Last summer we went on a trip of a lifetime. We spent ten days cruising the Mediterranean Sea. We sailed on the Disney Cruise Line and booked all our excursions through Adventures by Disney. It was an amazing trip. I wanted to share our experience, just in case one of you may be looking to book this adventure.
On July 4th we flew to Barcelona and stayed at the Hilton Diagonal Mar. It was a 5-7 min walk to the beach and across the street from a mall. We spent some time touring Barcelona on our own and seeing a lot of the local sites. Upon arrival, we went straight to the beach and stuck our toes into the Mediterranean.
The next day we did a city tour and visited Monserett, the home of the Black Madonna. Barcelona is a beautiful city. There was so much we did not see. I look forward to going back some day. Monserett was gorgeous. It was a must do for me and did not disappoint.
On Saturday the 7th, we checked in with the cruise line and was told to also check in with Adventures by Disney. We went over and met James and Dusty. They were our Adventure Guides. We liked them right off the bat. They handed us our gift (duffel bag), some information about the welcome reception and took our picture.
In addition, gave us a new boarding number.. number 1!
We got settled on the ship and went over to the reception at 5:30. There were appetizers and drinks served. We received our name tags, lanyards and our first pin of the trip. I loved receiving the pins. I am not a pin collector, but love the fact that these are unique to this trip. Dusty and James gave us an overview of the cruise and then our navigator for the next day. For those that don’t know, a navigator is basically your interinary for the day. You will receive one from the cruise line each day, but ABD also has one specific to ABD. It told us when and where to meet in the morning and what time we would be back. It also told us if a specific dress was required.
Oh I forgot to mention, this time around we were sailing on the Disney Magic. This is our 8th Disney cruise, but only our second time on the Magic. Our very first cruise was on the Magic and it holds a very special place in my heart. Since, this was not our first cruise, we took it easy that night. We had a great dinner and off to bed we went. With Adventures by Disney, the days are early and long. Tomorrow’s adventure… Marseilles, France.
Friendships play a very important role in our lives. We all remember our very first friend. (Mine was one of our neighbors. ) As we grow up, there are high school and college friends. During that time, we think nothing will tear us apart. Then we grow up, perhaps grow apart, have a falling out or take different paths in life. Make no mistake about it, when we go off into the world, whether it be to embark on a career, get married, have kids or simply travel the world, friendships change. In the case of having children, unless our friends have kids at the same time, we may see less and less of them. We get busy with our lives. We have other priorities and as much as we may want to keep these friendships alive, life happens and we drift apart. However, as my kids grow up and have their own interest and lives, I have come to realize how important it is for me to rekindle these friendships, not be afraid to make new ones or to let ones go that are no longer serving me.
Growing older, surviving the teen years, kids going off to college, menopause, career changes, aging parents, end of a marriage, whether by divorce or death, etc. can be down right scary. To have a tribe of women that I can turn to, talk to and blow off steam with is essential! Never mind girl’s night out, girl’s weekends have become non negotiable in my life! These are the women I can talk and share my dreams and fears. These are the women I can turn turn to when I have doubts about a parenting decision or upset about something my spouse did. There is no judgment, but there is no coddling either. Any one of these women could call me out and I would respect their opinion. These women get me and I get them. In terms of friendships, 2018 has been a great year for me. New friends were made during my epic marathon weekend. Old and new friends came together as we celebrated the 50th birthday of another fabulous woman. The annual girl’s weekend to run the Wine and Dine races in Disney, brings together high school friends. Finally, a quiet weekend along the beaches of Cape Cod to scrapbook the days away. Each experience filled my cup, in one way or another. I am grateful for these women and our time together.
Now that Nicholas Joseph is 13, we have all teenagers in the house. BTW, found this pic, wasn’t he just adorable??
Though it has been a couple of months, I thought I would share some thoughts on my baby turning 13. We have been down this path before. Our oldest, is 17 and almost done with his teen years. When Robbie turned 13, I thought I knew what to expect. Well, there are the expectations and then there are the realities.
Expectation – I have boys, so the teen years will be easier.
Reality- NO WAY! We still worry about the same things. Am I doing right by them? Am I screwing them up? Are they being tempted by drugs and alcohol? Will they kill themselves behind the wheel of a car? You get the point.
Expectation- Teenage boys are less moody than teenage girls.
Reality- Wrong again! I found my son to be as moody as I was as a teen and I expect nothing less from his brother. There are times I walk on eggshells because I just don’t know what mood he will be in when he wakes up or gets home from school.
Expectation- Buying clothes for boys is easier. Just purchase some jeans, shirts and sweatshirts, right?
Reality- My oldest is the world’s pickiest dresser. He will wear only crewneck shirts. No V-neck, no mock turtleneck, no half zip shirts, no jeans, etc. Taking him clothes shopping is painful. It is hardly a pleasant experience. Nicholas has not reached that point yet, thank goodness.
Expectation- They will reach a point where they will not want to hang with you.
Reality- I feel blessed in that both my boys still want to go places (for the most part) with me.
Expectation- They will eat me out of house and home.
Reality- They eat me out of house and home. :)These are just a few things I could think of off the top of my head, I am sure there are many more, but you get the point. Now, this could all change with number 2. Nicholas may be totally different. I have 5 whole years to figure it out
Welcome to the teen years baby boy. Momma loves you to infinity and beyond!
Guess where I was the Friday before Christmas? At a Geography Bee of course!! Nicholas earned one of 9 spots to compete in his school’s Geography Bee. The winner has the opportunity to compete at the state level.
It was an exciting competition. Each participant was allowed one incorrect answer. It came down to the final 3. Nicholas and a young lady were left to battle it out for a spot to compete against the other remaining contestant. The third contestant had not answered a question incorrectly, so he was automatically entered into the championship round. Nicholas and the young lady went back and forth, each answering correctly. Finally, she answered one wrong and it was off to the championship round. The first one to answer the best out of 3 wins and Nicholas did it! It was so exciting. Next up, taking the pre test to see if he qualifies for the state Geography Bee. Look how happy he looks.
It was a great way to end the year and start the Christmas break.
Hi and thanks for stopping by! My name is Heather. I live outside of Boston, MA with my husband Bill, my 17-year old son Robbie, my 13-year old son Nicholas, my yellow lab Bauer, and our two cats, Tek and Oreo. I am an attorney and online health and fitness coach.
For a while now, I have wanted to start a blog. I have had a lot of change in the last six years. At the age of 40, I started running. I had always wanted run and finally took the plunge. What started as running for exercise, soon became signing up for races and running for bling! Two years later, I lost my 61 year old Mom to cancer. She went quickly and her death rocked me to my core. She was the center of our family and the loss is felt each and every day. Losing her in the way we did, made me realize how short this life truly is. Her death has helped shape many of the decisions I have made over the last 4 years. I have pushed past my comfort zone and have tried and done things I may not have had the courage to do, if not for losing her so young. I became an online health and fitness coach. I ran my first marathon! I have traveled more places with my family. Speaking of family, I can hardly believe it, but I have one child almost done with high school and another one that will be there in no time. There has been so much going on over the last few years, and so much more to come, that I find myself growing and discovering who I am outside of motherhood. I look forward to further self-discovery and sharing it with you all along the way.
