The Riviera Maya

This morning we slept in as long as we could, which turned out to be 8:30am, and that was after I had already woken up a few times. It was nice to feel rested after a long travel day and a late night!

The sun was already shining bright and after a quick peek out our balcony, we couldn't wait to spend the day relaxing on the beach!

We made our way down to the buffet and filled our plates with yummy food! We decided to sit outside and enjoy the view and the morning breeze while we ate. 

We spent much of the day hanging out at the beach! The sun felt so warm and nice after a few months of Winter. 

We waded into the ocean, careful to watch out for the sting rays scooting around the ocean floor, and soaked up the sunshine! At this point, I think we face timed the kids to see how they were doing and show them where we were.

We spent the late morning relaxing and napping and enjoying an unlimited supply of mocktails! I lost count of how many pina coladas I drank! 

There were a few different high end restaurants at our particular hotel, but you needed to book a reservation to eat there. The first night we arrived, we made sure to book all of our dinners for the week! Our first night was at the Mexican restaurant, and the food was incredible!

We enjoyed a delicious three course meal with soup, tacos and steak! Dessert also didn't disappoint (but I forgot to grab a picture of it).

After dinner we walked down to the theater and watched a "broadway" show. They did a mash up of a bunch of different broadway musicals, finishing with The Lion King. It was pretty well done and provided good entertainment. 

On our walk back to the hotel, it was dark and the way the light was reflecting off the ocean was magic. I enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing to the shore and the crickets. 

We finished off the night with more fun drinks and the hotel entertainment on the patio, and then tucked into bed very late! 

 

Vamos a México

Today was a very long day! It began when we woke at 4:00am to grab our shuttle to the airport. The air outside the hotel was so cold it stole my breath. When we entered the chilly shuttle I could barely feel my fingers. The driver told us it was -42 outside with the wind chill. I have never been happier to leave the cold! 

We arrived at the airport around 5:00am and made our way through security. I was extra nervous about this part with the current state of the world, but it was quick and easy! Before long we were sitting in a restaurant inside the terminal with a warm plate of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. 

I spent the majority of the six hour flight to Mexico reading a book and laughing with Mike. Every once and a while Mike would nudge me to look out the window. We caught a gorgeous sunrise and admired the fluffy white clouds as we flew. Mike never used to be one to like the window seat, but now I have to fight him for it! 

As we began our descent I admired the color of the ocean, the boats beneath us, and the landscape. Once we landed we had to wait on the runway for over thirty minutes before they were able to find a place for us to come in. The pilot joked, "We're on Cancun time now!" After making it off the airplane, and rushing to the nearest bathroom, we waited close to an hour for our bags to arrive on the carousel. 

After a slightly confusing time locating the shuttle we reserved, we were off on an hour drive to our resort! At this point we hadn't had any lunch and we knew we would  be arriving well after our buffet had closed. The drive was peaceful and scenic. I found myself watching the sun dip low into the horizon and enjoyed watching the sky change colors.

We checked into our room, got our fancy bracelet/room key, made dinner reservations for the week and took in the view from our balcony! 

We hardly settled in before making our way to the beach to do a little bit of exploring. We walked until we found the walking path and then made our way to the next hotel over for some dinner. One nice thing about being at a resort is not paying for food at each meal. We were able to eat whatever and as much as we wanted. 

In some of the areas that weren't as well lit, you could admire the stars above the palm trees. It was so crazy to go from -42 to 30 degrees within a matter of hours. The warmth felt so wonderful!

Once we had our fill of wandering, we returned to our hotel room and crawled into a ginormous bed for the night! I was looking forward to a full nights sleep and a slow morning for the first time in forever!

 

Christmas Eve Eve

All is merry and bright! The snow is softly falling, cookies are baking, children are laughing, turkey is thawing. Happy Christmas Eve Eve!

 

Winter Solstice

 Today we celebrate Winter Solstice. Although it means colder days are ahead, it also means that we turn towards the light. 

As I took time to ponder and reflect today, I was reminded of our ability to be a light during t imes of darkness. While the world can seem gloomy and unsettled, we can fill our homes with light and hope. We can speak kind words, take time to listen, show affection, and give grace. 

Tonight will be the longest night of the year and as I light the candles for dinner, I will be pondering ways to bring light to others. Happy Solstice!

Finley Turns Seven

This boy is SEVEN! Finley is a character. He is goofy, enjoys making people laugh, and fits in well where ever he goes. He loves to wrestle with his brothers and his love language is physical touch. As the middle child he is easy going, and concerned about very little. Although he can be loud and goofy, he can just as easily slip into the background (and his name may or may not have been forgotten on a Christmas card for example). But our family wouldn't be complete without this kind, boisterous, happy go lucky boy! He brings a lot of laughter and love to our family. Happy birthday Fin!!
 

One Year of Lily Joy

 Today we celebrated Miss Joy and all of the happiness she has brought to our family over this last year! It has been the fastest year of my life! I can't believe Lily is already this old. She has been a super happy baby, easy to please and easy to love. She is adored by all of her doting older siblings and equally adores them back! I love watching the children interact between different ages and stages. She has a special love for her big sissy and enjoys snuggling to sleep on her shoulder or running to her first thing in the morning. 

We enjoyed a small, quiet celebration tonight as a family with a simple made-with-love cake, and gifts. 

We like to get our girls dolls on their first birthdays. This year I found a local doll maker and was able to customize the doll a little bit. It has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a button nose just like Lily. The big kids named the doll Miss Joy.  She loves her!

The traditional yellow chair month mark pictures were taken in the playroom (since that is where the chair resides for the Christmas season). Its fun to look back and see how much she has grown and changed each month!

Under the light of an almost full moon, I rocked with her until she fell asleep in my arms. I looked down at her body sprawled across the chair, much longer than it was a year ago. He hands were folded delicately on her chest, her lashes rested peacefully, while her chubby cheeks smooshed against my arm. Her breathing was rhythmic and quiet. 

As I sat and snuggled, I let a single tear fall upon her head. I am going to miss this sleep deprived, wonderful season of life. I wouldn't trade these years of snuggles in a rocking chair for anything else life could give.

Snow Day

 This morning we woke to a Winter Wonderland. The buses were all cancelled and instead of driving the children into school, we decided to have a snow day! Excitement filled the house as the children woke and peeked outside at the view. Spruce boughs were heavy with snow, and the world was dressed in white. 

 

 

After breakfast they begged to go outside and play before the first rays of light appeared in the sky. Sonny bounced around them happily in the fluffy white snow as they pulled their GT racers behind them to the hill. 

 

 

Next came the sleds to pack down a trail, and before long they were making their way to the bottom of the hill. Laughter filled the early morning air as they hollered and played. Sonny snuck up on Hyrum, who had back dropped into the snow, and ended up covering his face in slobber and snowballs. We all laughed about it as Hyrum slowly walked toward the house, brushing the snow out of his collar and wiping it off of his cheeks.

 

 

 I couldn't resist bundling up Lily and bringing her out to experience the beauty and wonder. As we made our way to the top of the hill, the sun began to wake above the spruce trees. 

 

The sky was glorious and the beauty breathtaking. 

I stood in awe at the sight before me as the children slowly gathered around me to play. I could have stayed inside cleaning up breakfast and missed out on all of this!

Camilla and Sawyer plopped down beside each other in the snow while Hyrum pulled lily around in her new sled.

 

 

I was overwhelmed with JOY and PEACE as I drank in the morning air.

 

For a brief moment, we had no responsibilities, no obligations. We got to just be, and it was spectacular!

Hyrum just had to give Lily a squeeze! She looked like a little marshmallow...

 

I love watching the big kids interact with the little ones.

Sometimes I can't believe how big he is getting.

Camilla brought Opal out to play for a bit and we giggled as she jumped and tunneled through the snow!

Of course there was lots of snow angels to be made as well!

Our fingers started getting cold just as the warmth of the sun could be felt on our cheeks. We snapped a few more quick pictures with the morning light and then made our way inside for hot chocolate!

 

 

If only every December morning could be so glorious and wonder filled!

 

Welcome December

The wind blew in a Winter storm over night. It started with rain and soon covered the brown grass with a fresh blanket of wet, heavy snow. The snowflakes danced to the ground all day long. I shoveled the heavy snow thrice just so it wouldn't get too heavy to lift at days end. The spruce boughs were covered in white and drooping to the ground with the extra weight. I felt as though I needed to take this mid week/beginning of the month to turn inward. Although my house needed cleaning, I spent much of my time in the yellow chair staring out the window at the giant flakes of snow as they came down. Christmas music softly played all day. 

 

Some tidying and baking and knitting was done. While Sawyer and Lily napped, I managed a batch of Christmas cookies for the freezer to gift to friends. 

I couldn't resist tucking Lily in next to Sawyer after she fell asleep! It's so crazy to compare this picture to the one I took like this when she just a few days old. Time goes by so fast!

 

 

In the afternoon my mood lightened as I listened to the little boys giggle outside. The snow was so sticky you could grab a handful and it would come out as a ball the size of Ollie's head. They had fun snowball fights and enjoyed wading through the deep snow and exploring. The first big snow fall always makes me so giddy inside! I may complain about the cold in a few months, but for now I am basking in the slow living and the beauty it offers!

 

 

When the bus pulled up after school, it ended up getting stuck at the end of the driveway. She let the kids off and they ran as fast as they could through the deep snow. The neighbors gathered together to help get the bus out, it was quite an ordeal. 

The boy's coach said that hockey practice was optional, and to be honest, I didn't much feel like going out. The boys were determined to go, and so we warmed up the van and pulled the heavy snow off the windshield and slowly made our way to town. The roads weren't ideal and I debated turning out, but if we took our time, it was fine. 

The best part of my day though was when we were all home and cozy enjoying the glow of the Christmas tree! 

Welcome December, we're so glad you're here, snow and all!