We had the time of our lives!

This past Christmas is unforgettable.  We could try to forget it, but it was so wonderful that I think it is etched in our minds.  To begin, we went on a Disney cruise.  We left San Jose on Saturday, December 17 and drove to Santa Barbara and spent some time with my brother and his family.  The kids LOVE their cousins and had fun hanging out with them, and we had fun just hanging out, too.  The next morning we got up and left for the Port of Los Angeles, and I am pretty sure I was the most anxious one. 

DAY 1:
Once we boarded the ship, the fun began.  Dante immediately changed into his swim gear and jumped into the Mickey pool (even though it was cold and windy) and went down the slide at least ten times.  Nick and Marisa immediately began exploring the ship. Settling into our room was the next exciting part because I wanted to see what the verandah was like.   The last time David and I were on a cruise, our room barely had a window.  The room was great even though it was small for the five of us, but the verandah was bigger than we thought it would be.  So, we were happy. 

We totally overpacked.  Next cruise, we will be smarter, because this time we were overwhelmed with suitcases, clothes, and shoes.  Dressing for dinner every night was fun, and we enjoyed be treated like royalty.  When we got home we joked about our family dinners and asked what the appetizer, main course and dessert was going to be that evening.  It really was strange to have no chores.  People made our beds, cleaned our room, cooked our food, entertained us, and told us we were beautiful pretty much every day.  We became accustomed to the fanfare. (o:

Entertainment:
The shows were top notch.  Dante and I went to most of them, but I begged David and Marisa to see Dreams.  It was just fantastic, and yes, even David enjoyed it.  It was so good Dante and I went twice in one day!

There were two huge movie theaters on board.  We (except for Dante) saw War Horse on opening day, and it was an incredible film.   We all watched The Muppet Movie and agreed we would see it again.  Darling.

Family game shows were on the nightly list of things to do, and one night Dante and I were chosen to participate.   I laughed so hard I cried, and of course David captured it all on film.  Ahhh, memories!

Kids' clubs make the ship fun for parents.  Nick and Maris had their own private spot (staffed with counselors) called The Vibe, and they both absolutely loved it.  Believe it or not, our 17 year-old son had a blast on a Disney cruise!  Dante was able to go between two clubs:  the Oceaneer's Lab and the Oceaneer's Club.  Both "totally awesome" according to Dante and the activities were endless.  Loved, loved, loved it!

We even played shuffleboard, once.  (o:

Back to the fun for adults.  While the kids were having the time of their lives, David and I went to the upscale restaurant on the ship called Palo.  This was a 'reservations and adults only' restaurant, and not free.  BUT, the food at this restaurant was truly outstanding.  The rest of the food on the ship was fine (the kids loved it), but David and I both thoroughly enjoyed our dinner one evening, and brunch on a separate day.  

More later.

Christmas Eve

Creative.  David is definitely creative.  Every day I would come home from school and look in the mail pile.  A letter or a poem?  I couldn't wait to see if he had written.  Back in the old days, before cell phones and texting, people wrote each other letters.  Since he was in Berkeley, calling him was not free.  My parents did not think that calling long distance every day (or every other day for that matter!) was necessary, and there were no calling plans, etc. So, we wrote each other letters.  I loved his letters and poems. 

Back to creative... On Christmas Eve 1988, David invited me over to his house because he had a surprise for me.  When I walked in the front door, there was a bunch of balloons staggered in front of the Christmas tree tied around a fairly large box.  There was a long red ribbon attached to the box and it had a little card on it that read, "Pull me."  So I did.  As I pulled the ribbon, the balloons raised and the sides of the box collapsed open revealing gifts attached to each side of the box.  Not bad for a 20 year old guy.  (o:  Sweet and thoughtful gifts all picked with purpose.  One of the items was an ornament.   It was from the 12 Days of Christmas series, and it just so happened to be the 5 Golden Rings year.  I remember thinking at that moment that I would probably marry him. 

Davey

I loved teddy bears, and we still have Davey.  David bought me a huge teddy bear when we went to Pier 39 one Saturday in December 1998.  He bought it early in the day, and let's just say I didn't mind the attention I received lugging this huge bear around with me all day. I loved that bear, and he now happily resides on Dante's bunk bed often used as a pillow.

El Toritos

Dinner and a movie.  Nothing earth shattering.  Mexican food and the only bad movie Tom Hanks was ever in:  The Burbs.  But, we had fun, and I could sense he was a really good guy.  After the movie, my car broke down and we had to get towed home.  Plus, my parents were having a party and my aunt and uncle were over.  Essentially, it was David's welcome to the family. 

After apple pie, and uncomfortable moments, I borrowed my mom's car and drove him home.  Pretty sure I met his dad and his brothers, but in all honesty, I do not remember.  It has been a while. 

November 1988

I was 19 years old in 1988.  Now that I am 41, and my son is almost 18, I do not consider 19 old enough to really know much of anything.  But, at 19 I met my David.

On November 5, 1998 my friend Jason and I met up with some friends at TGIF Friday's, and as I recall, several tables were pushed together for a fairly loud/large group of people.  Mike, one of Jason's "bros" was there, and Mike's brother David was home from college for the weekend.  I remember the moment I met him:  dark hair, sparkling eyes, sweet smile.  David was definitely my type, but sadly, he thought Jason was my boyfriend, so he pretty much ignored me.  I wasn't used to being ignored and thought it an anomaly.  When I left, I told Mike that I thought his brother was cute, but since he didn't talk to me, I figured he wasn't interested.  The next night, the guys all showed up at Z&Z (men's clothing store where I worked) and invited me to go to some comedy club, but I already had plans.  So, my first date with David had to wait until the end of November.

Looking to the future...reminiscing the past.

Next year is a big year for all of us:  Nick will be 18 in February, and he will graduate from high school; Marisa will graduate from middle school; Dante will receive his first Holy Communion.  And, for David and I?  We will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in December.  In an effort to chronicle our journey together, I am going to go back to our beginning ... November 1988.