Our 2009 Caribbean Cruise!

Here are 6 of the 8 of us as we embarked onto the Crown Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, January 11, 2009. Deb, Kieth, Becky, Neal, Melanie, Wayne. Here we GO!!!

This was early Saturday morning as we flew out of Rapid City at 6:40 AM. Here we are going over Oahe at Pierre.

Then here we are Saturday afternoon as we fly into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida! Big city!

You can see the everglades off to the top of this photo of coming into Ft. Lauderdale.

Welcome to sunny Florida! This was at the airport waiting for our bus to the hotel.

On board the ship Sunday afternoon - Modrick's hosted a welcome aboard party in their suite. Here we see our local weatherman being the bartender. He & Lisa were great hosts & were so helpful at all times during the trip! Fun people!

You gotta have the safety seminar before you set sale ya know! Don't we look smashing in our life jackets?This was taken on the first night of the cruise - the big light above the middle of the ship is the moon. We all took a walk around the top of the boat to familiarize ourselves with what was where. There was a huge movie screen on this deck that played outdoor movies! We went up there & watched one one night as we sat in reclining sun chairs with a little blanket over us! Fun!

Here we are the first night in the formal dining room. Most nights the dress code was 'Smart Casual' which is what this night was.

Here is our ship - the Crown Princess - as we were speeding away from it to our first island adventure on the Princess Cays. We loaded into the lifeboats to shuttle to the island.

Here we are on the island of Princess Cays - where we spent the day relaxing on the beach. That is our ship behind us in the background.

Kieth & Neal look pretty relaxed here as they were still on the beach but not in the sun!

The 2nd night was our first 'formal' night. Here we are in the dining room.

Then we went to our nightly show in the theater. I really enjoyed all of them. My favorites were the ones that the singers & dancers did a musical - they did 3 of those.

Here was my favorite dancer - she is carrying Africa on her head!

This is the island of St. Maarten of the Virgin Islands - look at the color of the water!

This is the catamaran that we rode on at St. Maarten. They took us out & we climbed out of the boat into the ocean & snorkeled! This place the water was pretty churned up so we couldn't see alot, but the guide gave us some food to feed the fish & when you were holding the food you sure saw alot of fish! It was pretty cool! I couldn't see the bottom of the ocean here.

Each evening the 8 of us would gather in the Wheelhouse bar on the ship before we went to the evening meal. I guess here we are missing Bob & Jodi. We are all drinking the drink of the day here - I think it was a Bahama Baby.

On Princess Cays island we stopped for a pose by one of the many palm trees after we had our lunch on the island.

Here are Kieth & I at the dinner table on the 2nd formal night.

This was by the theater on the first formal night as we left the show.

The 6 of us on the pretty staircase on the 2nd formal night.

Bob, Neal, Kieth, Deb, Wayne, Jodi, Becky, & Melanie on the first formal night.

The ocean water at St. Maarten - wow! What a color!!!

This is at the Grand Turk island. The 6 of us went power snorkeling here & this was afterwards as we had a couple drinks on the beach before we had to head back to the ship.

This is boat that we rode out to the snorkeling destination. They took us out a ways & we got out of the boat in 30 ft. deep water over a corral reef. It was AWESOME snorkeling!!! Then we went out a little farther to where the reef dropped off - there was a 7,000 foot drop there! So we swam out over that (not for long mind you!!! I went a ways but that 7,000 feet was not a comfortable feeling for me!!!) The power snorkeling was really fun - I would sure do that again!

After the snorkeling on Grand Turk us ladies did a little shopping. We had a lot of fun! Here are some visors that we wore around town & onto the ship! We got some looks!!!

And here are the guys heading back to the ship after spending our shopping time in Marguiettaville (sp?)!

Kieth & I ready to board ship after the day on Grand Turk.

One night the supper attire was 'tropical' so here are our 4 guys! Don't they look tropical?!?

This was our last night on board. Modrick's had a bon voyage party for the 68 of us who booked thru them.

The 8 of us at the pre-dinner party the last night on board. It was a grand week spent with good friends!

Deb

Our Bathroom Remodeling Visitors!

OK, last year at all the overnight wrestling tourneys, the discussion in the parents' room gatherings always turned to how many sinks we would have in our master bathroom of the new house we would be building. Kieth always stuck to his guns that we didn't need 2. Period. A couple of the guys - who happen to be our neighbors - always said we needed 2. When we got home at 1:15 AM Sunday night from our cruise, we found this 'Out of order' sign on our toilet and this weird contraption sitting on the sink counter.

Then we see another 'toilet' in our bathroom - one more like at home in the old house - tilting to the right and everything! That's when I knew I didn't have to worry that the real toilet was broken already! But I still hadn't figured out who had been there...

Then I was brushing my teeth & it hit me that the weird contraption was my double sink! How clever! Then there was no more debating on who had visited the house while we were gone! Got ya pegged here Scott & Pat!!!

A better view of the tilted toilet.

Then in the morning I looked out the window & said "Kieth, there is a bathtub on the front porch"! Right outside the bathroom window... Then we looked a little closer & see that our fine neighbors got us a 'hot-tub' while we were gone! See the sticks we can light on fire to warm up the water they put in it? The kids had left the light on for us the night before but I guess we were too tired to notice it then.

Another view of the hut tub!

First we had to walk thru our bedroom which was strewn with toilet paper! First I thought Colby was responsible for that until I saw how much was strewn about & then saw the bathroom!

It was all very funny & a cute surprise to come home to!

But now you never know where that hot tub, toilet & sink will end up do you guys....?!?!?!?!

Deb

Our Grandbaby "Squirt"!!!

Cassidy had an appointment today & at 14 weeks this is what our little "Squirt" looks like! She says Squirt has grown alot since 2 weeks ago! Is 8 cm long and weighs 3 ounces.

Here we can see it's little legs & an arm even! Isn't today's technology something?!?

Just had to share! Can you imagine what this Grandma will be like when the baby is actually born?!? FUN!!!

Cruise pics are labeled so will be up next! (after supper that is!)

Deb

We're Back!

We got home Sunday night at 1:15 AM. We had an awesome time on our cruise! But have been busy yesterday & today getting pics downloaded, unpacking, doing laundry, going thru mail, etc... so haven't got any posted yet! We had a little housewarming surprise when we got home too! I'll post some pics of that too! For that one, it didn't take us long to figure out that the wrestling parents did some planning at the overnight tourney the 1st weekend we were gone!!! Immediately I had 2 names that came to mind!
I'll get back on here soon & get some pics for you to see!
Deb

All the Bags are Packed ...

This was the sunset yesterday as I was leaving town & heading west! Awesome huh?!? I just had to grab the camera & shoot this pic out the front window!

So "the bags are packed & we're ready to go..." !!! We leave in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow! Off to the warm Caribbean!!! How exciting!!! So you won't be hearing from me for a couple weeks probably - by the time we get back & get reorganized!

Yeah, this is what we are leaving behind - chopping the thick ice every day so the cattle can drink! It is VERY cold out today with really strong winds - heading south sounds VERY NICE!!!

Talk at you later!

Deb

Game Day Here in the Wide Open Spaces!

This season's volleyball awards dinner & awards was today at noon. Colby earned the Spark Plug award for the varsity team & the Spark Plug & Most Valuable Player for the JV.

Kieth & the boys brought the pool table home the other day & Kieth put it together. Today the boys came over & we had an afternoon of games in our basement! FUN!!!

The boys are pretty good competition against each other...

Kieth, so far, has proved to be the best pool player in our house... don't EVEN ask how I do!!! (But I do have fun!!!)

So Lincoln & Colby played a little ping pong too - Lincoln kinda whipped up on us girls there...

They also gave the foosball table a whirl... let's just say it wasn't a good day for the girls!!!

But it was a lot of fun!!! They are all still at it while I do this & make supper - which I hear the bread machine calling my name right now!!!

I have a bad cold but it has been a really fun day here at home anyway! Hope your weekend was good too!!!

Deb