I Turned Down What?!?

Something unprecedented just happened today.

I turned down a trip. Remember, to say that I like to travel doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

I can't remember EVER turning down a trip.

Since today is a day when we usually talk about traveling, I figured it'd be good to include a dose of reality. I don't mean to make it sound like taking trips is easy and everyone, no matter their situation, should travel. I think there is some truth to that...but the reality is...sometimes, it's best to stay home. As much as that pains me.

Earlier this month, we were invited to spend 2 nights in Las Vegas with some good friends at the end of July. We were going to see Cirque du Soleil's "O" and I could NOT wait! I LOVE musical theater and crazy shows like that! I was excited!

Then all hail broke loose. Pun, or misspelled word, or whatever...intended.

We had a huge hail storm that made our roof look like swiss cheese. And we have a sizeable deductible that we get to pay to have it fixed. Oh, the joys of home ownership. While there is still a chance our roof can be fixed without us paying a deductible, we decided it would be most wise to keep our money in our pockets and send our friends off to Sin City without us.

The two days in Vegas would have cost us around $1200. People, we can both go on a seven day cruise for that much! It was painful to imagine dropping that on 2 nights...especially when I don't gamble or visit strip clubs. I just wanted to see Cirque!

Anyways, today, we chose responsibility. But that doesn't mean I stopped looking at cruise deals and discount flights. We will  get away and it will  be amazing. Any time we get to experience new cultures or see part of God's creation that we haven't seen before, we are blessed.

I turned this one down...and what a "culture" that would have been to witness!...but there will be a chance for us. We wait patiently on the Lord and try to steward what he's given us well in the meantime.

Happy trails to those of you who don't have swiss cheese roofs.

Cruisin' with Kids! (Part II)

It's WorldWide Wednesday...which means we get to leave our laptops behind, mentally, and think about being somewhere else!

Given that, it's time to close out the talk about the different options we have for childcare and entertainment for kids on the various cruise lines. As I've said before, my hope is that parents don't let the fact that they have kids keep them from traveling. The trips we've taken with our little one have been absolutely some of our best. He will likely not remember anything we've done so far, but we certainly will. It's amazing to travel with a child and see the world through their eyes. Ok, I think I've made that stance clear...so, we'll move on.

Last week, we covered the three cruise lines I have personally cruised with - Carnival, Holland America, and Norwegian. Today, we'll cover the other three most popular cruise lines in the US. There are more lines available than what we will cover, but these are the most common lines you'll find in US ports.

I hope you find this information helpful and encouraging as you plan a memorable family trip...and remember, if you ever have ANY questions about cruising, I'd love to answer them for you! =)

Here's a blurry pic from my honeymoon for your enjoyment... Cruise love!

Royal Caribbean International
Minimum Age for Childcare: 3 years and fully potty trained
Childcare Hours Offered: 9:00am - Noon, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, 7:00pm - 10:00pm for free. In-room babysitting is available from 8:00am - 2:00am and is $19/hour. The child must be at least 1 year old for this service. Regular group-style babysitting is available for late-night care until 2:00am for $6/hr.
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes, provided (obviously) that children are 3 yrs and up and fully potty trained.
Other Comments: They offer Fisher-Price play dates for infants 6mo - 36mo, but parents must be present. Their program seems very thorough and enjoyable for children, but the minimum age is high and the in-room babysitting cost is outrageous compared to Holland America (covered in Part I).

Celebrity Cruise Vacations
Minimum Age for Childcare: 3 years
Childcare Hours Offered: 9:00am - 10:00pm is free. 10:00pm - 12:00am is $6/hour, except for the last night in which 10:00pm - 1:00am is also free (this is a program they call "Parents Night Out").
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes, for certain hours (check with on-board staff) and comes at the $6/hr fee
Other Comments: The Parents Night Out program is one of a kind, however, the midnight closing for all other nights is quite early. Most ships have comedy shows that don't start until midnight and the dance clubs/lounges/bars are all open until 2:00am or later. It seems somewhat restrictive.

Princess Cruises
Minimum Age for Childcare: 3 years
Childcare Hours Offered: Sea Days: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Port Days: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. - All care is free until 10:00pm, and then $5/hr afterward
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Other Comments: I couldn't locate information on the hours of the late-night option for childcare. I would suggest calling the line or asking once on-board.

Who's ready to book a trip!? This girl is! I cannot wait for our next cruise! Our little one is 18 months, so compiling all of this info has been very beneficial to me to help me decide which line will get our business. I hope it helped you too!

Happy Trails!

Cruisin' With Kids! (Part I)

It's our first Worldwide Wednesday when I get to talk about one of my very favorite passions - Travel!

Yes, I am frugal. And yes, I use the Envelope System and cut coupons. The thing is...I do those things so that I can afford to travel!

I so love traveling with my friends and family. Getting away from the town and the routine and the culture and the people you are used to and making memories in a foreign land is basically my favorite thing to do in life. And traveling as a parent has brought even more joy to the experience. Watching my baby see things he's never seen before and watching other people delight in his presence has really taken my love of traveling to a whole new level.

I seriously think about it multiple times a day.

To that end - one of the things I've been thinking about most lately is cruising! We LOVE to cruise! You see more than one destination, have unlimited food and entertainment, and there are always a million things to do!

In planning for some vacations as a parent, I've done research on the various cruise lines' policies on cruising with kids. The breakdown of their childcare programs is below. Hopefully, this will be helpful to you as you plan your next awesome family vacation...and helpful to me as I daydream about not being at this desk...

Norwegian Cruise Lines
Minimum Age for Childcare: 2 Years
Childcare Hours Offered: 8:00pm - 10:30pm on Embarkation Day ... Departure from Port - 10:30pm on Port Days ... 9:00am - 10:30pm on Sea Days. This is all FREE. They also offer late night childcare from 10:30pm - 1:30am for $6/child/hour.
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes, however if your child is not potty trained, someone from your party must stay on-board and not attend the excursion because Norwegian staff will not change diapers. You are given a beeper when your child needs changed and you must come change their diaper.
Holland America Cruise Lines
Minimum Age for Childcare: 3 years for the group care that is offered
Childcare Hours Offered: 9:00am - 10:00pm for FREE. Care is offered from 10:00pm - 12:00am for $5/child/hour. Another option only Holland America offers is "In Room Sitting" where front desk staff who are not on-the-clock can opt to babysit in your stateroom to make extra money. There is no age limit for this and the charge is $6/hour. You set the times and it can be whatever the employee is willing to do. This typically books up quickly because of how convenient it is to have someone in the cabin so your little ones can sleep. I know it sounds creepy to have a stranger with your baby, but these are wonderful people. We had Martin as our son's babysitter when he was 9 months old. We would put him down for bed and watch TV quietly until Martin came in around 10:00 to allow my husband and I to enjoy the entertainment on the ship. When we came back, Martin was always sitting in the very same place we left him, reading a book or just waiting for us to come back. I highly recommend this service and it greatly helps the hard workers on the ship to have more money to send their families back home.
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes, from 8:00am - 4:00pm for free
Other Comments: Holland America frequently runs deals for 3rd and 4th passengers staying in the same room to cruise free or at a greatly reduced rate. This is awesome for those of us with kids!
Carnival Cruise Lines
Minimum Age for Childcare: 2 years until the late night care, which has no minimum
Childcare Hours Offered: 9:00am - 10:00pm is FREE and only available for 2+ years. From 10:00pm - 3:00am, all kids 0-11 can be kept in group babysitting for $6/hour for the first child and $4/hour for subsequent siblings.
Is Childcare Offered During Excursions: Yes! Check with the Camp Carnival staff for hours. Carnival staff even change diapers, so no parent has to miss out on the excursions if one of your kiddos isn't potty trained!
Other Comments: Carnival also offers morning time care occasionally for the under 2's. Check with the staff for hours.

These are the three cruise lines I have cruised with before. Please let me know if you have ANY questions about cruising on any of these. Next week, I'll give the low-down on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Princess cruises.

I really want to encourage families with kids to still get out and enjoy life! Travel! See this awesome world God made! Make lasting memories with your kids! Even if they are too young to remember it...you aren't. There are sweet, sweet times waiting. Let's all have a garage sale and use the money to book a cruise for next week! I want outta here! =)

Reflections

When I had finished my first year of college, I decided to take a road trip. I loaded my then 83 year old grandmother and then 13 year old brother in the car and we took off to West Virginia to satisfy two strong cravings of mine- one for a road trip and one for some whitewater rafting action.

I rafted the New River alone while my grandmother and brother patiently waited at the hotel (ok, my brother wasn't patient at all...he basically hated me by the time I got back since I had to use our only car to get to the river). About ten hours after leaving them, I returned with a video of the river trip. I wanted them to see the awesome time I'd had since they couldn't be there with me. I also wanted to show the cute guy I was dating how cool I was. I mean, who takes on Class IV and V rapids without a buddy?! THIS girl!  (PS - that cute guy is now my husband...I totally knew he couldn't resist me after that!)

After watching the video, I asked my then-boyfriend/now-husband what his favorite part was. Was it when we took on "Dudley's Dip" with ease while the other boat flipped? No?

Was it when I jumped off "Jump Rock" and screamed, "God Bless Texas!" as I flew to the water? No?

He said that by far, his favorite part was when the camera man would show close ups of me before a rapid. He loved how my face would be stoic through the calmer waters and as soon as I could see the splashes of the rapid, I got a huge smile on my face and immediately started laughing. It's true. For whatever reason, I crack up when the scary parts of adventures come. I think roller coasters get me laughing the most. On the up-hill ride before a drop, you'd think Jerry Seinfeld was in mid-set in the seat behind me.

Fast forward eight years and I now have a toddler...a toddler who outwardly looks nothing like me. Almost to the man, when meeting my son, everyone says, "He looks just like Tim!" Great. I do all the baby-carrying, laboring, pushing, and using my body parts as feeding mechanisms and the kid looks nothing like me? Fair.


Over Memorial Day weekend, we went swimming at my parents' house. My son loves water and is a little too brave for his own good. Toward the end of our swim-time, I sat my son on the step so my arms could get a little break. I was standing right in front of him, so he decided to reach for me. He slid off the step, went under, and I quickly picked him back up and put him on the step. Well, he loved that and decided to do it over and over again. I would place him on the step and he would scoot forward, rocking from one tiny cheek to the other until he got to the edge. At the edge of the step, a huge smile would cover his face and he would erupt with laughter from the time his little booty left the step until he was under water.

Reflections.

He wasn't born looking like me, no. But I see sweet reflections of me in him. And I love them. I will forever remember his little face as he worked so hard to get to the edge, knowing something exciting was waiting for him. I'll always be able to picture his face light up as the adventure closed in, and the giggle that filled the air as he took it on, full-steam ahead. It's a reflection of me. And I cherish it.

And it made me think.

I wasn't born looking like Christ either. But I'm sure it gives him great joy when He sees small reflections of himself in Me. And just like the reflections of myself will become more and more common in my son as he ages and spends time with me, I hope the Lord sees more and more of Himself in me as I grow and spend more and more time with Him.

And I hope those are reflections my son sees as well. Those will be the ones that really matter.

Passion #3 - Travel

Oh boy! Our topic today (the "T" in FATME) happens to also be pretty much the only reason I work...outside of paying my bills and being responsible and whatnot...it's travel! I live for traveling and feel absolutely suffocated by life if I don't have some sort of get away to look forward to.

I enjoy any kind of travel from a 24 hour road trip (yes, without stopping for sleep) to a nice, long cruise. I'll do anything to see the world!

I'll go places that are cold.

I'll go places that are hot. And apparently, I'll dress like a chef and hug a palm tree when I get there.

I'll go to museums.

I'll go to baseball stadiums. All of them.

(For the record, I feel I must make it known at the onset...we aren't Tigers fans. We are "Whoever is Playing the Yankees" fans. Go them!)

I'll go where the water is crystal clear.

I'll go where the water is disgusting questionable. And it seems as though I'll wear the same swimsuit.

I will go anywhere, anytime, with anyone who wants to go... provided there is plenty of food and a way for me to get good sleep. I like those things, and I love seeing the world. It is certainly a passion and something that creates a ton of joy within me. However, it's very easy for that joy to terminate on the trip itself and the memories I made, so my challenge in future posts regarding travel will be to ensure that the joy I find in traveling terminates on Christ and not the trip or my memories.

This may be tough because the memories can be so fun to dwell on...but I love a good challenge, don't you?

The "M" is next! Read up here.