Greeting from the other side of the equator!  There will be a grand celebration when we get back across the equator on April 30^th.  But for now, according to Holland America, “King Neptune has gracefully pardoned us until then for the Grand King Neptune Ceremony”. It is very cute how the incorporate so much into our day to day schedule.  Valerie ran off the library at 9:00 this morning to get the book they are reading for the first book club, Air You Breathe.  I incorporated her reading of the book and the discussion questions into her English curriculum so it’s a win win.   Megan and I met up with the Project Linus group ay 10:30 and spent an hour crocheting our blankets.  They are coming along.  At 11:30 this morning we all met up and had an opportunity to enjoy our first Sunday brunch on the ship.  Think lots of tiny food.  I took a picture of the appetizer course and attached it below.  Sorry, I forgot to get one of the main courses cause I was so excited.  It is just another way Holland America sets themselves above and beyond others.  At 1:00pm Valerie went off to spend an hour with the amazing tutor, Megan went off to her watercolor class, Nana went to deal with ATT and I went to my room to accomplish getting the girls lesson plans done for the rest of January so they can get ahead as they want to.  At 2:00 pm having all accomplished our 1:00pm goals we met up for the day’s lecture titled, “The Brazilian North East.”  At 3:00pm Valerie and Megan ran off to Rhumba dance class and mom and I stay for the second lecture on, “Brazil’s Agriculture.” Our brains are getting so much bigger. Then it was time for us all the go back to our rooms to ready ourselves for dinner.  I have a love/hate relationship with the 5:15 dinner seating time. Today it meant we only ate two meals, which is totally o.k.  It also means the girls are usually done in time to get to the Club HAL program which starts at 7:00pm.  But sometime it feels like we are in the middle of doing activities and we have to stop to get ready for dinner.  We are also realizing, it’s o.k. to miss dinner in the main dining room from time and time.  Tonight as we arrived, they greeted us and warmly told us we were missed last night.  We told them we were watching the 49’ers game.  Below you will find a picture from our coveted dining room table at the window at the back of the ship. You can see the trail the engines make as it breaks the water behind us. After dinner it was goodnight kisses to Nana as we decided it should be an early night since we have to be ready to disembark by 8:30am tomorrow.   I sat with the girls and corrected their homework for the week.  After a few corrections Valerie got to go off to Club HAL and Megan and I got to spend some 1:1 time while she was relearning some math lessons.  Tomorrow we will be in Belem, Brazil.  We are doing a tour that should give us an all around tour of the city.  It’s going to be a really hot day.  So we will be sure to bring plenty of water to hydrate.  I bought a new Ospry hydration backpack before we left on the trip and so far we really enjoying it.  It has enough space to hold whatever else we need to bring along in addition to holding 90 ounces of water.  Sending you all big hugs and lots of love from our family to yours.  Debra  

P.S. as I was looking over my photos to post tonight, I saw our nightly photo of our towel animal. For those of you not accustomed to cruising, it’s kind of a tradition for your room steward to create an animal for you each night. We have not had a repeat animal yet, but suspect it will happen soon. Hugs!

This morning we awoke to still be on our approach to Devil’s Island in French Guiana.  We were not supposed to anchor till noon so we all went and had breakfast together this morning.  As I had mentioned before having children on this voyage is not normal and we are still bombarded with questions every time we meet someone new. They want to know where we are from, how is it that the girls can be away from school for so long, how does my husband feel about us being away…  It felt invasive at first, but I am getting used to it.  It was also hard talking about Don every single day and having to share his story over and over, but it is all a part of our life story and how it is that we have come to where we are right at this very moment in time. So around noon we boarded our tender boats for the short trip over to the pier on Ile Royal.  Which is the main island of the three islands that make up the Devil’s Island prison.  There were the remains of many buildings still on the island.  

I was shocked to learn that is actually even a working hotel if you wanted to come here and spend more time exploring.  It was reminiscent of Alcatraz to me.  Only I know that the people who were imprisoned here were not treated very well at all.  

We walked the entire island, in very hot heat and high humidity.  We had lots of water with us but it was still really hot.  Towards the end of our time on the island we came across a tree filled with a family on monkeys just minding their own business and living life.  It was a lot of fun watching them play.  We were back on the ship around 3:30 in time to grab a bite to eat.  The girls went off to swim with their friends and mom and I went back to our cabins to shower.  The last event of our day was to head to the “sports” bar, really just an area on the ship with two large screen t.v.’s so we could watch the 49er game. It was standing room only.  A good mix of Vikings and Niners fans were all there cheering on their teams.  It was a fun environment to be in and even better because our team won.  The game started here at 6:30pm and I believe our next game is a late game in California so that is going to make for a really late game here.  We’ll have to see how that one is going to work.  I owe you an explanation of chocolate surprise:  at 10:15 the servers came out and served every one at the Gala all things Chocolate. Chocolate drink, chocolate cookies, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate dipped marshmallows, and various other chocolate Appetizers.  It was a lot of fun for the girls to be served desserts so late at night, nothing like amping them up on sugar right before bedtime.  Tomorrow is a sea day and our first crossing of the Equator.  Later on in the cruise there is a ceremony/party when we cross back. Sweet dreams to you all as we float south on our way to our next port in Belem, Brazil.  Love and Hugs!  Debra

We have officially been on the Holland America Amsterdam for a full week.  It is hard to believe it has only been a week.  We have done so much in the last seven days that if you had asked me, I would have said it feels like we have been on board at least two weeks.  We all slept in this morning as Valerie had an especially rough night.  Luckily she was sleeping with me so I could take care of her.  The seas are especially rough and there has been a lot of motion to the ocean in the last 24 hours.  We also added another hour to the time difference so we are officially 5 hours ahead of you all in California.  Megan and I had breakfast together this morning and then headed over to the knitting and crocheting group that is working on the Project Linus Blankets. Next, Megan and I went to a watercolor painting class and then we met up with Nana and Valerie for an informational talk on Devil’s Islands and Belem, Brazil our next two ports.  It was interesting to learn about the history of the prison on Devil’s Island.  There are no official excursions on the island tomorrow.  We just get to tender off the ship and then do a self guided walking tour once on land.  They provided us with maps of what we are looking at.  They also said there are resident monkeys, anacondas, birds and reptiles that live there as well.  The girls are excited to see the monkeys.  Tonight was our second Gala night.  It was officer’s night and we invited an officer to join us at our dinner table.  A cadet that works on the bridge shared so much information about the ship with us at dinner.  He is only 23 years old and has been on the ship six months.  He is going to be returning to the Netherlands for another year of Navigation schooling in February.  He was super sweet to the girls.  We asked to have an officer with us at every Gala evening if they would like to place one with us.  We are also excited to have dinner with the captain and his wife at some time this cruise. So tonight is a gala dance in the main theater and then a “chocolate surprise”.  I’ll let you know what that is later.  We also had our first full moon tonight.  It is especially beautiful out here in the middle of the ocean to see the moonlight reflecting off the sea.  It is very romantic.  Just me and my Jack (Daniel’s) watching the moon rising in the night sky….ahhhh.  In case I haven’t already said this, the food is amazing.  I have had sushi for lunch every single day I have been on the ship.  Dinners so far have been filet mignon, Lobster, prime rib, Lamb and Shrimp.  The appetizers are great and the soup is to die for.  I have been trying to skip desserts and exercise daily.  I hope to lose a little weight and ultimately, not gain any.  We’re off to the show.  Music and Magic tonight and then the Gala event…I’ll let you know tomorrow what the chocolate surprise was.  Love and Hugs from the Caribbean.  Next stop Devil’s Island.

Our second port of the trip, today we were in Castries, St. Lucia.  It was our second Caribbean island to visit.  The next time we are in the Caribbean is going to be the last three ports of our cruise in May.  St. Lucia felt safer, was cleaner and seemed to have a stronger economy then Dominica. We had the most amazing tour guide today.  He took extra time to accommodate the elderly people in our group as well as go out of his way to be especially sweet to the girls.  Turns out he is a widower who recently lost his wife quite suddenly.  I shared my story briefly with him, was able to give him a big hug and we both reminded each other that life is for the living. He taught the girls about African violets and showed them how the pods can be used like miniature squirt guns. He told us how he used to play with them as a boy.  The girls had their own “water” fight.  It was a simple pleasure and helps one to step back and just appreciate the very simple things of life.  Like being together and sharing a day with someone you love.  We toured around the island and saw the Mourne Fortune, which had a beautiful overlook of the capital of Castries.  Then, we went to Marigot Bay and saw some beautiful yachts. Next, we went to a rum distillery and learned about their rum making process.  Then it was open bar, bottles of different types of rum on the counter and we could pour as much as we could drink.  I tried a lime infused rum for the firs time, tasted like 7-up, and then mom and I tried the “jet fuel” their 180 proof white rum.  Burned all the way down.  Our next stop showed us how they process coconuts, cacao beans, and how they create batik printing on fabric.  We received complimentary rum punch at this stop.  Lastly, we visited the Pink Plantation house a 150-year-old home that is now a resteraunt.  We had lunch here and free wine.  We concluded with a tour of the grounds, the owner is a chef and a botanist.  When we got back to the ship we went out on our balcony and got to watch the port crew release the ropes from our ship and then waved to the people on the ship next to us as we headed back out to sea.  Valerie went off to spend some time with the other teens and Megan had dinner with mom and I before she ran off to got to kids Club.  So tonight is our first “rougher” night on the ship.  Starting shortly after we left port, we have been rocking and rolling. I had an eventful shower, there’s a reason there are grab bars everywhere in there.  Valerie appeared back to the cabin feeling a little queasy, so she is sipping a ginger ale and is wearing her first anti nausea patch.  Tomorrow we get to sleep in, as it is a sea day. I am hoping for some great rest as this ship is gently rocking me to sleep.  We will see what activities we do tomorrow, some fun, some learning, some school, and some more family time.  My heart is so full.  I feel so very blessed.  Big hugs and love to you all….Debra 

Today was our first opportunity to get off the ship and explore a new country.  We were in Dominica for the day.  We grabbed a quick breakfast at the buffet and had to be in the man theater by 8:15am.  We took a tour all around the island. We learned about its history, culture, industry, agriculture and language.  The highlights of today were the Trafalgar Falls, the Emerald Pool, the Botanical Gardens and lots of very narrow and very windy roads.  Mom and the girls squealed more than once at how close the cars were that were coming the opposite direction, as we were driving on the “wrong side” of the road.  Megan journaled throughout the day as the really great guide talked all about what we were seeing.  We walked about 10,000 steps and Megan and I logged 25 stories on our step counter as well.  Mom and Valerie watched as Megan and I hiked down to the Emerald Pool and Megan even went swimming in it and under a waterfall.  What a wonderful opportunity for her.  I so enjoyed watching her.  We were back on the ship in time to have lunch after dodging all the ladies at the ship port trying to get me to allow them to braid the girl’s hair.  Sometimes a “no, thank you” just gets lost in the translation (not really, they spoke English too).  We finally got a chance to go swimming. We were pretty much the only people at the pool.  It was so relaxing.  I got chance to soak in the hot tub as well.  I laid back and felt as if I was finally truly on vacation.  The other two teenagers came down to the pool later in the afternoon and I watch the four kids all play together really well.  It was really nice to see them all getting along. We went to the buffet to dinner and again ran into the boys and Geoffrey, the Club HAL director, so we got a big table and all sat down to eat dinner together.  Geoffrey is a big hot sauce connoisseur too so we whipped out our hot sauce bottles and sampled sauces from around the world.  I had Cholula, HoHo hot sauce, that I got from my friend at Morro Bay House of Jerky, and of course Caycuos Hot Sauce with me. His were all from Jamaica as that is where he is from.  His were definitely hotter, but Cayucos hot sauce is still the best in my book.  I only brought two bottles so I am using it sparingly.  Lastly, mom and I went to the evening show, which was a very talented musician who played eight different instruments, very well.  We are chilling in the room, enjoying some decaf coffee as the girls are off at Club HAL.  

O.K. I owe you a phone call story.  I’ll keep it short…kind of. When Don was placed on hospice, Kaiser sent a social worker to discuss end of life issues with us, funeral planning, counseling needs, etc. By the time he was done visiting with us, he took the time to thank us.  He thanked us for impacting his life.  He said that he was there to comfort and assist us, but seeing our love for each other and how positive Don was about his faith comforting him in his time of death, we actually counseled him and impacted his life in that short time we spent with him.  He even came to Don’s funeral and again told me how much we blessed him and how rare it was in his career to have been touched that way.  So fast-forward to our second night here on the ship.  We have been telling people how Don made this trip possible for us and I get a phone call.  Now I am in airplane mode so I have no idea how the call even came through, but it was Paul, the social worker.  Now, it’s been almost four years since Don’s passing, but he is getting ready to retire and to this day he is still touched by the time we all spent together and he wanted to tell me how much that time with Don and I had blessed him and helped him through the last four years of his career.  I truly believe it was a sign from Don telling us how happy he was that we were taking this trip together, that we still live our life giving thanks to him daily, and that our love for one another was an amazing thing that never died, it just changed when he left this earth and went to heaven.  So hug tight the one you love tonight and think of him for us.  Love and Hugs from all of us to all of you!!  Debra

Happy Tuesday everyone. It is our last sea day before we get our first chance to step off the ship.  Did anyone else feel that earthquake last night or was it just us? There was an earthquake in Puerto Rico last night and it was felt here on the ship.  The captain said it was only the second time in his career that he had experienced something like that.  Most people slept through it, but it did wake me up and I rolled up and went back to sleep.  Today was another day filled with never ending activities.  I had breakfast with Megan and then she went off to do school and I had a nail appointment.  Valerie had breakfast with Nana and then she went of to do school as well.  We all met back up in the late morning to again participate in the crochet group who is making blankets for project Linus.  Megan learned how to do the double crochet stitch so she can move along a little faster now.  At 1:00pm every sea day, Valerie has a math tutor who will be assisting her in all her Math lessons.  Such a wonderful lady we got to meet this evening.  She will dedicate many hours of her vacation time to help the three Algebra students on the ship by the end of the cruise.  I could not more thankful for her dedication to my daughters learning.  Megan did a watercolor class at 1:00pm while I had lunch with mom.  At 2:00pm we attended a talk titled, “Brazil as a Melting Pot,” another wonderful educational experience for the girls. Their curriculum is being supplemented so very well by all the talks and classes being offered here on the ship. It has exceeded all my expectations. After the talk, we dashed up to the Crow’s Nest for a Jive and Swing dance class.  It was so much fun.  The girls were great sports and it was enough to get our heart rates going.  Megan got in the circle and they rotate the women around so they have different dance partners throughout.  She stepped right up and danced with multiple gentlemen as I stayed outside the circle and assumed the lead because Valerie did not wish to dance with strangers.  We laughed a lot and had such a great time.  After dance lessons there was a trivia game and happy hour.  They brought the girls snacks and popcorn and Shirley temples and they were so spoiled.  I absolutely could not be more impressed with the way the staff is taking such wonderful care of my girls.  I feel like family and it has only been a few days.  We are starting to see some of the same passengers over and over and I have no doubt that by the end of this trip we will know almost everyone.  Megan says she really hopes we do.  Our last event of the night was another beautiful sunset view at our window table in the main dining room.  It is 8:00pm ship time and we are all ready for bed.  We are wiped out and tomorrow we have to be up at 7:00am. I owe you all a story about my phone call too.  I will be sure to share it with you tomorrow.  Sending you love and hugs from off the coast of St. Kitts…Debra 

Another wonderful day at sea.  Today school was officially back in session for the girls.  They went off this morning with books, lesson plans, and materials in hand to trek out designated areas that had been set aside for them to do their studies.  Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out the way they were expected too.  The library was way too loud, and people kept stopping at the table to ask them about their studies, the next area was too busy to find an open table and lastly, the space that was designated for them to work in a private space was between two water color classes, only the lady who teaches reset all the table with supplies and there was no space to work. We are flexible and understand that we are in transition and things are going to work out amazingly in time.  We found a couple of other nooks and crannies to try out tomorrow to see how it goes.  They did manage to get today’s work accomplished.  They enjoyed lunch with Geoffrey from club HAL and then met with the Math tutor.  Valerie thought she was amazing.  She worked with Valerie and helped her to better understand her assignment. Valerie was impressed with her teaching techniques and personality.  Another wonderful blessing that God has provided for us.  While the girls were schooling mom and I went to a nice breakfast complete with Mimosas.  Then it was back to the room for some more unpacking and settling in.  I am giving myself grace that it took more then a day to pack, it is going to take a few days to unpack as well.  We organized all our excursion tickets, I believe we have like 35+ excursions that were all booked prior to getting on the ship, wrote up a master calendar that shows the girls our excursion schedules so they can see day to day what our schedules are, and then made a duplicate copy for mom to have in her room.  Welcome cocktail party and our first Gala was tonight.  So we were all getting ready starting around 3:00pm as the party for those of us with the first seating in the main dining room had our welcome party starting at 4:30pm.  We had met the officers last night so we really went for the drinks.  There was a nice presentation and all the senior officers were introduced.  Then it was off to our first opportunity to go to our reserved table for dinner in the main dining room.  We were given a bit of a hard time and were even told at one point that they had given our table away because we missed the first two nights.  Really?!?  We were too exhausted the first night and last night we had a time conflict with our cocktail party.  After a little encouraging by me to accommodate us, we wound up at our table. It is a beautiful table at the very back of the ship.  It has a window and we can see why other people would want out table.  Not sure who arranged that table, or how the assignments are decided, but we felt beyond blessed to be sitting there looking out the back of the ship and watching the sunset.  Oh, and it was steak and lobster night as well.  We all had Escargot, Shrimp Cocktails or Duck Liver Pate…yes my girls are foodies, for appetizers and then filet mignon and lobster for our entrees.   Mom and I shared part of a bottle of wine, and then they take it away and bring you the rest of the bottle when we sit down for dinner tomorrow.  I think we could have taken it with us too.  After dinner we popped over to the Main Stage to see the show “John Bressler – exceptional music and comedy.”  He was amazing to see…the way he played the piano was extraordinary; he is a very talented man.  He shared some comedy through out his performance and even the girls had a good time.  Then they raced off to Club HAL to have some kid time or I should probably call it adult free time.  Mom and I went to the bar at the back of the ship for our nightcap.  The breeze was so calming and it blew away whatever cares we had left from the day.  The weather was a perfect 75.  It would have been the most heavenly place to be on the ship except that it is also where the smoking section is for the entire ship.  We will keep trying out places till we find our favorite.  So the biggest obstacle we have is how to get everything we want and need to do in the day into the hours we are awake.  There are art classes, and talks, and watercolor classes, and trivia games and on and on and on.  We are working on our exercise, school, and activity balance. We’ll get it…I am confidant of that. For now, bedtime.  We are floating off the coast of the Dominican Republic and tomorrow is another seas day before we come to our first port on Wednesday. I really hope you are enjoying following along with our adventure.  Feel free to comment and ask questions if you like and I will answer them as I can.  So far I am pretty impressed with the Wi-Fi, but we have been close to land most of this time.  Enjoy the pictures of us all dressed up with somewhere to go.  Hugs and Love from us all…Debra

Our first morning on the ship! Wow did we sleep great.  I haven’t slept that good in a really long time.  There is nothing like the gentle rocking of the ship to help me fall asleep, and ever batter, stay asleep.  Valerie and I had a lovely breakfast together just the two of us, while Megan and mom slept in.  I brought her a mimosa in bed to start her day.  Gave her a kiss and let them lounge for a while.  I next journeyed to our Cruise Specialist specialists.  Every sea day the travel company we booked with has two amazing people, Wendy and Steve, available from 10:00am-12:00am to help us with problems we may be having, answer questions we may have, or you can just go and say good morning and have a cup of coffee and visit.  It was nice to have familiar faces to see first thing in the morning.  I was having some Internet issues (as is many others on board) and Steve helped me to figure them out.  Next, I headed back to the room to grab the girls and we headed to the Explorer Lounge. Every sea day at 10:30 there is a group that meets to facilitate a gathering for Project Linus.  This organization is near and dear to our hearts and we personally know those who have received these blankets.  It was amazing to watch!!  There is mountains of yarn and easily a hundred people all there knitting and crocheting blankets to be donated to the Project Linus organization. They provide all the needed supplies and as you complete the blankets, you can turn them in and grab more supplies and make another.  The girls helped a couple of volunteers to turn large skeins of yarn into smaller balls. Let me take a moment here to say that having children on the world cruise is not common.  Everywhere we go people stop us and ask about the girls, where we are from and what we are doing for their education.  We have had people offer to help them with their schooling, how to knit and crochet and how to speak Spanish and Portuguese.  They are so delighted to see them joining in activities and I have received many compliments already on how well mannered and behaved they are.  They are truly going to have a 1,000 new grandparents by the time we get off this ship. O.K., back to the day, we head off to our first educational presentation today on Oceans: The Real Lugs of the World, a 45-minute talk on currents, food webs, whale migration, photosynthesis and coral reefs.  There was enough in that presentation to provide the girls with at least 6 weeks of science curriculum, all in the first day.  They weren’t too happy I made them go, but they were very attentive and both took amazing notes about what they learned.  Next stop was to the buffet for lunch and then a meeting with the Club HAL director Geoffrey.  Club HAL is the kids program on Holland America ships and we had been told there would be no one running the program while we were on the cruise.  What a wonderful surprise it was yesterday to learn that they were hosting a program.  There are five children on board, ages 7-14.  Again, I must squirrel and here to tell you this man is absolutely amazing and he really loves his job.  He has made arrangements for the children to have a quiet space to do the daily school work, is building activities around the places we are going to be going, is excited to get the kids involved in Project Linus, and really want the kids to also just be kids and have fun!  I love that we have the same philosophy for the kids on this amazing trip.  As a parent, I could not have been happier that they decided to run this program for us. To wrap up the remainder of our day, mom and I attended a reception and had the opportunity to meet the Captain, the activities Director and most of the other officers on this beautiful ship. I am going to tell you, I received an amazing phone call while at the reception, but I am going to keep you in suspense to write about it on another day.  After the reception we retrieved the girls and had our first meal in the main dining room.  Can I just say that so far the food on this ship has been absolutely amazing.  the service is impeccable, the staff is so attentive and so very nice.  After dinner the girls shot off to club Hal for a couple hours of kid time and mom and I attended the first evening performance “On Tour”, a performance of live music, singing and dancing.  Mom and I went and had a nightcap at the Crow’s Nest bar and talked about what an amazingly busy and productive day we had had.  A nice time to just decompress after all of today’s activities, to talk about how happy we are to have this special time together, and to just take a deep breath and take in all we have to be thankful for.  That about wraps up our day. It’s past midnight and the girls officially start back up with school tomorrow. Their lesson plans are all ready for the week and alarms are set.  Time to get into our daily routine that we will try to keep for the remainder of the trip, unless it needs to be tweaked.  Hugs and Love and Sweet Dreams to you all…Debra  

It’s getting on the ship day!!  We didn’t sleep much last night.  We were all too excited to get on the ship.  Mom and I were texting at 1:00am asking each other if we were still awake. The girls wanted a midnight ice cream run but I said no.  They didn’t need any more stimulants.  Our luggage had to be packed and ready for pick up at 8:30am.  We went down to the lobby and grabbed some breakfast.  Then we waited with all the other excited passengers for the shuttle to come.  We caught the 9:45 am shuttle to the ship.  She looked beautiful waiting for us.  Talk about hustle and bustle.  Lots of supplies and an ocean of luggage…so much luggage.  So much luggage that we left port about 2.5 hours late because they will still loading it all onto the ship.  We did a quick tour of the ship (Our room is absolutely beautiful)had a wonderful lunch at the buffet, then we started to unpack as our bags arrived. 16 total suitcases just for the three of us.  It trickled in through the day and made it manageable as it arrived a little at a time. We had our muster drill at 3:30 and learned what to do in the case of an emergency.  Then it was back to the room for more unpacking.  I am happy to say that we got it 90% done.  By about 6:00 we were too exhausted to do any more so mom came to our room and we ordered a light dinner from room service.  We are beat!!  Megan’s off to cuddle with nana for the night and Valerie and I put Aquaman on the T.V. to fall asleep to.  I can feel the gentle rocking of the ship and it will quickly lull me to sleep.  It is heavenly.  I am blessed to be here with my mom and my two little girls.  Tomorrow will be a full day and we need to make up for some 

All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go….I’m leaving, on a jet plane….well a ship actually. I can not believe tomorrow is the day we are boarding the Amsterdam to begin our trip around the world. We had a relaxing day trying to adjust to the east coast time. We woke up at 11:00 local time, went down to the hotel lobby and got all checked in with the wonderful staff of Cruise Specialists travel company. Some of these people I have been talking to on the phone for months and their expertise helped me to plan this amazing trip for my girls and my mom and I. It was nice to be able to give them a hug and personally thank them for everything they had done for us. Of the 1300 passengers on the ship, Cruise Specialist booked 275 of them and they are all here at his hotel. 90 of us are first timers and the remainder are all returning world cruise travelers. It is amazing to see people embrace one another as old friends to welcome them “home” to another world cruise. I feel blessed to be a part of this family already. There was a cocktail party this evening followed by a dinner all hosted by our travel company to thank us all for using their company to book our trip. The president of Holland America Orlando, his wife Samantha, and son Jackson were also here. We had the opportunity to meet Samantha and Jackson, last year when we were in Seattle, as they are both doing the cruise along with us. It was nice to see them again. Everyone is so excited for the adventure that starts for us tomorrow. The girls were welcomed so warmly as having children on the trip is not common. We had people offer to help with school, play games with them and one woman even told Valerie to tell me that she was going to do school and she will help her get out of it. Little stinker. So much laughter and joy. I feel so blessed to be doing this trip with my mom and my girls. I will probably say that many more times. But it is so true. I know that we are all able to do this because of the love and sacrifice my late husband made to provide for us. He is with us in spirit and we travel with him in our hearts. So now we need to try and get some sleep. It is already 10pm east coast time and we have to be ready to go by 8:30am tomorrow morning. Our shuttle leaves for the ship at 9:45am. We are scheduled to pull away from port at 5:00pm. I will try to post tomorrow…if not we have four sea days before we hit Dominica. Let’s see how this works. I am going to try so hard to have a post typed and ready to go every day. I will do my best to be accountable to you and use that as my motivation. Hugs, love and joy from us in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Debra