March: Mexico, Birthdays, and Ballets

Rusty and I got to see MJ the musical in Salt Lake for the first time and we loved it! We thought they did a great job and we loved all of the songs!

This month we got our painting delivered by T! It was perfect and we were so excited to get it hung up and finish another big piece for completing our home.

We got really tired of the snow and the cold and we decided to take a last minute trip to Mexico! We didn't plan anything and just booked an all inclusive place in Cabo San Lucas- our first time there and our first time in Mexico with the kids! We had a great time and it was awesome for them to be able to practice some Spanish! (And me too)

March 4: 

Today we took our flight, checked into our hotel, and played in the pool for a little bit! It wasn't hot here, but warm and definitely better than Utah.

Some snacks at the airport while we waited for the shuttle from the resort

March 5: 

Today we went out to the beach in front of the hotel and had some bad news. The current is way too strong in this area, and you can't swim in the ocean here. I definitely didn't know that when I booked this place because my main goal was that we wouldn't have to leave the resort at all haha. But we walked on the beach and played in the sand until a sneaker wave came all the way up the shore like ten feet higher than it was and rolled Amelia down the hill and I felt like we were all going to die. So then we went to the  pool haha. 

Happy to wake up somewhere so beautiful!

Our breakfast view

A Hooded Oriole!

I didn't take pictures of us in the pool, but the pool was really awesome! And the kids are getting old enough that Rusty and I can sit on the side and watch them for part of the time and just relax! It was so great! Afterwards we changed and had dinner and then while we were walking through the resort back to our room we passed a little show for kids. We stopped to watch and the kids got to participate in it!

March 6: 

Today we started the day with a walk on the beach! We did that every day we were here and it was my favorite. Then we went over to the neighboring resort that is owned by the same company where they had a kid pool and some cool adult water slides! We set the kids loose in the kid pool and we were able to sit on some chairs and relax. I got burned yesterday so I was trying to stay in the shade here as much as possible haha.

March 7: 

Today we decided to try a new beach where the kids could actually play in the water called La Playa el Chileno. We took an Uber there and had the best time! There were tide pools full of the most colorful crabs and the kids were able to go pretty far out because it was shallow. It was a great day!

After our day at the beach we got to go whale watching! It was a big catamaran with dinner and music. We saw El Arco and Land's End. We continued out a little ways and saw a few humpback whales! We ended up having so much fun we booked another whale watching cruise while we were there. On the way back we saw the sunset and Della had the best time dancing on the ship to the music!

March 8: 

Today we walked on the beach again, and then went over to the kid pool and the adult water slides. Rusty and I tried a couple of them and they were super fun! Our first day in the pool a photographer came and took some photos of us and said that they offer little photo sessions. We decided to book one and it was for tonight! So we took some pictures on the beach after our day at the pool. They turned out really cute, and I even had matching dresses for the girls so we kind of matched colorwise!

Amelia took a bit of this peach and said, "They look like bum cheeks!"

We found a friend!

Herman, our new BFF.

The adult water slides!

Here are our family pictures! They turned out so cute!

March 9:

Today we went for another walk on the beach and then took an Uber to try a new beach called Santa Maria. It was really chilly and I didn't go in the water at all but the kids were out there for a long time and Rusty went out with them too! The pelicans were diving right next to them and the cormorants were swimming next to them. It was so cool! Rusty was holding her in the ocean and there were tons of little fish swimming around them. She got really nervous suddenly and said, "Do fish like stinky feet?!.... HERE YA GO LITTLE FISHIES!" and wiggled her feet around haha.

March 10: 

Today we got to go whale watching again, and I'm so glad we did! This one was OUTSTANDING and so amazing.  It was a much smaller boat and fewer people but we got so spoiled. We saw a few whales and then we went to a different area and saw a mom with a baby. They kept going under the boat and popping up right on the other side. I could have reached out and touched them! Then we heard this sound that sounded like a giant semi truck if it could growl. Then a third whale showed up right next to us! It was a male that was trying to get the attention of the female but she was not interested because she had just had a baby. She was being VERY CLEAR with him and he kept following her. They kept going under our boat. It was the coolest thing ever!

While we were already out in the town we decided to walk to a restaurant and try some authentic Mexican food. I am so glad we did because it was DELICIOUS! And it was so pretty! We got to try a bunch of things and everyone loved their food.

After lunch we went back to the resort and hung out and then had dinner at an Italian place down on the beach!

March 11: 

Today we went to the beach before our flight home! We didn't get in the water but it was fun to be done there and so close to the sea. The flight home was good and uneventful! When we got home the Cowleys had left some yummy gluten free treats for us!

After we got home we went on a hike to Memorial Hill with the Cowleys. It was so cold and snowy we were kind of depressed to be back here haha. The snow made it a little tricky, and it ended with Lilah sliding down the mountain and getting stuck. Larissa had Alora so I volunteered to go down and get her. Then I got stuck too haha. It was quite the ordeal haha.

Emilia, Judith's daughter, had a birthday party at the Children's Museum in Salt Lake and invited us. We had a great time! Sadly, a bunch of people didn't show up to the party so we ended up going out and inviting random children and parents if they wanted to come in and have some cake. 

St Patricks Day!! One of my favorite holidays! This year the kids did a leprechaun trap but didn't catch one again. But he did leave a note for the kids! We also went to a St. Patrick's Day concert and I was laughing so hard because each of my kids reacted so differently. Henry was totally in the zone loving his life, Della was up by the stage dancing, and Amelia was plugging her ears haha.

For St. Patrick's Day dinner we invited the Cowleys over to eat and celebrate with us! We had our delicious St. Patrick's Day cake and watched a St. Patrick's Day movie all together.

The kids and I went to the zoo with Gigi and my parents! It was really fun, and it was kind of warm...ish. I am so ready for spring I couldn't even tell you. I'm done with cold.

I started a little book club for the kids! For our first month we read Matilda, and I made a chocolate cake like Bruce eats. We talked about the book and we played a game about how Matilda escaped into books to visit different places all over the world. We met a new family and had a great time with them!

Rusty surprised me and said that we could go to the Aquarium for my birthday! He skipped work one day and we all just went as a family. It was so great and I loved it so much!

For my real birthday, the kids got me donuts from Judy's (the day before) and we went to church. Then it was my turn for movie night so we watched The Parent Trap.

We also went out to my parents' house for a birthday dinner for me! We ate yummy food and my parents got me a puzzle board with two puzzles! It was just perfect!

Rusty got to go out and drive a Sierra Car for the first time! He absolutely loved it and is so excited for when he finally gets his home. 

Phyllis and Kandi visited for a little bit and we took them out to do the go karts at the Grid and eat at Aubergine Kitchen. It was fun to have them here!

For Della's Christmas present, her one one one date with us was to go to the Beauty and the Beast ballet in Salt Lake. We had the best time! We went and got some treats at a cute place before the ballet, and Della loved the ballet. She got a special feather fan that she LOVED and then wanted a music box really badly, so we said we could get it and keep it for her birthday. We love our Della girl and it was fun to have some time just with her!

Easter felt too early this year! But on Saturday the Easter bunny came and we got to go through and see what the kids got. Then we went to Uncle John's for an Easter egg hunt for the kids. On Sunday, we focused on the important and real reason for Easter and then had a great Easter dinner with Olivia and her boyfriend and my parents.

Coloring Easter eggs!

I got to John's house and Alyson wasn't there haha

Easter outfits!

Resurrection cookies

Extra Pictures:

Henry's Highlights:

• We were talking about the scriptures they are memorizing. I said that in a few months Della would memorize only part of it but Henry would need to memorize the whole thing because he's older. He said, "Della should have a longer one. Her brain is younger and soaks things up. Mine is older. You told me that. SCIENCE."
• We were talking about how they miss having school lunches and I said, "That was actually a ton of work for me to always pack you guys nice lunches. You were lucky I made you lunches." And Della said that they were lucky when they got to have school lunches. Henry says, "Well, opinions change from age to age."
• He is OBSESSED with Birdwatching. He loves them and he sounds like such an old man talking about the "Red breasted nuthatch" or the "scrub jay"

Adeline's Adventures:

• One lunch in Mexico we were talking about what animal you would choose to get eaten by. She said gazelle. "Because they're pretty. And they don't eat meat." She's a smart one haha.
• She saw the penguins swimming and one of them pooped. She said, "EWWWW Why do they do that? Swimming in poop? Not my specialty."

Amelia's Updates:

• I have said to the kids that I love how the snow looks on pine trees. It looks like blankets covering the trees. Well, at Nature School one of the teachers was reading a book about winter changing to spring and she said that the trees had nothing on them in the winter. Amelia yells out, "Yes they do! They have blankets." The teacher just looked at me utterly bewildered and I smiled and she kept reading. She said it again and Amelia yells out, "THEY HAVE BLANKETS OF SNOW THEY DO HAVE SOMETHING ON THEM IN THE WINTER TIME!"
• While in Mexico Rusty was holding her in the ocean and there were tons of little fish swimming around them. She got really nervous suddenly and said, "Do fish like stinky feet?!.... HERE YA GO LITTLE FISHIES!" and wiggled her feet around haha
• One lunch in Mexico we were talking about what animal you would choose to get eaten by. Amelia says, "I think a bear would like to eat me."
• She saw a little piece of parsley on Rusty's finger and said, "Oh! I love your tree tattoo!"