Adios Winter!

In between snowstorms and wintery weather, we managed to sneak out of town for a little over a week to refuel our souls with warm air and sunshine.  A respite from the cold and wind and snowsuits and snowdrifts was exactly what this family needed to rejuvenate and fortify in the face what's left of this infamous winter of 2015. Our getaway consisted of four nights on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, followed by three nights at a condo in Pompano Beach.  We employed this split strategy because though Ben and I had cruised before, cruising as a family was a complete unknown for us, and we wanted to tread lightly at first.  Within a few hours of being on our ship, we realized we had underestimated ourselves (and cruising) - what a perfect family vacation!

Day 0: Bus ride down to Boston for our flight.  Look how pasty white (but excited!) we are!

Day 1: Soaking up some Florida sunshine at the hotel pool before heading over to Port Everglades to embark.

All checked in and ready to board!

 

To the ship!

Still Day 1: Exploring the ship.  How can we possibly do it all?

This is our one and only picture of the amazing kids' pool area, which included fountains, hot tubs just for kids, and pools with currents and waterfalls.  Oh, and it was conveniently located right next to Sprinkles, which provided round-the-clock ice cream.  The boys quickly realized that if they asked mom for an ice cream right after she'd settled into her lounge chair with her book and a frosty cocktail, the answer was always "Sure, why not?".  Even if it was the fourth time that day.

First night's dinner in the "fancy" dining room.  The boys loved getting dressed up and being waited on for multiple kid-friendly courses.  "Wait, I can have grilled cheese, then mac 'n cheese, then ice cream?!"

Day 2: Rock climbing with my boys while Dad tried to win us a cruise at the Texas Hold 'Em tournament.  (He didn't.)

The boys got much higher than I did.  Turns out heights aren't my favorite.

Day 3: Docked in Cozumel, so we enjoy an empty ship.  We start off with some FlowRider (surf simulator).

Ben mastered it pretty quickly, so of course had to show off with some tricks.  (Ethan did great too.)

Adam was too little to flowride, so he enjoyed some quiet time on deck.

And took selfies with Mama.

After the FlowRider, it was time for some basketball.

And then after lunch, we explored Cozumel a bit.  And by Cozumel, I mean the tourist trap gated mall that exists on the cruise ship landing.

The boys were so excited to "see Mexico".  I assured them they were doing nothing of the sort. 

Back on board, Dad won the Baggo tournament (I won't mention the quality, and quantity, of the competition).  Too bad the prize was a Royal Caribbean wallet and not a free cruise.

Day 4: One last day at sea to enjoy all that the ship had to offer.  Ben and I found a quiet spot in the stern of the ship, perfectly situated near the kids' club, arcade, and mini golf.  The boys came and went while we sat and read our books and planned our next cruise.

Sunset cocktails and pizza (pizza, like ice cream, became a multiple-times-a-day habit) on our balcony.

With some Qwerkle too.

And a family photo session.

We were so sad to leave the Liberty of Seas that we were literally one of the last groups off the ship (that might have actually been because we misunderstood the disembarking procedure but whatever).  After a morning of clearing customs, picking up our rental car, and regaining our land legs, we arrived in Pompano Beach, our destination for the next few nights.  We quickly settled back into vacation mode and enjoyed 2 1/2 more days of amazing Florida weather.

Day 5: Conquering the resort's waterslide!

Day 6: Day trip inland to the Sawgrass Recreation Park in the Everglades.

We met Uncle Mark and Aunt Sandy there and enjoyed a yummy lunch before heading out on an airboat tour.

The airboat ride had many thrills - speed, quick turns, and a ten foot alligator.  And the thrill that comes with worrying your six year old just might jump out and get devoured by an alligator.

After dinner with Mark and Sandy back at the condo, we hit the pool for a twilight swim.  What a treat - post-dinner pooltime!

Day 7: More pool time.  After two days of dipping his toes between fantasy baseball draft picks, Daddy finally goes all in. 

And gives the water slide a whirl, of course.

Someone became a really confident swimmer this trip.

And had to be dragged out of the pool.

The boys worked hard on their synchronized jumps.

Nursing our sun-kissed skin in a jacuzzi tubby.

And finishing off a wonderful vacation with a movie from our balcony.

Day 8: The loooonng trip home.  Thank goodness for kind fellow passengers with multiple Minecraft-loaded iPads, ready and willing to share.

And as much as we dreamed it had all vanished by the time we arrived home, the snow greeted us once again.  A little dirtier, a little more compact, maybe even a little less deep, but lots and lots of snow all the same.