Well, I am sitting here on a Friday night, finally back into the groove of things after being on vacation for 12 days.  Barring maternity leave, I have never been gone from work for that long.  They practically had to drag me back!  Now that things are rolling along, I want to share my trip.

We flew to Tampa on Saturday a day early in case of any weather delays.  The plane ride went so much smoother than my nail-biting self though it would.  It was COLD in Tampa, but better than what I had left in KC. We ate dinner that night at the hotel steakhouse with a friend of mine that I used to work with in KC, plus her family.  Awesome!  It was so good to see her, talk to her, so many memories.  First big highlight of my trip.  The next day, we boarded the Carnival Legend.  Big.  Huge.    I think I could have used the airplane xanex at that moment, because I don’t think I was quite prepared for the largeness of the boat, but I managed without.  When the ship started moving, it was so weird.  I couldn’t really feel it, not until dinner.  Then we felt it, all night long.  Whenever I walked up and down the stairs and down the halls, I felt like I had partaken in a few too many.  Not!  The boat was just a rockin’! 

Our first Fun Day at Sea, the boys enjoyed Camp Carnival and I wandered around.  Took a nap.  It was too cool to swim, at least for me.  Fancy dinner in the dining room.  Wonderful food, definitely no Hamburger Helper here.  Even kids menus, the boys were in heaven.  Afterwards, a vibrant music and dance show, Las Vegas Style (which is where I want to go next.)  Then, settled down to our beds to get ready for our first adventure, Grand Cayman.  We docked at Grand Cayman and took little boats to the island.  We were decked out for swimming and snorkeling on the beach.  It was still cloudy and cool, but who are we to waste some good salt water and sand?  The boys romped in the water, collecting shells, Grace helping them.  Taylor went snorkeling with Papa.  I tried to snorkel, but wasn’t that into it.  I played with the boys and then shivered myself dry.  Riding in the cab to and from the port was funny, because they drive like they do in England.  Pretty cool!

Cozumel, baby!  This was our stop on Wednesday.  After a crazy taxi ride to the beach, we played in the water some more.  Taylor went with her Grandpa for a scuba diving lesson.  We met back at the boat afterwards, had lunch then shopped till we dropped. The morning had started out cloudy but the sun was shining while we browsed the stores.  Simon bought maracas and a sombrero, my little one-man mariachi band.  Gabe bought a baseball hat and a coffee cup, he is so vogue. There were definitely some bargains to be had.  After all of that shopping, a nap was in order.  Then dinner and a show was followed by some mom time at the casino (Thanks Nana!). 

We trekked the Mayan Ruins in Belize the next day. Such a fascinating history and people!  Our tour guide was exceptional! She had so many little stories and was well versed in how the plants of the rain forest are used medicinally.  It was so interesting!  Afterwards, local food at a little café, so scrumptious!  A little more shopping produced a bottle of cashew wine to add to my small collection at home, plus some trinkets for the kids.  Belize was warm and humid and boy, mosquitoes were everywhere.  The boys were lucky, hardly a bite, but geesh!  Not so much for the girls and myself.  Can you say Calamine? 

The nicest weather to be had was Friday in Isla Roatan.  It was sunny, hot and perfect for the beach.  Taylor, Simon and the grandparents rode a ski lift type of ride to the beach, the rest of us walked.  It was gorgeous!  More shopping, I have raised quite a crew of spenders!  They were having so much fun though.  Their smiles beaming ear to ear!

The rest of the trip was sailing back and it was not smooth!  It was rockier than the first night and my poor Gabe spent it seasick!  While he rested in a Dramamine induced fog, the others filled their time with the Camp Carnival talent show, ice cream on the Lido deck, a little shopping on the boat.  Mom made them pack, that mean mommy!  Our last dinner with Donovan, our awesome waiter.  The kids absolutely loved him!  It was hard to sleep our last night, thinking about the trip ending and waking up to get off the boat the next morning was next to impossible.  But alas, we are back in our humble abode in Blue Springs.

It was the trip of a lifetime.  I keep thinking back to the month of March or April when their grandparents told me they wanted to take us, I was speechless.  I didn’t feel deserving of such a trip.  I am their son’s ex-wife.  Who would think?  As I was flying to Florida, when I was boarding the boat, it seemed so surreal. 
I wanted someone to pinch me to make sure I was really there.  But here I am, souvenirs surround me, pictures on my camera waiting to be downloaded, excited kids around me so excited that they have been to four countries and my vivid memories of the trip.  I just hope that now, I can show the givers of this unbelievable adventure, just how much I really appreciated it.  How do you thank someone for such a tremendous gift?