Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Home of the Brave(s)

GiGi & Poppy's 6th Annual Baseball Trip 
June 2016


The best trip yet!

*- Written by Natalie Grace (typed by Kellie)
She kept a journal with her throughout the trip that began with 3-5 sentences per day and ended with bullet points but we recapped the trip and she told me ALL about it! Here is her rendition:

Saturday, June 18, 2016- Splash-pad and Astro's Game at Minute Maid Park
I got to sleep with Gigi Shirley and Luke slept with Poppy. We got to eat donuts from the donut shop. We woke up and then we went to the Splash-pad and I was the only one to go there because Luke did not want to go. After the splash pad we got dressed up for the Astro's game. We got in the car and then we drove to the Astro's game in Houston. We got to play on the playground and saw the train go by our seats. The Astro's won. Then we drove to Louisiana to our hotel. We stopped at Buc-ee's and I got fudge and an Icee. Luke got an Icee and gummy bears!

We're all loaded up and ready to go! 


At the Astro's game Luke liked the binoculars. 


Sunday, June 19. 2016- Driving and Lambert's Cafe
We drove to Missouri and ate at Lambert's Cafe. We caught the rolls each time and caught them for GiGi and Poppy too. We ate green beans, cheeseburgers and ROLLS. GiGi and Poppy bought us our own rolls to take home. Then we drove to our hotel in Atlanta and swam in the hotel pool. Our hotel had a balcony, like a cruise ship!  I got to sleep with GiGi all week and Luke slept with Poppy. We wanted a girl bed and a boy bed.

Playing on the playground at Lambert's 


The rolls were SO BIG! 


I caught LOTS of rolls. 



We got a balloon at Lambert's but we had to let it go before we got in the car so Poppy could drive.
 

Look Mommy, we have a balcony! 


This was my favorite hotel! 

Monday, June 20. 2016- Atlanta Zoo 
We woke up and went to the Zoo. At the zoo we saw the GIANT pandas. They were eating grass and I even got to take a picture with them. It was so FUN! We saw a gorilla, bears and lots of kinds of birds. GiGi bought me and Luke our own stuffed pandas. I even got to touch a snake. Luke did not touch the snake. After the zoo we went to meet GiGi's cousin, Scott and his family. We ate at a Chinese buffet and I had lots of noodles. When we walked in the door of the restaurant you look under a bridge and there was lots of real fish swimming in the water. After dinner we went to the hotel and swam. I like swimming at hotels.

I got to touch a snake. It felt slimy. 


We loved these pandas. 


They were so big! 


Luke got his own large Panda. 


Georgie is my new panda friend. I sleep with her EVERY night! 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016- Kids Museum and World of Coca-Cola 
We went to the Kids Museum and we got to play in a really special kitchen. It had waffle makers, hot pans and a refrigerator with a water filter. We made lunch and dinner for GiGi Poppy! Luke made daddy a steak! The stairs at the museum looked like a piano and when you stepped on them it even made piano noises. We went to the very top of the museum and we were standing on top of the world. We got to play in a playground that was so hard to climb.  Then we went to the World of Coca-Cola. We got our own bottles of Coca-Cola. We watched a 4D movie that we did not like. Then we got to try "like a lot of Coca-Cola". I tried cherry and vanilla coke and they were really good. We got to see how they make the coke bottles and the coke and how they put it inside the bottles. Then we got to see the Coca-Cola bear, that was my favorite part. GiGi bought me a Coca-Cola bear and Luke got a Coca-Cola bear t-shirt. We went back to the hotel and swam in the pool... surprise!

This was my favorite part of the museum. 


Luke made a steak for daddy. 


We made Poppy lunch! 


This was really hard to climb! 


We got to meet the Coca-Cola bear! 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016- CNN Tour 
We woke up and went on a CNN tour. We got to learn about news and how they do the news. It was so cool that one person got to stand up there, but not me. They put a green towel under his chin and it's like he was in the world and then showed us the weather. Then we saw LOTS of TVs and they showed us the news. There was a very long escalator, the longest escalator in the world. We got to ride on it but GiGi had to carry Luke because he does not like escalators. GiGi bought me my own CNN journal. Then we went to the hotel to swim. After we got done we had pizza in our hotel room. We ate cheese pizza. It was good.

We love pizza in our hotel room! 


Thursday, June 23, 2016- Georgia Aquarium and Atlanta Braves game 
We woke up and went to the Georgia Aquarium. We got to see a dolphin show and that's where we got our $20 stuffed dolphins from GiGi  and Poppy. I named mine Liz and mommy and daddy helped Luke name his Chipper (after Chipper Jones, the Braves player). We got to see a sea lion show too. We saw a sea lion that was 500 pounds. We got to talk to a dolphin trainer and now I want to be a dolphin trainer when I grown up. It was so cool and it was my favorite part of the trip. After the Georgia Aquarium we went to the ballgame. We sat high in the stadium and we got to see the whole game. There were lots of people there. This stadium was outdoors and I got hot but it was my favorite stadium that Poppy has taken me to. It had a Coca-Cola bottle and the fireworks came out of it. The fireworks were not loud at all. Poppy bought us cotton candy too. The Braves won. Then we started driving home and went to a new hotel.

Luke and Chipper! 

My dolphin named Liz. 


Poppy bought us some Cotton Candy! 


Luke's hands were so sticky! 


Selfie with Gigi Shirley. 


Friday, June 24, 2016- Driving to Texas
We woke up and went swimming in the hotel pool. GiGi and Poppy helped Luke get in. Then we got breakfast and got in the car to go to GiGi and Poppy's house. We played with the games mommy packed for us and colored in the Buc-ee's books from Auntie Allie. We also played on our iPads. We got to Texas and went to GiGi and Poppy's house. 

Saturday, June 25, 2016- Tyler, TX and VBS prep 
We woke up and I went to help GiGi decorate the church for VBS. This church was VERY decorated. Lots and lots of water decorations. I liked the submarine. We stepped outside and saw lots of trains. Luke stayed with Poppy but they came and checked on us a lot. Then we went to town to eat at Chick-fil-A. We played on the playgrounds and I had chicken nuggets with Chick-fil-A sauce and it was SO good. Then we went to the grocery store and bought stuff for snacks a VBS. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016- Church and VBS 
We woke up in the morning and ate some breakfast and then we went to church. Poppy was preaching and Bro. Tommy was singing. Then we came home and ate lunch and we played a little. Then it was time to leave for VBS. At VBS first we sang our songs then we went to Bible study and learned about Nicodemus (It was really Zacchaeus but that is what she remembered so...) and the tree he climbed. Then we went to music, crafts, missions and then recreation. Then I got to see GiGi when we went to snacks. Mrs. Jenny and Mrs. Emily were my teachers. I like Mrs. Jenny a lot. Luke's teacher was Aunt Mandy (Amanda Clark). Then we went home and went to bed.

Luke loved the decorations. 


Snack time with GiGi. 

Monday, June 27, 2016- Tyler and VBS 
We woke up and went to town to go to the mall. We bought lots of stuff and then we ate at Chick-fil-A in the mall. GiGi got me new lotion and spray too. Then we went with Poppy to the Firetruck museum. We climbed on the firetruck and played a lot. Then we went to a climbing place and it was really fun. Then we came home and played a little before VBS. I made a fruit roll-up and gummy bear sleeping bag with GiGi. We learned about the woman at the well. I got to wear my favorite flip-flops because it was wet day and we got to get wet at games.

I created this all by myself. 


The gummy bears had pillows. They were made of marshmallows. 

Tuesday, June 28. 2016- Arp and VBS 
Poppy went to the churhc and brought us 2 pools to play in. We played in them for a long time but then Poppy had to take them back. Then we made homemade pizzas. I put pushed the dough into the pan then put sauce and cheese on it. We love making pizzas. We heard and saw lots of trains. Then we ate dinner and went to VBS. We learned about a blind man. We got to make Seaweed in a tortilla warp with GiGi in snacks. I got to take a picture with Bro. Tommy after VBS. I like him a lot.

We like having our own pools. 


Gigi Shirley and Luke. 

Look at Luke's face! 


I made a smiley face out of cheese... haha! 

Me and Bro. Tommy!

Wednesday, June 29. 2016- Arp and VBS 
We had to pack our bags because we were going home tomorrow. We played all day with Poppy. Luke and Poppy played baseball and I made videos on my iPad. We ate dinner and then we went to VBS. In Bible study we mixed colored water with black and blue and they did not mix. They laid on top of each other. I do not remember the Bible story but that was really cool. We came home and packed some more. 

Thursday, June 30. 2016- HOME 
We woke up and got our bags in the car to go to Buffalo to see mommy and daddy. We met at Dairy Queen and mommy and daddy drove up. I jumped out and gave them a BIG BIG hug! I missed them so much. Luke ran to mommy and would not let her put him down. I wanted a hug from mommy too! Daddy picked me up and held me for a long time. We told Poppy bye then went to our house. We stopped at Buc-ee's first. When we got home we got our bags out and then went to Gigi Jackie's house to tell her about our trip.

We took a picture with Buc-ee! 


I really missed Oxford! 


This was my favorite trip that Gigi and Poppy have taken me on and I am so glad they took me. Thank you Gigi and Poppy. My favorite part was the Georgia Aquarium and I wish the whole trip could re-start so I could do it again. Thanks Gigi and Poppy... Where are we going next year? I can't wait! 



*- Kellie 

I love that my parents take my kids to baseball stadiums and all over the US. This was the best childhood memories for me and I love that my kids will get to experience this too. Thank you mom and dad for doing this! We have heard about this trip NON-STOP since we got home and I think Natalie is correct in saying this was the best trip ever! They loved it! Thank you so much! 


God is good... ALL the time! 

Sunday, July 10, 2016

A Legendary Trip North to Alaska- The Carnival Legend 2016

10 Year Anniversary Cruise 2016
Carnival Legend

It was Legend... wait for it- dary!

Disclaimer 
In June 2016 Chris and I took a Alaskan Cruise aboard the Carnival Legend sailing out of Seattle, WA for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. This beautiful floating resort took us to the following destinations: 

Dawes Glacier, Endicott Arm Fjord, Alaska 
Skagway, Alasaka
Juneau, Alaska 
Ketchikan, Alasaka
Victoria, B.C., Canada 



The Carnival Legend... Our home away from home for the next 7 days! 

Chris and I have been on 7 other cruises prior to this one; 4 with Carnival, 2 with Royal Caribbean and 1 with Princess. This cruise was all about the destination as neither of us had been to Alaska. This will be a multiple entry blog about not only our 7 days at sea but a food blog, an updated Shore Excursion rating blog, a pictorial review of The Carnival Legend and a few more. Thank you SO MUCH to all my followers... without you the blog would not be as popular as it is today! Click on a link below to see day by day posts of our amazing Alaskan adventure! 

Pre-Trip Thoughts- Pre-Trip Jitters and Stress

Pre-Cruise and Post- Cruise Seattle Trip- North by Northwest

Seattle- Airing Our Dirty Laundry


Sea Day #1- North to Alaska

Glacier Cruising- Ice Ice Baby

Skagway, AK- What Goes Up, Must Come Down

Juneau, AK- The Last Great Race

Ketchikan, AK- Slugs, Slugs and More Slugs

Victoria, B.C., Canada- Sea Day or Port Day?

Disembarkation- Goodbye Alaska and #8... & Baseball Bucket-List
Once again, we owe all of these blessings to our Lord and Savior! He has truly blessed Chris and I, as well as our family! We currently have 4 more cruises booked and a few more after that on the horizon for the next 2+ years, with and without kids, and we are very excited to set sail once again.

Carnival Liberty- Christmas with the Kids- December 2016
 Carnival Dream- Bahamas 11th Anniversary Cruise  March 2017 
Carnival Breeze-Summer with the kids- Summer 2017
Carnival LibertyMY 35th Bday Celebration/ Girls Cruise-September 2017

NCL Pearl- 12th Anniversary and a new cruise line- March 2018

 Thank you so much for following along and until we meet again... 

Keep Calm and CRUISE ON!  

A Legendary Trip North to Alaska- Disembarkation

10 Year Anniversary Cruise 2016- Carnival Legend

Goodbye Alaska and #8 & Baseball Bucket-list
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, June 28, 2016



Goodnight Seattle... WE LOVE YOU! 

Our Alaskan cruise had come to an end and as I sat on the balcony watching the approach to Seattle I was humbled by what I had just experienced and the incredible beauty that is Alsaka and the Pacific Northwest. 

Morning
Our alarms went off at 5:30AM and we were up and zipping our suitcases for one last time. We made our way to the Lido buffet by 6AM and had one last made to order omelet, as these truly were our favorites. After we had breakfast we went back to the room to get all of our luggage as we were using the self-assist disembarkation. This is a service that you can use if you plan on carrying off your luggage by yourself and unassisted. This means you have little enough luggage to haul down flights of stairs and can go through the cruise terminal without help. Usually this group is off the ship earlier and this is the method we like to use when disembarking. We also had the Faster to the Fun (FTTF) perk and were able to get off even earlier. 
I am so sad that it is all over... The trip I have been looking forward to for well over 3 years is now history! I will be honest, I did shed a few tears! That is how good this trip was! 

Oceania Regatta coming into Seattle from an 11 day cruise to Alaska.


This FTTF perk has good and just OK perks but this one is WELL worth it! 


Lucky for us this ship had 3 elevator bays (not including the glass elevators in the atrium) and the aft elevators were not being used/ blocked off by the crew so we were able to haul all 6 pieces of our luggage in the elevator instead of the expected stairs. As far as catching elevators, this was the trip of the lifetime.  Almost everytime we called an elevator, it was already waiting for us, and we rarely had to share with anyone else. We met with the FTTF group in the MDR by 6:40AM and there was no rhyme or reason to this area. Usually there is a crew member carefully placing you in a holding area but this was wide open and free. Within 20 minutes we were out the door and in line to disembark. By 7:16AM we heard the last "DING" and were off of the Carnival Legend. This is always a very sad yet anxious time as we are sad to leave and the fact that it is over but anxious to get home. 

We made our way through the cruise terminal with all 6 bags in tow and through customs within minutes. In fact, we were some of the first people in the customs line and it was a breeze. We made our way outside and waited for our Seattle Express shuttle to take us back to our hotel for the evening. We were at our hotel in SOUTH Seattle, near the airport and checked in to our hotel room by 8:30AM. This is easily the BEST disembarkation time and process we have ever had! 


Goodbye Carnival Legend... It's been REAL! 


Yep... back in Seattle! Within minutes we see a Starbucks! 

When we booked this cruise nearly 2 years ago, we expected the Seattle Mariners to be in town as I wanted to see a baseball game in Seattle's Safeco Field. I have been to a game in EVERY MLB stadium except 7 so this was a real Bucket-list item for me so we had to see a game no matter what. Unfortunately, this meant the day AFTER the cruise instead of the days prior. It was an AMAZING day and just as good as all of the days of the cruise! You can read about that experience HERE


Check out our baseball bucket-list post HERE

This cruise was AMAZING and all that we had hoped for and more. The sights and the scenery were absolutely breathtaking and I was humbled by God's handiwork and the true beauty of Alaska and this region! I am a real planner and we are now planning ANOTHER Alaskan cruise for our 17th anniversary in 2023 (The next BIG one is Baltic/ Mediterranean for our 15th anniversary in 2021), that is unless I can talk Chris into it SOONER! 

Thank you all so much for following along and I really hope these posts have helped you in planning your Alaska Adventures or cruise. We appreciate y'all's support! 

This was cruise #8 and we are so excited for cruise #9 in December! Next up... 

Carnival Liberty- Christmas with the Kids- December 2016
 Carnival Dream- Bahamas 11th Anniversary Cruise  March 2017 
Carnival Breeze-Summer with the kids- Summer 2017
Carnival LibertyMY 35th Bday Celebration/ Girls Cruise-September 2017


 Thank you so much for following along and until we meet again... 

Keep Calm and CRUISE ON!  



A Legendary Trip North to Alaska- Victoria, B.C., Canada

10 Year Anniversary Cruise 2016- Carnival Legend

SeaDay or Port Day? 
Victoria, B.C., Canada
Monday, June 27, 2016

Welcome to Canada... for the 3rd time this trip! 

As the Alaskan portion of our cruise was coming to an end, we still had a major port we had to stop at and that was Victoria, B.C., Canada. This was yet another unique day where the morning and afternoon were treated like a SeaDay and the evening was a port day. The Carnival Legend was in port at Victoria, BC from 7:30PM to 11:59PM. We loved this day and Victoria but were so sad to see our cruise come to a close. 

Morning
I woke up around 7:30AM to the sound of the closet doors vibrating and shaking. The entire cruise the seas had been smooth and clear as glass so I looked outside but I saw much of the same. We had wondered if cruising in the aft (back) of the ship meant lots of swaying and vibrations and neither of those had proved true until this day. We were in the open pacific ocean coming around the west side of Vancouver island and the seas were still calm but the vibrations were just too much for me. 


My view this morning... always is my favorite sight!
No matter the cruise itinerary, no matter the location! 


The Ruby Princess leaving Seattle and sailing towards Alaska! 

I got ready for the day and went outside to have my quiet time and take in as much of this as I could. Chris must have been real tired because he did not even flinch and kept sleeping until well after 8:30AM. He then got up and jogged while I walked around the very empty ship. I love it when the ship is empty as it allows for wonderful pictures. 


The "STAGE" on Lido deck. This was mid-ship near Off the Grill and we loved the live music. 


Mid-Ship Lido deck... Competely covered (ALL THE TIME) with glass paneling. 


The pool and hot tub area on mid-Ship Lido (covered)


The forward pool on Lido. 


The walking area on Deck 10. This goes all the way from the front to the back of the ship and 4 laps equal 1 mile. 


Chess area near the foward pool. 


The Forward pool area... It is NOT covered but notice the ample amount of deck chairs! 


Along deck 10 in the aft were these clamshells. I would guess 20-30 on EACH side of the ship. These filled up fast (especially on the glacier day) but confirms my theory of seeing Alaska via an inside cabin... IT CAN BE DONE! 


The WaterPark/ Splashpad area... I completely forgot to do this! Bummer! 


The Serenity area of the ship!
This was the nicest and best well-kept Serenity I have seen. 


We met up at the whale talk by the ship naturalist, Michelle. Once again, she was monotone and boring but the topic was so fascinating. We learned so much about whales and their habits. If this would have been given EARLY in the cruise I would not have cancelled our whale watching tour, no matter what. I think Carnival should re-think having this talk/ event to the beginning of the cruise as I think it would help answer lots of questions from the passengers. 

Since we were docking at Victoria at 7:30PM we knew we wanted to eat dinner early so we decided to forgo breakfast and eat a large brunch style of meal. This meant going back to the very slow service in the MDR for the SeaDay brunch. We arrived at 10:30AM and there was a very long line. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes just to get a table and eventually got put at a booth table. As soon as I sat down I noticed that the napkins on the inside had been used and it turns out that the place settings had not been changed and everything was just placed on top of the old stuff. I was completely grossed out and asked for a new table but there was not one without another wait and since we wanted to spend as much time on the balcony as possible we just had them change it all. Brunch went downhill from there. Our waiter was hardly noticeable and our food took nearly 30 minutes to arrive. That brunch took nearly 2 hours overall and so long we asked for our dessert to go. This is a situation I would be mentioning in the final survey email. 

Afternoon
We took our desserts to our balcony and sat watching the ocean sail by for over an hour before getting chilly and coming inside to go the 80s party and trivia. This turned out to be a GREAT trivia and one of our favorites of any cruise (except Corey Rogers on the Conquest 2013 of course...as he truly is the BEST). We did not win the 24K piece of SHIP on a stick but did pretty well. Afterwards we did some final cruise ship souvenir shopping and then went to our 1st TeaTime of the cruise. This has been one of our favorite things on ANY cruise line but this cruise we were not able to go due to so many port days. Carnival's new system of Lipton tea was AWFUL and what used to be the best desserts on board were TERRIBLE. (worse than the Lido desserts) This could have been a bad day or just the way it is now that Carnival has cut corners in this area too. We were very disappointed. 


My last afternoon aft time! 

After TeaTime we went back to our room for the worst thing on any cruise... packing! Oddly enough, we had an entire large suitcase full of clothes we never wore (we packed for 40-50* and it turned out to be 65-75*) so I had to really cram everything into our bags. Luckily we planned for lots of souvenirs and brought an extra duffel bag. If you plan on buying a lot on this, or ANY, cruise be sure to pack a small duffel style bag in your luggage to put your purchases in. 



ALL of these clothes were not worn or used... Wow, we are TERRIBLE at packing!
 

Evening
Since we were porting so late the MDR was open from 5PM to 8:30PM and we knew we wanted to be there early, so at 4:45PM we made our way down to deck 3 and found at least 200 people already in line. Despite the long line to get in, this was the best dinner and the best service we had the whole cruise. The servers knew that 2,600 passengers would need to get in and out within a few hours and really rushed the orders. This was PERFECT for us and as Chris said "Where have you been my whole life cruise?" We enjoyed our free drink coupons (for being gold members on Carnival) and then made our way to our room to continue watching the approach to Victoria from our balcony. 

We learned years ago at a Q&A session that all cruises who leave from a US port MUST stop at an international port or the entire crew must ALL be American. The only ship to have 100% Americans is the Pride of America who sails round-trip from Honolulu to the various Hawaiian islands without stopping at an international port. So in other words, the ship MUST stop at Victoria just to have the international port, which would explain the crazy port hours. It is a complete waste if you ask me and as much as I liked Victoria, next time we sail to Alaska we will sail from Vancouver to avoid this wasted day and shortened Alaskan port times. 

Nonetheless we wanted to get off the ship just to say we got off so we decided to make our way to the lobby around 7PM and so did the rest of the ship. It was a MADHOUSE. We waited not knowing where the line was forming until 20 minutes later. We waited in line about 200 people deep until 8PM when they opened the lines for us to get off the ship in Victoria. We got off the ship and made our way to the shuttle bus that took you to downtown Victoria. This bus was at the end of the pier and cost $10 (USD) per person for round-trip. This also was frustrating as downtown Victoria is too far to walk with this shortened port time. Once we arrived in downtown the shuttle dropped us off and we began exploring this beautiful city. 


The 1st look at Victoria from our balcony! 


Eh!


Oh Canada!

We were able to see the Provincial Parliament building, the Empress hotel and much more. After exploring this city we made our way to an Irish Pub, had some drinks and relaxed as we knew tomorrow meant it was all over. After some great drinks and Irish music we made our way back to the shuttle bus pick-up location and back to the ship. We were back on board around 10:45PM and the Carnival worker I asked said  more than 50% of the people were already back on board so most people had our mindset of "get off just to get off". Keep this in mind as you port in Victoria. We liked Victoria and really wish we would have had more time in this city as it reminded us of London where we honeymooned 10 years ago. We were back in our cabin, all packed up and asleep before midnight as we knew tomorrow would be a long day for us. 


I love this and reminded me of SeaWorld. 

The Empress hotel in downtown Victoria! 

We loved this city! 



Parliament building... it was gorgeous! This picture does not do it justice. 


The beautiful flowers around the Parliament building!


The bay area near downtown. 

Victoria already made us think of London but this was deja vu!


I loved these classic Canadian shirts and their sense of humor! 


Irish Coffee for Chris! 


We enjoyed the live Irish band! 


Our home for one more night!


My 8th (or 9th?) time to Canada! 

The Carnival Legend in Victoria, B.C., Canada! 


She was a beauty! 

This day was a treat for us as it acted like a SeaDay with a port day bonus at the end. We loved Victoria and hope to come back one day! The next day we would be disembarking the ship and spending the rest of the day enjoying Safeco Field and baseball as we crossed off yet another MLB stadium off my Bucket-list. We feel so lucky to have been able to see Alaska this way and cannot thank God enough for this tremendous blessing! 

Next Up- Disembarkation and Summary 

God is good... ALL the time!