Packing For Paradise

     Today I am packing for our adventure, our seven day Caribbean cruise.   I will be excited when we are driving to Detroit for our first leg of our trip.
     I have been busy doing laundry, getting all of the bedding and towels washed, my grandchildrens clothes, as well as my husband's and mine.  I don't want to come home to a lot of laundry.  My daughter helped me vacuum and wash the floors after the holiday celebrating.  My floors managed to experience it all!
     I laid the suitcases down on the floor of my living room to pack.  Between my cat laying on our clothes, or my grandson throwing the clothes out in a heap, it became a challenge.  I decided to go to my room and lay it on the bed. My husband was still asleep.  He had to pick up his phone charger at work for our trip, and when he did, he was asked to go on a service call.  Only my husband would book off holidays and then work because he was asked.
     I tried to be quiet while carrying the suitcase to the bed, but I stubbed my toe.  "Yeeoooww!"  I dropped the suitcase on the floor, clothes spilled out, and I was hobbling to my side of the bed to see my toe.  My toe was bright red and throbbing.  " Oh great, I'm going to look a sight walking in my heels for New Years with a sore toe.  Oh well, hopefully it will subside by then.  After picking up the suitcase, and the clothes, I had to refold everything.   A few things had some dust bunnies attached to them.   I guess it's been a while since I vacuumed under my bed!
     I packed, repacked, and then unpacked all in about ten minutes.  There didn't seem to be enough room.  We had planned on only taking one suitcase, but I could see that wasn't going to work.  I had to haul out my other smaller suitcase to hold our dress shoes, sandals, and walking shoes.  I decided to pack our toiletries in with them.  That way I didn't need to worry about anything leaking onto our clothes.
     I realized everything would need to be pressed after we arrived.  There are no irons in the staterooms, so I will have to walk articles of clothing to the laundry facility.  That will be a challenge!  Me, carrying freshly pressed clothes through a cruise ship!   I will see something neat, and my clothes will be put down, then I will forget all about them, walk back to my room, and realize I have lost my clothes.  I will have to retrace my steps, only to find they were taken to the lost and found.  By the time I retreive them, they will need to be pressed all over again.  I will get my 10,000 steps in, and my husband thinks we should go to the gym.  I will be too busy pressing our clothes.
     We are pretty excited about getting away for a week.  We have had a very busy, and stressful couple of months, so this vacation is needed.  We've never been on a cruise before, and I'm looking forward to being on the ocean.  There's just something about the water that rejuevenates me.
     We start out in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  We are on the open ocean for New Years Eve, our first port of call is in Cozumel, Mexico, then on to Belize, then Honduras, then back to Mexico, ending at Costa Maya, and finally sailing back to Ft. Lauderdale.
      I have post cards to send, to my grandchildren and children of course, my in laws, aunt, my friends  Char and Shelley  and one to the employees at Workshop Supply in Embro, Ontario.  A sincere thank you for all of your support ladies, and Chad. 
     I don't know if I will be onine during my cruise to blog, but if not, know I will be back with a week's worth of adventures to share.
     Until then, Happy New Year, and God Bless!