Bollinger Family: R&R

It was time! We have talked and talked for 3 years, since Robert graduated Residency, that we wanted to go on a BIG family vacation. We usually go somewhere fun at least once a year. Great Wolf Lodge, Sea World, Galveston etc. It is always somewhere close we can drive to and somewhere inexpensive. We always look at the fun trips like Disney, or Hawaii and dream of going there, and then we look at the prices and decide maybe next year.

Robert has been working really hard the last few months. They have been short doctors and he has had to work extra shifts and mostly night shifts. He was feeling really burnt out and needed a break. I was looking at the boys school schedule the other day and realized that the boys not only had Monday Martin Luther King Day off, but also had the half day the Friday before and that Tuesday off. Robert was able to trade a few shifts to get that weekend off and then it was time to pick our destination. We were ALL IN no cheap discount trip this time. We decided on Bahamas. We could fly there in half a day and have most of the afternoon Friday left to play. It was perfect for the boys. They had a water park, the worlds largest aquarium, three beaches and beautiful views everywhere. The best part was that right now children under 12 eat free at most of the restaurants! That was a good thing because we were about to find out that even though they were free everything to eat cost an arm and a leg. We didn't let it bother us, because we were there to have fun, and that is exactly what we did!

This first Picture is from our Balcony on the 5th floor room # 5.521

The first day there we put on our walking shoes and set out to explore the whole island appropriately named Paradise Island. The DIG is where we started. It is the Largest aquarium anywhere in the world. It was built to look like they had uncovered a piece of Atlantis. There were Manta Rays, Grouper, Jelly Fish, Sharks, millions of different fish swimming in schools. It was such a beautiful sight.

The Manta Ray was the boys favorite. There were two of these big guys in there. This one they named Curly, the other was named Manny.

We had a nice woman offer to take our picture together after her daughter walked through the first picture we tried to take.

This is our hotel behind us the Royal Towers. It was the largest of the hotels on the island.

Robert and the boys in front of the Flying Fish Fountain

Another Pic from the Balcony

Saturday we checked out the water park for a little while. We went on a tube slide that took you in a Plexiglas tube through the shark tank. You just floated slowly through looking at the sharks swim by. It was a lot of fun. We rode that slide several time on our trip. When the boys were done riding water slides, we headed to the beach. The waves were really powerful. We were there for about 2 hours and by the time we left they had closed the beach for swimming. Our shoes almost got taken out to sea by the waves. At one point the waves ripped the cup out of Luke's hand and it took several more waves rolling in until we saw it again. Soon after, Luke decided he was done trying to keep his cup and put it away on the chair for safe keeping.

Jon's tower just got washed away. That was the goal, to build the castle far from the waves and wait for a big wave to roll way in and take it out.

Robert and I did not let the boys play in the ocean alone. The under toe was so strong we were worried they may get pulled out, so like a good dad Robert played with them.

This one they were able to keep their balance, but the next wave that came just wiped them out.

It was nice to see Robert smiling! As I said earlier, his job has been pretty stressful lately. His only days off have been days that we had something important to do, or he was recovering from working a night shift only to turn around the next day and work a day shift. He hasn't had any Days OFF where he can just chill.

The boys called this my monkey pose. I was just standing up after a big wave had knocked my feet out from under me. I'm so glad they find humor at my expense :)

Luke took this picture of Robert and Ion one of our walks around the property. We did get lots of exercise this weekend.

We were on our way to have a Dolphin Encounter.

Jon is dancing with Salvador

Luke was pretty nervous about the whole thing. We were standing on a platform in the water, but had to stand close to the edge to interact with the dolphin. He was worried he may fall off.

I got to feel how rubbery his lips really are when feeding him the fish. He may have miscalculated the height a little. It didn't hurt, just surprised me.