Thankful Thinking Part 3

Here are highlights of our cruise along with being thankful along the way!
21. Our home away from home.
Here's our ship~Carnival ~The Splendor. Some of the stats on board. ~3500 guests- 1200 of which were kids and 48 were celebrating a marriage. I saw at least 4 brides on board.

22. Warm Melted Chocolate Cake.

Need I say more!

Every night at dinner this was on the dessert menu. It's cake but like brownie batter, that's warm and heaven. I'm not really a chocolate person but I snuck a bite of Mike's cake every night. He always ordered it, I on the other hand ordered 1 or 2 other yummy desserts. Yep, I earned every one of the 3 pounds I gained!

 



23. Mike's job. I'm very grateful for Mike's job. We've had our scares the last 2.5 years but we count our blessings each day for work.

While I love hanging out at the beach, playing in the ocean and enjoying yummy Mexican food; I am not a fan of the dozens and dozens of vendors that want to "give you a good price." 

 

 



24. Grateful for my family. Here are the 14 of us that cruised to the Riviera. We left behind Grey & Andrea and 5 grandchildren. Great thing was we weren't the only Mormon's on the ship, although, we all stick out a little bit, well most of us anyways.
Taylor, Kinzee, Mike, Alex, Jake, Brody, Tia, Nick, Emma, Chad, Anna, Tifani, Steve, Josh




 

25. Grateful for Mike. It was awesome being together for a week with no interruptions. We stayed by each others sides for most of the week and enjoyed every minute of it.

26. Sunsets! Nothing like watching the sun disappear into the ocean. Ok, I know it doesn't really disappear but it looks like it does.

27. Grateful to be home. I loved vacationing but there is nothing like being home and getting back to a routine. We are back to work, exercising (to get ride of those extra pounds) and homework and scouts and life. Still trying to get in the Christmas spirit, missing turkey dinner has set me back. We did have a small turkey & ham dinner but the pumpkin pie was very disappointing. I have a turkey in the freezer I might have to cook soon.

28. Very grateful for these 4. Mike and I have been raised by wonderful parents who continue to teach and spoil us and love us. I'm especially grateful for Brent and Julie who spent a week with my kids. Who helped them with their reading, who feed them (even one in the middle of the night), who loves them unconditionally, who worked and worked and worked for them all week, who took them shopping, played with them, took them to lunch and to the farm. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm very grateful for my parents also. Who willingly give so much to us. Thanks for an amazing week (for the 2nd time) in the Mexican Riviera. Memories that will last a lifetime. I'm very grateful this time, I had all my luggage in fact I had too much I didn't wear everything I brought!

29. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Mike hauled up the tree and we let the kids go to town. We do not have a pre-lit tree. Probably 5 years ago, I put lights on the tree and we put the tree back in the box with the lights on it. Every year we curse the tree but every year they still light up. Thanks Dad for your tree. I've had it 13 years!

  Hmm, wonder who decorated this spot?

 30. 8 months today. Lilly drank up all the breast milk I had pumped while we were gone on the cruise. Julie had to use some formula while I was gone also, although she didn't care for it. I pumped and dumped for a week. Thanks Alex for your pump, it's not fun pumping.  When I got home last Sunday, Lilly latched on and then bit me 3 times, arched her back and wanted nothing to do with nursing. I figured I deserved it and she was giving me payback. For 2 days, I pumped and continued to try to nurse her. Finally she nursed on Tuesday. When she sees a bottle she gets so excited and can't think about anything but drinking it. I think she'll do fine at doing both from now on. Thanks again Julie for taking care of my baby (and bigger babies too) while I was gone.

And that's a wrap! Now on to the hustle and bustle of the season! More cruise pictures to come!
While this is only a small portion of what I am grateful for, I love the every day reminder of what I am thankful for. I need to do this every day and pick something to be grateful for!