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Memories of a loved one

We've stayed at the Caravelle a few times now and it's always great! On our last trip, our teen son had such a blast singing in the Caravelle Idol competition while we adults lazed around the pool with our frozen drinks from Marco Polo and floated along the lazy river with our younger son. The poolside DJ and games were fun for us all! They really know how to put on a show and get the crowd going. My mother-in-law would accompany us, and she had a rare type of cancer, carcinoid, which made her very ill some days. She would sometimes stay back in the suite, too sick to join us, but she loved being there nonetheless, able to look out and see the ocean or rest on the balcony and feel the sea breeze. It lifted her spirits even though she felt sick. On her good days, we'd grab some frozen drinks, lounge on the beach all day, and visit one of the dinner shows at night as part of our family package. She would spoil our boys rotten in the gift and ice cream shops at Caravelle, even if Mom and Dad said no. She'd sneak them away and get them what they wanted anyway, saying that's what grandmas are for! Nothing we could do but shake our heads and smile! My husband and I had both lost our fathers as children, so our boys only had their grandmas, hence the spoiling!

More than the gifts, though, she spoiled them with her love and attention. She'd get right in and participate in what the boys were doing, even trying out water rides at the water park, much to their delight. She was so strong and full of life throughout her illness. My boys thought Grandma was so cool that they nicknamed her "G" while at the Caravelle, and all through the year back in the dreary Ohio winters, they'd call her "G" and we'd all smile thinking aboout the fun memories of our vacation. 

Sadly, my mother-in-law passed away a few months ago shortly after her 60th birthday. Those memories we've made with her on those trips, though poignant and bittersweet right now, are all the more special. It will be these memories of carefree vacation times that will carry us - and more importantly, her grandsons - in the years to come. We all miss her terribly, but whenever we're at the Caravelle, we'll still be able to picture her on the balcony sipping her coffee or cruising on the lazy river. Somehow, I just know when we're there, it will be like she's right there with us. We can't stress enough how important it is to save up and make time for special moments with your loved ones like we've had, and Caravelle helps to make it possible even on a budget with the great package deals and so many fun things to do right at the resort.

Right before she passed, my husband (who is only in his 30s) was found to have severe blockage of his main coronary artery requiring stents and cardiac rehab, so you could say we've had a somewhat rough year. We're really hoping to make it back again this year, hoping for one week out of the year to be in our little slice of Heaven on Earth where the only worries are whether we have on enough sunblock! We can relax, forget our troubles, and remember the good times with our "G."

Thanks, Caravelle, for the wonderful, precious memories with our loved one. We'll cherish them forever and Caravelle will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

In memory of our "G," pictured below on the lazy river at Caravelle.