Disney World and Universal Studios, Florida, USA (April, 2015)

We headed out to Orlando, Florida for one last hurrah with our family before we were on our way to live in Santiago, Chile. It had been a few years since we had been to the happiest place on earth. We hit 4 parks in 5 days (resting Sunday): Disney's Hollywood Studios, Universal Studios, Disney's Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. These are busy days and far from relaxing, but we loved every minute of it.

We headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios the first day. We were lucky enough to have Cody's brother, Kip, his wife, Emily, and son, Cy, along with grandma Toni and grandpa Scott with us for the trip, so we had a fun group.

The crew after a 3D show at Hollywood Studios.

Our family with Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.

The kids with Sully and Mike (Monsters, Inc.).

The kids, waiting in line for the Toy Story ride.

Whipperman kids at Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.

This crew is "incredible"

Toni, with Mr. Incredible.

Family picture at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Our next stop was Universal Studios...the kids were so excited to see the new Harry Potter exhibits and get on the rides. Sawyer and Ryder have been reading the Harry Potter books and all of us have watched the movies together as a family. The kids were beyond excited to be able to see some of this stuff and spent some of the money they had saved up on wands and other Harry Potter memorabilia.

Sawyer and Ryder in front of the triple decker bus at the Harry Potter area of Universal Studios, Florida.

Grandma with Sawyer and Ryder at Diagon Alley.

Ryder in Gringott's Bank, Universal Studios, Florida.

Sawyer, with a minion from Despicable Me.

Doctor Emmett Brown from Back to the Future...the kids love that movie. He spent a lot of time with us telling us about the flux capacitor and trying to read our minds. He was great!

Uncle David and aunt Hope met us at Universal Studios for the day (they live in Tampa), and it was great to be able to see them.

Picture with David and Hope outside Universal Studios, Florida.

The third park we visited on our Florida trip was Disney's Magic Kingdom. The so called "Happiest Place on Earth." The kids were very excited to see all the Disney characters and go on some of the iconic rides.

Our group, getting ready to hit the park.

Obligatory family picture in front of the iconic castle.

Thunder Mountain Railroad was one of the kids' favorite rides.

Sawyer, sporting the Elsa cap and hair with Eliza, waiting for the boat to Tom Sawyer's Island.

Ryder and Zander waiting for the boat to Tom Sawyer's Island.

Zander, meditating on the boat.

Ryder, with cousin Cy, with uncle Kip and Nash in the background on the Aladdin Magic Carpet ride.

Sawyer and Zander on the Aladdin Magic Carpet ride.

Grandma Toni and Ryder at Magic Kingdom.

Family picture with Goofy.

Family picture with Donald Duck.

Grandma Toni and Sawyer on the Carousel.

Ryder, Nash, and Zander at the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.

Sawyer, with Ariel.

Sawyer, with Rapunzel.

Sawyer, with Cinderella.

The 4th and final park we visited on our trip was Disney's Animal Kingdom. This park was less crowded than the others and has some good shows like the "The Lion King" and "A Bug's Life" that everyone enjoyed.

Entrance to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Our group, ready to hit the park.

The entire group with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Mai Khao, Thailand (April, 2015)

The Kemps took off and headed back to Perth while the Bollard and Whippermans continued the Thailand adventure in Mai Khao. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Mai Khao for 2 nights using 15,000 IHG rewards points per night. As Platinum IHG members, we were upgraded to a family suite, which had an awesome kids room with their own bathroom with kids-sized sinks, toilets, and shower.

The resort was right on the beach.  The beach was incredibly clean and deserted, which was a refreshing change coming from Phuket. The only downside was that there really wasn't much to do outside of the resort since Mai Khao was so isolated from everything.

 Sunset and night walk on the beach.

 Our beach for the next 2 days.

 Um...wow...what a stunningly beautiful wife.

 Nash and Zander getting rolled around in the waves and loving every minute of it.

It was the New Year's festival (Songkran) when we were staying at the hotel, so they had parades, music, dancing, and shows going on most of the time.  There was even a huge water fight at the end.  Songkran is about praying for rain and somebody listened since by the end of the festival it was pouring.

 Heading to the Songkran festival.

Sawyer wasn't too excited when random people began rubbing wet clay all over her face for the celebration.

Some video of our Songkran water fight.

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand (April, 2015)

We took a boat from Phuket out to Phi Phi Island and we stayed at the Holiday Inn Phi Phi for 3 nights. Koh Phi Phi is a beautiful place and is very relaxing.

 Sawyer and Paige on the ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi.

 Eliza and the boys on the ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi.

 Cody, Addy, and Rick on the ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi.

Small boat from the ferry to Koh Phi Phi...everyone is excited to see this beautiful place.

 First sunset on Koh Phi Phi.

 The kids table (Kids eat free at Holiday Inn...including ice cream)...what a deal!

 We had some great Thai food and always looked forward to our meals in Thailand.

 Ryder, Tate, and Nash, playing in the pool at the Holiday Inn Phi Phi.

 Zander and Addy, playing by the pool.

 Great beaches, with shade, hammocks, swings...the kids were loving it.

Sawyer and Paige...sleepover at the hotel.

This is the hotel...each room is its own villa.

Upon arrival to Phi Phi island, we knew we wanted to do at least one scuba dive to see some of the underwater wildlife.  We booked a day tour through the hotel and we were able to do two dives in very different terrain.

 Eliza, diving with a sea turtle.

 Cody and Eliza, 40 feet down.

 Eliza and Alex.

 Cody on the first dive.

 Eliza swimming in "open ocean" as she likes to call it.

 Eliza, chasing a school of fish through the caves.

 12 years of marriage and stronger than ever.

 Sea turtle.

 Eliza.

 Whipps, Bollards, Kemps...final trip together before we disband the group...Bollards moving back to southern California, Whipps to Santiago, Chile, and Kemps staying in Perth, Australia.

 Eliza ready for her first dive.

Lots of excitement going on before getting in the water.

 Cody and Eliza chasing the sea turtle.

 Cody and Eliza, exploring the terrain.

 Cody, looking at the coral and the colorful fish.

 Swimming through the caves.

 Eliza, coming through the back side of the cave.

 Moray eel.

 Cody, taking pictures of fish.

Close up of Eliza.

Schools of fish.

Sea turtle.

Moray eel.

Reef shark from a distance.

 Back on the boat...good times.

 Close up of a beautiful fish.

 Cody, coming through the caves.

School of fish.

 Sea turtle.

Puffer fish.

After the adults had their fun on the scuba trip, we got up the next day and took a trip around the island with all of the kids for snorkeling and to visit many of the different beaches...

 Whipperman family picture on one of the deserted beaches around Koh Phi Phi.

 The three amigos...

 The three amigas...

 Our whole group on the deserted beach.

 Close up of the fish the kids were able to snorkel with 

 All the kids at the front of the boat...touring the islands around Koh Phi Phi.

 Zander, trying his hand at snorkeling.

 Close up family picture on a deserted beach on Koh Phi Phi.

 Beautiful scenery around Koh Phi Phi.

 Power couple...

 Whipps, Kemps, Bollards...2015

Clear, turquoise waters surrounded by limestone cliffs...out of this world scenery.

Video of the fish the kids were able to snorkel with...

On our day outing, we stopped at Monkey Beach.  There were tons of tourists on the beach and there were dozens of monkeys that were not afraid to interact with the humans.  We probably got a bit too comfortable with them because both Nash and Addy got bit on the hand by the monkeys.

 Whipperman family talking to a monkey on Monkey Beach, Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.

 Sawyer, Ryder, and Tate, playing with the monkey while Paige tries to feed it.

 Nash, happy that he is able to interact with a monkey about his size.

Nash and Daddy hanging with the monkeys on Monkey Beach.