Christmas 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas on a Cruise Ship:
Being so far from family during holidays can be difficult, while we have lived in Thailand we have tried to do something really different during Christmas to help with that struggle. Last year we left on Christmas Day for a trip to Vietnam, this year we wanted to celebrate somewhere colder and more Western. As a family we decided to visit Greece and Italy, spending Christmas on a cruise ship would be a great experience. The whole day was spent at sea so there were no distractions or excursions.
We started our Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. Mark and I sang with the Christmas choir made up of over 100 passengers at the Midnight Mass. It was interesting and enjoyable practicing and singing with such a diverse choir. It can be frustratingly slow when all instructions have to be given in 4-5 different languages but it was fun too! We sang O Come Let Us Adore Him in Latin, Silent Night and O Happy Day in English. I met a fast, new, friend from Ft. Worth in the choir, onboard with her husband and two daughters. We walked the streets of Crete, Greece with their family the day after Christmas. I’ve enjoyed visiting with several American families, most of which are military and stationed in Germany.
It was my first Latin mass to attend, the priest was onboard from St. Peter’s in the Vatican. He did read the account of Jesus’ birth in English from Luke though and that was helpful. Mark and I commented that it was probably a more Christ-centered service than we would have attended on any American cruise ship. There was no mention of Santa Claus or Happy Holidays, it was a very holy and spiritual service that over 1500 people attended, what an unexpected joy!
We slept in on Christmas Day after not getting to bed till after 2 a.m. Later in the morning Mark and I had planned and arranged a Christmas Scavenger Hunt for the boys on the ship. We had all agreed that this trip was our Christmas ‘gift’ but we had managed to pack and hide a few small things to place in the boys stockings onboard. The boys were funny, they were timid and embarrassed teenagers but later said that was their favorite part of the WHOLE trip!! We hid clues throughout the ship-at one point they had to sing Jingle Bells in front of several crew members, they had to greet Paulo at the reception desk with “Good Morning” in Italian….all the hints eventually led them back to our cabin and their awaiting Christmas goodies. We just wanted to think of some way to make it more memorable and special for our guys, they were very appreciative and it made it all worthwhile!
We splurged and purchased a movie to watch together in our cabin while enjoying some gelato. Later we enjoyed a nap with much relaxation. We enjoyed a special dinner in our dining room in the evening before preparing to visit Crete, Greece the following morning. Our last stop in Greece!