Easter With Jacob & Michael

I'm not sure who was actually hunting the eggs, but Jacob & Michael did manage to fill their rabbit jugs fairly quickly. Michael was more interested in eating what was inside than in finding more. And with everyone shouting where to look, Jacob stayed mostly confused, turning in circles. All in all it was a great day. After the egg hunt we had snacks and enjoyed visiting with one another. My parents and Joel's parents came along with all of my boys & Joette with Michale, and my MawMaw. It was her first holiday without my PawPaw and I know that she was lonely in the midst of us all, but I was so glad she came.

Family Time

Family time is simply one of the greatest joys in life. Sundays are family day at our house. Everyone is always welcome for lunch and time together. On this particular day, I enjoyed watching my boys and Stephen's girl, Joette, enjoy the day with our precious little boys, Jacob and Michael. I missed having Brandon. Hopefully he will be able to make the next one!!

CRUISIN' THE CARIBBEAN

Our family just returned from an eight day trip at sea. We set sail on the Norwegian Spirt on January 6th and returned on the 13th. After sailing down the Mississippi and through the Gulf we entered the Caribbean Sea. The sea was beautiful and so blue that it was difficult to separate the water from the sky.
Our first stop was Honduras. We were not allowed to enter the mainland due to the warfare that is going on there, but we were able to see a small island. The people were very friendly and the scenery was beautiful, but it is not a place I plan to visit again. Everyone felt about the same.

The next morning we woke up to the Port of Guatemala. We took an excursion here and hiked up the waterfalls. They boast of their waterfalls, which are beautiful and surrounded by some of the most amazing trees, but they are not very high. I believe the highest one we saw was about 7 feet. We were allowed to swim in the clear waters and look for snails. When you have a headache, you smash the snail on your head, add a little water, and rub it into the scalp. They claim it really works. I wish I had taken a few back with me because by the end of the trip, several of our party were suffering from headaches.
After our excursion we returned to the ship to change. We decided to cross into the country on our own and check it out. We were only across the border for about 10 minutes when we decided to turn back and spend the rest of our time on the ship. Guatemala is not a safe country and you knew that immediately.

Our next stop was beautiful Belize, the only English speaking country in Central America. I loved Belize. The people are friendly, kind, and just fun. The country is beyond description. The jungles are thick and lush, and the greens are greener than I've ever seen. The water is clean and clear and so very blue. We took a tube ride down the river through the jungle. I could not get enough of this country. Afterwards we walked through some Mayan ruins and then through an orange orchard. I do not eat oranges, but I ate three that day. They were so very sweet. They import there oranges into our country and encouraged us to drink more orange juice. After that, they prepared a traditional Belizian meal for us of rice and beans, chicken, & slaw. I ate mine and most of Joel's (he's not much on meats). We had an hour and a half drive back to our port where everyone in my party slept except me. I was mesmerized by the country and their way of life.
That night on the ship we went to a 70's Disco party where my mom and danced with the "Village People". The next morning we woke to discover that we were on tv!

Our final stop was one of my favorite places, Cozumel. What used to be a very poor country is now a flourishing place to go. All the men wanted to dive, so this is where they did that while my mom and I caught up on our shopping. Afterwards we ate on the island and then went to the north side to do some surfing and body boarding. The break in the waves was a little close to the shore to surf, but we had a great day in the sun.
After another day at sea, we woke to the muddy Mississippi again. What a contrast! I was not looking forward to being back in New Orleans (another place I never want to see again). We enjoyed the 10 hour drive home in the RV. We new that we were almost back to reality, so we made the most of those 10 hours.
I woke up my first morning back and was disappointed to find that breakfast had not been prepared and I had to do my own laundry.
It was a wonderful time with my family. God is so good to allow us these opportunities to get away and just enjoy one another.