Belize has been on our travel wish list for some time, and in 2019 we finally got the change to go!  We decided to split our time in Belize, spending the first part of the trip inland exploring the jungles and Mayan ruins, then spend the remainder of the trip in the beautiful waters on Belize's coast.

We had a pretty easy flight down.  Leaving from Atlanta, it's a short 2 hour flight to Miami, followed by another 2 hour flight from Miami to Belize.  We left Thursday morning and were in Belize City by lunchtime. 

From Belize City, we had a 2 hour bus ride to the town of San Ignacio, in western Belize close to the Guatemalan border.  We arrived at the Mayan Mountain Lodge mid-afternoon and our first order of business was to relax.  The kids alternated between the pool and the hammocks most of the afternoon as we explored the grounds of the lodge. 

For dinner, we took a short taxi ride into town and ate at Hannah's, a popular local spot.  The food, especially the pork tacos, was delicious and the whole meal for a family of 5 only set us back $26!

The first day was a success - mostly a travel day but we got settled at the Lodge, explored the town of San Ignacio, and had a great meal.  Day 2 would take us into Guatemala to visit the Mayan Ruins at Tikal - see that trip in the next update!

Colt's class put on a special program for Veteran's Day, honoring the troops. Colt designed a poster honoring our service members and had a speaking part in the program.  Check out the pics above and you can see a clip of his part below.  Enjoy!

We had a great Halloween this year.  Colt went as a gladiator, Sadie a firefighter, and Finley was Wonder Woman.  Mom and Dad are still enjoying the candy!  Take a look at the pics!

When Colt turned 10, one of the things he wanted to do most was get his Junior Open Water Scuba certification.  He'a a terrific swimmer and avid snorkeler, so this made sense as the next progression for him.  And our upcoming trip to Belize would provide the perfect opportunity for some world class scuba diving.  The course involves about 20 hours of classwork, which we did online, and 4 4-hour in water training sessions.  It was a lot of work but so much fun it didn't seem like it!  We did the course together and altogether it took about a month to complete all the requirements. Check out the pics in the gallery as well as the video below: 

We enjoyed a fall visit to Tuscaloosa to join Stephen and family for the Kentuck Festival.  The annual Arts festival had lots of activities for the kids and they had a blast!  They got to do several hands on art projects and even try out some musical instruments (which we opted not to purchase).  Check out the pics of our fun day!