Cruise

I have a lot to post! We had a great December. On December 12, after Marcus and I had finished our finals, we dropped off Garrison and Lorelei with his amazing parents until December 22. Marcus and I went on our first cruise vacation which traveled to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. It was great! Especially once Marcus bought me a little scopolamine patch in Puerto Rico (I was seasick due to the 15-foot swells) to stop me from looking like I had drank one too many! We both got scuba certified, however he is more advanced than me because he took an extra class that I did not want to do. In our first classes together we learned to breathe underwater with the regulator, clear it, clear the mask of water, take off the mask and breathe without it for about a minute, then put the mask back on and clear it once again...and more. Marcus also had to strip off his vest/gear, swim across a pool and back, then put it back on, then start breathing again all underwater...I know that I would have failed that test without days or even months of practice so I didn't pay the extra money to get the extra certification to dive without the help of a divemaster. We completed our open water dive in St. Maarten. Despite my fears, I did just fine and wasn't scared the whole time I was underwater. Anyway, I learned a few things I had not realized about Marcus. He has NO FEAR of the water. Even when my family got a pool when I was around 10 it took me a LONG time to dive head first into the water. I tried a back dive 3 times because my friends were pushing me into trying it, and I back-flopped every time and haven't tried it since. I like to be safe above water! Not Marcus. He might as well be a fish. The dive instructor's helper was a little disturbed doing the testing because when he removed his mask at 30 feet under while breathing through the regulator he kept his eyes open the whole time! My eyes, on the other hand, were stinging for at least a few seconds after every time I did something as little as clear my mask. Marcus was a natural at scuba diving. The instructor told him he was his best student in the class. I don't even have to question who was his worst... and neither does Marcus!
Garrison and Lorelei did well without us for the most part. They love their Grandma! She gives them all of her attention and love. We left knowing that Lorelei had just developed a fever and after just a few days Grandma Joyce took her to the doctor and she had an ear infection. She was prescribed amoxicillin and she got better thereafter. Sometime during that time Garrison told Grandma repeatedly that his ear hurt so she (knowing that we had given him amoxicillin in the past) slipped him some of Lorelei's medicine. For the first time, he broke out with big red bumps on his belly, so now we know he is allergic. Luckily he loved the cherry-flavored Benadryl, and soon thereafter got his ear infection taken care of too. Poor Grandma Joyce is a saint. She was sick the entire time and was still as sweet as ever. We are so blessed to have her.

Me and Marcus on the ship

Marcus and me in Puerto Rico

The beach at Magen's Bay, St. Thomas
Me at Magen's Bay, St. Thomas. Marcus swimmed, and I was so happy just to take a nap in the warm sun. Marcus made me include this picture.

Our ship was the one docked farthest to the right


Marcus and Jorge, our instructor.





This, I think?, was where we did the open water dive at St. Maarten.

Touring after the dive.