Chicken Pizza

Welcome to the LOOOOOOONGEST day of the trip -- our outing to Chichen Itza.  Or as a family friend's little boy dubbed it many years ago, Chicken Pizza.  Exactly one week ago today, we ventured out on a tour bus with dozens and dozens of other people to travel to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza which were 2 1/2 hours away.  Along the way, we made new friends, ate some more okay food, felt bad about not buying any of the junk that was being hawked our way by modern-day Mayan vendors, melted into a puddle of sweat while roaming the ancient Mayan grounds, and then almost got hit by lightning while visiting a nearby sinkhole at Ik Kil.  Okay, so that last part probably isn't entirely accurate, but it sure SEEMED like a possibility as we huddled under an awning near the cenote while waiting for our group to finish up their swimming in the major lightning and thunderstorm that was taking place that afternoon. Hahahaha.  It was CRAZY bananas.  And then the day STILL kept on going as we stopped at one more Mayan town and then drove the 2+ hours to get back to the hotel.  It was an exhausting day.  From 7 in the morning until 8:30 that night we were at the mercy of Dream Tours Chichen Itza.

Requisite picture in front of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza.

According to Raul, our tour guide, everything the Mayans did was all about "the cosmos."  And creating "good energy."  Or something like that.  Scott and I had both been to Chichen Itza before, so we were sort of familiar with the history of the ruins, but it never hurts to have a refresher course and it really is very interesting.  The heat, however, combined with the fact that you're no longer allowed to climb the pyramids or even get all that close to them, made it a slightly less exciting venue this time around and I don't think I'll ever need to go back.  At least not with a tour like this. 

Once we were FINALLY there, it was overwhelming to see the tables and booths set up EVERYWHERE along the perimeter of the site with the local people trying to sell their Mayan goods.  Even though the vast majority of it was trinket-y, and junky, and a complete waste of money, I still felt REALLY bad and guilty about not buying anything they were selling.  Maybe that sounds crazy, but I couldn't help but feel like even if they WERE trying to rip me off, their standard of living and MY standard of living are so worlds apart that I could have at least bought SOMETHING to help them out. 

Once we were on the grounds, Raul turned the time over to Pepe the Chichen Itza tour guide who REALLY knew his stuff.  Like amazingly well.  It was definitely very interesting even if I was mere moments away from melting into an absolute puddle on the ground.  It was easily the hottest and sweatiest I've been since I don't even know when.

 This is my "I'm melting! I'm melting!" face.  Hahaha.

Hoop/ring on the wall of the Ballcourt.

Carvings on the walls of the Ballcourt.

Stand/viewing area for the ballgame on the side of the Ballcourt.

One of the faces of Kukulcan.  Apparently the pyramid has been recently named one of the new seven wonders of the world and I think that is part of the reason why it is now roped off.  Also, someone said it was because tourists were hacking off pieces of stone from the building and steps.  Even if that weren't the case, that stairway is STEEP and more than a little scary to climb.  When I went with my family over a decade ago, me and two of my sisters did climb to the top and I was very grateful there was a rope attached and slung down the side to use as a kind of railing for going up and down it!

The feathered serpent.  Check out that sky brewing in the background.

Requisite dumb tourist pic.  Hahaha.  Look!  I'm holding Kukulcan in my hands!

Relfie count up to this point?  Probably about 25.  :)  I'll spare you the repetition.  Just know that they all look kind of like this.  Hahaha.

Kukulcan itself.  The Temple of the Feathered Serpent.  This is what a hashtag No Filter looks like!  Hahaha.  That sky up there would soon be opening the floodgates.

After we were finished with the ruins, we headed over to the sinkhole.  Just as our tour bus was pulling up to Ik Kil, it started to sprinkle.  It wasn't long before someone saw a flash of lightning in the distance, but Raul assured everyone that the cenote was perfectly safe because it was so far down that the lightning couldn't hit it.  Well, it was perfectly safe except for the fact that the minerals in the water made it "very heavy" and you would have a hard time staying afloat unless you rented a life jacket at the site for $3.  Hmmmmm.  Pass!  Hahahaha.  Scott and I weren't ever planning on swimming, but there were plenty of people who had packed a swimsuit and decided to give it a go anyway.

It was really hard to get a good shot from up at the top, but it DID look pretty cool.

Within minutes, the sprinkling of rain turned into a steady downpour that eventually upped its ante into a veritable flood of biblical proportions.  At one point, there was a flash of lightning so bright, and a clap of thunder so loud and so close, that I really did think it had hit the snack bar right next to us!  There were quite a few more close hits before our allotted hour at Ik Kil was up, but we stayed safe and mostly dry as we hunkered down under a tent and worked on some more crossword puzzles while watching the rain pour down.

 

A kind tour-mate saw us taking our "scared face" relfie up there and didn't realize that we actually WANTED to take it that way.  Hahaha.  When he offered to take one FOR us, we couldn't really turn him down, now could we?

All in all, it was quite the day with lots of memories made! We found out on the bus drive back that a couple of the people sitting near us had been in the sinkhole when that big lightning bolt hit and had actually gotten shocked!!!  What the bunnysauce???  So, in the future, for all those of you who might ever want to swim in a sinkhole during a thunderstorm -- don't do it!  Use some common sense and remember that Raul doesn't know what he's talking about!  Hahahaha. 

Stay tuned for the last couple of posts about this trip.  Until then, peace out!

Almost Paradise

Time for another partial and biased review from yours truly!  Up for discussion?  The Grand Oasis Cancun.   This trip of ours has been in the works for almost a year.  Considering we weren't planning on moving again this summer, and I wasn't planning on being pregnant yet, and we no longer have a little baby, we thought it would be the PERFECT time for a getaway before life throws us the next curve ball.  Or fast ball.  Or whatever that ball may be! 

Once we were able to figure out our calendar for the summer and narrow down what week would work best, we were fortunate enough to find help in the form of my mom and Amy and Jacob {younger siblings extraordinaire!} who were willing and able to come on up here and hold down the fort while Scott and I were in Cancun.  We finally pulled the trigger about a month ago and purchased our extravaganza online via vacationexpress.com, which took care of our flights, accommodations, and food, in an all-inclusive package that sounded like just what we needed.

My overall opinion of our package deal? Eh.  It was exactly okay.  Maybe even fine.  {Or fine enough.}  Since Scott and I have both been to Cancun before -- albeit a LOOOONG time ago -- the experience was perhaps colored by that.  The trip as a whole, though?  It was awesome.  And always nice to realize that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder with regards to the children.  Hahaha.  Even though we were only gone Monday through Saturday, it was long enough to kind of miss them.  And there were several times throughout the trip that both Scott and I almost kind of wished they were with us, too, because they would have LOVED the beach so much.  But then reality set back in, and we saw other families with little kids and realized that as much fun as it might be, it would also be a LOT of work without any breaks for us.  And a break for us was JUST what we needed! 

The front lobby -- a giant pyramid type structure with lots of jungle-y, growing things hanging all over.

As a whole, Cancun was a lot more crowded and commercial than I remember it being when I was there last {in 2001}.  People trying to sell you stuff EVERYWHERE, people trying to "upgrade" your stuff everywhere, and just lots of people period.  I will say that this trip made me more aware than ever that the adage, "Use it or Lose it," is totally relevant with regards to foreign language speaking skills.  Back in the day, I prided myself on how conversant I was in Spanish, considering my only resources were 4 years of High School classes.  This time around, it was maddening to discover that I hardly know anything!  Hahaha.  I'd like to think I could pick things back up if I made a concerted effort to study the language once more, but I don't think my current schedule will allow much time for such an endeavor. :(  Oh well!

Highlights and Lowlights of our escape to the Oasis include:

• I actually packed my running shoes and gear to stay on my training schedule, and in a vacation FIRST, I actually did some running!  Hahaha.  Our first night in Cancun, Scott was kind enough to accompany me on my five mile run down Kukulkan Ave in 90 degree heat with 90% humidity.  Okay, so it might not have been QUITE that temperature -- but it was close.  And Scott hasn't run at all since his Spartan Race madness, so really, it was quite the accomplishment for both of us!

 

 This was us in front of the hotel post-5-mile-run.  {And just to clarify, this was one of the HIGHlights.  Hahaha.}

• All the artwork in the resort seemed to have been commissioned by the same person.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but we both found the painting in our room to be a little odd for our taste.  

No really -- would YOU like these women staring down at you as you laid in bed trying to sleep??  Hahaha.

• The ocean view was aMAZing.  Seriously, seriously gorgeous.  It would be hard for the resort to mess that one up. 

This was seriously the view from our balcony!

• The beach was awesome.  The waves -- while a bit rougher on a couple of the days -- were still perfect for frolicking in, and the sand just begged for a castle or two.  :)

{Scott getting pummeled by a few waves.}

{Me flashing a peace sign for Eleanor and Penelope.  :) }

{My piece de resistance -- a sea turtle made from sand.  Not pictured my super awesome drip castles that got washed away by the waves.}

• The place was teeming with wild life.  Iguanas, peacocks, BIRDS everywhere -- it was a jungle in there!  Hahaha.  None of these were overly bothersome, but I will say that the iguanas CREEPED me out.  Especially as they sat staring at me while I was trying to eat my food.  Yuck!!

• Our room REEKED of mildew-y mustiness.  Or something.  It was gross.  And the customer service was certainly not awesome.  But the view from the balcony just about made up for all of that.  :)  

• The food was not awesome either, but we did find a go-to spot while we were there and ate at the rodizio grill every night last week.  There were also some delicious muffins and breakfast pastries that I enjoyed at the breakfast buffet each morning as well.  Other than that, though, some of it was kind of gross.

• Being accosted by a drunk Peruvian woman in the pool?  Definitely a lowlight.  Or a highlight if you're depositing it into your "good vacation stories" bank.  Hahaha.  This 50 or 60 year old woman from Peru swam up to us and attempted to have a conversation with us even though we couldn't really converse back.  There was a whole lot of her telling us we were "muy guapo" and "muy guapa" and a whole lot of "tan facil" that didn't seem to make sense and then next thing you know she was ugly-crying into her hands while rhythmically dunking her head backwards into the water.  Hahahaha.  It was the craziest thing ever and we couldn't get away!  She recovered quickly enough from the crying spell and went back to smiling and laughing and calling us guapo and after a few more minutes we managed to make our "adios" and swam as far and fast as we could.  Hahaha.  We avoided her for the rest of the evening and breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that she found a new couple to accost.  

• The Oasis pool was like lukewarm bath water, which could be refreshing or disgusting depending on your frame of mind and the time of day. 

• The swim up bar was a daily favorite for getting our non-alcoholic drinks on, with a virgin Pina Colada for me and Strawberry Daquiri for Scott.

•  And finally -- The coastline {shared by the entire hotel zone of resorts} was the PERFECT venue for walking along in our attempts to romantically stroll the beach at sunset .  Hahahaha.  It sounds so cliche, but it really was almost paradise.

I've decided that Heaven will have a warm, tropical breeze.  :)

Up next?  A day trip or two.  Stay tuned...

Back to Reality

I had high hopes of recapping the last week here for everyone, but the title of this blog post explains it all.  Scott and I got back Saturday evening from a week's adventure in Cancun, and Day One back in the "Real World" has put us through the wringer!  The last child is FINALLY up in bed now, and as much as I would love to bang out an awesomely-in-depth-first-post documenting our trip, I'm just too tired and I've had a raging headache all afternoon/evening.  {The melting down, freaking out, and LOUD children did not help those matters very much.}

SO, to whet your appetite for the posts to come, here is a sneak peak at some pictures and my top advice for planning a trip to a tropical destination: 

1.)  Make sure you have your passport.  I let Scott be in charge of mine throughout the trip just so I wouldn't lose it.

2.)  Pack LIGHT.  Really, all you need are swimsuits, maybe a cover-up, one or possibly two actual "real outfits," running gear {if you're crazy enough to have signed up for a half-marathon for the following month}, and -- my personal favorite items I brought -- a couple of knit skirts with yoga, fold-over type waists that can be worn with just about everything.  Easy, breezy, beautiful. 

{A big book of Crossword Puzzles never hurts, either.}

3.)  Don't forget your camera.  Even if that means lugging around a "real" one versus a cell phone camera.  For our real honeymoon, back in the day, we did NOT bring a camera {the batteries were dead} and therefore have NO pictures of our Hawaiian vacation.  For the longest time, I've {jokingly} blamed Scott for this lack of pictures, but as I've thought about it this last week, I've realized how ridiculous it is that I didn't just insist that we buy new batteries for that camera, way-back-when.  So lame, right??

 The first of MANY "relfies" on the trip.  {Relfie = relationship selfie.  Arguably the DUMBEST contraction ever come up with.  So awesomely terrible that it BEGS to be overused and mocked.  At least according to me.  Hahaha.}

 
4.) Scarves are MADE for plane rides.  At least for people who freeze easily, like me.

  

That peachy scarf right there was my best friend on the plane.  Especially since it's big enough to be a blanket.  

5.)  Blow dryers {and even make-up}are really not going to happen in 90% humidity.  So, don't even bother packing it!

6.)  And finally, SOAK UP THE VIEW and take as many pictures to capture it as you can.  Because once you come back, it will already feel like it was just a dream.  :(

 

Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure...

Summer Summer Summer

{an Ethan post...}

Amy, Jacob and Granny Nanny came in town this week. Which means we partied. A LOT. We watched TV, played Wii, went swimming, got Alex new shoes at Target, ate Klondike bars and played Settlers of Catan. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:

Paradise Ice!

Pink Flamingo with Sour Patch Kids on top.

Alex's new shoes.

Summer Cleaning

Settlers of Catan

Jane poolside shooing away the Paparazzi.

Captain Jammie Man

{an Alex post...}

Captain Jammie Man

I bought Alex an early birthday present when I was at the store the other day -- some new jammies.  As I think I've stated before, I didn't save a whole lot of Ethan's clothes.  Aside from a few items I couldn't part with for sentimentality's sake, I've had to start over from scratch with Lover Boy in building his "wardrobe."  Hahahaha.  Jammies are one item that I apparently didn't feel any sentimentality towards with regards to Ethan's clothing, and as a result, Alex has been squeezing into the size 18 month jammies that I bought him last winter for far too long.  

You can't blame me TOO much for going the superhero route when getting him new ones, can you???  Hahahaha.  Let's just say he LOVES them.  Not pictured are the pair of Spiderman jammies I got him at the same time.  When asked how he feels about his new jammies, Alex responded, "I like to put them on."  Hahahaha.  Oh Lover Boy.  

Jane for July

{a Jane post...}

Reading "her" scripture for Scripture Time.

This month it's Jane's turn to choose the scripture for Scripture Time.  If you'll recall, we're trying to focus on the gospel principles listed in the Family Proclamation, so for July, we're talking Repentance.  {We took a brief hiatus last month, because Ethan wanted to choose the same scripture they were using in Primary, and since it was June and his birthday month, I realized it REALLY wasn't worth a fight.}

Technically, I found the verse for Jane to use, but she has been so excited to use her newly developing reading skills to actually read {with help, of course} the scripture each day.  

 O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.  (3 Nephi 10:6)

When asked what her favorite thing about this scripture is, she said, "Nothing."   So, I guess it's a good thing we're spending a whole month covering it!  Hahaha. 

{Hymn for this month's Scripture Time is "Redeemer of Israel," or the Uptown Branch anthem as I like to call it. Back in the day, when I was growing up, I was the Branch pianist at church.  Let's just say that I played this hymn so often that I'm not the only one who associates it with the Uptown Branch. :)  }

Honey Cuckoo

{a guest post by Sophie...}


These are my new managers, Amy and Jacob.  They are, like, totes hilarious.  They're my managers because I'm doing this new show called Honey Cuckoo.   But they have laughing problems and I always stick my tongue out at them.  Don't worry they're not dating -- they're brother and sister.

I'm covering the girl's eye because she has an eye patch and I don't want people to see it because it's too inappro-pro. {If you know what I mean.}

I'm putting my arm around Amy's neck because she has a neck problem and I love her.  Jacob is doing a thumbs up because he thinks he's cool.

Amy is doing pouty lips because she's cool.  I'm doing pouty lips because I want to, and I like to copy her.  Jacob's lips are like that because he wants to.

I have this crazy little, baby sister that is always bossing me around, and her name is Lizzie.  I have this crazy family, too.  My other little sister that's named Kaylie always says to my manager, Amy, that she has a laughing problem.  And she does.  I have this great show, and like, it's totally cuckoo which is why it's called Honey Cuckoo.

That's all I have folks.  I am cuckoo in real life.  Okay, goodnight!

Junks, Junks, and More Junks

{a guest post by grace...}


I'm going to be talking about my junks today.  Here is a tour of the houses and the buckets.


First, I'm going to start with the Pup Family:

 The little guy on the right with the blue collar is Meatloaf.  The little girl on the left's name is Butterscotch -- she's twins with Meatloaf.  The first girl on the bottom row is named Cinnamon.  The mom, which is the white dog, is named Cookie.  The brown dog, which is the dad, is named Snickers.  The last dog is Honey.  That's it for that family.

 Next, I'm going to be talking about the Talls:

 This is Deago, the oldest kid.

 The little girl's name on the blue thing is Skiler.  The orange tiger next to the white dog is named Fire and the white dog's name is Lily.

This is the Gold Family:

 The girl with the red bow in her hair is named Sugar.  The girl with the pink collar is named Skit.  The big dog on the right is named Stacy and the big dog on the left is named Rufus and goes by Ruff.  The guy on Ruff's head is Buddy, and the girl on Ruff's back is Peanut.

This family is the Runners:  {Their mom, Mittens, is out of town.}

 The little tan cat's name is Whiskers and the jaguar's name is Safari.  They might be having a little baby cheetah.

The Con Family:

 The white, curly dog is named Daisy.  The little guy under her arms is Sparky.  The brown boxer's name is Boxer.  The monkey's name is Louie, and the white dog's name is Vanilla.

This is my big bucket of stuffed animals.  That's Mittens, the gray cat, on top:

The Swiggles Family:

 The blue guy's name is Whurful.  The orange striped person's name is Raspberry.  The first person on the bottom row is named Rainbow, and the dog's name is Neon.

These are the Zooms:  {Two part picture coming up}

 The big frog's name is Ribbit and the little frog's name is Croaky.  The dolphin's name is Splash.  The fish's name is Poky.

 The dolphin's name is Sparkle.  The three turtles, which are triplets, are named Gumball, Luke, and Layla.

These are the Curlies:

 The dog with the spot is named Spot.  The white dog is named Doodles. And then the little girl on the pillow is named Biscuit.

These are the Miles:

 The grey dog's name is Pepper.  The orange monkey is named Sunshine but she goes by Sunny.  And the pink cat's name is Strawberry.

These are the Talls {they're cousins with the other Tall family and also cousins with the Cons}:

The monkey on top of the dog is named Lollipop.  The dog which is under Lollipop is Oreo.  The brown dog's name is Sophia.  The dog next to Sophia is William who goes by Will.  The frog's name is Jake.  The dog next to Jake is named Lucy.  The cat's name is Snowy.  The owl's name is Andy.  

Time for an ending.  That's it, people.  That's all I've got to say.  In case you're wondering, I've got 96 junks and I might be getting a new one.  {All the ones in the purple bucket have names, too, and I remember all of them.}