Best Summer EVER -- and a SECOND HONEYMOON TOO!!!

Well, there was absolutely NOTHING holding us back -- Bob's schedule fell into place nicely. We didn't need passports to sail into Canada. Grandma was more than willing to watch Colleen and R.J. so we could take a SECOND HONEYMOON.

Our Carnival Cruise ship sailed out of New York. We were fortunate enough to get an e-mail the day before encouraging us to take advantage of pre-boarding. Bob literally walked in the door from work Saturday morning at 8:30. Cousin Rosie picked us up and had us at the port by 9:15. We were done "checking in" by 9:30 and hanging out in chairs waiting to board the boat. By 11 a.m. the previous passengers had disembarked and we were allowed on the boat! We didn't set sail until 5:00, but hey -- so what? Waiting to set sail on the Lido Deck is truly my first choice anyway!!

We had a full day at sea before our first port: St. John's. The weather wasn't truly cooperative, but that was okay. We made the most of it -- went ashore, shopped in the market, went to the mall, got Colleen the stuffed moose she wanted and took a couple of photos along the way.

Usually when we cruise, we don't eat in the Dining Room. With kids in tow it's just easier to eat at one of the casual buffets on board. Since we were kid-free, every night was spent experiencing fine dining. Not only was the food absolutely wonderful EVERY NIGHT, we also met the greatest bunch of people. Ellen and Brian were from Washington D.C. and George and Donna from Pennsylvania. If we play our cards right, we all may just try to meet again sometime in the future.

On our actual ANNIVERSARY DAY we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We took a tour of the lovely town, took in the sites, learned some history and hit a local brewery. I highly recommend the Dr. Pepper at Alexander Keith's Brewery. Their Indian Pale Ale with the right amount of Ammaretto and Coca Cola tastes quite yummy.

Later that night we had a Canadian Mounty visit our table. The waitstaff sung us the "Happy Anniversary Song" and later we had some pictures taken on board. All in all, it truly was a Happy Anniversary.

Fog was quite amazing during this trip. Whether we were close to land or out in the the middle of the Atlantic, the fog kept the captain of the ship quite busy. Never had I heard that HORN go off so many times during the course of a cruise -- better safe than sorry.