First 2 people in the pool and consuming the first of MANY ice cream cones!
He actually means "thumbs UP for rock climbing", he was just being silly! He was a natural.
L and Luke scaling the wall - that's on a ship - in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
Team Tully took part in a selfie scavenger hunt. So much fun!
Strangers - very willing to help in our scavenger hunt endeavors. They are even more excited about it than us! L says it is because we chose strangers from the "selfie generation". Ha!
Team Tully
Our favorite cruise partners - Ima and Sheshy!
Team Tully in Mexico! Hola! We stopped first in Costa Maya where Shesh led us to some white sand and a beach day full of snorkeling and basking in the sun. Perfect!
This was taken from the top of the tower that is in the background of the previous photo. That is our ship in the background and in the foreground is a pole with a person doing a backbend on top. Mexico...love it!
We made our way to a fisherman's village a couple of miles from the cruise port.
Luke - forever making friends. This is Leo, from China. He was quick to tell Luke two things: "Leo is my American name and I traveled 38 hours to get here." Fast friends. They spent the day exploring the crystal clear water and using coconut shells as boats, scoopers, and crab houses. Priceless.
Shuffleboard with Ima. L and Luke got gold and silver medals for "winning" the onboard shuffleboard tournament. ("winning" is in "" for a reason.) Ha!
Someday Luke will conquer the flow rider
We didn't win but it is a cruise ship staple. :-)
Team Tully took an adventure on the island of Cozumel! We boarded a bus and transversed the island (which is only 30% developed, the rest is a National Park) and made stops at some beautiful and amazing Mayan Ruins as well as a beach on the eastern side of the island. BEAUTIFUL - both in culture and scenery.
Our guide - Ignacio, call me Nacho. We don't take all too many guided tours when we travel because you really are at the mercy of your guide. BUT, Nacho was AMAZING! Extremely knowledgable, friendly, and proud of his country, his heritage, and the Mayan legacy. We learned so much and he was patient and enthusiastic. We talked about it all the way back to the ship and Luke was full of information to relay to Ima and Shesh at dinner. When a 7 year old retains that much from a tour you know it was a good one!
San Gervasio - A small Mayan civilization occupied this portion of Cozumel and these ruins were supposedly part of a school on site.
This is a representation of Ix Chel - the goddess of fertility. Mayan women would make pilgrimages to this site to worship and pray to the goddess of fertility.
The arch/walkway that was traveled to make offerings to Ix Chel in search of health and fertility.
Iguanas...EVERYWHERE!
Such beauty in the ruins, in the untold stories, in the Mayan culture.
Eastern Cozumel
A day filled with history, family, and beauty.
Luke in the pink...waaaaaay up there!
We enjoyed our cruise immensely, we got to do and see so many things!
We came home to Christmas traditions and celebrations!
Annual gingerbread decorating! Such a fantastic gift from Granny and Papaw! Thank you!
Very proud of this year's creation - "our best yet"
Our annual Christmas Eve brunch with our neighbors M and B :-) Oh how we love this tradition! They are wonderful neighbors and friends and we cherish our time together.
Christmas morning! Jasper's very first Christmas in a warm cozy home. Love him! Santa brought him an antler! (not from one of the reindeer)
Our Christmas theme this year - PRACTICAL presents!
A bug encyclopedia makes for a VERY happy Luke!
On to our next adventure...PA! Roadtrip time!
Jasper was thrilled to be included on this trip! Look at that smile! He traveled pretty well and did fantastic in the hotel. We were happy to have him along to meet the PA family.
Not long after we got there Ima and M had the kids lined up and put to work!
This picture reminds me of my childhood - except 2 girls and 1 boy. Love it!
Apples to Apples - the game of the visit
These two. Ha! Charlie and Jasper got along really well and had some awesome howling matches. Charlie won every time. He was a great host!
L, M, and Mit...finding humor in youtube weirdness!
These two...J would try to find a perfect match to whatever Luke was wearing. Ima and Shesh got the boys books about rocks and minerals...again, enthralled.
Meanwhile, L and I got the kids bows and arrows! Ha! See the arrow approaching the camera...my kid.
The little miss and her American Girl treasures! And Luke chose a tiny sombrero from Mexico for her dolls...or her doll's lookalike Charlie. :-)
This happens at all family gatherings.
A gyrobot and a geckobot make for some very happy boys!
We made a trek out in the cold to the Steel Stacks. What a cool place!! I had no idea how intricate and involved the steel making process is...this place is so well done with lots of information and amazing structures to see. Awesome!
Like I said, this happens at all family gatherings.
Apples to Apples - full family edition. The kids came up with the teams and they were perfect!
Aunt M and Luke
Sheshy and H
Aunt Daney and J
Ima and L
and me and Mit - no picture of us but.....Mit and I won! Great minds think alike. ;-)
And.......
this was the way home
We came home to 4 days of quiet and still. A perfect amount of time to rest up for life's routines again.
Luke and I made up a scavenger hunt for some of his animals. It was pretty awesome and had quite a few clues and places to find.
Otter and Bison were the winners!
So, it was a wonderful winter break, a full winter break, a fantastic winter break! Happy New Year to you all! As always our family resolution is to be and stay present, to have our eyes wide open, our hearts accepting and giving, and to be and do good.
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