Seattle, ALASKA and eventually DISNEY!!!

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Welcome to my trip report!!!

This "trip" consists of three parts. First part is Seattle, second is Alaskan Cruise and then finally we get Disney!!! I'm a long time reader of the disboards and I'm quite addicted to trip reports. In fact, my favorite thing to do while ON a trip is read about what other people are doing on THEIR trips...I'm a sicko like that. The planning is *almost* more fun than actually going...almost...well...and sometimes it's actually a lot better, we tend to invoke fiasco and chaos at times...

Who am I? I'm Shannon, 35, married to the love of my life for almost 15 years, (my only love, my first boyfriend, the only man I've ever kissed, DON'T JUDGE ME). Anyway, I LOVE him, he's my Craigy poo bear but most people just call him Craig. I have two babies (one whom is 9 and then the actual baby who just turned 1). I love Jesus but I cuss a little. Seriously, I love the Lord but I'm the least judgey person you're ever going to meet. I have people in my life who are so called "super Christians" and even though I've been a Christian for like 25 years they even turn me OFF. Stop with your hypocrisy. Stop pretending like you're a good person when clearly you're not. Luckily none of these people are going on vacation with me!!! Anyway...I work two jobs (one of which JUST to add to my vacation fund). I love cats, penguins and koala bears. I hate being hot (but I live in Georgia so I'm basically always in misery). I love food. Seriously. TV is my vice...planning vacations is my happy place...I'm sure you'll learn way more about me than you'll ever want to know during this trip report. Oh and when I was pregnant with Coop, I got bell's palsy (it almost mimicks a stroke, half of your face doesn't work), it gets better and during the day you can't tell but when I get super tired or stressed it becomes more obvious and I look very much like a pirate.


The Fam. Obviously, the old one (beside's me) is Craig. He is actually 10 years older than me but a lot of times people think I'm his mom...seriously, this has happened. He is the kindest, sweetest guy you'll ever meet and he just goes with the flow. He doesn't mind what I plan or where we go. BEST HUSBAND EVER! Cooper is 9 and amazing. He is laid back, so tender hearted and sweet with everyone. He has the best heart! He loves thrill rides and is usually up for any adventure. Hadley is my wild child. She is mischievous, always into something and a complete sassy pants. We love her anyway though, hahaha, she completes us

The Rest of the Gang. You've met all of us. Also pictured (and going on this adventure), are (standing up); my sister (Bec) and brother in law (Will, William, WillyB). Bec is really pushing to get the WillyB thing to catch on but Will is not a fan. And sitting is my mom (Lorri, mostly referred to as Mom or as Cooper calls her, Nee) and my dad, Thorney, aka: Dad, aka: Grandpa, aka: the man who hates vacations. Seriously. Hates to go anywhere. Especially hates cruises...but we begged him to come to Alaska...and he obliged...hopefully this is not a decision we all live to regret bahahahaha. And lastly pictured is....JOANN...my mother in law, aka: Joanna, aka: Joanna Banana, aka: Mimi. She is standing with the sexiest man winner from one of our other cruises. Before she met me she had never traveled anywhere and now I drag her with us wherever we go. I loves her and feel really bad when people don't get along with their mother in law, mine is amazing!


There are technically 16 other people going on this trip with us (at least the first two parts) but these will be the main playas that you'll read about. I'll introduce the others as we go.

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

This is my vacation binder. Another random fact about me is that I'm completely unorganized. Nothing in my life is in order...except for this vacation binder. The binder is my sanity. Everything is falling apart and I'm surrounded my craziness and I'm like BUT LOOK!!! My binder!!! Everything is in order and categorized and confirmation numbers are highlighted and schedules are documented and MY BINDER MAKES SENSE WHEN NOTHING ELSE DOES.

We leave in 7 days. SEVEN. One week. I have yet to pack anything. I did buy another suitcase the other day so that's something...I have flown a couple times before but it was pre-kiddos so this is adding a whole other element of planning and the potential for things to go disastrously wrong. I'm not a good packer. I'm more of a last minute, throw whatever clothes are in the dryer in the suitcase and go type person BUT the fact that this time I'm packing for three (well four, counting Craig) and the fact that we'll be gone for 10 days AND THE FACT THAT we have to fly so I'm limited on bag space and weight capacity is all looming in my mind and I'm really going to try to be better prepared and be methodical. The last time we cruised and did Disney I did the kid's clothes in Ziploc bags (one bag for each day, everything they needed for that day in that bag) and it worked out really well. (And I say *I* but a lot of it was really Bec. She's much more organized than me and she sometimes takes over things like that when she see's me failing) Luckily they live right beside us so she can come and help me with life in general.
So that's my goal for tonight, start the kiddo's packing...

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Bec just brought me this FABULOUS Ursula!!! Hello you sassy soul sister from the sea

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Last night we got coop and Hads bag packed. We did the ziplock bag system (labeled each bag with days and packed whole outfits in bags).

I was excited with my suitcase I bought because 1) it is sooo light and 2) it spins brilliantly so it's going to be amazing dragging it through an airport (along with a stroller, diaper bag, baby, kiddo and old person (Joanna) haha just kidding, Joann isn't that old. Well she kind of is but she doesn't act it, lol.



I am just in love with this sea witch ❤


The temp where we're going in Alaska was 34 today. It's going to feel very #authentic bahahahahaha I also ordered my frogg toggs ponchos today so we're ready for Seattle

 

[MomofaPrincessLover]

What cruise line are you sailing on?

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

What cruise line are you sailing on?

Royal Caribbean!

 

[rdkeim]

Sounds like a fun trip! I'll be following along!

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Sounds like a fun trip! I'll be following along!

Just got home from the seattle/Alaska part, it was the best!!! I tried to take good notes Part 1: momentarily!!!

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

May 31, Travel Day, part 1

May 31, travel day!!! Part 1

We had a scare the night before. Well let me back up, we had a scare two weeks before the cruise. We discovered that dad's birth certificate is spelled wrong...how this has never been noticed I don't know but when we found it I was in panic mode. Cruises are pretty ticky about documentation and your name needs to match all the forms exactly and if you don't have a passport then you need a license and certified birth certificate WITH a raised seal. Anyway so when we discovered dad's name was wrong we got with our probate girls (I work at get sheriffs office and work with probate court so I'm friends with all of them, luckily) and started the process of changing it but of course all of that has to go through vital statistics which takes FOR-EVER so we were taking what we had, hoping we got a lenient port agent and literally praying every time we thought about it that he could get on board with no problems. I really feel like God just gave me peace about it because I'm a worrier anyway so I was super stressed at first but then God just moved on my heart to calm me. Now cue the night before we leave: bec texts me "umm does the birth certificate HAVE to have a raised seal because Will's doesn't?" I texted both probate lovies to find out if he could get a copy from them even though he was born in another county and when Shelley said she got there at 8:00 the next morning I told her bec and will would be there waiting on her, lol.

So back to may 31st. I got up before my alarm went off (which never happens), around 6:30ish. I filled out my new insurance information for work (what better way to start a vacay ) and took my shower uneventfully. Craig had run to town to get popped. I'm pretty sure if me and Toby (the chiro) were hanging on a clift and he could only save one of us he would throw the rope to the man who realigns his spine and let me fall to my untimely death. I texted bec to make sure they were in town to get the birth certificate. They were eating some Lord's chicken (chick fil a) then headed to the courthouse.

I decided to be a decent mom/wife and cook breakfast (mostly so my family didn't get hangry). I had finished packing the day before which is very unusual for me so I was left with time to kill which is just unsettling...I kept thinking I must be forgetting to do something. I liked the way I packed this time. I got gallon zip lock bags and wrote days (1-10) and what we were doing each day and our names and packed each outfit in the bag so I could easily know what I needed and just reach in and grab a bag and have it all there. This saved a lot of room too. Southwest lets each passenger have two checked bags, a carry on and a personal item and we actually could have taken more than we did but for four people, ten days and literally 100 diapers we did it with only four suitcases and two backpacks!!! I was impressed.


We loaded up the car and headed to "sugahill" as coop used to call it. We left at 9:30, exactly on time. Grabbed Joann without incident. She only had one suitcase and one smaller bag which may have been the most impressive thing of all. (If you've ever traveled with Joanna banana you know she doesn't go light), bahahah.


I saw this car sticker with royal Caribbean's crown and anchor that said "cruise life" on the way to the airport and I felt like this was an amazingly good omen of things to come. (pic). Also I looked for the sticker on board (because I need it in my life) but spoiler: I never found it ️

The atl airport is a nightmare (obviously). Right as we were walking in a porter asked if we wanted help (yes please ). God totally sent him to us. He helped us navigate where we needed to be and we got checked in. Security wasn't horrible, just challenging with nine people and a stroller. The stroller turned out to be a curse and a blessing, throughout the whole trip. Everywhere we went we would have to go through a separate line it seemed. Sometimes this was good, sometimes it sucked. And there were about a billion escalators which proved...interesting.

Once we were checked in and through security and found our gate we still had about an hour and a half to kill so got lunch. Bec, will and I think mom, dad and Joann all got Jersey Mikes. Coop had cheese pizza. Craig got a turkey club wrap and Hads and I got a very disappointing ham and provolone croissant. It had a weird spicy mustard with huge seeds and it was just weird. Yuck. I thought I took a pic but apparently I couldn't find it. Fear not though, we didn't starve, it was almost time for plane snacks

Southwest has an open seating policy so I was worried we wouldn't get to sit together. The core 4 got to board before the rest of the Fine 9 because they do family boarding right after group A. We headed to the back of the plane (since it seems to be less popular, although it's actually my favorite part of a plane). Luckily we got to all sit really close by (so we could pass the baby, haha). There was also an awesome couple in front of us and Hadley made best friends with him.

Also, literally right as we took off, Hadley pooped (this would become a trend). If you've never changed a baby on an airplane you've never lived.

This trip had a lot of turbulence (which is kind of exciting). Adds adventure, bahaha. We lucked out and this was one of southwests bigger planes and we had tons of room. At one point coop and Hads were both in the floor at our feet playing it was very comfy!

I did ask the flight attendant for a seatbelt extender when I got on (knowing it would make the flight more comfortable if I didn't have a searbelt digging into me the whole trip). I didn't need it at all on this plane though. The seats were great.


Next up: Travel day, part 2

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Travel day, part 2 (disclaimer: this is probably going to be the most boring update of the trip. Not much happened on this leg except for one huge fiasco which was prob the worst of the whole trip BUT we all survived. ANYWAY, if you're going to skip an update, make it this one. Dont judge all further entries by this monstrosity).

We landed in Oakland, California without incident, first plane ride down! Joann, Will, Coop and Hads could all check that off their lists now! None of us had ever been to Cali so there's that too. We had two hours before we took off again so we explored to see what the airport offered.

Bec was excited to find a vending machine that dispensed souvenirs!!! That's different! The view looking out from the windows was actually really pretty and we did the tourist thing and took pics.

I can't remember what mom and dad ate, I'm pretty sure it was Burger King though...(so adventurous, those two)! Bec had a Rueben with two kinds of meats and Will felt cheated they only offered him one kind My core 4 (and Joann) got California pizza kitchen. We all shared a cheese pizza, pepperoni and sausage pizza and bbq chicken salad. The pizza was good, the salad was amazing.

Soon we boarded the next plane. This one wasn't as roomy as the first. Seats were smaller and leg room wasn't near as good. We sat toward the back again. It was very bearable though because we were only in the air for maybe an hour and a half? In my notes I didn't write down how long the flight was. I did write down what kind of pizza we got and how amazing that salad was though...I even put a star and heart by the meal...what does that say about me as a person? Bahahaha


We had good flight attendants both times. Southwest employees sassy girls (and guys) for attendants. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement and it was awesome! The snaky announcements were great! My favorite was "if you accidentally hit your call button, don't we're really good at ignoring it" and "if you're traveling with children...WHY?" Oh, and "at southwest we really care about you...and your money". These are my kind of people. If I was skinny I would be a flight attendant.

We had drink and snack service on both flights. Coop's drink of choice is always hot chocolate which excites me because it comes with an adorable southwest heart stir, lol. Ahh the little things, hahahaha.

Mom took the picture of her watch (still on ga time), quarter to midnight, with the sun still out. So we should have been sleeping but here we were, leaving on a jet plane, haha.

Okay, here comes the worst part of the trip. I had called several companies ahead of time and tried to check on shuttles or modes of transportation from the airport to our hotel (SeaTac to downtown Seattle). Each private company was telling me they couldn't pick up at the airport, you had to go through this one company that actually operates out of the airport. I tried to find info on it and finally got a number but the person I talked to wasn't that helpful. She said it was "ride sharing" and once we got to the airport we would wait until enough people were there to fill the shuttle and then we would go. She couldn't advise how long we would have to wait. She did say we could rent a private town car or limo but couldn't do it in advance, we had to wait until we were actually AT the airport and then "there would be plenty of agents around to help". Now I'm not sure if I just got the most uninformed employee of the month or if I just misunderstood somewhere along the line or if it was because it was so late at the airport but there were nobody able to get us a driver, no signs of any information to that effect and I asked several employees and everyone just advised to take the light rail (think the MAARTA of Seattle). I did call the hotel and confirm there was a light rail station within two blocks of them. So we started or trek (because the light rail station is kind of at the airport but it's still like a half a mile walk through this air bridge tunnel thing. Luckily, because we were weary and God knew we needed help He sent a "courtesy shuttle" right when we needed it

We got on the light rail (it was now close to midnight Seattle time, 3 am OUR time and that's what mattered because that's what our bodies thought it was, lol). We saw some interesting characters riding that late at night. It's about a 30 minute ride and we were all fighting to stay awake so we didn't miss our stop and ride the rail indefinitely. We got off at our station and made our fatal flaw. We trusted will. For some reason when will said he knew which was to go we followed him. Now, will had never been to Seattle, he wasn't an expert of that city; why did we think he would know? Maybe we were delirious. Will has a tendency to state a fact and make you believe he knows what he's talking about when actually he has NO FLIPPING CLUE. One time he matter of fact told me that the reason the silver part of the chick fil a sandwich was on the inside was so you could hear them up in the microwave. The next day I tried it and LITERALLY set my sandwich on fire and almost blew up my microwave My idiot brother in law (I still love him though, ha). So anyway we blindly followed after him as he walked for blocks, up and down streets and around corners. We were dragging with us ALL of our luggage mind you and we feel like it's 3:30 am. We're exhausted and passing some unsavory looking people and probably figuring this is how we die. Finally we see our hotel!!! (the next day we find out that the light rail station building is literally connected to our hotel and we were only like 15 steps away if only we had turned right instead of left when we got off the train damnitwill

The hotel was really swanky. It was from the 30's and very elegant. We had heard it was haunted which was disturbing but I was too tired to care. We took pics of the hotel the next day but I'm going to go ahead and include them here. This was it for tonight, as soon as we hit the room, our butts hit the bed!!!



Up next: Seattle, part 1!!!