Cruise Pics

Not much of a tourist attraction, but we couldn't pass up getting a picture of Millie's conveience store. We shared a great key lime slushie and visited Truman's "Little White House" here, but returned to ship a little early to sleep off the effects of the Drammamine we took the night before for seasickness (one lady who had been on multiple cruises said that it was the worst sea she had ever felt). Fortunately, we had no more rocky seas after the first night.



Our ship, Holland America line's Veendam. On the whole we really liked it -- it's amazing how there can be 1300 people on board without it feeling crowded. We were surrounded by the newlyweds and the nearly deads (some people thought we were newlyweds and one lady thought that I was 24! She will forever be kindly and graciously remembered by me!), but we did meet some very nice people.

Mark taking part in the ship's tee-off challenge. He got the ball in the ring on his first try, much to the admiration of everyone watching. I was proud to say, "I'm with him!" Look at that form!

A couple of nights they had formal night for dinner -- for some reason as we walked around the ship on those nights I was reminded an awfully lot of the Love Boat. Needless to say, my closet is sadly lacking in the formalwear deparment (a little hard to chase after three kids in a strapless, sequined, floor-length gown) and so a black dress had to do.


Mark looking great despite the fact that he forgot a tie and wasn't wearing a tux.
The Mayan ruins at Xunantuich (shoo-nan-tun-eech) in Belize. It was raining a light misty rain and anyone who knows me well, will know that I love the rain and misty days. It made it rather mysterious and magical.

On top of the main temple at Xunantunich.




Auga de coco -- such a familiar taste from Brazil!

Mark posing on the steps of a Mayan school in the jungles of Guatemala.


In Guatemala on the Rio Dulce -- it made me rather homesick for Brazil.


Our last night on board -- the flash made it so we didn't capture the fading sunset on camera.


Wow! What a great couple of weeks we've had! After scrambling mightily to get all of Christmas ready before we left, Mark and I took off for a week to the Caribbean (and lest there are readers out there thinking that we are living high on the hog while in graduate school, the cruise was a very generous gift from Mark's parents who won a free cruise on their last cruise). Mark's parents so nicely offered to come and watch the girls while we were gone and it was exactly the kind of relaxing trip we needed. We had a great time visiting Key West, Belize, Guatemala, and Cozumel, Mexico and taking it easy in between times. It was a first for both of us and we enjoyed the amazing service and utter relaxation (it was a pure luxury not having to think about making meals or even making our bed). Did I mention that the trip was relaxing? We especially enjoyed a river excursion in Guatemala -- it reminded me so much of Brazil and Mark loved getting to use his Spanish. We also loved reading (and doing Sudoku) while sitting on the deck of the ship. I think, however, that Mark's overall favorite thing would have to be the chocolate ice cream waffle cones available anytime his heart desired. By the end we were ready to return home for Christmas and while I must admit to some bouts of separation anxiety for my girls, they had a rip-roaring good time. In fact, when my dad picked them up from Mark's parents for the last two days of our trip and asked them if they missed their mom and dad, Abby promptly responded with an resounding, "No!" and Millie more diplomatically replied, "We've been having a great vacation!" I should just be grateful for well-adjusted kids, right?