My husband is so thoughtful

As of today, we've got about 50 bracelets sold (well, ordered!). That's a quarter of the amount I ordered! That's awesome!! I think once they are in and I get paid for those, I will order another batch!
I've got a design for the shirts! Thanks to my (future) sister in law!!! I'm so excited about them and am now trying to find a place that can make them, for CHEAP!
We are still searching for a location  for the game night...

It's the middle of January which means it's tax time.... and it ALSO means we just got the bill in the mail from our sperm bank... I hate that bill. And I hate that we have to HAVE that bill. But I sure hope they're taking good care of our future babies up there in St  Paul!

That's all the updates I have for today, so... Now it's time to get back to the fun part of our story :)
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Sunday morning we woke up and started getting ready for the day. I checked and double checked everything to be sure we weren't forgetting anything in the hotel.
"What time is the taxi supposed to pick us up to go to the cruise terminal?"
"Ummmm, this card says 1. That's pretty late though, it seems like." Uhhh YEAH...
"Didn't the cruise paperwork say they shut down the gate at 3?! It takes a bit to get there, right?"
"I would assume... I mentioned that to the guy that marked the time down and he said it would be fine."
"Well, ok then.... Do you think it storms a lot in all the places we are going to?"
"I'm not sure, I think that's just a Florida thing maybe..." I hope so... A thunderstorm every day is getting kind of annoying, even though the weather is always back to normal right after...
We decided to take one more picture of us two, and then we would just head downstairs to wait for our ride, even though it wasn't for almost two hours.

We were piling all of our bags up, when Danny looked out the window and SEEN our cruise ship!! I, of course, made him take a picture!

It's kind of hard to see here, but if we zoomed in anymore it got blurry. But if you look closely, you can see the white top of the ship!
We headed downstairs to wait, and turned in our room keys. We munched on some candy and went through the pictures on our camera.
"Danny, I'm kind of nervous about the time. Do you think they can pick us up any earlier? I don't want to cut it so close."
"I will go see, I don't like cutting it so close either."
Another couple who had been waiting downstairs at the same time for their ride had already gotten picked up. They asked if we wanted to ride with them, but the car that came to get them was a small taxi and there wasn't enough room.
Danny was at the desk for a while, which just made me even more nervous. The person working at the desk got on the phone, talked for a few minutes and then hung up. Danny came back over.
"Well, I guess the guy that wrote down 1:00 on this card was wrong and we were supposed to be picked up at 11:00." What?! We got downstairs at 11:15 but were ready long before that...
"Well, why didn't they call us to tell us our ride was here then?"
"That guy said the ride never showed up, or they would have called. But his book showed our pick up time was 11." HOW RIDICULOUS.
"So... Now what??"
"He called and got us a different service to pick us up, they're on their way right now."
"Well I'm really glad we decided to come down here almost two hours early! If we didn't come down until 1:00 we probably would've missed the ship!"
"That's what I was thinking..." Note to self, arrange all the transportation MYSELF next time, since the hotel royally screwed this one up!
About 20 minutes later, our ride showed up. The man was very nice and loaded all of our luggage. We chatted on the drive to the cruise terminal and he told us what we could expect for check in and luggage drop off. We got to the terminal and unloaded.
"Okay, that will be $35." HUH?!
"Ummm, we paid for the transportation with a package through the hotel."
"Oh. Well, they didn't tell me that." Obviously!
"Well, do you want me to call them? Or?"
"Yeah, call them, let me talk to them after you let them know who you are and everything." Easy enough.
I called and told the person who answered what was going on. He asked to talk to the driver so I put him on, and they worked it out themselves.
"Okay, you guys are all set. I am putting your luggage here, and it will get picked up by those workers there." It's nice that the cruise company sends luggage tags so early so we could be all set before we got here... This is convenient!
We stood around for a few minutes to be sure our luggage got picked up, then got in a VERY long line.
"If we had waited until 1..." Ha!!!!
"Danny if we had waited until 1 we would've been in trouble!"
"Yeah... thank goodness we went downstairs so early..."
Checking in took quite a while, even though we had actually checked in online a week before. We had to answer a bunch of questions about any coughs/cold we were experiencing. We had to put our carry on luggage through the scanners. Then we were sent to yet another line, where our passports were checked. The line seemed to take forever, but when it was our turn, it seemed like it only took US about 20 seconds to sign the papers, show our passports, and get shuffled to another area. Time for pictures! We had to take a picture that would show up every time we scanned our room key (you used that to get on the ship from ports, when you paid for things on the ship and many other things). Then they took our picture in front of a sign and a background.
FINALLY we could enter the ship. We were directed to our room, and seen that the stuff I had booked online was already set up.

There were also decorations inside... But my favorite thing that was in our room that day was.......

Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries!! To the right you will also see all the gift certificates we got, from the wedding and my bridal shower. Our room was AMAZING. When we booked it a year before, the balcony rooms were actually a dollar CHEAPER than the rooms with just a window. Danny was excited for that balcony.

"I will probably be spending a ton of time out here...."
"I'll be right here with you. I bet the view is going to be amazing!"
There was a knock at the door. What the heck?! Danny walked over to answer, and there was our luggage! We had read that our luggage would take a few hours to get to our room, we didn't expect to see it all so early!
After a bit, it was time for the muster drill. We had to get our life vests and head downstairs to the desk where the life boats were. A lady wrote down our room numbers (which were printed on our vests) and we had to get in another line. It all would've been fine if the people in front of me hadn't insisted on standing there. Half of them were from the line next to us, but thought they should squeeze in with their friends. Not a problem if there's room, THERE WASN'T. I kept getting hit in the head by the back of those stupid life vests, and it was ticking Danny off as much as it was annoying me.
"Excuse me," he said one time when I got hit. No response. The next time the guys vest was flying at my face, Danny shoved it out of the way before it made contact.
"EXCUSE ME, you keep HITTING my wife." No response. They didn't speak English, or maybe they did and were pretending they didn't (have you seen the movie Waiting? That's all I could think about, people from other countries who pretend they can't understand you so they don't have to have manners).
Finally Danny decided to trade me places. And he stood even closer to the guy who had been hitting me. So close that the guy couldn't move at ALL without  bumping Danny, and Danny is tall enough that he could SEE him when he was turning and talking to his friends. This was enough incentive for the line jumpers to go back to their side. :) I love my husband!!
After a while we were released from our lines and could go back to our rooms. Our dinner time wasn't for a few more hours, so I finished off the candy that I forgot was in my carry on bag. I figured they would've taken it out and thrown it away during the check in, since food and drink weren't allowed, but  I guess they thought peanut M&M's were okay.
We heard a loud voice outside the door... Something about a party? Huh?
"Danny, did you hear that?"
"Yeah, its the speaker out in the hallway... Let me open the door." He walked over and heard the announcement. The Sail Away Party was starting! We went to the main deck and stood along the edge and watched as we pulled away from the port. It was amazing how smooth it was, you could barely tell we were moving!!
After a while Danny and I decided to go explore all the decks. We looked at all the decorations in each staircase at every level. We found all the restaurants and shops and we found an ice cream machine!! WOOHOOOO!!!
About an hour before our dinner time, I noticed that I could feel the ship moving when we were in our room. It wasn't a good feeling. I felt drunk, and I'm not exactly one that enjoys that feeling.
"Danny do you feel that?!"
"What? I don't feel anything..." Seriously??
"I can FEEL the ship moving!!!"
"Okay... well... Is it bothering you?" Can't he hear the panic in my voice?!
"YES, this is AWFUL!"
Danny got in one of the bags and pulled out the motion sickness pills we had bought in case this happened. I took one, drank some water and laid down on the bed.
"This sucks... I hate this...."
"Maybe food will help settle your stomach?"
"You're probably right... Let's go down and see if we can eat early."
No such luck, at least not in our assigned dining room. We could eat at the buffet or pizza restaurant any time, but the main dining room was assigned to specific times. GREAT. So we waited, and I tried not to think about the constant moving feeling and the nausea.
Looking around, I didn't see ANYONE else that looked like they were feeling how I was feeling. How am I the ONLY ONE ON THIS ENTIRE SHIP feeling this?!?! I have been a water baby my entire life. I love boats. We are at the lake every weekend in the summer, on the boat!! What the HECK!!!
By the time we could be seated in the dining room, I was really not feeling well. Our waiter and his assistant introduced themselves. I didn't catch their names. I was focusing on the menu and trying not to run out of the dining hall. We ordered, and I was kind of excited about the steak that was coming. I ate a roll, thinking surely that would calm my stomach... It didn't.
"Babe? You're looking really green... I mean, seriously, GREEN."
"I know... I can't do this. I'm sorry, I've got to go back to the room!!" And I was OFF. I couldn't walk fast enough! I contemplated taking the elevator, but they make me a little nauseous themselves, I didn't need that! I took the stairs as fast as I could and finally made it back to our room. It was being turned down by our attendant person.
"Oh I'm sorry, I can come back and turn down your room later?"
"Oh don't mind me, I am going to go sit on the balcony, do whatever you need to do in here."
"Feeling sea sick?"
"YES!!!"
"I can order you some room service? Some bread or rolls?" We have some awesome service on this ship!!
"Oh thank you, that would be great!"
I went out on the balcony and felt SO much better. The open air, the cool temperature, it all worked. I felt NORMAL out there.
I decided to go try to lay down in bed... Not a good idea. Danny came in with my steak that I had ordered, some water, tea, and the bread and rolls that our attendant had ordered for me. I tried to eat another roll. Danny ate my steak.
"We missed the newlywed party thing that I was wanting to go to..."
"I know, but it probably would've been weird anyway." He's probably right.
"I'm sorry I just left you there..."
"Babe. Don't. I'm sorry you're feeling like this. I hope the whole trip isn't like this for  you."
"It won't be. I'm sure I'll be used to it by tomorrow...." And I fell asleep. The nausea medicine had evidently kicked in, and knocked me smooth the heck out!

The next morning I woke up and felt a bit better. We spent some time on the balcony, and then went downstairs to have breakfast. It was a Day At Sea, so we weren't stopping at any ports until the next day. I wanted to go to this shopping trip meeting type thing. A lady would tell us all about the shopping at each port, and we could get a coupon book for the different stores at each port.
"Do you think  you'll be able to sit through this?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good right now actually."
"Okay, but lets sit here, close to the door just in case." Awww so concerned!
"Ok, that's fine with me."
The lady started talking and I wrote down a few things that I thought were interesting. And then it hit me. I can't sit here through this entire thing. I can feel the ship moving in here! Oh no!!
I started shifting around in my seat, trying to get it off my mind. Trying to pay attention.
"The coupon books are $20, and they will be available..." blah blah blah I CAN'T DO THIS!
"Danny..."
"Go ahead and go back to the room babe. I will stay here and get you your coupon book and pay attention to what this lady is saying."
"You are the BEST!! I love you!! I'm so sorry!!"
"I love you too, now hurry, you're turning green again!" Oh for the love...
The rest of the day was the same. I laid in bed, because the nausea med made me so sleepy. Danny came back to the room with the coupon book and some paperwork with different hints and tips about shopping. I apologized I don't even know how many times, and every time he told me to quit, that it wasn't my fault. We watched some tv, which consisted of different things going on on the ship. And a kid's movie, Bolt. We laughed at the people trying to surf on the Flowrider. We watched a comedian that had performed the night before. And we enjoyed the day, even though I felt so awful.
That night was Formal Night on the ship. I was excited to get all dressed up (in a dress I had worn to my senior prom!), and I was determined to NOT get sick. I got all dolled up and we got in line to get our picture taken. While standing in line, the sickness kicked in.

I wasn't green yet, but I was NOT feeling okay. We got seated, and our server came right over.
"Oh ma'am, you look WONDERFUL! Are you feeling better today?"
"Thank you! And ummm, no, actually I'm really not feeling so well. Can I get a tea please?"
"I will bring you a tea, but I will ALSO bring you a ginger ale, that should help! And really, you look amazing tonight!" And off he went.
"Man, you wouldn't think the servers here would hit on a newly married woman..." What?! Hahaha
"Danny, you are funny. He was trying to make me feel better."
"If you say so, but he is right. You look amazing." Too bad I don't feel amazing... Oh no....
"Oh my gosh..."
"Gotta go??" I didn't even answer out loud, I nodded, and ran off. Again.
Back to the room, back to the marvelous balcony, the only place I felt fine. I loved having that cool air on my face. I loved watching the waves hit the ship. I felt like I was ON A BOAT out here, so the movement felt NORMAL. It didn't feel like I was in a house or restaurant that was shifting back and forth. I was on a boat and out on the balcony it felt right.
We sailed through a rough storm that night, as we had the night before. And I remember thinking that maybe the storms were making the water rough. Doubtful, I was just a big baby!
I hated feeling like I was holding Danny back from having fun on the ship. He should be out having fun, and I said so.
"Oh yeah, right. Let me go have fun out there, while my wife is sick and stuck in our room. No way!"
"Just because I'm sick doesn't mean you should be stuck in this room with me."
"We are on our HONEYMOON. No way am I leaving you!" My husband is so thoughtful...
The nausea medicine knocked me out again that night, and I slept wonderfully.


So, again, this was a lot longer than I figured it would be, and I only covered two days! I'm not writing on here this weekend unless I have some fundraiser updates, so on Monday I will tell you about our port stops and share more pictures! Please remember to follow and SHARE!! Thanks for reading!!!