Wednesday-Cozumel, Mexico

We left our room for a fun day in Mexico (this was before the steward came in to clean the room, which he did about 5 times a day)!!!

The ship from Cozumel

Wouldn't this be a nice place to stay?? On the Mexican Mainland.

A person carving obsidian trinkets to sell....

This weaver was making GORGEOUS tablecloths. This was probably the only souvenir that I would have purchased, money being no object. As it was, we so enjoyed looking :)

We had taken the ferry from Cozumel and were now somewhere in mainland Mexico

Native Mayan's in Native costumes. One interesting fact: All people of Mayan descent have a round purple and green circle birthmark at the base of their spine about the size of a 50 cent piece. Many orientals also have this same birthmark. Amazing!

These buildings were put together with limestone and a mortar of sand mixed with chickle [chewing gum!] No kidding!! And here they stand all these years later!

I took a lot of pictures of Iguana's because they were novel (at first).....then they were just 'everyday' normal. This one was right at my feet in the path. A bit startling!

The Mayan city of Tulum sat on the cliffs above gorgeous aqua blue waters

Mom and Dad in Tulum

Heavenly Father makes the most beautiful flowers EVERYWHERE!!

Random horses on a roof

A street scene in Cozumel

In Cozumel, the Green Frog was the designated meeting place!

Oops, I didn't realize this turned our blurry. Cozumel was the only place we docked at a pier, the rest of the time we had to be boated to shore in the tenders. This was coming back to the ship after our fun day at Tulum.

Thanksgiving Day at Sea

Thanksgiving day was spent at Sea. Sometimes we would pass another cruise ship. This was the Norwegian Jewel! Mom (Grandma Jo) told us that her dad always told her she was part Chinese. Come to find out that almost all Norwegians really ARE part Chinese!!! So, I guess I am, too! Thanks Ghengas Khan.

Most evenings after dinner (which was at 8:15 pm, in the same dining room, the whole family eating together with the same waiters--very dressy)--we would go to the theater. This particular night they gave us all balloons and we batted them around before the show began. It was really fun and so colorful. This show was just some of the talent from the staff. It was all good except for one....which was decidedly inappropriate! Luckily, he was foreign enough that you couldn't tell the words of the song he was singing, so it seemed ok until about 3/4 of the way through the song when the words started sinking in.....But, the rest was great and the balloons were fun!

Thanksgiving day was at 'sea'. We sat out on the deck and listened to the Pan Drums!

Of course, you can't have Thanksgiving without your bread being shaped into a motorcycle, or wheat stalks. I took a tour of the ships galley.....these fancy breads, candies and fruits were being made to put on display in the various dining rooms. Everyday there were new displays. Some of the most beautiful were the turnip flowers! (Orange in this bouquet, but all colors) Gorgeous!

Of course, no Thanksgiving is complete without a sailing ship made out of bread, Or the windmill made of bread, the carved watermelons, the sugar candy baskets, and plates, etc.

On Thanksgiving they displayed the turkeys, all ready for any typical Thanksgiving feast!

This is how you serve turkey breast, if you don't want to cook the whole bird!

This one was all sliced and ready to serve, with chestnuts down it's breastbone.

The owls on this turkey were made out of pickles!

The last 24 hours!

The last sunset from the ship

Ruby Princess Docked (with a tender by her side) while we were on the shore. The black looking deck is actually the exercise room. The tinted windows all have treadmills or elliptical machines in front of them so that you can exercise, watch the sea, and not have the sun beat in on you.

Beautiful Princess Cays on Eleuthera Island. Our favorite place.

On a small boat heading out to do some snorkeling

The water was so clear, I took this walking along the pier......imagine how snorkeling was!
While we were eating at the beach in Princess Cays, a big moth landed on dad's arm!
Tree leaves were large on the island of Eleuthera Island. We had an exclusive beach there (shipmates only), with lots of water sports as well as bbq with FABULOUS fruit!

Gellato from the International cafe: Strawberry, Butterscotch and Nutella!! Yum!

This picture turned out really dark, but it was fun to sit in the Plaza and listen to the piano and violin......of course while eating our 'gelleto' from the International Cafe!

Our last dessert, served by our waiter, Airel: flaming baked Alaska

Waiting for the airport shuttle in Port Everglades, Florida

Just above the clouds over Denver heading home......

I will miss you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and happy birthday Sara. {Don't forget to call her on Thanksgiving Day} I will not have my cell phone with me. Dad will have his, but we are not sure it will always be working! [A real vacation!] Here is our schedule in case you need us:
Leave Fri the 21 at 9:10 am....Wave to the Thornbrues from the Denver airport as we change planes....get to Ft. Lauderdale at 5:20 pm
Board the Ruby Princess state room B328 category JJ Baja deck
Travel agents name is Jeanine phone number 801-225-7600. I assume she can figure out 'where' we are! We go to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, Cozumel on Wednesday, The Cays on Friday and Jamaca, but it doesn't say which day. That is all I know.

I LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU ALL..............
Mom

Michael downloaded for me

Andrew and Elisabeth

Cute Bride and Groom

Cute Ben

Lisa

Kids playing by the tree

Wheelwrights

Cute little boys

Cade the butler!!!!
My computer is not liking uploading pictures at the minute, so rather than lose what I have done I will publish this......
Did anyone get a picture of all of us together? I would like a copy. Thanks :)

Christmas Cactus

I have one VERY HAPPY Christmas Cactus......it has 62 blooms right now. And, yes, this is the Christmas Cactus that the Biden's gave us 14 YEARS ago :)

Poor girl

One more thing about today at school. The kids were 'working' on a math assignment.....most of them just 'didn't get it, so I was going around helping those that needed help. One girl hadn't even started, so I said, "here, let me help you". She cringed when I got near her and said ,"I don't want help." At the end of the period I went around picking up papers. I grabbed hers from her desk. She grabbed for it, but I just moved on. She had written 4 poems at the bottom. Three were about no matter how much she cut herself, she hurt so bad she couldn't bleed, and the other one was about how she just wanted to die. I took it straight to the counseling center. Poor girl needs more help than I do!!

Ouch

I have subbed for the last week for a teacher....it has been painful. I have been pelted with flying objects, had gum stuck on me, and today I was threatened...."It's all that [blankety blank's] fault (that they had to copy everything that was written on the board 3 times)--we'll get her after school." And sworn at. The "you......[blankety blank]" was the LAST straw. I burst into tears, grabbed the boy that swore at me and marched down to the office. They are the WIMPIEST administrators I have EVER EVER seen. They didn't even have the boy that swore at me appologize.....they just said to him, "Now (in a tone that indicated 'sonny'), you made a bad choice; don't do it again." About the kids that threatened to 'get me' after school, because I couldn't determine exactly WHO said it--just the group of 6 HUGE boys (I mean, I'm talking 6 feet tall and 200 and above pounds).....then they said, "Well, there is nothing that we can really do about that."
Guess who will never go back to West Lake Junior High? ME!!! This has been a PAINFUL week.

Prayers Needed

Ok everybody.......We have lots of prayers needed: The Wheelwrights (all) are very sick--and Sara has been taking care of her niece and nephews, and is sick, sick sick.....[Maybe they need a drier climate---in the olden days people with breathing issues were always sent to Arizona.]
Lisa has been sick, feverish....and all the other 'fun' stuff that goes with that!
Merilee has a bad migraine.
Jarom has been extra ornery and difficult. [Now he is 5, so that should change :)]
Kristen's Eyes need some healing, and Alex has an undetermined health issue.
Then, of course, there is dad and I that either need to find different jobs or have lenders that actually lend so that buyers can actually buy!! :)
Uncle Dick just had a stroke.
I think everybody else is ok.......!! Send lots of prayers Heavenward! I can't tell you the extra burdon when I can't babysit the grandkids, or bring a meal over, or clean the bathrooms for someone, or be physically helpful.
Thanks tons for everything,
Mom

Hats

Last week in RS we were told that our Christmas project this year was to provide hats for the homeless shelter. Each woman was to knit (with the hoop knitter) 5 hats. I had tried making ONE hat with a hoop knitter a couple of years ago and got bored to tears.......couldn't even manage baby size, so I finished it for a doll!!! However, I do have a knitting machine!! I can make a hat start to finish in about an hour...........So I made 4 yesterday and one today! My 5 are DONE!! Hurrah!! The two that are really dark are multicolored purple.....really pretty!

A bit of Halloween

Tinkerbell

A very tired Captain Hook, minus wig (itchy), sword and 'hook'.....

Smee

Crocodile!!

Peter Pan!

These are a few pictures that I took with my old camera.......still can't download with my 'new' one that has the whole family together!! But, this give you an 'idea'.......

This was the 'sum total' of our Halloween!!
But, they were darling!
The costumes Annie made were fabulous!!!