Tulum, Mexico 4.18.08

Our last port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. From Cozumel, we took a ferry to Playa Del Carmen. It was a great little city and I would recommend it as a vacation destination if you like the beach. From Playa Del Carmen we took an hour bus ride to Tulum to see the Myan ruins. The ruins were incredible and so interesting coming from an LDS background. They were built right on the edge of a cliff next to the ocean. While we were there we bought a coconut to drink the juice out of it. Sam smuggled it back onto the ship and used our garbage can to pound away at it so we could eat pieces of fresh coconut.

Grand Cayman 4.17

We loved our stop in Grand Cayman. There is no pier, so you take a little boat to shore. From there we took the Sting Ray and snorkeling excursion. The fisherman have been dumping their fish scraps in the sea for years and now the sting rays all congregate in the area of a sand bar. It was a 30 minute boat ride to get our there. The sting rays were like cats rubbing up against your legs. It took some getting used to but was really cool. We snorkeled along the coral reef. The water was very choppy which made us swallow a lot of salt water, but it was beautiful. We took pictures with a waterproof disposable camera and haven’t gotten it developed yet. I will post those pictures when I get them. When our tour was over, we took a taxi to Seven Mile Beach. It was gorgeous!

Jamaica 4.16.08

It rained while we were in Jamaica. It didn’t matter much because our excursion was to climb the Dunn River Falls. We took a two hour bus ride to get to the falls and then you put on water shoes, hold hands with the people in your group, and climb to the top of the falls. It was packed with people but we still had a great time. We bought a video of us climbing and it is pretty funny to watch.

We also got to shop in Jamaica which we didn’t enjoy. The people of Jamaica are very pushy, even worse than in Mexico. There is also a lot of poverty and the living conditions were hard to believe. We also were offered drugs. I think if we take another cruise and stop in Jamaica, we will hide at the Sandals resort.

Life on the boat

Sam and I spent seven glorious days aboard the Carnival Conquest. Our biggest surprise was opening the door to our room and finding a balcony. We were upgraded from an interior room to a balcony room and it was wonderful. Instead of having to go up to the deck to see the water, we could sit out in our own little private area. The food was fabulous and I gained five pounds, but it was worth it!

Chuck E. Cheese 4.9.08

Mom, Laurel, Alycia, and I took all six kids to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. Everyone had a wonderful time playing on the toys. Carter decided that he liked Laurel and was content to let her hold him. Up until that day he only wanted me. Renée was thrilled because there were three different kinds of horses to ride. What more could you ask for? Gavin liked everything. I beat Alycia in ski ball, so I have bragging rights until we go again.

Pics from PA

Kendra is such a great aunt to Alycia and I's kids. No wonder they love her so much!


















Aunt Laurel reading bedtime stories.




















I really am not sure why Rene'e is covered with tape. Gavin and Sydney can be pretty creative when they are creative.