A Cold Start to Spring Break

Last weekend was beautiful. This weekend and today not so much! In fact it was 49F this morning when we were making plans. We'd wanted to go to the golf driving range but cold, windy weather would not make for a very fun time. So we hung around home instead. Jessica worked today.

Yesterday, ready for church.

Yesterday, all dressed up for spring, but no spring like weather here.

Some of the kids decided to run yesterday even though it was cool. Warmer then than now.

Then we got out the Wii to play outdoor challenge. Adam and Jessica worked yesterday after church.

We had ginger ale and rainbow sherbert floats.

The kids wore off all the calories on Just Dance Disney!

We worked together to make a crock pot breakfast casserole.

It was supposed to cook in the crock pot on low all night.

But it burned. And it really wasn't that good. We decided to try it again in a couple of week but leave out the tomatoes and onion. Add ham as well as sausage and use a cheese with more flavor. This used mozzarella. It really didn't have much taste except the tomatoes. 

So we decided to try something with more taste.

For this, you mix two lg boxes of vanilla pudding with four cups of milk. Then mix in 16 oz of cool whip, 4 tsp vanilla, and a cup of peanut butter.

You also need a pan of fudge brownies cut into 1" squares (or close)

No, Adam, you can't eat all the miniature reeses cups.

Jasmine layered it, and she didn't go clear to the edge with the brownies so you can't really see it. But it's brownies, then Reese's, top with the pudding mix, then layer it twice more. Top with the rest of the pudding and decorate with the Reese's cups.

Jasmine had a free pizza card from school. When you go to Pizza Hut, you get the little 6" personal pan pizzas. But Dominoes actually gives you a regular-sized small pizza. Jasmine had already eaten two pieces by time she got home.

The kids stay active enough that all the extra food probably won't catch up with them.

I've been playing Wii with them, but Rick's foot is still recovering so he hasn't been able to do much. He should get the pins and stitches out Thursday.

Trying to plan the cruise has been driving all of us crazy. We have to stay within budget. I'm not going into debt for it, so have to work with what we have. That meant figuring out the total costs including port fees, taxes and tips. Plus cancellation insurance. 

We'd finally decided on one that wasn't exactly what anyone wanted but would be okay. But it was going back to Nassau where we went last time. The advantage was that it went out of Jacksonville. But then when I went to book it the next day, it had gone up $50 per person!!

So I glanced through the other cruises. I saw that one we'd liked had gone down $50 per person. The disadvantage is that it leaves from Miami and I'm driving a 2001 SUV with 220,000 miles on it. It's 9 hours to Miami. I wasn't sure. Then I noticed it had a category for people who'd previously been on a Carnival Cruise. That took another $20 off for each person (only one person per cabin had to be a previous passenger). Then I realized that the rooms with a window were on sale $20 cheaper than the ones with no window, but we'd be on a much lower deck. That's what we opted for though.

I ended up having to call in and wait on hold because I booked one cabin, and when I went to book another one, it said there were no more cabins available! It turned out to be a glitch. But I got to talk to a very nice lady who was very easy to understand. I got us set up in adjoining cabins and was able to prepay the tips and insurance all within our budget. We do have to give up some other activities though. Jasmine agreed to do her Rushmore Trip summer 2014 instead of this summer, too, so we aren't piling so many activities back to back.

We'd really wanted Jamaica - Cozumel, but we are going to Key West-Cozumel. That's okay because we like Key West. My mom, Tyler, Jessica and I actually went on a Carnival Cruise to Key West-Cozumel in 2000.

It may sound like we cruise all the time, but we don't. I went with my sister in 1985, with Rick in 1993 and 1999. With my mom, Tyler and Jessica in 2000, with Jessica (her Christmas gift) in 2009 (we had a storm on that one and didn't make it to the port we were supposed to be in) and with Rick, Ty, Jessica, Adam and Jasmine in 2012. We had bad weather on that one and all our excursions were canceled so that's why we're trying it again. The twins are going this time too.

The advantage of cruises is that everything is taken care of--transportation port to port, more meals than anyone needs and sleeping accommodations.(Disadvantage--you can't just get off! And if you are sea sick, too bad until you reach port)

Okay, enough on cruises. But if you've bee on one in the past, please share.

We are taking the rest of spring break day by day due to the cold weather this week. Everything we had planned was for the beach or other outdoor places.