Cruise recap

We have been back for almost a week but due to a cold (me), and sorting/cleaning/unpacking, I am only now sitting down to give some background to some of these pictures I put up on the blog!

First of all, our strategy of preparing Paige to go to the cottage for the week with her Grandma and Grandpa (and getting her all excited about it) worked. When it was time for us to say goodbye she said "Bye...going on a plane". She didn't yell "mommy!" with arms outstretched or anything gut wrenching like that. So it was a bit sad, but easier than anticipated.

We then made our way to the airport and after an uneventful plane ride (extremely uneventful when you're talking only the 2 of us sans Paige on the plane watching movies and sipping pepsi and wine) we arrived in Vancouver for the night. Had the worst room ever at one of the most expensive hotels in vancouver (the Westin Bayshore) right beside the elevator where we had to turn the AC on full blast to drown out the sounds of the elevator. What a rip off, but had a nice meal the night before and a great breakfast when we met up with Jen and James the next morning. They had been in Victoria and took the ferry over that morning. We then took a taxi van to the Cruise ship terminal.

I have to say the check in procedure with Celebrity was far superior to that of Carnival. We basically were whisked through every line and before we knew it were sipping complimentary champagne up in the Palm Springs Cafe on deck 11. We got to relax for a few hours and try a few drinks that "will sneak up on you like a thief in the night". Then the ship set sail at 5:00 where we proceeded to sail for days on end. The original itinerary was to stop in Sitka, Alaska on the Tuesday. Due to a medical emergency we unknowingly set sail back towards BC on the Monday to meet with a helicopter to transport a little girl to hospital (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/helicopter-airlifts-sick-child-from-cruise-ship/article1218589/) . In order to get her to land safely we had to divert from the itinerary and as a result had to miss the first port. Everyone was very understanding, and the crew on the ship were great with putting together a great itinerary for our extra day at sea. By the time we actually got off the ship on Thursday though we were ready to get off after so many days at sea.

But before that, the ship went for some scenic cruising to the Hubbard Glacier. We completely underestimated this part of the cruise. The build up was fantastic. You could see the glacier for miles as we approached it, and the captain of the ship with the help of a special "pilot" person or ship (not sure if it was a person on the ship or in a smaller boat out front), was able to manoeuver around icebergs in the water so we could get within a very small distance from the massive glacier. The cruise ship is so big that as we were moving through the water it was pushing through massive ice chunks, and probably only avoiding the bus-sized ones. (We were told by the onboard naturalist that there are things called ice bergs, bergie bits, and other various names for the different sizes). When we got up close to the glacier there were literally building sized chunks breaking off. I think I have a few pictured of that in the slideshow. Obviously as we were sailing through the ice we couldn't help but think of the Titanic. Anyway, words can't describe how cool this was. You just have to experience it for yourself (and bring warm clothes, because when there are icebergs in the water it is obviously cold!)

Speaking of the onboard Naturalist, there was a man named Milos who gave talks almost every day on various topics...Alaskan Wildlife, The Moon, Volcanoes, and Glaciers. Very informative, and made us feel like we were on a cruise and learn! We would take a cup of tea to go from the cafe and just listen to the talk. I loved that it reminded me of being in a university lecture hall minus the note taking and pressure. The naturalist was also on the intercom the entire time we were at the glacier giving a commentary.

On Thursday we went Whale Watching and got to observe an apparently rare behaviour of humpback whales which is "bubble net feeding". I won't explain it, but apparently it is the only time that a bunch of humpback whales feed together. So, in essence, we got to see lots and lots of whales. We also went to the Mendenhall Glacier. After everything we went shopping.

On the Friday we went ziplining. This was through the Tongas rainforest. Very picturesque. This excursion also involved going down the longest and fastest slide i have ever seen in my entire life.

Funny that both excursions were operated by very very young staff, and in the case of the ziplining, they were all under 21. But because we weren't in Mexico for a change we felt very safe! ;)

Other activities on the cruise involved a trip to the spa, a yoga class, a scrapbooking class, tons and tons of food and drink (they told us that the average person gains 1-2lbs a day on a cruise!!??), talking with the staff, reading on the deck under many blankets (they have a few towels by the pool, but mainly blankets), relaxing in cafes with a coffee, watching a magic show, going to the casino, listening to music, and so many other things. It was sooo much fun to go with Jen and James, and fun that our rooms were right next door so we could run back and forth borrowing things, watching movies, eating more food, etc. Nice to be waited on hand and foot for a week. I find that after our twice daily room cleanings on the ship, our bathroom at home always feels like a mess! And our meals are not up to par! We definitely miss Jen and James though, and are eagerly anticipating staying with them for 12 days in September!!

But, of course it was nice to see Paige when we got home. She yelled "DADDY! MOMMY!!" and frantically reached out her arms for us to hold her. Such a nice welcome back. She had been prepped as well and repeatedly said "Welcome home daddy mommy.... I love you!" the entire way home.

Alaska Cruise 2009

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Taking the new wheels for a spin...

Good thing there is a handle, she doesn't know how to push the pedals. It was fun though, I pushed her all the way to the park.

Paige's Birthday Party...

Thanks to everyone for coming to Paige's birthday party, and for all of the wonderful presents. We all had a great time!
Sorry these pictures are all over the place, but you get the idea!

Happy Birthday Paige!!

For Paige's second Birthday...


2 years ago on this day,
A baby girl came to stay.
With a strong little neck and strong little limbs,
You might have sworn she'd been going to the gym.
She stretched my stomach out left and right,
She pushed her legs with all her might,
That stretched out tummy didn't go away over night.


That first year is all a blur,
As she became a crawling, then cruising, then walking little girl.
"Hi" she would exclaim to customers at Second Cup,
And later she would say to Jen, "What's up?".
On her first birthday she was tentative of the cake,
A caterpillar design that took Amanda hours to bake,
Since then desserts are eaten with an enthusiasm you can't fake.


In her second year she did many fun things,
Running, sliding, and playing on swings.
2 trips to Edmonton were made by a plane,
Many a fond memory that we did gain.
She got to play with her best dog friend Abby,
Snuggling on the couch, feeding her treats and playing in a house not at all shabby,
But when we discovered dog food in her mouth we became a little crabby.


She also had many visitors from out west,
The place that we love second best.
Tyson and Lisa both were here in the fall,
Shortly after the infamous run in with the wall.
Jen and James come to visit at Easter without failing,
After a lot of excited e-mailing,
And at Easter dinner we noticed a younger Sarah Palin.


And of course there are Amy and Clara her 2 best friends,
With whom she could play to no end.
3 little girls born 6 weeks apart,
Sweet little girls that could melt your heart.
The moms can leave them to play without any fear,
Have coffee, talk, laugh, chat, and cheer,
(and even the occasional beer).


So many things to remember as we conclude this year,
So many sweet little things to hear,
Mommy's heart breaks as "I love you mommy" rings in her ear.
But that is why the blog is here.


So as the 3rd year begins, we'll capture every stage,
Of a little blonde sweetheart living on Page.

Socatots

Too hard to tell if Paige likes this class or not. On the way there she said she wanted to go home multiple times. Then when we got there and she got changed into her uniform she asked to go home again, and lay down on the floor for me to change her out of her uniform. The class went ok, but then on the way home we had to run an errand. This led to massive amounts of snacks being eaten in the car, and her refusing lunch. She looked tired, but has done nothing but talk and complain in her crib. I'm hoping for overtired rather than getting sick. For one thing I would like her to be happy tomorrow for her birthday, and also, I would like her to be healthy while she is babysat by her grandparents for the week. We had to exchange her uniform last minute as the size 2 was massive. This 18 month size is still huge. Clara is in our class and looks quite cute in her well-fitting uniform. I'll take a picture of the 2 of them next time we are there together.

Happy Anniversary to us!

3 year Anniversary today. Again we have nothing special planned for the day, but of course we are going on our vacation this weekend. The same thing happened the year before, and the year before that we knew that Paige was being born the next day, so we didn't really do anything either. Oh well, I think an Alaskan Cruise more than makes up for a regular day at home today.

Paige's party with friends...

We had a small birthday party at the Coronation Park splash pad with a couple of Paige's friends. The weather was a bit cool at first, but nice and sunny, and it warmed up enough for the girls to run around in the splash pad. Paige was the most timid, but Amy and especially Clara were right in there. We finished the day off with a picnic and cupcakes.

Born on the 4th of July....

ME that is!!

For my birthday we went out to breakfast at Cora's, and then went to the Royal Botanical Gardens. We're just having a regular dinner tonight, but eagerly anticipating a Boston Pizza and ice cream cake tomorrow night with the family.

Cruise...

Although the counter says we leave in 10 days, it is really more like 8! The 10 days (at the time of this post), counts to the exact time that the ship departs. In reality we get on the ship about 5 hours earlier, and we are actually leaving home the day before to spend the night in Vancouver! So it is much closer than it appears! Thought I would share. When the trip was far away it was accurate enough, but now the counter doesn't seem right when I know we are leaving in 8 sleeps! Jen and James are going to Victoria first for a few days, so for them, they only have 5 sleeps until they get going. For those that don't know, Paige is being picked up here around 1:00 on the 11th by Grandma and Grandpa and going up to the cottage for either a few days or the entire week depending on the weather. Then Mike and I will take a taxi to the airport around an hour later. Good for last minute packing/drying eyes/calming down/getting excited/freaking out.