a la ska.

We just got back from our very first cruise ever.

We got a lot of "didn't you just go on a honeymoon??" But this trip was Tommy's dad's brainchild- conceived almost a year ago. This year is Tommy's dad's 50th birthday and Tommy's granddad's 80th. So what better way to celebrate the winter of your life (ha.) by going on a cruise to... Alaska!

My mom was very excited for us. She went to Alaska on a church-building mission trip when she was in college. I'm the only other one in the family who was getting to see this magical place she loved! Tommy and I were a little more...apprehensive? Because Tommy JUST started work three weeks ago, he had no vacation time. So this trip was going to be a week and a half of no pay. And then, since we get back at the beginning of July, we will have even less to pay our rent and utilities! And then- how bad does it look to leave three weeks after starting work for a week and a half?? That's half of how long he's been there! Fortunately, a lot of his coworkers are going on their summer trips, so we're hoping his time off will just blend in with everyone else's.

So to start the trip off right, we had to leave after work... at six in the afternoon.... for a nine hour drive. We both were hyped on caffeine, so we made it thru the three traffic jams and road construction and blinding rain. We pulled into Huntsville at 2:00, which is 3:00 AM on Florida time. But after the next day of two flights to Seattle, we could finally start our chillaxin.

You know what they say about cliché cruise entertainment? We got to experience that right away. We wanted to let you know that if Amy and the HALcats (HAL= Holland America Line) shows up at your party, leave. Even though we loved her awkward trance-like swaying, it didn't distract from the fact that she, in short, can't sing.

The whole trip seemed very surreal. The rocking of the ship made some people sick- people walked around with these medicine filled stickers stuck behind their ears- but it just made me sleepy. At least three of the days I feel like I only slept and ate. And each and every meal was appetizer, soup/salad, entrees, desert.... bread...coke... ugh. I gained five pounds!

The ports were actually really interesting. Even though it was cold and rainy and cloudy, to me really felt like we were on a little adventure. We spent one day riding on a tiny plane to the bottom of a glacier, eating fresh salmon in a hundred year old cabin. Another day, we visited a raptor recovery center where we were face to face with a huge eagle, watched legit Russian dancing, and saw a two hundred year old church. The most gorgeous day was spent on the water (the best way to spend a day) but they tried to ruin my happy day by taking us to see innocent crabs in traps. Oh the saddness!! And the little eyes saying "help"..... And then we went back and ate their bigger cousins!!

But honestly, it was nice to be with the family. I got to hang out with grandmother- who might actually really like me now! - and Tommy got to be manly with his brothers. And we haven't been able to spend time with the whole Middleton side since we've been married. So, at the risk of being cheesy, it was nice :)

So to sum up: we ate, saw glaciers, and felt warm fuzzies.