ahoy!

during our itinerary we had a couple days of "at sea" meaning we continued to sail for 24+ hours without stopping in a port.
these days were full of sleeping in, relaxation, playtime and stuffing our faces with some incredible food. i think i could write an entire post on just the food, it was endless.
to add to the fun the cruise had designated formal nights. we had fun with this one having 5 little girls who love nothing more than dressing up.
there were 16 levels to the boat which meant lots of exploring.

venezia {the floating city}

our stay in this beautiful port was short and sweet. we wish we could have had an extra day to explore.
among the highlights were st. mark's square and its thousands of pigeons, the gondolas, picturesque alley ways and cobblestone streets.
it was surreal in so many ways.
a little side note...for some reason some of the pictures appear grainy in blogger, you can click on the individual photos to get a more clear snapshot♥

 there were many opportunities to capture the magnificence of our boat during the trip, but i think this one was my favorite. big just doesn't describe it, more like massive.
a few little tidbits of our ship....
it is the newest member of the princess fleet
it was christened by the duchess of cambridge (the girls loved that this was princess kate's boat)
it took its maiden voyage in june 2013 which meant it was in tip top shape for our cruise
during our particular voyage there were over 5 thousand passengers and crew total. crazy right?

venice bound

what do you get when you combine a three am wake-up, thirteen people (5 of which are 7 and under), a party bus, enough luggage to support a small nation and the mediterranean as your final destination?....

PURE EXCITEMENT. 

we are back from a trip of a lifetime. it was truly amazing and i know we all feel so blessed to have experienced it. 

believe it or not (yes babe i know its more than easy for you to believe) i still have more pictures to make my way through. 

i just can't wait so i am going to start at the very beginning and share the sights and stories of this incredible vacation. 

party bus you say? yes party bus. (unfortunately our early morning start made it nearly impossible to capture a good shot of our transportation so i borrowed this one)

needless to say this was a complete hit with the kids. we hooked up our iPhone and literally had a dance party all the way to the airport. 

well at least most of us enjoyed it. lexa was a bit uncertain about the craziness ensuing all around. who can blame her. 

now began the most challenging portion of the trip...airplane time. 

the first leg from san diego to philadelphia was a good 5 hours. upon arrival in philly we had a four hour layover and spent two hours on the runway due to a torrential downpour. as my dad would say it was raining cat and dog. Philadelphia to venice was about 8 and half hours. the iPad, iPhone & endless snacks were a lifeline. i think all five girls watched enough movies to suffice them for the next year. 

upon arrival tiredness began to set in with a 9 hour time change and very little shut eye on the plane. 

we headed to bed with heavy eyes. i am certain we fell asleep before our heads even hit the pillow that night. not to single anyone out, but one family may even have slept in till noon the next day. you know who you are..

stay tuned for more.......