2013

I’ve gone back and forth on writing this post for the past two days.  Instead of trying to remember everything that happened (or even look back to remember) I think I’ll share 13 of my favorite posts from this year (and I snuck a few more in too!)  They’re not in any special order. 

So, here are my favorites for 2013:

1.  Wordless Wednesday in January

I love these photos.  They are some of my favorite. Also, I can’t believe how much she’s changed in a year!

2. Me, 8 Months Later

I’m thankful to say that seventeen and half months later, I’ve worked through most of the issues I was having.  I’m still sad I had the c-section but I no longer think of it daily (or even weekly, YAY!) 

3. 4th Anniversary

We celebrated 4 years of marriage this year.  I love my husband and am so thankful we chose each other!

4. Wordless Wednesday, The Dog Park

We love trips to the dog park.  I got some very cute photos this day.

5. 10 Survival Tip for New Moms

Being a new mom is hard.  Some of these were told to me before Munchkin came along and others I wish people had told me.  I hope they are helpful and encouraging for others.

6. Goals for Motherhood

I enjoyed writing this post as it made me think about what kind of mom I want to be. 

7. Glacier Bay, Alaska

This was easily my favorite day on our Alaskan Cruise (though zip lining in Juneau was fun too!)  Glacier Bay is gorgeous and I’d love to go back some day!

8. 10 Reasons I Love Breastfeeding

I love breastfeeding, so much more that I thought I would.  This is a partial list of why.  I was also super excited to reach my goal of breastfeeding for 1  year.  I’m thankful that I was able to get some breastfeeding photos taken.  I know I will treasure these when Munchkin’s older and nursing is a thing of the distant past:)

 

9. Sobriety- 3 Years

We’ve come so far in three years by taking it one day at a time.  I don’t talk a lot about The Man’s alcoholism on my blog but it is a very real part of our lives.  Writing this post was good for me and allowed me to be encouraged by where we are now.

10. Building a Baby Library on Budget

Reading is so important and I think every child should have a library.  I know it can be hard to build one when funds are limited.  I wrote this to help give others ideas on how get books for their child.

11. Walking

My baby started walking!  I love that she’s mobile.  She’s so much fun.  This post also has the only personal video I posted this year (maybe ever on the blog?)

12. Munchkin’s first birthday

My baby turned one and was the first of many (I hope) birthdays.  I think she’ll enjoy cake a little more at her next birthday!

13. The House

It was hard saying goodbye to my childhood house.  Writing this post helped to find some closure. 

13.5  Swimming

We love taking Munchkin swimming!  She loves it, we love it and it’s great family time!

Happy New Year!

HAL: The Westerdam {A Review}

This past cruise was my first time sailing on the Holland America Line. We sailed to Alaska on September 21-28, 2013 out of Seattle.  Our itinerary was a day at sea, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C. before returning to Seattle.  Due to rough weather the schedule changed to a day at sea, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Juneau, another day at sea, Victoria and then on to Seattle.  I was sad at missing Sitka as I had not visited there before but visited the other two ports on my previous Alaskan cruise.  The weather was rough at times but I think that’s to be expected when you sail to Alaska at the end of September.  We were on the last cruise north for the season.

The Ship:

The Westerdam was launched in 2004, so it’s almost 10 years old.  There were a few places that I noticed the age, like some chipped tiles in the pool area on deck 9, but for the most part the ship as aged gracefully. 

Our stateroom was on deck 6, the Upper Verandah deck.  Our stateroom was the largest I’ve ever had on a cruise.  We had two twin beds, plus a desk and a vanity.  There was also a couch (that double as a pull out bed) with two chairs and a coffee table.  On our balcony there was a table and two chairs plus two wicker chairs with ottomans, and a small table in between them.  There was also a flat screen TV with a DVD player, as well as access to the ship’s DVD collection.  We had a small vase of fresh flowers and a fruit bowl.  We spent a lot of time in our cabin relaxing and it was a great size.  We did not feel cramped at all.

Oh, wait…there’s the bathroom!  It was also the largest bathroom I’ve ever had.  It has two sinks, plus a full size Jacuzzi tub with a shower PLUS a separate shower stall.  It is possible that two people could shower at the same time, each with their own shower. 

The Crew

The crew has been well trained and is very friendly.  They are always ready with a smile and a Good morning/afternoon/evening and a How are you?  From housekeeping, to the bar staff to the dining room.  They go out of their way to make your trip and experience a memorable one.

I had one odd request on the trip.  I was a nursing mom without my baby.  I could not find my pump before I left so I was hurting.  I was able to hand express some of the milk but I was still in pain and engorged.  While they did not have a pump on board, they were able to give me pain reliever.  I also knew that cabbage leaves would help.  I asked one of the supervisors in the dining room if it was possible to get 3 or 4 cabbage leaves.  He did inquire why and I told him.  He said no problem and got me the requested cabbage leaves.  When I asked him for some more the next night he got them and said that he would put in a request for them so I could get them every night.  He had them for me every night, until I told him I didn’t need them anymore.  I was so thankful that he went out of his way to help me.

The Food

The food superb as I have come to expect on a cruise.  I love eating in the main dining room, called The Vista, as they serve gourmet meals and I am able to try things I normally wouldn’t eat.  I like knowing if I don’t like it I can send it back for something else.  I love soup and enjoy the soup options on the menu and I often order two.  The soup was delicious!  My biggest complaint about the dining room is that my food was not always hot.  My baked potato was cold and undercooked the first night.  Other than these two complaints, the dining room was excellent.

There was also a buffet, called the Lido Restaurant.  Food was always available here.  I’ve had some so-so buffets on cruise ships but this was not one of them.  The food was hot and delicious.  There was also a great variety, from pizza, pasta and salad, to sandwiches, carved meat, to stir fry and and Asian section.

The Greenhouse Spa & Salon

My biggest disappointment of the whole ship was the spa.  As we sailed away from Seattle, Mom & I got facials.  Mom loved hers.  I was not impressed.  The woman who did the facial was ok.  The face, neck and head massage was short (it’s always my favorite part!)  I would not have another one done on this ship.  Then the next morning I got a fire and ice pedicure.  It was nothing special.  The ice part was a cooling mask for my legs that was on for about a minute and then the fire part was a massage with hot rocks.  The massage lasted maybe a minute and half on each leg.  That was it.  I was really disappointed.  I will say that in less than 24 hours the polish chipped on two toes and they did fix it at no extra charge.  We couldn’t figure out which color I had done so they repainted all my toes.  The polish lasted much longer the second time around.  I still feel that it was very overpriced for what I got.  I much prefer the local salon we go to for half the price; they do a much better job.

One highlight of the spa is the Thermal Suit.  There is a hydro pool, filled with warm water infused with minerals.  There is a center part that if full of bubbles that gives a wonderful massage.  At one end there is a metal bed to lay on in the water , with bubbles coming up between the metal rods.  It’s wonderful.  It’s warm and soothing, perfect after a chilly Alaskan day.  After the hydro pool, there are 6 heated ceramic tile beds to lay on.  They are contoured to your body and you have a view of the passing scenery.  My only complain is that 6 beds is not enough.  You have to purchase a pass to access this area, either a daily one or one for the entire cruise.  It is pricey but well worth it. 

There are changing rooms and you are given a key to a locker and a key to the suit.  In your locker is a robe.  You also have the option to get one of four scents of body scrub.  I only got the lavender and it smelled so good.  It was perfect to use in the shower after the hydro pool  but before the heated beds.  We tended to use the thermal suit after dinner and it was usually less crowded and the perfect way to end the day. 

Activities

Compared to other cruises I’ve taken, I feel that the activities were lacking.  There were things going on but it never seemed like there were a lot of things going on and very few that I was interested in.  It wasn’t until our second to last day and our unexpected second day at sea due to a schedule change that the activities were what I expected.  It might have been because the majority of the passengers were my parents age and older.  Sure there were some kids but they were few and far between.  I really won’t complain too much, because even of the schedule had been full of activities, I probably wouldn’t have participated in most of them.

The ship did have a digital lab with a Techspert.  The lab was full of Microsoft computers and the lessons were on Windows 8.  I did make it to one class on how to navigate the new system.  I found the class helpful and learned several new things.  The class was full, mostly with older people really confused by the new look.  This would have been a perfect class for my mother in law who has been complaining about how confused she is by all the new features of Windows 8.

Overall I give the cruise an B+.  The spa experience took away from it a little, as well as the hiccups in the food service.  Other than that, it was excellent.  While I don’t know that Holland America will be my first choice for my next cruise, I will consider sailing with them again.  I think it is an excellent cruise line for those who are a little older and want a more sedate experience.  It is not a party ship by any stretch of the imagination. 

*Holland America Cruise Line has no idea who I am or that I am writing this review.  I simply cruised on one of their ships to Alaska and wanted to share my thoughts, opinions and experiences on their ship.  I have been given no compensation for this review and everything expressed is my own thoughts and views.

Victoria, BC

Our last port call on our Alaskan cruise was Victoria, BC.  I have to admit that I was not excited about this port call at all.  It happened on Friday and we arrived in the late afternoon and were there until 11:30.  I was really wanting to be home already. I was missing my baby and my husband and I was engorged and in pain. 

We decided, last minute, to book a tour called “Victoria at your Leisure.”  It was a tour on a double decker bus with time to shop downtown.  It was also cheap, which was nice.  We managed to snag a seat on the top deck.  The tour was short but we didn’t mind.   Once we were dropped off we went by the museum and looked at the totem poles that were scattered on the grounds.  I wasn’t aware that Victoria had such a large collection of totems but I’m not surprised.  After that we walked around The Empress Hotel.  We had talked about doing high tea there (it’s famous for it) but decided not too.  I took a lot of photos and hopefully we can go back and have tea there some time!  Victoria isn’t too far from Seattle.  Clipper vacations often has deals to Victoria and now that The Man has a passport, maybe we can make it happen!

Once we had our fill of walking around The Empress, we did a little shopping.  We didn’t want to buy a lot, but Munchkin needed something from Victoria!  Mom was super happy that we found a Starbucks.  It was her first one all week.  After Mom got her drink it was time to head back.  We were still in port for several hours but Mom and I were fine going back to the boat.  We were ready to head home to Seattle!

Juneau, Alaska

Our ship pulled into and docked in Juneau, Alaska at 6 am in the morning.  As the sun rose all you could see was fog.  We were a little nervous that it was going to be rainy like Ketchikan but after an hour or so the fog burned off.  The day was sunny and while I wouldn’t say warm it wasn’t too cold.

We were excited about Juneau because we were going ziplining!  We had been looking forward to this all week.  From the ship we took a 5 minute bus ride downtown.  Then we took a little express boat to Douglas Island.  The trip lasted all of 10 minutes.  Once we were at the location we got all suited up in our harnesses, helmets and gloves.  We rode an oversized ATV type thing into the Tongass National Forest.  It was gorgeous!  It’s a temperate rainforest and green was everywhere.  We had to climb a little way to get to the first platform.  We climbed beside a little creak and it was charming. 

At the platform we got our lesson.  It was pretty simple.  Keep your left arm up on the metal thingie, use your left wrist/arm to keep yourself straight, use your right hand to break by grabbing the lower cable and cross your legs.  Easy peasy, right?  It was, except I have short arms so reaching up and holding onto the metal thing wasn’t all the comfortable.  I also had a hard time not spinning around but it gave me a better view of the area so I wasn’t to worried.

There were 9 zip lines and two suspension bridges.  This part of the forest used to be Treadwell Mine and it produced about 70 million dollars worth of gold.  We zipped over some of the old mines and one of the glory holes.  It was spectacular! We also had amazing views of Mt. Roberts and the channel from the platforms.  The weather was perfect.

Our guides, Sara & Stewart were friendly and knowledgeable.  They shared about the area and did their best to make everyone comfortable.  We had 8 people, including ourselves, in our group.  There was some nice banter between us all that made it even more enjoyable.  Come to find out, it is a small world.  Stewart is originally from a town about 1o minutes from where I grew up and our high schools were in the same league for sports.  He graduated the year before I did.

It took us a little longer than normal as the group ahead of us and some older people (two of them had canes!) that had some difficulties.  They got stuck in the middle of the line and had to be pulled in more than once.  Other than having to wait around, the whole experience was amazing and I HIGHLY recommend this is you ever find yourself in Juneau.

Once we got back to town we had just enough time to do a little shopping.  We were afraid we wouldn’t have enough time but the shopping area is small.  Many of the shops were having end of season sales.  It worked in our favor as it was the last day of the cruise season.  Our ship and her sister ship, the Oosterdam were the last two ships in Juneau.  We found our deals and headed back to the ship.

I’d love to visit Juneau again someday.  The Mendenhall Glacier is not that far from town and I have yet to see it, even though I’ve been here twice.  The first time The Man & I went panning for gold and this time zip lining.  I’d love to see it by helicopter or float plane but those two options are very expensive, so I need to start saving my pennies. 

Linking up with:

Glacier Bay, Alaska

As I type this, I’m enjoying the scenery of Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.  I’m nice and comfy in my stateroom, though I do make frequent trips outside to take in the scenery as well and the clean, crisp scent and the sound of water against the cruise ship.

The water is a gorgeous blue/green, reminding me of Caribbean waters.  It’s not the dark blue one might expect from cold water, often found in the northern oceans.  The color surprised me the first time I saw it.  I’m sure the ocean here is frigid but since I haven’t touched it, I’ll just go with my intuition.  Mountains rise up all around us.  As we’re in the lower part of the bay, the mountains are covered in trees, some two hundred years old.  There are clouds and haze, lingering where the sun’s rays haven’t yet reached. 

Since the view from my balcony was limited, I explored the ship.  I visited the back of the boat on the upper deck, where the scenery was just as gorgeous.  Mom & I walked around the promenade deck, visiting both the port and starboard sides of the boat.  We also ventured to the bow, where it was quite windy and cold.  We were served hot pea soup and it was very warming and hit the spot.  We eventually made it back to our room.  What was nice about being in the public, outside areas was the occasional commentary by a visiting park ranger.  Two boarded our ship to share their knowledge with us about the bay.

I moved to our balcony and by this time we had sailed into the upper part of the bay, right next to Marjorie Glacier.  We were so close and I feel like I could have reached out and touched it.  Parts of the glacier are dirty and remind me of the yucky snow on the side of the road after it’s been plowed.  Other parts are white, where I’m guessing the glacier has calved.  Parts of the glacier have a bluish hue.  The water is still green but has sediment mixed in so has a brownish color to it.  The glacier is noisy as it moves.  The Marjorie is moving 7 feet a year.  I was able to see some small pieces fall; it’s not a quiet process. 

Right next to the Marjorie Glacier is the Grand Pacific Glacier.  It does not look as large as the Marjorie but it is the glacier responsible for carving out most of Glacier Bay as it receded.  Glaciers, as they grow, remove everything that’s living, right down to the bed rock.  As it recedes, it leaves the bare bedrock behind.  Slowly things start to grow again.  Lichen and moss come first, preparing the way for small flowering plants, which prepare the way for the trees that eventually start growing again.  The trees closer to the glaciers are much smaller than those in the lower bay as they have had less time to grow.

We had a gorgeous day to be in Glacier Bay.  The sun was shining and was warm on my face as the boat turned around and we headed back the way we came.  We’ll head up another “arm” to see a few more glaciers.  They all tend to look alike.  They are stark but beautiful and they command your attention.  The seeming barrenness is also beautiful.  If you look closely you can see life.  There were a few harbor seals playing and eating near the base of the glacier.  There were lichen and small flowering plants and bushes and trees growing where there once was glacier.  Fresh water streams flow down, little streams of melted snow, making its way back to the ocean.  There are also mountain goats around as well as birds.  And who knows what kind of fish and mussels and other kinds of life are abundant underwater, hidden from view?  In Johns Hopkins Inlet we saw a Humpback whale surface twice for air. 

We visited Johns Hopkins Glacier, named after the university in Baltimore, MD.  It is one of the few glaciers that is growing.  It is a mile wide and the ice towers two hundred and fifty feet above sea level with another two hundred feet of ice below.  The glacier is an amazing blue color with towering snow covered mountains behind it.  The mountains that are ten thousand feet high and the snow from them feeds the glacier.  Right beside the glacier is Mt. Abbey, which is eight thousand feet.  In it’s shadow is Gilman Glacier, which is a tributary of the Johns Hopkins.  Johns Hopkins moves 10-15 feet a day and while we were there we were able to see some calving; the splash from the dropping ice was incredible.  It sounded like a freight train.  It amazes me that you can hear the glacier moving.  I found it fascinating that cruise ships are not allowed to this glacier until  after September first.  The harbor after Jaw Point is a Harbor Seal breeding area.  The number of Harbor Seals are in decline so they are doing what they can to protect them.  We were able to get extremely close to the glacier, something we were told that doesn’t happen very often.  It was incredible! 

My words really do not do this place justice.  It is a place that must be seen to be fully enjoyed.