SEATTLE AND MORE CRUISE PICS

About half of the passengers (800 people) were on the ship as part of the Insight for Living cruise. When we weren't looking for whales, or eating, or kayaking, or shopping, we were listening to a series of messages from Chuck Swindoll. We also had the opportunity to attend a variety of concerts by Christian artists. The musician in this picture is Sara Groves. One evening, Chuck wanted to identify the couple in the crowd that had been married the longest. Well, you guessed it, my parents were the last couple standing! Chuck came to where we were all sitting and briefly interviewed my parents. It was a fun and special moment. If you know anything about Chuck Swindoll, he has a great sense of humor and knows how to make things fun. We were all so happy that my parents were recognized for all their years together. I guess you could say that as far as the cruise went, it was the...frosting on the cake.

We had several hours to kill before our plane left Seattle so we took a tour of the city. The best stop was Pike's Place Market. It is an open air market where you can buy fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish!, and MUCH, MUCH MORE!! It was very crowded, but kind of energizing to walk through. My mom LOVED all the beautiful fresh flowers. My dad and I shared a cup of clam chowder. It was our last supper in Seattle and one to remember!

The best thing about the Alaskan cruise was the time we spent together as a family. I know how challenging it is to get everyone together in the same place at the same time even for my own family. I can only imagine what it must feel like for my mom and dad. I am so appreciative that my parents were deliberate about making this trip happen. It will be a memory that we will all cherish for a long, long time. We certainly can't go on big cruises every year, but this experience has inspired me to be intentional about creating special times together with my own family. It is well worth it!