Monday, March 21, 2016

Spring Break 2016

We have waited and wanted and wished for this trip for years.  A family cruise!  The kids were the perfect age, we had my teaching money saved up, and so we decided that this was the year.  Although I only have a handful of pictures to show for the week, it was the trip of a lifetime and we will have the memories forever.  (The kids say we just need to take the trip over again, so that we can recreate the pictures!)  Here are the details of the trip.  We departed out of Galveston, and spent the first two days at sea.  We had the greatest time on that ship!  We hot tubbed, and rock climbed, and mini-golfed, and played basketball, and watched shows, and watched movies...  Oh, and we ate.  A lot!!  The kids loved the freedom they had on the ship, and they frequently skipped the shows to stay in the hot tub longer.  Then they'd just meet us at the restaurant for dinner!  Our rooms were incredible - right on the front of the ship, up on deck 12, with panoramic windows.

On day 3, we docked in Roatan, Honduras.  At this stop, we boarded a bus, then a small shuttle boat, and rode out to a private island called Little French Key.  This place was heaven on earth!  We paddle boarded, kayaked, swam in the ocean, snorkeled, and ate.  And the boys learned to scuba dive!  Bryan and both boys then went out to the reef and scuba dived together.  I'm sure they will never forget that experience.

On day 4, we docked in Belize City, Belize.   From this port, we took a rickety bus into the jungle, where we went zip-lining.  Everybody had a great time!  Ruby had to be rescued at almost every line, since she didn't weigh enough to make it to the end!  Once we finished zip-lining, we hiked into the jungle a bit more, until we reached the river and some caves.  From here we went cave tubing, which was something I'd never heard of before.  It was very beautiful.

On day 5, we docked in Cozumel, Mexico.  We took a taxi to Mr. Sanchos, a private all-inclusive beach.  The boys decided to make it a challenge to eat and drink their money's worth!  We swam, and dug, kayaked, and ate.  It was so wonderful and relaxing.  We all want to go back!

The last day and a half were spent back on the ship, and we all enjoyed sleeping in once more, and having the "lasts" on the ship.  On our last night, we celebrated Ruby's 8th birthday at dinner.  Our waiters made it very special and memorable for her.  Oh, and one more little thing...Bryan and I also celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary!  I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way.









Saturday, March 12, 2016

Winter...and Spring

These are all of the winter and events that I have pictures to document (thank you Instagram!):
- Ruby finally pulled her first front tooth!
- Ella looked adorable at cotillion, and even survived dancing with boys!
- Oh I just I just love this picture of multitasking Ruby.  Rollerskating while reading, in her gymnastics leotard.
- Ruby's cute Helen Keller project
- Ella's 11th birthday, and Cinderella!  Ella was lucky enough to share her birthday with the opening night of Reagan's musical again this year.  She loved it!  And Spencer did a fantastic job in Cinderella.
- Tyler's basketball season at Lopez
- Valentines boxes!  We threw these cute hot-air balloons together the night before the school parties.
-  We surprised the kids with a weekend trip to New York!  It was a first time there for all of us.  It was also the great freeze of 2016, and we nearly froze to death.  For real.  Just ask Spencer.
- Tyler turned 14!!
-  Ella got contacts.  She looks adorable!  She also had a sad sick day, home from school.
- Spencer's choir was incredible at the Madrigal Festival.  4th place in the entire state of Texas.
- Ruby turned 8!!
- We celebrated Easter up at the lake.  Despite the faces in the pictures, it was a great day.  
-  Spencer asked cute Alexa to prom.  They had a great time!
- Spencer turned 17!!
- It was time for Tyler to learn to shave.  That fuzzy mustache was getting too fuzzy!  
- Another school project for Ruby!  She made this cute habitat for her money Shunk-Shunk.
- Spencer and Tyler celebrated National Siblings Day on Snapchat, and everybody thought they were twins!