Rocket Ship

Joel and I took a little cruise to Mexico last week while the kids stayed home with Joel's brother and sister-in-law. It was fantastic. Don't be afraid by the long post...it's long in photos, but short on words:) It was a bit overcast as we left L.A.

and it started to rain as we pulled out.

lame, I know, but the "king of the world" pose is always a must:

(the wind really was holding us up)

first formal night:

Cabo San Lucas shopping mall:

We also went kayaking and snorkeling in Cabo, and it was SO amazing! But those pics are on our disposable waterproof camera...I'll post them later.

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This was our taxi in Mazatlan. Those drivers are crazy! There wasn't even a speedometer in the taxi. Good times.

The ship had a rock-climbing wall

midnight buffet/dance party:

Their ice and melon sculptures were amazing.

Puerto Vallarta was our favorite:

Joel took this one by himself, and captured the two of us as well as the "Puerta Vallarta" sign on his very first try. Way to go Joel!

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We took a 1/2 hr. boatride out to the jungle, rode a military-looking truck through the jungle, rode mules up the mountain, then hiked a ways. Then we rode ziplines, repelled through some waterfalls, and climbed across some rope bridges to get to the bottom. It was the most beautiful, amazing, exhilirating thing I've ever done in my life. To say the least.

arch we saw on the boatride:

Then we decided to eat some authentic mexican food rather than head back to the ship. Our table overlooked the ocean:

I wanted to capture some pictures near the crashing waves, but I wanted to stay dry. It was quite the task, and I kept running away.

I wish we had video of me bookin' it away from this one:

Puerto Vallarta sunset on the beach:

second formal night:

We sat at a table with Sabrina and Jason, who are from Las Vegas...and happen to be LDS. There were quite a few of us on the ship! They were lots of fun.

In summary, it was an amazing trip. The days at sea were pretty rough and cold, but the Mexican ports more than made up for it. There were a lot of singing and dancing performances on board, some funny game shows and comedians, I entered in a biceps contest (and lost miserably) and Joel was a judge and nearly got a lap dance from an old lady. And he gave HER the prize! I digress. My favorite ship entertainment was definitely the ice skating. The show was spectacular! You would never guess we were on a moving ship. And of course, the food was amazing and plentiful.

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We bought this shirt for Ethan in Mazatlan and were very proud of it:

It's a monkey with a flap over its mouth

and it says "raar" (according to Ethan).

and we brought Cassidy a little Mexican dress.

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There's nothing like a good week away from your kids to realize how much you really love them. We missed them like crazy and are happy to be home. Thanks, Ken and Lauren, for taking the kids for us! You deserve a medal of honor.

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Oh, and it turns out Cassidy thought we were on a "Rocket Ship," since she had never heard of one before. Hence, the name of the post.

If you want the good news, skip to the end:)

Beware: extreme complaining below. If you are experiencing any sign of the winter-blues, please skip to the happy parts at the bottom!

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The year 2009 was definitely a trying year, especially as far as medical troubles (and bills). Ethan started off the expensive year with his torticollis (his head was cocked to one side). He had to go to physical therapy for a while to get it fixed. Then, not too long after, he got bit by a spider (so we believe) and nearly lost his toe. That was a pretty pricey ER visit. Then Cassidy decided to flip off the couch onto our window-sill and gashed her forehead open. That was 7 stitches at the ER. Then we realized Ethan needed glasses, and he is not on our vision insurance. Plus, you can't just send a baby to America's Best for an eye exam. He had to see the ophtalmologist. Ouch.

We were really feeling bad for our year in medical bills at this point. Then Cindy had a molar pregnancy, which required many tests, a D&C (surgery), more tests, another D&C, and then a laparoscopy/laparotomy. And of course, more tests. Bleh.

After all this, we had nearly made it to the new year with no more surgeries or ER visits. Then on Dec. 28 Ethan biffed it in the kitchen and bit THROUGH his lip. We finally got wise and just took him to the instacare. I hope when the bill comes, it looks better than all those ER ones!

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I did promise some good news, so here it is: Cindy went to the doctor the other day and they did a pregnancy test, and it came back NEGATIVE!!! I know that sounds lame for someone who has had 2 D&C's, but molar pregnancies shoot out mega-amounts of pregnancy hormone, so this is HUGE. And very exciting. My doctor practically did a celebration dance.

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So here's to a happy, healthy, ER & surgery-free 2010!