We spent the week cruising the seas with Nana and Bill. Day one was full of long lines and orienting ourselves to our new digs. Day two we ported in the Florida Keys for the morning. Off the ship we went to explore (with a strong eye on some serious beach play). We ate a weeks worth of calories at a tasty breakfast spot and then headed to the beach. We felt like we were a step ahead of everyone all day. Our beach spot was gloriously people-free and we enjoyed a few hours of solitude on the ocean. Milo got very serious about making a sand dam to stave off the waves. He made bridges, analyzed his foundation and employed all of us to help him fulfill his vision. At one point he became so frustrated that he threw his dive sticks (used as reinforcements in his dam) and marched off in tears sending both Mark and I into masked giggles, remembering that frustration and deep focus that only comes with being six. He recovered quickly and spent the better part of two hours absolutely focused on his efforts. On day three we ported in Cozumel for an excursion to pet a dolphin, eat some tasty Mexican food and swim in a perfect swimming pool. The rest of the cruise was spent with the kids begging to go to Camp Carnival (a brilliant "camp" on the ship), lounging and watching sunsets. We disembarked (cruise speak for "get off the boat") on Friday morning and then headed to Savannah, GA. I loved the cruise, minus my never-ending quest for a cold Diet Coke and a twinge of longing for internet access.
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| Cozy Carnival Cruise Cabin |
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| This is where the magic happened...Camp Carnival. The kids begged to go everyday. We dropped them off for hours at a time and the last day of the cruise Odelia cried because she had to say good-bye to "camp". |
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| Miami, Florida: Before we set sea |
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| Waterslide on the cruise |
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| Bigger waterslide on the cruise |
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| First umbrella drink! |
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| Towel art! |
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| The bunk that Odelia slept in on the cruise. |
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| We met at Jake's bar (Bill quickly befriended the bartender) every evening to catch the sunset. |
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| Roosters chillin' in the Keys. |
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| Key Lime Pie! |
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| Breakfast at Blue Heaven (Key West) |
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
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| Developing a plan... |
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| An Odelia massage on the beach. |
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| Milo's dam. |
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| We had just dropped the kids off at "camp". Seriously, brilliant! |
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| Odelia wields the camera! |
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| Odelia wields the camera, part II. |
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| A taste of "camp". |
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| Cruising! |
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| Bill and Nana |
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| Mom said she had never played slots so Bill showed her the ropes and won $300! I'm watching his winnings add up. |
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| Carnival Imagination: Cozumel |
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| Mexican wrestling masks. |
Sea lion show at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin facility at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab National Park
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| Odelia loved the towel art. We were up early on the last day and she got to see them folding the towels to put out by the pool. She took several pictures to document her favorites. |
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| Ping Pong on the cruise |
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| As Mark and Milo were playing mini golf on the ship and he said, "dad take my picture" (Tebow?) |
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| Happy Birthday, Mark! |
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Brewer's Pizza, Jacksonville Florida
Mark's Birthday |
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