Living Joyfully

Monday, June 10, 2013

Happy 1st Birthday Luke

Luke's first birthday was May 27th and happened to fall during our recent cruise, so we celebrated with Brett's family in Orlando.

At first, he wasn't too sure about all the commotion going on around him, but once his little cake was in front of him, life was GREAT!

Dear Luke,

It amazes me that we are celebrating your first birthday already. Your birth was crazy and a bit traumatic for your family, but with many prayers said and answered on your behalf, we have enjoyed 11 months at home with you healthy, happy, and growing everyday.

Today you are crawling, babbling, beginning to say your first words, eating table foods, sleeping like a champ, getting into Mommy's cupboards, and trying to keep up with your siblings.

At your one year appointment

you weighed 20 pounds 12.5 ounces- 48%

you measured

Some firsts for you this month.....

meeting your Great-Grandma

swimming in Aunt Cathi's pool

playing in the Cozy Coop outside

Happy Birthday to our favorite one year old! We love you more than words can express. You have the heart of each of your siblings. We are so grateful for every experience we have with you. Our hope is that you will grow to love God and become a man of faith. That you will love freely and see the best in everyone. That you will want to serve others and put their needs before your own. And that you will always live your life full of joy and be thankful for everything God has provided for you.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Day at Sea

This is how we spent our day at sea!

Relaxing, looking at the endless ocean waters, and enjoying the quiet.

Our waiter

We enjoyed wonderful food, fellowship with new friends, and the beauty of being waited on by the staff all week. Every night after dinner, the wait staff would perform for us.

Our last sunset.

It was an amazing four days. Brett and I truly enjoyed our time together. We are so grateful for the opportunity to get away, connect, enjoy each other, relax, have fun, and know that our children were being loving cared for by Grandpa and Grandma.

"And God said, "Let there by light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light, "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day."

Genesis 1:3-5

Nassau

Our day in Nassau was a bit on the rainy side. We arrived in port around 8:00 and were set to leave for our time at Atlantis around 9:30. We boarded a small tour bus that took us over to the resort.

One of the hotels at the resort

One of the water slides we rode! It was a bit intimidating, but super fun. You basically went straight down, then through a tube under water with sharks floating around you.

The aquarium

The grounds around the resort

The beach

We didn't get a picture leaving the port at Nassau because it was late at night.

We had an amazing time and would love to return someday.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Psalms 19:1

Freeport

On Monday morning, we docked in Freeport. We were a little late coming into port because our ship had been assisting another cruise liner the night before that had a fire on board.

Our view of the port when we came in.

We had decided to just hang out and relax at our first port, so we got off the ship and walked around the straw market. We purchased purses for the girls in the market and then walked over to Senor Frogs to get a drink, enjoy the music, and the view.

We then got back on the ship and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon on the Serenity deck.

Brett was enjoying the birds and taking pictures of the big boats moving about the harbor because he knew that Andrew would have been fascinated by them.

We left port that night about 6:00 on our way to Nassau

On our way out of Freeport, we passed the boat that had been on fire the night before. It was interesting to watch how this tug boat held the our cruise liner in place as our boat passed by it.

A quick view of the area that caught fire as we passed.

Open waters again!

"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God."

Hebrews 12:15

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Bon Voyage

Just before boarding the boat.

First time alone in 14 years!

views of our ship as we boarded

The two other ships in port with us

View from the top deck before we left

One last call to the kids before leaving. Our phones/internet didn't work at sea, so we enjoyed four days of forced disconnect from the world!

Leaving port on Sunday night

Last glimpse of land

The open water!

"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

Psalm 19:7-8

Memorial Day Weekend

Our long awaited cruise finally arrived! For Valentine's Day, Brett had booked a four day cruise for the two of us and arranged for his parents to watch the kids for us. We left the Friday before Memorial Day for the trip to his parents house. The 8 hour trip was uneventful cruising along in our 15 passenger van.

Kids+space=less fighting (A much more enjoyable trip for Dad and Mom)

Friday night we enjoyed a nice dinner with Brett's parents, visited with his Grandma and Aunt Cathi, and then put the kids to bed. Everyone slept great, which was a blessing.

Saturday morning, I went to meet two of my great friends for lunch. During lunch, Brett called to tell me that Caroline had fallen and split her chin. They were on their way to get stitches.

Saturday night, we enjoyed a birthday celebration for Luke

Brett's brother and his wife took Jake, Nick, and Emily for the rest of the weekend to spend some time with them. They had a great time bowling, at the beach, and at a local water park.

"As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."

Proverbs 27:19