GOA

So I was going to put a slideshow of pictures from our trip to Goa on here, but I'm not that great at creative Blogs. If anyone knows how to do it will you tell me.

We didn't tell our kids we were going on a vacation until we had booked our flights because we didn't want them to be sad if things fell through, so when I booked the flights online, I told them and they started jumping up and down, hugging each other and screaming. Ellie and Maddie went and grabbed our globe, and asked where we would be stopping on our way. It was then that I realized, they thought we were going home. I explained that we were staying in India, but that we were going to go to a fun hotel and to the beach. They were a little disappointed to not be going to Salt Lake, but they were still excited to go on a trip.

After I had told the kids because it was all confirmed, things started to fall through. We didn't think we were going to end up be able to go because the online company that I booked our flights through cancelled our flight about 24 hours before we were going and we couldn't find any flights for a reasonable price. I called the travel agent who had booked our hotel in Goa and told her what had happened. She told me that I needed to call and tell the online company that they had to get us on a flight, or they had to pay for the hotel. I thought it was hopeless, why would the company really care, how would we really make them pay us for the hotel. Anyway, I decided to call and give them an earful. They told me they would see what they could do. In the meantime I had the travel agent calling me to see if we were really going because she had to cancel the hotel if we couldn't go. A LONG STRESSFUL day, and a few calls back and forth with the online travel company, and they had us on flights to Goa. The only downside was that the flight going to Goa was at 6:15 in the morning. It takes an hour to get to the airport from our house and with 6 of us we wanted to be to the airport early to make it through security and onto the plane without too much trouble. Our driver told us he thought we needed to leave by 3:30 a.m. so Alan told him to be here by 3:00 a.m. so we could be there on time. The driver took the car home with him that night so he could be here early. Our alarm was set and we were packed and excited to go! The next morning, we were awakened by our doorbell. We rolled over, and it was 4:00 a.m. WE SLEPT IN!! Our alarm clock didn't go off! As we ran around the house getting kids dressed, the driver was throwing suitcases and the stroller in the car and we all piled in and raced off to the airport. When I say raced I meant that we actually drove around 50 mph. (With pot holes and speedbumps, people here drive around 25 mph tops.) We made it just in time to race through security and right onto the plane. By 8:30 we were at our hotel and changing into swimsuits.

We stayed at the Park Hyatt Resort on the the beach. It was beautiful! We got a package that included our meals and all. They had 3 swimming pools that were connected by small waterslides. Our kids had a blast!!

We were there for 4 days and each day had almost the same routine. We would wake up and go to breakfast. Alan would take Annie back to the room for a nap and I would take the others to the pool. When Annie woke up Alan would bring her to the pool and we would play. When the kids finally got hungry we would either order the food to come poolside, or we would go up to the buffet. After lunch I would take Annie back to the room for a nap, and Alan would take the others to the beach for the afternoon. Once Annie woke up, I'd head down to the beach. When it got dark we'd head up, shower and go to dinner. The kids loved it! They also had a kids play group, "Camp Hyatt". Ellie, Maddie, and Ethan went to that one afternoon and had fun there. They made bookmarks, played games, and watched a movie. We had such a relaxing, fun weekend, and we definately want to go back.

One afternoon Alan and Ellie rented a board, and as Ellie says "caught some waves" She loves to spend time one on one with Alan so when she was the only one who wanted to board with him she ate it up.
There were so many star fish on the beach. Every wave would bring in 2-3 more. The kids collected them all and would bring them over to show Annie.
Some pictures from the resort
Looking out towards the beach from the pool

All Annie wanted to do was get in the water. Everytime I picked her up, she would cry until I put her back on the sand. We walked up and down the beach and as soon as a wave would come in and hit her she would just giggle.
After an early morning, a morning at the pool, and an evening at the beach Ethan couldn't even stay awake for dinner. The kids all played hard and crashed hard every night!