*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much!*
TAYLA's POINT OF VIEW:
We arrived in Sydney, Australia a couple days ago for our family vacation. It was a long flight from Pensacola to here even if we had our own private plane now. The kids were restless and got bored being contained for hours but once we stepped off the plane in the gorgeous Sydney, Australia they were excited. We have never taken them out of the country before so this was their first time outside of the United States. It is definitely a different type of summer vacation for us though because we are in Sydney in the middle of their winter so it's been a cool couple of days; and we don't do cold. I can't complain though because it's been a great trip so far. Roman got us a hotel room that has a great view of the beach a breathtaking view to be quite honest. There is nothing better than sitting in the warmth of the hotel room and watching the sunrise over the ocean. It's a beautiful start to another beautiful day with my family. Today is no exception as I sit drinking a cup of coffee and watch the big sun rising to the sky making the colorful rays of pink, orange and yellow bounce off the water. "It's beautiful isn't it?" asks Roman as he sits down next to me.
"Very beautiful," I say with a smile as I take his hand. "Thank-you for bringing us to Sydney. I love it so much."
"I knew you would. Is it everything you thought it would be?"
"And more," I say with a smile. "And the kids are having a blast. They loved that museum yesterday with all the interactive exhibits. They loved it just like they loved the aquarium the other day. Even I loved the aquarium. It was the biggest aquarium I have ever seen and those exhibits were amazing. Joe loved the shark walk. I have to admit that was pretty amazing but he never gets excited about anything and to see him so happy and excited made my entire day. And of course Lei loved to see her dolphins."
"And don't forget Lia's starfish! She was so excited over those starfish."
"Oh I know. I think we have some pretty smart kids. Most kids are into TV and stuff like that but our kids would rather be on their tablets and research things or read books. When Joe started rattling off those shark facts I was proud. He knew what he was talking about and honestly half of what he was saying I had no idea about. Our kids are awesome."
"Beyond awesome," he says, "I do like the fact they aren't TV watching kids though. That's really good. I don't think they ever showed interest in TV."
"They didn't," I say. Our kids may be the weirdest kids on the planet as they don't watch TV. The only time they would watch TV was when they wanted to see their dad on TV other than that they have never been interested in TV but they love the internet and love to do research. They each have their own interests like Joe is into sharks, Lia is into koala bears and Lei is into dolphins but they have other interests but these ones in particular are important to them. We took the kids to an aquarium the other day and Joe was in Heaven. He never gets excited about anything but when we walked through the shark exhibit with sharks swimming beside us and over us he was in awe his entire trip was made.
"That's because they have the best mama in the world," says Roman with soft smile as I feel his soft lips on my cheek. "Are you having fun?"
"I'm having a lot of fun. I can't wait to go to the zoo today. I really want to see a koala bear. In America we really never really have that up close and personal experience with koalas in fact I am not sure if there is a zoo in America that has a koala exhibit."
"I'm sure there is at least one," says Roman. "I actually can't wait to see some of the other native animals like the platypus, wallabies and a kangaroo. I don't know who's more excited us or the kids."
"Probably us," I say with a smile as we sit and watch the sun rise over the ocean before we wake the kids up to give them breakfast before we get them ready to go to the zoo.
It is another chilly day but no less than 45 degrees when we arrive at the zoo. Roman has set up for us to have our own personal tour guide as well as allowing us to have some interaction with some of the animals. "Hi," says a blonde woman in an Australian accent wearing a tan outfit. "My name is Sue and I will be your personal tour guide today. What are your names?"
"I'm Lia."
"Lei."
"Joe," he says as he clings to my leg.
"I'm Tayla and this is Roman," I say with a smile.
"Nice to meet you. What animals are you really looking forward to seeing today?" she asks.
"A koala bear," says Lia with a big smile. "Are we going to see a koala bear?"
"Koalas are on our list today," says the woman with a smile.
"That's so cool. They are the cutest little bears I've ever seen and they eat eucalyptus and sleep in trees. They are just so cute. I can't wait." I smile at her excitement.
"Are we going to see giraffes?" asks Lei. "I like giraffes."
"Giraffes are also on the agenda today. What about you, Joe? Do you have any animal you're really looking forward to seeing?" Joe turns his head and buries his face into my side.
"Sorry," I say, "he's shy. But I am pretty sure he's really looking forward to seeing crocodiles." He nods as his face stays buried. "Crocodiles."
"What if I told you that you could feed a crocodile?" she asks.
"Really?" he asks as he faces her. "I could feed a crocodile?"
"From a distance yes," she says, "today we're going to visit a lot of animals and have some interaction with a few of them. The most important thing to remember is that they are still wild animals and we want to be extremely careful around them. We don't want to scare them or upset them because then they could hurt us. There will be some animals that you're allowed to feed, some that you can pet but there are rules you will need to follow. Okay?"
"Okay," say the kids all together.
"All right," she says, "Are you ready to go see some animals?"
"YES!" they yell together.
"Okay let's get started," she says as we start to walk through the zoo. I hold onto Joe's hand while Roman holds onto Lei's hand and Sue holds Lia's hand. We start off by looking at different kinds of birds but the craziest bird I have ever seen is a kookaburra it actually really does laugh and my kids get a kick out of it. It does make you want to laugh with it. Roman is still not too fond of birds; he never has been since we went to Discovery Cove for my 18th birthday. I never knew someone could have a bird phobia but Roman has proved me wrong.
We move onto the next few exhibits which include leopards and tigers. We then see gorillas before she takes us to see zebras followed by the giraffes. "Here are your giraffes, Lei," she says. "What do you think?"
"Tall," she says with a smile as she looks up at the giraffe. "And pretty."
"They are very pretty aren't they?" she asks. "Do you want to feed them?"
"We can feed them?" she asks.
"Sure," she says with a smile as she pulls out some food for them to feed to them. She hands them each a little bit of food to feed to them.
Roman picks Lei up and puts her on his shoulders so that she can feed one of the giraffes while I do the same with Joe and Sue does the same with Lia. "Look at her purple tongue, Daddy," says Lei with a smile. "I think it's really cool they have purple tongues but they're messy eaters," she says as she wipes her hand onto Roman's shirt.
"Thanks," says Roman with a smile.
"You're welcome, Daddy," she says with a smile. "Can I pet one of them?" she asks.
"Sure but just be careful," she says.
"Okay," says Lei as she reaches up to touch the giraffe. "It's soft," she says with a smile. "This is so cool. Daddy, can I get a pet giraffe?"
"I don't think so," says Roman. "There would be nowhere to put it and I don't think Luna would like that too much."
"Please, Daddy?" she begs. "They are so pretty and I could ride one. It would be awesome."
"I don't think so," says Roman as he puts her down. "Besides pet stores don't sell giraffe food."
"Um you can get it from Ebay or Amazon, duh," she says. "So there the problem is solved."
I hold back a laugh as I look at Roman. He's doing the same. One day he will learn not to match wits with our 7 year old daughters because they will always win as sad as it is it's the truth. They are a lot smarter than both of us so that could be a problem in the future for us. "And where would a giraffe sleep?" he asks as we start to walk through the zoo some more to see some more animals.
"That's easy in the backyard. It would be too big to come into the house so it would just lay down and sleep in the grass outside."
"Yeah I don't think so," says Roman. "And who would clean up its messes?"
"I don't know," she says as she holds onto his hand. "We could put a diaper on it."
"You would put a diaper on a giraffe?"
"Yes," she says. "If it would let me."
"That wouldn't work," says Roman. "I'm sorry, Lei, no pet giraffe but I will buy you the biggest stuffed animal giraffe that I can find. How does that sound?"
"That works for me," she says.
"Daddy, can we get a pet koala?" asks Lia.
"Do we have a eucalyptus tree growing in our backyard?" he asks.
"No," she says, "but we can plant one."
"No EXOTIC animals for pets," says Roman as we look at a few animals. "Let them live out in the wild or in a zoo where experts can take care of them. We have a dog and if you want another dog we'll get another dog but no giraffes and no koala bears." I don't think he realized what he just said but the kids didn't miss it at all.
"We can get another dog?" asks Lia with a smile. "I want another dog. I like Luna but she's old. I want a puppy!"
"Me too!" says Lei. "Can we, Daddy? Can we get a puppy?"
I look at him waiting for his answer as he looks at me for something to say. I'm letting him handle this one. He was the one that put his foot in his mouth so ultimately it's his say but if he says no they are going to be upset. He lets out a deep breath when he realizes I am not helping him out of this situation. "All right. All right we can get a puppy but you three will have to help take care of it since you three are getting three little brothers or sisters in a couple weeks. Are you willing to help take care of it?"
"Yes, Daddy," says Lia before she wraps her arms around him. "You're awesome, Daddy."
"Thank-you, Lia," he says with a smile.
We continue our adventure through the zoo seeing crocodiles which none of us were brave enough to try to feed. I mean I'm sure Joe would have but there was no way I was going to allow my baby to feed a crocodile at 6 years old and I'm a daredevil myself but I was not getting close to that thing at all. It was huge. We chose to watch Sue feed it but we did pet an alligator. The kids enjoyed that. The only alligators they have really seen are the ones that visit our backyard frequently but at a distance of course nothing up close. We visit the kangaroos and this is Roman's favorite exhibit as he is able to feed and pet a kangaroo. I must admit I like it too. They are so cute and one of them actually had a joey in their pouch. It was so cute to see her protecting her baby. I have never seen a kangaroo in my life much less one with a joey. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. They did get overwhelmed by our numbers and the kids' shrieks and squeals so Sue said it was best if we gave them their space and watched them from a distance.
We save the best for last as we visit the koala bears. The look on Lia's face as Sue brings out a koala bear for us to hold makes my day. She is beyond happy. "Aww," she says. "It's so cute. What's her name or his name?" she asks as she admires the grey furball creature clinging tightly to Sue's neck.
"Her name is Kali," she says with a smile. "You can pet her if you want to but one at a time," she says.
"Okay," says Lia with the biggest smile as she pets the koala. "She's so soft and she's so cute. I love her."
"She's adorable," I say with a smile as I pet her followed by Lei, Joe and then Roman. "Can I hold her?" I ask.
"Sure," she says as she hands her to me explaining to me how to hold her. I hold her like she's a baby and she clings onto me with her little arms and paws.
"She's so cute," I say with tears in my eyes. I love koala bears and I have always wanted to hold one and this is just another thing to cross off my bucket list. "How old is she?"
"She is 2 years old," she says with a smile. "Her mommy was hit by a car but we nursed her and took care of her."
"Aww," I say. "She's so sweet. She's like a baby. Roman, I want one."
"Daddy said no exotic animals, Mama," says Lei as she pets her. "Although I think koala bears are really cute."
"Aren't they?" I say with a smile as I look at Roman.
"Nope," he says. "Nope no koala."
"Look at this cute little face and this cute little girl," I say showing him the koala. "How can you say no?"
"Because I can," he says with a smile. "Can I hold her?"
"You're going to fall in love with her," I say with a smile as I hand her to him.
She immediately clings to him and wraps her arms around his neck as he holds her in his arms. "It is like holding a baby," he says with a smile. "And she is pretty cute."
"Told you," I say with a smile. "You look so cute holding a koala bear," I say pulling out my phone to take a picture. "Smile, Baby so I can put this on Facebook." Roman smiles at me as I take his picture of him holding Kali. He looks so sweet holding her. I love it.
"Can I hold her now?" asks Lia. "I want to hold her."
"Is she allowed to hold her?" I ask
"Absolutely but be very careful with her," she says as Roman hands Kali to Lia. Lia smiles big and proud as she holds the koala in her arms. "What do you think?"
"I love it," she says with a smile. "This is so cool. My friends at school are NEVER going to believe I held a koala bear. This is the best day of my life! You are so cute," she says to Kali. "The cutest little thing I have ever seen. I wish I could take you home with me but I know you need to be with your little koala friends and we don't have eucalyptus to feed you but I'll always remember you, Kali." Tears fill my eyes as I watch Lia with Kali. She is in love with her and to hear her talk to her the way she is, is adorable. "Did her mommy die when she got hit by the car?"
"Yes, Lia," she says sadly. "She did but Kali was okay and we took care of her until she could take care of herself. We've had her since she was a baby."
"How did her mommy get hit by a car?" she asks as she keeps her eyes on Kali.
"Here in Australia since koalas are native and wild they run through the streets. Sometimes they run out in front of cars and the cars can't stop."
"That's so sad," she says. "Kali, you must be really sad without your Mama but your mama is watching you every day. I thought I was going to lose my mama too but I didn't. I'm sorry. I know what I want to do when I grow up!" she says out of nowhere.
"What's that?" I ask.
"I wanted to be a doctor for people but I think I want to be a doctor for animals like Kali. I want to be a veterinarian. That would be so cool and I love animals. They are so cute and I would love to make them feel better like they did with Kali and I want to live in Australia so I can work with koalas all my life."
"That sounds like a good life plan," I say with a smile as Roman wraps his arms around my shoulders. "You can do whatever you want."
"That's' what I want to do," she says with a smile as she looks at Kali. I can't put it into words but she looks like a little mommy holding her and talking to her. She's a natural. It's the sensitive and sweet side of her coming out. I take a picture of her and smile as Kali has really warmed up to her. She almost doesn't want to give Lei or Joe a chance to hold her and when it's time to give her back she doesn't want to. I think she got attached to the koala bear. I don't blame her though Kali is very cute. It makes me wonder how she's going to be with her baby brothers and sisters. I'm sure she will be the biggest help of all with them.
The rest of our trip goes by very quickly but it has been one of the best family vacations in a long time. Our kids have gotten experiences they never expected to have and they enjoyed every minute of it. They had a blast when we went to see Bindi Sue and watched her show. The one thing Roman and I wish we could have done with them was take them skiing since Lia really wants to see snow but we didn't get the chance. She was happy either way because she had fun and her trip was made when she got to hold Kali at the zoo. They got to help at a dolphin show and a seal show as well as visiting some of the best museums. It was right up their alley. I remember the days when Roman and I would take vacations alone together and it would be an adventure but taking a family vacation with our kids and watching them have fun means everything to me. Spending the week in Australia was a lot better than spending a week in the hot, humid Orlando weather at Disneyworld or in North Carolina on the crowded beaches. Although it's winter in Australia we have decided to spend our last day on the beach. We can't get in the water nor do we want to in 50 degrees but the kids can enjoy walking and playing in the sand and drawing in the sand.
"Look what Daddy wrote," says Lia as she takes my hand. I walk over and look to see what he wrote in the sand. "Reigns Family Vacation!" she reads with a proud voice. I smile as we take a family selfie by what he wrote to post on Facebook. I have been keeping in touch with fans and keeping them updated on our lives post the cancer. They were a big part of our lives during my battle they will continue to be a big part of my life after .
"And what about this?" he asks with a smile as he points to the sand.
"Roman plus Tayla = Rayla Forever!" I say with a smile. "I love it. Cute. I love that you just called us Rayla."
"Sounds good doesn't it?" he asks as he wraps one arm around my shoulder as we walk near the water as our kids run in front of us to play and draw in the sand.
"Very good," I say with a smile as I wrap my arm around his waist. "I loved this trip. I have wanted to come here all my life and this is a dream come true. The kids had fun look at them."
"They did have a blast maybe we need to come to Australia every year for a summer vacation," he says.
"I don't know it's not really summer here," I say. "I mean it was cool but I would like to come at a time we can actually enjoy the beaches and swim with dolphins. You know what I mean and when it's not in the 40's and 50's."
"I hear you," he says. "It's definitely better than Disneyworld."
"Absolutely," I say. "And the kids had a lot more fun here. Thank-you so much for this trip."
"You don't have to thank me," he says with a smile. "It was my pleasure; it will always be my pleasure to make sure you and the kids are happy. Our lives are about to change again, Tay and I just wanted to have one family vacation before everything gets chaotic."
"Chaotic is definitely the word for it," I say. "But I can't wait for those three little babies to come into the world. God has really blessed us in the last few months I must say. From giving us those three little babies, three healthy and smart kids to me beating cancer he has really blessed us. I hope that the babies are just as amazing as Lia, Leilani and Joe."
"I'm sure they will be," he says. "I can't wait to meet them either. I always said I wanted to have a big family with you and even if it isn't when or how we wanted it to be; it is happening for us. It's all about timing and when it's best for us."
"I agree. Are you ready to enter this next chapter with me?"
"I always am," he says with a smile before he kisses my lips softly. I take my phone out of my pocket and take a picture of us together. It took us some time to get all this happiness in our lives but we finally have it so I am going to share it with the world how happy Roman Reigns makes me and how much he means to me.
*A/N: What did you think of their family vacation? Do you think it was a great way for them to get away before the babies are born? What do you think about Roman getting them a puppy or tellng them they can get a puppy? Are you ready for the next chapter of their lives? Are you ready for the babies to make their appearance yet? What do you think of Roman calling them Rayla? : )
Please review and thank-you for reading.