cruise-day 4

A busy schedule with lots of time in the sun meant that it was a challenge to get everyone out of bed in the morning! 

I eventually succeeded and we made our way to the Windjammer. There was some sort of water pipe break or issue that morning, which meant very little water pressure in our room that and to-go boxes rather than plates that would need to be washed. Notice that Brooke had about 5 pieces of cantaloupe in her tray.

I think Colby opted for pancakes that day, probably with a side of bacon :)

When we got off the ship, we headed over to the shops to walk around.  There were lots of brightly colored walls, so Brooke and I took a picture by one while the boys used the restroom.  Then we were off to find the bus lines for the excursions.  

We debated whether or not we needed to book an official excursion or if we should just take a taxi to a local beach, but we felt most comfortable booking something through the cruise line.  We selected the Sol y Mar Beach Club, and it was a very relaxing and peaceful place to stay.  Down the beach, we could see another beach club that looked super crowded, so I think we definitely picked a good one.  The other ones included alcohol, but since we don't drink, Sol y Mar was perfect for our needs. 

I asked Kevin to try to get a picture of our cute matching hair before our hair ties snapped, haha.  

We brought our snorkels, and I was pleased that Brooke actually tried it this time.  We couldn't see much, which was a little disappointing, but I'm glad she tried. We also brought along a few other activities to keep the kids busy (Smashball, a football, and collapsible buckets).

They had hammocks out in the middle of the swim area, which was equal parts cool and kinda strange to be hanging so close to strangers. 

Brooke was entertaining herself by building drip castles, and as I took her picture, some girls stopped and offered to take a picture of the two of us. I love when people are thoughtful like that!

I love my sweet, beach-loving girl. 

There was one or two other families in our general area, but it mostly felt like we had the place to ourselves.  We ordered another highly over-priced lunch, but sometimes that's the price you pay on vacation, haha.

It was so nice to have a chance to relax and just enjoy some sunshine together!

Colby worked forever to create channels from the chair area, down to the water.  He also found a few really cool shells and rocks. 

We bought the kids some kind of daiquiris at the end of the day, but they were not as great as they hoped. 

Then it was time to catch our bus back to the ship.  Before leaving, we quickly browsed the few shops right near the waiting area.  Colby bought himself a little wooden spinning top that was "the original Beyblade."  Since Colby loves Beyblades, he was excited to see how they worked. A few of the local guys were able to show him, but it was pretty difficult for Colby to do on his own.  But that didn't stop him from trying!! Having the kids save up and earn their own souvenir money was the best parenting travel tip we implemented.  It gave them ownership over the types of things they purchased, and taught them the power of budgeting to make sure they had a little money at each port. 

Kevin snapped a few pictures before we boarded the ship again...

We sailed away with a beautiful evening sky and ice cream cones in hand :) Doesn't get much better than that!

The kids wanted to show me the helicopter pad they checked out with Kevin a day or two before, and it was incredibly windy up there.

Then it time to shower up and head to dinner. 

The theme was 70's, so I opted to wear my brightly colored abstract dress. Everyone else had something with an orange hue, so although we didn't really go with the theme, we were all color coordinated.  The elevator picture doesn't quite do us justice, but we enjoyed our family time that night.

Next stop: Costa Maya, Mexico!!