The Next Big Things

Jonathan went to camp, and I went to the Bahamas!

Yes, you read that right.

Dear friends of mine and I took a Groupon trip to the Bahamas.  And before I write about it, I should say that we are so blessed to be able to take these trips.  Our first was in 2004, and we've taken a total of five trips together (although our fifth friend can only sometimes join us, and unfortunately, she missed this trip.)  We've been to Kansas City twice, Dallas once, San Luis Obispo once, and this time...the Bahamas.  This destination sounds a lot different than the others, right?  We are so thankful to have the husbands who understand the importance of our trips and who make them possible, and so very thankful to have each other as friends.  These people and opportunities are not things to take for granted.

These blog posts will be phone pictures of our time in the Bahamas interspersed with pictures of Jonathan at camp, because he was at camp while Jeff was at home taking care of the kids (with help from my mom and from friends!)

The girls and I made our way to Dallas and spent a quick night in a hotel, thanks to Jeff's points.  We shuttled to the airport the next morning.  We were nervous about oversleeping, but we made it there in plenty of time.  Really, there were so many things that could have gone wrong that would have derailed this trip, but thankfully, none of them happened.

For those who have never traveled with Groupon, here's what the checkin desk at the airport looks like.  This is where they check your passport.  Truly.

Even standing in line is fun with these people.

We were excited even to fly on an airplane together, which we have never done before!

At the end of our flight, which was pretty much a chartered shuttle to the island, we were super excited to see our first glimpses of the Grand Bahamas.

Here we are walking from the plane to the airport in Freeport.  There was a band playing music for us to enjoy while we waited in line.  I tried to take a video but got scolded by the customs officer, so I had to delete it.

Now we have stamps in our passports!

We checked into our all-inclusive resort with lots of other people just like us, and they served these blue drinks.  OK, maybe the other people were not just like us, because we were there to enjoy time together, and we figured out that a lot of the other guests were there to enjoy the free alcohol.  But I digress.

In case you are not sure what to wear to meals, please consult the sign.

Ice cream and coffee were included in our stay.  We had to partake!

This was our new home for four nights and as much of the five days as we could soak in.  We spent a lot of time gazing at the gorgeous water.

So thankful to spend time with these girls!

Here's another look at the resort between the building and the beach.

Happiness!

Cherissa brought coloring supplies.  We colored.

It rained our first afternoon there, and we wondered whether the rain would slow us down, but it didn't rain again while we were there.

Beautiful.  I don't have pictures of the cheesy nighttime entertainment, or the lines for meals.  There were some quirky things about traveling with Groupon, as you might expect.  But they only added to the humor of our trip, and with these friends, we were never short on laughter.

Jeff had adventures with the kids after dropping me off at the airport.  I never worry when he has the kids.

And on Sunday, Jeff and the kids took Jonathan to camp.  Could anyplace be more gorgeous?  Besides the Bahamas, I mean.

I was so excited for Jonathan to experience this, and I knew he was in good hands.  Also, I had helped him pack and sent mail to him before I left.  Having Jonathan at camp made my trip easier since Jeff (and my mom and friends who helped him) only had two kids to care for while I was gone.