so many denominations growing up, because it encouraged me try a church regardless of it's name.  My parents have always taught us its not about the name of the church but about their doctrine. If a church is proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, came in a manger and died an innocent death on a cross, buried in a tomb and risen 3 days later to ascend alive into Heaven, and that church encourages people to not focus on a religion but on having a personal relationship with Jesus, then my goodness that is a church worth attending! 

Brian and I have attended 8ish churches in the Central Florida area over the last 3.5 years and have really enjoyed some while nearly walking out of others.  We were so pleased to find First Baptist Orlando, but after moving the opposite direction from that church just 4 months after becoming regular attenders there, we decided to begin our search again.  Although my first experience at Celebration Community Church, the church we would settle at for nearly 2 years was a negative one, once we took the step of getting involved in a small group, it ended up being a place we would be very thankful for during the most difficult transition of our life...becoming parents.  There were quite a few women who rallied around me and encouraged me during my pregnancy and after Carly arrived.  I will forever be grateful for those women and truly couldn't have entered motherhood without them.  The church is very involved in global ministry and is quite a family, growing more each and every week.  I'm so glad to have been a part of it for the time we were. 

It was hard to decide to church shop again, but bottom line was that CCC had became a half hour drive after our move this summer, and we desperately needed Christian friends who lived in our same town and community.  We also needed a church with mid-week programming, since the head of our household is unable to attend church on Sunday mornings. 

As a pregnant mama with a baby on her hip and no husband at her side walking into a new church, I'm not treated very well.  It's awful.  I am ashamed at the thought of how Christians judge one another before even having a conversation.  The first church I tried alone I wasn't even spoken to until I asked if there was a nursery I could take my 18-month old to.  Even then no one tried to make conversation with me.  But when I walk into a church as a pregnant mama, with a baby on my hip AND a husband at my side, we get bombarded with welcomes.  This has been the pattern at EACH of the 8 churches over the past 3.5 years.  Why?  Because a young family has something to offer.  A young family is going to get involved in ministry and be an asset to the church.  A "single" mom, or someone who perceivingly doesn't have the support of her husband, has nothing to offer.  She isn't going to tithe much, she's going to be too busy with her young ones to be involved in ministry, lead a small group, volunteer for nursery, greeter, usher, communion, worship team, you name it.  So why waste time pouring into her when you will receive nothing in return?  It was so sad.  I've come home bummed on several occasions. 

Quite honestly, HBC (our now church home) wasn't any different.  I think most churches really need to work on their welcoming strategies.  BUT...I dropped Carly off in the nursery, walked into their auditorium, listened to their worship and the preaching that went on that day and felt incredibly comfortable.  Finally...a church that felt like home.  Finally.  A big (near mega-size) church with a huge band and a pastor who was willing to yell from the pulpit about ridding ourselves of the filth of sin we live in.  Home.  I wasn't greeted, barely spoken to, but at least I didn't feel judged and I knew this church was a Christ-centered place (I had a very similar comfort level when I first attended CCC as well...just minus the "mega-church" part). 

I was so excited to share my experience with Brian and the next week couldn't wait to attend a newcomers class I saw in the bulletin.  Again, even in that small classroom of people, I wasn't greeted well.  I was SO bummed.  Here is this church I can tell has good intentions but falls short when it comes to reaching out to the single pregnant lady.  I loved the course material, however.  I loved what the teacher had to say about their foundation.  So even though I once again left without being greeted, I gave it one more chance.  The next week I got up and INTRODUCED myself to the teacher, deciding to take matters into my own hands.  I requested to be introduced to a small group in my area and just a few days later I received a call from a man who invited us to his home and seemingly couldn't wait to meet our family.  We now attend a small group with 10 couples who have 13 children and 5 on the way to be born this spring.  We are very happy with the church and I continue to love going each and every week.  Carly ADORES Sunday School and also cheers as we walk into the BEAUTIFUL building. 

So why write this post about our experience?  Well, I have 3 points to make.

1. If you are someone who is well established in a church, please, please take the time to not only shake someone's hand but ask them a few questions.  Even if you have no idea if that person has been attending the church for a year or is there for the first time...if they are new to you...reach out.
2. Stop judging a book by it's cover.  As Christians we are called to love, particularly the "least of these" or someone who looks like they might be among that group.  I challenge you to take that extra step and find the person who looks most uncomfortable, or the person who appears like she has her hands full with a toddler on her hip and a baby in her womb with no husband.  Likely, she really needs you.
3. If you're church shopping, take the time to walk up to an info table, introduce yourself and state that you are new.  Fill out the info sheet in the bulletin and then give them a chance to contact you.  The individuals of the body are often not trained to greet you, but the people at the info desk should be. Is it awkward? Yes.  But it's worth it in the long run.

And if you want a good song to help you take the step of introducing yourself to someone at your church who looks new, listen to "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. :) 

"This Little Light of Mine" {22 Months}

Carly is just two months away from her second birthday.  I've caught myself saying she's almost 2 recently...but I wish I wouldn't do that.  She's still very much 1 and I'm enjoying every second of having a blissful and very happy one-year-old running around my house.  I can't even think about her being 2 yet...there's too much that will happen before February 18th!  Here's the last synopsis I'll write of our little first born as a one-year-old:

There are two things I think are most notable.  One is her continued language development.  Just two months ago I was writing down each word she could say...and now I couldn't possibly do that.  She pulls words out of the air we had no idea she even knew these days! She can repeat almost anything we say and she speaks all day long.  We've noticed a bit of dyslexia at times when trying to pronounce words, and the letter "f" seems to be the most difficult for her, but other than that she's doing a pretty good job.  Our favorite dyslexic word is "Dida."  This is in part our fault, because once she started calling her daddy, dida, we couldn't help but join in! She also calls lotion, "shappa" and the act of brushing her teeth, "yaya." What's funny about "yaya" is that she can say "teeth" and "toothbrush" just fine...but it's the act of brushing that gets the, "more yaya!" Where she comes up with this stuff I really don't know! I have done very little research on toddler speech, but I can say with confidence that she certainly isn't behind.  Not sure if she's necessarily ahead, but could very well be.  Here are her favorite phrases:

• Oh no, where Mickey go? (or insert any name of the person she's looking for)
• There's a car coming!
• I wana ride a ride!
• I run around 
• Go, mommy, go! (this occurs when she hears me huffing and puffing on my runs)
• More _______ (usually in that line is "ceh" which means candy)!!!!
• Up please, Mommy (insert other names there as well...one time she said, "up please, pizza...")

The other item of note I'd like to share is her recent showing of a very sensitive heart.  We've known from day 1 that she took after me when it came to personality type, but I think she's more sensitive than I was at her age.  She will almost always cry if she hears another young person crying and is frequently in tears because of embarrassment and fear over pain (like when she falls down..she doesn't care that she's hurt...she cares that others witnessed it. If no one is around to see her fall...she gets right back up and keeps going).  Brian and I don't do a whole lot of punishment...I have my philosophies on why but I essentially toss that up to very good communication and...a sensitive heart. She desires to please us, desires to be a "good girl" and knows that goes hand in hand with "obeying" us (words in quotes are ones she says).  She is not compliant by any means...she will push us until we get a firm voice on and begin our count to 5...but generally speaking by the end of 5, if we ask her to make a good decision, she will. 

• What really effects my little sensitive heart is when I get truly upset over something that was an accident.  An example this week is when I had a plate of nachos I stupidly decided to eat in the living room.  She came up quickly and grabbed at the center, getting her hands all up in my beef, cheese & sour cream.  It was still hot so she reacted quickly, shaking all the food elements off her hand and all over the living room.  I went into reactive mode and sternly voiced, "Carly Ann Weiss!! Why did you do that?!"  She lost it...just melted.  She was crying so hard I had to pick her up and comfort her before I could even get her hand cleaned up.  I realized in that instant that I was in the wrong, not her.  I apologized immediately and explained that I never should have brought something so messy into the living room, and acknowledged that she didn't purposely throw my food all over the living room.  A precious interaction really, and a good learning moment for a learning mama. 

•  What doesn't effect my strong-willed little girl is when I get truly upset over something she darn well knows is wrong...when she deliberately disobeys.  The example I can think of was earlier this week when she accidentally spilled her real water in her kitchen-play cup.  When I asked her not to spill it again she looked me straight in the eye and dumped her water on the floor.  I can "Carly Ann Weiss" her and swat her booty all I want and she just looks the other way.  She knows what's coming and the only form of discipline that works at that moment is loss of privileges.  

I really do enjoy parenting!  Brian and I have such different ways of handling things that we rarely parent side-by-side.  We agree in most circumstances, but how we get there is often times very different.  Anyway, whichever parent chooses to fight a battle with her, that parent has to finish it.  There have been times where I've disagreed with Brian's choice to fight a battle that I just have to leave the room as I would never want to undermine him, and he has done the same with me.  It remains true that in my opinion he's too strict and in his opinion I'm to lenient.  I think any couple could validate that dual-parenting is a learning journey...and with each new stage we have to have continual communication about it!  We believe a mutual trust and respect is most important...and we most certainly have that! :)

Awe...so the title of this blog reflects Carly's love for the song, "This Little Light of Mine."  Her Bapa taught the song to her last summer, and each time he is around her love for the song intensifies.  The CD we always play in the car also has an arrangement of that song on it, and we can't even barely get the car on without her yelling "Mine!" from the back seat with her little finger swinging round and round.  She is quickly learning other songs so I can't say she only sings that one, but it was certainly the first song she attached herself to.

And...a few more fun facts about Carly:

• Can identify the letters A & C ("A for Apple" she will say, and "C for Caca"), the colors blue, green, yellow & red, the shapes circle, triangle, heart & square and the numbers 1 & 2.
• Can count to 10 minus the number 7
• Knows Solfeggio...way more important that her ABCs, right?! ;)
• Loves to brush her teeth and requests to do so 3-5 times/day
• LOVES candy...her favorite being gummy bears with chocolate chips a close second
• Each morning asks where her daddy is shortly followed by a request for her vitamin (in gummy bear form...oops)
• Is showing great strides in imaginative play...I could go into many details about her interactions with her stuffed animals, baby dolls & play kitchen
• Is completely in love with each and every one of her stuffed animals and for the most part gives them all equal love & attention
• Has been sleeping in a big-girl bed for 10 days, accompanied by every stuffed animal on the planet (more on that transition another time)
• Asks to go to the park every time we are outside (she claims the swings are her favorite but spends the bulk of her time climbing up and sliding down the slide)
• Doesn't barely eat a thing...she will try anything but has very little desire to eat...unless it's candy
• Is easily bribed with said paci or Mickey & Minnie.
• Darts for the door if we say we are going to the parks to see Mickey & Minnie and when she sees a castle will shout, "Mickey!"
• Requests to watch TV ("TT") quite frequently but can be easily distracted by another play suggestion
• Shouts, "More play!" each time we leave the church nursery...she just loves it in there!
• Sleeps 10 hours at night and often 2 hours during the day
• Enjoys looking at photographs of her family
• Has a very secure attachment with both of us...generally showing no signs of distress when we leave but racing into our arms when we return home
• Loves her nanny Jen
• Loves to pray at the dinner table and will remind us if we forget.  She is patient about waiting to until we all sit down and will hold out her hands and bow her head as soon as our behinds hit the chairs.  Her prayer consists of:  "Dear Jesus, I love you, thank you for our yummy yummy food, amen."  The most hysterical prayer she's ever said was when we brought home a box of pizza to eat: "Dear Jesus......Pizza pizza, AMEN!!"

I'm loving this journey through life we get to take with someone who is so eager to learn, sensitive at heart, strong-willed and determined, one who tells Jesus she loves him everyday, a great kisser and an even better hugger.  Parenting a one-year-old has had its share of struggles...but an overwhelming amount of giggles, enjoyment and satisfaction.  I can't wait to see what the 2's will bring!

I grouped her 22 month photos with Christmas...enjoy...

"So Blessed I Can't Contain It"

I'm not sure I will ever catch up on blogging everything that's been going on in our lives.  When you are in the heat of your third trimester with your second child, still unpacking a few boxes and decorating a home you moved into nearly 6 months ago including a full makeover for the new baby's room, getting acquainted and involved in a new church (more on that later), working more hours than ever before trying to save up days for maternity leave, entertaining guests, including a live-in nanny (more on that, too), preparing for the holiday season, and throwing a vacation in there...it's just too much to report.  I am not claiming to be any busier than anyone else this time of year, but certainly stating that our wheels are spinning. My wheels take much more energy to spin these days, so I will start this post by expressing my sincere gratitude toward my mom for taking care of us the past few weeks.

She spent two full weeks with us, her longest jaunt so far since we moved South.  She came in before the cruise to help us prep and spend time with Carly while we were at work, then spent another week here after getting home from the cruise.  In that time she did all of my cooking, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping and provided early morning childcare so I could sleep in and entertained Carly for hours so Brian and I could nearly finish Luke's room!  She also ran back and forth to the airport to pick up my Grammy (her mother) so that we could all spend some time together.  It's truly a blessing that I've consistently seen my 84-year-old grandmother twice/year...even while she lives in Cali and us in Fla!  We very much enjoyed the company of one another and she got quite the kick out of Carly.  This picture is precious to me because this necklace is one that I played with for hours when I was little.  I'm glad she wore it when she arrived.  There is just something fun about counting strands of gold on a pretty necklace worn by one of your favorite ladies. ;)

We thought it would be super silly and super FUN to all dress in red and head to the parks for a 4-gen pic that included Minnie Mouse.  So...one of our days was spent half at EPCOT and half at DHS.  We got some cute pics of us with Minnie Mouse and then later at the Osborne Spectacle of the Dancing Lights.  I think it's safe to say if we weren't in Christmas spirit before seeing the lights, we certainly were after. :)

Another one of our mornings we gallivanted over to the Grand Floridian to see the gingerbread house and then took the monorail to MK so Grammy could see Carly dance with her favorite characters during the "Move It Shake It Celebrate It" dance party.  I didn't bring my camera, but you can all imagine exactly what that looked like, considering I've posted a million photos of her with characters in previous posts.

Grammy was only here 4 days before my Mom took her to Tampa to spend time with her Brother's family so my Mom could get back to work.  I'm thankful she has a boss who lets her leave for two weeks!  Oh how I cried as I hugged my Mom standing on our front porch and watched her get into her car.  It was emotional for me because this is the first holiday season that we won't be with family at all until after Christmas when Brian's folks come AND because by the time I see them again my life will have once again changed drastically.  I realize 7 weeks left of pregnancy feels like the home stretch to most of you...but for me it feels like it's in the very distant future.  I also knew I was going to miss her help!  No one can come into a woman's home and help out quite like her own mother.  And there's not another soul on Earth I can completely let my guard down with (other than Brian, of course) and live life without questioning glances.  #grateful.

But we seem to be getting along okay without her. I've definitely felt more tired without the extra rest, but it just means I have to sacrifice my productive time during Carly's naps as my own nap time.  C came down with a cold on Wednesday so she's been sleeping extra long in the afternoons.  Today her and I both crashed for 3 HOURS!  I woke up to Brian calling me at 5pm that he had just left work!  Generally speaking, Carly being sick doesn't slow her down much.  This week we enjoyed a wonderful night at Magic Kingdom so we could see the castle light up, put up our Christmas tree, had our lovely 4th Annual Thanksgiving Meal with Todd & Brenna and spent time outside enjoying the (finally) beautiful weather.  It's been in the 70s during the day and 50s at night...so pretty perfect.

Thanksgiving morning (we both had Thanksgiving off...I think that is a FIRST for us since moving to Florida...having a holiday off together, that is) we took a stroll around the Grand Floridian and introduced Carly to hot cocoa.  She had no problem learning that word and requesting "more cocoa" about every 30 seconds.   The Nelson's came over in the late afternoon, strategically planned so we could cook while Carly took her nap.  Brian handled the turkey and I managed the other dishes.  We had a really nice time making the meal...it's certainly a sense of accomplishment and it's sure nice to eat those leftovers for the days following!  Here's our photos from the day, including a pic of my beautiful growing bump.  I've gained 25 pounds thus far (I was at 50 pounds at 32 weeks with Carly) and it has certainly been HARD work.  I'm still jogging 4 times/week even though at this point it is rather painful.  I'll probably stop soon...maybe.  I have such a different perspective about what it means to have the privilege of carrying a child this time around...and I am beyond grateful that thus far my body has proven to be able to carry so healthfully. :)
#thankful.

Happy December!! We can officially say I'm having a baby NEXT MONTH! ;)

"Down in Mexico"

During our 5-day Royal Caribbean cruise, we made two stops; one in Belize City, Belize, and one in Cozumel, Mexico.  My Mom and I in particular are in a bit of a competition to see who can get to the most countries...so we chose this cruise specifically because Belize would be a new country for both of us.  Due to some very poor ship organization, I got to see much more of Belize City that she did, but at least we were both able to step foot in country.  We did some research prior to boarding and spoke with many of our Floridian colleagues who are naturally professional cruisers and determined that Belize was a rather unstable country, and no where for a toddler; so my parents got off the ship in the morning and then Brian and I got off in the afternoon.  We took a 2-hour tour of the city, first by a glamorous (sarcasm) horse drawn carriage, and second by an open air bus with a straw roof.  And we were correct, the city didn't feel real stable, however we felt in no way unsafe. 

Here are some interesting facts we learned on our ride (and some funny jokes from our tour guide):

• Belize was first settled by the Brits (anyone surprised?) and soon after they began bringing in slaves from Africa. Based on my knowledge of history, it sounds like many of the African slaves were impregnated by their British owners, eventually creating an eclectic cultural look referred to as Creole. Now Creole actually means "locally born people with foreign ancestry," and therefore not a true race.  I knew this going into the tour so it seemed weird to me that they kept referring to themselves as Creole.  However, other than Belizian, there is no way of identifying their race in a "politically correct" way...so there you have it...Creole.  Brian and I enjoyed observing the multicultural look the people had.  I think it may be the most diverse country I've ever been to.  We were on our tour when school let out, so we got to see an array of people.  At one point there was a group of girls walking; one who clearly had Asian heritage, another who looked fairly Hispanic, a girl who looked mostly African and one girl who has very light, nearly Caucasian skinned.  Pretty neat.  Everyone we spoke to had what we would call a Jamaican accent.  It was all pretty funny and reassured my opinion that our US "politically correct" way of identifying people is actually not correct at all.  These poor people who come to America from other countries and are labeled one way or another.  Oh, you must be Jamaican because you sound Jamaican...nope I'm from Belize.  Oh...you are African American because your skin is dark...nope...not African OR American...I'm from Belize.  Anyway...I'll step off my soap box about race identification now.  I'm looking forward to a time when race identification just goes away because we are all so mixed. :)
• The homes in Belize are very inexpensive. Here you see a water front home that would sell for about 90k.  Here also is the Tokyo embassy.
  
  
  
  
   
• There are two large Coca-Cola plants in Belize City, being the city's largest employer.  Their economy stabilizer actually comes from tourism, however.  It makes me hope ships continue to dock there!
• Marion Jones, USA Olympic track champion is from Belize and donated money to build a sports complex.  Here is the beginning work:

 

• We stopped at a museum that I remember very little about because the guide's accent was so thick.  I took away that they have little recorded history, the museum used to be the jail that they outgrew and that their national bird is a Toucan.  

 

• The downtown area is where we really saw the poverty.  It is hard to compare to the other countries I've been to...really Belize was quite unique! But...if I had to compare it to somewhere...I'd compare it to the downtown area in a city I can't remember the name of in Costa Rica.

• Gas prices are over $6/gallon (10 Belize Dollars)

• Most Belizian's have never been to the States because it is so hard to obtain a visa.  Our tour guide was telling us about how the only American establishment they have in Belize is Subway.  He said, "no Walmart, no K-mart, no Burger King, no Taco Bell...just Subway."  So I said..."How do you know of American establishments if you've never been there?"  His response, "Cable TV, mon, cable TV."
• "It's UnBELIZABLE.  You have to see it to BELIZE it."
• "Do you have stop signs here?"  Guide: "Ya. We have stop signs.  But we also have a saying here in Belize...if you can fit in, git in!"  Haha...we experienced some crazy foreign country driving in our open air bus. ;)

We had a lovely time visiting Belize City.  The city itself was quite small...I think I recall him saying only 6 square miles with 60 thousand people...so we really did see the whole city in 2 hours.  We had one really random stop at a green house and Brian go to try some berry wine and a tamale.  I wasn't willing to eat anything ashore to protect the baby I have growing inside me.

We scurried back on the boat just minutes before the last tender.  Here's us saying goodbye on the Belize City Pier, a photo of our ship from the pier and us tendering back to our ship.

 COZUMEL, MEXICO

Cozumel is an incredibly popular hub for cruises to stop, so this city new exactly how to handle us.  In some ways I feel like we didn't really get to see Cozumel, since we were surrounded by mostly other Americans, but we did get to see their buildings and their land.  I've been to Mexico two other times; one of them where we stayed in tents somewhere in the middle of a desert with no running water and were bused into a small town...so I don't think any other trip to Mexico will compare to that.  I do realize, however, that the country is huge, so to "see" Mexico, I'd have to take a tour through the whole countryside!

We felt totally safe taking Carly off the ship in Cozumel, so after breakfast we all headed out to experience Carly's first foreign country!!  I was completely and utterly excited about it, since foreign travels would be on a "top ten list of most meaningful experiences" for me!  20 months old and entering her first country!  I think I was 12 before I exited American soil.  So, so cool!  So...now Carly has been to one country, Brian's count is up to 5 and my count reached 22.  We walked the pier all together and then split up so Brian & I could go have a beach day.  We had to take a taxi ride to a public beach, and my mom didn't feel comfortable putting Carly in a taxi, so the three of them toured a very grand hotel plaza then headed back to the boat.  I was freaking out as Brian and I stepped in a taxi and waved goodbye to our daughter.  I was near tears and kept asking, "will she be okay? will they make it back on the boat?  how could I just leave my daughter in a foreign country?!"  Brian reminded me that my folks took care of me in our many overseas travels and that Carly would be fine.  Still, though...it was weird. 

We did not take the camera to the beach but did have a lovely time relaxing as a couple.  I enjoyed a few virgin drinks and we laid on chairs overlooking a beautiful ocean view.  There was also a pool we spent some time in and walked along the shore.  I'm really glad we got that time together. :)

Well there you have it...a near complete tour of Belize and very little info on Cozumel!  We had our informational day and our beach day!  Thankful for another safe overseas experience, for sure!

"Under the Sea"

Last week we had the privilege of being treated to a cruise by my parents.  This was a joint birthday/Christmas present for Brian and I from last year that we have had booked since last February!  Brian and I cruised for our honeymoon and really couldn't wait to go on another.  We made it a goal to cruise once a year each year we lived in Florida...and 3 1/2 years later we finally got on a boat.  Originally, it was going to be a treat just for the two of us, and my folks were going to fly down to stay with Carly.  After some thought, though, we decided it would be just as much if not more fun for them to come along!  My parents became the primary care givers of our child and much to my surprise that was completely fine with her!  For five days she stayed in their room and spent nearly every second with one of them so that Brian and I could have some couple time.  I was reluctant to give up control but once I did it truly became a relaxing vacation!  In fact, the first night as they headed to bed I sat Carly on my lap and with a few tears in my eyes (this was going to be our first night ever a part even though she was just down the hall) I explained to her that she was going to sleep in Nana & Bapa's room and asked her if that was okay.  She must have felt my tension because she looked up at me and in the sweetest reassuring tone said, "happy happy, mommy...Nana, Bapa happy happy." She was telling me not to worry and that she'd be fine!  We couldn't believe she was able to communicate those feelings with me...but it certainly calmed my nerves.  Off they went and much to my surprise everything went flawlessly with bedtime. ;)

Brian and I really enjoyed the set-up.  We had our own room down the hall from my folks & Carly, didn't have to worry about her getting dressed, fed, napped or put to sleep and didn't have to chase her all over a boat...but yet got to give her hugs and kisses everyday and experience her first foreign country with her.  Best of all, we didn't have to say goodbye to her for five days...which I just couldn't have handled yet at this point in my motherhood journey.  We also had some really nice quality time with my folks and made some lasting memories.  I can't thank my parents enough for taking us on this trip and being so sacrificial just so Brian and I could have a vacation.  They just kept saying, "it's the calm before the storm...the calm before the storm for you guys." ;) My sweet parents must have walked miles and miles trying to keep up with Miss C on the boat.  She had a million favorite things to do and was highly stimulated for 5 days straight.  One afternoon my Mom and I were with Carly and a lady stopped us and said, "I think I saw that little girl riding the elevators up and down with a very tall man early this morning."  Indeed, she was correct.  My Dad and Carly spent nearly an hour at 6am one morning riding the glass elevator up and down from deck 2 to deck 13 and back. :)  Besides being at her becking call, they graciously chose to be cooped up in their tiny cabin for 2 hours each afternoon so Carly could nap, and hit the hay each night around 9pm so she could go to sleep.  Brian & I took Carly for a few hours one evening so they could have dinner and see one of the shows...but other than that I don't think either of them got a minute of free time.  Nevertheless, I think they enjoyed every second with her and she couldn't get enough of them.  She was so spoiled by the end of the trip I told them they could just keep her. ;) 

We had the first evening and 2 full days at sea, as well as a day in Belize & a day in Cozumel, Mexico.  I am going to write about those experiences separately and dedicate this post just to a recap of the time on the boat.  The first day at sea happened to be Brian's 26th birthday!  We rose early that morning and went to a DreamWorks character breakfast in the main hall.  Anyone who knows Carly knows she ADORES characters, so the breakfast was extremely entertaining.  She kept clapping, dancing and smiling while shouting "happy happy!" that the wait staff started calling her "happy, happy."  We'd be walking the boat and hear, "happy, happy, how are you doing today!?"  They also had a character breakfast the last day at sea, so here are the photos from both of those experiences:

Gangnam style with Shrek

Where's Carly?

Embarrassing Brian on his Bday

We all hit the sports deck for some mini golf, basketball and rock climbing.  I'm SO bummed I didn't have my camera with me, but Brian & my Mom did in fact rock climb.  Brian & my Dad then took part in a golf competition they were having for longest shot off the tee in a golf simulator.  Much to everyone's surprise, my Dad came out with a second place medal!  We couldn't believe he beat Brian!

Next up was some time at the pool.  This ship was incredibly kid-friendly and had this nice water splash area for young kids.  Next to the pool was a soft-serve ice cream station...so you can imagine this deck was Carly's favorite.  I think her and Bapa had more ice cream cones throughout the week than they admitted.

Carly's other favorite spot was the promenade located in the middle of the ship on deck 5.  It had shopping stores, wine bars, a cafe and a pizza parlor.  AND...it had a silver dog statue who she became VERY close to.  She could find that dog from just about anywhere on the ship!  We spent a lot of time in the cafe and the pizza parlor, and if we were separated that was our typical meeting place since it was likely Carly had gone to see her puppy.

That afternoon we also got to see an ice show (the entertainment choices on the ship were absolutely fantastic!...I mean really, who decides to have an ice arena on a boat?) and afterwards headed to the formal dinner.  Carly got to display this beautiful dress and boy did she know she looked beautiful.  At one point she walked herself down the promenade saying "hi" and waving to everyone passing by.  After that night she was known by name by way too many of the other passengers on the ship. 

After dinner we parted ways and Brian and I were able to catch a comedian and took a lovely stroll around the top deck while looking out at the sea before heading to our room to find wine, crackers & cheese had been delivered in celebration of his birthday.

Each day we had breakfast and dinner as a family, but often parted ways in the afternoon.  Carly didn't love sitting down each night for an hour and a half dinner, but we took turns walking her around outside the dining hall.  There were ample amounts of entertainment, on board programs and food.  We enjoyed taking part in all of it! The last day at sea was stormy, so we didn't have as much time outdoors, and all took a long nap in the afternoon to recover from a very full trip.  We hit the sports deck, played some mini golf, Brian & my Dad did another golf simulator competition (closest to the tee...this time Brian won a medal), ate more food and spent time eating.  Carly & I both really enjoyed the rocking of the ship, and during the night the waves were so great they were splashing up against our window!  I truly felt like I was under the sea!  There is something incredibly romantic and relaxing to me about being on a big ship.  My opinion is it's the perfect all around vacation, and I would highly recommend it!  Brian and I cant wait to go again...we shall see how long it is before we get the chance! Here are just a few more photos of our ship and dinner from our last day at sea:

Until next time!