For our last stop of the day we went to get some pina coladas from the place they were invented! Barrachina! Well, like with everything there is some controversy about which of two people actually made it first. But this place was close enough to walk to and has a plaque and is very well liked haha. I think it is were it was invented! And they were really yummy!
To cap the day off we went snorkeling at El Escombron Beach close to downtown. By this time it was not that hot because the sun was going down, but when your kid asks you to get in the water and snorkel with her, you do it! We saw quite a few different species of fish and the kids had a good time! We got out and tried to get as dry as we could for our long drive back to the AirBnb.
Day 4: Sick
I always seem to get sick on vacations. Like every time. I think I heard that means that you don't slow down enough because when you try to relax on a trip your body is like, okay cool I can get sick now. I should probably work on that. Anyways, today we just stayed home. I mostly slept all day and Rusty and the kids played in the apartment. It was really rainy.
Day 5: Indoor Play Place
Today was another rainy day but I was feeling a little bit better so we decided to go out! We got some pizza from a restaurant and then went to an indoor play place. It had things to climb and swing on and jump on, and the kids had a great time!
Looking for wildlife
Afterwards we went back to the hotel and went out on the beach. Even though it was rainy it was still fun to look around! There were some really tiny tide pools on some of the rocks, and the kids found a cool fort.
Day 6: Rainforest
Today was one of our favorite days of the whole trip! We went into the El Yunque Rainforest and explored. It was so much fun, and really where I feel happy. We went to the Visitors Center and got the kids some ranger journals. We've never done that before, but man they were super into them and loved them all day! We talked to a ranger about some good hike options for the kids and then looked over and saw a GIANT spider on the ceiling. Yikes. That did not make me super excited to go out in the wilderness.
Aw nah.
They had some beautiful birds at the visitor center too!
The first thing we did was a little nature hike right next to the visitor's center. It was nice and flat, and had a shorter loop in case the kids wanted to be done. We ended up doing the whole loop and had a great time! We saw all kinds of plants and animals, and the kids loved how big the leaves were!
Lizard
Leaf as big as Lia
Vine stapling itself into tree
Giant snail
Henry's drawing
Then we had a really pretty drive up the road to get to our first stop: La Mina Waterfall. It's a really beautiful waterfall that happens to be just to the side of the road, so you park in a little parking lot and cross the street.
Our next stop was Yokahu Tower, an observation tower. You can climb all the way to the top without too much work and then you are rewarded with beautiful sweeping views! Even though it was pretty cloudy on this day, we could still make out the beach and ocean, and even our apartment building!
Della is in this phase where she does the peace sign for every picture unless I ask her not to haha.
By this time we were getting hungry so we grabbed our packed lunch and found a cool little place to eat. We also ordered some yummy empanadillas to try.
We went to Bano Grande next, which is a really beautiful man made swimming area. A dam was created and then the pool was built out. They used cobblestones for the path and the whole place is very lovely. People swam here from the 30's to the late 60's when it was shut down for safety reasons. Now you can walk around it and enjoy how peaceful it is!
Now it was time to get our swimming suits on! We hiked up to a waterfall and everyone got in to play! It was a little bit chilly, but it was really fun to be there. The kids threw rocks and played with leaves and the water having a great time.
Next, we hiked up to some upper falls! I had heard that if you went to the side there were really cool waterfalls, so we hiked up this slippery path for a very long time before we decided to give up and go back down to this second one. We got in this one and played for a little bit too, but it was still cold so we didn't stay long.
Our drive had beautiful views!
Della singing about her being a princess in a parade and everyone loves her and she is famous
Then we left El Yunque and went to Las Paylas, a natural waterslide! It's just behind a farmer's house so you pay to park in his driveway (or you can park on the road) and then you do a very short hike down to the river. There is a very low gradient waterfall that has worn down the rocks so they're smooth and you can go down like a waterslide! There's one of these in Alpine too. This one was super fun! It was kind of intimidating and I was nervous to do it. We talked to some people and one lady said that she thought it was easier to go face first. I decided I would follow her advice and did it face first haha. That was intense! Then I did it the normal way, and although that way you kind of hit your hip I think it was way less scary. Rusty did it too, and I took Henry about halfway up and he did it too! The last time I did it I hit my big toe on a rock and a few months later my whole toenail fell off. Ouch.
We grabbed some dinner from a fast food place and ate it on the beach. We all just sat on the beach and ate except for Henry, who we honestly cannot keep out of the ocean haha. His first steps with help were on a beach in Hawaii when he started running to the water! Rusty went to go get the car and move it over closer to us and this dog came and kept chasing my kids around. I think he was nice, but he was nipping at them and chasing Henry into the ocean. All three kids were crying and I was yelling at this stupid dog and I was so angry by the time that Rusty came back.
Day 7: Culebra Island
Today was a big day! We went and got on the ferry and headed out to Culebra Island. It's not a super long ferry ride and it was really smooth so nobody got sick which is great. We got off the ferry and took a bus to Flamenco Beach. This beach is stunning! We did have the bad luck of having all of the sea weed washing up like it was when we were in Cancun last year, but the colors of the water, sand and hills are just amazing! We played in the water here and got some food, but we were stubborn and didn't pay to rent an umbrella to protect us from the sun because it cost $20 which is ridiculous. But, I paid for that because although I kept up on everyone's sunscreen I did not keep up on mine and I got SCORCHED. Next time, I'll just pay the $20.
After Flamenco Beach we got a ride over to Playa Tamarindo. There is good snorkeling on this beach, but it is really rocky and not as pretty. We were only here for about an hour before it started to get dark. Rusty went out with Henry and I went out with Della and we saw sea turtles, eels, fish, and lots of sea urchins! Amelia slept on the beach. With a whole bunch of chickens just roaming around, and lots of ants.
We ended up taking a later ferry home so that we could go to Playa Tamarindo and snorkel so we grabbed some dinner at this beautiful restaurant right on the water. After that we went and got in line for the ferry and played games while we waited. We played charades and laughed so hard!
Day 8: Travel
Today we went home! We were supposed to have an early morning flight, but I had a really bad panic attack last night so I was up throwing up for a few hours and didn't get any sleep. We called the airline and switched our flights to around noon so that I could get some sleep. Luckily the trip home was uneventful! The kids are really great travelers!
The ERC team has a box for the Bees games in Salt Lake, and we got to go for our first time! Rusty and Henry met the mascot and we had delicious food that was provided in the box. I love baseball games because they feel so summery! I am ready for summer to get here!
ERC Specialists did a cool thing where they rented out a movie theatre for a bunch of people. We went and saw The Multiverse of Madness (the new Dr. Strange movie) and it was SO creepy. Like freaky eyeballs and crazy alternate realities. Rusty is not usually sensitive about those kinds of things like I am, but we both thought that this was creepier than we like. After the movie we went and got some delicious sushi!
We got to go to the Supercross! We bought tickets a llloooonnnnggg time ago, and I was happy it was finally here! This is like Disneyland for Rusty. I love watching him get so excited! We found out at the beginning of the month that Aaron had cancer, and so we had visited the hospital a few times. Today because we were going to be in Salt Lake we stopped by to say hi to him before we went to the supercross. My parents came with us and we had a great time!
Mother's Day came and I was spoiled by my family! Rusty made a delicious breakfast in bed (I requested French Toast) and the kids came in with balloons and some cards they made for me. Henry made one at school which is really fun! Then we got dressed for church and the girls and I wore our matching dresses. After church we hung out and the kids made me jewelry from dandelions and tape.
Rusty got his new truck! He's been wanting a truck since the day we sold the last truck, and he finally got to get one. And he got the exact one he wanted! It's a brand new Toyota Tundra and he is very happy about it. It isn't very fancy (it's the base model because the nicer ones had a year long waitlist). He's still happy to have his truck though. It is named Goliath.
Encanto story time! I love these story times at the mall. Today Mirabel and Isabella came to tell us their story and then the girls got to meet them after.
Henry's soccer season was awesome! He did such a great job and made so much progress. He had a lot of grit and determination this season, and he started to really pick up on some skills. For his last game he got a medal and then he got to choose anywhere he wanted to eat and he chose Olive Garden for the stuffed shells. The waitress even gave him a free dessert!
Henry's biggest fan!
We have some fun playing down in the play room! Lately the girls are really into playing with the doll house. Della is doing a lot of play about Aaron's cancer. Right now, every time we play the mom has cancer and the kids have to take care of things. She always makes the kids ask if the mom is going to die and the mom says she doesn't know. It is sad to watch her struggle, but really cool to be able to see this process and help her where I can. As for Amelia, she always wears a cape haha.
We got to go to the MOA for their art program. Today the kids painted by putting blobs of paint on their papers and then rolling some marbles through it in the box.
I have been keeping really busy with my young women! One activity we went to the Bean Museum and we played hide and seek. Another time we went to Rusty's office and played video games!
Here we see a Haley attacking a Basia in the wild
Della has been taking her dance classes and it was time for her recital! She was pretty nervous and excited. It was nice this time because she got to do a full dress rehearsal and practice. It helped her a lot! She danced to Shake Your Tailfeather and she loved the song and was obsessed with her costume this time. When I put it on her she told me that she's "waited my whole life for a dress like this." haha. This kid. Her dance pictures are perfect and I love them so much because the photographer told her to make a pose and the other girls had been like sticking a foot out or something simple, and then Della throws her arm up like that haha. I love her!
After her rehearsal she was ready for her performance! The first one just our family went to, and then one on Saturday Jessica came to as well. I'm so proud of her!
We took her out to Menchie's afterward!
Rusty had another trip to Las Vegas this year- and it was over our anniversary AGAIN. What. Last year it was for his Mastermind he was a part of, and this year it was for ERC Specialists. But we decided to make a trip out of it and we took the kids with us! We drove down and when we got to the hotel I couldn't find my suitcase. MY WHOLE SUITCASE WAS GONE. We assumed I just left it by the front door or something, but when we got home I never found it. Turns out somebody stole it! I was so sad! I had just finally bought some nice shorts and it had my favorite shirt in there. It also had my scriptures that I take notes in and my medicine. I was able to replace pretty much everything, but still it was a bummer.
View from our hotel room
The main reason we were there was for Rusty's conference. He would do that during the days while I took the kids off on adventures, and then we could usually meet up around dinner time.
Day #1:
The first morning that we were there we went to the Omelet House for breakfast! I had to wear what I wore in the car and then go to Wal Mart afterwards to get some necessities haha. The Omelet House was so fun and quirky, just what I like. And the food was divine!
Amelia trying to do thumbs up
After we went to Wal Mart we came back to the hotel and went swimming. It wasn't super hot this day, but it was warm enough that a swim felt nice! We brought a bunch of toys for the kids to play with and they made friends and had a great time!
After the pool I decided that I should go to a big, famous mall in Las Vegas to get some clothes. So we went to Fashion Place to try to find some things. Everything I saw was either half the size it should have been or like $50 for a plain white T-shirt. So we left without getting a single thing haha.
A runway in the mall! Della thought this was so cool!
Day #2:
Today we went to the Children's Museum. Oh my gosh, I never want to live in Las Vegas but if we did have to live here I'm pretty sure this museum would be the highlight. It was so cool! I loved everything they had, and it was not that crowded! I'm so used to the one in Lehi being so full you can hardly move, and this was such a nice reprieve! The kids spent a ton of time in the water area. Henry loved putting the balls down the whirlpool.
Della's favorite part was probably the dress up area on the stage. She would get dressed up and then get excited to do a play but when she saw people she would freeze up and go back behind the curtain.
Amelia's favorite part was the grocery store. She loved putting things in her little basket!
We got a new hotel room because our first one was so loud with construction work. They moved us over to the other side and we got a nice view of the Stratosphere.
That night we had a lot of things to do! We started by walking the Linq Promenade to get to Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen and Bar. I kind of love him so I was really excited to finally get to eat at one of his restaurants! The burger was so good, but honestly the nachos were not great.
Then we went over to the Venetian to explore. We got tickets for the Sky Wheel, so we were trying to think of what would be the most fun to do on the strip while we waited. We ended up walking around in here and then we headed over to a restaurant I really wanted to try called The Black Tap. I'm sure the food is probably good, but we weren't there for the food. We were there for the desserts. Specifically, the milkshakes. They have these giant milkshakes that are crammed full with desserts and they are absolutely nuts! We got a cookie dough one and there was more than enough sweet things on that for all five of us.
Amelia's face KILLS ME
Look at how she looks at that milkshake haha
We stopped by the Venetian (St. Mark's Square) again on the way to the Sky Wheel
When we were in Vegas last time we had wanted to do the Sky Wheel but it either was closed or we ran out of time, I can't remember. But anyways, it was really exciting to get to do it this time! And we did it at night so we could see everything lit up which I was really excited about. As a really awesome bonus, while we started our descent the fountain show at the Bellagio started so we could watch it. I love that show so much! The kids got pretty nervous being so high up looking out and were quite happy to get back to the ground haha.
Day #3-
Today we woke up and got dressed and went to try playing at Container Park. It is a huge park in Vegas that is made out of shipping containers. It was really unique and cool, but it got so dang hot that the kids couldn't go down the slides and basically just wanted to stand in these misters haha. So we got ice cream and then went home.
We got soooo hot at the park that we were absolutely stoked about being able to come back and jump in the pool. Last year the weather was pretty cold so this was a nice change! We swam for the rest of the afternoon and then I put the kids in the giant tub to clean up for dinner.
Della's pose haha
And the peace fingers
Today was our actual anniversary: May 19. Rusty's group from work all went out tonight and drove really fancy sports cars, and Rusty decided not to go so that he could show me that I was a priority. Stop it, how sweet is that? I love that guy. We went back to the Venetian and ate at Trevi. It was so much fun because it felt like you were eating outside in Italy and I just loved feeling like I was back there. After dinner (which was delicious and very authentic) we went and walked around the Forum. We saw some cool fish tanks, the Michelangelo David statue, and enjoyed being out in "Italy"!
Day #4:
That was the end of our stay for the conference, and we were planning on just adding a couple nights on for the hotel we were staying at. But because it was the weekend it was SO expensive. It ended up being very comparable to stay at the Bellagio, which hello is a dream. So we changed hotels for the third time and got to stay in the Bellagio! WHAT! I was so psyched. We checked in early and had brunch at their buffet, which was absolutely insane. The best buffet I think I've ever eaten at. We all ate SO MUCH FOOD. After brunch we lounged in our room for a little bit and then we went swimming. This pool is much fancier and less geared toward kids, and everything was gorgeous. My new dream is to come and stay here.
That night we had reservations to go see the Neon Museum. I had learned about this while I was researching stuff to do in Vegas, and we thought it could be kinda cool. It ended up being fascinating and soooo cool looking. We got to see all original neon that used to be used in Vegas. It has all been taken down for one reason or another and donated to this place. Then they raise a bunch of money and fix it and get it back in working order. It is amazing!
Henry is in love with lime green Lamborghinis haha
We parked in the Bellagio and then walked out to watch the fountain show before we went to our room
Day #5
Last day! I really wanted to take Rusty to that Blueberry Hill breakfast place we found last time, but when we got there they had a two hour wait (it was Sunday morning). So we decided to try something else, and Rusty found this place online. We pulled up and I thought we were all going to die in here, but actually everything was delicious.
Henry finished up his school year! He was chosen for reader of the month and got to take a book and a bookmark home. At the end of the year each grade does a dance to a song and I got to go watch Henry! Rusty came too. He danced to Can't Stop the Feeling. On one of the last days of school they wore pajamas and read books, which is a favorite thing for him!
Rusty and I got to go mountain biking! He took me on a trail that he went on with Shane and it was beautiful! It still had a lot of wildflowers in bloom.
This year Rusty's family did an extended family reunion with some cousins from Phyllis' side. We all got a cabin in Durango and hung out for Memorial Day weekend. I was a little nervous because I didn't know some of them very well, and a lot of them I didn't know at all, but it ended up working out just fine. In the nights the adults would drink and party and get a little rowdy which was weird for me, so we just kinda did our own thing.
The main reunion was at the city park in Mencos. We got together with a bunch of Phyllis' family, a lot that didn't stay at the cabin with us, and we talked and ate lunch. Then we got to walk around Mencos and have Phyllis tell us about living there. I got to see places that I've heard a lot about in stories which is great.
The next day I took the kids out and we explored around the cabin! This cabin was amazing and was on a ton of acreage, so we could go off and explore all over the place. It was nice to be able to be free and roaming outside!
One day we decided to go on a hike in Durango and it was beautiful! We were going to meet up with Levi and his family and even waited for them on the trail for a long time before we decided to just go on without them. The hike was beautiful! I love Durango! I had never been there before but it was gorgeous. After the hike we went back to the parking lots and Levi and his family were there so we hung out and let the kids explore around for a little while. Then we played games in their RV and drove to the fish hatchery.
We got to the fish hatchery and technically it was closed (whoops) but the worker was really nice and let the kids go in and look really quickly. They got to feed them and look at all the different fish which was so fun. Henry particularly loves fish so it was really exciting!
One morning we got up early and sneaked out to go fishing. We ended up at a different lake than we intended, and it was kinda sketch. We didn't catch anything and when the girls were done on the raft I took them to shore to explore and I found three heroin needles. So... I wouldn't let them really go anywhere after that haha.
On our drive home we decided to spend some time in Canyonlands. We hiked around and explored and just let the kids roam and be free! Amelia hiked with her arms like airplane wings, but with one straight up and the other straight down, switching them back and forth haha. She also got very interested in a bug, and then saw a stick and thought it was a bug and no amount of convincing from me would change her mind. I love being outdoors with these kids. Della told us that rocks were just dinosaur poop, and I asked where she learned that. She said that she heard it on Dinosaur Train. We talked about how some rocks could be dinosaur poop, but that would be very rare. Most rocks are just rocks. Another time that I struck out. You could not have paid her enough money to agree that not every single rock is old dinosaur poop. Rusty didn't help anything hahaha. He was egging her on and saying that they were shaped like poop, and that they were so big it just made sense that the dinosaurs pooped them.
Silly faces
The bug
The Wooden Shoe
Henry's Highlights:
- Henry is doing so well with soccer! We have seen a big change in him where he is willing to work through the hard stuff to get the reward. He has become very determined.
- Henry was looking at buildings in Las Vegas and he said, “Wow those are tall buildings. Did you know that termites build such tall buildings that if we were termites we’d have to build something 7.3 meters taller than our tallest building?” I said, “No, I didn’t.” Then he followed up with something about turkey speeds.
Adeline's Adventures:
- Della was trying to get into the raft when we were in Durango fishing. She said, “Ah I don’t have a good feeling about this! Crossing water is not my thing.”
- Della says “Be aware!” When she’s trying to say “Beware!”
- Della was trying to explain what a cucumber was. “A cucumber… is a cucumber.”
- Della told me she wants to be a movie star so she can ride in a limo
- Della was invited to a special dance class.
Amelia's Updates:
- Says "Thank you" when she wants something and we've already said no, to make us give it to her. She smiles and tilts her head and says it in a tiny high voice and it is so sweet it makes me want to give it to her haha. She's smart.
- Loves to say "Love you!"
- Loves to be a big kid with Henry and Della. She does not like to be different from them
- Amelia won’t take off a cape that she loves
Other:
- Bailey ate an entire pork loin off of the counter
- Rusty has done a lot of podcasts!
- While we were in Las Vegas we went to the Buffet and Chandler and Jess got there after us. They told the hostess that their friends were in there already, and she said ,”Oh, are they the very American looking family?”
Extra Pictures:
Playing at Provo Library
Amelia pooped out of her diaper somehow! AHHHHH
Looking at buying our new camp trailer!
Root beer floats in the backyard
.HEIC)
.HEIC)
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