Meanwhile, In The Gulf Of Mexico

Your daddy got me the most amazing birthday gift this year. Before I go into details, let me first explain your daddy's gift giving history. Birthday gifts I have received in the past include an umbrella, a men's Hawaiian print button down shirt, shoes from Payless (he was so proud because he got the second pair for a penny) and other more forgettable items.

This year, however, he got it right! The two of us spent four nights on a cruise from Galveston to Cozumel, Mexico. It's a trip we've been wanting to take for years, but we've never gotten around to it. We had a great time and were reacquainted with an uninterrupted night's sleep.

We thought about you the whole time, often remarking how you would react to a certain activity or bragging about you to our fellow cruisers. We concluded that you wouldn't have enjoyed the trip much at this age, but we're hoping to take you on a Disney cruise when you're older.

Daddy preparing for the safety drill.

The icky view from our cabin as we left Galveston.

The beautiful view from our cabin when we awoke the next morning.

Watching the sunset from the Lido deck.

Mommy discovered a love for Blackjack. We won enough money to pay for our trip! We hope that on our next cruise, we'll win enough money to pay for your college.

Cozumel! We went to an adventure park where we snorkeled, climbed and rappelled. I was surprised to learn that I don't like snorkeling. Getting stung by jelly fish and breathing water: not so enjoyable to me.

Zipline!

Here's a picture of our boat in port in Cozumel.

According to your dad, "it's not a cruise until you shuffleboard."

I got teed off. I'll explain what this means when you're older.

Happy and relaxed!