Cabo!

 A few weeks ago, I flew down to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico to celebrate my fortieth birthday along with my three college roommates who also all turned forty this year, along with all of our husbands. It was a trip we had dreamed and planned for years and all of us were amazed and so grateful it actually happened. 

And it certainly couldn't have happened without Michael's kind parents, who had to deal with a stomach bug in our absence and held down the fort so admirably, dealing with lacrosse schedules, dance, preschool, picture day, and early morning seminary, in addition to cleaning up throw-up and making meals.

So while they were "partying" at home, here's a smattering of the fun we had.

We were only there for three full days (two days for travel), but we packed a lot in. I failed to take any good pics of the resort where we stayed, Hacienda del Mar, but the image of this dirt surrounding some of the plants shows how meticulously everything was cared for. 

It was truly lovely, and the pools were amazing.

We loved having breakfast together. It was a fun buffet with all sorts of hot and savory dishes like stuffed chile peppers, pork, and chicken, as well as more traditional American fare like waffles and French toast. 

The location was amazing, but I think the best part was just talking together about everything and nothing--about our kids, our faith, our plans and interests. 

We went on a hot walk our first morning along the road and the beach. Sadly the beach was closed the whole time we were there due to rough waves, but to be honest I was happy to just look out at it and sit by the pool.

I took these pics on our walk. I loved the green moss in contrast to the turquoise water.

The sand was more like tiny rocks.

Absolutely beautiful.

Paletas! So yummy! I had read a fun picture book to the kids from the library about a paletero man, so it was fun to be able to try an authentic popsicle (or two) myself.

We rented a minivan, which made traveling so convenient. Ted was a champion driver.

Gorgeous weather the whole time--here we were in lovely Todos Santos, a fun artsy town with lots of touristy shops.

The whole fam damily, as my dad would say.

Another paleta.

We went to an ice cream shop in Cabo--I thought about trying this "corn" ice cream but decided not to.

Michael had these hilarious bucket hats embroidered for the boys in honor of a funny experience Ted and Michael had had at the Master's. 

Chelsey and Joy. We drove to a fun restaurant called La Rosanegra for dinner one evening. There was an amazing fire show (despite a few scantily-clad ladies), and we enjoyed an incredible baked Alaska. 

Me and Karisa.

We made it through a very iffy dirt road (we got stuck on the way back and some kind guys helped push us out) to arrive at this beautiful farm to table restaurant called Tamarindos, where we enjoyed a fun cooking class and a beautiful ambiance. 

 

Ready to start chopping.

They served us some delicious lemongrass herbal iced tea when we arrived. So yummy!

This fun garden grew lots of herbs and some varieties I wasn't familiar with.

A banana tree! That long stalk used to hold bananas.

Using the tortilla press to make corn tortillas.

Walking down to pick herbs for the dinner. Our guide was the nicest guy who had lived in the US illegally but was caught by immigration and had to leave his family to return back to Mexico. Such a difficult situation--you see both sides and feel for the children who are caught in the middle.

The group!

This zucchini soup was absolutely delicious.

The next day we kayaked to see El Arco, a stunning rock formation in the Sea of Cortez.

The Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez here, so the oceans clash and the water is pretty dangerous close to the rocks. 

Then we got to go snorkeling and saw lots of beautiful fish through the clear water, as well as sea lions. Apparently at some times during the year the water is green and murky, and our guide was really pleased with the water when we were there. So were we! Our boat driver (pilot? captain?) pulled out this dead puffer fish, which a few of the group held. It totally looked like it was smiling. You can see its bright blue eyes.

We took a sunset fajita cruise, which we found out was really a "booze cruise," but despite the fact that we were surrounded by alcohol we still had a great time seeing the rocks and chatting over the loud music.

I feel so blessed by these girls' friendship. They each inspire me in unique ways, and we were so grateful we could have this wonderful trip together. And we're so glad that our husbands are all awesome and get along so well!

I saw this posted in a bathroom and had to smile. Our hopes and dreams were not flushed by this trip!

We also celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. Michael is so fun to be with and we had such a great time. 

We returned home without incident (I had a fascinating conversation with the man next to me on the plane who works for a company who makes the equipment and software that digitizes microfilm and microfiche, so we had a nice conversation about the Church's passion for family history, etc.), and mercifully Grandma stayed well through the whole trip.

I am so thankful to have such wonderful in-laws! 

'Til next time, Cabo!

California Adventure part 4

 We left Yosemite for Fresno on Thursday. It was about a three hour drive down on a super duper hot day. It was fun to hear Michael talk about the different places where he served, things he remembered. He amazingly remembered where a sister he reactivated, Sally Ziegler, lived, after twenty-three years! We didn't know if she would still even live there, but incredibly, she was home and it was so special for them to reconnect. She also gave Michael the address of her daughter, Corrie, whom Michael had baptized as a teenager. She isn't currently active, but who knows, maybe this experience will help rekindle her desire to attend church. It was a really special experience for us both.

We got in late back to the same Residence Inn where we were before Yosemite, and then the next day we headed out to Golden Gate Park, which is actually larger than Central Park in NYC. So many fun things to do there--unfortunately we could only a sample a few.

We rented bikes and headed out. It was more stressful than I anticipated riding bikes through the park, but we made it through. 

We went to Koret Children's Quarter, where they have these fun cement slides. There was a piece of cardboard to use to slide down, but our boys didn't mind going down on their heinies.

At first I thought this was a funny joke, but then I was sad when I realized that it was for children's safety. 

We rode on the carousel.

So fun!

This cutie balanced for a few seconds after Michael hopped off from behind him.

After a fun day riding bikes in Golden Gate Park, boating with paddle boats on Stow Lake, and eating ice cream while watching the rehearsal for some random outdoor concert, we went to a fun Japanese restaurant. Check out Benjy's giant bento box!

Some of our food was delivered on this fun bullet train. We all got a big kick out of this.

We were so grateful that the flights were uneventful (and thank goodness we got Clayton his own seat). 

We arrived home safely and were so happy to see Clara (Benjy kept saying, "I miss Clara.") She had a good time in our absence despite my worries, playing with her babysitter Madison's dog, Luna, getting Bruster's, getting hot chocolate from Starbucks, and enjoying a quiet house.

'Til next time!

California Adventure part 3

 The last two days we spent more time in Yosemite. Due to it being later in the season and most water having dried up, the waterfall hikes that Michael was hoping to see weren't worth it, unfortunately. However, we made the most of the park by exploring other areas besides Yosemite Valley. 

On Tuesday, we down to Mariposa Grove where the giant sequoias grow. 

It was a grueling upper 90-degree day and we had some serious complaints, but we pushed through. I was grateful for the help of the kiddos carrying the packs (even if it was just for a little bit). I really appreciated Henry's good attitude on this hot hike. 

The largest tree in Yosemite, the Grizzly Giant, grows there. I was excited to see it! It's over 1800 years old.

So cool!

The Tunnel Tree is still alive despite this giant passageway carved into it.

Clayton is almost walking!

The Fallen Monarch. No one knows how old it is, but wow, it's enormous.

On Wednesday (my 40th birthday!), we drove to Tuolumne Meadows, the alpine sierra region of Yosemite. It was much cooler there and very pleasant, especially with the breeze. Michael took the boys on a little hike up to the top of a dome and I hiked by myself for about half an hour with Clayton in the pack. It was so peaceful and lovely, and it was amazing being alone and hearing the breeze rustling through the trees, feeling it on my skin, and just walking in circles taking in the beauty. As I came out of the woods I turned to my right to see this gorgeous clearing, complete with a mule deer buck in the center. I felt like it was seriously a gift from my Heavenly Father, and I actually cried a little. I have been struggling with turning forty and feeling like I haven't made much of my life thus far. I felt like Heavenly Father was telling me He loved me through this sweet experience yesterday.

A close up.

The Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River is just amazing, After I returned back to the group, we hiked back to this spot again. 

Clayton fell asleep on our quiet hike. We also saw a doe and two fawns and a marmot!

The boys hiked this neat dome, and then we did the hike again with me and Clayton. 

Daddy and Robbie and Henry jumped off these rocks into the frigid water. Brrr! 

Can you believe we celebrated twenty years of marriage a couple of weeks ago?! I am so thankful for Michael and the things we are learning together.

Check out Cathedral Peak in the distance. Along with those adorable chunky thighs.

Gorgeous sunset over Yosemite.