Our friends, Troy and Caren, are the ones who told us about the cruise and suggested a group of us go together. We always have a great time with them, whether getting together as families in our homes, going out to eat as couples for good food and adult conversation, studying the Bible together, or working together to provide opportunities for our kiddos, so we knew we would have fun with them going on a cruise to enrich our marriages. We rode to the airport together and flew to and from port together and had lots of laughs as well as serious, edifying conversation.
The ship seemed so huge! I shut my brain off and didn't even try to remember how to get to the seminars, the various restaurants and buffets, and our room. Alan took care of me and always knew exactly where we needed to go.
We are so richly blessed with great friends! Here are the ten of us who cruised together (starting from back left center and going counter clockwise): Leighton and Dian, Alan and me, Caren and Troy, John and Wendy, and Amy and Gerald.
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| We actually all managed to meet up to listen to Kirk and Chelsea Cameron and Tenth Avenue North together Monday night |
We didn't spend a lot of time together as we were each focused on our own partner, but we had a table together each evening for supper. We all enjoyed coming together and sharing stories from our day and just great fellowship (over delicious and endless supplies of food!)
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| Caren and Troy, Leighton and Dian |
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| Wendy and John, Gerald and Amy |
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| Gerald and Amy, Me and Alan |
On Tuesday we ported in Key West, FL. Alan and I decided not to get an excursion, but just to explore the downtown area together. We had so much fun strolling hand in hand, browsing in souvenir shops, and picking out little treasures for each of our children.
One of the highlights from this stop was our respite in Sloppy Joe's Bar, where Hemingway used to hang out (I had just finished reading The Old Man and the Sea with Destry before the cruise), where we got to try conch for the first time.
We were also delighted to run into our friends Troy and Caren and John and Wendy as we were headed back to the boat. We have such fun together, and giggled as we posed with artwork.
Tuesday evening was dress up night. Alan and I even matched with our greens! I know it's a terrible picture, but it was a wonderful evening.
Wednesday morning started (as usual) with the amazing made-to-order omelets on the breakfast buffet. We happened to run into Troy and Caren so we joined them for breakfast and decided to share an excursion in Cozumel, Mexico that afternoon. Alan's choice of dune buggies, snorkeling, and a Mexican buffet on a private beach sounded like great fun to all of us and fun it was!
Welcome to Cozumel!
The men were delighted with our little dune buggy and they took turns driving on our tour around the island. Caren and I got a huge kick out them turning into 16-year-old boys trying to do donuts in the sand, revving their engine, shifting gears dramatically. . .
This was so fun, so relaxing, so beautiful!
We got lots of practice taking selfies! How I love this man! He and Troy had a great time enjoying God's creation as they snorkeled on the reefs while Caren and I relaxed with massages.
When we got back to the ship at about 8:30 pm, Alan and I decided to take a little nap before going to the Andrew Peterson and Steven Curtis Chapman concerts and then karaoke afterwards. We woke up at 12:03 am! Whoops! I wish we had taken an alarm clock (my phone was all messed up) so we wouldn't have missed these fun opportunities, but I guess we were tired!
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| Me with Wendy and Caren |
Thursday morning was spent with the men and women divided into gender-specific sessions, and then in the afternoon we hung out on the top of the ship with dear friends relaxing, talking, and laughing. (oh, so much laughing!)
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| Our hubbies weren't so much into sitting and chatting, but spent "shoulder-to-shoulder" time on the miniature golf course and playing ping pong |
Friday morning Alan and I got up and went out on the deck to watch the sunrise together. It was so beautiful! I had never seen the sun rise over the ocean before and was just amazed at the way it literally "popped" up over the horizon.
Alas, the time went too fast and it was time to get back to real life and cold temperatures! We ran into John and Wendy and Troy and Caren at our last breakfast and mourned together that "the buffet is closed."
It truly was a buffet of not just food, but also of spiritual nourishment, marital renewal, and friendship feasting.
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I have typed up nine pages of notes from the various speakers. Here are a few of my favorite soundbytes:
- There's only one person I can change—MYSELF. It's not about getting a new spouse, it's about giving your spouse a new you. --Kirk Cameron
- JESUS is strong enough to save! YES, even your marriage!! --Tenth Avenue North
- PRAY for your husband! Not selfishly, but for him to be the man God wants him to be. --The War Room
- Remember who the enemy is. Instead of fighting with your husband, get on your knees and go to battle for your marriage. --The War Room
- Before marriage Satan does everything in his power to make you have sex, after marriage he does everything in his power to prevent it. --Dave and Ann Wilson
- Marriage is your primary ministry. It's the foundation of all other ministry, and a tool to discern whether you are qualified for any other ministry. --Voddie Baucham
- Cheer your husband on even more than you cheer your children on. --Ann Wilson
- What would happen if we prayed in our head as much as we complain in our head? --Ann Wilson
- Ask your husband "What are your top three things I can say to you that will make you feel respected?" --Ann Wilson
- Your marriage is not taking place on a romantic balcony. It's taking place on a spiritual battlefield. --Dennis Rainey
We're thinking we need to do it again next year!
looks/sounds super fun and I love your little clips of inspirations! Maybe you could text me one weekly/daily for me to work on in that moment!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou guys should go next year!!!! :D :D :D
DeleteIt sounds like a really WONDERFUL time. Thanks for sharing the recap. Loved the little bullets at the bottom - speak to my heart, why don't ya? ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, it was WONDERFUL!! Believe me, my toes were stepped all over!
DeleteWhat a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt sure would be a fun way to meet you IRL. . . (hint, hint) grin
DeleteOh, wow! I'm so glad you both got to go! I would love to do something like that, except for the whole cruise part, soooo... it might be difficult. I mean, I don't know if you knew this, but that boat you were on was floating on THE OCEAN. Do you have any idea what's in that thing? Scary stuff, man. But really, I'm glad it was so fruitful for you, AND that you didn't die! (And aren't you glad I didn't say anything before you left?)
ReplyDeleteHa! Funny girl! I tried to talk some other friends into going, but she informed me there are ICEBERGS in the ocean! "Hello, Titanic anyone!" (They didn't join us.)
DeleteI don't even know how to swim, so I just didn't think about it. It's like a floating city and very, very tall, so I didn't feel too close to the water. :)
Oh, and I DID ask Alan to just knock me in the head if something bad happened. I think that would be much more merciful than letting me drown.
DeleteOk, ok, where to start? (I'll ignore that you SLEPT THROUGH A SCC CONCERT! My heart was all jealous and then it felt relief BUT. STILL! ;D ha!)
ReplyDeleteI am so laughing at the comments. Your trip sounds great, except the part about a huge boat being out on THE OCEAN which we all know is FILLED WITH ICEBERGS and then there was the little matter of THE TITANIC! :D (Worst horror story ever, apparently.)
Beside that your trip sounds extremely wonderful! :) Love the laughter, the friends, the meaningful and impacting quotes which you shared with the rest of us and I'm glad you didn't DIE from CRASHING into an ICEBERG. ;)