So, this was the plan: Pack and load the car Saturday night, leave our house at 5 a.m. on Sunday, drive the 10 hours to Galveston, get there at 3 and on the ship before the 4 o'clock deadline, and set sail at 5 p.m. And THIS is what we woke up to on Sunday morning......
Yeah, that's about 3 inches of snow and ice. We had no idea that there was even a chance of bad weather! So, needless to say, we went into panic mode. We got down the hill and out of the neighborhood, turned onto Barrington, and almost didn't make it any further. SCARY!! Luckily, Scott was patient and focused and tried to ignore the dozen or so cars that we passed in ditches on our way out of town. It was slick all the way to the tunnel, and then once we got on the other side, it was like the angel choruses started singing, and it was as clear as a bell! God obviously heard the hundreds of prayers going up his way from our car because we made it to the port at 3:30, got checked in, and were on the boat by 4. We love January beach vacations for many, many reasons, but this right here is the downside and the risk you run!!
Everyone's favorite - the mandatory muster drill!
Our first breakfast. Look at all that food! And Payton doesn't even like cereal!!
The first day out is always the coolest this time of year, so we decided to hit the arcade. For those who might be wondering....Holland won.
And after a few failed (but close) attempts, Payton finally won at the claw game!
I'll let you guess who won this race....
Ahhhh, formal night. The girls hated it, but don't they look nice?!!
Our waiter, Joseph, from India. He's cutting up Holland's chicken here. He was fabulous!! (Notice the fleece jackets over the formal dresses....)
To be completely honest, I'd never seen or heard these guys before in my life, but I'm a sucker for anyone even halfway famous! They are the Texas Tenors, and they made it to the finals on America's Got Talent. I can see why - they were amazing!!
So, this was our first stop - Cozumel. We took a taxi to the beach, sat there for about 2 hours waiting for the clouds to move out and the sky to clear, decided it wasn't going to happen, took a taxi back to town, got out, and the sun was shining like never before! Just one of those things....so, we found a table at Senor Frogs, got our guacamole fix for the week, and enjoyed the sunshine!
One of our many wonderful dinners.
The beach in Grand Cayman. LOVED this island!!
This never gets old....
Back to the arcade for a little Guitar Hero. You do better with your tongue sticking out.
Our home away from home.
And this is Jamaica. Our original plan was to take a taxi over to the Dunns River waterfall and spend the day climbing it, but when we saw that the taxi ride was an hour and a half one-way and $160, we quickly changed our plans. We knew that we wanted to eat at Margaritaville, so instead of paying the $5 taxi there, we chose to ride the shuttle at $15/person that had 5 different stops around town. BIG mistake! We rode it around town, but were too scared to ever get off. NOT a nice place. So....we rode to Margaritaville, found a table on the deck, and spent ALL day there. The weather couldn't have been more perfect!
Ummm, I'm not really sure.
We got to watch them bolt this slide together....quite the production!
And then watch Scott come shooting out the end! He said there was no way to do it gracefully.
Joseph made mice out of napkins for the girls. They thought they were the best things ever!
Gotta love the towel animals that are waiting in your room every night when you return.
The "beds" that Payton made for Patrick and Frankie. I love this girls' passion and imagination!
And our last meal in the dining room right before we got off the ship. Their faces say it all.....
Payton BOUNCING it down the lane...
Yeah, that's about 3 inches of snow and ice. We had no idea that there was even a chance of bad weather! So, needless to say, we went into panic mode. We got down the hill and out of the neighborhood, turned onto Barrington, and almost didn't make it any further. SCARY!! Luckily, Scott was patient and focused and tried to ignore the dozen or so cars that we passed in ditches on our way out of town. It was slick all the way to the tunnel, and then once we got on the other side, it was like the angel choruses started singing, and it was as clear as a bell! God obviously heard the hundreds of prayers going up his way from our car because we made it to the port at 3:30, got checked in, and were on the boat by 4. We love January beach vacations for many, many reasons, but this right here is the downside and the risk you run!!
Our first breakfast. Look at all that food! And Payton doesn't even like cereal!!
The first day out is always the coolest this time of year, so we decided to hit the arcade. For those who might be wondering....Holland won.
And after a few failed (but close) attempts, Payton finally won at the claw game!
I'll let you guess who won this race....
Ahhhh, formal night. The girls hated it, but don't they look nice?!!
Our waiter, Joseph, from India. He's cutting up Holland's chicken here. He was fabulous!! (Notice the fleece jackets over the formal dresses....)
To be completely honest, I'd never seen or heard these guys before in my life, but I'm a sucker for anyone even halfway famous! They are the Texas Tenors, and they made it to the finals on America's Got Talent. I can see why - they were amazing!!
So, this was our first stop - Cozumel. We took a taxi to the beach, sat there for about 2 hours waiting for the clouds to move out and the sky to clear, decided it wasn't going to happen, took a taxi back to town, got out, and the sun was shining like never before! Just one of those things....so, we found a table at Senor Frogs, got our guacamole fix for the week, and enjoyed the sunshine!
Back to the arcade for a little Guitar Hero. You do better with your tongue sticking out.
Our home away from home.
Ummm, I'm not really sure.
We got to watch them bolt this slide together....quite the production!
And then watch Scott come shooting out the end! He said there was no way to do it gracefully.
Joseph made mice out of napkins for the girls. They thought they were the best things ever!
Gotta love the towel animals that are waiting in your room every night when you return.
Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.....
Growing up SO fast!
Me and my big bro. I love this guy!
There HAS to be a crazy pic...
And a good one of the 9 of us.
There's ALWAYS time for games!
Let me just say how proud I am of my dad and envious of his talents and abilities....he decided a couple of months ago to try his hand at oil painting and painted these amazing pictures for me and my brother for Christmas this year. God has truly given him a gift! Dad came over this weekend and hung mine over our fireplace. I think about him everytime I sit and look at it. I couldn't have asked for a more precious gift.
