Bahamas - Cat Ppalu

 

After staying a few nights at Atlantis, we then boarded the Cat Ppalu, one of the boats my uncle owns. We were so very fortunate to be able to spend a week with my family and my uncle's family on the boat...thank you Peggy and Bruce! The pictures above sum up our week on the boat...amazingly blue/clear water, beautiful scenery, good company and wonderful memories together. We wished Brandon could've joined us but it was a good break for Halle and I to not be by ourselves while in Baltimore.

Here is the boat that we were on. Halle and I shared a cabin so we slept in the same bed, which she loved! The crew, Des (and Megan), Helen and Cory, were great and really went above and beyond for us. There is nothing like being catered over to an empty island and having pina coladas (virgin!) made for you while you just sit in the water! Plus, every meal was made for us and the food was outstanding...thanks Cory!

 

 

Captain Des explaining one of the stops for the day in the sitting area (which is where Halle watched a lot of movies!)

 

I could get used to waking up to this view!

 

Cory, the cook made delicious food!

 

Cory and Helen (dive master) were so good with Halle

 

Megan and Des were so nice to put up with our family!

The first day on the boat was spent traveling over to the area we were going to be spending time in. It was a little rocky, so most of us spent the trip outside looking at the horizon. Good thing little ones don't get motion sickness...Halle did great watching movies inside! I took dramamine and did okay...I heard you get more motion sick when you are in your 2nd trimester so while I was feeling it more than I probably would've, I managed to be okay. I couldn't stay in our cabin though so Halle was a trooper and stayed up with me until we arrived late that night! The second day it rained almost the whole day (which is very unusual)...good thing for a tv and movies! Finally, by the 3rd day we were all ready to get out and explore the beaches.

 

I thought this was funny that Papa and Halle both had their hand on their heads - Papa wasn't feeling so hot! 

      

We did see a shark right away that first day!

 

Halle did much better than I though a 2 year old would do on a boat with no real sides!

 

Taking the dingy over to the beach to play in the sand!

  

This is what Halle and my cousin's friends' daughters, Olivia and Kate did the whole trip!

 

 

 

 

Ever since we found out we were going on this trip, my Dad told Halle about getting to swim with pigs, so she would run around the house singing "Swimming with the pigs, swimming with the pigs!". We first tried to see the pigs in the morning, but they didn't come out. So, we went to another area and came back to visit them in the afternoon. Apparently, they usually hear the boats and know that they will be fed, so they come out. They don't see very well and when Halle and I first approached one, the pig bit her life jacket, thinking it was food. Fortunately, Halle didn't realize what had happened and thought it was funny and I scooped her up right away! It was really weird to see pigs in the ocean but Halle loved it!

 

Here is the pig thinking Halle's life jacket is food!

 

 

Halle didn't mind the pigs at all!

  

 

 

 

  

Chris with Olivia and Jeanna with Kate (there were friends of my cousin Jen), cousin Jen, Aunt Peggy, Alli (Kev's girlfriend) and cousin Kevin, Papa, Nana, Me with Halle, Nay and Kyle

 

On another day, my Dad and Mom came prepared with all of the things necessary for a treasure hunt. They had wonderful helpers too who put together a great treasure hunt for the kids - Auntie Nay and Jen! It started with a bottle floating in the ocean for the kids to find. Captain Des and his girlfriend, Megan, dressed up as pirates, along wtih Papa Pirate and took us ashore to find the treasure. I didn't think Halle would really get it or be into it, but I was wrong! She loved every minute of it. It probably helped that Kate (5 years old) and Olivia (3 years old) were doing it with her. But, she spotted one of the clues...a hammock (which she calls a "sammock"!). She also really enjoyed the bottles that the clues were in. And, after finding the treasure, she was so excited to put on the jewelry that was inside!

 

 

 

With Papa pirate on our way to find the treasure! 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Look at me mom...pink necklaces!!

 

 The rest of the time was spent in the water at the beaches and snorkeling (which I was able to do while my mom and others watched Halle...thank you!). Interesting fact that I found out though...I got terrible heartburn each time I snorkeled because I was laying down! Never would have thought of that!! But, it didn't stop me from doing it...

 

 

  

 

 

 

Lounging with family in amazing water with no one else around!!

Me, Mom, Jen, Renee and Peggy 

 

Papa, Peggy, Kevin, Alli Kate, Halle, Me, Mom, Jen, Jeanna, Renee and Olivia

 

Papa and Nana 

 

Papa, Kev, Jen, Alli, Me with Halle, Renee, Kate, Bruce, Olivia, Peggy, Chris (who took most of these pictures - thank you Chris!), Jeanna 

 

Drying off on the deck!

 

Family Photo Shoot:

 

 

 

 

My Dad's brother - Bruce

 

    Jen, Bruce, Peggy and Kev - thank you all for a wonderful trip!!

 

 

 

 Jeanna with Kate, Renee and Mom

 

We spotted dolphins during our trip which was fun to see - they actually were not that far from the boat for awhile     

 

One night Halle and Papa laid out on the netting and looked at the starts/moon...she loved it!   

Halle didn't want to go over to the island to see the iguanas (I think she was worn out from the morning treasure hunt) and I had already seen them last time I went out on the boat but here is a picture of my Dad feeding one of them!

 

My dad took this picture of me snorkeling and apparently, I wasn't too far away from the shark below. We saw about 6 sharks during this snorkel trip.

A jeep under the sea - not sure why it was there!

A huge lobster!

I haven't seen the James Bond movie, Thunderball, but this grotto was where part of the movie was filmed. It was really neat to snorkel into. You had to go through some rocks and swim underneath to get into it. The fish were really pretty and inside it was just gorgeous!