Arrivederci Roma!

Day 12: It's been great, it's been really really great but some of us are
cooked! So, we got up and had a lovely breakfast and then we left the ship. That's when the fun began. Today was very overcast and rainy at times- I think the weather is trying to prepare us for our return to Ireland! Anyway, we had to wait for a shuttle bus to take us into the town of Civitavecchia where we had a rental car waiting for us. We picked up a lovely van (it makes the Homy- the beast we drive in Ireland- look small) and headed in to Rome. It took us about an hour and a half to get there (with the shuttling etc). After about 10 minutes in the car, Emery was ready to go back to the ship. "I want to go back to the hotel!" The other kids were almost as excited as Emery to see Rome.

So we started at the Colosseum. We didn't know where to get tickets and someone asked if we wanted to go on a tour ("no waiting!"). There were a couple of other people who had joined this tour and we thought that it sounded like a great idea. Then we met the tour guide and the 25 other people who were already in the tour group. Did I mention that it was raining at this point? So, Danny bought 5 umbrellas (one for each short person who would complain without one) and we followed the tour guide. It wasn't our best tour- but we did learn some things. Did you know that:
* 5000 people were killed a year in the colosseum?
* There was seating for 70,000?
* Even children could be gladiators? (They would use 10 year old boys to help get the animals angry.)
* Years later when the colosseum was no longer in use, they pulled lots of the marble off of the colosseum to use in building other structures? (Churches, etc...)

Our tour then continued on to Palatine Hill (where the Caesars built their palaces) and the forum. We had a new tour guide here, a lovely English redhead (we are talking scarlet red hair) who was actually wonderful. (She was so good that Dawn and Cheri are going on a tour at the Vatican that she is leading tomorrow. Luckily they get an extra day in Rome, so they will be able to see more of the sights.) After this- our kids really had had enough, so we went and had a late lunch/snack (Dawn needed some lasagna). Our restaurant was excellent and we enjoyed our italian food. Then we headed back to the ship. The kids really wanted to eat dinner (not that we were super hungry...) in the Golden Pearl restaurant and see Nina and Peter one last time.

The return trip was much easier that our morning jaunt had been. We had a lovely dinner and packed everything up. The kids had a party with their friends in Camp Carnival (and Circle C) and the day ended. Tomorrow we return to the real world!

Viva Italia!

Day 11- (FYI- This is my third time attempting to post this. The story about the other two attempts is too long and painful to recount.) We knew that there would be some serious driving involved today, so we gave the kids the option of staying on the ship or going with us. Madison was the only Carrell child to go on our grand adventure (she didn't get to choose). I felt a little guilty about leaving 5 children on a ship in a foreign country. However, I knew that they were safe and having a lot of fun. Shelby, Claire and Emery spent their day in Camp Carnival and had a great time. Jake and Kailey spent some time at the camp (since they are the "older" kids they can check themselves in and out without a parent present) and the rest of the time together. We told them that if they left the room, they had to be together (the buddy system is alive and well!). They were great about it and had a good time with each other.

Danny, Dawn, Cheri, Madi and I had a wonderful day! We went to Pisa first. I kind of thought that the tower was just by itself- but it isn't. It is right next to a pretty church- the Duomo- and another building called the Baptistry. They are really lovely. We had a great time in Pisa- so don't believe people who say that there is nothing there!

Then we drove through the Tuscan countryside to the city of Florence. If you love art- you definitely should visit Florence. We stopped at the Duomo first. It is just incredible! The outside is so beautiful. The inside is much more simple but has a very cool fresco on the ceiling under the dome. We also saw the outside of the Baptistry that is next door.

We felt like we needed to see Michelangelo's statue of David while in Florence. So we went to the Piazza della Signoria to see it. Unfortunately, it is being restored (well, the copy is and we didn't have time to go to the museum where the original is...) so we saw the shadow of it under the drape- and the almost lifelike picture on the covering. We did see several other statues around this area and my favorite was Perseus holding up the head of Medusa (kind of gory but way cool). I realize that I am not an art afficionado, but couldn't these amazing sculptors add a bit of clothing to their art?

My favorite piece of art was the bronze doors on the baptistry depicting scenes from the Old Testament. They were created by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The are absolutely incredible!

Tomorrow we will attempt to see Rome.

The Last Fun Day at Sea

Day 10: It was a good day on the sea. We found out that they were holding LDS Church services at noon. When I woke the kids up, I tried to help prepare them for the fact that we would be going to church. Let's just say that they were less than thrilled. The lady who told me about the church meeting also mentioned that she was excited to go to church without dressing up. So, crazy me- I didn't make my family dress up. NOT a good idea. We all went to the little room where the meeting was looking very casual. Every other person there had on a suit or very nice church dress. I felt horrible about it! Oh well, better to look bad and go- than to not go at all. There were 34 people there. There was one other family with three children. The rest were of the grandparent persuasion (and the majority of them were traveling together) and all were very nice. The meeting lasted almost exactly an hour. We started the meeting with singing "Come, come ye saints." The speakers talked about some of the places we had seen (Ephesus and Mars Hill) and the Apostle Paul. It was a good meeting. I am very glad we went. It always feels good to be with others who share our own beliefs.

As far as this whole cruise goes, I must say that I was very hesitant to bring my sweet children on this grand adventure. "Six kids on a cruise" sound like the opening lines of a horror flick. BUT- my good husband was right. The ship has been an excellent hotel, restaurant and playground all rolled into one. It has been fun to see exciting things during the day and come back to the same rooms each evening. (Plus when we return, the rooms are clean and they leave fun towel animals on the beds- the kids love it! Tonight we have a monkey and a turkey.) Plus, we get to see lot>s of amazing places without having to drive anywhere.

Camp Carnival has been very fun for all of the short people in the family. They have activities planned for each age group all day long. Emery, Claire and Shelby have enjoyed the dancing and creative activities. Jake has been a bit irritated that they don't let the kids have video game time all day long- but he has really enjoyed the video arcade. (I HATE the arcade. I see nothing of worth here, but hopefully Jake will get his fill and be able to return to the real world ready for some serious reading and homework time.... Okay probably not- but I can dream too!) Kailey has LOVED Circle C- the group for 12-14 year olds. She has just had fun being a big kid and "hanging out" with the two boys who are her age. One boy- James, from the U.K.- also has his room on our floor. When Circle C closes for the night, Kailey and James walk back to their rooms together, so it's nice that he kind of walks Kailey home. (We saw them walk back once and Kailey was touching one wall of the walkway and James was on the other side touching the other wall. I don't think there are any adolescent worries here.)

Each night we have dined in the Golden Pearl Dining Room. The food has been excellent and Nina (from Hungary) and Peter (also Eastern European) are our waiters. They are wonderful. I have been impressed by what my children have tried. They have definitely expanded their food repertoire! (Claire even tried escargot tonight! So did Danny, Cheri and I. I think I could enjoy them if I didn't know what I was eating.) We have one little man who comes over and talks to Madison every night. He calls her his little buddy and has held her for a minute the last two nights. After the first time he held her (this is an older man), I watched his face and he was visibly choked up. He told Danny and I that we were the luckiest people in the world and said that he wished he could be us. We are very blessed. We do have several people a night who come over and chat with us and talk about our children. One day I was walking all by myself on the ship and a woman stopped me and said, "Are you the mother?" I smiled and said, "Yes I am." I can't think of anything else I would like to be labeled.

Tomorrow we stop in Livorno. We will be seeing Pisa and Florence.

Day 9- Katakolon

Danny, Madison and I were the only ones who wanted to actually leave the ship today. We were getting dangerously low on diapers, so we needed to venture into the little town of Katakolon. We enjoyed our little stroll through the village and got the necessary toiletry items for our smallest child. We also got a couple of souvenirs (a pen and two magnets) and headed back to the ship.

Tomorrow is another fun day at sea! Maybe I’ll write something more exciting then!

Day 8: ATHENS!

Our visit to Athens was yet another adventure. We docked in Piraeus and got a couple of taxis to head to the Acropolis. Cheri, Dawn, Kailey, Shelby and Claire were in one taxi. Danny, Jake, Emery, Madison and I were in the other one. We were planning on meeting at the base of the Acropolis. Well this sounds easier than it actually is. There are a ton of places where we could have met up, but our two groups did NOT find each other! We walked around by where all of the taxis were and couldn’t find the girl contingent. I told Jake to pray that we would be able to find Grandma, Dawnie and the girls. We went to get our tickets hoping that they would be waiting for us. No luck. Then we went up the hill a ways and overlooked the Odeon Theatre (where Yanni’s Concert was filmed) and still- no girls.

So we continued up the hill. We got to the base of the marble stairs that actually lead into the Acropolis and we could not find them. These stairs were literally packed with people. There were a few different cruise ships with lots of people in tours- plus everyone else who wanted to see the sights of Athens. It was crazy! By this point, I was praying in earnest that we would be able to find my girls and Cheri and Dawn. We got onto the actual Acropolis and no girls. I was so sad, because I wanted to be able to see all of this with all of my family. I wanted pictures of all of us together! Plus- I worried about the girls being too much for Dawn and Cheri especially if someone got overly emotional (it’s been known to happen). Anyway, Danny, Jake, Emery, Madison and I walked all around the Parthenon (the huge temple at the top of the Acropolis) and started to head back down the steps. I hadn’t stopped praying and was madly looking for the rest of our group. As we started the descent down the stairs- I spotted Cheri. Hooray! I can’t tell you what a relief that was! I was so excited to see them. I was also so extremely grateful for yet another reminder that the Lord really does hear and answer our prayers. So, we turned around and headed back to the top of the Acropolis.

The Acropolis is the top of this really large hill in the very center of Athens. At the base of the hill is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (that I’ve already mentioned of Yanni fame) and farther around the other side is the Theater of Dionysus (that we didn’t really even see). On top of the Acropolis there are a few different buildings. There is a small temple that you pass through (after you go up all of the stairs) and they are working on restoring that. Then there is the Erechtheion (the building that has a porch with 6 women who seem to be holding up the building) and the Parthenon (the huge Temple that was built for the Goddess Athena). When I was in Athens in 1990- they were working on restoring the Parthenon. They are still working on it! The view of Athens from the Acropolis is amazing (it would be even more incredible if there was no smog in Athens) and you can see the whole city. I am glad I could experience it with my whole family. It is truly something that I have wanted to do for years.

Then, Jake, Shelby and I (henceforth to be called the brave explorers) went over to Mars Hill. This is a hill very close to the Acropolis where the ancient philosophers (think Aristotle, Socrates, etc.) would sit and chat. This is also the place where the Apostle Paul gave the sermon of the Unknown God. (Look it up in your New Testament!) The brave explorers took the old, very slippery marble stairs up to the top of the hill. I told Shelby and Jake of my previous experience on the hill, we wandered around it, took pictures and then had a race to the bottom. (I took the new stairs, Shelby took the old stairs and Jake took the wilderness route- all rocks.)

We felt we had the seen the best of Athens and didn’t want to mess around with the rest- so we headed back to the ship. (Plus- most of us had seen enough history for a bit.) Athens was the first really big city I had ever visited and I still have the same impressions of it. It’s big, polluted and stinky- but very interesting.

Day 7: Kailey's Birthday!

A Fun Day at Sea and Kailey’s Birthday! Our sweet Kailey is already 12 years old! Kailey is a great kid. She is a wonderful big sister and a rather responsible person in a little body. One of Kailey’s teachers has told her several times that she is a credit to her parents. We agree. We are thankful that Kailey is such an amazing kid and that she is in our family.

Kailey had a really fun day. Highlights include:
• Having her nails done at the spa.
• Mini golf on the topmost deck of the ship
• A fun game of Bingo
• Fun presents…
• Dinner at the Golden Pearl: Kailey had a great dinner, was sung to, had a lovely strawberry cake and finished the meal with Kailey dancing on the table during the after dinner entertainment.

• Watched the “Fiesta Latina” show at the Spectacular, Spectacular Theatre
• Finished off the day with her buddies (two boys) at the Circle C club (the club for the kids who are between 12 and 14 years of age)

We love you Kailey and hope this is your best year yet!

Istanbul or Constantinople? Day 6

We docked at Istanbul as we were eating our breakfast. Being on the water and seeing the city is really quite cool. Istanbul is the only city (to my knowledge) that is located on two different continents. One side is in Asia and the other is in Europe. The Bosphorus Strait is right in between the two (which also links the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea). If you are looking at a map there is also the Golden Horn (which is an appendage off of the Bosphorus Strait) which divides the European side of Istanbul. These parts of the city are known as the Old Town and New Districts of Istanbul. Are you completely confused yet?

So, we docked near the new Galata Bridge (the first bridge you can see going up the Golden Horn). Istanbul has a very unique skyline for Europe. It is liberally dotted not with church steeples- but the minarets that flank the mosques.

This is getting rather lengthy and I haven’t even started to tell you about our day! I’ll try to summarize.
What we saw today:

• Topkapi Palace (where the Sultans used to live a long time ago)- we saw the Sultans clothing (cool caftans that were even 500 years old!), crown jewels (an 86 carat diamond) and a couple of wicked swords and daggers (Jake liked the sword that had 3 giant rubies on the hilt- I liked the dagger that had 2 big emeralds). I would have liked to see the Harem where the Sultans wives spent their time, but it cost more so we didn’t…

• Hagia Sophia- A Christian Church built in the 6th century (it took 5 years to build) and was converted into a mosque when the Ottomans took over (in the 1400s). The Turks put plaster over all of the amazing mosaics and covered them up. So now, the Hagia Sophia has parts that are beautifully Christian and others that are also beautiful and very Muslim. It is now a museum. There is a hole in one column that is called the wishing hole (it’s actually called the Miracle Column of St. Gregory).

To get the wish you have to stick one finger into the hole and then move your hand in a complete circle- 360`. It’s trickier than it sounds! Several of us tried our luck.) The mosaics are very impressive. I just can not imagine how hard it would be to create such beautiful art with those itty bitty tiles!

• The Blue Mosque- It is right across the street from the Hagia Sophia. The only mosque in Istanbul to have 6 minarets (towers). It was built in the 17th century and the tiles inside are all blue- hence the name. The girls were very excited to be able to cover their hair- so we all had to buy pashminas for the occasion. We were able to hear the Call to Prayer as we were headed to the Hagia Sophia and just the sound of it brought back wonderful memories. (FYI- The Call to Prayer is sung/chanted over a loud speaker at the mosques 5 times daily. I heard it everyday when I was on Study Abroad in Israel.) We decided that the Blue Mosque is pretty, but not nearly as impressive as the Hagia Sophia.

• The Grand Bazaar- This place is huge and very fun to visit. However, the shopkeepers are not great barterers like they were in Marmaris. We didn’t even get much stuff here- but you HAVE to go there if you visit Istanbul. One salesman looked at us and asked how many children I have (just like several others had already done) and I told him. Then he said, “Are you a Mormon?” I was very surprised, but said yes, I am. He told me that some of his best friends were mormons and live in Utah. So we had a lovely chat and he wanted me to buy a carpet (“All of the mormons buy their carpets from me.”). I told him that it was too bad that I didn’t want a carpet. (He was very nice about it.) The people we meet!



We were very tired when we got back to the ship- but it was a very good day.

Wait a Second! We're on the Aegean Sea! (Day 5)

So, technically we are now cruising the Aegean Sea. I would like to know where the dividing line is between the Mediterranean and the Aegean. Anyway...

We headed to Ephesus bright and early this morning (it felt like it anyway). The trip from Izmir to Ephesus took about an hour. Of course, we had a bathroom break midway. All of the Carrells got off except for Madison and I. Before anyone disembarked from the bus, the tour guide told us that we had only 5 minutes- so hurry. All of the other passengers were back on the bus except the Carrell contingent. I watched to see where they were, and finally here they came- all running for the bus. First the little girls and Dawn, then Cheri, Jake and Kailey followed by Danny in the rear. He was carrying a bag. As Grandpa Carrell would say- it was a pogey run stop. All of the Carrells had treats. (No one else on the bus did.) Our first stop was to the home of the Virgin Mary. There is a very tiny basilica (church) built where Mary is supposed to have lived at the end of her life. There are several water fountains close to the church that have drinkable water that is reported to be healing water. Dawn was looking forward to this shore excursion. (She rubbed some water on her tummy.) Danny hurt his arm last week and even went to the ship’s doctor (got an injection in his hiney and some relatively heavy painkillers). So, Danny put a bit of water on the affected area and the swelling is going down and is less painful. The church is at the very top of this mountain that overlooks Ephesus and the area really is beautiful. The trees are gorgeous and the landscaping is really pretty.

Then we headed down to Ephesus. I have great memories of Ephesus from my other trip to Turkey and I was not disappointed! The streets still are covered with marble and it is really beautiful. The city of Ephesus was built 3 times. The last one- the one we saw- was founded about 300 B.C. It was a very important area- the capital city of Asia Minor and a thriving seaport on the Aegean Sea. However, the river that emptied into the bay brought with it lots of silt and filled up the bay. They attempted cleaning it out- but gave up at some point and moved the city to a different location. Ephesus was the home of the Temple of Diana and also had a population of 200,000 people. Because it was the capital city, the senate met here and many influential people lived here. Ephesus was Homer’s (think the Odyssey and the Iliad) hometown.

The archeologists are trying to reconstruct the city so you can see what it was like. The most impressive building is the Library. The façade is incredible and you can walk in it to see what it would have been like. Amazing! The main street of Ephesus starts at the top of a hill and then you walk down it and see all the amazing things and finish at the Theatre. Our tour guide (Usay) was less than exciting, but we found out some interesting things from him and also eavesdropping on other groups. I found it fascinating that the early Christians didn’t openly tell people that they were Christians- but they put the sign of the Christians in the marble in front of their stores and homes. Once I knew this- I watched the marble a bit closer. The theatre could hold 24,000 people and my imagination still can just see it!

The kids got a bit bored- but they got no sympathy from their mother. I told them that this was one place that I was most looking forward to seeing and if they wanted to complain then they needed to go away because I was NOT going to listen to them. Someday they will thank me for taking them to Ephesus… (I hope).

Of course, we had to do just a bit of shopping. The girls got lovely Turkish hats (with veils) and jingly sashes. Jake added to his knife collection. I got a fun bracelet. Danny got the satisfaction of knowing that his family loves him.

Back on the ship, Danny, Jake, Kailey and Shelby had a quick game of putt putt. Claire and Emery played on the bunk beds (and Em fell down the ladder), and Madi and I just hung out. Grandma and Dawn took a little rest (we are not easy traveling companions).

Tomorrow we visit Istanbul! (We already know that 18 million people live there.) Things might be bizarre at the grand bazaar!

Day 4 on the Cruise

Yesterday was a fun day at sea.



October 20, 2008- We arrived at our first Turkish port this morning. Marmaris is really quite beautiful. There are lovely pine covered hills that surround the town and there are lots of boats and yachts to be found in the marina. Marmaris was a sleepy little fishing village 20 years ago (so say the travel pages on the internet) but is now a very busy tourist area. It usually has a population of 18,000 but the number swells to 200,000-300,000 people (depending on which source you want to believe) during the summer months.



We went into the shopping area and had a great time. The little girls had a lot of fun buying bracelets, flip flops and hair stuff. Kailey got a new outfit and matching shoes. Jake got a great knife (he’s started a knife collection and we’re thankful that 1- he doesn’t use them on anyone, 2- that he just thinks they are really cool, 3- his favorite thing to do with them is just have one in his pocket like Grandpa Nef, and 4- that we made it through the x-ray machines to get it onto the ship). My favorite part of our shopping trip was just enjoying the Turkish experience. I was in Turkey for a week in 1990. Shopping today brought back many memories. One thing about Turkey is that you need to haggle and barter. I love doing this! I jokingly haggled with one of the salesmen today and at first he looked a bit shocked, then he said, “Oh you are cheeky!” Jake was in a foul mood to be shopping and we tried to get him interested. Danny called him by name and all of a sudden there were 3 other men yelling, “Jakey! Jakey!” A couple of men asked if Dawn and I are twins. I explained that no, she is my husband’s twin sister. (I happily take it as a very nice compliment- but realize that they probably think all Americans look alike.) Most remarked about our kids and one told me that our family was like a Turkish family. Another told me that we needed to have one more because he was one of 7 children and he had only one brother. I politely told him thank you but we felt like 6 is a great number. The shopkeepers are all very nice, but I feel the same as I did 18 years ago- in that it is a bit spooky to see only 1 female shopkeeper and hardly any local women. This is a very different culture than what we usually experience.

We came back to the ship and had lunch and the kids swam and played on the water playground equipment. The older kids went to the kids club until dinner and the rest of us got ready for the same event. Most of our fellow travelers are much older than we are. There aren’t very many children on this cruise and we are hands down the largest family here. We have a few people who come by our table during or after dinner each night who comment on our family. (One man even took our picture last night.) They are always very kind and tell us that our children are well behaved. (I don’t think they watch our table very closely- or they wouldn’t say this.) Many are grandmas who miss their grandchildren and several just want to get close to Madison. There is just something about a baby. We are really enjoying having dinner in the Gold Pearl Restaurant. We have the same waitress every night, Nina who is from Hungary, and the kids have been really adventurous in the things they will try. We even went to the formal night last night and only Jake had issues with it.



Tomorrow we will be in Ephesus!

Cruising the MED- Day 2

So we got up and found ourselves in Napoli! (That is Naples to most of us non Italian types…) We ate a quick breakfast and hurried to the theatre where we were to head off on our shore excursion. Of course, Dawn and Cheri had to get something from their room before joining up with us. They never made it to the meeting room and we were worried that they wouldn’t be able to go on the shore excursion. We didn’t need to worry as they were on the tour bus before we were.

Our trip to Pompeii was uneventful- it was just about a 30 minute bus ride from Naples. Did you know that Mt. Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 A.D.? Did you also know that the eruption lasted for 3 days? Our tour guide told us that there were layers of volcanic matter on top of Pompeii and those people who weren’t able to get away. The city was buried under 6 meters of ash and lava and rock. We walked around Pompeii for a few hours (Jake, Claire and Emery were a little bored- but did pretty good…) and it really is amazing what they have uncovered. My favorite was a mosaic in one house that had a picture of a dog and said, “Beware of dog.” (Not in English, of course…) I also thought that the plaster bodies were really cool! (When the Archeologists started to dig out Pompeii- they found air pockets where people had died. They pumped some sort of plaster into the space and were able to recreate what the bodies looked like with the plaster and remaining bones. They have these bodies in glass cases. They are really amazing to look at! You could see the fingers on one guy and see the skull too.)



Then we spent a bit of time browsing the shops. Of course, we got really exciting souvenirs. (Not really.) I did find out that Pompeii had 25 brothels and several frescoes depict what services were available to their clients. There were too many things for sale that revolved around this nastiness. Thankfully, the kids were enjoying looking at other things and didn’t notice. (I did hear Kailey say- as she was looking at a postcard- “Ewwwwwww.” She had just the right amount of disgust in her voice.) The ice cream and gelatos were very nice.

When we got back to Naples, we split up and some of us explored while others went back to the cruise ship. Danny, Cheri, Kailey, Emery, Madison and I were the brave explorers! We enjoyed walking into the city (4 million people live in Naples) and saw some lovely knock off purses, wallets, and sunglasses for sale along the way. A man tried to sell Danny an iphone. Well, after much haggling, Danny thought he got an amazing deal and an iphone for 50 euro. Cheri, the baby and I were elsewhere when he had this adventure. So he told us about it. He said, “You know, I feel guilty about this. I probably shouldn’t have gotten this, I’m sure it was stolen.” He told us that the guy stuck the iphone in his pocket and Danny gave him the money. After he told us that, he then pulled the case out of his pocket to look at it and show it to us. When he pulled out the “iphone,” he found nothing but a nasty, beaten up piece of metal! The guy took Danny’s money and ran! (Cheri saw him moving quickly in the other direction when Danny and the girls were coming toward us.) Danny was totally conned! The amazing thing is that on the way back from seeing Naples, Danny was again approached by another man with yet another iphone deal. This guy tried the same thing- but before Danny gave him any money- he asked to see the bag where the phone was. Can you believe that it wasn’t in that bag? So, needless to say, Danny did NOT buy an iphone. We hope he has learned his lesson. I will never forget Naples. AND the adventure continues…

Cruising the MED- Day 1

We got to bed a bit late last night- so morning came too soon. Since it was my birthday I felt justified in sleeping in (actually I was feeding the baby and fell back asleep). We had 2 taxis coming to take us to the airport at 5:30 a.m. I opened my eyes at 5:10 and told Danny to hurry up! So, we rushed. The driver of the 1 taxi that showed up (luckily it was a large van and we and our luggage all fit) made sure that all were present and accounted for. We were all on the same wavelength when he mentioned a Home Alone movie.

A nice man at the Dublin Airport helped us get our boarding passes and get the luggage on the way. Then, cute Madison melted another employee’s heart and we got to go through the quick line through security. By this point, of course, I realized that we didn’t get our stroller and a couple of other things. Oh well! Things were going too good- so, our Terrorist in Training (T.I.T.) aka Shelby Lee Carrell, age 8- made things exciting. Shelby’s backpack had to go through the xray twice! She had 3 bottles of water and 2 pairs of scissors. (However, her TIT classes have paid off- one pair of scissors went by undetected.)

Our flight to Rome was mostly pleasant, except that K, J, and S all sat together. This was great until there were 30 minutes left of the plane ride and they realized that they were being way too nice to each other. So, after a few minor arguments and some general nastiness, Danny reviewed the Carrell Family Vacation Rules. (They mostly deal with happiness, kindness and the making of really fun memories.)

We met up with Cheri and Dawn (who bragged about their flights in first class the entire way!) and finally got our luggage, got a snack, got money for the Arizonan contingent and headed to Civitavecchia. We had a lovely little drive in a minibus and Dawn and Cheri brought great treats (chex mix and no bake cookies).

The Carnival Splendor (our ship) is HUGE! We made it through the fire/ emergency drill (although Cheri and Dawn cheated and stayed in their room and almost got caught) without incident. We cast off some time during dinner (which was very nice) and most of us are feeling really good. Poor Dawn put on a scopolamine patch before we got on the ship and she has thrown up some really cool neon yellow fluid. (I’m a nurse, remember?!) However, after the second hurling (and I am not referring to the Irish sport here) she immediately ate a piece of pizza and drank a diet coke. So, I think it’s safe to say that she’s feeling okay. The kids think that the bunk beds are really cool and I am thankful for connecting rooms. It really is quite nice.

It’s been a good day. I even had two candles in my chocolate cake after dinner and my family and the waiters sang to me. I have 6 healthy, beautiful kids, a wonderful husband and other family and friends who are really too good to me. I am extremely blessed.

We’re off to Pompeii in the morning!

Everyday...

We have had the opportunity to see some amazing places, but that isn't really what our life consists of. A normal day involves Danny leaving in the morning (or sometimes he's away on business for a few days). The kids and I head out of the door a little after 8:00 and we head to Sutton Park School. This is a 20- 25 minute drive that goes from Malahide, along the Irish Sea, through the villages of Portmarnock, Baldoyle and Sutton, then past the Dublin Bay and on to school. We also go past a DART station (the train) and invariably have to stop and wait for at least one train. It really is a lovely drive and I love to see how different the Irish Sea can be. Sometimes it's very wild with huge waves and a very gray color. Other days it is very calm and glasslike with almost blue water. It is always beautiful. Madison, Emery and I take the kids in to the school and wait until Claire's teacher rings the bell and then we come back home. We are usually home by 9:15 or so.
I love spending time with my two little girls. You would think that our house would be quiet without the big kids- but NO! That is not the case. Miss Emery is a talker. She loves to chat and follow me everywhere I go. She is my little shadow and Madi hates to be alone. Emery enjoys part of a movie most days (short attention span...) and really likes me to stay right with her in case it gets scary. We spend time doing normal things, too- laundry, cleaning, baking, etc. Emery has a little mommy and me preschool (Bee School) two mornings a week and we have a lot of fun with that. On some afternoons, I can get Madi and Emery to take a nap together (ah, 45 minutes all to myself!) and then we make the return trip to school.

Afternoons are similar to mornings- lots of time in the car and many places to go with extracurricular activities. Some days I feel like I spend the entire day in the car with very little accomplished- but that is the nature of the beast these days. I love to see my kids enjoying time with each other and it is fun to see how much they love little Madi. We really are blessed and I am extremely blessed to spend my days with my children. How thankful I am to be a mom.

PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!

Our trip to Portugal was fabulous! I knew virtually nothing about Portugal and the Algarve area until we were almost visiting there. Now I can tell you that it is gorgeous. The weather was warm and we got to see a lot of sunshine! (Which isn't necessarily the case in Ireland...)
We flew into Faro on Wed. the 17th in the evening and drove to our apartment at Rocha Brava in Carvoeiro. Thank heavens for the Sat Nav! We enjoyed 4 lovely days in the Algarve. We saw a very old castle in Silves, walked around Lagos a bit and spent a fun day at Zoomarine (think Sea World on a much smaller scale). One great adventure was aboard a pirate ship! We were able to see the caves along the coast up close on a little boat. The caves were really amazing- but after the 3rd (of 8 or 9), I was ready to head back to the big ship. Let's just say that a sailor's life really isn't the life for me.

The beaches were amazing. We found a little beach just a 2 minute drive from our aparment. You had to walk down about 100 stairs and go through a cave and then all of a sudden you walked out of the cave and there was this pristine little beach. It was protected on two sides by high cliff walls (with more caves to investigate) and there was even this beautiful tiny island out in the water that made the view incredible!

I don't know if we have the european mentality. Okay- I know we don't have the european mentality! I am just not okay with topless bathers (especially women who are old enough to be grandmothers)!!! Oh well...
We also went to what our family called Sand City. It was full of sand sculptures- all about hollywood and movies. The sculptures were incredible!

Would we go back to Portugal? Absolutely!