Bahamian Adventure (with Kids!) Day 6

When I need to "go to my happy place" when I give birth or pluck eyebrow hairs, for example, this is where I go.  Welcome to Albany Resort.  One of the tenants in Wes's office building gave us the opportunity to be his guests at this private, exclusive resort on New Providence.  Without his invitation, there would've been no way for us to get past the front gate.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, office guy!  

Oh, so THIS is what they mean by paradise.  

In sixty years, I will remember this day as one of the best of my married life.  I was just happy to be alive, happy to be with the three people I love most in the world, happy to be in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.  Happy.  I don't think I was alone in the sentiment...

The water was crystal clear and so calm that I nearly forgot I was in the ocean until a needle-nose nearly grazed me.  The temperature was idyllic.  The sand was soft, white and fine.  The children, well-behaved.  

 

Heaven is...

 And now for the competitive portion of the day: beach ping-pong.  Despite his intimidating physique and trash-talking, I beat Weston handily.  If you ask him about it, he'll give you some excuse related to "the elements," but I'd say the elements aren't as relevant if they affect both players, wouldn't you?

Adjacent to the beach and pool area was a kid's water park.  We made sure Liam didn't see this until we got in some good quality beach time because we knew once he found it, there was no turning back.  They even had full-size water slides and a lazy river that flowed through tunnels and waterfalls. Amazing.  Every ten minutes or so, a giant bucket would fill up with water and pour out over the park.  Liam was NOT a fan of the bucket.

The boys will have a blast together when they come back a bit older.  

My one and only no-makeup picture.  Trust me, it won't happen again.  Are those crows feet I see?  Ah, who cares.  I'm in paradise! 

A highlight of the day was seeing a sheik of some sort with his harem of three supermodels fawning over him in the adult-only pool area.  No joke.  He wore his turban in the pool. 

"Can I please stay here forever?"

You may not know that Liam has a special affinity for charming older women.  In fact, when given the choice of playmates, he will choose girls twice or thrice his age over his contemporaries any day.  Maybe it's because he is so verbal, and girls are typically more verbal than boys...Or maybe he's just a casanova.  Whichever it is, he made some special friends this particular day and I think the feeling was mutual.  

I looked over and saw these girls, ages 10-12, laughing and saying things like, "Oh my gosh, you are the smartest three year old I've ever met!"  Don't let it go to your head, kiddo. 

Aiden watched his brother with a jealous eye.  Patience, my child.  

Poolside beds.  

The sun started to set on our heavenly day at Albany, so Liam got a little lounging time in after a hard day of play. 

We ate an overpriced dinner ($18 mediocre hamburger) at a restaurant that featured a floor covered by a perfectly level layer of fine, white sand.  As you can see from these faces, I think we got everything we could out of the sixth day of our Bahamian Adventure (with Kids!)  Everyone slept well that night.