Cruise...part three

I decided to break up the last two ports into two separate entries so that Cabo San Lucas could have an entry all to itself...it was definitely my favorite. This entry is for Mazatlan.

We decided not to do an actual paid excursion, but see what we could find on our own. We stayed with a bunch of the preventive folks and found a great deal on a taxi ride (allbeit scary driving with both kids in no carseats) to a nice beachfront hotel near local shopping. We walked around the stores and picked up a cute little mexican dress for Taylee and some vanilla for me and then headed back to the beach (it was Carter who really decided we were done shopping...). Once at the beach, we changed into our suits at the poolside bathrooms and then headed down the stairs to the beach. There was a puddle of water on the last steps that I didn't see and down I went. I had Taylee on my hip, but thankfully she landed on top of me. I was on my back with my legs all up in the air... I was so embarassed. Tyson had gone up ahead with Carter so a bunch of local vendors that had seen the fall rushed over to help me up. My tailbone hurt so bad and my arms were all scraped up and bleeding...I was crying and just wanted to lay down in the sand. A couple laying out with lounge chairs and an umbrella had seen what happened and offered us some extra chairs and the umbrella. Ty took the kids and played in the sand while I sat for a little to regain my composure. After a while, I decided it was pretty cool to get a battlewound in Mexico. I wish we had gotten a picture of my arms...I still have a scar on my left arm to remind me of our trip.

The kids building a ditch and sandcastle

After a couple hours of just chillin, I decided it was time to make the most of our day and I got in the sand and water with Carter and then went parasailing. The bending position in the harness hurt my tailbone as soon as I took off, but once I was in the air with birds flying around me and the ocean underneath me, I felt great.

Our little stinker TayTay ate the sand..or mud...everywhere we went. We could not keep it out of her mouth.

Carter and I found this puffer fish washed up on the shore. It was breathing really heavy for awhile and then stopped...poor thing.

Aunt Tannis gave us this suit last summer...Taylee was a cute little watermelon

I was so proud of Tyson for going parasailing (he's really scared of heights). He seemed really anxious as they were strapping him up, but wasn't scared at all when he got in the air. He ended up having a great experience.

Both kids loved showering in the little ship shower and getting cleaned up before dinner.


Mazatlan ended up being really fun and beautiful and we got to try new things. The ports just kept getting better. My entry for Cabo will really be a marathon post...we'll see if I get to it over the weekend...then maybe I can get to pics from this week.

Kitchen Makeover

So...I've written about this before, but I'm an HGTV junkie. I love Vern Yip's Deserving Design show and keep waiting for the right opportunity to apply to have my preschool redone. (Ok...I know that sounds so stuck up to apply for myself...but I would love for the kids to have an awesome classroom...anyway) It hasn't come up yet, but there is a new opening for a new kitchen and laundry room. Now, I love my kitchen and don't need a new laundry room, so I'm not writing this for me, but rather I think it's a great thing for someone who needs it...so-I'm wondering if any of you out there know of someone who needs a new kitchen or laundry room. I enjoy entering others into these and can already think of two people I'm going to send entries in for. I'm one of those people that thinks there's always a way you can help someone out...even if you can't physically or monetarily do it yourself. Entering someone in need for something like this can really change people's lives. Here's the info in case you're interested:

Deserving Design and designer Vern Yip are looking for you!

This is a chance to give a beautiful kitchen and laundry room makeover to a person you think has earned it. If you know someone who has done extraordinary things for others, sacrificing his or her own comfort to make the world a better place, this is your chance to nominate him or her for this amazing gift. We are looking for homeowners who:

put others before themselves.

use their kitchen to benefit others.

may have gone through a life-altering experience that led them to a life of service.

could never do a makeover without the help of Deserving Design.

The homeowners we choose will receive a brand new kitchen and laundry room designed by Vern Yip.

If you have someone you would like to nominate, please e-mail the following to DDkitchen@edelmanproductions.com.

Happy entering!

Cruise....part TWO

DAY 2 & 3 (on the ship...traveling to first port)
Day 4 (Puerto Vallarta)

First full day on the ship
Eating breakfast with some of our friends from Preventive

Ty learned to play shuffleboard

More ping pong for Ty...this time against Barbara

View from the back of the ship

Our first dinner onboard...apple juice for Taylee and chocolate milk for Carter

It was fun to have people from our Preventive Pest Control group to eat with...here's Robert, Drew and Hailey, Greg Landon, and Barbara

Ty and Carter napping

Ty, Tay, and Carter watching some of our guys competing in the "survivor" challenge on board

Tyson playing in a water volleyball tournament the second day onboard (ignore the scantily clad girly next to my hubby...I'm not sure why she decided to plop down right there)

First formal night...check out that gorgeous sunset

Carter thought Barbara was his girlfriend...he LOVED hanging out with her


Our first formal dinner was DELISH! We had great company...

...and Carter got an extra special dessert: A huge sundae..he didn't even get close to finishing it

Leaving the ship for our first shore excursion...Puerto Vallarta! We decided to do an excursion together with a large majority of the Preventive folks onboard...a snorkeling and beach adventure. Here we are meeting for our tour and getting sunscreened up

We passed this pirate ship taking out another excursion group...

View of the little fishing villages around Puerto Vallarta

On the catamaran to snorkeling in Yelapa

Riding in a little motor boat to a beach after snorkeling at Yelapa...Taylee was so patient during the whole trip. Whenever she got tired, she just plopped her head against me and fell asleep, no matter what was going on.


Ty and Carter in the motorboat. I was so proud of Carter...he got in the water at the snorkeling spot and put his eyes under to see the fish. He was so excited to tell everyone. He saw orange and black striped fish swim right by him



Carter wasn't quite sure what to do about the waves at first...

...But quickly grew comfortable and ventured off on his own

Ty and Carter playing in the sand at Majahuitas (a little fishing village around Puerto Vallarta)


Taylee and I playing on the beach. Taylee was so cute near the water. She would get excited when it got near and then panic a little when it actually touched her. There was a stray dog on the beach that would sometimes get near us (grossed me out!)...Taylee started shaking with excitement and jabbering every time it came close.


Our beautiful sun baby

Ty enjoying the water




We bought this little braclet for Taylee from a local vendor walking the beaches


Carter was so tired after a long and eventful day. He fell asleep as soon as we got on the catamaran to head back to the ship



One thing we've definitely learned about cruise excursions is that if the excursion offers "all-inclusive drinking"-DON'T GO. This happened to Ty and I on our last cruise in Jamaica and again on this excursion. The people on our cruise were so wasted...and we were just plain embarassed for them. These old women were dirty dancing and being gross. They tried to get some of our guys up to dance with them. Towards the end of the ride back to the ship, things simmered a little and they started doing the macarena...here's Barbara (from our group) joining in.


Standing in front of our ship at the end of our excursion


Dinner that night...the food never stops



Part of our group seated in the auditorium for the evening show...a comedy act by Steve Morris (he did a cool hand shadow skit...)

Still to come...Day 5 (Mazatlan) Day 6 (Cabo San Lucas...on Valentines Day) and Day 7 (on ship...traveling back to LA)