Cruisin' 2014

The Polar Vortex has us in its grip. Fortunately, we've made it our practice to escape to the sunshine every February so that we don't succumb to the winter blues. This year, Rick booked us on a 7-day cruise aboard The Norwegian Dawn that took us from Tampa down to Central America and back again.

For us, the excursions made this trip particularly memorable. We wanted to try new things and be active throughout the week, unlike the more "seasoned" cruisers who made up 90% of the ship's guest population. Here's the Reader's Digest version of our week, with some pictures mixed in:

Sunday

After staying up until 1:30 a.m. packing and cleaning, we rose at 3:00 a.m. to drive through a snowstorm. We carefully made our way to Detroit, and from there flew to Atlanta, and finally Tampa. We were shocked by the warmth and sunshine we found in Florida. I couldn't stop grinning during our taxi ride to the port. Getting on board was a breeze, and we quickly found the food and the hot tub. Ahhhhhhh

Monday

We spent the day at sea. Our number one priority was to catch up on our lost sleep and UV rays. We slept, we ate, we soaked, we read. It was totally relaxing and totally necessary!

Tuesday

Roatán! We had to rise early for our very first scuba diving experience in the second largest barrier reef in the world. We spent and hour in class, then some time in the shallows mastering the gear. We only went down 40 feet, but it was incredible! Among other things, we saw a manta ray and several sea turtles.

 

 

Roatán is a tiny, poor island. It was our smallest port, so we didn't do much else after our scuba adventure other than wander around the tiny shopping center next to where we docked.

Wednesday

Belize was our next stop. Our ship had to park 5 miles off the shore because of the coral reef and shallow waters. We took a tender to shore and sat next to one of The Second City actors who performed the evening before (think: a young John Lovitz). He took this picture:

Once we reached shore we met the most wonderful guide named Edgar. He taught us about the local economy, the landscapes, the wildlife, etc. while we took a 45 minute bus ride. He took us to the western part of the little country and led us on a journey through some of the limestone caves of the area. We had to hike a little ways, carrying our tubes and wearing hard hats.

Once we reached the river, Edgar had our group make a human chain so he could pull us through the caves. He took us to a waterfall and pointed out bats along the ceiling. Lucky for us, the water wasn't too cold!

 

After the tubing, we enjoyed a delicious buffet of local dishes. I got to try star fruit for the first time - yum! We also took the opportunity to buy handmade jewelry for Emma made from seeds that grow there in Belize. Rick also made a friend in the restroom!

Edgar's last adventure for us was the zipline through the jungle. It was especially beautiful flying over the very river we just tubed. 

 

Now for the unexpected part of our day...while waiting in line for our tender, who should we meet but LDS speaker/author, John Bytheway! We discovered he was on our cruise, leading a group of 90 to various Book of Mormon lands. He was so nice and talked with us for quite awhile.

Thursday

Our day in Costa Maya started out a little grey, but things soon brightened and warmed up. We were bussed to a little day resort/play area that was cleaned up for tourists. Rick and I went on an ATV ride that took us along some less than tidy beaches. That made us sad to see so much trash in such a beautiful place. The water was still clear blue though! And, when we went out on the sea kayak, we could see clear down to the bottom.

 

 

 

Friday

What's more romantic than being on a cruise for Valentine's Day?! I'm such a lucky, spoiled rotten girl! Cozumel was our last port, and by far the biggest. There were so many things to do and see, but we chose to rent a speed boat. I had never "captained" a boat before and it was a total blast! We also snuck in some snorkeling in that amazing blue water!

 

 

 

We spent the afternoon shopping for souvenirs and searching for an internet signal. It was strange (and liberating) being so disconnected throughout the week. For our Valentine's dinner, we dressed in our fancy duds and got our pictures taken. It was like prom all over again!

Saturday

 

On our way back to the states, we reflected over our experience with Norwegian. We decided that we prefer Royal Caribbean when it comes to food, service, entertainment, and demographic. However, we had a fabulous time relaxing and being together, and we had no regrets about our excursions. It was a perfect get away that we'll remember forever!

2013 Year In Review

We're saying good bye to 2013. Let's take a look back over the year, shall we?

 

January

 

Rick worked hard overhauling our basement 1/2 bath, with a bit of help from Jake. He took it down to studs, knocked out a wall to make room for a tub/shower, and converted it to a more functional, 4-piece bathroom.

 

We got a kitty for Rick that he named Seamus McCalico.

  

 

February

 

Emma danced her heart out in the Perrysburg Junior High production of Guys and Dolls. She was darling in the role of Mimi. Jake finished his string of Winter One Act performances at Perrysburg High School. He played a serious role in The Lockdown.

 

March

 

The whole family auditioned for Perrysburg Musical Theatre's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Rick was cast in the lead as Joseph. Audrey landed various small roles, including Mrs. Potiphar. Jacob was given the part of Issachar and Emma was cast as Levi's wife.

 

 

 

April

 

Jacob took us back to 1984 with his performance in Footloose.

 

 

 Our dear doggy of 16 years, Shelby, passed away.

We took a Spring Break trip to Branson, MO and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We played hard at Silver Dollar City and saw many fantastic performances along "the strip".

 

May

 

Jake got his temps and Rick and Audrey got more gray hair.

 

Rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat began in earnest. We spent many of our evenings and Saturdays working hard on the show.

 

 

 

 

June

 

Performance time! Our wonderfully supportive family travelled from afar to come see us in Joseph. We hosted Rick's parents, Audrey's parents, and Audrey's sister and nephews. It was THE major highlight of our year to have so many loved ones in our home.

 

 

 

July

 

We traveled west to attend family reunions in Utah and Arizona. Crazy times...

 

 

 

July

 

The kids went off to camp. Emma enjoyed Girl's Camp at the John Johnson farm in Hiram, OH. Jake went to EFY down by Cincinnati.

 

  

 

 August

 

We fostered a litter of kittens for the Toledo Area Humane Society and we started training an assistance dog named Reese.

 

 

School began, and with it, football season!

 

 

 

September

 

September was a blur of driving between school, cheerleading, football, choir, theater, dog training sessions, and church. Audrey had to take a TIME OUT with her sister Sheila.

 

 

 

 

 

October

 

Rick's parents were kind enough to come out and visit for a couple of weeks. In the middle of their stay, Rick and Audrey got to take the camper down to Hocking Hills (without the kids).

 

 

 

November

 

Audrey was extra busy with her church responsibilities as she helped put together Young Women In Excellence.

 

Jake got his driver's license and finished up his Eagle Project benefiting the Wood County Humane Society.

 

Emma continued cheerleading, this time for basketball.

 

 

December

 

Rick and Audrey took a quick trip to Arizona.

 

We said goodbye to our foster dog Reese when we realized we weren't cut out for serious dog training.

 

 

 

And that, my faithful readers, was 2013 for the Saunders family! Thanks for tuning in. Come back soon, as it's Audrey's resolution to be a better blogger!

 

 

 

I'm back

I've humbled myself and joined a gym. After two years away from teaching aerobics, I've realized I need a kick in the pants in order to see a change in my current level of fatness, er, fitness. I haven't had to pay for a membership in over a decade. It's hard to shell out money to do something I don't particularly enjoy anymore. It's a necessary evil I suppose.

Crossfit recently opened up in Perrysburg a couple miles from my house. I've seen how it helped some friends and family members, so I checked it out. I wasn't excited to work out in a warehouse with no a/c, especially in the summer months. I also felt a bit intimidated by the people. I passed.

I tried out L.A. Fitness in Maumee and loved it. The gym was huge, clean, and full of top of the line machines. The staff was really great and flexible about me coming in to try classes for a week. I enjoyed going to someplace where no one knew me too.

The Y.M.C.A. is a mile from my house. I used to work there, so it felt funny going back. Plus, I know a lot of people from my church and community work out there. I felt self-conscious. Ultimately, I decided it was the best option of the 3 because it offers a myriad of classes and it's just so convenient. I would have no excuses not to get a workout in sometime during my day.

I treated myself to some new exercise gear last night and attended some classes this morning. I had fun, though I was embarrassed to see my visiting teacher waving at me while I was jammin' out in Zumba. I'm sure I looked ridiculous.

Midwest Bucket List

Time is running out! Jake will only be with us another 2.8 years before he leaves for a mission. Emma graduates in 4.8 years. I have so much left to teach them and I feel so behind. I also keep thinking about all the places I want to show the kids before they leave the nest. Let me tell ya...it's quite a list! So here, in no particular order, are many of the places I dream of visiting while we're all still here in Ohio:

Anywhere in Canada

We live something like an hour from Canada. Why have we not driven there yet, just to say we've been to another country besides Mexico? Perhaps we could roll a trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto into one, although my deepest desire is to visit Prince Edward Island (I'm an Anne of Green Gables fan).

 

 

Palmyra, NY

 

I wince a little when I think of this important church history site. The youth in our church took a long weekend trip there this summer, but our family was involved in a play at the time and had to miss it. We must see Palmyra in order to round out our church history tour. We've already been to Salt Lake, Kirtland, and Nauvoo.

 

 

Williamsburg, VA

 

Jake loves history, as do I. Williamsburg seems to be a good jumping off place for more than one adventure into our country's past. This vacation spot is also close to where my sister Sheila lives...win-win!

 

 

The Atlantic Coast

 

This one could actually happen! My dear friend Emily moved to Savannah, GA a couple years ago and promised I could come visit when the winter grey of Ohio got to be too much. I also think it would be amazing to rent a beach house along the Outer Banks or Hilton Head. I hear both spots are lovely.

 

 

New York City

 

We have a family full of theater lovers. We have to go to New York and see a show! Rick has a friend with some connections in the city, so hopefully that could defray some of the costs. Ouch! It's expensive there...



 





 

 

Tennessee

 

There are several stops to choose from in this great state: Nashville, Memphis, Dollywood, the Smoky Mountains, to name a few. I think we could strike a great balance between the outdoorsy stuff I like to do and the entertainment stuff the kids like to do.

 

 

Anywhere in New England

 

I vaguely remember a grand family trip to the New England coast when I was 6. Maine sticks out in my mind. We camped there and we tried to "swim". It was freezing cold, but beautiful.

 

 

Mackinac Island, MI

 

Rick and I love the classic movie Somewhere In Time. We might need a romantic getaway to this film's location before we move back west someday. In fact, any visit to the Upper Peninsula would be fine by me!

 

 

 

All 5 Great Lakes

 

Erie and Michigan are already done. Is there a way for us to squeeze in Huron, Ontario, and even Superior? It's unlikely we'll get that far north.

 

 

Anywhere north of Detroit

 

We've lived in Ohio 5+ years and have never been north of Detroit. Shameful. I hear Michigan is a really great state, at least Tim Allen thinks so.  We should really take our little camper up there...

 

 

 

It's not an exhaustive list, but it's an ambitious one anyway. It's too bad we're short on time and money for such things. Whatever we can't check off while the kids are with us, Rick and I will see to it in our retirement years. I envision us tooling around the country with a 5th wheel and a dog someday. Between visits to see our grandkids, we'll hit every state in the continental U.S.