Wow, What a Trip

We are home from eight days of fun and adventure. It was so awesome to be with all of the kids and their families. I've been trying to organize my thoughts now for three days and have failed miserably. Everything is still running around in my head with no organization. So I've decided to just type a few things as I think about them. Tell the stories that mean the most to me, how I remember them. No order, no rhyme or reason.

First let me say that I was very anxious about this trip. The dynamics of our combined family means we have two oldest, two middle and two youngest. The girls are protective of each other and the boys are a tight band of brothers -- you know the kind -- we can beat each other up, but you'd better leave us alone or you deal with all of us. How would they blend for that long was the question that kept tormenting me. I couldn't help but recall all the times when they were younger when I felt like WWIII had arrived --- they didn't seem to like each other much back then, and we were putting them on a ship together for seven days and nights. Deep breath.

All my worry and anxiety was for naught. These are adult children who know how to handle themselves and others. Everyone was accepting of the others --- it worked. I have proof that it worked two ways: 1. No one threw anyone else overboard and 2. I heard that the kids are planning on doing it again in about 5 years.

Just getting everyone on the ship took a little planning. Five family members chose to come to Bay City on July 3, eight people chose to fly into Houston on July 4, and four were doing their own thing by coming in on July 2 to visit other family. So we had to figure out the most economical way to get everyone and their luggage from Houston to Galveston in a Suburban, a 4-door pick-up and a Chevy Cobalt.

We managed and the following are photos of part of us taken by Amy and me as we waited in line outside the terminal to board the ship.