Kennedy Space Center
Sunday, September 20, 2015
The Rocket Garden
...which tour my boys were so enthusiastic about. Not!
I think this astronaut trumps the photo op one we saw on the cruise.
This building was probably our favorite part of the whole park. (Can't remember the name of it!)
My boys LOVED pretending to be pilots in this rocket cockpit.
Liam got spaghetti legs and cautiously crossed the chasm below through this glass tunnel.
Ironically, Max, who had no problems with the glass tunnel, he had definite reservations about going down this slide.
It actually was a pretty fun slide. Both Chad and me got chances to go down as well. :)
Day at Sea
We actually had 2 days at sea. One at the beginning, one at the end. These pictures are more a compilation of both days.
It was a few nights into the cruise that we realized we could be taking our kids to the "Club Carnival" so we could have a kid free dinner/night. They loved it. One night they came back painted like pirates.
Lots of fun at the nightly dinners! Laughing, sampling, talking, picture taking, etc., etc...it was a time of day to always look forward too. And our servers were fabulous! There was Boris who kept the bread coming & has a cousin who he thinks looks like me, Chisanga from Zambia that was so adorable with Chaz & Jesus from the Philippines that never protested when we ordered double entries.
And of course we'd spend time at the pool!
And anyone that's been on a cruise will know that there are photo backdrops set up everywhere! Chaz thought these "people" with blue hair were quite odd and he wouldn't stop starring despite our hooting and hollering to get his attention.
I told Chad that we HAD to take a picture with some of the most cheesy backdrops (my favorite being the piano with wine glasses set in front of a circular marble staircase backdrop). The pictures were $20 for an 8x10, so I couldn't bring myself to buy more than just one picture of the many we took. I've been kicking myself every since! Chad made some absolutely compelling faces at that piano while holding his wine glass, while I serenaded him with a song at the piano.
It was a few nights into the cruise that we realized we could be taking our kids to the "Club Carnival" so we could have a kid free dinner/night. They loved it. One night they came back painted like pirates.
Lots of fun at the nightly dinners! Laughing, sampling, talking, picture taking, etc., etc...it was a time of day to always look forward too. And our servers were fabulous! There was Boris who kept the bread coming & has a cousin who he thinks looks like me, Chisanga from Zambia that was so adorable with Chaz & Jesus from the Philippines that never protested when we ordered double entries.
And of course we'd spend time at the pool!
And anyone that's been on a cruise will know that there are photo backdrops set up everywhere! Chaz thought these "people" with blue hair were quite odd and he wouldn't stop starring despite our hooting and hollering to get his attention.
I told Chad that we HAD to take a picture with some of the most cheesy backdrops (my favorite being the piano with wine glasses set in front of a circular marble staircase backdrop). The pictures were $20 for an 8x10, so I couldn't bring myself to buy more than just one picture of the many we took. I've been kicking myself every since! Chad made some absolutely compelling faces at that piano while holding his wine glass, while I serenaded him with a song at the piano.
Fourth stop- Costa Maya
Friday, September 18, 2015
The beaches were beautiful, but sadly it was a little overcast and workers busily shoveled seaweed off the shores the whole time we were there. When I asked a resort worker about the seaweed, she said this was the first year seaweed had showed up to their shores. She said they were up every single morning trying to keep their piece of beach clean by shoveling it away. They weren't sure what brought it there, but everyone seemed to have an opinion. Global warming, a tsunami in the Bahamas, etc. But like they say, a bad day at the beach is still better than any good day at work.
Chaz is going to need a little more persuasion about water and sand and beaches. So far, it is not his top choice for vacation destination.
True to form- a mama's boy.
Max was in one of those moods where he says throws a tantrum and says, "No, I'm a bad guy!". But usually at some point he has a hard time surpressing a smile from me.
One happy child out of three isn't too bad.
Enjoying a little beachside food- piña colada & a hamburger.
...& later some fresh coconut milk & horchata (they drank it all without me).
...and some souvenir shopping.
Back to the port!
third stop- Roatan, Honduras
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Chad booked us a scuba diving trip...against my will. I know. I know. I'm just not the adventurous type.
We went scuba diving around here. Also pictured- a sign that I may never get used to seeing/heeding, but that was very typical of all the countries we visited.
We bought a waterproof GoPro camera that Chad could wear underwater on his head. These pics are from that camera. Taking the plunge!
Do you see the sea turtle? 
I think this was the only point that I ever made eye contact with Chad during the 50 minute dive (I was so paranoid that I would not take my eyes off of the instructor!). The instructor was getting after one of us & I was confusedly looking at Chad to see if it was him or me. 
I was so cold underwater & these goosebumps are picture proof! It was more difficult for me to control my breathing, because my instinct was to shiver & my teeth wanted to chatter from the cold. The picture on the right shows our new friend from Jamaica named Al. The first 20 minutes or so of our dive, Chad unintentionally got a lot of video footage of his legs. We told Al we'd email him a copy of the video we got. Hmm...I wonder what Al will think of Chad's videography skills.
Yay! We made it! At least, that's what my smile is saying. That & 'Yay! I get to sit in the sun!'. Chad's smile is more celebratory, 'that was awesome'! 
Would I go again, you ask. Don't let my smile below fool you. Maybe this will answer your question. Most of the dive I swam with one hand, because I kept my other hand on my oxygen the whole time! I was scared that if my mouthpiece somehow came out, I'd panic, suck in a lung full of water & it's not like you can just pop up to the surface from 40 feet under! I believe the words circling around in my head were, "I'm never doing this again. I'm never doing this again." I think Chad was pretty bummed that I wouldn't be his scuba diving partner for life. Anyone out there reading this want to go with us on our next cruise so Chad has a scuba buddy? Us girls can tan on the beach &/or go shopping :)
My in-laws were watching our kids at Tabyana beach. I was so anxious to see them, especially my baby! Once back to the port, we went looking for a taxi. Instead, we randomly met an american named Ed Leotard. "I'm going that way. I'll give you a ride!," he said. So that is how we found ourselves in the back of his Kia car rental hearing his stories of the island & humanitarian aide he had done/was doing. His stories were mixed with detours to impoverished parts of the island that he warned us against visiting at nighttime. And this beautiful view below was a cigarette break for Ed. 
And here's us at his condo where he showed us some of the glasses and prosthetic hands that were being used to help in people of Roatan. Is it bad for me to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the glasses & prosthetics. I admit that it did cross my mind that he could be some kind of mass murderer taking us back to his condo & no one would ever know where we dissapeared to. In all actuality, Ed is a really decent guy that is very service oriented and that seems to genuinely love people. Thanks for the ride Ed!
From his condo we walked to this beach, which was in the vicinity of Tabyana Beach. 
We saw much more of the beach than we should have due to some bad directions from a excursion guide who looked credible enough.
Sometime after crossing this rickety old bridge, we found ourselves in an exotic animal petting zoo. I think the staff there were not pleased that we had found our way in without paying. It was there that we learned we had gone the exact opposite direction to get to Tabyana Beach.
So, we headed back & finally found the ever elusive Tatyana beach. By then my in-laws and kids were nowhere in sight...and neither were any other cruise goers. I was nervous, sunburned & very thirsty. Thankfully, some kind locals sold us some coke & water & called up their son to give us a ride back to the port for $20. And this below?...oh this is just a cool abandoned ship in the port. 
We went scuba diving around here. Also pictured- a sign that I may never get used to seeing/heeding, but that was very typical of all the countries we visited.
We bought a waterproof GoPro camera that Chad could wear underwater on his head. These pics are from that camera. Taking the plunge!
Do you see the sea turtle? I think this was the only point that I ever made eye contact with Chad during the 50 minute dive (I was so paranoid that I would not take my eyes off of the instructor!). The instructor was getting after one of us & I was confusedly looking at Chad to see if it was him or me. I was so cold underwater & these goosebumps are picture proof! It was more difficult for me to control my breathing, because my instinct was to shiver & my teeth wanted to chatter from the cold. The picture on the right shows our new friend from Jamaica named Al. The first 20 minutes or so of our dive, Chad unintentionally got a lot of video footage of his legs. We told Al we'd email him a copy of the video we got. Hmm...I wonder what Al will think of Chad's videography skills.
Yay! We made it! At least, that's what my smile is saying. That & 'Yay! I get to sit in the sun!'. Chad's smile is more celebratory, 'that was awesome'! Would I go again, you ask. Don't let my smile below fool you. Maybe this will answer your question. Most of the dive I swam with one hand, because I kept my other hand on my oxygen the whole time! I was scared that if my mouthpiece somehow came out, I'd panic, suck in a lung full of water & it's not like you can just pop up to the surface from 40 feet under! I believe the words circling around in my head were, "I'm never doing this again. I'm never doing this again." I think Chad was pretty bummed that I wouldn't be his scuba diving partner for life. Anyone out there reading this want to go with us on our next cruise so Chad has a scuba buddy? Us girls can tan on the beach &/or go shopping :)
My in-laws were watching our kids at Tabyana beach. I was so anxious to see them, especially my baby! Once back to the port, we went looking for a taxi. Instead, we randomly met an american named Ed Leotard. "I'm going that way. I'll give you a ride!," he said. So that is how we found ourselves in the back of his Kia car rental hearing his stories of the island & humanitarian aide he had done/was doing. His stories were mixed with detours to impoverished parts of the island that he warned us against visiting at nighttime. And this beautiful view below was a cigarette break for Ed. And here's us at his condo where he showed us some of the glasses and prosthetic hands that were being used to help in people of Roatan. Is it bad for me to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the glasses & prosthetics. I admit that it did cross my mind that he could be some kind of mass murderer taking us back to his condo & no one would ever know where we dissapeared to. In all actuality, Ed is a really decent guy that is very service oriented and that seems to genuinely love people. Thanks for the ride Ed!
From his condo we walked to this beach, which was in the vicinity of Tabyana Beach. We saw much more of the beach than we should have due to some bad directions from a excursion guide who looked credible enough.
Sometime after crossing this rickety old bridge, we found ourselves in an exotic animal petting zoo. I think the staff there were not pleased that we had found our way in without paying. It was there that we learned we had gone the exact opposite direction to get to Tabyana Beach.
So, we headed back & finally found the ever elusive Tatyana beach. By then my in-laws and kids were nowhere in sight...and neither were any other cruise goers. I was nervous, sunburned & very thirsty. Thankfully, some kind locals sold us some coke & water & called up their son to give us a ride back to the port for $20. And this below?...oh this is just a cool abandoned ship in the port.
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