Cozumel, Cruise Day 3

Our third day on our cruise we ported in Cozumel, Mexico.  We didn't book an excursion, so we rented a car and drove around.  We did a little bit of shopping and bought souveneirs for the kiddos.  There was a guy walking around with a huge iguana.  I wanted to take a picture, but he wouldn't let me, rude I know.  

We stopped at a beach and walked around.  The water was pretty warm and we did a little bit of swimming. 

Port of Cozumel, Mexico

We had to get a picture of our ship, ours is the one on the right!

One of the many beaches we drove past.

DH and Randy did a little bit of swimming.
(Randy is in that little head in the back) 

Beautiful!

The water right behind us was the perfect place to swim.  It was warm and clear, and beautiful!

Enjoying the sun!

I got that cute headband for $2!  Now I'm wishing I got more than 1 of them.

Sushi sampler.

Strawberry Cheesecake, delish!

I really loved coming to our room each night to see what would be awaiting us.

Day at Sea, Cruise Day 2

Our first full day on our cruise was a day at sea.  We walked around the ship and checked things out.  April and I wanted to lay on the deck and read books, while the men went to their rooms and watched t.v. and took naps.  The ship had a lot of entertainment.  We saw some pretty fun shows: dancing, singing, comedy, magic, and juggling.  Of course not all on the same night.  There was a ton to do.  I'm already ready to book another cruise.  I wonder when that will happen.

Our first formal dinner.

Alligator, this was actually pretty tasty.

Strawberry Cream Soup

Lobster and shrimp, YUM!

We are so lucky to have such good friends!  They were the perfect cruising buddies.

The waiters and waitresses did some singing and dancing.

Yummy caramel danish.

Our second animal, a cute elephant.

One of the many beautiful sunsets we saw!

Loved this day!

Our Cruise, Cruise Day 1

 We have been wanting to go on a cruise for a very LONG time.  We wanted to go for our 10th anniversary  but that didn't happen.  Last December we celebrated our 15th and decided it would be a good time to make that dream come true!  Our really good friends the Huntingtons' celebrated their 15th anniversary too, and we thought it would be a blast to go together.  We decided on a 7 day Western Carribbean Cruise. 

We flew to Miami on Saturday and spent the night there.  

  

On the pier of our hotel, after church, before heading to our port!

M told us over and over to take a lot of pictures, so this is a view of our hotel.

On the bus on our way to our port.

Finally on our ship!  We were so excited, it was a long way coming!

Leaving the port of Miami.

Enjoying some sun!

Taking in the beautiful view.

Our last view of land for a few days.

A shot of  part of our ship, The Carnival Glory!

 All the food was SO yummy!  It was amazing the amount of food that was available at all times.  My favorite was dinner.  We ate some fun stuff.

One of my favorites: Cured Salmon with a Creamy Dill Sauce.

Creme' Brulle, delish!!!

DH got Raspberry Chocolate Cake

We loved coming to our room at night to see what was awaiting.
We got this cute Seal our first night.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

I got a sweet deal on strawberries, so I spent an afternoon making freezer jam.  It turned out SO yummy!  The kids were so excited to have some, I think we went through a jar in like 2 days.

Youth Conference

In February T went to his very first Youth Conference. He wasn't quite 14 yet, but the stake let him go because he would be turning 14 a week and half after. They went to Aspen Grove which is a church owned camp. DH went too. They had a great time. They had a motivational speaker come and talk to them who they both said was wonderful. I remember youth conference so well, and have great memories of those times. I can't believe T is now old enough to go and is making memories of his own.

Two Cuties

This picture is a little blurry, but I found it on my phone and had to post it.

Love these two cuties!

Science Projects

My SIL did a science birthday party for one of her daughters'. That same night we had our family party and she let all the kids enjoy the experiments. They were all interested in what was going on. She had some pretty cool things and put a lot of work into it.

T is 14, WOW

I'm a bit late with this birthday post, but on March 7th T turned 14. WOW! I can't believe it, but I seem to say that often these days. When I first asked him what he wanted for his birthday treat he said he wanted something with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. So, I started thinking what to do. Then he said he wanted cheesecake. He ended up with cheesecake topped with Reese's cut into pieces and sprinkled on top. He loved it! Happy Birthday T!

Utah County Fair

The 4th graders put on a county fair. They each had to research a county in Utah. Luckily J chose Salt Lake County so it was easy for us to find things to research. She did most of the research at school and then brought her information home and we put together a display with all her information. She also had to bring 3 items that represent Salt Lake County. She brought a Utah Jazz hat, a picture of the Salt Lake Temple, a jar of wheat (because SLC is known for producing wheat), and a Utah State decoration. Each student had to sit with their display and answer any questions that people had as they walked through. At the end of the night, all the 4th graders sang a song about Utah. It was a fun activity and I thought J did a great job!

Cute Friends

We went to some friends' house for a night of games and fun. These two cute girls wanted to go play in the snow and dressed up in whatever snow clothes they could find. That led to about 12-17 kids wanting to go outside. I was quite impressed that my friend was able to outfit that many kids. It was a night enjoyed by everyone.

Choose Your Friends Wisely

We had an FHE lesson on choosing good friends. I gave each of the kids a bowl of pasta that represented their friends. The pasta was plain when I gave it to them. Then we talked about bad choices some people make, like saying a bad word or dressing immodestly, and how those choices can effect us even if we don't notice it. So as we listed bad choices, I put in a few drops of food coloring and then had the kids stir their pasta. Soon all the pasta was colored. I think it was a good object lesson and really showed the effect that one bad thing can have on a group of people. The kids had a great time doing it, and I hope they learned something in the process!

T at School

I found this picture and thought it was pretty funny.

Oh, the things kids do at school!

FHE on Faith

M has been working hard on her Personal Progress lately. For one of her requirements she put together a family home evening lesson on faith. She did a really good job. She had scriptures, a lesson, visual aids, and a game. It was super cute. We made a "Tree of Faith" where we had to put "leaves" on the trees that said ways that we can increase our faith.

J and I made strawberry lemonade bars for dessert. Delish!

Homemade Bread Sticks

I've said this many times before, but J LOVES to cook! She is taking a 4H cooking class after school on Tuesdays. The first day they learned how to make bread sticks and she came home right away wanting to make some for our family. We didn't make them that day, but did the next. I helped her get the dough ready and then had to leave and told her we would finish when I got back. But, when I got back she had them all finished. She split the dough in half and did half parmesan bread sticks, and half cinnamon bread sticks. They were super yummy and she was so proud of herself. I love having little helping hands in the kitchen!

Paris Salon

I wasn't feeling too great last weekend and the girls wanted to something for me. So, they gave me a royal spa treatment. I got a back massage, foot massage/spa bath, they painted my toes, and even gave me a goodie bag! I love my kids and am so grateful for them. They really put a smile on my face that day plus I got to have my toes done super cute!

My Hubby is 37

DH turned 37 on the 17th. We celebrated by going to dinner with some friends. When the waiters and waitresses came to sing to him he got to stand up and dance. He was a good sport about it. I'm so grateful to have this wonderful person in my life and hope that he had a very Happy Birthday!

T's New Friend

We get to babysit this cute little girl every once in a while, and she LOVES T. She smiles when she sees him and leans towards him. And, I think he loves her about the same amount. She was pretty interested in his fish tank. They are pretty cute together.

Scientists

One evening the kids kept themselves entertained doing "science" experiments.

They spent a long time mixing and pouring and experimenting.

S D.A.R.E. Graduation

Every year the 5th graders get a chance to participate in the D.A.R.E. program. It lasts several weeks. They learn about saying no to drugs, alcohol, and violence. They learn songs to help remind them what to do and they each have to write a report. S did a great job on his report. After their class was over, they got to perform the songs for the parents and then had a graduation. S really enjoyed this program and it was fun for us to watch him be excited about what he was learning.

New Years Eve 2011

We celebrated New Years Eve at my MIL's. T spent the evening with a friend and then we picked him up right after we rang in the New Year. We spent the night playing games, eating, laughing, eating, and enjoying our time together. I can't believe how quickly 2011 went by. Here's to another year!