The Mackeys: Spring Break 2014

I'm going to apologize in advance for the length of this post, and how picture-heavy it is. Lots of information and pictures to share with you!

We woke the boys up at 3:30 a.m on Saturday, March 8 and asked them if they wanted to go to Florida. The look on their face was priceless. We were out the door in 15 minutes flat (I had packed their bags the night before, after they were in bed). We had been planning this trip since last August and worked really hard to keep it a secret from the boys until we left. You have no idea how difficult that task proved to be, especially as it got closer. :)

Ryan and Mom waiting for our flight:

Grandpa and Carter in the airport:

Carter in his coveted window seat:

They managed to sit all 6 of us together on both flights, which was an unexpected bonus because they were sold out:

Ryan hasn't been on an airplane since he was 4. To say he was excited was an understatement!

Ryan took this photo out his window:

The boys looking at the view from our hotel room in Miami:

The boys wasted no time in checking out the pool area:

He loved being able to cannonball into an empty pool:

Evan and his boys:

The pool area was very quiet for a weekend. The pool was near the airport. I'm guessing it is mostly used for business travelers during the week:

The boys played ping pong during a swim break:

Evan taking in the pool area and scenery around us. It's hard to believe with the snow and cold we've had this winter in MN, that a plane ride away is gorgeous greenery, palm trees, and pool weather:

Ryan in kid-heaven:

We were too tired to go out to dinner, so we ordered room service on Saturday night:

On Sunday morning, we told the boys we were staying somewhere else for the rest of the week. They didn't know it was going to be on a cruise ship until we drove over the pier in Miami. The look on their faces was priceless:

We cruised on the Norwegian Epic:

Getting on the ship:

We checked out splash academy, the kids zone:

Evan and the boys on the pool deck when our ship was leaving Miami:

Carter spotted this float plane taking off:

He loved watching it:

View behind the ship as we were leaving port:

Goodbye, Miami:

South Beach:

Our state room. We had both bunks down over our bed a few of the nights. We were cozy, to say the least. :)

View from our bed of the rest of the state room:

Our closet was first on the left, then the bathroom. To the right of the exit door was our shower and on this side of the shower was our sink and vanity.

Our family closet:

The boys bookshelf, with Carter's animals:

The boys reading at bedtime on the first night:

Ryan tried rock climbing on Monday, our first day at sea. The rock climbing area was on the pool deck, at the back of the ship:

Heading up the stairs to the platform:

Listening carefully to the instructions:

And he's off:

Almost there...

He made it, he rang the bell! :)

Rappeling back down the wall:

Ryan met Jacob in the first few minutes on the ship and they were buddies all week:

Carter's turn to rock climb, getting his gear on:

Heading up the stairs "Mom, it's this way":

Starting up the wall:

He did great!!!

Ryan in splash academy, playing a game where they had to steal their teammates' flag tucked into their shorts:

He ended up winning and was so excited!

Carter climbing the spider jungle gym:

He made it to the top - success! He got stuck halfway up. I couldn't figure out what we were going to do - there was no way I could crawl through those webbed straps to rescue him. Thankfully he was able to get his leg free that was caught. :)

Coming out the slide at the bottom of the spider jungle gym:

We had dinner in one of the ship's main dining rooms, The Manhattan Room, tonight:

Grandma and Grandpa and the boys:

Carter's dessert. The restaurants all had kids' menus, which made our life much easier. :)

On the way to the show after dinner:

The boys absolutely loved The Blue Man Group. It was such a fun show. The boys wanted their picture taken with one of the blue men after the show:

The towels on our bed were a different animal every night before bed:

Getting off the ship in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday:

Our shuttle bus on the way to our excursions:

Carter was buddies with Peter, our driver, and he sat in the front seat with him. He learned that in Ocho Rios, they drive: "left side, [is the] right side; right side, [is] suicide". The boys chanted that all day. :)

Our bus, we were thankful it was air conditioned! It was hot in Jamaica!

Our family in Dunn's River Falls. We climbed a 960' waterfall together. It was such an incredible excursion - we loved it!!!! We also purchased a video of our family in the falls - it shows our entire climb to the top - very cool!

Carter had a snack and checked out the view before we went tubing:

These photographs were taken by a photographer while we tubed 3 miles down the White River. Here is Evan:

Me:

Carter:

Grandma:

Ryan:

Grandpa:

Me in the big drop at the end of the falls:

On Wednesday, we were at sea all day. The kid spent the day in the pool. This was my view from the top deck, facing the front of the ship:

The back of the ship:

Looking directly overboard (yikes!):

Facing forward:

And backwards:

Evan and Carter in the pool:

On our way to dinner Wednesday evening:

Dinner in another main dining room, Taste Contemporary:

Our towels:

Getting off the ship in Costa Maya, Mexico:

The boys checked out the view over the pier:

Ryan spotted this crab on the rocks below - can you see it in the middle of the picture? It's camouflaged pretty well!

Photo op prior to our excursion:

Boys looking at our cruise ship:

Getting ready to go swim with the dolphins:

Listening to the instructions prior to going in the water:

Our family:

All of the dolphin pictures were taken by a professional photographer. I loved the images she captured of our family. Each of us had an opportunity to get a dolphin kiss, swim, and spend time with him. We have the best memories of swimming with the dolphins:

After we swam with the dolphins, the boys went in the town center area and swam in a large pool. They were most excited about the fact that they could sit on the bar stools while eating and drinking. No need to leave the pool. :)

Their smiles didn't leave their faces all day (or all week for that matter):

Carter's favorite purchase on the trip - a wrestling mask he bought from a vendor in Costa Maya:

Heading to a dinner show - Cirque Dreams. The boys loved the magicians and acrobats:

At the Cirque Dinner:

After the show with two of the performers:

With Grandpa on the 7th floor running deck:

Carter in Bliss Lounge:

They developed into good little chess players during our week on the ship:

Two more towel animals:

Getting off the ship in Cozumel, Mexico, Carter spotted these military boats:

On our beach break, Ryan and Evan swam in the ocean:

Ryan relaxing in the hammock:

Ryan and I in the water balloon toss:

The boys on the pier, watching the parasailers:

Our family on the pier:

On the water taxi, heading to the parasailing boat. On a whim, we decided to try parasailing:

This is Aura Resort where Evan and I stayed 2 years ago for our 10 year wedding anniversary:

Getting ready to parasail:

Going up:

All the way up, what an amazing experience with my boys. I am so glad I had this opportunity to go with them. We could see so far when we were up there. The water is so beautiful and blue. It's a view I would never tire of.

Coming back down:

Heading to dinner at O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill:

More towel animals:

Evan and his little chess players. They played on the back of the pool deck, with the large set many times:

Heading to dinner at Taste:

Dinner with my boys:

My little buddy:

With his balloon from splash academy:

Back at the pool in Miami. These kids never tire of the water!

My fearless, crazy kiddo:

Carter wrote in a journal every day on our trip. I scanned the pages of his journal and they are below. I think he will enjoy seeing this when he grows up. I know I got a kick out of it! :)