The Mexican Riviera

Kevin and I

Our ship, the Sapphire Princess

Hannah, David, Caleb, Jordan & Kyler

A fun shop in Puerto Vallarta

Caleb found time to play with the pigeons

Kelcee and Marlos right after her wipe-out.

The VERY FIRST thing we saw out the window when we docked in Puerto Vallarta was a Super Walmart. A little too funny and ironic that we left the country for Kevin to escape work for a week, and work continued to follow him. LOVE IT!!

Kyler add Hannah were Chefs-in-Training when they took a cooking class on the ship and made us these desserts in the ships galley. Delicious!

The boys....Marlos, Brooks, Travis, my dad, and Kevin

My ever goofy and fun-loving brothers, Travis and Brooks!

The sweetest and the greatest parents in the world!!

Kevin and Jordan starting the week off right by relaxing.

The Sail-Away Party on Jan. 16th

There's not a lot you can do to break up a dreary and arctic feeling month of January that would be better than taking off for Mexico right in the middle of it, and that is exactly what our family was able to do last month. However, to make the the nostalgia and excitement of taking your first ever Mexican Riviera cruise even better I highly recommend meeting up with a good portion of your family on the ship. Not to say that the Mexican cities, the grand scale boat, taking in the beauty of dozens upon dozens of grey and blue whales as they were in the midst of their breeding and migration season, and seeing crystal clear seas as far as the eye can see are not enough to heighten most of your senses, but being with family was definitely the highlight for me. A few of those magical moments still fresh in my mind include watching my sister get wiped out by a wave while walking along the beaches of Puerto Vallarta and her fiance Marlos helping her clean off the buckets of sand that covered her (that was classic Kelcee at her best!). Or sitting in deck chairs alongside the pool and watching Hannah, Dave, Kyler, Jordan and Caleb catch up as only cousins can do in a magical setting. I loved riding with Travis and Brooks and our whole crew throughout the streets of Mazatlan, and then capping off the day with multi-course dinners where my mom and dad were around the table with their kids and grandkids again . And standing hand in hand with my husband as we watched families of whales alongside our boat was both fascinating and amazing for both of us. January was an excellent month for me, even Thursday, which is still known as "Sea-Sick Thursday at my house. At least I was able to catch up on my sleep that day....lots and lots and lots of sleep, while the rest of the family continued to party it up on the boat! Hmmm, I think It's time to cruise again soon so I can officially change "Sea Sick Thursday" to something more fun.

Tidings or Tithing's...hmmm...Jordan will take the money!

Jordan wanted to write a little something in his Uncle Allyn's Christmas card so after I signed it I handed the card over to him. A few minutes later he announced he was finished and I took a second to read it before sealing it inside the envelope. Here is what I read:

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas , and a Happy New Year. Good tithing's you brings to us and your friends, good tithing's for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sorry Allyn, it looks like Jordan is hoping to collect 10% from you this Christmas season. I love how the words of songs are perceived in the mind of a 7 year old. It was a great laugh out loud moment for me, but as an FYI Allyn, Jordan accepts Monopoply cash. Merry Christmas!!

"He is the reason for the season"

A dear friend of mine spoke in church today and for part of her talk she quoted this poem. I loved it so much that I decided to post it. It helped remind me of the true reason we celebrate this time of year. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, and often times we miss the quiet, peaceful, and even reverent times meant to happen during the Christmas season. I am truly humbled and grateful for the sacrifice our Lord and Savior paid for each of us in order to one day be with Him again. I pray you all have a magical Christmas and make it a priority to create the time to sit back and gaze at the lights adorning your Christmas tree or share in the laughter of children as they tear open gifts they have been dreaming about getting, or as you listen to beautiful hymns and songs of the season being sung by choirs, friends or neighbors, that you also remember we do all of this to honor the birth of our Savior, our Redeemer, and our eldest brother, Jesus Christ. He truly is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas everyone!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Christmas Spirit Version)
By Debra Coe (c) 1998 all rights reserved

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
With thoughts of St. Nicholas and what he'd bring there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds
Without a moment of bowing their heads.
The scriptures were thrown on the shelves without care.
Little hope of remembering the precious words there.

And I with the tinsel and Ma with the lights
Had prepared for Christmas with no thoughts of Christ.
We had snowmen and elves and of course Santa Claus.
We thought we had decorated without any flaws.

For weeks we'd prepared with lots of traditions,
Cards of course and so much work in the kitchen.
We'd been to parties galore all dressed up in frills
And spent hours at stores to get the best deals.

The lights on the house were all flashing with fun
Lots of presents under the tree; we thought we were done.
We thought not of the needy, nor help to a stranger,
We thought not of the poor, and not of a manger.

No angels were singing in our house that night
We hadn't invited them so none were in sight.
The real spirit of Christmas was absent as well.
For only Christ's spirit will make our hearts swell.

And I wondered that Christmas how it could be
That the Christmas spirit wasn't stronger in me
Why Christmas didn't seem as it was in the past
Why Christmas just came and went by very fast.

When out of my wondering mind did appear.
Some scriptures I'd learned as a child so dear.
Of a loving kind Father who gave His own Son
God saw all our needs and chose Christ as the one.

Christ has the power to serve us so well
Healing the things that can lead to spiritual jail
I could change if I wanted with eyes that could see
"Come Follow Me," was His only plea.

I decided to change and begged forgiveness please
And asked how to serve Him while down on my knees
Serve others and do it as if unto Him
Was the answer I heard in the sound of a hymn

I rushed from my bed and I got scriptures for all.
So we could start Christmas just right after all.
So Christmas day we planed for the months yet to come
Of people we'd serve and we talked of the fun

Now Angels are singing in our home today
We finally invited them to come our way.
And Christmas is lasting the whole long year through,
With scriptures, prayer and devotion His spirit grew.

Confessions of a Mousejunkie!

Kevin and I just finished reading a book titled Mousejunkies and have come to the conclusion that the book easily applies to us. We are most definitely a Mousejunkie family. If possible we would travel to Disney 3 or 4 times a year, but if we can at least get our fix once a year we'll try to stay happy.

One might ask what it means to be a Mousejunkie. Well for one there's a unique Disney lingo you need to learn. For example if you know what the following means, you just might be a Mousejunkie yourself, "I traveled with my DH and 3 DS to WDW for MNSSHP and stayed at POR. Took the ME from MCO and had a great time at the MK. Wish we were Aper's so I could go back for MVMCP." Yep, mousejunkies talk in their own Disney language, and I'm a little embarrassed to say I'm starting to get it all down.

Anther characteristic of a Mousjunkie would be the undeniable pull you have every time you pass a Disney Store to go inside. Kevin and I go out of our way to shop there even if we don't buy a single thing. We transport into a happy zone whenever we walk into a place where cast members are there to serve us, and secretly wish we were cast members ourselves.

And of course if you're a Mousejunkie you just can't envision going on too many other trips that don't involve a Princess Castle. Even in a family with all boys, we get excited every time we walk through the Magic Kingdom gates and see the Castle looming in front of us. It brings excitement each and every time.

There's just something about the World of Disney that intrigues us no matter how many times we go. This year we managed to make it down twice, but I'm already making plans for a return tip next year. If not for the extreme heat and humidity in the summertime, I'm sure we would live closer to Orlando, but for now I'll continue dreaming about our next vacation when all of us can feel like a kid again and escape into a world of make-believe and mouse ears.