Get ready for some photos!

 Get ready, 'cause I'm gonna vomit out lots and lots o' photos from over the holidays. 

OK, you've been warned.

So this year, we finally took the cruise that we planned two years ago, but was canceled due to COVID. COVID is still going around of course, but enough is enough. So we took the dang cruise. We went with Peter and Robyn's family and Paul's family (minus Miyu). 

But first, we hopped in the Mystery Van and hit Universal Studios.

 

I'll spare you the TikTok videos where Ellie made me lipsync and make some odd hand gestures that might have been gang signs on the ride there.

We did a few rides at Universal, but mainly we focused on Harry Potter World, because Jack and I can geek that out, baby. Diagon Alley was really cool.

The dragon on top of Gringotts Bank breathes fire!

And Jack thought the animatronic bankers were pretty cool.

We even got some meat pies and butterbeer.

At the end of the day we sat down and watched the Christmas parade.

It was pretty cool

And then ended the night watching a bit of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert.

The next morning, we got up bright and early and headed over to the port to meet Peter & Robyn and Paul's families and board the cruise. Behold, Teens in their Natural Environment.

After a COVID test and approximately 37,000 steps to get onto the ship, we arrived. And then the fun began. We had great dinner together, hit the slides, laid out a bit, played some family games, and watched a few shows. We also had three stops - the Disney Island (Castaway Cay), St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands), and Tortola (British Virgin Islands). Our favorite was Castaway Cay because, hello, private cabana and beautiful weather! So...here come the photos!

Paul's kids - Grace, Andrea, Brad & his girlfriend Anna (Kara didn't make it since her husband got COVID)

Pirate Night - such cute widdle pirates!

Getting off the ship for some island fun

All the fam on Castaway Cay

Hello, Lover! Who wouldn't want to hang there for the day!

A book and the beach - perfect pair

Ellie agrees - well, not the book part

Beautiful view from the private beach

Paul, Andrea, Grace, and Brad

Date Night with the Hubby

Stinker Ellie didn't want to big in the photo

Man, do I have good-looking kids

Umm, not sure what is happening here - but I think I like it!

Dinner with the family - the teen side of the table

Jack and Ellie, about to hit the island

Lunch in Tortola

Unfortunately, it rained in Tortola just as Jared and the kids were starting to swim

fireworks off the ship

Looking down on St. Thomas

Me and my boy

Yes, that's Ellie there

I promise, that's her face

Not bad!

Hello, Handsome!

Ellie, heading in for a swim

Beautiful view

Date Night at Paolo's. The experience was wonderful.

And the whole fam again on Fireworks night.

Welcome to the cabana

I mean, you just want to live there, right?

The whole day was just beautiful 

Jack and Ellie 

Taking a break from our bike ride on Castaway Cay

And then we're off again!