Day one

(NOTE: The pictures in the post are not in order of the typing because there is too much writing this time :) But they are from the first day of the cruise )Well this year my dad turns 50 and about eight months ago he started talking about what he wanted to do for his fiftieth. Around Christmas time he told us all that for his birthday he wanted to go on a cruise with just his kids. He said that he would pay for us all to go but that we would have to find someone to watch the kids while we went. Wait a minute dad, you want to pay for all of us to go on a cruise without our kids for five days for your birthday? We were all very excited to help him celebrate the way he wanted of course :) :) So we checked everyone's schedules and found a week that worked and booked it. Just my dad and Lisa, us four girls and Deke on a cruise without kids! Deke and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon and knew what to look forward to. Over the last six months all of us have been anxiously waiting talking about how excited we are and what a blast it was going to be. On Friday we headed to San Diego early afternoon headed to my mom's house. The whole way Avery kept squealing "we're going on acation" "we're going on acation." Saturday morning we woke up and went and ran some last minute errands then Deke and I went and did some work at the San Diego temple which was so neat. That night we stayed up way to late with Kimbre and Brenn watching Benjamin Button and finally fell into an excited sleep about 2:00 am. The next morning we got up and got everything packed and loaded. I have to say if there is anyone besides Deke that I would rather vacation with it would be my sisters, we have so much fun together they are seriously a blast to be with. As we literally are heading out the door my dad calls to tell us to make sure we have our birth certificates and my heart stops. Deke and I didn't have our birth certificates! Dad started checking with the check in agents and they all informed him that they would not take a faxed copy, or emailed copy. It had to be an orginal certificate or certified copy with seal or a passport or they would not let us on the ship. Now to preface the next part of this story I had been up for like four nights till all hours of the night scanning and inputting photos and arranging them to music making a DVD for my dad of pictures of each of us with him throughout of lives in chronological order with everyone choosing their own pictures and music. I being very overtired immediately got emotional as Deke got on the phone trying to come up with a solution. My dad continued talking to people down at the port even supervisors getting the same answer. I was ready to give up when Deke said, "MeKell we are going to get copies somehow and then we are going to show up at the port act like there is nothing wrong and they are going to let us on the ship." I was definitely lacking in faith as my dad told us to prepare that they would turn us away but to still try. Deke called his mom and she headed to Staples to fax us a copy of his certificate. I called aunt Lisa and asked her to head to our house. Of course we hadn't left an extra key with anyone and so we decided that if we had to we would have them break a small window to get in. When they got there one of our bedroom windows was unlocked and they were able to get into our house and get my certificate. We said goodbye to the kids which was emotional for me even though I was so excited to be going. We loaded in the car heading to the port me crying saying they weren't going to us on and Deke telling me to be positive. Lisa called us with a back up plan. The ship didn't sail until 5:00 pm and it was only 12:00. She said that if they wouldn't let us on the ship, she would catch the 2:00 flight out of Phoenix fly the forty minutes to San Diego with the birth certificates and we could pick her up at the airport which was literally five minutes from the port and then board still by 5:00. Overwhelmed by her willingness to help us in any way she could I immediately started preparing myself that this would be the option that we would probably have to go with. As we drove down Kimbre's favorite song came on the radio and we all started singing together. I know it sounds a little corny but it was actually really neat, then Deke talked for a minute about how much he loved the girls and how awesome our sister relationship was and then we were all bawling :) :) I had just gotten myself calmed down when we arrived at the port and saw Dad and as soon as I saw him I broked down again. I kept apologizing, I felt so bad that we might possibly mess up his birthday and this wonderful opportunity to be together. My dad kept saying, we are a big group and if we go in as if nothing is wrong they will be fine. All seven of us walked up to the counter and began talking to the woman. Dad started telling her that he was turning fifty and that these were all of his kids and talking about how excited we all were. When she asked for our stuff everyone was just talking to her and she quickly glanced at our certificates and let us pass. Then I cried again for joy because we were going to get on and because we have such a wonderful family that was willing to fly us our birth certificates to make sure we got on. I was so touched. Lonnie and Lisa you guys are amazing!!! Anyways we shortly after boarded the Elation and headed out to sea. Over the course of the five days I took something like just over 600 pictures. I am going to have to break up the days so I don't have one monsterous post. The first day we boarded did our life vest drill, immediately everyone was joking around and we were all laughing hard and I knew that this trip was going to be one we would never forget. We went to dinner and of course the food was so pretty and delicious. I love that there is food 24 hours a day whenever you are hungry and always something entertaining to do. Every day we had a huge card for my dad that was titled for example.. 50 reasons we love you or 50 reasons why your the hottest 50 year old. Every night at dinner we would give him one and he would have to read each one and guess who said it. It was really special and neat to watch him read them. The next day we were head to port at Catalina Island.....(to be continued)