Grand Cayman

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We celebrated Mom's 70th birthday almost a year late, but in style.  Many thanks to Mom and Dad for the amazing opportunity to experience such kind people on a safe island with the bluest of waters...and our first snorkeling and sting ray kisses!

Even at 4:30am, they were excited for our adventure!

 Rum Point "instructions"

Starfish point needs no explanation.

 Not a bad back yard.

Turtle Farm was a day-long adventure for my guys... and worth every minute of the drive.

The sharks performed "C's" for their food, trained as such so that the vet can give them a full body rub down under normal circumstances. 

No snorkeling pictures, for obvious reasons, but Little Man didn't hesitate one minute to swim out and behind the water fall. 

 Waterfall Video

 Much colder for me than for them, I still made it out---and down the waterslide a dozen times!

First Pina Coladas...

 Chey Remy's buffet at the house - absolutely spectacular meal!

 

Rum Point again, 'cause why not?!

 Abby's mermaid

 Mommy-daughter date for hair braids and smoothies!

 'cause I guess he just needed a break.

 Driving along the Breakers

 WINDY at the east side beaches...

 ...but amazing colors.

 Can you see the iguana?

 The shipwreck history fascinated Andrew.

 The blow holes!

  Waiting, waiting, waiting for the BIG one!

Waiting for the BIG one---video

 "The big one's coming!!!" video

Sting Ray City!  Fascinating that they can be 180 lbs!  They hang near the coral reef and when the first boats come motoring over in the morning, they swarm for breakfast.

 Matthew was not a fan, primarily because the water was rough and we were getting smashed in the face by waves from all directions with no warning.  But Andrew and Margaret loved it!  Will try to include pictures from the photographer in another post showing us snuggling to and kissing "Scar Face".

The wave runner was quite the highlight, especially for Margaret and Matthew, who constantly squealed, "Faster! Faster! Faster!"

Last day at Rum Point around the corner.  

The kids could have played here all day every day.  

Happy New Year!

You can't capture it with a phone, but the crescent moo is horizontal, Grand Cayman being so close to the equator.

 Again, not captured, were our nightly kayak and paddle board rides out into the bay where the phytoplankton GLOW.  It was, hands down, one of the neatest discoveries of the week for Matthew all the way up to Granddaddy!

Mommies bed buddy arrived at a different time every night.

 Lunch at the port near the airport before...

 ...travels got so interesting.  After waiting in customs 1.5 hours due to a national computer system outage, Matthew got sick in security, waiting to re-book our connection, waiting standby, and on the plane...4 times.  Poor guy was absolutely miserable and just passed out cold in between episodes.  Yep, we were "that" crew in the Charlotte airport.