Chicks Cruisin' for a Cause

This past weekend, my three best friends and I went on a 3-night Bahamian Cruise.  We have been planning this since the fall and have needed the girl time for a while.  We haven't been all together, just the girls, since we were all in Germany together back in 2007.  We are a diverse bunch...there is 10 years age span between us - the youngest is 35 and the oldest is 45.  We have a nurse practitioner, an Army Community Service Soldier Support professional, a photographer, and a NICU nurse.  We are originally from Boston, Chicago, Albany, Georgia and Hampton Roads, Virginia and we now live in Alabama, Florida and Virginia.  Three of our husbands are in the same Army branch and the other is a stay-at-home dad.  Our children range in age from 22 to 5 years old.  And yet we have formed a bond that transcends all these differences.  We know that at the drop of a hat, any one of us would come to the aid of a sister in need, without question and without hesitation.  We came together last Thursday night and it was as if we just saw each other yesterday.  We picked up with out a breath and we didn't stop laughing, crying, drinking, and smiling until we pulled into port on Monday.  We also contributed to a great cause and raised money for a deserving charity in Florida as well as an orphanage in Nassau.  Can't wait for the next one~!

Here are the tamer photos that I can share...you know, what happens on the ship, stays on the ship!

The Fearsome Foursome

Parasailing!!!

Oprah's House!!!

I was all about conquering fears on this cruise!

Jenna-isms

Back in April, we went on a cruise with another family.  They have two smaller children and their youngest, Jenna is four years old.  She is a precocious four year old and princess of quite a lot.  She worships BoyBoy and tells anyone who will listen that he is her boyfriend and she is going to marry him.  Poor BoyBoy tolerates it as best he can and is remarkably kind to her.  It makes her love him even more.  

Being four years old can be brutal.  No one understands you.  You have many demands that no one seems to want to meet.  You are your own island.  Being your own island requires your own language.  After spending a week with her, I was able to translate some of her language and I am pleased to share some of it with you.

Boyly:  Not girly.  "These toys are too boyly for me to play with."

Lookinat:  Picture book.  "This is a lookinat book not a reading book."

Pinkiesup:  The proper way to do anything if you are a princess.  "You have to drink with pinkiesup!"

Wrestle time!:  The time in the afternoon or evening set aside specifically for wrestling.  "C'mon Mr. Bubba!  It's wrestle time!!!"

Rubber:  Rub.  "I need you to rubber my back so that I can fall asleep."

Job Changer:  Walk-in closet.  "Daddy goes into the job changer when he gets home to get out of his uniform."

Trustes:  believes  "Nobody trustes me."

It's tough being a princess...

Cruisin'

Wow!  What a week we had!  Relaxing, enjoyable, hilarious at times, rewarding, memory making fun.  I can't possibly put into words the look on BoyBoy's face when we finally walked across the gang plank and onto the cruise ship.  He was awestruck, speechless and full of hugs for Bubba and me.  If he thanked us once, he thanked us a million times.  We couldn't wait to explore but first we had to stop for the first of many photo ops...

Great looking family, eh?

Of course, then there was the obligatory life boat drill (and the goofy photos that always go along with it!)

Oh, save me, Molly Brown!  (weak Titanic reference)

Then we were off.  Fun day at sea which involved eating too much, drinking too much, getting too much sun and watching all the psycho people fight over deck chairs.  If you have ever been on a cruise, you know what I am talking about.  Folks get up at the crack of dawn to claim their deck chairs for the day.  Then they guard them like a pack of pit bulls, daring anyone to move their 6 towels they have draped across their 8 chairs.  By the time the breakfast buffet has turned into the brunch buffet, all the chairs are claimed in some fashion and by the time the Cheeze family rolled their lazy butts out of bed and stumbled to the lunch buffet, most of those people were lobsters and needed to go inside.  So, the moral to this story is, the early bird gets the deck chair, but the sleepy head reaps the reward.  

Our first stop was to be Grand Cayman but due to waves, wind, or disgruntled fisherman, we were unable to drop anchor and stay.  Something to do with safety, blah, blah, blah.  Safety, shmafety...I want to snorkel!!!  Instead we were tortured by having to look at the entire island while the captain circled it so that we could go to the other side and emergency evacuate a passenger that had eaten too much at the midnight buffet or something.  Boohoo...but we got a refund of our port taxes and wisely invested it in BoyBoy's college fund (or something like that...(beer)).  So, instead, the boat headed to Cozumel for an early arrival.

Cozumel has always been Bubba's favorite and he was excited to show BoyBoy some of the sights.  We were scheduled for the Dolphin Trainer excursion but since we docked early we had time to see some of the local shops.  A mandatory Mexican beer and some chips and then we headed to play with the dolphins.  Let me just tell you...if you ever have the opportunity to experience these animals up close and personal, do it!  It is worth every peso!  The dolphins are the most gentle, sweet, intelligent, and amazing animals I have ever encountered.  We had our own 20 year old female and she was the sweetest thing.  BoyBoy giggled when she kissed him, first on the cheek and then on the lips.  Our trainer gave him kudos for getting bussed by an older woman.  We swam with her for more than an hour and she also gave us all rides.  What a wonderful day!

I think Bubba fell in love with Athena

Of course, I had to contribute to Stellan's Name Gallery

And then it was back to Tampa.  We had a great time and are already planning our next one...where should we go?

Oh, and here is a photo of the Cheeze's at formal night...we clean up pretty good, don't you think?

Adios!

Whew!

We are back, rested, and in need of a liver transplant and liposuction.  I am madly unpacking, doing laundry, and trying to get back to normal.  Since I have Melly's boyfriend this week because my sister is on spring break, things are not going to be back to normal until later.  I am posting one photo from the cruise to (make you jealous) tide you over until I can catch my breath and write a proper post.