So I cruised for the first time. And you know what, it was GLORIOUS. Sure…the average age of my fellow cruisers was approximately 73, and sure, we ate dinner early and went to bed early. But it was still a blast. I got to rest, nap, be served, not have to cut up food or carry a sippy cup. I was able to have conversations with Greg that weren’t spoken in code. I didn’t check email but one time (which I immediately regretted and didn’t check again until well after we arrived home). I was off Facebook the entire week.

I repeat: it was GLORIOUS.

Our cruise was through New England and Canada, and we visited: Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Quebec City. I’m sure it’s no surprise that Quebec City was my absolute favorite. I got to mumble a few words  in French and pretend I was in Europe. We meandered through cobblestone streets, lounged at an outdoor cafe and strolled along the water eating la glace (ice cream). I could enjoy spending a few more days there, bien sur.

It was (all together now): GLORIOUS.

(I’d include some pictures, but haven’t transferred them to the computer from the camera yet. Because that would require locating the cord.)

As I anticipated, it cost entirely too much to connect to the internet while on board, so that’s my rationale for not posting last week. After all, why spend money on cruise ship internet when you can spend it on a manicure, scalp massage and jewelry souvenirs for yourself instead?

Thankful this week for:

1. Cruising. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to go on this cruise. The group we went with from church were awesome, and I loved spending time with them. We had so much fun. And as I mentioned, being a couple for a week instead of a family was much needed for this quality-time-love-languager.

2. Wellness. I boarded the ship fully prepared to deal with seasickness, but didn’t have a single instance of it. I did feel the ship moving along, but never got sick from it, and the pills and patches I brought sit unopened. Praise the Lord.

3. Coming Home. Seeing the kids when we pulled into the driveway was the best. Being greeted with shrieks of joy and bear hugs is the best. Having your toddler repeat over and over, “I so happy to see you” is the best. Hearing your daughter say on Monday at the pool “I love our family time” is the best.

4. Souvenir Mug. Greg bought himself t-shirts in most of the ports on the trip as a souvenir. I wanted to save for something extra special (like a manicure and scalp massage). But in one cute little store in Charlottetown, I saw this mug and knew my life would forever be incomplete without it. If you’re a graphic designer, you’ll understand. Drinking my coffee in this brings me endless joy each morning.

5. Omelets. I had an omelet almost every morning on the cruise, and watched riveted each time as they made them. Because I’ve never been able to make an omelet to save my life. But the way they did it flawlessly. So I decided to try it this week the way they did it. And I totally crushed it. So I made another one the next day. And crushed it again. Watch out family — we might be having breakfast for dinner most nights of the week from now on. With maybe a side of bacon and hash browns. I just don’t know.

6. In-Ear Thermometers. Paxton developed a 24-hour virus this week and a really high fever. But the poor thing also had severe diaper rash at the same time, too, so I just couldn’t bring myself to take his temperature the usual way (if you catch my drift). I bought one of those in-ear thermometers that checks the temperature in about 2.3 seconds. He giggled and said it tickled. Praise the Lord.

7. The Pool. The pool is now open, and we spent a few hours there on Monday as a family. Paxton has turned into an absolute fish, wanting to do nothing but jump in from the side (holding our hands). So much so that breaking for lunch was an ordeal. I’m anticipating a ton of fun poolside this summer. Just have to get Jaana through one. more. week. of. school. UGH.

8. Manual Check. I have decided that in order to increase my productivity, I’ve got to get a handle on the email situation (don’t check email in the morning and all that jazz). Because I’ll be in the middle of a project (or time with my kids) and then email will come in and completely throw me off and distract me. (Not to mention make me grumpy.) So on both my phone and computer, I’ve changed to the settings to only check email manually. Which means I only get emails coming in when I’m ready to check for them, instead of having beeping and buzzing all the live-long day. And you know what? There’s a lot of freedom in that. Because, my friends, ignorance is bliss.

9. Church. Between being gone for Greg’s graduation, being on the cruise, and serving in the Children’s ministry, I hadn’t been in a church service in four weeks. Until last weekend. It felt so incredibly good to be back, like home.

10. Kindle. I’m repeatedly grateful for my Kindle, but especially this past week or two. I’ve read no less than five books, all with the insta-download available. It was an absolute gift to be able to have so much time to just sit back and read uninterrupted. A gift, I tell you.