Carnival "Dream"

As the months leading up to the cruise passed by I found myself praying for all facets of this vacation; health, safety, the weather, the memories  to be made, those we encountered, etc... Every day I prayed I felt more and more humbled until finally I felt like God said "stop praying and listen!"  Sometimes I need this reminder!! As I listened I was brought to tears.  It was like God was unwrapping a gift for me!  He brought to mind all the circumstances of the past 7 years; a mommy gone too soon, a daddy no longer at home, spouses no longer around to grow old with, children confused, single parents grieving...we all have been through so much and this cruise was His gift to us...ALL of us!

As I prayed for the ship and crew on board He stopped me at the name of our ship: Carnival DREAM.  I heard clearly that He wanted the kids to do just that on this trip.  So, the night before the trip, we had a family meeting and I shared that with them.  Richard and I, along with the Lord, wanted them to take this week to dream.  To see the most beautiful sunsets and the turquoise waters and the miles and miles of ocean and to know God made it all and to just dream about their future.  This world is so much bigger than the small country town we live in and they were created for a special purpose.

Each day of this cruise I felt the magnitude of our trip.  Trips like this, with the whole family, only come along every now and then and I wanted to soak up every minute!  I am so thankful God blessed us with this opportunity and our lives will never be the same because of it!  I love these faces so much!!

 

Spring Break 2016