Family Vacation - Day 6

      On our final morning we woke up at 8:30 a.m. docked in Miami, signifying the end of our cruise.  We lazily made our way out of our room and upstairs for breakfast before debarking the ship.  I was sad to leave!  It was around 11:00 a.m. when we arrived at the Ft. Lauderdale airport and our flight home wasn't until 4:00 p.m. so we decided to rent a car and go to the beach.  We had about 3 and a half hours to play before we needed to be back.  The first hour was spent walking along the boardwalk shopping.  After that we played on the beach and in the ocean before stripping our clothes off in the car (literally) and found a place for lunch.  We ate lunch at Ernie's BBQ which was so good!  Spencer said it reminded him of Texas BBQ joints from his mission days.  The flight home felt long!  We were all just beat from playing so hard, but they boys were perfect little travelers.  We had several people tell us how impressed they were with our kids on such a long flight.  That was nice to hear!  I have to say, this trip was probably one of the best trips ever.  I loved every minute and the boys can't stop talking about it.  We will definitely be taking another cruise with the kids in the not-so-distant future!   

Fishes made out of water bottles.

Family Vacation - Day 5 (Sea Day)

      We spent our last full day on the cruise at sea, and it was a super cloudy and windy day.  So windy in fact that the whole upper deck was closed off, which meant no water slides or mini-golf.  It really didn't bother us any though because there was so much onboard entertainment to keep us occupied.  We played games as a family, watched an ice sculpturist, I learned the Thriller dance, and the kids were in and out of Camp Carnival all day long.  Later in the evening the boys attended a kid-only dinner and farewell party which allowed Spencer and I to have dinner by ourselves and catch a show.  We picked the kids up at 10:00 p.m. and made some final rounds of the ship ending up, yet again, in the dining area for pizza and ice cream cones.         

Family Vacation - Day 4 (Cozumel)

      Cozumel was one of my absolute favorite parts of the trip.  For our excursion we chose to go snorkeling at Chankanaab Park.  The boys had never been snorkeling before so we thought this would be a great adventure for them.  Chankanaab Park was beautiful!  It's considered a conservation area and was decreed a National park in 1980.  It's ideal for snorkeling, diving, wildlife watching, and for a fee you can even swim with dolphins.  We had an absolute blast there!  The boys loved snorkeling.  Some of the wildlife they saw while in the water include: a huge barracuda, an octopus, a ray, and lots of tropical fish.  Austin even dove down in the water when he found a shell, and was disappointed when we told him he couldn't keep it.  We played football on the beach;  Spencer and I got 30 minute massages for $20 in the spa;  and the wildlife we found in the lagoon was awesome!

      After our fun day in the sun we went back to our ship and got cleaned up in a hurry so we could do some shopping in town.  We bought tons of souvenirs and it was fun just walking around showing the boys a different culture.  We planned on eating dinner out and went to a couple of restaurants, but when we previewed the menu we thought, why are we about to pay lots of money when we can eat for free on our ship?  So we came to the decision of eating on board.   

      We pulled out of Cozumel around 10:30 p.m. and shortly thereafter was a huge deck party & Mexican buffet on the Lido deck (where the pools are).  Now, I LOVE to dance, but what surprised me was how much Cameron & Andrew LOVE to dance as well.  And, they're good!  We had so much fun dancing.  The deck was packed, you wouldn't know it from the picture below, but it was.  With the exception of Austin I had my whole family out there shaking it.  This day was hands down the funnest day of vacation for me! 

Family Vacation - Day 3 (Key West)

      Before we left on our trip, Spencer and I did a lot of research trying to find the best shore excursions for us.  For our time in Key West we booked a 28 mile jet ski tour around the whole island.  The tour lasted 2 hours on the water.  Most companies we looked at charged $99 per person, however, the company we went through charged us $99 per jet ski.  I thought that was a smokin' deal!  Cameron was my partner, and the other two boys rode with Spencer.  The Caribbean Sea was so warm and the most gorgeous turquoise color.  Seriously, all the hype I had ever heard about the color was true!        

       After our jet ski tour they gave us a ride back to the Port which allowed us time for shopping.  Spencer found a shop that sold frozen Key Lime Pie dipped in chocolate, and we all got several souvenirs to take home.

      Because we had to be back on the ship by 1:30 p.m., there was still plenty of time left in the day to play.  We immediately hit the water park and swimming pools.  I remember laying on one of the lawn chairs by the railing looking out at the blue sea and thinking is this for real?  How can the water be so gorgeous?  I was just in awe! 

Family Vacation - Days 1 & 2

      Three weeks ago today I was on the BEST vacation with my family!  Our destination was the Caribbean Sea aboard the Carnival Imagination cruise ship.  By far, the most frequent question I am asked about our trip is how did the boys do?  In all honesty, they were awesome!  They were so good, and we had so much fun, that I actually want to take them again.  In fact, in my opinion, if you have a family cruising is the way to go. 

        I was a little surprised by how well the kids behaved while on the airplane.  The flights were long, but they kept occupied and thankfully didn't get too bored.  Southwest Airlines doesn't fly directly into Miami, so we flew into Fort Lauderdale, which is close.  We arrived at 12:30 a.m. eastern time and I immediately felt the humidity once we got off the plane.  The weather in Florida was wonderful; 78 degrees with a slight breeze ... perfect for a winter escape.  That first night we stayed in a hotel near the airport and the following morning we caught a shuttle to the Port in Miami.   

        We arrived for check-in around noon and the process was so easy.  Once on board we ate lunch, walked around the ship, then hit the pools and water slides.  All while passengers were still boarding.  I didn't really know what to expect when it came to our room but I was assured that all five of us could fit in one cabin.  And it was true, the way they maximized the space was brilliant!  Each of the boys had their own bed that folded down, while Spencer and I shared a king size one.  I loved it!  We set sail at 5:00 p.m. that night.

      Camp Carnival was another one of the highlights aboard the ship.  They offer tons of activities all day long specifically designed for kids.  Every morning at breakfast we would go through the list of activities and pick out the ones they wanted to attend.  Activities they went to include:  A Magic Show, Break Dancing Class, Color your Own T-Shirt, Wii & PlayStation Game Time, Kids Only Dinner & a Farewell Party.  The Camp was free of charge and it allowed Spencer and I some quality time together while they were gone.

 

      Hands down, one of the best parts of the cruise was the food.  All you can eat, 24 hours a day, and good quality too!  The boys especially enjoyed the 24 hour Pizzeria and soft serve ice cream machine.  Every night after we picked them up from Camp Carnival we stopped by for a slice of pizza and ice cream before bed.  Not good for the belly, but oh so much fun!

 

My Commitment!

Today I made a commitment to myself; I will not read any fictional novel until I have read The Book of Mormon. Only one time have I ever read The Book of Mormon from cover to cover, and I am due for some serious refreshing! Giving up fictional novels may not sound like much of a sacrifice to others, but I LOVE to read and so for me this will hopefully drive me to finish what I've set out to do.

Update: I finished reading the Book of Mormon tonight! 4-1-13.

I Can't Decide Which Is Funnier?

      I can't decide what's more funny, the story behind this photo, or the look on Nalani's face?!  Let's start with the story behind the photo.  So my friend Misti bought her daughter, Lyndie, a My Twinn doll for Christmas.  Misti sent this company a photo of Lyndie and they handmade a custom doll to look like her.  Spencer thinks the doll is CREEPY and absolutely hates it!!!  Every time we go over to their house, Lyndie is brushing her hair and playing with it and it drives Spencer crazy.  So one night when no one was playing with the doll he sat it between Ryan & Misti on the back of the couch and placed a steak knife in its hand pointing towards them.  We all got a good laugh from it!

      So Nalani hears this story and while we're at Taco Bell one night she sneaks up behind Spencer with Lyndie's doll.  That's why I can't decide what is funnier?  The crazed look on Nalani's face, or her reasoning for sneaking up behind Spencer?!

Halftime Play Time

      Austin plays on a boys 5/6 grade basketball team this year, and Spencer is their coach.  Their team was invited to play during halftime at a High School Varsity game this season.  The boys were excited, but I don't think they played quite like they would have liked.  The kids were kind of thrown out there and told, "Go", so it took them a while to get their bearings.  It was fun to watch them play in front of a larger crowd then normal, and I think it was a good experience for them. 

Portland Pilots vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs

      Spencer tends to root more for individual players when it comes to sports as opposed to teams, with the exception of Gonzaga University.  Why?  Because Spencer grew up in Colville, WA and lived in Spokane as well, and Spokane is home to Gonzaga University.  Not to mention, they run a good program and play well year after year.  So each year when Gonzaga comes to Portland to play against the Pilots he likes to go, and I enjoy going with him.  We ate dinner at the stadium this year and shared a table with some die hard Portland fans.  Spencer of course showed up all decked out in his Gonzaga gear so some friendly banter went on between the two of them. 

      Part of the fun of going is who you go with.  The Crouse's who have a VIP membership got us into their halftime club where they served unlimited drinks and desserts.  They certainly know how to live it up!  The stadium was packed, the game was great, and ultimately the Bulldogs crushed the Pilots.  It was money well spent.