Two weeks ago Shane and I left on our first cruise ever! It was amazing! His mom and dad took Tammie (his sister), Scott (her boyfriend) and Shane and I to Alaska! It was amazing! I'm so sorry...but this is going to be a long post!!! I was going to do a slide show...but I just didn't! So...here it goes!
On Saturday the 16th, we flew into Vancouver. It was so beautiful! It was my first time there and I wish we had more time to see it! We went straight from the airport to the boat...the Diamond Princess.
Here we all are as the boat is leaving port...don't we look excited!
This was our first (and only) sunset at sea. Pictures don't do any of the scenery justice...but we tried!
We spent Sunday at sea. Shane and I took a ballroom dance class...we did the Meringue...or as Shane now calls it...the "tick tock". It was really fun! We also went to the theater and watched, "Prince Caspian". It was too foggy outside to look at anything! That night was our first formal night. Shane surprised me and rented a tux when we go on the boat! It's the first time he's been in one since our wedding! Isn't he such a HOTTY!
Monday morning we docked in Ketchikan. It was cold and rainy! I think the high was 59! Tammie and I went shopping...but she wouldn't be in the picture with me...so I look like I'm all alone! (I didn't let her hear the end of that one all morning!) Tammie and I hiked to the Totem Pole Museum for a quick picture. There is a park full of totem poles there and you can even watch them being carved! Once we got back down to the river, the rain really started, and all of the salmon in the river were jumping like crazy! It was an amazing sight to see! When we got sick of walking around in the rain spending money, we headed back to the boat to eat (of course) and wait for everyone else to get back.
Everyone else went fishing! Scott's friend lives in Ketchikan during the summer and fishes. They had a really good time! Here Shane and Scott are with their catches of the day!
We had to be back on the boat by 1:30 so it could take off. This is Ketchikan behind us. It was a really fun little town! Once the ship set sail, Shane and I headed off for day two of ballroom dance...the Waltz. It was a boring dance...but we had fun learning it!
Tuesday morning we docked in Juneau. We were there on one of the 24 days this year that it hasn't rained! Go figure! We were also there on one of the 14 days that hit over 60! It was 61! Here we are at the Mendenhall Glacier. It was beautiful!
This is the bear we came across on our way to view the glacier! He didn't even know we were there...well, let's just say that if he did, he didn't care!
Here's another picture of just the glacier. On our way back into town, we toured a salmon hatchery and then went to a salmon bake. It was very yummy!
That afternoon, we did my favorite excursion of all...the zip line! We took a boat over to the rain forest...on an island across from Juneau. The area was beautiful! Then we got all suited up and were driven up to the top in an old military truck...with tires taller than me! We rode 10 zip lines (one was a little practice one where we learned how to do it) and crossed two really long suspension bridges. It was the coolest thing I have ever done...and I wasn't even scared!
Yeah...that's me! I was so good that I could even go backwards! Ok...really, that isn't good...that's me being the only one in the group who couldn't steer...but once we got on the longer, faster zip lines, I was just fine! (I finally figured it out...that is!) I could even cannon ball off the platform! See...I'm so good I can even wave! (If you want to see it close up...click on the picture...it will come up really big!)
Here we are once our feet were on solid ground again! Our instructors, Courtney and Nick are in the center. Now that's one job I wish I'd had during the summer when I was in college!
This is a picture of our boat Shane took while we were on our way to the island to zip line. It was SO big! We were on the floor where the life boats are...the 8th floor to be exact...towards the front of the boat.
Wednesday we docked in Skagway. We took a bus tour to the Yukon (in Canada). The scenery was breath taking!
This is in Carcross...where we stopped to get our passports stamped. Isn't it beautiful! It was a TINY town!
We took the train back into Skagway...it was all about the view going all the way back down!
Here is a picture of Skagway. In reality, our ship was longer than the town! It was a fun little place...and it was actually hot there...a whole 69!
Thursday we were at sea again. We went to Glacier Bay National Park. The boat just sailed around it. The glaciers in there were amazing! Shane and I braved the first part out on the deck...it was FREEZING...and on top of that it was raining as well! We definitely drank our quota of hot chocolate on this cruise!
Here is another one of the glaciers there. You could hear it cracking! It was so cool! We had our third ballroom dance lesson that afternoon...the Samba!
This doesn't look like much, but it was actually the tail end of a whale diving back into the water! Glacier Bay is a great place to see whales this time of the year. We probably saw 10 of them...Humpbacks and Orcas. We even saw a shark! It was so amazing...but unfortunately we couldn't get the camera out fast enough to get everything on film! We wanted to actually watch!
That night was our second formal night. We had dinner with Don and Karla and then hung out with our new friends Jim and Marcy. We met them doing the zip line. Shane was very excited because we went dancing and he got to practice all of his new moves! (Yeah...I made him do it!)
Friday was another day at sea. We went to College Fjord. There were so many glaciers there! This picture doesn't even do the area justice...it was so beautiful! It was very cold there too!!! That afternoon was our last ballroom dance lesson...much to Shane's disappointment...yeah...right! We learned the Cha-Cha! Karla and Tammie even got me out for some country line dancing!
Here we are the last night of the cruise. We went to see an amazing ventriloquist. These are our friends Jim and Marcy from North Carolina!
Our boat docked in Whittier early Saturday morning. We took a two hour bus ride to Anchorage. Shane and I had a little time to walk around down town before we had to be to the airport for our flight home.
This is where they start the Iditarod...right in the middle of down town. It was a really neat statue. They even have a wall where they have painted a mural with every winner and how long it took them.
This is the last thing we saw in Alaska before getting on our airplane! It was the most amazing trip! I could go on and on and on! To anyone thinking about going...DO IT!!! Obviously, these are only a few of the hundreds of pictures we took...it was absolutely breathtaking! Thanks Don and Karla for taking us!!! We had a great time with everyone!!!
On Saturday the 16th, we flew into Vancouver. It was so beautiful! It was my first time there and I wish we had more time to see it! We went straight from the airport to the boat...the Diamond Princess.
Here we all are as the boat is leaving port...don't we look excited!
This was our first (and only) sunset at sea. Pictures don't do any of the scenery justice...but we tried!
We spent Sunday at sea. Shane and I took a ballroom dance class...we did the Meringue...or as Shane now calls it...the "tick tock". It was really fun! We also went to the theater and watched, "Prince Caspian". It was too foggy outside to look at anything! That night was our first formal night. Shane surprised me and rented a tux when we go on the boat! It's the first time he's been in one since our wedding! Isn't he such a HOTTY!
Monday morning we docked in Ketchikan. It was cold and rainy! I think the high was 59! Tammie and I went shopping...but she wouldn't be in the picture with me...so I look like I'm all alone! (I didn't let her hear the end of that one all morning!) Tammie and I hiked to the Totem Pole Museum for a quick picture. There is a park full of totem poles there and you can even watch them being carved! Once we got back down to the river, the rain really started, and all of the salmon in the river were jumping like crazy! It was an amazing sight to see! When we got sick of walking around in the rain spending money, we headed back to the boat to eat (of course) and wait for everyone else to get back.
Everyone else went fishing! Scott's friend lives in Ketchikan during the summer and fishes. They had a really good time! Here Shane and Scott are with their catches of the day!
We had to be back on the boat by 1:30 so it could take off. This is Ketchikan behind us. It was a really fun little town! Once the ship set sail, Shane and I headed off for day two of ballroom dance...the Waltz. It was a boring dance...but we had fun learning it!
Tuesday morning we docked in Juneau. We were there on one of the 24 days this year that it hasn't rained! Go figure! We were also there on one of the 14 days that hit over 60! It was 61! Here we are at the Mendenhall Glacier. It was beautiful!
This is the bear we came across on our way to view the glacier! He didn't even know we were there...well, let's just say that if he did, he didn't care!
Here's another picture of just the glacier. On our way back into town, we toured a salmon hatchery and then went to a salmon bake. It was very yummy!
That afternoon, we did my favorite excursion of all...the zip line! We took a boat over to the rain forest...on an island across from Juneau. The area was beautiful! Then we got all suited up and were driven up to the top in an old military truck...with tires taller than me! We rode 10 zip lines (one was a little practice one where we learned how to do it) and crossed two really long suspension bridges. It was the coolest thing I have ever done...and I wasn't even scared!
Yeah...that's me! I was so good that I could even go backwards! Ok...really, that isn't good...that's me being the only one in the group who couldn't steer...but once we got on the longer, faster zip lines, I was just fine! (I finally figured it out...that is!) I could even cannon ball off the platform! See...I'm so good I can even wave! (If you want to see it close up...click on the picture...it will come up really big!)
Here we are once our feet were on solid ground again! Our instructors, Courtney and Nick are in the center. Now that's one job I wish I'd had during the summer when I was in college!
This is a picture of our boat Shane took while we were on our way to the island to zip line. It was SO big! We were on the floor where the life boats are...the 8th floor to be exact...towards the front of the boat.
Wednesday we docked in Skagway. We took a bus tour to the Yukon (in Canada). The scenery was breath taking!
This is in Carcross...where we stopped to get our passports stamped. Isn't it beautiful! It was a TINY town!
We took the train back into Skagway...it was all about the view going all the way back down!
Here is a picture of Skagway. In reality, our ship was longer than the town! It was a fun little place...and it was actually hot there...a whole 69!
Thursday we were at sea again. We went to Glacier Bay National Park. The boat just sailed around it. The glaciers in there were amazing! Shane and I braved the first part out on the deck...it was FREEZING...and on top of that it was raining as well! We definitely drank our quota of hot chocolate on this cruise!
Here is another one of the glaciers there. You could hear it cracking! It was so cool! We had our third ballroom dance lesson that afternoon...the Samba!
This doesn't look like much, but it was actually the tail end of a whale diving back into the water! Glacier Bay is a great place to see whales this time of the year. We probably saw 10 of them...Humpbacks and Orcas. We even saw a shark! It was so amazing...but unfortunately we couldn't get the camera out fast enough to get everything on film! We wanted to actually watch!
That night was our second formal night. We had dinner with Don and Karla and then hung out with our new friends Jim and Marcy. We met them doing the zip line. Shane was very excited because we went dancing and he got to practice all of his new moves! (Yeah...I made him do it!)
Friday was another day at sea. We went to College Fjord. There were so many glaciers there! This picture doesn't even do the area justice...it was so beautiful! It was very cold there too!!! That afternoon was our last ballroom dance lesson...much to Shane's disappointment...yeah...right! We learned the Cha-Cha! Karla and Tammie even got me out for some country line dancing!
Here we are the last night of the cruise. We went to see an amazing ventriloquist. These are our friends Jim and Marcy from North Carolina!
Our boat docked in Whittier early Saturday morning. We took a two hour bus ride to Anchorage. Shane and I had a little time to walk around down town before we had to be to the airport for our flight home.
This is where they start the Iditarod...right in the middle of down town. It was a really neat statue. They even have a wall where they have painted a mural with every winner and how long it took them.
This is the last thing we saw in Alaska before getting on our airplane! It was the most amazing trip! I could go on and on and on! To anyone thinking about going...DO IT!!! Obviously, these are only a few of the hundreds of pictures we took...it was absolutely breathtaking! Thanks Don and Karla for taking us!!! We had a great time with everyone!!! 
So, the big cooler is the freezer and the little one is the fridge until further notice!
Here is how the evening went...when we got there, Adrienne and I sat down on the floor and Paula, Dawn, and Melissa went up to the balcony. We really aren't mean...we could only get 2 and 3 seats together...and since Adrienne and I are the biggest freaks over the books, we got the floor. We saw the Reading Rainbow guy sitting a few rows over from us...he was there with his daughter! Very cool! Then Justin came out and sang a couple of songs. Then...OUT CAME STEPHENIE MEYER!!! She was so cool! Very down to earth...just like us...except rich and famous and an amazing author, of course! She answered a bunch of questions...very insightful! Then Justin came back out and she talked about certain sections of the books, and then Justin would sing the song that corresponded to that part of the book! It was amazing!
Here it is!!! And NO...I'm NEVER lending out my copy of Twilight again! (Thanks to Melissa not bringing her own book, I got my copy of Breaking Dawn signed too!!! So...I'm not lending that one out either...sorry!!!)
Then, last night the real celebrating began! Here I am with Adrienne and Paula...my Twilight buddies! Like our "bite me" shirts...they are our "official" Edward t-shirts! 
After that we made corsages, watched people get Henna Tattoos, and we even drank some Vampire Juice! Then it was time for us to line up outside and wait for our books! It was crazy...there were SO many people there...and NO...we weren't the oldest ones there!
