polar plunge

This morning's text was a photo of this...

the polar plunge! 

The polar plunge was fun extra activity that the boys could do to earn a special polar plunge badge. It involved getting up before breakfast (before 7 am), heading to the lake and jumping in 4 of the 6 mornings you were there.  The boys took the plunge apparently!

Not exactly how I'd like to start my day!

round two of camp

The boys have officially left the house and officially arrived at Boy Scout camp... Cris Dobbins somewhere South and West in the mountains, but I received this photo as a text from Dennis...

Now it's time for the girls to play!

happy girls

The day finally arrived when I was able to pick up this cutie from camp... but the drive was so painfully long and full of traffic, I thought I'd never make it!

It's strange how when you leave your child for only a week, how much they seem to change in that week. She was overjoyed to show me around camp and tell me all the things she got to do. 

She loved archery but her one of her favorite things to do was paint the chicken's toenails in the barn yard. She also had a spa night and took a hike to this really high point and almost died. Went to a dance party. Sang lots of songs. Made some crafts and lost a few of them. She loved the food, she made lots of new friends and she was definitely sad to leave but happy to come home.

It was a good camp!

head whisk...

While the cat is away, the mice will play. Actually I felt a tinge of guilt for doing this while Alyssa was away at camp, but it was really the only day that worked for Jaiden's 3 good friends to come with us to Dave n Busters to finally celebrate his 11th birthday.

It was an easy birthday party. I drove the 4 boys to Dave n Busters, bought them lunch and sent them onto the floor to play games to their hearts content... that or until they ran out of credits on their cards! Then it was into the DnB shop to pick out something with your tickets. Jaiden made his decision quickly and was in and out within seconds, while the other boys had to really think about their purchases. The nice thing was Jaiden helped out his friend, Jordan so he could get some headphones, and I think Tyler helped Bradon.

Jaiden's purchase?

A head whisk!

You can't see it very well in the photo but it was hilarious. It's this strange head massager that is unbelievably relaxing. Tyler could not for a second take the thing on this head. He completely freaked out which was just as funny as watching Jaiden walk around with a whisk on his head!

running deer

Today was the day I left my sweet little girl for a week at Girl Scout camp. She was so excited and I was so teary. I miss her already!

g'knight ride

This is our 4th year of riding the g'knight ride but this year, all of us did the 12+ mile ride. 

It rocked! Love to ride as a family! What could be better than that? Dennis would say family ride with beer breaks along the way!

Happy Father's Day!

and the game goes on...

I am not really sure you can see it in the photo but it's pouring and I mean, pouring sheets of rain... yet, the team is warming up for their game. Unbelievable! 

What seemed even crazier was that the game was played even in the pouring rain! No lightening or thunder but so much water, boys were slipping everywhere. I was completely surprised that the game continued but I have a feeling no one wanted to call it because we have had so many games rained out and we are only in the beginning of the season!

new wheels

Dad shows up and I swear he brings the bad weather with him. It has been raining for days which is so unlike the weather here. Today, we went in search of a new penny board for Miss Alyssa... an early... very early Christmas present from Papi. She was so excited about the board but with all the rain, she couldn't take it outside so I pulled the car out and let the two of them board together. It wasn't the same as being outside but it might work for a little bit until it dries up a little more!

flashback

It was serious flashback moment when Dad did this...

but this involved Sorry and cash!

When almost exactly one year ago, it was this...

and over Pokemon!

We are having a great visit with Dad and Susan, and just like last year it poured rain almost the entire time they were here. Well, technically it was rain and snow mixed last year and only rain this year!

return of the pink socks

It's a little hard to see but pink socks have returned! along with red Vans and a tie dye skateboard... got to love an 11 year old boys fashion statement!

last day...

Our last day was mixed with being excited to go home and sad to leave. Nasser and Homa and the girls took an earlier flight than us so we had some afternoon downtime before we needed to head to the airport. 

Both Sophie and Jaiden were having ear issues. Sophie's was a full blown ear infection and Jaiden's was unknown. He didn't feel well late Friday night but he didn't have a fever. He didn't really complain except he was very tired and had no energy. When he woke, he had dried blood in his ear and blood on the pillow. It wasn't much but it definitely concerned me especially when he told me he had hit his head yesterday on the side of the slide. He still wasn't feeling great so he and I did his poke and chose to lay low at the resort. 

We found open hammocks under this palm tree and had the beautiful ocean breeze and the sound of the surf...

 ... while Dennis and Alyssa took another bike tour into town. I had asked for Dennis to take photos for me of Puerto Morelos as I had forgotten to do that when Homa and I went for the bike tour. So while we relaxed, I received a few different texts...

 the tilted lighthouse in the background is from the crazy hurricane just a few years ago.

Then I look over to see Jaiden relaxing and playing on my iPad...

... followed by a text of Alyssa swinging at the park! 

 ... and then this?! Dennis is such a sucker! I swear! Of course he said it was a good price and he couldn't just walk away... lol!

 and my view from my hammock...

So for not paying attention when Dennis planned this vacation, he did good! It was awesome and so relaxing. A perfect start to a busy summer and a fun way to celebrate 20 years of marriage... eek!

pool play and pure lazy day...

Today was another beautiful day in paradise! It was more of the same - water aerobics, mojitos, agua mineral con limon, bananagrams and just relaxing. 

I did grab my camera for a few more photos of everyone in the pool, but it was late in the day and the shadow and light were a bit of a challenge to work through.

Dennis and the kids played a long time in the pool with one of those water bean bag sort of things. Here are a few of my favorites...

coati, iguanas, tortugas... oh my!

30 photos... it was hard to narrow down so I will try to keep the commentary short. Today was incredible. I dragged everyone to Tulum and then to Akumal Bay... the two places I really wanted to see. But not only did I drag them, somehow I was chosen the designated driver and drove a 12 passenger bus because the minivan we were supposed to get wasn't available. How I was chosen to drive? 

No idea really, but Dennis said it was because I speak Spanish and if we were pulled over, he figured I could talk us out of it?! Not sure the logic on that one! 

The drive turned out to be good. I am quite certain Nasser and Homa think I am crazy and Dennis is borderline, but we had a great time. We stopped at local grocery store to use the bathroom and get Mexican snacks. The kids were amused.

Tulum turned out to be very different than I thought. It was a little expensive as you pay for parking, try to get talked into buying a special tour, walk into a mini shopping mall, walk down a very long road before finally standing in line to get tickets to go inside! But we made it and I have to say it was well worth everything!

 This photo was a little by accident and a little on purpose. It was on purpose because I found it hilarious that there was a Starbucks and by accident because I didn't realize these people were standing there until they approached me and asked me if I wanted to pay to take their photos. I think one of them saw me raise my camera but I really wasn't aiming for them!

 I wanted to capture this... the shops in the first part of this area ... and the Starbucks?! 

 The line was out the door!?! That surprised me as well. 

While I was waiting for everyone else, I found this on the ground nearby where we were standing so I took a quick photo.

And I looked up in time to see Homa take a selfie of her and the girls!

We stopped for coconuts to cool off...

 And while I caught great photos of the girls, unbeknownst to me, Dennis was teaching Jaiden a "funny" trick? I managed to catch a small part slightly blurred ... but seriously? 

The man cut open the coconuts so we could eat the coconut meat.

 And then we headed down the long, long, long walk...

 which I sort of thought wouldn't be that long but it was... and it was HOT!

 and we finally made it!

 A coati

 an iguana

 there was a lot of both the coati and iguanas but these two happened to be close by.

And then there were the ruins...

 I was in heaven... 

while everyone else was dying of heat exhaustion and looking for slivers of shade to escape into.

 And then it was back to the parking lot, and again, these two melt my heart!

 We made one last stop for lunch and a bit of snorkeling in Akumal Bay.

This place was beautiful. I could have stayed on this beach for the rest of the trip. The snorkeling we were told was only allowed in the roped off area but the turtles could only be seen in the reef which you can see is where the surf was breaking out a ways. 

However, we found turtles in the roped area. The kids and I had a lot of fun looking for them and then following them. Jaiden and I saw the first one, then two before lunch. We were so excited and then it was my personal mission to make sure all the kids saw a turtle. 

And we all found the turtles! That was again the highlight of the day for me watching all of them in their excitement and awe. Even I was in awe of the turtle. It doesn't matter how many times I have swam with turtles, I am equally excited and in awe. They are so graceful and beautiful... truly magnificent!