Crusin' and Celebrating

My Mom was nice enough to come watch our kids for NINE days while Andrew and I went on a cruise with my dad and the rest of the family. It was so nice to get away and my mom is WONDERFUL with my children. Our house was clean and dinner was waiting for us when we got home - she can come back ANY time :) Thanks so much Mom!

Dad gave us the cruise for Christmas. Thanks Dad and Vicki for a great time!!!

Here is just a tast of the Booze Cruise we went on - I can't share all the pictures. See the girl on the back right side? We had never met her before but she was quickly nicknamed "Charlotte" and Andrew and her boyfriend had to carry her back to the cruise ship after this day. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Baba also was collecting shells and trying to trade them with everyone - I wish I had my video camera for that one because he had the ugliest ones you have ever seen and was giving them names. Guess you had to be there.....

One morning I was up at 5am - pumping, yes I pumped for a full week. Maybe the biggest pain in my butt EVER but I did it - I saved up enough milk to be gone for a week and pumped the whole time. I am so not stopping now, a year is nothing after last week! So I was up pretty early every morning and sometimes couldn't go back to sleep. The sunrise was beautiful to see on the boat. I never saw a sunset because we had dinner right around that time every night....not that we made it to dinner that much :)

Brotherly Love.....me, Robert and April

Dad, Vicki, Robert and I Andrew and I at one of the formal dinners.

We stopped several places on the cruise - I think my favorite was Cozumel. I love Mexico - the food is yummy, the people are nice and I always have a great time when I am there. I even got to buy some jewelry this time so maybe thats why I liked it so much!! We spent the afternoon there at Carlos and Charlies - you might want to ask April why its not such a good idea to take teenagers there - HILARIOUS!!

Mom had a great week with the boys - here are a few pictures from thier adventures:Max and Owen going for a walk. Max looks kinda like a girl here but maybe its just the hat :)Cece and her boys. Sweet Max and his big ole blue eyes.Mom bought Owen a pool. I am pretty sure he is never going to take a bath again in the tub. He loves it so much. Its on our back porch and every time we walk in the door he wants to go out to the pool. Getting to see my babies after a week away - I missed them SO much!!

Other news is that my grandfather Carson Bain is in the hospital. My Dad says he has about a week to live. Its a very sad time for all of us but he really has had a great life. He started a company, was mayor of Greensboro in teh 60's, raised 3 children, did endless things for the community, was best friends with Sam Sneed the golfer, had 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren with 2 more on the way. I am sure if he knew what was going on right now, he would want us to celebrate his life and not be sad. He is almost 93 years old - thats a long life to live and he has had Alzheimers for the last 15 of it. I want to remember Papa Bain with a smile - he was a great man and I am so proud of what he was able to accomplish in life. One thing I remember the most about him makes me laugh so hard to even think about it. Right before I went to college, my dad and I went over to see him. He asked me, and he was very serious, "Why are you going to college? You just need to learn how to make pie for your husband" Yeah that worked out well for me, didn't it :)