Caribbean Cruise 2014

Well, we've been home from this cruise for a month now, so I might as well blog about it. We went with my in-laws on a week-long adventure to Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan and The Cayman Islands. Wow! We had so much fun!

We took the red eye to Miami out of Vegas, and barely made our flight.

Seriously. He took this as we heard, "Last call for Harwell" over the PA.

Not a bad view of the city from my window seat.

 That photo was the best part of the flight. I will never take another red eye as long as I live. I should've taken a picture of my eyes. They were firey red. We maybe slept for an hour, and because of the time change, landed at 6:30 AM. I don't know what it is about airports but there never seems to be anything nearby. We wandered around for awhile and found a place to eat breakfast. It was super ghetto but there's really no way to screw up pancakes is there?

We got to get on the boat at 11. We slept the afternoon away since we hadn't slept at all the night before.

Our cruise ship

Ian and Alan played giant chess the first night. Ian won. That's the thing about your dad making a deal that you can get out of being grounded if you beat him in chess. You get good.

Our first port was Cozumel, Mexico. We didn't actually do anything in Cozumel. We took a shuttle across the bay to Playa Del Carmen, and rode a bus to see the ancient city of Tulum. It was absolutely beautiful and amazing to see what people could do with such rudimentary technology. I was blown away.

Ian and his mom on the shuttle.

At the entrance to the city.

Our tour guide, Humberto, was really knowledgeable. I loved listening to him.

The main temple is behind us.

Just chillin on a rock in the shade. It was really hot there.

Yeah, I'd build a city here too.

The first full week we'd spent together in a long time.

The second port was Belize City, Belize. We took another bus ride and went cave tubing through another piece of mayan history. I know a bus ride sounds boring, but the tour guides told us a lot about the history of the places we were. It was really interesting!

One of 8 stop lights in the entire country.

After hiking about half a mile, we got on our bright green tubes and got ready to go.

It was pitch black other than our headlamps, so it was hard to get good pictures.
There was a waterfall in the middle of the cave.

Floating along.

The best part was we only had to give our guide a $2 tip. I swear we spent more on tips than anything else.

I didn't realize there were so many little islands off the coast of Belize. We watched the ocean sunset that night and watch probably a dozen or so islands go by.

We spent the third day at Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras. It was a little island off the coast about 10 miles long. We wanted to snorkel, and after realizing it would cost us $100 to get to the beach in a cab, we decided to rent a car and explore the island. It was my favorite day because I felt like we got a taste of the real island. There was a definite difference between the tourist side of the island and the place where the natives live. It was also the first time Ian drove in a foreign country.

Mahogany bay. The whole island looked like a post card.

A shipwreck out the window of our boat.

Ian cruisin in our little Kia.

Just big enough for the four of us.

On the "native" side of the island.

 After cruising around for about an hour and a half, we went to the beach! I'm not a huge fan of swimming in the ocean, so I stayed on the beach with the stuff with everyone went swimming.

Ian found a conch shell.

 From the shore, it didn't look like there was much to see in the water, so I was content to sit in the sand on the beach. Ian swam back to shore and convinced me to see for myself. Yeah, I'm glad I did. Wow!

Yeah, it was worth it.

Our last port was The Cayman Islands. We spent another day chilling on the beach and snorkeling.

Headed over on the tender.

Welcome to Grand Cayman

"Don't tell Cori about the sea urchins"

 The last day at sea, one of our fellow passengers got sick and had to be evacuated off the ship by the Coast Guard. It was quite the spectacle.

The last day we had a day to kill in Miami, so we rented a Charger and went around town.

Ian was searching for lunch and found an Argentine Panaderia. He got us a bunch of empanadas, just like he used to eat as a missionary. They were delicious!

A Miami sunset from the air.

So, when's the next trip?

Happy Birthday Meg!

My sister is 24 today! Hooray!

This girl is a knockout!

See? More evidence.

Sanderson kids 1992

Not so sure about this "little sister" business!

Christmas 1992. Yes, I know there's a lot of pictures with me. That's all I had.

Happy college graduate, 2012

Halloween 1993? (Right, Mom?)

Mom: When Megan was a little girl she used to pretend a lot. She just didn't pretend. She "became" a princess or a mom or Ariel. One time I was listening to Cori and Meg recite the dialog from The Little Mermaid. Cori shouted, "Sing, Ariel, Sing." Meg chimed in at the top of her lungs, "Ah, Ah, Ah--Ah, Ah, Ah". I hope you have kept that part of the dreamer in you, Megan. We all need to dream in this world.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :)

A remake after 20 years.

Cori: I just love your freaking face! I know it almost drove our mom insane to have two girls 18 months apart but I wouldn't have it any other way. You are my very best friend and my week isn't complete without our phone calls. I've been thinking over the past day or so about a memory I have with you, and it seems like all of my favorite times in life have had you in it. What a blessing! I love that I can have you edit my school papers and give me cooking advice. Our ages have always been just numbers because we're so close. Every aspect of my life is better because you're part of it. Happy Birthday!

Meg and Ian 2006

Ian: Hi Megan! Remember when I would blow off weight training and come to your PE class? I was skinny back then so I could run a mile no sweat, so I pushed you around the track when you had to run the mile. I don't remember how much time you took off, but I'll bet it was detrimental when you ran the mile again. Have a great birthday!

Ian's graduation 2011

Bud: Meg and I could always bond over nerdy things. She was always a fan of Star Wars and I remember watching and helping each other play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I even remember playing Pokemon together with our twelve or so cards we had back in elementary. Megan has a fun, relateable personality, a powerful mind, and displays diligence in her education and work ethics. She is a good example and a great sister. Happy Birthday!

Jillian and Megan 2008

Jillian: I loved drawing in church with Meggo. I was always jealous of her cute cartoon characters. I loved making Barbie clothes with her too when we were little. She showed me how to rip fabric and tie it to make an instant wrap dress for my favorite barbies. She's so dang smart!!

Well, there ya have it. We all adore you! Have a Happy Birthday! 

Comin' home!

I think I can truly say that yesterday was the happiest day my family has ever had. Ian came home from his mission!

My stress and fatigue levels are running at an all-time high these days so my emotions were all over the place. I cried when my mom told us his plane had landed in LA so my mom bought me my very own box of Kleenex. We got to the airport in time to see another family waiting at the bottom of the stairs for their missionary and seeing him hug his family set me off too. I was seriously a basket case.

On the escalator. PS look how far back they made us stand. Are you kidding me right now?

Danielle was filming him come down the escalator and hug everyone and she told us that she wished she had turned the camera around because she looked back and everyone that was standing there was bright red and sopping wet. I thought it was hilarious.

Mom got to stand in front of the barrier so she could hug him first.
Again, I can't get a very good picture when I'm standing 100,000 feet away now can I?

I love this kid. I'm glad the picture is from this angle because I was gettin' my ugly cry on hardcore.

Blurry but super cute. Jilly said she wasn't going to be that excited on her wedding day.

Ian's luggage didn't quite make the flight with him, so while we were waiting to get everything sorted out, I went through the bag he had carried for the past year in Japan. I know it sounds corny, but I wanted to see what he had with him on a day-to-day basis. I found this customs form in his wallet and I don't know why but it hit me what a truly foreign country he's been in. I imagined him as a greeny looking at things like that and thought how insanely terrifying that would be at first, and what a BIG step to take for a 19-year-old kid. But, in true Ian fashion he just dug his heels in and went to work. I'm as proud as a big sister can be. Also, I love that he can write all those characters after studying the language for two years. It's so cool!

A Whirlwind Month

I have more to get done tonight than I have time for, but I feel like time to just write is long overdue, so here we go.

It's reinforced each day to me what a good fit nursing is for me. It's not easy, but it comes easily. I genuinely enjoy the class discussions I take part in and learning new skills in lab. Clinicals in Long Term Care have been a little... well, boring... but I'll be at the hospital in a few more weeks, so I'll enjoy it more. My professors all have decades of experience under their belts and it's been fun to listen to them tell stories. One of them is even a peds girl like I am so I enjoy hers the very most. The other day she told us about a rough delivery that resulted in a newborn that they weren't expecting to live very long. The mother was understandably rather distraught about the whole situation and insisted that my professor baptize her baby. After numerous objections, my teacher went to the nursery and "said 'In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost and sprinkled water on his head.'" She had the whole class laughing as she told that story, and it just goes to show that you never quite know what you'll see when you go to work in a hospital.

My clinical instructor told us on the first day how important it is for us to forget about our social lives and buckle down for the next year and a half. "You'll thank me later," she says. Well, no offense, but I know me, and I know I will burn out and flunk out of nursing school if I don't take time for myself and my family. So this weekend, I blew off studying (well, ok.. I did most of it before we left) and went with the Harwells to Las Vegas. We were the most touristy tourists you've ever seen and I loved every minute of it. We got an all day pass for the rollar coaster at NY, NY because you know a trip to Vegas isn't the same without it. On Saturday, we walked from New York, New York to Treasure Island and back. I'm pretty sure it was at least 4 miles. We got back to the hotel at 10:30 that night and Ian and I crashed. What a weekend!

We have a picture just like this one from our honeymoon.

See? Touristy tourists in front of the Luxor

Selfie at the Cosmopolitan

Doris, Alan and Ian in front of Liberace's car at the Cosmopolitan.
PS look at those awesome chandeliers in the background. I want one!

I like my new phone with the forward facing camera.
Another selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Who needs to go to Europe when you live 1.5 hours away from Vegas?

Waterfalls in front of The Mirage. I had never been there before.

I had no idea there were dolphins at The Mirage, but here they were!

The lion showing us what he really thinks of us.

Majestic tigers.

My favorite place to go in Vegas is the gardens at the Bellagio.
It was decorated for Chinese New Year. 

My favorite selfie of the trip.
After spending about an hour a day with this guy lately,
a chance to spend an entire day was just what we needed.

Student Nurse

I know everyone has been waiting with extreme anticipation to find out how my first week of school went.

Well, it was pretty first-week-of-school...ish. My professors have been throwing around Buzz Words like "prioritize" and "critical thinking" and it seems the point of most of what we do is to train our minds to think in a different way. It's challenging, but I'm enjoying it so far.

One of the biggest adjustments for me is having professors that genuinely seem to care about whether or not I do well in their class. In the past I've either had to seek out my instructors during their arbitrary office hours, or figure out how to do it by myself. Now, I have the cell phone numbers of all my professors and they all have given me permission to request their help if I need it, and assured me they would be available anytime. What a change.

As if my life weren't crazy enough, I started a new job last week too. I work for a company that does life insurance exams. I'm the one that goes to the applicants' houses and draws blood and has them sign the paperwork. It really is the perfect job for me right now. I can do as much or as little as I want and if I need time off, I just block it out of my schedule. It's fantastic! I'm thrilled to be so blessed.

A Personal Proclamation

In light of recent events, our combined Priesthood/Relief Society lesson today was about The Church's Proclamation to the World on the Family:

THE FAMILY

A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

Most of those close to me know that the issue of gay marriage is one that I have struggled with for a long time. I have members of my family who are gay. I love them and their partners, and I truly desire their happiness and their well-being. How is there place for both the love for them and the denial of their desire to be married in my heart? It didn't make sense.

Since it's been so clearly illustrated that one judge has the power to overrule the majority in our lovely state, I feel that the time for me to be silent and indecisive is past. The words of my bishop echoed in my head long after he said them today: "Don't make this complicated. It is simple."

The simple truth is that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I value my membership as one of my most prized possessions and I've made covenants to protect and defend it. I understand that being truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ means that I am choosing to accept all of its teachings, not just the ones that are easy or convenient. So, for whatever it's worth, I bear testimony, in writing, on the web, with the leaders of this church that the messages contained in The Family: A Proclamation to the World are true and are the only way to achieve real and lasting happiness in this life. 

As I reread this, it seems like it could be interpreted as "blind faith." Quite honestly, I think at first it was. I have chosen, as Nephi did, to say: "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Ne. 11:17). That is enough for me.

The holiday season...

A friend of mine posted this awesome video on Facebook today. I'm a huge fan of the original song, and the lyric change in this one is simply beautiful. I can honestly say it's my new favorite Christmas song.



I listened to the song while I was making some mac n' cheese for lunch and I opened the window to see this:

Out my back window

There's something magical about the first snow fall of the season. Ok, technically it's the second, but I wasn't awake for the first one so I'm counting this. I get so giddy when I look out the window to see big flakes falling to the ground. One of my favorite sights is the snow blanketing the leafless branches of the trees. It looks so pure. I watched the storm with lyrics about the birth and life of Christ playing in the background, and was filled to the brim with gratitude. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." How grateful I am for the Christmas season and for the chance to reflect every day on the best gift of all--the gift of a person, a brother, who gave us the ability to repent of our sins and return to our Father in Heaven. Hallelujah!