We had three gorgeous ports of call on our cruise. Our first stop was Grand Cayman. Christi and I had been there two years before and had visited Stingray City. Our previous visit had been magical as we had been able to interact with these beautiful creatures in their natural environment. Unfortunately the wind was pretty strong and the water was choppy on this visit. Each of the kids did get to interact with the stingrays, but it was not nearly as magical. The rough water also made for a less-than-stellar snorkeling experience.
Our second port of call was Cozumel, and it was amazing. Taylor, Parker and I got up early and went scuba diving. The two boys had learned in Utah and certified in the crater in Heber. Visibility about five feet. So the almost infinite visibility of the Carribbean blew them away. We saw sharks, barracuda, lots of tropical fish and an eagle ray. So much fun. Then we met up with Christi and the crew and visited the Dolphinarium. The kids loved interacting with these amazing animals.
Our final port of call was Costa Maya. For the most part we just relaxed on the beach, ate yummy food and got massages. Taylor and Parker went out on wave runners and some of the kids went snorkeling. And of course there was shopping at every stop.
Grand Cayman doesn't have any shoreline deep enough for the cruise ships to dock, so they stay far out and you take small ferries or "tenders" to get to the island. Here we are on our way in:
Before they met us in Cozumel, the girls got their hair braided:
Christi the contrarian:)
This craftsman quickly wove a bracelet that said "SOPHI"
At the Dolphinarium...
...we got to pet the dolphins...
...kiss the dolphins...
Lucky Dolphin!!!
...and swim with the dolphins!
Back to the ship in Cozumel!
Greeted by ancient Mayans in Costa Maya!
The beautiful Freedom of the Seas cruise ship.
Lexi and Jesi getting massages.
Hope to see you again soon, Costa Maya!!!
Well, there you have a pretty good summary of our trip. It was the most amazing, most magical, most fun family vacation we could imagine. We are so grateful it was able to happen! Given that our flights were all free via frequent flier miles, we couldn't complain too much that we flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle, had a 4 hour layover, then flew home. But we were pretty tired!
Sophi crashed on Parker's shoulder during the ride home from the airport.
We hope we have the chance to vacation like this again some day. In the meantime, I'll leave you with two parting gifts. First, there isn't anything much cuter than Sophi grasping on to her upper bunk side rail as she sleeps...
Second, try not to smile as you listen to Conner's "Whoa's, Oh-No's, and Oh my Goodness's" as he rides the Thunder Mountain Railroad:)
Our last day at the Disney parks was Saturday. On Sunday, we had to check out of the hotel, rent a 15-passenger van, drive three hours south to Ft. Lauderdale, and board the Royal Carribbean Freedom of the Seas. We had also found a local LDS meeting house in Ft. Lauderdale and were going to attend sacrament meeting. We set our alarms early. I got up and ready and headed to the airport to pick up the rental van. Christi got the kids going. But by the time we all got ready in our church clothes and had the van packed up, it was apparent we were not going to make it to church. We drove the three hours, checked our luggage in the blistering heat, and boarded the ship, all in our church clothes!
But once we got on board, oh what an amazing week we had. All of us loved it so much. It was such a perfect way to travel with our varied needs. Cali, Graci, Jesi, Taylor, Parker and Xander reveled in the independence of, for the most part, going where they wanted when they wanted. All of the kids LOVED the limitless food. Any time, day or night, there was free food somewhere on board. For breakfast and lunch, Christi or I would lead Conner and Lexi through the buffet and tell them everything that was available. On a cruise ship, that is a LONG list. They were really good at getting to the end and remembering exactly what they wanted on their plates. For dinner, we would all meet in the main dining room and order from a fancy menu. Lexi was particularly adventurous and would make a point to try new things. She found out the she likes escargot and ordered it several times during the cruise!
They had activities for kids Sophi's age and also a teen club. Lexi and Conner visited the teen club several times during the week. The counselors were fantastic with them and both kids really enjoyed this. We went to several broadway style shows, a magician, a performance by a fantastic a cappella group and a spectacular ice skating show. Yes, the ship had an ice skating rink:) We played many games of shuffleboard, we scaled the climbing wall and Taylor and Parker played basketball. Each of the kids had a small budget for the video arcade. And just exploring the ship was a delight. Cruises are awesome!
I think Graci and Cali's favorite thing about the entire cruise may have been riding the elevators. A couple of them were glass and looked out over the large interior promenade area. I have no idea how many times they went up and down. Make sure to ask them about security inviting them to get off the elevator!!!
Scenes from the dining room:
Sophi examines her menu
Unbelievable ocean views!
We were in the pools every day!!! (Sophi and Lexi went around this small lazy river dozens of times on our trip:)
Parker and Taylor enjoyed the flowerier. I only got video of Parker.
The towel animals were a big hit!
These two enjoyed sunbathing:
Conner was super impressed with the a cappella group and enjoyed getting his picture taken with one of them:
Loving the upper bunks:)
There were lots of characters on the ship:
On our last night, one of the waiters (you have the same ones all week, so they really get to know you) made Sophi this rose out of a napkin. She loved it!
That gives you a feel of our time on board. Tomorrow I'll wrap up the posts about our trip with a summary of the three ports of call we visited. If you think it has taken a long time to get through all of these posts, remember...the trip was even longer! A.Maze.Ing!!!
When we fell in love 24 years ago, we started down a path that has been challenging, exhausting, and breathtakingly beautiful. Here we chronicle the blessings and stressings of parenting some pretty amazing children. We think they're the perfect travel companions as we look forward to the next fork in the road. Welcome to our journey.
Our oldest by birth, he's the voracious reader, BYU fan, spiritual giant, sports nut, 4.0 student, huge-hearted ray of sunshine!
Parker Matthew--22
The red-headed social butterfly, he's our all-star athlete, top student, outdoor-loving, spunky second-born, with a heart of pure gold!
Jessica Anne "Jesi"--19
Our little princess with the big smile, Jesi loves fashion, friends, hanging with her siblings, and vacations. She sparkles!
Jacob Michael-- 6/8/2004
Little one of heavenly birth, born too soon to bloom on earth. You have taught us so much--we love you, Jacob!
Emily Anne "Emmy"--9/28/2005
Emily's exquisite little hands and feet have left their mark in this world. Her body was tiny, but her spirit enormous. We miss her!
Elizabeth Mei "Elli"--18
Elli's world may be dark, but she's the light of our lives! Lover of music, chocolate, and new toys, she fights a courageous battle with autism while bringing joy to all who know her!!
Gracelin Kate "Graci"--24
Showing true grace throughout her battles with heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, our Gracester is loved by everyone! She's smart, gorgeous, friendly, and has faith to move mountains!
Alexander Philip "Xander"--18
With a spunk and smile that could outmatch anyone's, our Xander has not let Cloves Syndrome get the best of him. He's a talented chef, a caring friend to MANY, our best helper, and is full of teenage humor.
Alexis Li "Lexi"--18
Meet the friendliest girl on the planet! Blind from birth, Lexi amazes all of us with her braille skills, determination, talents, but mosly by the way she spends her days SMILING. She is an angel in every way. We are thrilled to have our darling daughter home six years from China!!
Sophia Breanne "Sophi"--14
Her eyes called out to us from half-way around the world. Little Sophi is growing up and we would do anything to freeze her in time! She's beautiful, smart, and coy and can do amazing things with her toes! She has inspired people all around the world and we can't believe she is ours. Sophi = perfection.
Calais Rose "Cali"--22
Charming Cali joined our family in December of 2012. This girl is beautiful both inside and out. Born with spina bifida, Cali is confined to a wheelchair, but that does not keep her from enjoying life to the fullest. She is smart, opinionated, strong, and lovely in every way. She is a light in our family and a magnet for handsome young men!
Conner Allen-- 22
Meet our newest addition! Home nine years from China, Conner makes us wonder what we ever did without him. Blind from birth, he will blow you away with his incredible talent on the piano. He is sweet, witty, girl-crazy, kind and finally, OURS! We love you, Conner!
The Dog
Baxter-- 3 years
She begged and pleaded and wrote letter after letter telling us why she NEEDED a dog, and Sophi finally got her wish! Meet Baxter, the cutest mini-audssiedoodle on the planet.
