Welch Cruise wrap up

Every night we gathered around the dining table and had to share a "best part of our day" experience that I recorded.  So this is the list of the/ a Favorite thing of each day ... (They also had favorite night activities too like salsa dancing, dive in movie  and stage shows.)

Jan 19. Addison/Bre:  Parasailing...Loved being up in air

Laila/ Wayne:  parasailing!

Alex:  picture at southern most point of US

Landon/ Melinda : chocolate dipped  key lime pie on a stick from Kermit's

Tru:  sun on "nice evenly tanned skin." Pushing Alf around and getting all of the attention.

Lexi: Parasailing and gluten free Keylime pie

Monson: Parasailing and finding lost wallet

Alfie: All the food. He just eats and eats.

( Bre found out her grandma Betty passed away and she will miss her funeral. I missed my Grandma Butters funeral because of our last family cruise)

Jan 20

Tru: Walking around with Alfie on ship

Laila:  Elevator guy ran into the wall with his jazzy

Lexi:  Creepy guy at dinner with the hat who wanted to make Alfie laugh but Alf just gave him the stink eye.

Monson: napping.

Bre: pizza for breakfast

Add: laying out in the sun

Landon: napping and getting migraine free

Alex :  working out overlooking  the ocean

Melinda: dancing to "that's amore" with Wayne and Karaoke with kids.

Wayne:   reading his book.

Alf:  Napkin dance in the dining room

Jan 21. Truman's birthday. ( room decorated, presents, cards, party hats, horns, cake and candles at dinner)

Tru:  salsa and salsa dancing and margaritas

Laila:  horse carriage ride

Wayne:  The horse jalapeño. Tooted. Went in horse drawn carriage.

Melinda: decorating the birthday room.

Bre: Watching pink Sunset

Addison: three amigo picture and eating  guacamole.

Lexi:  Mayan ruins then Beach with guacamole while in a hammock

Monson: buying bamboo shirt

Landon:  Salsa making and salsa dance class

Alex: making 6 different types of salsa. And watching Landon talk the guy down $ for a ring.

Jan 22:  Laila's birthday (book of pics and cards from family and friends, cake, candles, waiters singing to her and presents)

ALL:  Swim with dolphins !!!

Wayne: being able to get  on wifi while waiting for the kids.

Melinda:  Swim in bay with sharks? Possibly 4 of them.

Jan 23

Alex:  when Landon finally found me on the ship. It's easy to lose each other. So many people. So many decks and chairs.

Landon: playing cards at the back of the ship.

Lexi: getting Trus pic off the tv of him eating a hamburger

Monson:  eating pig patti at Hamburger place and fries.

Bre: Playing cards at back of ship and the ocean view

Tru: listening to the couple next to me on lounge chair fight was very entertaining.

Laila: being able to  Sleep in finally.

Addison: eating  4 cheese pizza which I had three times

Wayne: Tickling Alfie with beard

Melinda: Sitting out on room balcony with sun, ocean waves and a book.

Jan 24. We got off the ship in the morning. We planned on spending the day on sunny Fort Lauderdale beach. But after only one hour we were chased off the beach because of bad weather. We holed up across the street at Bubba Gumps with drinks and fries and finally had to give up on the beach idea. We went to a movie theatre instead and the kids all watched The Imitation Game.  

Wayne and I watched Alfie.  

Then off to the airport -- goodbye warm sandal wearing Florida..we are back to freezing toes Utah!

Alfie had been such a trooper this trip. He has a sweet, mellow, watchful personality. He's not much for strangers trying to get him to smile but as soon as they leave he smiles, laughs and claps with all of us.

Best food on the ship:  Guy Fiere's fabulous burgers and fries.  Fresh battered fish for fish and chips and fish tacos. The Formagio pizza- 4 cheese and garlic deliciousness.

   The nightly dining room experience was ok. It's nice to be fussed over and served but I just wanted the food to be amazing... It was fair. Fun to try different foods like frog legs, fungai, tartar, martini fish etc...  We always looked forward to the chocolate melting cake with extra ice cream at the end. They did good at accommodating Lexi's   gluten free diet.

Our Family cruise has come to an end. We ate too much. Laughed a lot. Enjoyed being and walking and playing with Alfie. Only had a few little tiffs which is pretty good considering all of the "big" Welch personalities.   It was good to be together, to relax, play games ,  live in our swim suits and forget about our work and school etc.   We definitely felt this as a vacation and not as a trip.  

Our kids are growing up and changing. We have gone from 7 people to 13 in just 5 years. Who knows what the next 5 years will bring.