MicheMommy

I'm pretty sure she means a flat iron for hair - like a straightening iron - and not a clothes iron, which is what will get you every time. I *think* I've read that you can have flat irons/curling irons, but I'm not 100% sure.

I'm loving reading about your surprise!

But you better be super careful - is it likely she will get nosy and start checking your browser history? It would lead her right to this post and any websites you've been viewing to get pictures and ideas.

Thanks for the pic! Looks like you have some great kids who know how to find joy in life!

It's a nice surprise to be able to connect with others from large families here. (I am used to shocking people with our "11" so the :eek: reactions were no surprise.)

I always heard those reactions growing up, too. The funny thing is, the other day, DH and I were leaving a restaurant with our 4 kids and I heard a lady say as we walked by "Whoa! That's a lot of kids!" Made me chuckle, especially since I live in the land of large families.

What a wonderful surprise you've planned! I'm excited to follow the story and just have to give another shoutout for big families, since I'm #8 of 10! (#8 being the best of all, of course) ;) Kudos to your wife for giving so many children so much love and time. I often wonder how my mother did it!

Thanks for the idea! I think if we upgrade and pay for the cruise (and maybe an excursion) with our card, there's a possibility that we might reach enough points for $500 back. I hadn't thought about the cash back option at all. The cruise isn't until June, so it might be doable. We were going to use the extra points for OBC, but if we do cash back, it's all the same anyway I suppose.

DH and I got this card about a year and a half ago in order to build up points to help with a cruise for our 10th anniversary coming up in June. My husband insists on having a balcony, but we don't have a lot to spend (living on a teacher's salary), so we planned on using the points to upgrade from an oceanview to a balcony. We have a 4 day cruise booked on the Sky and I just called to have the points applied for an upgrade, but apparently this upgrade can only be applied to 5+ day cruises. I'm super frustrated because we already booked our room and this is the only list I've ever found for the rewards, which doesn't indicate that restriction. Sooo, any suggestions on what my best plan of action is now? We have almost 40,000 points, and I don't see us getting to the 50,000 mark before final payment to make the $500 off a cruise reward either. My husband is not going to be happy about this when I tell him. :(

Great thread! I've spent entirely too much time reading this and there are so many things I definitely wouldn't have thought of before. DH and I just booked our first cruise for our 10th anniversary and I am so excited. Only now I have to wait 9 months. :P