Family Vacation

For my parents 40th Anniversary and my Mom's 60th Birthday, my parents were generous enough to take us all on a cruise!  We went on a 4 night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.  It was so great to be with our family and do something so very exciting!

Getting off in Cozumel

Our ship, the Paradise

Admiring the blue water

Mama lusting after boots!!!

Shopping in Cozumel.  Each grandchild was given $10, which is about as much as $100 in the mall!

Waiting for our excursion!  We chose to visit some ancient Mayan Ruins.

Here we are at San Gervasio, which was a Mayan city where Nobles lived.  Most structures here were built around 1000 AD.  

Here the kids stand on original Mayan roads that they would have laid to connect cities.

This is a well.  They used a change in temperature (hot coals then cold water) to crack the rock and "drill" them.

A huge Mortar and Pastel to grind and make all their food.  They actually said their bones had tons of calcium, because some of the rock was actually in their food as a result.  They also made a chocolate drink here made from cocoa beans that they used in celebrations.

Lots of Iguanas were seen along our path.

The main road to the entrance of the city.

Here you see an offering block as they entered the city.  This city was in honor of their god of fertility.

This was the altar in the middle of the city.

This was a tomb of a noble man.  This spot was a place for their servants, who would have been killed with them when they died to follow them into their afterlife.  This particular tomb had four of these in the front of it.  The column in the back is where the actual tomb was.

We then went to a rocky beach covered in coral.  One of the largest coral formations in the world is here.

That is us!

I love this one.  It shows how blue the water really is, and I loved proud Poppy's smile as he sits with his grandkids!

This sling shot never made it past the door.  They confiscated it as a weapon.  As you see from the picture, they weren't far off!  We did get it back in Florida.

The boys loved the water slide on the boat.

Eliza on the other hand, loved the "warm" pool.

Here we are when our kids were in kids camp!  Alone!  Go figure!

This was the mini golf course on the very top deck.  A family favorite.

Hana and Steven atop the slide.

That is me!  I'm smiling!!!

And my sister....I think she is giving a big whoop!

Loved our towel animals.  They had a kids camp on board with activities where the kids could go (dropped even!) and they taught them how to make them.  Eliza claimed she made this one....cough cough.

Thanks Nana and Poppy!  This was so much fun and gave us some amazing memories.  We love you!