9:38 AM

*HEAVY*

"Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy.

"we're spending Christmas at God's house."

when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."
Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

Monthly Goals/Check In

Time to take stock in how I did
with my March Goals.

1] Lock in a wedding date!!!!!! BOOM, DONE! We set a date in September 2013, which is just over five months away.

2] Finish 'Will you be my MOH or BM gifts'. DONESKI and I'm super proud of em!

3] Yoga at least once a week. Hmmmmm, welllllllllll this is a kindasortacomplete. The first two weeks I practice more than once, but the last few I didn't make it to the mat. I'm proud I was able to rock out the first weeks, but not enough to give myself the whole month.

4] Do something nice/sweet for Le Fiance every week. I'm VERY proud I kept this one up and even added a few extra things each week. I love doing nice things for the ones I care about.

5] Make wedding list including EVERYTHING that needs to be done. Yep YEP! I made the list, but am still adding things I forgot. Oh well, a list that grows is STILL a list right?!

LOTS OF GREEN WOOOHOOO!

Having the March linkups was super helpful,

so thank you Miss Janna!

I hope April will be just as successful as March.

1] Celebrate the DIIIIRTY THIRTY in STYLE! - Yes, it's birthday month and I'm super excited. I'm ready to party and celebrate the beginning of my thirties. I had a blast in my 20s, but I'm so ready to embrace the NEW decade of life.

2] Lock in Photographer and Florist - I've made the inquiries, but I need to work with C to nail down these two key parts of the wedding.

3] Yoga at least once a week - Apparently I've been suffering from delayed stress and my body is all kinds of wacky right now. I REALLY REALLY REALLY need to carve out time to just zen out and work my body.

4] OWN the Tough-Mudder on 4/21 -I wanna compete and complete this challenge without feeling like I failed. I only have three weeks to get ready so it's CRUNCH TIME!

4] Print, cut and mail out Save the Dates - These need to be done by the 2nd week of April, in order for them to be useful. I'm hoping we can get it done ASAP.

5] Switch over fall/winter for spring/summer wardrobe - UGH, I HATE this time of year [both fall and spring] because it's so much work changing over the clothing. However, I do love bringing out my spring/summer clothes, they are so fun and bright, sigh, I've missed em for sure.

6] Lose X pounds - ZIP IT!!!! I KNOW I'm petite, but girl put on a few elbees in the month of March. My goal for being the fittest possible version of me by my 30th fell by the wayside, so I am using this month to lose inches and tone up the body.

Sheeeeew, that's a list y'all,

but it's a list I'm gonna DOMINATE!

What are your goals for April?

2012 Resolutions Check List

Yes, today, February 5th, I'm recapping
2012's resolutions.

Shocking right ;)!

I know this isn't timely,
but I wanted to hold myself accountable here
so today, you get to read about 2012.
Again!

My GOALS FOR 2012 were semi-ambitious, 

and even though I dropped the ball a lot, I still want to grade myself.

As you might recall, last year I graded myself on my 2011 goals.  

That was pretty rough, because I did NOT uphold many resolutions. 

I'm pretty sure this year was just as bad. DRAT!

********************************************

1) Be a better disciple and follower of Christ. C+
I was better than last year, but still no where NEAR where I wanted to be with Christ. I've started going to a different church with C once a month and even though it's contemporary I enjoy the sermons. I participated in a few devotionals with my iPhone app, but I often forgot to read them and then played catch up. I'm not sure WHAT is going to get my butt in gear, but I do know I need to be more Christ centered.

2) Return to my more active lifestyle and get in the healthiest shape I can. C+/B
C and I kicked BUTT at the beginning of the year. We were waking up in the mornings and working out, while eating extremely healthy. He went strict Paleo/primal and my first time trying it was NO BUENO. I had to change my take on food by March because I was so miserable with my diet. I did a pretty good job managing my portions though. I continued to suffer from shin splints, which hindered my ability to run, but I began incorporating HIIT workouts which were awesome. I was in great shape for my kickball tourneys, but my cardio tolerance was way lower than I hoped for when we ran our mud run. I want to run the Tough Mudder after my 30th [eeek] so that is my goal this year. I could have worked harder in the gym and not made as many excuses last year, but I was finally able to shed the 3-5 pounds that annoyed me around August. 

3) Eat better......MORE WHOLE foods less processed. B/B+
I think this was my BEST resolution for 2012. I significantly eliminated processed foods from my diet. I stopped eating processed carbs and concentrated on eating whole foods nine time out of ten. After dabbling back and forth, I've adopted a Primal take on food 80/20. As mentioned before, processed breads, cheeses, pastas, rice, boxed foods, easy foods, and packaged foods were pretty much thrown out. There were still up and down days, and days where I ate three bowls of Lucky Charms for dinner. However, my pantry and fridge look much healthier now and I'm very proud of my impact on the earth. I'm eating more foods from the farmers market in order to eat lesser processed foods. 

4)Drink More Water, Take my Vitamins. B
I am still doing great with drinking water, but not as great with my vitamins. I stopped taken them around April I think. I'm really happy with my yearly water intake though. Some days were better than others, but for the most part I succeeded in drinking more water. 

5) Stretch Daily: A until March then F
I was really really good at stretching everyday the first few months of the year. I was doing yoga daily, just easy vinyasas or sometimes deep stretching sequences. I also was more aware of standing and stretching while at work or just hanging out at home. Unfortunately, life got in the way and sleep or other forms of exercise took place of stretching. I miss the good deep stretch feeling, and hope to get back into it in 2013.

6)JUDGE LESS: Ehhhhhhhhhhh, C+/B
I went through phases with this one.  I became very understanding and actively chose to not bad mouth or bad think about people that made me mad. And then there were times where obscenities and rude comments flew out of my mouth without hesitation. I continued to let people's opinions and actions bother me, when they really shouldn't have. There were still moments where I silently judged a friend or colleague or family member even though I knew I was being rude. I'm still trying, so I guess I'll leave it at that. 

7) Actually create and stick to a budget. EPIC FAIL!
Nothing to write here, except EPIC FAIL!

8) Stop wasting time (i.e. too much computer and too much tv) C
I was good and I was bad. I usually am NOT on the comp blogging at home, I do that at work [shh]. But, sometimes when C and I are hanging out we are both on the comp searching on Facebook, kickball forums or just news. We also watch way too much TV together. Even though they are just reruns while eating dinner, I think we wasted time we could have been prepping food for the next day, chatting or organizing. I don't want technology to run my life, so I'm going to try to deTV/Comp/phone when I'm at home. 

Overall I think I was average. Just a C.

Better than failing, but not GOOD.

I plan to keep a few of these in 2013, 

but make them more of a lifestyle change,

instead of a resolution.

Did you make resolutions?

If so how are they going?

If not why?!

Saw it, Pinned it, Did it [Linkup]

Hello and happy Thursday friends!

I have a fun DIY baking project for you today

inspired by Pinterest.

This is my FIRST ever Pin turned project

and I'm pretty excited to be sharing

it today with y'all.

Here is the Pin I found online used as inspiration.

Source: shewearsmanyhats.com via Pinky on Pinterest

Wait WHAT!?!?! That's a Christmas Pin!

Yes, smartypants, you are correct.

I made these in December for a work party,

 but with all the Christmas fun and recaps

never had time to post.

So now in January, I bring you:

Peppermint Rice Krispies®
Treats Snowballs! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 10 Oz. Package Marshmallows
• 1/3 Cup Crushed Candy Canes
• 6 Cups Rice Krispies® Cereal
• 2 14 Oz. Bags White Candy Melts 
• [I just used white chocolate chips, easier to find and cheaper]
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

 Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.
2. Add in the marshmallows and allow them to melt completely.
3. Add in the crushed candy canes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies®.
5. If making balls, pull out heaping tablespoons from the pan and roll into balls. Add a candy cane into the center of each ball, crook on top.

6. Place your finished treats into the fridge for about 15 minutes to cool down. 

[I did my balls {hahaimmature} throughout the day, so they cooled on their own]

7. Melt the candy melts according to package directions and add in the vegetable oil to thin the mixture. 

8. This was the hardest part of the whole project. I had issues getting all of the white chocolate evenly on the balls. I would suggest melting ALL of your white chocolate at once in a big bowl, so you can actually DIP the balls into the mixture instead of spooning/spreading it around. 

9. Set the white chocolate covered treat on wax paper and sprinkle with or decorate however you wish.

[Wouldn't you know that ALL of my Christmas colored sprinkles disappeared from my pantry the DAY I decided to make these treats? I improvised with what I had, so they are more PARTY than Christmas].

10. Make sure to decorate as soon as you set the ball on the wax paper, otherwise the white chocolate will cool and the sprinkles won't stick.

11. Once the treats have hardened, place in airtight container to store until bring them out to amaze people with your mad ball skillz {Yes, I'm a nerd}

Linking up for my first SPD!

Let me know if you try this pin!

Day 5: Debarkation Day and NOLA

 My last recap post is here. 

CAN YOU FLIPPIN' BELIEVE IT!?!

Only two months late

and only spanning three months

and two years.

SHIZZAH!

If you need to get caught up,

check out the rest of my posts below:

NOLA Night and Day One

Ghost Tour and Night Two

New Orleans Day Three: Sissys Arrive

New Orleans Day Four: GAME DAY

New Orleans Day Five: Cruise Night One

Cruise Day One: Day At Sea

Cruise Day Two: Excursion Progreso, Mexico

Cruise Day Three: Excursion Cozumel, Mexico

Cruise Day Four: Day at Sea

Holy guacamole, that's a lot of recaps

and that's a lot of fun memories to read. 

If you've made it through them all,

thank you for reading,

I truly applaud you! :)

Now, on to the last day on the boat 

and our last day in New Orleans. 

We were up around 7ish to get dressed,

and clear out our room.

Since we packed up everything the night before,

packing the rest was easy peasy

and we were at the buffet around 8:00am.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh, our last morning at the buffet.

Our last morning stuffing our faces :(!

We were able to eat leisurely since our 

debarkation group was number 12 

and they were only at two when we 

arrived at the buffet.

While we were waiting I coerced

C into filming some recap videos.

I wish I could post them,

but I need to respect his privacy.

Once our group was called we debarked 

found our luggage, patiently waiting in a neat pile

and then went to find transportation. 

C and I decided to stay an extra night in NOLA,

because there was a $200 airline difference

to fly out Saturday versus waiting until Sunday.

Our hotel was outside of the French Quarter

and since we didn't want to lug around our luggage

we found a service that would take the luggage to our hotel

and then charter a van to pick us up downtown.

The only thing either of us wanted to do in NOLA 

on Saturday, was tour the WW2 museum.

Many of our teammates toured the museum 

earlier in the week and they said it was amazing. 

We hopped a trolley to the museum 

and promptly walked into the wrong building.

Fate was on my side, because C bought 2 

of my Christmas presents there and I LOVE THEM.

An old fashioned beautiful pink flowery apron

AND

a vintage 1940s style dress

Ignore the socks and the hair please.

IN LOVE!

I can't wait to wear it on a date with my man.

Once we found the ACTUAL museum,

we began our adventure. 

I wish we could have taken pictures,

because this museum was hands down

one of the best I've ever been too.

AND I LIVE RIGHT OUTSIDE 

WASHINGTON DC!

Y'all we spent

FOUR HOURS in the museum.

FOUR!

And neither of us were wanting to leave,

while the other wanted to stay.

We walked in tandem almost

the whole time.  

Our countries history is amazing,

and the Greatest Generation

is nothing short of 

the GREATEST GENERATION.

We ate lunch in the diner 

and then walked back to 

the trolley station.

The ride on the trolley was just 

what we needed after being on our

feet for so long. 

Our van ended up being in the area

and hour early which was perfect timing. 

We were in a van with two other cruise couples

and it was fun chatting about all

of our cruise experiences. 

One couple did a Royal Caribbean cruise

to Europe and I've decided

THAT IS WHAT I want to save for one day.

 

The hotel was about 20 minutes away,

right next to the airport

and even though the outside looked sketchy

it was very well run and super clean. 

The concierge was extremely helpful

and guided us to a fabulous 

restaurant establishment a few miles away. 

A free shuttle service was provided,

so C, myself and another couple

rode over to this amazing BBQ place. 

After we ate our fill, we arrived back at the hotel,

repacked our stuff for the airport,

watched some football and passed out.

Our flight was at 6am the next morning

so we had to be up really early. 

The flight was overbooked

and we ALMOST took the later flight,

with vouchers, but we wouldn't

have arrived home until 5pm

and we both wanted to make it hope

with time to actually unpack.

 

After two seeminly easy flights,

we were back home in DC.

VACATION OVAH!

 

This vacation was one of the most wonderful

experiences of my life.

I was with friends, family and the love of my life.

 

Cruises are amazing if you do them right.

I can't wait to cruise on a bigger boat,

with more selections,

and a warmer climate :)!

 

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh,

I wanna go back.

Day 4: Cruisin' at Sea

So it was finally here.

Our last day on the cruise ship.

WOMP WOMP, sad trombone.

It was so crazy realizing that 

our vacation was almost over. 

C and I were not very happy campers.

However, we tried to make the best of 

our last day and really soaked up

the sun and our down time.

We laid on the back deck for awhile

trying to catch a few rays,

but they were few and far between.

So, what do you do when you can't tan?

YOU EAT OF COURSE!

We spent a lot of time snacking at the buffet,

drinking hot chocolate

and reading. 

There was also a lot of napping.

I guess we were trying to save up sleep

for when we got back home ;)!

Before dinner,

we took in one of the most 

BEAUTIFUL sunsets

I have ever seen. 

It was incredible watching the sky 

change color

and the sun dip below the ocean. 

I know the picture of us isn't very good,

and we both look very sleepy

and frumpy,

but I really wanted to capture

that exact moment.

I was so happy to be there with C,

so in love with him

and so happy about my life. 

Truly hard to put into words,

but I was soooooo content

and googly eyed happy.

 Dinner that night was bitter sweet. 

We both enjoyed the food,

but were definitely feeling the effects

of not eating clean 

and indulging too much. 

But, it was sad to say goodbye

to are sweet servers

and to being treated like a princess

at the dinner table. :)!

All of the servers sang 

"Leaving on Jet Plane"

to the dining room and it

was so cute. 

Immediately after dinner, we went

back to our room to pack up 

our luggage and room. 

We decided that when we debarked 

the ship, we wanted to do

"the easy way"

and let the cruise workers

worry about our luggage.

That meant that we needed to 

have everything packed up

and waiting outside our room

by midnight that evening. 

Surprisingly, we packed up rather quickly

and were able to truly enjoy

our last evening.

We had a few drinks on deck, 

walked around

and then spent most of the evening

hanging out in the piano bar.

The pianist was hilarious,

and really talented. 

He had a very dry sense of humor

and added a LOT 

of adult language to normally

very clean songs.

This promted a lot of sing-a-longs

and wouldn't you know,

YOURS TRULY

won an award aka

a 'TUG ON A STICK'

for knowing ALL the words to

BABY GOT BACK!

Classic right?!?

We stayed in the bar until 1ish

and then decided to turn in.

We had to be up around 7am

to eat breakfast and then

debark the ship. 

Our cruise adventure was finally at an end,

and even though I was super bummed,

I was happy and contnet

with all the wonderful memories

made with the love of my life. 

TOMORROW,

Debarkation Day

and our last day in NOLA.

Day Three: Excursion Cozumel, Mexico

If I had to pick a favorite day on our cruise,

the Cozumel Excursion would be the day.

We were up brights and early for breakfast,

because we had to debark the ship earlier than yesterday.

There was another cruise ship docking about 30 minutes after we docked,

and we were not allowed to be on the slip.

Something about keeping us safe from flying ropes ;)!

Watching the ship dock was really cool.

I find it so amazing how easily cruise ships can dock.

 Since we were part of the first group off the ship,

 we had some extra time to mill around.

We chose to do a zip linking and snorkeling excursion

and I was 12 kinds of excited. C had never been snorkeling before

and I was super excited to share the experience with him.

I had snorkeled in the Caribbean before and loved it.

Wouldn't you know, the wind and waves were not cooperating and the guide told us there was a 75% possibility we wouldn't be able to snorkel.

 Initially I was super upset because that was the part of the activity

 I was really looking forward to.

After being told our options, we chose to 'wait it out and cross our fingers'

the wind would cooperate.

Even though I knew the day would be fun without snorkeling,

I was really hoping everything would work out for us.

The park was a short cab ride from port and it was fun driving

 through downtown Cozumel.

The sun had decided to come out and play

and that was fabulous. It had been kind of grey

throughout the trip, so I welcomed the sun with a big smile!

Once we arrived at the park, we were told the wind had changed

and that unless something crazy happened,

 we would be able to snorkel!

 Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Our guide gave us a quick tutorial on zip linking and rock climbing rules

 and what to expect in the adventure park.

We only had two other couples in the group,

so there was a lot of time to go through all the obstacles.

We were able to repel down a 60 foot wall and zip line

 back and forth from different columns.

I LOVED IT!!!

I'm a huge fan of rock climbing and zip lining

and this park was so fantastically awesome.

C thoughroughly enjoyed himself too.

 Except for the part where we raced

and I kicked his TUSH climbing a wall.

THANK YOU THANK YOU, I'm a rockstar rock climber!

The guides were so much fun!

 They would egg us on and say

we had to scream/yell when we zip lined [sp?]

or they wouldn't let us come down.

I'm not trying to brag, but I was definitely the favorite of the group.

What can I say, it comes with being a rock star.;)

The adventure park was the morning activity

and after two hours it as time to go snorkeling.

There still was a decent wind, so they changed our entrance from

jumping off a platform to walking into the water via the beach.

 I was lucky enough to jump in before

 they decided to change the entrance point,

so I was able to experience both, woohoo.

One of the couples decided against snorkeling

so we had three guides for the fours of us.

It was awesome having a one-on-one relationship with the guides,

 because they were able to give us extra attention.

I was trying to reach out and touch a fish while snorkeling and

one of the guides released a handful of food near me.

All of a sudden I was surrounded by fish trying to eat the food.

 IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

I was able to reach out and pet a bunch of them and 

I felt like I was in a move with all of them so close.

The guide thought my reaction was so funny,

 he put another handful into the water and it became a frenzy.

Thank goodness they weren't piranhas right?!

C was off doing his own thing, diving down trying to touch the bottom.

We had a really fun time pointing out different fish to each other

and seeing who could stay under water longer.

If you ever have a chance to go snorkeling DO IT!

Seeing the world God created under water is breathtakingly magical.

I was amazed by the beauty housed under the sea.

There were so many types of fish and coral everywhere,

just a whole world we never see.

I had a moment of pure joy and reverence while snorkeling,

because it's amazing that God created such a beautiful world for us to enjoy.

I wish I had bought an underwater camera for pictures, but

oh well, next time right?

We had a blast snorkeling, but man was is it tiring.

We were famished once everything was over,

so even though we were told we could snorkel more,

we decided to sit and eat lunch.

While waiting for our food, we realized that C's watch was broken

so I had to ask a table near us for the time.

The two couples were older Americans

and one of them actually lived in Cozumel,

while the other couple was just visiting.

They were super friendly and funny.

I am convinced that one the husband of the one couple was an

ex-ops or military, CIA guy that chose to live outside of

America to be 'off the radar'.

Call me crazy, but he just had that air about him.

Lunch was delicious and I indulged in a few margaritas which were wonderful.

That may have been what led to the photo shoot on the wall ;)!

Once we were stuffed with guacamole, quesadillas

 and fajitas we made our way back to the ship.

Again, we were early, so we grabbed a bench

 in the 21 and over pool section.

Not only was this area KID FREE [yaynoyelling],

it was on the back of the ship,

so made for some gorgeous pictures.

In all honesty though, I'm not sure what is worse

 21 and over drunk adults or screaming yelling children.

We heard some very interesting and STUPID 

conversations from intoxicated people.  

We stayed on the back deck watching the

GOURGESOUS SUNSET

while reading/sleeping and enjoying more drinks.

Too soon, it was time to get ready for dinner.

Honestly, all we seemed to do on this cruise

was nap, go on excursions and eat.

There was food available 24/7 and man did we take advantage.

C decided to enjoy the frog legs at dinner

and I just looked on in disgust. EW!

The cruise ship put on a fun band night that evening,

so we stayed outside and listened to the band

and watched the drunkies dance. Twas so much fun!

We stayed up pretty late since we had a day at sea the next day.

Cozumel is gorgeous and I would highly suggest

 visiting the park if you are in the area!

And, if you ever do a cruise,

DO AN EXCURSION,

you won't regret it!

Linking up here today!

Day Two: Excursion in Progreso, Mexico

Our first excursion port was Progreso, Mexico.

 Progreso is basically directly south of New Orleans,

which made for easy cruising.

We booked all of our excursions when we booked our trip,

so we were able to get both of our first choices.

Our Progreso excursions consisted of biking and cenote snorkeling.

We had both visited a cenote before back in Cancun,

 and decided biking would be something fun and active as well.

The group convened with our guide, who was absolutely fantastic.

There was about an hour+ drive to our bike location,

but our guide kept us entertained the entire ride.

I'm kind of a history nut, so learning anything about other cultures

 and their past history is RIGHT up my alley.

 I wish I had a better memory, because we learned some very cool facts.

Once at the 'bike shop' we were given bikes and helmets

and then we were on our way.

Ummmm, yeah, I'm not a biker, haha!

I'm an athlete that can bike,

but I don't really think it will EVER become my thing.

C on the other hand, is a major bike enthusiast

and loved every minute of biking.

 The excursion consisted of biking to two different cenotes

and then an authentic Mayan lunch.

About a mile or so down one road, our guide pulled off to the side

and we realized we had arrives at the first cenote.

 [Play video #1]

This cenote was not as big as I imagined, but it was very very beautiful.

The water was a gorgeous blue color

and the greenery everywhere enhanced the natural view.

Before we were 'allowed' to swim in the cenote,

a Mayan Shaman performed a blessing for the group.

Mayan lore believes that evil spirits can rest in cenotes

so people must be blessed before swimming.

The Shaman gave us lessons on different herbs

 and chanted different blessings.

 And, if you tipped him he gave you an EXTRA blessing,

which I found kind of interesting.

But, tourism is how these people make a living,

so I guess I really can't blame him.

Once we were blessed we were able to jump into

the cenote and swim around.

Carnival required everyone swimming to wear a life vest,

which was pretty lame-sauce.

I guess, better safe than sorry right?

The water was pretty chilly, but we got used to it quickly.

There were lil fish everywhere and if you remained still enough

they would come up and nibble on your toes or hands.

We saw some big fish near the bottom and I kept my distance ;)!

We stayed at the first cenote for about a half an hour or so

and then it was on to our next destination.

 [Play video #2]

 The next cenote was about a mile away and

this one was much darker and alil creepier too.

As you can see in the video

there were a ton of stalactites hanging down.

The water was much cooler in the second cenote

because of the lack of sunshine.

Only a few people in the group, including myself

actually swam in this cenote.

I enjoyed swimming around,

although the darkness slightly creeped me out.

 I stayed where I could see, wuss I know.

We all were pretty hungry after all of the activity,

 and were very ready for lunch.

We were served authentic Mayan foods and man were they delicious.

Simple, and very different, but so amazing.

Everyone was pretty tired after the fun day,

so the ride back in the van was pretty quiet.

I know both C and I grabbed a quick cat nap

before we arrived back to port.

Neither one of us wanted to even CHANCE being late to the ship,

so we did very quick souvenir shopping and then reboarded the ship.

We used the downtime to read and nap before dinner.

After dinner, one of the clubs was having a 'country night'

so we HAD to go check it out.

They played some old school country and there were a few couples

 that really knew how to line dance.

 We chose to stay at the bar and watch, instead of joining in the fun.

I didn't want to show them up ;)!

 We stayed for a couple of drinks and then headed back to bed.

We had to get up even earlier the next morning for COZUMEL!

[Play Video 3]

Day One: Cruising at Sea

Our first day at sea was exactly what the doctor ordered.

We woke up late and enjoyed a delicious seated breakfast

in the grand dining room.

While the service was good, there were not

as many selections as we expected

so we decided from then on out to try the breakfast buffet.

The plan was to eat breakfast and then lay on the deck

to read and get some sun.

Well, the weather didn't quite work out for sunning unfortunately,

but we made the most of it.

We walked around, read our Kindle's drank some drinks and just chilled.

Earlier in the day I had seen something about an art auction

which offered free champagne,

and immediately thought "champagne and pictures, I'm in".

I draaaaaaaaaaaagged C along with me promising we could leave

 once I was done drinking.

Well, wouldn't you know, after about 15 minutes I was soooo ready to leave

and Mr. C was totally into auction.

An hour and five paintings later we were finally leaving.

Yup, C bought 5 Andrew Chen paintings that are absolutely breathtaking.

I'll try and attach a picture later this week.

Have I mentioned the 2304830 opportunities to take

a nap when on a cruise?!?!

BEST.THING.EVER!

Our second night's dinner was formal attire so

after our nap it was time to get ready.

Y'all, when I say formal, I mean formal.

There were so many floor length gowns,

men in tuxes or their military uniforms

and pretty much every other kind

of formal attire you could imagine.

Carnival also provides free photo shoot opportunities

throughout the ship.

They had different backdrops every day,

depending on each day's theme.

 For formal night, there were pianos to pose with, prom-esque backdrops

and they used their main staircase, a la Titanic.

The photo shoots were free and then the next day

they had proofs you could view and then decided

whether or not to purchase them.

C was quite taken with the photos shoots,

so we participated in pretty much

every single one on formal night.

Y'ALL, I don't know HOW I'm going to do engagement or wedding pictures.

 I get a SERIOUSLY case of the giggles trying to be all romantic

or googly eyed in pictures.

C was a pro, but I couldn't STOP laughing, Lawd have mercy.

I wish I had pictures to share, but they were uber expensive and

of course we weren't allowed to take a picture of a picture, wah!

 Dinner that night was very upscale and delicious,

including lobster, steak and foi gras.

 I was so full I almost didn't have room for the amazing lava cake dessert,

but I don't worry, I found room! ;)

 Once dinner was over, we walked around on deck,

grabbed a couple drinks at the piano bar

 and then called it a night.

We had to be up early for our excursion in

Progreso, Mexico the next morning.

Enjoy our day one slide show!

Tomorrow, Progreso Mexico Excursion recap!