Viva La Mexico

Last week I didn't get a chance to update the blog.  Instead, Jeremy and I were sitting on an airplane returning home after what can only be described as a dreamy vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  We left last Tuesday and spent 6 blissful days on our own in a tropical paradise.

I am going to fail to do justice to everything we did but will at least try and hit the highlights.  My first favorite came on Thursday.  We signed up for couple's massages at the resort spa.  As if that wasn't amazing enough, we got to go to the spa an hour early for hydrotherapy.  It was an awesome series of hot tub, rain showers, sauna, steam room, and it was all capped off with an ice dip at the end.  It was completely invigorating.  After the hydrotherapy, we got to relax in our robes with heat wraps and cucumber slices on our eyes before our massages started.  It was a true spa day experience.

That night, Jeremy talked to our personal butler about a good spot to get true tacos al pastor so we left the resort and headed away from the white washed resort and into true Mexico.  It was a bit of a scary experience for me because our driver dropped us off at the restaurant and we had no maps, no working cell phones, and no internet to assist us in getting home.  We just had our driver's number and he told us to ask the restaurant to use their phone when we were done and he would come back and get us.  I tried my best to put that out of my mind and focus on the moment AND the food, which was completely incredible.  For what was approximately $18 USD we had a feast of tacos and gringas (similar to a quesadilla) al pastor with pineapple.  It was some of the best food I have every had.  In the end, we made it back without incident and I wished we had made it there sooner.

The next day, we spent the entire day on a city and tequila tour.  You might think that is an interesting choice for two people who don't drink, but really it was just a small part of a spectacular day.  The day started with a tour of downtown Puerto Vallarta.  We saw the port, town square, shops, and an old Catholic church.  We then made it to the Bay of Banderas.

After our tour of the city, we headed into the jungle of the mountains.  Once we made it up, we stopped at the tequila distillery.  While we didn't participate in the tasting, it was interesting to hear how they make the tequila the old fashioned way with pure agave and old world techniques.

Following the tour, we walked down a small hill towards the river and to a restaurant carved out of the side of the mountain.  They sell amazing food, the majority of which was caught that morning, that they grill fresh after ordering.  We also ordered some fun drinks, the Pina Surprise and Coco Loco.  While the food was cooking, we explored the property.  They do zip line tours so they have several suspension bridges to cross the river.  They also had a river swing and throne.  It was warm, bordering on hot, outside and the water felt amazing.  I found myself wishing I had my swim suit and I would have never left.

Saturday was my 40th birthday and we celebrated with a night that will not soon be forgotten.  We took an evening cruise out to a remote island and watched an incredible show called Alma, by the same people who do Cirque Du Soleil.  It was truly unforgettable.  After the show, we had a nice dinner on the island before taking the cruise home.  The only not so great part about it was that a hurricane had hit Cabo early that day and, while it didn't really effect us, it made the water extremely choppy.  We both struggled with motion sickness during the trip and actually for days afterwards.

As if all that wasn't enough, there were countless hours spent by the pool, walks on the beach, more virgin pina coladas and mango smoothies that I can count and SO MUCH good food.  We found treasures on the beach and saws iguanas and a tejon (Mexica racoon). It was all so perfect, it feels a bit like a dream. Given that that was only our third kid-free trip since Merrick was born, I might have to savor those memories for a long time.  That's ok, they were good enough to last.

Here We Go

To say this week was a lot is a huge understatement.  This week I started my new job.  There is always a learning curve with any new job and that in and of itself would have been a lot.  That was just the beginning of our week though.  This was also conference week for the kids.  That means that the kids were off school most of the week and, not only that, but after work we had to attend conferences for each of the the kids.  It was really nice to meet with each of their teachers, but it added a lot to an already busy typical schedule.

This week also happened to be the Kindergarten Carnival at the library.  Elsie was so excited to attend and I couldn't disappoint her.  Unfortunately, for me that meant I ran from work to school pick up to the library to pick C.C. up from a playdate to Merrick's conference to Elsie's conferences.  It was a long day, but we made it.

The busy, hectic week was capped off on Friday afternoon by the news that my grandmother had just passed away.  Just shy of her 99th birthday, she fell a couple of weeks ago and fractured her pelvis in three places.  That started a very quick slide to the end of her mortal life.  I am so sad she is gone, but she has waited for the day she could be reunited with my grandpa for a very long time.  I am so happy for the heavenly reunions she is now able to have with not only my grandpa, but a newborn son she lost, her parents, and her siblings.  She lived a wonderful life and I am blessed to have been a small part of it.

This coming week, Jeremy and I are going to Mexico and leaving the kids in the very capable hands of my parents and sister.  Getting everything ready for the kids prior to leaving is very stressful and not feeling like what I really need on top of an already extremely stressful week, but I am hoping that when I get to Mexico it will all be worth it.  I'll keep you all posted on that one.

Completely unrelated to all this, today Merrick's birthday present we bought two months ago finally arrived.  He is just so excited, I couldn't miss getting it in here.  He now has a custom baseball glove that he completely designed. 

 And, to cap it off, after I wrote the blog Elsie lost her second front tooth.  She'll be singing, "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" this Christmas season.

Here Comes Fall

 This week it seems like fall is in the air, despite the very warm weather we have been having.  Yes, it has been very warm the last few days, but the nights and mornings still tell the truth, fall has arrived.  The leaves have started to change and fall from the trees and the kids are barreling through fall sports.

For our family that also means fun fall activities.  This week we had our church pumpkin patch activity.  The kids picked pumpkins, played games, covered themselves in Halloween tattoos, and ate WAY to much sugar.

Also, this weekend we visited the pumpkin patch at Fiala Farms and looked at the pumpkins and flowers and did the corn maze.  The fun thing about the corn maze at Fiala Farms is that you buy a season pass and can come back as many times as you want during the season.  In addition to a tricky maze, they hide 20 number signs in the maze.  If you find them all, you know you have seen the whole maze.  We (minus Merrick who decided to hang with his cousin instead) found 11 of the the numbers and did find the exit.  The girls are excited to go back and look for more numbers and see what Merrick can do.

Similar to the falling of the leaves, Elsie has also been experiencing some falling of her teeth.  She lost one of her front teeth at Costco yesterday when we stopped in for a post game bite to eat.  The other front tooth is hanging on by a thread.  She already had school pictures for the year, but if she ends up needing re-takes, she is going to look very different.

I am glad we have had a chance to have some fun because tomorrow I start my new job.  Things might be a little crazy for a while as we settle in to our new normal.