The first day was almost sublime, since we were all back together, and we were welcoming our newest member of the family for his first real vacation in the nucleus.  Amanda and Stew were married in July 2000- and moved to Springfield, MO where they were both finishing up their degrees.  It was Stew's first time as an official Edwards, and it was the first time my lonely parents were recovering from the gloom of the empty nest.  Gabe lives in Buffalo with Molly and Dan, and I was coming from San Francisco with Rob (we are now parted ways, for those of you not in-the-know)...  So Mom, Dad,  Shelby, + Rob, Molly, +Dan, Amanda, +Stew, and Gabe all in attendance...

Cozumel...  The gulf side of Mexico can be actually pretty, if you stick to the resorts and avoid the grunge in the "cities."  I really generally hate Mexico- getting harrased by the locals, naked natives selling blankets on the beach which is covered in horse crap...  but this was a private beach, and nobody can sell you anything there.  Anyhow- a couple of Coronas, and I'm usually just fine...
Rob stayed on the ship, as he did most of the trip, while the rest of us split up to do our separate things.  Mom, Molly, Amanda and Stew wanted to go to a nice beach and lay out.  Dad, Gabe and I wanted to go SCUBA diving- and off we both went in separate taxis.  Ironically, we both ended up at the same beach in the end!
We met up in the water- Molly, and Amanda in snorkeling gear- while the others of us were SCUBAing, and mom stayed on shore to use the videocamera like a hawk.
 

yes, and here are the crazies underwater in snorkel gear in Cozumel...  Dad, Amanda and Molly...  photo is by me!

SBUBA diving was probably one of the all-time, top 5 coolest experiences i've ever had.  I really had a hard time at the begining- thinking I couldn't make it.  You submerge and feel like "Oh, God- I can't breathe!"  And this panic comes over you- this mental thing that you can't get breath.  While I was actually contemplating returning to the beach and being a total whimp- the group took off, and set out for the deeper water.  I made a conscious decision right there to follow the group, and to calm DOWN.  It was amazing once I did!!  It was soooo incredible!  You just totally relax, and you feel the pressure of the water all around you, while you tuck your hand in at your waist, and let your feet just lightly skim the water, feeling what it must be like to be a fish.  All you can hear is the sound of your own breathing- pshew, ghsewwww, pshew, gshewwww...  it was mezmerizing.
Dad and i followed a turtle for a couple hundred feet, gliding through the water at about 60 feet.  The coral reef below was host to a million species of fish in all kinds of bright colors, swimming all around you.  We saw a moray eel peeking its head out of the coral, along with the subtle little bony fingers of the coral whisking the water for food in rhythmic fashion.
I absolutely smitten.

Back up on land, when the adventure was over, we spent some time in the surf snorkeling and having too much fun.  Amanda, who is totally paranoid about sharks and swimming, actually got inthe water and spent the most time snorkeling!  I was impressed!

Molly is inviting us down below the water, and you see Amanda's head in the foreground...  I look back on the trip, and i think Cozumel was probably one of my very favortie highlights of the whole trip.  :)
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