Dad says to fill the suitcase full of stuff and send it home. Put anything you don’t need any more on your mission but do want back at home into it along with a nice strong hammock and any souvenirs you think are cool. If you want a hammock for your own, buy two so we have one for the family also. I’ll have Dad deposit $100 in your account for souvenirs. Do you have any idea how much shipping will be? Let me know before you send it. I know that they sell ceramic tiles with numbers on them for people to put on their houses. If you see tiles with letters on them instead, I’d like one tile for each person in the family (D for Dad, Etc.) We like the colorful dishes they sell in Mexico. A nice big platter would be nice. So would a nice big serving bowl. If you see a replica of the Mayan tree of life, that would be nice, but don’t spend too much money on it. Pack it all really really well, ha ha.
We just got off the cruise ship and are now in a hotel in Cape Canaveral. It is too early to call anyone yet, but we were able to get your letters and we are now hogging the hotel computers so that we can write to you. We don’t have a room yet. I can’t wait to see how everyone at home is doing! I kept having dreams that I was able to go home and visit the fam between the cruise and our time at Disney world, but they didn’t come true, ha ha. The cruise was so fun. We saw some awesome ruins in Mexico and also toured the “secret river” which is underground in caves. When we go on Disney’s island, we snorkeled some more including with the sting rays, and went on a nice bike ride to explore the island.
In Grand Cayman, we snorkeled. Afterwards, we had 15 minutes to shop before the last tender boat to the ship. We ran to Diamonds International as quick as we can and Dad bought me a diamond. The diamond I have had in my ring is not a real one, Matt. I lost my diamond over 10 years ago, but I don’t mention it to anyone because Dad asked me not to. He’s wanted to buy me a new on all these year, but I wouldn’t let him until now. I now have a new diamond--a bit bigger, and very good quality. Dad insisted on the best. He is so sweet! The cut is a Crown of Light which makes it really sparkle. Disney had shopping guides to let us know which places were reputable.
The tour guide at the Choccoben ruins in Costa May was named Luis. He was very friendly and helpful. He sold maps of the ruins and three postcard pictures all for $5, which we bought. As we looked at our map and our postcards, Luis’s name was on them. We asked and found out that he had taken the pictures, and also had gotten a friend of his to draw the map. It was beautifully done. At the ruins, he showed us some pictures of things that they had uncovered while excavating them (they were discovered in the 1990’s and are still being excavated) and then covered back up to preserve them. They were pictures he had painted on cloth. He really made the tour interesting.
Just as interesting was the bus trip to and from the ruins. We could look out the window as we drove past lush vegetation and the homes of the inhabitants of Costa Maya. The homes were bright but poverty stricken. It was a lot to take in as we whizzed past. The people selling things outside the ruins were of Mayan descent, and I wished I had bought the tree if life stone they had for sale.
The cruise ship was amazing. It is a fifth of a mile from one end to the other, and there are 11 decks. We always used the stairs and got lots of exercise. I don’t think we worked off all the calories we gained, though, ha ha. The food was delicious, and although I tried to eat healthy food, I ate a TON of it. The shows were so fun, and so was the other entertainment on the ship. Dad is so fun to be with! I love sharing experiences with him.
There were lots of families on the ship, and also lots of extended families--family reunions. It was fun to watch the grandparents with their grandkids. It would be cool if we could do that with our grandkids someday, but don’t get your hopes up, ha ha. There were also lots of Mormons. All you had to do is find a group where every single person was dressed modestly, and you could be pretty sure they were LDS. Usually someone in the group would have BYU on their shirt, hat, or backpack, and that was a dead give away. We met some LDS people from Tennessee, and some other people who used to live in our stake and recognized us.
The workers on the ship were amazing. On the last day, Dad got to talk to a girl from Japan--the only Japanese cruise member on the ship. We were taking pictures and she asked us if she could take pictures so that Dad and I could be in them together. She was so surprised when he started speaking Japanese to her! She was homesick, and I think it was nice for her to hear someone speak Japanese. All the crew members had some things in common--they were all from different countries, they were all so nice, and they were all homesick. I was, too, ha ha. They liked talking to us because we’d always ask them about their homes and families--their favorite things to talk about.
Now it is Saturday night. It has been a good day. After second breakfast, Dad and I hit the beach and walked for two hours in the shallow surf. We were able to talk to Grandpa and Grandma and all of the kids on the phone. After that, we napped and then went in search of food and ice cream. We had Taco Bell for lunch, did some shopping at Ron Jon's surf shop, and then bought ice cream. We ate the ice cream for supper and now it is time for bed. I love you, Matt!
Love,
Mom
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