In 2019 Wes and Taylor got married at a destination wedding in Jamaica. In true Murphy/McGrath family fashion a big group of family showed up - I'm guessing around 35 people in total. We had such a fun time on that trip with the cousins that Erin started lobbying for Cuzzies All Inclusive 2020 to replace our annual cousin's camping trip. It took a few years for us to get it together (COVID didn't help) but last summer I contacted the travel agent that helped plan Wes and Taylor's wedding and the wheels were in motion for a spring break trip - Cuzzies All Inclusive 2022!
Since I was doing the planning, I planned it for my birthday weekend - which, happened to nicely coincide with the kids spring break so we hit up Mom and Dad to take the kids for us and we boarded a plane for a Wednesday to Sunday trip which was the perfect amount of time. In the end, the timing wasn't totally ideal for my work, I had a big, in person event the following week, but...with enough prep you can pull off just about anything!
Jamaica was beautiful and the resort was lovely. We booked an all inclusive, which, at the time was exactly the amount of planning and effort I had in me, but in hindsight, I think I'll do the extra legwork next time and skip the all inclusive. It was exactly the vibe we were going for (easy and not a lot of work) but the food and drinks were just ok, and I think for the same amount of money, plus a little more effort, we could have done it a little better. Next time!
But, you can't argue with these views though! We arrived Wednesday mid day and it took us a few hours to get the whole group together and on the same page (we basically ended up traveling in two groups, one from O'hare and one from Midway). By dinner though we'd all been checked into our rooms, sat on the beach for a little bit and started to figure out the lay of the land (like, where exactly are the restaurants, what is the dress code at each, when do they open, do we need masks here...where is the water...how do we get more drinks...lol! It takes a while to get it all figured out!).
(One of my favorite pictures from the trip!)
Thursday we had exactly zero things planned. Erin, Sarah and I did a quick beachbody workout poolside (the gym was packed) and luckily grabbed chairs on the beach for the group before they got snatched up! I should have known people would reserve chairs, I just didn't expect it to be before 8am! LOL!
We had such a fun group along on the trip. I wish all of the cousins had been able to make it. Liz and Bobby and Brenna had plans to join but things changed...but there's always the next one! I'm so glad we grabbed this group photo. They always seem like a pain in the moment - a "we'll get it later" sort of thing....but, seriously, I've said it a million times. Nobody is sad when we have them to look back on (especially me!).
(My other favorite photo from the weekend - taken on my birthday!)
Friday we managed to book ourselves a catamaran/snorkeling tour - which we nearly missed because we weren't paying attention when they said we needed to be at the lobby at 2:25....somehow one of us heard 2:45 and that just became the time we all said to be ready. Thankfully the bus driver didn't leave without us - though, the group of other people from the hotel was less than pleased when we boarded the bus 30 minutes late. I get it...I would have been annoyed too.
I typically hate boat tours like this - they make me nauseous, even the snorkeling is bad for me....the roll of the waves just is NOT my friend. But, thanks to a stupid Instagram ad a few years back, I had my trusty reliefband which worked pretty well. The waves (and the wind) were CRAZY on the boat ride to the snorkeling....and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a moment where I swallowed some puke down (gross, sorry!) but, I made it through. It's just really not my most favorite of activities but I wasn't going to miss out and I'm so glad that I can at least partially participate now. I snorkeled for about 10 mins, long enough to see a few things before the waves started to get to me.
The boat crew included 2 photographers who went around staging groups together, grabbing photo after photo, documenting the trip. It was funny and Erin and Sarah ended up buying the set of pictures so now we have a whole host of silly photos from the day.
HAHAHA! I mean, how would we pass up on some of these gems! I think this will be one we recreate in 20 years from now.
Saturday was our last full day of vacation (and my birthday!). Our plan for the day was to sit on the beach...drink at the swim up pool bars, take a nap (that might have just been MY plan), and to have a big group dinner at the "fancy French restaurant" where the boys needed pants and closed toe shoes to be seated - the ONE time in life that the dress code for the boys was less comfortable than for women.
It truly was a great way to spend a birthday weekend but also a wonderful chance to hang out, just us adults, and spend a long weekend together. It was nice to get out of the Chicago winter (it snowed 5 inches in Marengo while we were gone), to spend some time away without the kids (we love them, but hanging with adults is fun too!), and to really vacation with Jenny/Jack was also very special. Having lived in Nashville for so long - we're so lucky to have them local now (in Naperville), so we can do more trips together in the coming years.
There is never a lack of activities and adventures for the kids when we send them to Freeport with Grandma and Papa. Dad has all sorts of jobs that he hauls the kids along for, like these photos where they went to the Misery to check the racoon traps. Hazel found a shed antler and some other deer bones which she was VERY excited to take to school for show and tell.
They went to a butterfly sanctuary in Rockford (which! I want to go next time!)....died Easter eggs, went to see a Sing 2 sign along (in the theater! A first since COVID...) and even though the rest of us are sick of winter, they were excited to make a Snow Bunny with all the snow we got while we were gone.
Again, we really are so very very lucky to have such a strong support structure around here to help make weekends and trips like these possible for us. Without Dan and Erin and Grandma and Papa, I don't know how we'd make it all happen. The last few months have been crazy with all the travel. Between Disney, the spur of the moment San Fran trip, and Jamaica, this is the most Ryan and I have traveled together ever in such a short period of time.
We're home now for a little bit, but this summer promises to be a busy one with our new camper, another trip to Cali, and a big group camping trip to the UP already on the books. If you're wondering what exactly is wrong with us, just remember our family moto - "We're the McGrath's and we do all the things".
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