Can't Sleep...What am I seven??

All I can hear around me is the sound of deep breathing and the clicking of the keyboard! Really? I cannot sleep...I have that feeling in my stomache of that of a seven year old on Christmas Eve....You have to be kiddding me! I am so excited for everyone and me...who wouldn't be excited but geesh...Now to be fair it doesn't help that we are sleeping on beds the size of a large toddler but that is another post I suppose...Just thought I would share since I have nothing better to do....I guess I will go pluck my eyebrows...xoxoxo (sleepless in Florida)

Disney Cruise...HERE WE COME!! (Florida Part II)

We are in Florida and don't leave for the cruise until Saturday...Hmmm...It's friday what should we do...SEA WORLD of course!!

Sea World is amazing and has an offer that is a "Thank you to our Troops" and offers for the whole family to get into Sea World for FREE...Yes, you read right...FREE...Team Marien was SO THERE!!

First things first...How do we get there? It is only 10 miles away not bad so we go talk to the concierge...It will be $45-$50 for a taxi (each way) plus tip but the hotel has a better deal...We can have a thier driver take us in the towncar and it is only $40 each way plus tip...Okay...But Alison is thrifty and goes back to the room and starts the research part on "Pablo" (the new computer) I ended up renting us a rental car (no tipping required) and got us there and back with tolls and parking for $57...You all know I love to toot my own horn but come on now that is good!!:) Pure Genius:)

Sea World was a blast and the pictures speak for themselves (with a comment or two from me of course:)

It is almost Christmas...even at Sea World in Florida in 76 degree weather

Mommy having fun with the "Take your own pictures" while waiting at the Dolphin Show
Yes, I am still having fun with the take your own picture thing...

Where are the boys you ask? Down in the Splash Zone of course...Mommy and Daddy liked it a little higher:)

Before the Dolphin Splash Zone picture
The Dolphin Show was awesome! They had a whole dream like theme and there were circus like divers doing all these tricks into the water and people flying everywhere and a whole Maccaw show with real birds flying right over our heads...hard to explain but very magical to watch...Entrancing!
Plus in my own personal opinion Dolphins are the coolest animal on earth...Totally my dream job to train dolphins...Look at them...Amazing!

This is Maccaw Lady...She flew...she is cool!After the Splash Zone...Not too bad...It's not like they are killer whales!

Speaking of Killer Whales...This is Mama Shamu and next you will see Mama and Baby Shamu
If you don't say awwwww...there is somethin' wrong with you :)

Now this is a Splash Zone!!

I won't bore you with hundreds of Shamu Pictures but I do want to tell you a little bit about the show...It was called "Believe"...They had a few tricks that they were doing with a male trainer then the screens came on with a young boy and a picture of him on a kayak and a killer whale next to him...The story goes that this boy always loved the ocean...He went out one day and a killer whale came up to his kayak and just rolled around in the water by him...From that day on he dreamed of working with killer whales and made a necklace out of wood that had the tail fins to always remind him to believe in himself and that his dreams could come true...Well, the trainer at the beginning of the show stood there and pulled out his necklace and they showed a picture of him as a boy and then now as a trainer!! Yes, I got misty eyed...It was a beautiful story and the wanted to pass it on and he picked a little girl out of the audience and asked her about her dream and she wanted to be a wildlife photographer...He told her to never give up her dreams and it would come true and he gave her a necklace to remember...again....misty eyed...Very cool and inspiring...Here he is as a boy and in the middle with the girl today
This is us messing around again while we waited for the Sea Lion Show...
This show had a pirate theme and was hilarious...

After this we were just waiting for it to get dark and go to the final show of the night which was called "Shamu's Christmas Miracle" As we waited we went to the dolphin petting area and Delaney was soooo funny. She makes the best dolphin noise. It is hard to see her in the video but definitely worth watching her call them to her:)



The night was almost over so we headed to the Christmas Miracles and it was so much fun. We sang Christmas carols as we waited...Hearing thousands of people sing is so cool...Then when the show started they actually talked about the real meaning of Christmas and the miracle of a baby...Shocking to say the least! It was beautiful and in the end they had this amazing lady come out and sing while the whales did tricks...Here is a picture and then a small video just to show you how lively it was...

We had an amazing time! And to think it is just the beginning! Well everyone...It is midnight and we have a fun filled day ahead...remember that big boat thing!! So, I am to tired to spell check so give me grace and I will be back soon with more pictures...Love you all...Shhhh...Do you hear that? It is the Carribean Beaches and a fruity drink callin' my name!!

Disney Cruise...HERE WE COME!! (Florida Part I - Thanksgiving)

So about all the other posts...So don't have time to do those now...I will catch you all up later

For two years we saved and planned and as of Wednesday it all came true!! We are in Florida and getting ready to leave on our 7 day Disney Cruise to the Western Carribean tomorrow!! Pinch me....I am dreaming!

We arrived in Orlando late Wednesday night...The plane ride was fun and the kids had a blast and are old enough that they had their own row and Paul and I sat behind them...Score One for mom and Dad...

Driving to the Airport...See all that luggage (eight checked bags)

The Shuttle Ride from the Parking Lot

Drew told every and I mean EVERY person we saw that we were going on a Disney Cruise :)Airplane Fun!
Can't have too much airplane fun!

We checked into our Hotel the Hyatt Regancy and crashed for the night...All that excitment makes Team Marien tired...

Thanksgiving...What do we do...We call up our Uncle Joe (Gramma Jeanne's brother) and he drives 2 hours to come get us in Orlando...Drives us two hours to his house we put in a green bean casserole and then what???

THE BEACH OF COURSE! (Hello Gulf of Mexico...AHHHHH)

Jared and Uncle Joe doin' the "Man" Thing

Paul and Drew doin' the "Man" Thing

Laney doin' the "I am a cute girl...Can I help you find hermit crabs" thing...

Then we head back to Uncle Joe's pick up the green beans and head off to my cousin Ashley's house for Thanksgiving dinner and fun...Then Uncle Joe drove us back to Orlando (2 hours) and then drove himself back home (2 hours)...It was a great day and the kiddos had a blast hanging out...Thank you so much Uncle Joe and Ashley for including us in the fun...We had a great time:)

Did Alison fall off the Planet?? NOPE!!

Okay...So you ask what ever happened to the post??? Did Alison have a surgery, another child we didn't know about, fall of the face of the planet??? NO WORSE!!! My computer flopped! Yes it died a slow and painful death...The battery could no longer hold a charge...Not the worst thing in the world you say just plug it in until you get a new battery...GREAT IDEA...except THEN the battery jack on the computer came loose and so I had to set the computer exact so it would even sense that it was plugged in and even turn on and if you tapped it wrong or breathed a little to hard it DIED!! So after trying to post a bazillion times and having the computer die instead of throwing it against wall which almost happened let me think....hmmm a bazillion times...Paul would always catch me mid throw and say "Don't throw it...breathe" I called a computer fixer upper! So new battery = $150.00 and to fix the jack thingy = $75 part and $200.00 labor...WHAT??? $425 That can't be right...Get the calculator out again...WHAT??? That is insane so I went and did what any sane person would do and bought a BRAND NEW COMPUTER!! A very pretty Blue one!! SEE... Say hello to Pablo (yes I named my computer for now Pablo unless you have a name for me...It is so much easier to ask Jared to go grab Pablo and he knows exactly what his crazy mama is talkin about) It is a new gateway BLUE (red wasn't on sale and Paul said no to pink in case him or the boys had to use it amoung the living people...whatever) laptop and after two weeks of waiting I finally got all my files transferred including my pictures...SHHHH LISTEN...Do you hear the cheering and fireworks!! I am one happy mama with a new computer...and can finally blog again...What?? Why didn't I use Paul's computer...Because he is completely obsessed with dirt bike blogs, Craigslist, and takes it to work everyday. His is a high tech fancy smancy top secret have to put in his id card with a chip...dumb intel sensitive Dell...I could keep going but I won't...so I was lucky to check my email and get on facebook once a week...and it was only when I was so desperate to use the computer I was willing to put up with the deep sigh and "How long are you going to be? Didn't we buy you a new computer?" YES you did the one that is not set up yet...HELLO!! So I am back with vengance and just in time for some exciting stuff so STAY TUNED!! XOXOXOXO

PS....Can you think of any good names??? Yes for the computer...or should we stay with Pablo...HMMMM