Towel Art

Not only do you get pampered during meal time on a cruise but they also spoil you in your room.  Every morning when you leave to go eat breakfast, they come in and make your bed and straighten up the room.  In the evening while you are eating dinner they come in and turn down your bedding and place towel art on your bed.  I always love to see what kind of animals they come up with.  It is a neat treat!

They also leave chocolate mints

It was soo good to get away and enjoy all the pampering.  We know that in just a few short weeks we'll be back on the mission field and back to a normal life.  As much as we love the glitz and glamour, we also love the dirt and grime of our life in Guatemala.  We miss being with the locals, visiting in their homes, local foods, and just the rustic life we live there.  We can't wait to get back to it!

Our Cruise- A Day in Cozumel

Our only port of call was Cozumel, Mexico.  It was our fourth time to visit there.  There were very few excursions that they would allow pregnant women to go on so we just decided to get off the ship and do a little shopping. 

It was very warm and sunny that day and we loved it!  I think it was the first time we had sweated since we left Guatemala!   

Isn't the water beautiful!  I soo wanted to get in it.

Our ship

This is a photo of us later that night getting ready to watch the show

This is a photo of us on our last night taken with our waitress Elena

Our Cruise- Formal Night

My very favorite thing about cruising is the formal nights.  I love getting all dressed up and look forward to those nights most of all.  I was supposed to be in a wedding back in December but because of a winter storm was stuck in Virginia and missed the wedding.  So, I had a formal dress that I just had to wear!  ha  I was glad it still fit (although a little snug).  On our past cruises we have rented David a tux but opted for a suit this time since this was a last minute trip.  We had a fun night!

(side view)

On this night one of the menu options was lobster and grilled shrimp.  It was delicious!!!

During dinner the waiters usually sing or do some type of entertainment.  It is always enjoyable.

Enjoying the show after dinner

We have been so blessed to have been able to travel and see and do so many things during our married life.  We have soo many memories to cherish and are thankful for the times we have had.  We've had a great life together as the two of us and cannot wait to experience life with our son.  There is so much we can't wait to do with him!  We still cannot believe that our party of two will soon be a party of three!!!  

Our Cruise- The First Two Days

We began our vacation by stopping at one of our favorite places to eat when we travel to New Orleans- Middendorf's.  They serve very delicious seafood!  We had fried catfish and fried oysters.

We boarded our ship (Carnival Triumph) in New Orleans

Views of the Mississippi River bridge

Getting ready to sail away

Enjoying the views as we cruised down the Mississippi River

The main thing we love about cruising is the night life.  We love getting dressed and going to dinner.  We love the formal meals they serve and especially the service we get.  After dinner we always go to the live entertainment show and then watch the karoke.  I laughed so hard the first night that David thought I was going to go into labor!  It is hilarious!

Our first dinner on the ship

David had steak

One of my favorite desserts of the week- creme brulee

We also like to eat our other meals in the main dining room instead of the buffet area because we just like the first class service.  They really wait on you hand and foot!  This is a photo of our first breakfast.  You can request to be seated by yourselves or seated at a group table.  We did a mixture of both.  We like sitting in a group because you get to meet many interesting people.  This day we met a couple from Canada and three lady friends who are part of a group called M.O.B.- mother's of boys!!  They made me an honorary member and I loved that!  We had fun getting to know them.

The rest of that day was spent out on the open decks sitting in the sunshine, reading, and napping.

The water views were beautiful!

Babymooning

We are leaving today for a weekend trip that we are calling a babymoon.  It is a combination of a get-away and a "we better do something before the baby gets here" vacation.  We will be driving to New Orleans today and boarding our ship later this afternoon.  We are very excited!!  Pray that we will be safe and healthy and that we will have a most enjoyable time.  We'll take lots of pictures and post them once we return.