Brad and I spent 3 days at Cub Scout Day Camp. We had a blast, didn't get heat stroke, it was a success!

What a handsome boy:

Summer

I love summer! I'm loving the heat and having my boys home. There hasn't been a lot of fighting, I'm not sure why, but my kids have been getting along great with each other and I'm so greatful for it!
We've been very busy. Brad and Jared are on the swim team at the local public pool and Jack & the 2 boys I babysit are taking swim lessons at the same pool. So our mornings are spent swimming! Then on to the local elem. school for free lunch! I love that my kids are eating healthy and we get to leave the mess behind and come home to my clean kitchen.
Here are a few pics that Brad took of Jack in the pool. I can't help it, this boy is so stinkin cute! I'll have to post more later of the other boys. I've been swimming instead of taking pictures.

10th wedding anniversary cruise

This was our home for 7 nights.

We got to spend the entire time together, just the 2 of us. It was truly amazing. I love my husband, he's my favorite person to hang out with. This may sound cheezy, but I don't care, he really is the other half that makes me whole.

Spending this time away from our children, with no obligations, nothing to do but enjoy each other's company was the best thing for us. It was refreshing, healing, rejuvenating, everything I needed from this trip. My expectations were so high and the vacation met those expectations!

On the days at sea, we did a lot of this. Lying on the deck reading, watching the clouds go by, and staring into the open ocean.
Have I mentioned I love this guy?!?!

Every night, we went to the dining room for an elegant 3 course meal.
Amazing food! We had these same 3 waiters every night. From left to right, Carlito from Phillipines; IWayan from Indonesia; and Adrian from Jamaica. Fun guys you'd like to hang out with.
One night they serenaded us while we danced. Another night, they sang and danced for us to the song "Low" by Flo Rida. Funniest thing ever!
The service was great, like a 5 star restaurant. We were very well taken care of.
These guys live on the ship. Carlito and IWayan would go home for 2 months, then be on the ship for 6 months. I'm not sure about Adrian, but he is lucky enough to see his family for a few hours when the ship docks in Jamaica.

Cozumel, Mexico

At this stop, we found a beach to hang out at. We played on the floating playground, complete with slides and trampolines. So much fun! A great way to feel young again!


We also did some snorkeling and kayaking. While snorkeling, we saw a couple of sting rays. These were camouflage colored. Scott almost stepped on one because he didn't see it, scared them both pretty good!

Grand Cayman

On Grand Cayman, we took a boat 20 minutes off shore to a sand bar. We were standing in the middle of the ocean and the water was up to our waists. At this spot, there are lots of sting rays that come in to get fed and petted. We held squid (ewe) in our hands, under the water, and the sting ray would swim over our hands and suck the squid out of our hand! Amazing! It felt like the end of my vacuum. Those sting rays were humungous! About the size of my coffee table. And they'd come swim right next to our legs, scary at first, but I got over it. Our guide then grabbed one and we all had our pictures taken with it. We kissed it and held it, pretty cool, too bad the pictures were way expensive.







After we played with the sting rays, our captain took us to an area where the water is about 10 feet deep and we snorkeled. We saw lots of different colored fish. I just love swimming in the ocean.

Yes, I'm a dorky tourist who had my picture taken with the really cool looking iguana!




So, Grand Cayman Island used to be known as Tortuga. Remember from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? We had to have our pictures taken with some local pirates that still hang around.

"Arrr me hearties!"

"Shiver me timbers!"

Jamaica mon!

Our last stop was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Filled with Bob Marley look alikes and Reggae music.
A beach in Jamaica (we are facing a waterfall, scroll down to read about the waterfall):

Our tour guide took us to the top of a hill, you can see our ship docked down at the bottom

This cute little canopy was next to a beach where we went swimming

This is us fresh off the ship in Jamaica

Our favorite thing we did was in Jamaica. There's this gradual waterfall, it doesn't go strait down, that empties into the ocean. With a group of about 15 people, we climbed this waterfall, I think the guide said a little over 900 feet. We had the best tour guide. He was so fun and kept us laughing the whole way. Along with chants of, "Hot, hot, hot," "Ya mon!" and "I love Jamaica!" His partner, nicknamed Peepin Tom, filmed our adventure. The guide said that if we fell, Peepin Tom would catch us, "on camera!"








Every night, when they'd do the turn-down service, they'd make these animals out of the towels. Here are some of my favorites.