Our Bahamas Getaway

Phil and I just returned from a fantastic weekend in the Bahamas.

We cruised over there on "Celebration Bahamas" cruise line, 

and it was a quick 2-night getaway.

We found this vacation package on"Double-Take-Deals,"

and it was a very good deal...

BUT...as with everything in life...

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

 This appetizer (pictured above) reflects the meals that we experienced while on the cruise.  Phil and I expected to gain five pounds and walk off the ship with our shorts unbuttoned from our absolute gluttony.  That wasn't the case.

 We did, however, have a decent room (by cruising standards...as you can see in the video below), but it took two upgrades (neither of which we paid for) to get to that point.

 We didn't win a single dollar in our BINGO debut, nor did we bring the average age down in what appeared to be the annual geriatric convention.

We had one full day on the Grand Bahamas Island,
and we spent five hours on a Jeep Excursion.

That was, BY FAR, our highlight of the entire weekend!

My adventurous husband immediately morphed into an excited boy who was driving for the first time, and he had a blast with the Wrangler.

We toured the island from the Jeep.

The tour included some beautiful beaches...

...and snapshots of the local landmarks.

There were also a few snapshots of the happy couple from Florida.

We also stopped at a cave that had fresh water that went 30-feet-deep,
and you could see all the way down.

Phil just had to try drinking the water.

I just had to find an excuse to kiss my handsome husband.

We just had to pose in the "picture spot" when there was a photographer in the group.

This was our convoy of Jeeps.

The water was perfectly clear and gorgeous!
(This ranked as one of the "Top Ten Beaches" a few different years.) 

Phil snorkeled during our lunch break, and he found all sorts of treasures:

Conch, Starfish, Crab, and some spiky thing that's name continually escapes me.

Phil really wanted to try fresh conch,
so that was our first stop upon entering the local markets.

I really wanted to try some ice cream,
so that was our second stop...although we snapped the picture a bit too late.

Our second night's appetizer was a bit more substantial, and we actually felt stuffed after consuming our entrees and all of the meat samplings from the meat carvers who walked around throughout the entire meal.

We found cheap entertainment in the casino...with $14 for the slots.
Since we were married on 7/7/07, we each had $7 to win our millions.

After a while on the nickel slots, and sporadic bursts of "luck,"
we walked out empty-handed.  Shocker!

It was a TERRIFIC weekend!

But we were happy to return to our little loves.
Thank you, Mema and Papa, for watching our kiddos while we gallivanted through the streets of the Bahamas and the waters of the Atlantic.  :)

Adventure Island

We went to Adventure Island on Saturday!

It was my first time at the gigantic water park, 

and it was a BLAST!

 Clare was in heaven!

 After adjusting to the water, I enjoyed all of the slides/rides.  My mom and dad watched the kiddos as Phil and I braved all of the "big kid slides."  This picture was just a warm-up slide.  I wasn't able to wear my hat or sunglasses on the big ones.  Just felt like I needed to share that...since I look like such a WIMP in that picture.

 Phil, who had been a little less than excited about spending part of his weekend at an amusement-type park, had as much fun as anyone.

 Papa and Isaac floated down the Lazy River.

 Isaac got wet and wild before taking a 2-hour nap in the stroller.

 Nothing was too big or fast for our little daredevil.

  She wanted to do everything, and Daddy was game!

 Daddy had some fun of his own as well.

 Since he wasn't allowed to dive, 

he attempted to make the biggest splash possible.

 Of course, a day with Daddy wouldn't be complete without some

"Clare in the Air" time.

 Doesn't it look like we were in some exotic paradise?

 All of these pictures were taken with a disposable camera since Mommy and Mema both forgot our cameras.  What were we thinking???

 The four of us (including my mom who took the picture) rode this tube through a pretty fast. dark, and wet water slide.  I kind of expected Clare to be crying at the end.

 I should have known better...

She immediately said, "Let's do it again!"

You can see part of the ride in the background.

 It was an AWESOME day:

great weather...

low crowds...

fun time with the family!

 The only downside of the day was that I didn't get any pictures of Mema, AND that Clare fell asleep on the way home (5:15 PM) and proceeded to sleep until bedtime.  She then woke up at 5:15 AM on Sunday morning.