Home again!

Day seven was travel day.  We were headed home.  Typically when I am away from home for a long period of time I am ready to come home, not so this time!  I could have stayed much longer!!!  Those of you who have been on a cruise know that getting off the boat is a process.  The kids were super patient and it went well.

So we said goodbye to 7 days of being waited on, fed and cleaned up after and came home to laundry, no food in the fridge and the lawn needing mowed!  We also came home to my new niece who I was dying to hold, grandparents my kids were dying to see, my “other” kids (the Watrins) whom I had not seen for FAR too long and a neighborhood and community that I love.  I feel so blessed to have been able to travel and so blessed to come home to such favorable circumstances.  The vacations we take in life we will never forget…  But day to day life is what sustains us.  I am grateful to Jeff for working so hard and being such an excellent provider.  I was reminded of how grateful for that I was on vacation but I am even more aware of that on a daily basis!  I am blessed to be able to serve and take care of 5 beautiful children and loved every minute of a week uninterrupted with them.

Last Day at Sea

Our sixth day of vacation was out last full day at Sea.  The weather was cloudy and relatively cold so we spent a lot of time playing games, eating, going to shows, eating..  Well you got the idea.

The kids loved the towel animals and there was an activity to teach us how to make towel animals.  So, Jeff and I and the little kids attended.

 

The Comedian on board was hilarious!  He did a balloon animal thing for the kids.  When it was Jordan’s turn to make a request she asked for a scorpion.  He laughed and laughed.  Said he had never had a little girl ask for a scorpion!!

Later the kids went to Kid’s club and Chase, Jeff and I went to participated in some games.  We did a win, lose or draw, several trivia’s and a gender wars (females won!).  Following Gender Wars Jeff promptly told me the Judge was cheating and favoring the women…  Can you say INTENSE!!!

  We also swam a little more…  Mitchell  LOVES hot chocolate and he was able to get his “last cup of Joe.”  As he says!!!!

 

Remember that eating part…  Here is the tray Jeff came back with after attending the “chocolate extravaganza!”  I love that man!!!

Cabo San Lucas

On our fifth day we went to Cabo San Lucas.  This was the absolute most beautiful place.  I loved every minute and would love to go back someday.  In Cabo the younger kids and I went and swam with the dolphins.  What an incredible experience.  I would absolutely recommend it to anyone and it is worth the money!  The older kids and Jeff went to Snuba which is a mix between snorkeling and scuba diving.

When we swam with the dolphins I could not take pictures but here are the photos that I bought.

Look at Jord’s face!!  I just love it.  She said this is the “best day of my ever life.”  What that meant, who knows?

After the dolphin swim the I hailed a water taxi with a glass bottom and we went out of “lover’s beach.”  This is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortes.  It was absolutely beautiful and I could have stayed there for a week. 

Mitchell became quite the shopper.  By the time we got to Cabo Jordan felt like she could speak Spanish… or not.  She could not say “Senor” so she would say to random people on the street “Ola Esor”  She is always a kick in the pants.

We had to get back on the ship early that day and went to some fun shows that night.  The kids had a late night party at the kids club and stayed until midnight!

While I was in the shower Jordan applied her own make up.  It was SO dark I never got it all off. 

Mazatlan

On the 4th day of our cruise we ported in Mazatlan.  We had not made it to the beach yet so took a shopping and beach tour.  We got to shop in Mazatlan and take a tour of the city.  Our last stop was the beach.  We had so much fun in the ocean that I have NO photos. 

Here is a few of our tour and shopping.  We stopped at one point and watched a cliff diver.  The top left if the cliff he dove off.  Top right is a restored Cathedral in down town Mazatlan.  It was beautiful.  Bottom right is a farmer’s marked in down town and bottom left is Mitchell on the “trolley” that took us on our tour.

The kids loved bargaining in Mazatlan.  Mitchell was hilarious!  At one point he said to a man “You take 5 bucks or I am walking.”  The guy didn’t take the deal and Mitchell walked!  He is so funny.

 

 

Chase got this fancy hat. 

Jordan became overly involved with sea shells.  Every market we went to she bought more shells.  Then every night she would lay them all out on her bed to see them. 

Mazatlan was a very fun city.  Next summer we are going there for a week with all of the adults in my family.  I CAN’T WAIT!!

Puerta Vallarta

Okay, so what we didn’t expect was an absolute down pour!  But that’s what we got, at least for the first part of the day.  Luckily by noon it had cleared up.  We had book a canopy tour a.k.a. a zip line! We had an absolute blast.  While waiting for the tour we held a scorpion.  Jordan, of course, was the first of the entire group to volunteer to hold it!

Mitchell just didn’t have it in him to hold the scorpion.  Chase did, however once again, Mother of the Year failed to get a photo of him!

 

We didn’t book the tour through Carnival.  A travel agent recommended this company and these guys were hilarious.  We went on 13 zip lines after riding about 45 minutes through a primitative mountains in the back of a truck.  Most of the kids identified this as being one of the '”highlights” of their trips.

These guys were absolutely hilarious.  They were so good with the kids.  Jordan went several times ALONE, which about caused me a heart attack.  She was not nervous at all. 

So a final note that will make my sisters and mom laugh:  There were several women in our group.  Hispanic men have their “machismo” to look after.  The guides called all of the women “beautiful” or “sexy” except for me, whom they referred to as “mama.”   Help me now!!!  Jeff and I laughed about it the entire trip!

Sorry there were no photos of Jeff.  He is the best and had the camera the entire time.  I really am so blessed to have found someone so selfless.  I can’t even begin to express my gratitude!

After we returned the younger kids and T did not want to venture back into town.  So, we left them on the ship and Chase, Jeff and myself went shopping.  SO FUN!!  Chase became quite the shopper!

This is our ship as we boarded back on in the evening.  So pretty!