Music is the theme of our cruise, and there are some great musicians and dancers for entertainment. There is also some cool music-themed artwork on board. I especially like these portraits done with old cassette tapes and vinyl records. I’m always impressed and inspired by the creativity of others, and I’m grateful to see it every where.

I’m losing all track of time. Is it March? Is it May? I know it’s an “M” month. It feels like I’ve been away from home a long time. Patrick sent me some pictures of the pups today. I miss those cute faces.

Today we were in St. Thomas. Most of our group went on water excursions, but a few of us just wandered the shops. It actually rained off and on all day, but it was still warm and beautiful. Tonight we all had dinner together and my mom and I won a drawing at the onboard jewelry store. Nothing big—just some costume jewelry, but it came with champagne. Woohoo!

I’m thankful that we are still having fun after 7 days together.

We docked in San Juan today and toured the fortresses. I have a million photos because I love old historic places.

It’s was warm and breezy and we did A LOT of walking, which reaffirmed how out of shape I am. That’s ok. I’m still grateful to be seeing these beautiful places. Although I do miss Patrick and the pups, so I’m also thankful I had enough cell service to talk to him on the phone today.

I’m not sure how I got back on January with my dates. I blame it on how easy it is to lose track of time when you’re on vacation. Cruise ships do this fabulous thing where they change out the rugs in the elevators to reflect the day of the week. It’s more helpful than one initially thinks it would be.

Today we went on a whale watching tour in Turks and Caicos. We got off the cruise ship and got on a boat. The waves seem much higher on a boat. It took a while, but we eventually came upon a mama and her baby that kept coming to the surface. We didn’t see much beyond their back fins but honestly, after a while, I felt kind of bad that we were following them so I was ready to head back to the island. And this water. Amazing. I’m so thankful for this beautiful ocean.

I missed posting yesterday because we were getting underway on the cruise and I couldn’t figure out the Wi-Fi most of the day. We had a little delay getting onboard due to a backup of sorts, but we all made it. The cruise is only about half full, which is kind of nice. It’s also mostly adults, so the vibe is pretty chill. I got a massage the first day and we hung out at the pool most of today. I’m thankful to be here safely and having fun. And the ocean view is always amazing. I’m lucky to have this time with my family.

I’m grateful for this sunshine and the beautiful scenery today.

Day one of vacation with my family. We are staying in Florida for a couple of nights before our cruise begins on Sunday. Patrick drove me to the airport this morning at 5:00 am in a snow-covered highway. Tonight I’m sitting under a canopy of palm trees. Crazy.

Patrick’s teaching schedule didn’t allow him to go with us on the cruise, so I’m grateful he was willing to get me to the airport so early this morning. I joked that he just wanted to see me there so he knew I’d be leaving the state and giving him a week alone. He admitted that he will enjoy what he referred to as “silence.” I have no idea what he’s talking about.

I’m also grateful to have this time with my family. I’m looking forward to a week of relaxation in the sun.

On days like today when there is so much sorrow out in the world, I’m thankful for the little things. A warm shower. Grape nuts cereal. Talking to my kids. Out of the blue texts from friends. Chocolate.

We had freezing rain yesterday and snow overnight. I’m thankful I didn’t need to drive in it, and I’m equally thankful that it didn’t last long. But I’m mostly thankful for how it turned the trees into sparkling jewels. I love when that happens; it’s so pretty.