Happy NEW YEAR!!!!

Now you will see why December was so quiet on the ol' blog! I hope this New Year finds each of you off to a great start in 2011! We had a very busy December not only for Christmas with family, but the week prior, my hubby and I also set off on a cruise to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary! In all the years we've been together, we've never splurged on something so nice and just for the two of us...yes ONLY 2 of us! We left our girls a case of juice boxes and granola bars to tie them over until we got back...kidding...my in-laws were gracious enough to take the girls while we set sail from Baltimore for 7 days to the Bahamas. December 13th, our 10 year anniversary! We celebrated by enjoying a 5 star dinner in David's Steakhouse. The steakhouse is located on the 9th deck, just under the wing tip on top of the Carnival Pride...pretty cool! We thought at first it was a pool from the outside.

His & Hers...Chan about to dig in to some escargot...I'll pass!Maine Lobster and Fillet Mignon. Best lobster I've ever eaten!Free table dances from the waiters...I believe here they were dancing to Apple Bottom Jeans! This is the main dining room, The Normandie, where we had a scheduled dinner time of 8:15 each night.Our first stop was Port Canaveral. Long story short, we purchased on-shore excursion tickets through Carnival for an air boat ride in The Everglades. We saw zero gators, our boat broke down (the propellers broke off and some shrapnel hit Chan on the shoulder...no serious injuries!!!), and it was only 56, which on an air boat is pretty damn cold! Needless to say, we laughed about it and ended the day with GATOR TAIL! Eh, no frowns here...tastes just like chicken...like everything else!Pulling into our 2nd port of Nassau, Bahamas. A warm 78 degrees (it was snowing back in Baltimore and Virginia) and shorts weather! The water here is simply breathtaking and incredibly clear on the white sandy beaches.Hopping off the big boat and taking a small water taxi over to Paradise Island, where The Atlantis Resort is located.Atlantis Resort. The "bridge" suite goes for 25k a night, with a 4 night minimum...who's in folks??Once we got over to Paradise Island we went to Cabbage Beach and rented some jet skis. I lasted for about 5 mins. before I left my hubby to do his own crazy racing. He is in the middle of this picture.Heading back to the ship before it set sail from Nassau. LOVE this shot!Woke up the next morning in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. We grabbed a quick cab as soon as we docked and headed over to Port Lucaya...this shot was captured at 7:30 in the morning.The one day we didn't bring our swim wear...gosh it was so nice here!Awwwww...relaxtion!Iced martini bar!Last day of the cruise. We had incredible servers and met wonderful new friends. After our last dinner we came back to our room to find our "confiscated" wine had been delivered. Our bottle was legal size and sealed, but was taken out of my check-in luggage...apparently you are supposed to store it in your carry-on luggage. So no wine, but I had a cork screw that I was allowed to keep all week...LOL! No worries though, we had plenty to drink without it ;) Over all, this was a fantastic experience...so much so, that we plan to take the girls on one in the next few years! If you've never been on a cruise, I HIGHLY recommend it!After we returned from our cruise, we stayed in VA for Christmas. Since I'm the crafty girl that I am, I always bring a fun project for the kids to work on. Gingerbread houses were on the agenda...with my nieces and youngest (far right). My sweet sis-in-law had this made for our anniversary. I can't wait to take this out every year and fill it with festive flowers. Christmas Day with Gracie and Addy. Christmas Dinner was hosted by my brother-in-law and his sweet wife. A "small intimate gathering" with my hubby's side. This photo is just of his parents, siblings and their children. We are actually 1 sister shy here! As you can imagine, there is never a dull moment! We have a lot to look forward to this year and a possible move which we will find out soon if we are going or staying. I personally don't mind staying, but with the military, you don't always have that option. Also, my youngest will start Kindergarten in the Fall which is huge milestone in our house. I'm at the crossroads now where I will either continue to stay home or join back in the REAL workforce. A lot to think about, but it will all come in good time. In the meantime, I'm working on Valentine projects and will also post some for sale in my Etsy shop in the next week or so. Thank you for visiting my blog, asking questions, and just laughing with me. I do have some emails to get back to and a request for a tutorial on the clips I made earlier....those requests are in the works so stay tuned! Wishing all of you a WONDERFUL start to your New Year!!