Sweet Nothings: June 2013

Let summer begin! On the last day of school we drove to Las Vegas, flew out to WA.

Was at Grandma's for 4 hours then had to leave all the kids (Sherri watched all 25 kids) and drive to Seattle to catch a Red Eye to San Juan Puerto Rico.

15 more cousins still to arrive!

For 10 days Kamryn chased the cats on the farm!

San Juan, Puerto Rico

So we arrive in San Juan after some long traveling hours and someone took my bag at the baggage claim! Not sure if I would see it or not. The airlines tried calling who we think took it, but they were not answering. I was NOT going to board the ship without my bag. It's a cruise, you pack your favorite swim suits and clothes! Right when we boarded the ship they had gotten my bad and delivered it to my state room.....wheew!

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Coast line of San Juan

The Cobble Stones Streets

My bag is here, with everything in it!

Salisbury Sail Away Party!

Loving life at the Vortex (the ship's dance club)

St. Marteen, Virgin Islands

Our first stop was St. Marteen. We rented mopeds with Jen and Brian.

We went to Maho Beach where the others took a taxi too. It is right by an airport, so the planes fly right over head. This huge plane took off and none of us realized how much air it would kick back. I dived under my towel to try and protect myself from the blowing sand. Travis got small welts from the sand blast!

Didn't help too much......

Jande, Meredith, and Jen

Planes flying in, it was really awesome!

Then the four of us drove up to Orient Beach. The most popular beach on the island. We got lost going there because their maps have no street names, and entered a really town. When we stopped to read the map a local lady pulled over and told us it wasn't safe to stop and to follow her and she lead up out the right direction.....SCARY!

Formal Night

Cheers to Cruise Life!

The Men & The Ladies

St. Kitts

The sand was black here, we took a walk to try and see wild Monkeys

Karin. Lindsey, and Meredith

Karin, Meredith, Lindsey, and Lora

We found the Wild Monkey's. I guess they don't come out very often so we were lucky. They came down to eat their sugar cane.

Travis found this Conch, but put it back for others to see......plus there was still a creature in there!

Friars Beach

We walked to this little restaurant call Ship Wreck. Travis and I added our intials to the crowds.

The floor was sand......really fun.

Antigua

This day everyone did an excursion together. We rented a yacht and went to some amazing beaches. We were suppose to go out to a snorkel reef, but the waves were to choppy.

All the Ladies on the Yacht

All the guys

I wonder what Travis said to make us all laugh!

The water looked like blue Gatorade.....so gorgeous!

Group picture.....amazing beaches/water!

St. Lucia

This island was awesome! It looked like Hawaii and have really amazing snorkeling. Five couples took a chartered tour of the ocean and the sea. The Petons behind us.

This cave is full of bats! Sick! They were all chirping too (not sure if chirping is how you describe the sound of bats?)

Jealousie Beach right between the Petons....

Our driver stopped and bought us local bananas and mango's....they tasted so much better there than in the US.

Volcano Mudd Bath

We rubbed this smelly mud all over us and got in the natural spring (it was as warm as a hot tub) and washed it off. My skin felt baby soft again.

Travis couldn't get in because if you had white on it would stain our suit.

Visiting the waterfall was so fun

Travis, Brian, and Shaun

The gardens were beautiful.

Eating at Martha's a local restaurant. It's where our driver would eat at when he was a little boy. The food was all Creole and so tasty!

Waitress, Travis, Martha, and Dale (our Driver)

Group shot by the Petons

This beach is Anse Chastenet It had the most awesome snorkeling, it looked like Nemo's house! The beach behind us is where they filmed the Bachelor Finale one year.

Snorkeling in St. Lucia

Marigot Bay is very famous in St. Lucia. Many movies have been filmed here.

Captain Dale taking us back to the ship.

That was one awesome tour!

Two Tables of Salisbury's

Barbados

Harbor Lights at Carlisle Beach in Barbados, the sand was awesome here.

We went out to a ship wreck and snorkeled and also saw turtles. It was a great way to end our last stop on the cruise.

Relaxation.....

Our day at sea was filled with hanging out by the pool, eating, miniature golfing, eating, and the sexiest man contest?!

Travis was minding his own business when a worker pulled him and his brother up on stage to participate in the Sexiest Man Contest. I could tell Travis was dying and didn't want to be up there, but they said it is about personality too. He first had to

Dance for the Judges ( I thought he was going to sneak out but then he came out shaking his hips, walking on his hands, and sliding down right into the splits!)
Flex ( I thought he would for sure sneak out on this one because I could tell he was dreading it. I look over and I couldn't spot him, thinking he had bailed, um nope. He was down doing push-ups getting ready for his turn.
He had to walk the cat walk for the judges. Travis touched his toes at each end to show his flexibility.
He had to do a talent. I could see him mouthing to me "What should I do?" When it was his turn, he rapped to Sir mix alot, Baby Got Back........and ended up winning the whole thing!