A Cruise, Toast, and Lifetime Fitness

Sometimes I still remember to blog about my life.

Me, Dad/Rusty, Scott/Alexis/the boys/CAROLINE, and Alexis' mom went on a cruise to Haiti and Jamaica. Disclaimer: please don't think we were prancing around the streets of Haiti. We were on a private resort. As much as I would have been interested by seeing the streets of Haiti, word on those streets is that it's dangerous and apparently the Royal Caribbean has been informed and locks the gates accordingly.

But I digress. In preparation for said cruise, I went to sewing class and labored - heavily - over this bag. But it was perfect for the trip and everyone was appropriately impressed by it. Please note the brown liner because MAN it made me want to die.

Um, have I mentioned that CAROLINE was on this cruise?? I still really like my nephews quite a bit BUT OH MY GOSH CAROLINE. Please observe:

RIGHT????

Here's Caroline, complete with bow, eating solid foods,

 playing with Grant's hair,

and loving Aunt Mackenzie on the beach.

I love her.

Cruise ships are giant.

Unless my memory fails me, I had not been on a warm weather beach since I was 16. It was delightful.

It was the most relaxing thing I've done in years. Family, nephews/niece included, plus lots of food and zero reponsibilities makes for a Very Happy Mackenzie.

And it was perfect because I got to squeeze in a cruise and still get back to Seattle in time for Christmas with Mom and Burke and Cam (because a tropical cruise is no way to celebrate Christmas. Kevin McCallister was spot-on.). Problem is, the only pictures I really took were these:

Burke in church making an origami nothing out of the sacrament meeting program, with Cam doing...something:

And Mom's unnaturally yellow piece of toast at Dairy Queen. Please don't ask why we were there. I don't have a good answer. Just focus on the yellow. And ponder how disgusting that is and what they had to do to it to make it that color:

There was also this. And don't ever tell me it rains too much in Washington. You'll never persuade me it's a bad thing.

But life is good. The kids at work are entertaining, as always. We've been doing registration for next year, which involves a lot of questions like,

"What class counts for Lifetime Fitness?"

"The class called Lifetime Fitness." 

"What about volleyball? Can that count for Lifetime Fitness?"

"No. The only class that can count for Lifetime Fitness is the class called...Lifetime Fitness."

(Confused look)

Endearing. I love them.