Still rocking....

We just returned from a cruise with our neighbors to celebrate a 40th birthday.  It was an incredible way to start 2011....celebrating a life, a friendship, neighbors, friends and extended families.  Our group of 25 spent the last few days enjoying visiting, playing, relaxing and getting to know each other even better.

The kids were awesome!  They made up their own game of chase around the ship and played it for days.  Kids club?  They had their own club!  They didn't need no stinkin kids club!  They sat at their own table and were perfectly mannered.  I was so proud of all of them. 

We cruised to Cozumel.  This is the third time we've been on this ship in the past 12 months.  Carnival will be putting a new ship in Galveston this year.....just when I really got to know this one!  The Ecstasy will be moving to New Orleans.....lucky!

The best part of the trip for me was seeing the joy on my peeps faces and my husband's face while enjoying the company of friends.  Big Daddy learned to play craps and, for once, didn't play his favorite game, "Take my chip." 

This was a surprise trip for the birthday boy, Hockey Guy.  His wife, Frenchie, did an amazing job of coordinating everything.....from getting rooms booked to having her own kids picked up by neighbors and transported to the ship and getting him to the ship without a clue that he was going on a trip, much less with this big crew. 

He was certainly surprised!  We were just honored to be asked to join this group.......

....especially since the rock stars got booked into the penthouse suite.

Of course, the kids were all over the suite.  Exploring.  Playing hockey mini-sticks.  They have no respect for the word "penthouse".

The rest of us, meanwhile, enjoyed visiting and watching one of the two big screen tv's.

The bathroom was spectacular.

The rest of the bathroom was like a spa.

A few folks crowded around the bar, sipping wine and anticipating the fun for the rest of the trip. 

Notice the door in the background?  That's the door to the suite....it just says "Private" on the outside. It doesn't even really have a room number.  The kids finally figured out that if they really had a problem or wanted something and they told the staff they were staying in the penthouse, the request or issue would instantly be handled......ah, now there's respect for the word "penthouse".

This morning after I uploaded the photos to Facebook and was reflecting on the trip, I opened my bible.  It was marked at Matthew (coincindentally, the name of the oldest boy on the trip) Chapter 22.  In a previous bible study I had underlined verse 39 which reads, "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."  In the margin I had handwritten these notes:  Love - a deliberate action of will.  Self sacrificing - actions taken not expecting return.  We love God by loving our neighbor.  Our actions are a reflection of our love.

Hey Hockey Guy......We love you Man!