Jamaica: Our 2nd excursion

In the forefront of the picture you can see Andy swimming towards Tobin and Noah who are snorkeling.
Brenna's ever so graceful attempt to begin snorkeling!!






In the background you can see our cruise ship. We had times when it was raining throughout the day.


We arrived in Montego Bay, Jamiaca around 10:00 in the morning. It was exciting to think that we were free to go anywhere or do anything we wanted anywhere we wanted to do it. But, our thoughts were focused on snorkeling. We wanted to snorkel and have Brenna snorkel for the first time. So, therefore, we needed to find a beach! It was so much easier than I thougth it was going to be; I should have figured that tourisism is a huge industry in all of the places we were visiting and the natives were waiting to show their country to us. When we walked off the boat and into the customs building there were all sorts of information about tours and attractions. I really felt a sigh of relief to realize how easy it was going to be. And I also realized how different it was going to be from Haiti as we really could have driven all day around to the different areas of Jamaica had we wanted to. So, we found a map, asked about good snorkeling places and off we went into our bus. This was also organized and we were quickly directed to a bus.

One thing I've realized about going to different countries besides the fact that some of them drive on what we think as the wrong side of the road is that their cars and buses might also be different. They aren't always like we think of cars and buses. The bus we got on was no exception. It was really a hybrid between a bus and a van. And what was really neat was that the bus had these fold down chairs that when opened fit into the aisle of the bus. So, as you walked down the aisle there were two seats on either side of the bus. And yet, when you opened the fold down chair, we had seats for all five of us! No one had to sit by themselves; it was one of those fun moments where the numbers matched perfectly. I know, I'm so easily impressed.

The bus ride was actually one of my favorite parts of the whole day. I guess, at heart, I really want to see what other countries look like. I know the beaches of Jamaica are their greatest natural resources, but I want to see where the people live, where they work and shop. If it so different from ours, I want to understand how it is different. The bus trip only whetted my appetite for that information. Luckily, one of the first stops were the shops. I couldn't imagine getting off and going shopping there. It just didn't look like my usual haunts for shopping, Target, the mall, etc. I didn't have a context for it and I would have liked to, but I knew there was no way my family would agree to going shopping instead of snorkeling, even if it wasn't so much for the shopping per se, but rather to find out how Jamaicans shop. I'm sure this sounds silly, but I really like learning about people.

Our bus ride took us past Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. It looked like a great restaurant and a great place to relax and have a meal. I stored that place away for later if there was time. It was very cheery as were our tour guides (even if they did try and get us to take the extended tour of Jamaica which Andy didn't want to do). After Margaritaville, we quickly approached Doctor Cave beach where we were deposited for a day of beach and snorkeling.

Our first impressions were so scewed because it took us so long to get our snorkel equipment, make sure it worked properly and feel comfortable using it. Andy had to go back three different times to exchange equipment. Now, I don't think he was being picky as we all like to breathe. Finally, after probably an hour, we were able to swim out and snorkel. Poor Brenna never really got the hang of it and really didn't get to see what all of our excitement was about. She ended up hanging out on a water trampoline while the rest of us snorkeled. We will convert her next time!! The boys had fun and I was amazed to see how quickly they seemed to remember the ins and outs of snorkeling. We didn't see any fish or sea things that we hadn't seen before, but regardless it was neat to see them again. They boys loved trying to swim down and touch the fish-- yes this was all Andy's influence.

After about 5 hours at the beach, we were able to take a water taxi back to the boat. We were ready as we had been at the beach all day, underneath a really strong, beautiful sun. It was a really fun time and Margaritaville will have to wait for another day.

Haiti: Our first excursion

I can't tell you how exciting it is to wake up and know you are in a different country than you were in the day before. Waking up and looking out the window while laying in bed and looking at the most beautiful colored turqoise water I have seen in a long time and looking up to see an undisturbed coastline made me giddy with excitement.

Haiti was beautiful, but to be honest we only went to a small Royal Caribbean owned part of Haiti. Is this really seeing Haiti? I didn't quite think so, but I like to think that we were helping the economy of this poor country by partaking of its beauty and market vendors. There were two parts of the beach to go to and we chose the one with the water park for the children. They had lots of inflatable floats for the kids to play on, a trampoline, and a log for them to run across. They had a great time. Royal Carribbean also had a bbq lunch for us to share in.

I would say that Haiti was the place for relaxing. We had no plans to do anything other than enjoy the beach. This was our opportunity for pure relaxation. It didn't quite work out that way. Andy and I wanted to be down by the water's edge watching the children, making sure they were ok. And because we had three children wandering off in different directions, we didn't get a lot of time to relax. At a couple of different points we were showered with little storms. We tried to walk around and see as much of Haiti as we could. It really was beautiful and the part where we were was pretty much untouched. Andy and I could only spot one road and very few houses. It was a great first location.

Our Boat: Liberty of the Seas

Seriously? How ugly is this boat? We just spent this much money for this thing? were my first thoughts as the taxi brought us to the pier. The boat was immense and for some reason, didn't seem very dynamic, amazing, fun, or really, even clean. It was the balcony part of the boat that I was having trouble with. I hid my thoughts and turned a bright smile to my family stepping out of the taxi we had just taken from the Marriott to the boat. We were on our way to a week of family fun; it was easy to let that thought take hold.

The boat turned out to be absolutely amazing! It was a brillant, floating machine. And it turned out to be quite clean. We had a room with a window that framed our bed on the 3rd floor. The kids had the room next door. This worked out quite well as it had a door between the rooms and we had two bathrooms instead of one! The boat had everything a girl could want. It had a spa, two pools, workout room, a track on deck 12, numerous bars with servers walking around to wait on you at your chair, a dining room, cafes, and best of all kids camps! What's not to love.

We had a wonderful steward, David, who took quite good care of us in our rooms. He made our rooms up twice a day and made fun little animals out of our towels and sunglasses. One night Brenna left her doll, Lulu, in our room as we went to dinner and we came home "to our room" to find that David had made our bed and tucked Lulu in and made the room around her. We laughed hardily and enjoyed David's fun spirit. As our boat left Florida, and we had partied on deck 12 to say bon voyage, we wandererd around trying to get acclimated. We ended up at the front of the boat, what it's called I already have forgotten, but we were simply in awe of the ship, the ocean and our week ahead! The coast guard escorted us out of the bay which was quite a site to see them flanking our sides with guns in hand on the decks of their boats. Everybody was watching that happen.

What was really cool is that we were able to witness an event that probably not many people noticed. As we were at the front of the boat, shortly after all of hte others had left we saw a small boat come up to the rear of our cruise ship and we saw a man jump into it. Luckily there was a cruise employee and we were able to ask him what was taking place. Apparently, the cruise captain can't take the boat out of the bay--the "pilot" has to do that. So, what we saw was the boat picking him up. It's those little things that really make an experience complete. Let's see if you know this: Who do you think would have been the one who wanted to go exploring the front of the ship? Yeah, thanks Andy.














Brenna sitting in the hallway by our room waiting for the rest of us to catch up to her.

Our room with the cutest little "bug" in it.
At the front of the boat.
Saying good-bye in Miami.

The dining room: we ate in the Rembrandt dining room on the 3rd floor. Our waitre's name was Cat and he was from Romania. I don't remember seeing one cruise employee from the United States; they were all from foreign countries which seemed a little more exciting.

Bon Voyage

We're off to our cruise!! We're so excited and I will blog when we get back at the end of next week (no need to check our blog until a week or so). Andy and I hope this cruise (which will be the first for all five of us) will be a great family experience. And so far it is already happening! Our dream come true--all three of our kids playing with each other where laughter was the dominant noise. They were throwing gummy bears into each other's mouth. I am so happy right now. We're staying at a Marriott right on the beach. NOah's biggest discovery so far has been the Book of Mormon he found in the drawer. He thought it was true magic and delight! We've only been telling him that Daddy grew up with Marriotts. Andy is loving the mod technology of the showerhead that hangs from the ceiling and not the wall. The kids are listening to the ihome with their own ipods; it's been a great start. The plane was great and I must say that Andy's idea of bringing only carry-ons (which I thought would burn itself out) actually came to fruition! We all had a carry-on with all of our clothes--amazing--I would have never thought it would happen. We'll see at the end of the trip if I would do this again!! Hugs and kisses to everyone!

What do we do when we have no school due to snow?

We make pizzas.
We got the dough (all we had to do was let it rise) and other ingredients from our local grocery store and then the boys had a ball making them!






We go sledding!

All three, Tobin, Noah and Brenna went sledding at some point, but I was only with Brenna when she went. Sigh, my kids are getting older. Brenna was so cute and hardly patient as she watched her big brothers go sledding. She kept pestering me until I would take her. I really didn't want to go sledding so we worked out a beautiful compromise. Brenna did the sledding and I stayed in the car and read a book. It was great.





We do silly things.
Noah knows how to make me laugh!Finally, Brenna wants to wear that scarf!! Those are my boots she's wearing. See if you can see how bruised her legs are!! I don't know how she gets so many, but she's so proud of them.





We eat lots of snacks and hot chocolate!





Thanks snow days!!

My Dilemna

First of all, I am sooo tired right now, please forgive any spelling mistakes I might make.

Here it is: Brenna. Brenna is easily one of the most creative people I know. And I'm not just saying that, she is so amazingly creative and darling and (I digress). She comes up with these things and they are just really cool. Brenna, like her brother Noah, wants a cell phone. Brenna, in all her creative glory, decided to take it to the next level. When my two year agreement was up and I was able to get a new phone, my old phone hung out around the house until I could figure out what to do with it. Then...then I noticed Brenna with it. She was using it as her cell phone which, if you heard her talking, you would say was one of the cutest things in the whole wide world. She told her daddy last night when she left her cell phone in the car that she absolutely had to go back and get it in case Jake C. called to tell her goodnight. In fact, Brenna is so creative that she used the voice message feature to leave herself messages (she has had Andy and me leave her messages as well), so that if she really wants to pretend or show off her phone you can hear a voice speaking on the other end. It isn't one-sided, it really sounds as if someone is talking to her!! Ahhh, you see her creativity. It works overtime.

Now for the dark side. She has been letting her imagination get away from her and I don't know what to do!! Help. Her latest in a long line is that she is a vampire, sucks blood, stays up all night and hides from a bad vampire. Yep, this is taken directly from Twilight (don't know what I was thinking when we let her see it)! The imaginative part is that she thinks she is a vampire! She has told her friends this and they don't know what to make of it! So, her friends told thier people (moms) who called Brenna's people (me) to let us know what was happening. She also told one mom that I was pregnant!! As if.... But using her imagination, she makes up more than just the statement: "My mom's pregnant." Oh no, it is taken one step further; it's "My mom is pregnant. And gues what? It's a girl and we are going to name her Karlee. And my mom said that I will be able to help take care of her, change her diapers, hold her, feed her, etc." Nice. What's a mom to do? You still want more evidence? Ok, how about the fact that she told her friend's mom that she was taking guitar lessons. And Brenna further explained, her lessons are on Tuesdays, they're private lessons where, Emily, her teacher comes to our house to teach her. She started over Thanksgiving and she is loving them! Back in August when we were looking at renting the house we're in now, she told our friends (who own this house) that we have 3 cats. Their names are Larry, Curly, and Mo (I don't remember them now, but I'm sure Brenna would be able to tell you.) We got Larry first, but then he was lonely so we got the other two. They are all orange tabby cats. Curly is the fat one. You get the idea. We almost didn't get to move here becuase of our "cats." So, how do you make the balance between creative play and lying transparent to a 7 year old? She does it so easily. Any suggestions?