Cruisin' on the Carnival Magic!

Joe and I just returned from a Sunday-to-Saturday cruise on the Carnival Magic! We had an absolute blast! The company where Joe is employed, sends its top performers on an all-expenses paid cruise every year. 

Before we left, there was TONS of planning to do. Leaving four, 7-year-olds for an entire week is no little task. It is a good thing that I am so organized--- I had each day mapped out with a stack of clothes & instructions for that specific day. We made our Valentine's boxes and handouts early...the house was stocked with food and snacks. 

Even without all of this planning, I had nothing to worry about because my best friend, Liz, is a pro! She handled my FOUR kids plus her TWO twin girls with ease. She. Is. Amazing. Halfway through the week, my parents came to take over the end-of-the-week shift. God love them. We appreciate all of you, more than you could ever know! Thanks for making this trip possible!!!

We weren't excited or anything...

We rode 4 hours in a big bus to Galveston, TX and boarded our ship! Our room was perfect and had a nice, little balcony.

Check out our view! (This was later on in the week, out in the middle of the ocean)

Joe and I have gone on many trips without the kids, but now that they are older...it was much harder on Mama's heart. Sav and Ethan actually cried when we woke them up to say goodbye. Break. My. Heart. It was fun face-timing with the little ones, before turning off my phone for the week. They loved my tour around the ship!

See ya in a week, kids!!!

I get VERY nauseated in movies where the camera is constantly moving; I get car sick easily; I always get sick after anesthesia...I have what you might call, an extremely sensitive equilibrium. Despite the scopalamine patch, dramamine, anti-nausea gum, etc.~ you guessed it...I STILL got seasick. (at the very beginning and at the end) 

But Joe and I still managed to get up and workout in the mornings! (I took a picture because my friends would never believe me). Scary.

We spent our days at sea, hanging out on the top deck of the ship~ for adults only. It. Was. Glorious.

This was my reading material for the week. HOLY COW. Mamas, if you haven't read this book, get it now. 

Our first port was Costa Maya. We got off the boat and did a little shopping.

The hubs and me, dressed all swanky for din din

Joe works with some super cool peeps and we had a blast hanging out with them all week! I'm pretty sure we caught the comedy show almost every night. 

 (Marissa, Joe, Carl, Suz, Shannon, and Gina)

...maybe a little dancin' too

The next day, we docked at Cozumel! 

The water was breathtaking! 

Of course we had to get one of those cheesy pictures for the kids!

We were blessed with such amazing, beautiful, tropical weather all week!

It doesn't get much better than this! I LOVED this day...

...of course THIS guy could make any day fun...nerd

I'm not gonna lie- this video is my happy place... so peaceful and perfect! (I love Joe's "almost-laugh" at the end. What a goober)

A smooching pic to gross out the kids...mission accomplished! (heh, heh)

The locals were celebrating Carnival! How fun is that? The atmosphere was electric. 

Because...well....why not?!

As we enjoyed the sun in Cozumel, another Carnival ship docked right along side us...the very same boat that Joe and I were on in 2011! For the record, we highly suggest the Carnival MAGIC over the Carnival Ecstasy, ANY DAY! The Magic was SO much nicer.

I can't get over how massive these boats are...

Enjoying some tunes and sun back on the boat. We didn't plan any excursions this time---we liked being able to walk around and do our own thing.

Back to sea! Guess who got seasick again...this gal.

Another cheesy pic in front of our boat while docked in Progresso.

Joe and I did some damage in the shops and headed back to the empty boat to relax. Not gonna lie, we enjoyed being on the boat while everyone was off exploring the port towns.

Of course we had to hit up a show or two while onboard...

When a random, creepy Thing 2 comes up behind you...you take a selfie, for the kids of course!

Comedy-clubbin' it with the gang!

A pic with the funny man, Jeff Jena. He was great.

Holy-Day-At-Sea-Brunch in the main dining area. It. Was. Amazing.

Look at all this food!!! (Needless to say, Joe and I have some work to do, now that we are home! heh, heh)

Okay, so one night earlier in the cruise, I hit up the "dance lessons" because I absolutely LOVE to dance and learn new moves. The professional cruise ship dancers were teaching us how to Salsa, Samba, and Tango. Little did I know, that they turned it into a dance competition ("Dancing with the Cast") and I ended up winning the Tango! CRAZY. I was SO nervous and giggly. 

I was chosen to learn a routine with my new dance partner, Martin, for the big final show on Friday night...in front of EVERYBODY! NUTS. This is Martin and me, learning our steps that afternoon. Such a cool, sweet guy from Blackpool, England. Amazing dancer.

One last dinner in our dining room with our awesome servers for the week~ Alfredo and Grace. I am amazed at how the entire crew on this boat can remember names! They were SO kind and gracious.

Then it was time to change into costume and get ready for the show! I was nervous but excited! Too bad I don't have video to show you. They gave us a DVD and a 8x10 of the performers. Earlier in the week, the crew held auditions for singers (Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Cher, Elvis, etc). So the performers were all cruise patrons! It was a blast.

Martin and me

Another girl who works with Joe was chosen to dance the Cha-Cha. Sherri was so cute and did a fantastic job!

Good times! Fun show. Joe was proud of his wifey.

The next morning, we left the ship, drove home and loved on those kiddos! What a whirlwind week! One of my favorite parts was being able to disconnect and not look at a phone one time. I loved getting to hang out with my best man and have no responsibilities. PERFECTION.

Thanks again Liz, CT, Mom, Dad, Collin, Ashley, & all the teachers at JBLittle for loving on our babies while we were away. We love you so much!