Calgon take me away....

Our Western Caribbean cruise took us, out of Miami, to Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan Honduras and Cozumel Mexico.  We booked with Cruise Lady to get the benefit of an LDS musical entertainer and an in-demand speaker.  We enjoyed uplifting, private concerts and inspiring lectures at sea, a church service on Sunday and gourmet delights. 

We acted inebriated at Cozumel and posed for some shots for the grands!  You know which ones I'm talking about......

We had two fabulous entertainers on our cruise.  Let me speak of Michael Ballam first.  He is the general director of the Utah Festival Opera, a professor of music at Utah State University, an accomplished operatic singer, pianist and oboist.  His professional operatic and recital career has spanned nearly three decades and four continents.  He has performed in the major concert halls in America, Europe, Asia and the Soviet Union, with command performances at the Vatican and the White House.  His operatic repertoire includes more than 600 performances of over 70 major roles.  He has shared the stage with the world's greatest singers, performed regularly with companies such as the Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Dallas, St. Louis, Kennedy Center and San Diego Operas.  At the age of 24 he became the youngest recipient of a Doctor of Music with Distinction in the history of Indiana University.  He lives in Logan, Utah.

John L. Lund was our in-demand speaker.  His work has taken him on a thirty year journey where he has taught as adjunct faculty at major universities throughout Washington, Idaho, California and Utah.  Because of his research in interpersonal relationships and communication, Dr. Lund has been able to serve both the business world as a consultant in "Improving Communications" and the private sector as a family counselor.  He has served as a marriage and family mediator, relationship expert, BYU Education Week speaker, retired Institute Director, and is an avid Book of Mormon scholar.  He and his wife, Bonnie are the parents of 8 children.

It was pure heaven to have both of these men on the same cruise.  Usually they don't travel together.  Michael doesn't just sing, he educates as well about the history of the songs.  We could listen to him for days on end.  He is one class act.  John Lund knows more about the Book of Mormon history than one would ever want to know!  What I like more than that was his relationship wisdom.  I am a disciple of his!