Bahamas!

It almost feels like a dream.  Did we really go to the Bahamas at the beginning of summer? Well, beginning of summer for the older kids, Sydney missed the last week of school!  We had waited for this trip since before Christmas and finally we got to go!  I'll skip the details of barely making it to the boat on time till the end of this post.  For now-- picture overload!  Most of our video though is on the GoPro so these are just pics from my phone.  

We dropped our van off at a hotel down the street from LAX.  Then took a shuttle to the airport--thought we were going to die--crazy driver!

Waiting for shuttle.  Grandpa Garry already showing Addison the love! 

 Sydney was so excited for the plane ride!  

 and a bit nervous.  She held on tight.  She flew with me when she was a baby but of course doesn't remember.  Westley had never been on a plane!

 PHEW!!! Made it to the boat with seriously... 15 minutes before it left!!  More on that later.

 Good-bye Florida

 Our first port was Nassau, Bahamas.  It was a bit overcast but still very humid.  ick!  We shopped a bit at their market and then found a beach to relax on.  

 Also toured a pirate museum.  

 Can't remember which meal this was.  Maybe lunch? Maybe dinner? Maybe even pizza for breakfast!

 Our second stop was Half Moon Bay. We had to take a boat from our boat to a private island.  The water!!!  We snorkeled and swam.  Had lunch and got so so so sunburned!  Probably from the lack of smog in the air! Poor Sydney got sunburned the worse even though we applied sunscreen all day! This day was also Sydney's 8th birthday!

Birthday in the Bahamas? Seriously-- she loved telling people she went to the Bahamas for her birthday.  Ha!

 Room service-- all the time!!  Every night we came back to beds made and towel animals and the next days agenda!  We were really getting used to the service!

 Our last stop was Grand Turk

 We got off the boat and shopped for a little bit but Sydney and I were so sunburned and miserable, we went back to the boat and swam in the shade.  The rest of the family snorkeled some more and had a blast.  

 Having a Shirley Temple pool-side

 I think this was waiting for dinner on Sydney's birthday.  The food on the whole ship was amazing.  Kids loved the buffet, the 24 hour ice cream machine, 24 hour room service, 24 hour pizza.  But, for Sydney's birthday we ate at the restaurant.  Could order whatever you wanted-- some of them tried snails--cause they could.  

 We will pretend this is what Sydney had for her birthday breakfast.  Would ya like some pancakes with that chocolate? and a side of Mac and Cheese with a side of bacon? If you ask the kids what their favorite part of the cruise was I'm sure they would say THE FOOD!  A cruise with teenagers=perfect! 

 Super sad when it was time to go home.  We had the best time ever.  

 Westley was missing his towel animals so he went on youtube!

So-- now for the reason we almost didn't make the boat and the reason we came home a day later-- We are trying to forget these parts of the trip....Getting to LAX was good, dropped the van off, hopped onto a shuttle where we thought we were going to die, but the driver got us there safely with the use of his horn.  We made it through security and grabbed something to eat and waited for our plane.  Boarded the plane and then just sat there.... and sat there.  Didn't have a pilot!!!  Pilot was coming from an international flight and had to go to customs and whatnot.  We missed our connecting flight out of Houston..... Got to Houston and found out no flights to Fort Lauderdale till 6pm the next day--nope had to be on boat by 4pm at the LATEST! They found us a flight to Tampa early the next morning and put us up in a hotel with food vouchers.  Okay-- but Tampa and Fort Lauderdale are four hours apart.  We woke up the next morning and got onto the plane and made it to Tampa and then hired a shuttle van to drive us to Fort Lauderdale!  in less than four hours.... Florida is pretty and all!  Full of water and very green.  Did I want to see that much of Florida? Not really.  We didn't stop ONCE to use the bathroom or get gas.  The shuttle vans gas light was on when we pulled into the port.  There was one other family that had just gotten there too but everyone else had already been swimming and relaxing!!  As soon as we got on that boat they called everyone to the safety meeting.  We learned what to do in an emergency and Sydney asked when could she finally use the bathroom!  Poor thing! So much stress.  But we made it and had a blast.  

The return home?  Wasn't any better.  Got to Fort Lauderdale airport, checked our baggage, boarded plane, had to check carry-ons because there wasn't anymore room on the plane, and then we sat.  We sat for more than two hours.  Maintenance problem they said (which is not very comforting)  Finally we could leave--then sat on the runway because we were 9 planes in line.  Oh, and we had already missed our connecting flight out of Houston after hour two.  Finally made it to Houston and found another flight leaving the next day..... went to get out luggage-- guess what!  Our luggage made it to LA.  We were stuck in Houston with nothing but the clothes on our backs!  Cause remember we put the carry-ons under the plane!  The airport was so so so sweet (sarcasm) and gave us a toothbrush and again put us up in a hotel with food vouchers.  Finally made it to LAX, got our luggage that had been sitting in a locker over night and finally made it home.  Next time--direct flights cause we are not doing that again.  But--we are still remembering the good time we had! Where should we go next?