2 weeks in Puerto Vallarta

Oh, the joys of coming home from vacation... We got home late last night and Paul was in San Francisco yesterday and today for school. Our day today was spent cleaning, unpacking and doing laundry. The good thing about coming home is that the kids feel like they have new toys again. 

We celebrated my in-law's 40th anniversary together in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Twelve adults and nine kids stayed together in this beautiful beach house that resembled a palace. I was a little nervous about the trip because there is a pool in the backyard and the beach is also right there off the backyard. Water safety is always a concern for my family since my kids have no concern, whatsoever, for their safety. I was nervous the first couple of days and then after that I felt okay with the whole water thing. We set some pretty strict rules with the kids and for the most part they followed. Every day of the first week was spent at the beach and then at the pool. The ocean water and the pool water felt like bathwater. It was so nice since we are used to freezing cold water at the beach here. We hired some chefs for the first week so when evening came dinner was ready and served. And the food was so good! The second week was spent going on more outings and doing crafts and science experiments with the kids. The guys only stayed the first week and the gals stayed through the second week with the kids. It was such a fun time to be together in such a beautiful setting. The kids also loved being with each other. It was weird not getting into our bathing suits this morning. I miss PV already. 

On the other hand, the two weeks in PV had some down moments. We are all really responsible people but for some reason things kept breaking. An AC in one of the rooms went out, the remotes for the gate door and AC broke, we broke 2 tiles in the pool, scratched one of the cars, broke a little statue, one of the kids peeled some paint off the wall (of course it was my kid), and I hate to say it but the list goes on and on. We fixed and/or replaced everything but it was just crazy how many things went wrong. At the end of the second week, it became comical and we even made up a rap about it (see below). We also had some run ins with the runs. We kept telling everyone not to drink the water but kids are kids. Most of the kids got diahrea. A few adults got it as well. My kids were fine until the day before we left. Paige and Zoey got it which was awesome because it made the plane ride home extra special. Paige had it once on the plane and Zoey had it twice. We made a lot of trips to the bathroom.

Our home for 2 weeks. 

Our backyard. 

Hanging out at the beach

The girls running around having fun together. 

Me and the girls at the beach

Paige at the pool. This is how she liked to be in the pool. 

Zoe showing a little shoulder at the pool

Paul in the pool

Mom and Zoey swimming in the pool

Paige, Grandma and Beckam

Zoey loved playing with the sand toys in the pool

Paul, my little fish, loved the pool 

My sisters

Drying off before dinner. 

Yummy Mexican Food

The kids made some pinatas. 

This is my husband climbing a palm tree for a coconut. He was close but didn't get one. Then the guy at the house brought out a long pole and knocked one down for us:)

Painting our fingernails. 

Paul wanted one of each color. 

Love this picture of Paige. Her hair was awesome in Mexico because of the humidity. It looked like I curled it with an iron every day. 

Digging for some bones and hidden critters. 

Paul found a critter

At the beach

at the beach

The kids did some skits to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa. Shayna made the kids these awesome t-shirsts. 

Paige and Uncle Er

Paul bought this spider and hat at the market downtown. 

Lunch out at PePe's

Mom and Paige at lunch

Dad and Paul at lunch. 

Walking down the boardwalk.

Paige enjoying her popsicle. 

These popsicles were so yummy but they melted fast in the heat!

All the girls bought cute Mexican dresses at the market. Here is Charlie's Angels in their dresses and holding their new fans. 

Paige wanted to wear her dress everyday. 

Paul and a coconut

The kids playing with water beads. 

Mom and Paige laying out. 

Paul being weird

Paul being serious

Paige on the stairs. 

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the PV Zoo. 

It was definitely different than the zoos in the U.S. The animals are close and you can feed them. Here we are at the hippo. Notice how close Paul is. We fed this hippo carrots. 

Here is Paul in front of the lions. Yep, just a fence between us and the lions. No feeding the lions!

Here is Paige feeding a giraffe a carrot. 

Here is Paul feeding the giraffe. 

The kids also participated in the turtle release program. Here is a newly hatched turtle. 

Here are the turtles heading to the ocean. They were so cute. 

Photo of the group

Charlie's Angels posing for a photo. These girls loved playing with each other most of the time. Lots of quarrels but also lots of love. 

Our family photo. 

Me and the hubs

Beautiful sunsets

Our rap:

DAMAGE REPORT

Touched down at PVR, stepped right into a shower
Martin with two cars, driving circles for two hours
Brandon rents at Hertz or Thrifty, didn’t tell us where
Never found that family, became a grand affair
Divine intervention, found the blessed place
Shayna had a moment, a moment of disgrace
First night in the palace, in June and Ward’s room
Two parents woke up, because of a boom
“My responsibility? The frame fell in the night”
Cockroaches on the face, jumping up with such a fright
One car, two brothers, one thousand pesos of junk
Gate opener broken, what a piece of bunk.
“Don’t touch it, leave it, put it back in the car”
The opener working, next disaster not too far
Each AC plus remote, the ratio one to one
Water and Charlie’s Angels means another one is done
Edee on the waves, testing out boogie skills
Broken board means flushing down more dollar bills
Middle of the night, brother Paul, a sweaty heap
Better fix the AC, without it we can’t sleep
Filters out, wash them down, put them in the heat
Google it, fix it, switch the breaker and repeat
Swim diaper on Jane, peeing on the chord
Zoey pulled the iPad, crashing to the floor
Two tickets for Brandon, driving his rental jeep
Thought the cop at number two, was somewhat of a creep
Each and everyday, cheese, tortillas and some beans
“Maybe something sophisticated, and possibly some greens?”
Grandpa Paul, so happy, that the rains finally came
Door left open, Charlie’s Angels left to blame
Parallel parking in the van, bumped a tiny tree
Bumper paint fell off, casualty fifty three
ADD, ADHD, OCD, or just distraction
Picking paint off the wall caused a chain reaction
When it’s silent we suspect something’s gone ablaze
Blue chalk powder sprinkled from Paige’s sneaky ways
“Paul jumped up on the cabinet, broke the statue’s limb”
The brother or the little one? The one that’s not so slim!
Zoey strikes, watch out, breaks the warmer lid?
Seriously? Really? What’s up with this kid?
Need extra shade on a super windy day?
Two broken tiles where the kiddies laugh and play
What’s for dinner? Let me guess, more tortillas, beans and cheese
Moose, farts, toots, gas, flatulence, the breeze
Running to the bathroom, Annie had to go real bad
Toilet full of paper, overflowing, makes us sad
Plastic cups and water jugs, dripping down the shelf
Water covers floors, did the bottle break itself?
Martin walks in, to see the house in current state
The plant slouching, when before it stood up straight
Adults, kids, babies...all people with the runs
Don’t drink the water, or it will hurt a ton
The list goes on and on and on and on and on and on
But despite all that, the sun still rose, thankful for the dawn.
Twenty one people, twelve adults and kids that equaled nine
Through everything, good, bad, ugly, we found it está fine