Our family cruise to Mexico!

Pictures of our trip are below this super long posting! :)
Our family just got back from the greatest vacation ever to the Mexican Riviera! Grandma and Grandpa took their kids (minus my brother Dave, who just welcomed a little boy into the family) and grandchildren on this cruise. Saturday the fourth, we drove down to L.A. and enjoyed the evening in Long Beach. Sunday we headed over to the port and got on our ship, the Carnival Splendor! It was HUGE and our rooms were nice. Ben and I were lucky enough to get an ocean view room, so we watched the ocean, dolphins and whale spouts out our window. The ship pulled out at 5:30 p.m. and we were on our way. Monday was a day at sea and Ben was begged by a niece to enter the Hairy Chest Contest. He didn't really want to, but he did it for his niece. He ended up winning 2nd place! That night was formal night, where we all dressed up in our nice clothes for dinner in the dining room. We had the greatest waiter, Pedro from the Philipines, and his assistant was Danilo. Lobster and Prime Rib were on the menu, YUM! We then went to a fun show in the Spectacular Lounge. The entertainment on the ship was top notch! Tuesday was another day at sea spent lounging on the deck, shopping, watching movies and just relaxing. Wednesday we woke up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. When we got off the ship, there were tour taxis and vans right there that you could pay for, so my dad talked to a man named Jimmy, to take us in his 15 passenger van. We first went shopping and then he took us to where the "Night of the Iguana" was filmed. We then went way up into the jungle and went to the set of where the movie, "Predator" was filmed. It was so hot because of the humidity. The kids and Benj went and jumped in the river to cool off. After, we drove back to a resort called, The Krystal Resort, to swim in their beautiful pools and play in the ocean. That night we went to the Spectacular again to watch a comedian named Jerome and this other man who played the electric violin. Jerome was HILARIOUS and I am so glad he kept it "family friendly". Even Ryan "got" his jokes and we laughed the whole time. The violin player was absolutely amazing!!!! Thursday was Mazatlan. We again rented a van and this time our driver's name was Oscar. He was so excited to tell us and show us his city. He took us all over to see the sites. We went to their big beautiful cathedral that was in the center of old downtown. They were in the middle of Mass and we sat through a little of it. He took us to see one of the LDS chapels in his city. We went high up on a mountain overlooking the city, we went to the new part of Mazatlan that they call the "Golden zone" where they have nice shops. We watched a cliff diver jump off a high tower into the water below. This is how they make money, and after he dove, he and his friends came and collected "tips" from all of us who watched him. We then went to a resort, Las Flores, to swim and play on the beach. The water in the ocean was so warm you didn't have to get used to it, you just got right in. Benj rented a boogie board and he and the boys did their favorite thing, they caught waves all afternoon.
Friday was Cabo San Lucas. We rented a glass bottom boat to take us over to Lover's Beach, which is a beautiful beach in the Sea of Cortez. The kids saw all sorts of fish, stingrays and even a shark in the glass bottom boat on the way over. The beach was beautiful and the water was crystal clear! We spent our time snorkeling and enjoying this spectacular place! Anyway, once again, the water was warm, no having to get used to it and you could stay in as long as you wanted and wouldn't chill. That night was another formal night. The kids did not enjoy dressing up, but we were able to get a great family picture that night of all of us. Dad purchased the picture and I will post it on here as soon as he gets me a copy. Saturday was another beautiful day at sea and Sunday we arrived in Long Beach and drove home. It was an amazing vacation! On the cruise ship they had 24 hour ice cream and pizza. Room Service was complimentary. Benj and I loved going for lunch on the Lido deck and while eating we would watch the ocean go by. I think every time we went back to our room after lunch, we would walk in and the boys would have ordered room service! They loved ordering anything they wanted from the menu and then having it delivered right to the room, and it was FREE! Everything was perfect! The weather, the ship, we stayed healthy, it was just wonderful!!! Thanks grandma and grandpa!!!