I'm completely skipping over the months of June and July because I'm so excited to share the pictures and memories from our recent family vacation. I'll go back and share the first part of our summer adventures later, but I want to get these memories documented before they get pushed out of my brain with the chaos of school starting this week. Ugh.
Matthew and I took our very first cruise on our Honeymoon 9 years ago and since then we've gone every year with the exception of a couple of years when I was sick and waiting on my transplant. It's our favorite way to vacation so last summer we decided to introduce Kyndall to cruising just to see how she liked it. As expected, she loved it as much as we did so we declared that every summer from now until forever we will take a cruise vacation as a family.
This was our first year leaving out of anywhere other than Florida but with Galveston being just four hours away, it only made sense to leave from Texas. Our sail date was July 23rd so on the 22nd we drove down to Houston and stayed with my friend Jennifer for the night. It was so great spending time with her and we really appreciated her hospitality for the evening.
Lunch break on the way from Dallas to Houston
Jennifer and her daughter Kristyn....And her other daughter Harper the dog
Kyndall loves Jennifer's sweet grandkids
Sunday morning we headed towards Galveston and said goodbye to reality and hello to seven days of relaxation and fun aboard the Liberty of the Seas!
Checking out our stateroom and private balcony
She said to us "now this is the life!"
The Liberty of the Seas proudly displayed its love for Texas!
First order of business after exploring the ship....FOOD! I'm confident that by the week's end I ate my entire body weight in these coconut cookies!
Likewise, I'm pretty sure she ate her own weight in pizza
We explored more of the ship while we waited to disembark from the port
The wind on the front of the boat was insane! It definitely did NOT help my golf game!
Kyndall found a new love for ping pong
Our least favorite part about the entire cruise is always the muster station drill. Nothing says bon voyage quite like cramming yourselves into single file lines on the deck in the Texas heat and practicing for an emergency. This year was especially exciting because as I was standing there baking, shoulder to shoulder with strangers I felt myself beginning to pass out. I've passed out so many times in so many random places that I just know when it's about to happen...and this was definitely one of those times. I looked at Matthew and said "I'm about to hit the ground" then I just turned and walked away, pushing through the crowds to find the nearest entry to the ship. As soon as I got inside the doors I just fell to my knees and of course the crew members came scurrying over to me. I told them I had already checked in with my station and I just needed to sit. They escorted me to the bar (ha!!!) and told me I could stay inside for the remainder of the drill. Somehow Matthew and Kyndall were able to find me in the mad stampede as everyone was allowed back into the interior of the ship after the drill was complete. What an awful way to start off our vacation! Thankfully it wasn't as bad as it could have been because I know if I had kept standing there I'd have been taken off that boat on a stretcher and our vacation would have been toast.
Back in our room Kyndall gave us a run down of the safety instructions
Dinner on night #1
Banana split for dessert!
When your wife (who happens to be dental hygienist) forgets to pack dental floss, you end up paying $6.95 for it in the gift shop on the boat. Highway robbery at its best.
Ready for a post dinner night swim
And because they apparently didn't get enough to eat at our three course dinner, these two had to stop for pizza at 11:00 pm on our way to bed!
Monday we were at sea all day which meant we got to sleep until 11:00 a.m. (this family loves to sleep!) then headed straight for lunch followed by pool time. Side note--we didn't wake up in time for breakfast a single day of our cruise--clearly we value our sleep a LOT!
There were two different types of water slides on the back of our ship plus a flow rider which is a surfing simulator. Kyndall didn't meet the weight requirement for the raft slide or the flow rider and she technically didn't met the height requirement for this one. She was about a half an inch too short but she was able to make her way past the lifeguard with the measuring stick the first three days then a new lifeguard took over and she wouldn't allow Kyndall to do it, despite us telling her she had been sliding all week! Ugh. Glad we lived it up those first couple of days! Being tiny has its downfalls sometimes.
Only thing cooler would have been if the tube was clear so you could see out over the ocean as you were sliding by!
Matthew....
Shortcake.....
Mama's turn!!!....
All that swimming and sliding makes a girl hungry for a mid-afternoon snack
Showered and ready to get dressed up for our first formal night
She looks SO grown up in this picture
I am pretty crazy about these two!
If you know Kyndall Hughes, you know she's the pickiest kid to EVER walk this earth. Literally, there are only a handful of things this child will eat. Her favorite of these things happens to be a mayo and cheese sandwich. I know....disgusting to most of us, but for her it's everything. After two days of eating spaghetti, pizza, watermelon and jello she was already feeling frustrated over her food choices which is laughable to me considering a cruise ship is basically a floating buffet with endless choices. When she asked me if she could request the chef make her a mayo and cheese sandwich that night at the formal dinner I definitely cringed a little but our sweet wait staff catered to her request and presented her with a beautiful double decker mayo and cheese sandwich! She was both delighted and amazed and guess what she requested every night from that evening forward?? Yep.
We had several really good photos taken over the week but this was the one we all agreed on so it's the one we purchased.
Another sea day meant more sleeping in and thus missing breakfast again! No worries....We headed straight to the formal dining room for a yummy lunch as soon as we emerged from our room. We were getting a little burned out on the buffets so decided to switch it up a little bit.
Back to the pool deck for more fun in the sun
Ice cream cone number 748
Ice cream cone number 749
After a second full day in the sun we found ourselves surprisingly tired, despite sleeping until lunch everyday and doing a whole bunch of nothing! Ha! (Side note--Matthew is NOT in fact naked in this picture. Bad photography!)
The view from our balcony
The hot tub in the solarium was right above our balcony
Since we were in such a chill mood we weren't able to muster up the energy to get showered and ready for another fancy dinner. We decided to hit up the buffet instead and then we used our extra time to explore the ship at night.
A late night game of shuffleboard
Country singer Steve Azar was the entertainment that night so we caught his show after we explored the ship.
Headed back to our room to call it a night. These two just get goofy when they're tired!
Our first stop was at the port of Roatan, Honduras
Waiting for our excursion guide
We're off to snorkel in Honduras!!
You officially know you're a parent when you find yourself using Paw Patrol themed sunscreen
Kyndall was pretty excited about her first snorkeling adventure
Here we go.....
Note to self....Next time we will bring our own appropriately sized mask!
I am normally not a fan of the water. I grew up on the beaches of Florida and I KNOW what's in that water! However, when it's as crystal clear and as inviting as this there is no stopping me! Beautiful!
Snorkeling selfie....
Kyndall was such a champ! She wasn't a fan of the snorkel itself so we ditched that (quite literally, on the bottom of the ocean--oops!) and she did much better just taking regular breaths.
Our catamaran tour included lunch but the only thing on the entire buffet this super picky kid would eat was watermelon.
As people would finish off their meal, they would throw the chicken bones into the water which gave us a great view of the fish!
Along with all the free food we wanted also came all the free alcohol we wanted. For us that was none, but it provided some interesting entertainment, to say the least!
She threw back three cups of rum punch, minus the rum
More happy juice!
Captain Kyndall sailed us back to land after our adventure
Once off the catamaran, our guides put is on buses which would drive us back to the cruise ship. As you can see over Matthew's shoulder, we were bombarded with locals practically begging us to buy their handmade goods. This sparked some deep conversation with Kyndall during the bus ride back. A much needed reality check for all of us.
Views of Roatan, Honduras
From extreme poverty to extreme luxuriousness. Definitely a lot to think about.
We quickly darted up to our room to drop off our wet towels then went back down to do some shopping in the port.
Turns out Kyndall is a pretty good photographer!
While we were admiring the beautiful water over the pier I spotted this horrid thing. Eels creep me out just as much as snakes do. YUCK.
Little photographer in the making
What do you know? We cannot seem to get away from Pikachu and all things Pokemon...Not even in a foreign country!
I've always heard of people letting fish nibble at their feet but seeing it was definitely a first. NO, thank you.
We went into every single shop in the port until she finally decided on this beaded hummingbird.
That's our room up there to the left of the hot tub
Back on the boat, we headed straight to the buffet for dinner. We were too exhausted to get dressed up for the fancy dinner after our busy day in Roatan.
More ice cream....
The next morning we woke up in Costa Maya, Mexico!
Waiting for our tour guide
Our excursion for the day was a jeep ride through the jungle to a private beach. We were SO excited to do this!
She was just excited that she didn't have to sit in a 5 point harness carseat
Our handsome chauffeur
This was a little unnerving to see strolling down the beach....
More sobering images as we drove the streets of Mahahual
They waved so happily at us as we drove by. It broke my heart and made me smile all at the same time.
It was all fun until someone in the group got their jeep stuck in the sand
Back at it after a short delay
When we arrived at the private beach there was a lavish lunch buffet awaiting us
Kyndall loved the baby bananas!
It was so peaceful and relaxing
The jeep excursion was SO much fun but SO hot! By the time we got back to the port we were pretty toasty so we did a little shopping and then headed to the boat.
In the middle of the town square these crazy guys were drawing quite a crowd as they shimmied up this pole and then proceeded to dangle upside down by their ankles. I had to just walk away before I had a come apart.
Back on the boat, checking out her new treasures from Costa Maya
That night we took in an ice skating show before our dinner. It was fabulous!
Hanging out, waiting for our dinner reservation
When your photographer is only 47 inches tall you end up with some pretty unflattering angles! Ha!
That night during dinner the wait staff performed for us on the grand staircase
Matthew and I wanted to watch the "Love and Marriage" game show but we weren't entirely sure it was kid-appropriate. Thankfully she passed out not too long into it because it definitely was not kid-appropriate but still hilarious.
Awake just long enough to see her towel animal before crawling into bed
Our final port was Cozumel and our excursion was to Playa Mia which was an absolutely amazing resort on a private beach complete with kayaks, paddle boats, an aqua park, pools and unlimited food and drinks of any kind. We'll definitely be back if we ever find ourselves in Cozumel again.
My first time kayaking and I'm hooked! SO fun!
Those two heads in the very center of this picture belong to Matthew and Kyndall. They swam out to play on the aqua park. I stayed behind because I don't have the upper body strength it takes to climb on all that stuff.
All that climbing wore them out so we took a break in the shade with some fresh pina coladas
Just as we began to relax a HUGE and scary storm came up and there was a mad dash into the pavilion. It was so crowded and noisy, not to mention lightening was striking all around us. Definitely not the best part of the day.
Waiting out the storm....
When the rain stopped we ventured back out onto the beach. As we were walking down the path our frog-loving girl spotted this HUGE toad and squealed with delight, asking if she could PUH-LEASE pick it up. I was hesitant but she insisted. SO gross!
She begged us to let her throw it into the resort swimming pool and watch the mass exodus, but I told her I didn't want to be responsible for the stampede that was sure to ensue.
Back out after the rain passed over
Our little beauty
It wasn't long before yet another storm rolled in so we headed to the bus and called it a day.
Shopping back at the port
That ship on the left is the one we hope to do next! It's the biggest one on the water right now.
She very appropriately purchased this beaded frog while shopping in Cozumel. We'd have brought back the real thing if she had it her way!
Beautiful sunset from our private balcony as we left Cozumel
Formal night #2
And what does she request again? Mayo and cheese sandwich.
She and I chose this chocolate cake nearly every night for dessert. We miss it!
There was a 70's disco dance party that night after dinner so we headed down to check it out
They were tossing out these light up rings and people were going crazy over them. Somehow, I ended up catching one for Kyndall. I nearly pulled back a nub trying to grab it, but victory was mine and I was the coolest mom ever for about 5 minutes. Totally worth risking my life for that. Ha!
A little pina colada treat during the show
Saturday was our very last day and it was another sea day which we used to do all the things around the ship we hadn't gotten to yet.
First stop, Johnny Rockets Diner
As if these two hadn't had enough ice cream throughout the week, they indulged in dessert after their lunch.
One of my favorite things to do each time we're on a cruise is to go up to the very front of the ship and walk out over the bow just like Jack and Rose in Titanic. Except this time Jack nearly had a coronary and wouldn't join Rose for a romantic moment and instead parked himself on a bench nearby whilst yelling "this is how people DIE" at Rose and telling her to "get back". Not exactly the scene from a movie but it was a funny memory for sure! Kyndall and I on the other hand enjoyed the wind in our hair and the wide open view of the ocean.
That's as far as he would go! Ha!
Not us....We wanted to go as far as we possibly could!
We explored parts of the boat we hadn't seen yet....
Like the very back of the ship
We snuck up to the chapel where they conduct weddings
We spent the rest of our day hanging out by the pools and relaxing.
Our very last night at dinner.....
I should have counted how many times we got onto an elevator over the course of 7 days....
Since we were headed back to Texas, the wait staff sang and danced to "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "America the Beautiful" and dropped the Texas flag on the grand staircase in the dining room.
Savoring that very last piece of chocolate cake!
Kyndall always hates to say goodbye to our wait staff who are so kind to honor her crazy dinner requests each night. These two were wonderful to us!
One last towel creation
We disembarked early the next morning but it took FOREVER to go through customs and we couldn't figure out why. Then we remembered it was because we had been to Honduras. Honduras does not have a trade agreement with the USA so it took much longer to get everyone through customs and security.
Since Galveston is right next door to Houston, we had planned to meet up with our BFFs the Raleys. Despite living in the same state for an entire year, we had not seen them in way too long. Caroline and Kyndall picked up right where they left off and in a way it felt just like we were back in Jackson, Tennessee again.
A lot has happened since our last group picture. One of us got a new liver, one adopted a new baby, one graduated from nurse anesthetist school, one of us got an impressive job promotion, two of them grew up by leaps and bounds and above all this, after being separated for two whole years we are all once again living in the same state together! Isn't it amazing how God works all the details out? Love this family so much more than words could ever express.
Goodbye, Houston.....
My first priority when we arrived back in Dallas was going straight to the vet to pick up our two fur babies. They had been there for 8 days and I'm sure they thought we had abandoned them forever. They were SO happy to see me and didn't leave my side for the rest of the day.
Hughes Cruise 2017 provided us with some much needed family time, some relaxation and of course some FUN! (As well as providing us with a few extra pounds!) We made memories that will last a lifetime and we came back refreshed and renewed, ready to tackle the last three weeks of summer.
We're already planning next year's adventure! Hughes Cruise 2018 can't get here fast enough!
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