This was our first peek at the ship - Royal Caribbeans 'Mariner of the Seas' from the Los Angeles Harbor Dock. When it was built in 2003, it was the largest cruise ship in the world. The enormity of it was pretty unbelievable.
A little background on this trip. We have been looking into going on a Humanitarian Trip down to Mexico with a non-profit group out of Provo that provides 'family-to-family humanitarian expeditions'. The older girls were most interested in helping at Orphanages. We were unsure about how the younger ones would do. Through various 'Google links' I was connected to a cruise ship that provided an excursion to an orphanage, and thought that would be a way that all the girls could be a part of it and prepare us for future service. That's how this particular trip came to be. And it turned out to be such a wonderful and memorable trip for everyone.
One of our favorite events of the day was Dinner, and it was always quite an event. Each night we put on our 'Sunday best' to go eat in the massive formal dinner room. 
While others were off the ship exploring, we enjoyed having the pools to ourselves - kinda like home, but without the diving board and slide.
Our ship even had an ice skating rink, which we were able to enjoy during the day, and watch Ice Skating shows at night. 
Finally reaching land in Cabo San Lucas.
Not only did we have exceptional food, but exceptional service as well. Where else could Aubrey have someone cut her meat for her?
Robert and I were able to spend some time alone each night as the girls went to their activities at 'Adventure Ocean'. That was an added bonus that we really weren't expecting.
Here we are at an orphanage in Mazatlan. It took some faith and prayers to get us there, but we made it. Heavenly Father helped to guide us to an all-girls orphanage where our girls were able to play and visit with their new friends. The children and workers there spoke no English, (nada) so we were forced to use the choppy and probably funny sounding Spanish we had been practicing in preparation for the trip. Though our words may have been weak, our hearts were full of love. The girls played ball and kitchen. Robert read then some Disney books in Spanish while Brenna translated the stories into English. We all played a matching game on the cement floor. They showed us their sleeping area, all with matching pink sheets, and their individual cork boards, night stands, and pictures. We let some of them use our camera and came home with some fun shots they had taken of each other. It was good to be there. It is good to know that we all have Heavenly Parents who love us and know us, and are mindful of our circumstances. These girls seemed well cared for and we were fortunate enough to be able to visit with the head of the Orphanage (who spoke great English) before we left and learn a little more about their situations and the things they could use. Our hearts were opened and we're so grateful for the experiences we were able to have.
On a lighter note, all of the girls wanted to get their hair done in tight braids. Luckily there were lot of women on the beach who wanted to braid our daughters hair. Brenna doesn't look to happy in this picture, but her day was going to get a lot worse than this. Later that afternoon, she was not only stung by a jellyfish (as was Lindz and Emi) but had the long tentacle tangled around her legs as she screamed in horror and stung others as she tried to free herself from the electrifying bondage she suddenly found herself in. It was NOT good. Not good at all. I won't go into all of the details about how you treat jellyfish stings, but it took about 20 minutes for she and Emily to stop screaming, and by then we were in a taxi on our way back to the ship.
One more side note, before I get back to happy pictures. On day 2 of our trip, Kayla, Aubrey, and I were on a deck playing a nice game of ping pong, while the others played board games in a room not far from us. Just as we were finishing Kayla reached down to pick up a ball, and came up hitting her head on the railing. OUCH, not good I thought. She quietly reached for her head and said, "Mom, I think I'm bleeding". As she pulled her hand away from her head I could see blood. Oh, not good. As I went to put my arm around her, I saw blood running down her neck. I don't do well with blood, but I can usually hold it together until I can get someone else to take over. I started yelling for Robert and we took a long elevator ride from the top deck down to the Emergency Room on Level 1. I waited outside for about 30 minutes (situating the other kids, filling out forms, and praying) before finally joining them in the operating room. I don't do real well with blood, but it is especially hard to see the blood of your own child spilled on the pillows and ice packs around her head. The Chief Safety Officer checked the accident scene and Kayla had come up and hit a metal bolt that held the thick wooden rail together. The wound was right on the top crown of her head and they thought it would heal without stitches. Later that night, the wound reopened at a 'kids activity' and we once again found her laying on a blood stained pillow. Oh, it was tough, but I'm telling you, she is one tough girl. By the next day, her headaches were better and she was back to herself. Here we are in front of some fancy artwork
And Dad, also loving the artwork.
Our final destination was Puerto Vallarta
Emily found her 'Peace friend'
This is how we found Brenna quite often when we picked her up from her Adventure Ocean class. All painted up. She absolutely loved it!
A few more painted friends. 
Our beautiful girls with no paint.
And Dad, also loving the artwork.
Our final destination was Puerto Vallarta
Emily found her 'Peace friend'
This is how we found Brenna quite often when we picked her up from her Adventure Ocean class. All painted up. She absolutely loved it!
A few more painted friends. 
Our beautiful girls with no paint. One of the best things about having their hair all braided was how quickly they were able to get ready for dinner. These may become permanent hair styles in our house.
Getting ready for another delightfully delicious dinner. The girls tried es cargo (sp?), lobster,
Getting ready for another delightfully delicious dinner. The girls tried es cargo (sp?), lobster, duck, and a few other exotic and unfamiliar entrees. Brenna pretty stuck with the chicken fingers and pasta
Here's a wide view of the beautiful dining room. If you look closely, you can see the Captain sitting in his white coat. Our table was just one away from the Captains Table, so we always liked to watch him when he was there.
Enjoying our time together!
Emily was the winner of the Adventure Ocean 'Hula Hoop Contest' with Lindsay coming in a close 2nd. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but Emi is jumping up in the air while she hulas and lifts her arm up like she is riding in a rodeo. No wonder she's the Wii hula-hooping champion in our house. 
Brenna and her class participated in the Adventure Ocean Talent Show. The performed the song "Peanut, peanut butter, and jelly.' It was very cute. Next to her is her friend Kie. 
Everyone's favorite place - Adventure Ocean!!!
Here's Emi outside the casino. She so wanted to try to life the barbell. 
Emi checking out the view at breakfast. We were often able to watch whales and dolphins while we ate breakfast.
The Promenade area in the middle of the ship. This was the big gathering place. So beautiful when it's all lit up at night.
A view of the Captains Workstation from the 'Peek-a-Boo' bridge. It was fun to go down and watch them drive the ship.
This was too funny. At the final Variety Show, the comedian chose Brenna from the audience to participate in his act. I think I put the video of this on my Facebook page. It was soooo fun to see her up there talking into the microphone in front of 1200 people. She's a confident girl, and of course, she was barefoot. That girl loves to be barefoot. 
One more shot of her in the spotlight. She became an instant celebrity on the ship. We couldn't go anywhere with her without being stopped.
Well, this too must come to an end. We had a great week and made lot of great memories. There are many more stories and anecdotes to tell, so hope the girls wrote about them in their journals. What a fun, fun time to spend together, and yes I would defintely recommend a cruise for families.
Here's a wide view of the beautiful dining room. If you look closely, you can see the Captain sitting in his white coat. Our table was just one away from the Captains Table, so we always liked to watch him when he was there.
Enjoying our time together!
Emily was the winner of the Adventure Ocean 'Hula Hoop Contest' with Lindsay coming in a close 2nd. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but Emi is jumping up in the air while she hulas and lifts her arm up like she is riding in a rodeo. No wonder she's the Wii hula-hooping champion in our house. 
Brenna and her class participated in the Adventure Ocean Talent Show. The performed the song "Peanut, peanut butter, and jelly.' It was very cute. Next to her is her friend Kie. 
Everyone's favorite place - Adventure Ocean!!!
Here's Emi outside the casino. She so wanted to try to life the barbell. 
Emi checking out the view at breakfast. We were often able to watch whales and dolphins while we ate breakfast.
The Promenade area in the middle of the ship. This was the big gathering place. So beautiful when it's all lit up at night.
A view of the Captains Workstation from the 'Peek-a-Boo' bridge. It was fun to go down and watch them drive the ship.
This was too funny. At the final Variety Show, the comedian chose Brenna from the audience to participate in his act. I think I put the video of this on my Facebook page. It was soooo fun to see her up there talking into the microphone in front of 1200 people. She's a confident girl, and of course, she was barefoot. That girl loves to be barefoot. 
One more shot of her in the spotlight. She became an instant celebrity on the ship. We couldn't go anywhere with her without being stopped.
Well, this too must come to an end. We had a great week and made lot of great memories. There are many more stories and anecdotes to tell, so hope the girls wrote about them in their journals. What a fun, fun time to spend together, and yes I would defintely recommend a cruise for families.
