First, let me say that I LOVE the song Cruisin.’ But anyways, we just got back from our cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. It was a five day Caribbean cruise and we hit the Bahamas (Cococay Island-the lines private island) and Cozumel, Mexico. Aside from my polymorphic light eruption-don’t ask, let me just assure you it sucks-we had a great time.

Up until this point, we’d only ever cruised on Carnival. We had a wonderful time on each of our cruises, but I was anxious to try something new, and the deal we got was too good to pass up.

On Friday January 2nd, we packed up the truck and headed down to Florida.  We decided to take it slow, and just drove about halfway that first day. I wasn’t sure where we would stop, so I didn’t make any hotel reservations-bad idea. We got to Florence, SC and I was beat.  We decided to stop at an exit with a number of choices, unfortunately most of them were booked and we ended up at The Thunderbird Inn.  Let’s just say, Roy and the kids weren’t happy with my choice. It wasn’t horrible…but it was close!

I couldn’t sleep and woke up early the next morning. My guys stopped their grumbling at the early hour (5:45 isn’t THAT early!) when we hit Krispy Kreme.  SO WORTH IT!  Warm, glazed donuts!  And we hit the road.  We actually made good time and got to Cocoa Beach around 3. The Courtyard Marriot-we had booked their park and cruise rate-was a HUGE step up and we were very happy with the hotel. We checked in, hit the beach, the pool and after a dinner from Epic Burritos-we hit the sack.

I woke up early on the 4th again. I was too excited to sleep!  And around 7:30, I woke up the rest of the crew, and we headed down for breakfast.  Our shuttle to the new terminal was at 9:30, so we made sure to be ready to go.

And now for the comparison:

1) CHECK IN-Royal Caribbean just opened a new terminal at Port Canaveral, and while it is nice and shiny, it was a mess checking in.  We lined up outside the terminal to get through the first checkpoint, and for the most part that was fairly organized.  Once in, they send people to different lines, but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to what line people are heading too!  People cut in lines, etc.  Just unorganized, but it moved fairly quickly.  After this we were ushered up to the waiting area, and here is where things became a mess.  There were about 30 check in counters. Now most people did NOT have priority check in, but over half the counters were for priority  check in!  We were told to sit in a certain area and when it was our turn they would call us up.  NOPE!  I went to the rest room to walk out to a mad rush to get in line!  People shoving, and pushing to get further ahead.  RIDICULOUS!  On our previous cruises with Carnival, we were given a number.  When our group was called, you got in line.  It made for a much smoother boarding process.  Granted, this is a new terminal and they might be working out the kinks, but when you have 4000+ people wanting to board, this seems like common sense.

2) FIRST IMPRESSIONS-We have been on three CCL ships (Dream, Conquest and the Pride) and while each ship was lovely and well maintained, Royal’s ship just has a much grander first impression.  We entered on Deck four and walked up one deck to behold the Promenade.  BEAUTIFUL!  Loved the decor, very subdued and pleasing to the eye. I love cruising, but it was nice not to be hit over the head with the gaudiness.

3) FOOD: First thing we do on a ship is eat lunch, so we headed up to The Windjammer for their buffet lunch.  To be honest, the buffet is about the same on both lines for me. It’s a buffet, it’s buffet food.  Dinner is the same-some things I loved, some were ok.  I don’t think either line really stood out as having the superior product.

4) SERVICE: I have heard over and over again that Royal is filled with snobby people-customers and staff alike.  And yes, we did meet a few staff members that were rather rude, I think Royal just takes a different approach than CCL.  ON Carnival, we have always found the staff to be very warm, and they really seem to like to talk to the customers.  On Royal, I didn’t so much think the staff was snobby as opposed to the idea that this is YOUR cruise and they were there to help make it the best it can be.  I found them unobtrusive as opposed to snobby for the most part.  However, if you spoke to them all were friendly and eager to answer questions. It could be just this ship, but from our experience I wouldn’t say the staff was snobby at all.

4) ENTERTAINMENT: This is where Royal wins hands down.  The shows were well done, with something new each night.  They simply had a better production value than CCL. And come on, there was an ice show on board!  The kids LOVED that!

5) CASINO: Now, Roy and I enjoy doing a bit of gambling for fun, but I couldn’t even stand walking through the casino on the Explorer, let alone sitting down and playing a bit.  It was like descending into a smoky pit.  There was simply no ventilation, and the smoke was overwhelming.  CCL has a better layout for their Casino’s hands down.

6) ACTIVITIES: we are a pretty active bunch, and this is another category where Royal excels. Rock walls, ice skating, inline skating, etc.  We enjoy these types of amenities.  I get a kick out of playing trivia, and they had plenty of that as well, but the additional amenities for Royal were great for our entire family.  I see my kids wanting to gravitate towards Royal’s larger ships.

7) KIDS: Our boys loved kids camp on all the ships we have been on.  One thing Royal really drops the ball on is after hours entertainment.  Carnival has Night Owls, and for about $14 a child, the kids can stay and party hardy!  They also get a little treat for participating.  Because they make this a planned event kids look forward to it, and parents use the additional time alone to do more adult things.  Royal offers after hour sitting ($7 an hour) but nothing planned.  HUGE missed opportunity to make additional revenue. That being said, I think both lines have great programs for kids.

8) ROOMS: We had an Ocean View Family Suite, and it was great!  We had our three younger boys with us, and this allowed us to all be in the same room.  As soon as you walk in, there was a small alcove with bunk beds, and then the main room also had a queen pull out bed, along with a partition to separate our king size bed. It was a large room, and great for families.  Just from peeking in, the balcony rooms as well as the interior rooms look to be about the same size as Carnival.  The decor is also similar.  So for us the only reason Royal wins here is that they offer this larger sized family room.

There were little things that Carnival does better, on the flip side there are areas where Royal excels.  I didn’t find the mix of passengers to be all that different on either ship.  Some snobby people, some very nice people and everything in between.

I don’t necessarily see myself as a loyalist.  They perks you get for return sails are MUCH better on Royal. That being said, I don’t think the perks are all that on either line. So while it will be nice to move up in the ‘rankings’ the idea that we will become a certain status doesn’t necessarily appeal to me as a reason to prefer one line over the other.

In the end, I think the lines are fairly similar and I’ll continue to seek out the best deals for our family.

This is what our little guy said when I asked him what he wanted to do on “the big boat” (aka, cruise).

We had the most amazing time on our cruise, and we are trying to plan another one for next year.  I was actually surprised when I asked the younger boys if they wanted to go to Disney World or on a cruise again.  ALL five of them said: “A Cruise, Mom!”

So, I’m just trying to figure out the month.  If we go in August, we can save about 2k, seems worth it to me!  On the other hand, I know everyone is anxious to go again.

So, this morning I asked Dean if he wanted to go on the big boat.

“Yes, Mama.  Big Boat!”

“Yeah, ” I smiled at him and nuzzled his neck, “What do you want to do on the big boat?”

“Umm… play with my friends.” He looked serious about this answer, “Oh! And eat ice cream and pizza.”

“Yep, you liked the ice cream.”

“Yeah, and burgers too!”

Guess I know Dean’s favorite part of the cruise.

I was planning on going on a cruise next year with my boys and husbands…wondering what cruise did u go one and why did u choose that one opposed to the other ones?

Maminess asked why we chose the cruise we did.  And it’s actually pretty simple, we didn’t!

My in-laws wanted the entire family to go on a family cruise.  Them, us and my sister in law and her family.  Roy and I didn’t know much about cruising.  He went once when he was younger, I had never been, so we deferred to them.

What we were told is that Port Canaveral, near Orlando, is one of the bigger ports, therefore it has the bigger ships.  The idea was a bigger ship would have more to do - more people to meet, bigger shows, etc.

That made sense to us so we went for it.  Our cruise went to Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  Of the three I liked St. Maarten the best, the beach was beautiful!

I think it depends on what you want out of the cruise.  I have heard some of the smaller ships are more intimate, though obviously there are less passengers and (I have heard) some of the shows don’t measure up to the larger ships.  We wanted to make sure the kids had PLENTY to do so that we could have some ‘alone time’ as it was our vacation too.  On the other hand, we wanted to make sure there were things we could do as a family that all the kids would enjoy - not always easy when you have a 17 year old and a three year old and everything in between.

Honestly, we had the best time… best vacation I’ve ever taken.  As you can see, I am lobbying to become an ambassador for Carnival.  Any more questions, feel free to ask…

I’m nervous, but so excited!

We are heading out today for our 7 day cruise on Carnival’s Pride - well 8 days, but only a small part of the 8th day.

I’m not worried about the cruise itself. I’m so excited to be on board.

But this is the longest I will have ever been away from my boys.

My inlaws came up, and I know the boys are thrilled to get to spend some time with Mema and Papa.  In fact, I’m happy they get this time as well.  My inlaws are amazing people, and because we don’t live that close to them, we don’t get a chance to see them as often as we would like.  They adore the boys, and we know the boys will be well cared for and loved.

Corey and Joe, though they live at home, are fairly independent.  They wake up, and do their own thing.  They are always respectful, as they should be in our home, but they need less from me than I care to admit sometimes.

Truth be told, Addi’s the same way! Though he needs more reminding on getting things done, he’s really growing up and moving in the same direction as his older brothers.

Hayden, though he is only ‘almost 9 Mom!,’ is a confident little boy.  He knows we are here, he knows he will be taken care of, and he moves about his day knowing Roy and I are there.

But, then you have our Dean.  He’s my baby, and I admit, I baby him.  I don’t think he is overly whiny or clingy, he and I just have a rapport.  We eat breakfast together, and even when I drop him off at school, he reminds me he will only be there a few hours (like four hours mommy, ok?) and that he will be very happy to see me when I pick him up because he loves me many, many lots.

I’m careful not to get maudlin in front of the little boys.  The older boys will understand my being conflicted, but Dean and Hayden will just wonder why Mommy is upset.

I remind them, and myself as well, that they will have so much fun with their grandparents.  And that Mommy and Daddy will take pictures for them, and when we come home, we will have wonderful stories to tell.

But the idea of not being able to hold my baby, as he is the one that gives me the most love these days, for 7 days… well… is kind of freaking me out!

I want to remind the older boys and even my inlaws to make sure they give him plenty of love and kisses.  I want to remind Corey to hug his tiny body when he gets dressed for school, as he always squeals and giggles when I hug him with my cold hands.

And yet, I know they are in capable hands.

I know that this time away will be good for us, that we will be able to relax and focus on each other for longer than it takes us to have dinner at Chili’s or go grocery shopping.

So… Here’s to out Adventure!

And…..we’re home!  A part of me was happy to be home, a part of me didn’t want to leave the ship and thought of handcuffing myself to a table on the Lido deck.

But I missed the boys, and so I left the ship, happily looking forward to our next cruise.

But here are a few things I learned:

1) The Serenity Deck is for adults-those over 21-but apparently the actual definition of Serenity is not widely known.  A poll was taken a few months back by the powers that be at Carnival.  They asked, very specifically, if we wanted music or a DJ on the serenity deck.  The response was an overwhelming NO!  If we wanted to dance, we would go to the Lido deck, but if we wanted to get away from the noise, and the kids…Serenity.  Except for the people on our cruise-they apparently disagreed, and instead choose to make their own music-which consisted of EXTREMELY loud hooting and hollering.  Now, I’m all for fun….but that doesn’t mean I want to be splashed in the face while you do your drunk chicken dance, and I wonder if someone is going to have to save your drunk ass when you fall in the pool.  And that leads me to number 2…

2)  Someone’s watching-Now, I know many people believe in the idea that you’re on vacation.  Act a fool, get drunk, get loud… and we do, occasionally.  I admit it, and yes I told the children this, that one night I had a bit too much to drink.  But I knew that, and I stopped.  My thinking is this: In this day and age EVERYONE has a smart phone, most people have social media accounts, and all I need is for one of my boys, my husband’s boss, my mother, etc. to see pictures of me acting a fool, because the plain fact is… people judge you.  Now, of course, the question remains - why should I care what others think?  Perhaps you shouldn’t, but when your ‘fun’ intrudes on others to an overwhelming extent, perhaps it’s considerate to rethink your behavior.  Take all the hooting on the adults-only deck… Once, it was funny. Twice, funny as well, as others joined in.  Third and fourth time… ok, tolerable.  But by the 50th time (no, I’m not exaggerating), it was a little bit ridiculous.  Be aware you aren’t the only one trying to get away from it all.

3) Dance like no one’s watching - which, of course, seems to counteract what I said in number 2, but I don’t mean do a strip tease in front of all the kids.  What I mean is simply this - if you’re feeling a song in the nightclub, get up and dance.  Who cares if you’re off beat, or you only have one move!  Get up, move your body, and enjoy it.  Smile.  Learn a new dance, and simply feel the music.

4) But don’t grind up against the hand rails and show everyone your underwear… that just isn’t necessary.

5) Indulge - No, not just alcohol.  I mean the experience itself.  Most of us won’t order two entrees at a restaurant - but you can on the boat!  We might not get the chance to snorkel in the Bahamas that often… DO IT!  Worry less about the material things, and enjoy the experiences.  The boys remember Stingray City in the Cayman Islands and talk about that more than they do the silly little trinkets we bought them.

6) READ YOUR CONTRACT - No, not just your cruise contract, but anything you sign before putting money on it.  We can’t tell you how many people-on the very first day!- were complaining about the holds put on their debit/credit cards.  And yet, it was right there in your contract.  Someone complained that the steakhouse cost extra.  Once again, right there in your contract, etc, etc.  KNOW what you are getting into before you get into it!

7) SING - or dance, or play a trivia game, or the slot machine, or try sushi.  I could go on and on, but try something different, something new.  Get out of your comfort zone.  

8) Looking like a prostitute doesn’t really work for anyone - again, it’s hard not to judge.  And looking at how some people dress, it’s hard to say that they AREN’T simply doing it for attention.  But would you rather someone say, “You look beautiful” or would you rather them wonder how much your charge?  A lovely young lady wore an outfit that really had Roy and I wondering if she charges by the hour!  And that’s sad.  She had a lovely face, pretty long, blonde hair… but she hid her big, blue eyes behind makeup so thick you could peel it off.  Her shorts were so tight that she actually had camel toe in JEANS!  (How can that even be comfortable?) And then there was her shirt… a bit too small, and her boots, a bit too high… why?  If you like attention, fine… but trust me, you can get just as much of it, and of a much better caliber, by flattering yourself as opposed to showing it all off.

9) ON the other hand - there’s nothing like feeling sexy.  We dressed nicely for dinner most nights.  One night we did it all - Roy wore a jacket and tie, and I wore a cocktail dress - and there was nothing like seeing the look in his eyes, when I walked towards him (until I almost stumbled… damn high heels!).  He looked so handsome in his jacket.  I loved seeing him dress up, and I loved the look in his eyes when he saw me.  I know how much Roy loves me, but that look of longing in his eyes… WOW!  It’s some powerful stuff.

10) Romance is great.  I gush about my husband all the time.  He’s a truly amazing man, but it was wonderful to simply be able to concentrate on him for 7 days, as opposed to having to split all my energy up between the boys and him.  I wasn’t as exhausted, which gave me more energy to try new things, to laugh more, to smile more, to dance, to be a wife.  And it reminded me that when all is said and done, when the kids are gone, Roy and I will still be together, and I want to make sure we can be happy.

I think our next cruise will be a family cruise, as it’s getting to the point where the older boys might be leaving the nest.  Especially Joe, as he will be a senior next year and his plan is to enlist right after high school.  So, I’m going to get busy planning that, but I’ll also be remembering what an amazing feeling it was to just be with the man I love… and I’ll be thinking of our next adventure as well.

I also want to give a shout out to the amazing crew of the Carnival Pride. Whatever you might think of cruising, we had a great time!  We were well taken care of, the staff was friendly, the ship was lovely… and we are eagerly awaiting our next adventure on Carnival Cruise Lines.

It only took me an hour on the phone, but the rep from Carnival was very nice.  We got our cruise booked!  YEAH!  August can’t come soon enough for me.

Going to leave from New Orleans this time, and we are all looking forward to seeing the city, even if only for a few days… can’t wait!

I was all set to either go to DisneyWorld this summer OR rent a house in the Outer Banks.  Roy thought that was a silly choice, but we have never been to the Outer Banks, and the kids love the beach.  So here I was, I think it was around November, and I got another idea in my head… what if we took all the kids on a cruise?

Could be fun, right? I’ve never been. I have heard that most cruise lines have great programs for kids.  Roy sort of rolled his eyes at me, and I knew what he was thinking.

I change my mind constantly.  He figures why bother weighing in with his opinion because I will just come up with something new tomorrow.  Little does he realize THAT is the problem!  No one speaks up!  I throw something out there, and I am met with blank looks (or in Roy’s case an eye roll and a “Whatever, dear.”)  So, I keep trying to come up with things that will be met with some enthusiasm.

Anyways, Roy actually seemed to like the idea of a cruise, so I set about seeing what deals I could find, when, I kid you not… Roy gets an email from his parents.

Basically it says that his parents have talked it over and one thing they have always wanted to do was take all the grandkids on a cruise.  Yes, Roy’s parents offered to pay for all the kids!  Are you kidding me?  They just ask that we attend (handling all of our kids and Roy’s sister’s crew is a lot to manage) and pay for ourselves.

At first I was a bit skeptical of the whole process.  When you get a big group of people together like that, it is always hard to make plans, etc.  But Roy convinced me to take a chance, and then I thought about it…

Do I really want to be stuck on a boat?  Laying by the pool with a margarita isn’t my idea of a super fun vacation.  I can do that for about an hour… IF I have something to read and then I start to get restless.  Which is why I LOVE vacations like Disney!  You can walk around the parks and constantly find new things. There is something for everyone. And the kids all love amusement parks.  Won’t I be bored on a giant boat?

So I decided to do some research and tried to find actual reviews from former passengers, as opposed to the glossy photos on the cruise line’s website.  I found one passenger that posted numerous photos… and I was a tad dismayed!  The line for mini golf was about 80 deep.  Seriously, I do not want to spend 2 hours waiting to play mini golf.  Will I have to spend 2 hours waiting in line for my all you can eat burrito too?  Is there at least a crazy roller coaster at the end of this line to make it all worthwhile?

I shared my concerns with Roy, and he brushed them off.  He tried to get me to look at this as an adventure.  Ok, but I’m not the type of girl to enjoy adventures while I am surrounded by 1000 other people. 

BUT, the kids are thrilled!  They are counting the days.  They just can’t wait.  Even Dean sees commercials for cruises and tells me he wants to go on the boat.  The older boys are excited as this is something we have never done.  Poor Corey though… he will be 17, so close to being able to go to the 18 and over clubs and activities.  Instead, he will be stuck in the teen clubs.

So, I know some of you guys have been on cruises?  Any advice?  Tips?  Suggestions?  We are leaving in about a month for a 7 day Eastern Caribbean Cruise.  We will be stopping in Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarteen.

Boy, he just keeps getting better looking, and I just look older!  SOOO not fair!  But we had a great time dressing up for elegant night on the cruise.

I realize, during each vacation we take, how lucky we are.  It might be something little-taking the travel trailer to our favorite campground for a few days, or a bigger undertaking like a week cruise-but there are moments during every trip, where I look around and realize how amazing my life is. And I want to take this moment to say, that I know this, I get it.  I know we are lucky that Roy has the job he does, I know how hard he works to give the boys and I the very best-I know and see the long hours he works, the sacrifices he makes and the things he misses.  I see it, and I hope he knows how much I appreciate it.

Often on these trips, my moment of pure joy takes a very obvious form.  One time it was during our cruise that took us to the Cayman. We had done our research and decided to take a trip to Stingray City-and it was amazing!  The kids all carefully slid into the warm water, they gamely posed for photos with the giant rays.  We fed them, and I looked around and knew this was a moment we would remember for years.

Once it was during one of our hottest days at Disneyworld, Roy and I noticed the tent was just full of moisture, and of course Dean’s bed was soaked.  So, we sat in the laundry room at 11 PM.  Laughing about the heat, and he kissed me as I sat on the changing table.  I laid my head on his chest and just sighed happily.

During out last family cruise, we got to spend the day at Royal Caribbean’s private Island.  Roy and Addi had climbed to top of a huge inflatable water slide, I was helping Dean and Hayden climb onto a see saw, and just as I fell off of it, I noticed Roy and Addi racing down the slide-this was an amazing life!

But this last trip, my moment came at an unexpected time.  The first four days of our five day couples cruise was amazing!  Roy and I danced, we ate, we swam in the beautiful waters of the Bahamas.  We snorkeled in Nassau.  We laughed, we kissed, we held hands, and at each turn I felt more blessed and connected to my partner of almost two decades.

And then on our last day I got sick.  Now, I tried valiantly to shrug it off as queasiness.  And for a time it came and went, but around 4 I couldn’t shake it off.

“I’m going to be sick.” I told Roy, as we made our way to the cafe. 

He took my hand and led me to a table near the rest room, "Sit here. Bathroom is there if you need it, let me see what I can find.“

He went searching for something for me to eat-crackers, toast anything to try to calm my rolling stomach.  We sat for awhile, as I choked down bread- no dice.

"I need to lay down.” I told him.  

He assured me he would be fine, and that he would come check on me at the time I requested.  I wanted him to enjoy his last day, and I hated that I couldn’t be there with him.

And sure enough about 45 minutes later, I heard our cabin door open.

“Baby, how you feeling?” He came over and kissed my forehead.  I nodded and said, I felt better. Stood up, and lost it.  I ran into the bathroom, and got sick.  

And that night, Roy did all he could to get me to keep something down. He ran up three flights of stairs in search of the blandest dinner he could find.  He brought loaded plates for himself as well, and we had dinner in the room-which would have been incredibly romantic and fun if I didn’t feel like crap.

When he didn’t think I was eating enough, he told me to tell him what I thought would work. I croaked out toast and he was off again-returning with toast and some hot tea this time.  He emptied out our trashcan and put it by the bed for me in case I couldn’t make it to the bathroom (aren’t you excited about all these details) and rubbed my back as I struggled to find a position that let me relax.

I finally got comfortable, "Why don’t you go?“ I told him.

I hate Roy seeing me sick. Sickness is a sign of weakness, and I hate thinking I’m weak. (RIDICULOUS thought process, I know, but I get emotional when ill).

Finally, I convinced him to go watch a comedy show.  He put on dancing with the stars for me, and I laid as still as humanly possible.  I dozed off, and heard him come back in.  Seeing I was asleep, he kissed my sweaty brow, and sat with me a bit, eventually creeping out to get some pizza.

When he came back and settled down for the night, he urged me to drink, cleaned up vomit, and never once made me feel like I was grossing him out.

And after getting sick for the upmteenth time, and shuffling back to our bed, I looked at my husband’s back, and I kissed it. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I had my moment. We had both packed a lot into the first few days-and were exhausted, but as soon as he got the idea that I wasn’t up to par, that I needed him-there he was running up and down flights of stairs, hunting down toast for me, cleaning the bathroom. And then I knew, he wouldn’t let me drive home the next day.  So, he would have hours of driving, all the while wondering if I was ok and comfortable.

When I woke up the next morning, and said I felt a bit better, I saw him visibly sigh with relief. He urged me to get dressed so that we could go get something to eat, and when we got there, he told me to sit down and he would get me breakfast-nope he doesn’t stop.  As we got off the boat, we elected to carry our own luggage.  We just had the one large suitcase and our garment bag, which luckily had wheels.  Roy had his backpack, and the suitcase, which was HEAVY.  I had my purse and the garment bag, which was not as he had taken out a lot of what was in my purse to already lighten my load.

"Let me get that honey, ” He said trying to shuffle a 50 pound bag to his other hand. 

I squeezed his hand, and said I was ok, but that didn’t stop him from asking me two more times.  Each time we got a moment to just stand in line, he moved the bag aside, so I could lean against him.  He drove home for over 8 hours, taking it slow, asking if I needed to stop, never once complaining.

Ok, I lied-I didn’t have a moment I had days, as right now, I’m seeing him working in his office-plugging away, jumping right back into the thick of things.  He would hard to get things situated so that we would be free for a few days-I know he needed the break, as he’s been working 16 hours days trying to get ready for a huge project coming up. I watch him sleep (no, I’m not creepy) and I realize all he does, everything he does, is for us-for our family. He works his ass off to give us the type of life he wants us to have. 

He joked with me one day when I asked him how much he loved me, "Chris, you have no idea how into you I am.“

And yet he shows me-I drag him to the nightclub on the cruises because I love to dance, and he gamely goes. There are girls there-20 years younger than me, 25 pounds lighter, that don’t need industrial strength underwire to make their boobs perky-girls that I see watch him when he makes his way to the bar, and yet he’s oblivious to it all-those gorgeous blue eyes of his, still sparkle when he sees my smile, still search the crowds to land on me.

Our vacation was amazing, and we have wonderful memories from it, but I was reminded of just how amazing this man of mine really is-and that is something I will never forget.

Sooo, I make a pact with myself to spend more time giving in to my feelings of restlessness when it comes to writing…and than I don’t write for four day?  Go figure!

It could be because our timeline got moved up.

What timeline you ask?

Well, I’ll tell ya,  Hayden is a Freshman this year, Dean is in fifth grade-so he’ll start middle school next year, and Roy works about 60 miles from home. NOT horrible, until you factor in rush hour traffic.  Sometimes, Roy gets into the office in an hour an a half, sometimes it take twice that-my goal was to move the summer before Hayden’s junior year.  That would give him two years at a new high school, Dean would have two years at the middle school before moving into HS, but my husband is beat.  With the new position he accepted, he’s going in almost daily-and I know it’s hard on him.  So, we’re looking to move in just a few months!

Ugh, I said it out loud

We’ve been here so long, I forgot why I dislike the process.  Getting the house ready, finding a new house…and than there’s THE PURGE.

I decided to start small, something no one could have any say over-my closet.  I listed items on ebay, I put aside items for a yard sale-and felt accomplished until I looked at my closet.  Pretty sure it looks no different.  When did I accumulate so much stuff?  

To be fair, Roy’s side of the closet looks similar.  I tell the man he needs to purge and he gives me two t-shirts-out of the 50 he owns-though he only wears about 10.  He has a t-shirt that he wears constantly (I wash it, he wears it-vicious cycle) that I can see through-I kid you not.  It didn’t start out like that, he just wears it constantly!  To boot-it says Grooveshark (does anyone even remember what that is?) and he got it for free!  Not that there’s anything wrong with promotional swag-I love my pens, but when it’s starting to disintegrate, maybe it’s time to move on?

Now, for my case I realized I have way to many shirts with goofy sayings.  Some I bought for the specific purpose of basketball games-I have a few with sayings, or Hayden’s number, etc.  But most say ridiculous things like, “More Tacos please.”  I’m not sure why I need three shirts that say that-especially when all are just different shades of grey.  

And you’d think when the shirts hold no real sentimental value it would be easy to let go of-apparently, it is not.  You never know when you might find yourself in desperate need of tacos and maybe you’ve lost your voice?  I don’t know…

And let’s not even get in to my legging collection.  Now, in the winter I do wear them-daily for the most part.  I wear tunics and leggings, or a sweater and leggings, etc.  They’re warm and cute-the more colorful the better!  But I’m short, so specific brands fit me best-so why do I have pair after pair that are too big? 

I think there was a time when I bought clothes to make myself happy-I was feeling out of sorts, sad-and when I worked through that-I was left with a packed closet.  And so, THE PURGE commenced.

I truly hope the kitchen isn’t like this-or you’ll find me crying in the shower…