Doing Brave Things...Part 2

  I can't believe that almost two weeks has

GONE BY

since we got home from our vacation.

I can't believe how little time I have during the week to post pictures and to work on my blog.

I can't believe that I was lucky enough to wake up early EVERY morning this week to take

these beautiful girls to EARLY morning school.

Only 5 out of the 8...but aren't these girls all so beautiful?

This has made my bedtime be about an hour

earlier than usual and the time I usually use to blog.

As I mentioned before...

we spent one of our most MEMORABLE days in Cancun

in the jungle

doing brave things.

One of the main reasons we choose to go to Cancun
 (besides the beaches)
 was to see the ancient MAYAN ruins.

We had no idea when we got to

CANCUN

that we would not only get to go see the Mayan ruins...

but Repel, Zip Line, Canoe and

take part in an ancient Mayan ceremony.

Heck ya...we are TOTALLY in for this type of an adventure.

After driving 90 miles

we arrived at this beautiful location and began our hike into the jungle.

It was absolutely beautiful.

 So many strange and beautiful creatures.

We participated in an ancient MAYAN ritual with one of the leaders of the Mayan community.

We were taken to the CENOTE where we got to experience the

Repelling adventure I spoke about earlier.

That was just the beginning of our adventure.

We GOT TO zip line.
One of my absolute favorites!

Still can't believe my kids all did it...

and without hesitation!

Once you crossed the lakes there was only one way out...

and that was to CANOE

our way back.

 Waiting for us on the other side was an amazing lunch filled with authentic Mayan foods.

 We ate like KINGS and QUEENS

and we were so impressed at how clean they kept there 
meager homes.

 They took such good care of so little!

And FINALLY we made it to Coba to see the Mayan Ruins!

We started at Grupo Coba.

The 2nd largest temple in Coba.

 But this was not what we had come here to see.

We came to hike the BIG one...Nohoc Mul.

After hiking for more than 3 miles we arrived at

Nohoc Mul...

 the largest pyramid at Coba standing at

130 feet tall.

And yes we definitely were going to hike to the top of this one.

But not without taking care of some business first.

Someone had to ask a girl to Homecoming first!

Hiking to the top felt so good!

Coming down is the scary part!

This day turned out just the way we hoped it would...

and I got to watch my

family ENJOY every minute...

every "scary" or "brave" experience...

knowing that they were having a chance of a lifetime

and wanting to savor every moment of it!

We also learned just how fortunate and blessed we truly are.

I don't think ANY of us will ever forget this day...

at least not anytime soon!

Beach Bound

Twelve hours and counting...

I'm beach bound!

Boogie Boards...check!

Beach Towels...check!

Sunscreen...check!

Beach chairs...check!

Beach umbrella...check!

Let's hit the BEACH people!

I'm taking 6 kids ALL by myself.

I'm either incredibly insane or incredibly smart!

I will let you know on Sunday when we return!

Meanwhile my sweet hubby is heading out on his own adventure!  

He is headed to Lake Powell to fish!

Stripers, Walleye, Bass are what he is hoping to catch...

he is bringing an ice chest...

BIG ENOUGH to hold them all!

Remember how I said in an earlier post that there are either

beach people  

or camping people?

Well these two pictures pretty much sum up what "type" of people

my hubby and I are!

I'm a beach girl!

He's a camping, hunting, fishing guy!

This will actually be our first vacation without each other...

he hasn't left...

I haven't left...

and I already miss him!

      

2 Days in a NUTSHELL...

I'm lying in bed tonight wondering

how I even start

to talk about everything we have had going on over the last two days 
so I decided I would do it in a nutshell.

Yesterday morning my sweet little girl left for 6th Grade

Science Camp.

 This will be her group for the next 3 days!

Seriously she is so little I can hardly believe she is

old enough for such an adventure!

Then I have to remind myself...

she is growing up like the rest of them

and it scares me, excites me, panics me...

and makes life a

TRUE BLESSING!

 *****************************

I'm somewhat...but not TOO much embarrassed to say that

WEDNESDAY night television is my

FAVORITE!
 Therefore, last night I spent almost 3 hours watching my favorite shows on television!

I am a huge

SURVIVOR fan.

I have watched every season and love it just as much as I did when the first season aired.

Did I ever tell you that I got to meet the host of the show

Jeff Probst

while I was at a mall in Scottsdale?

He was visiting his parents who live in Scottsdale and he was out

shopping with them.

He was the nicest guy and was willing to talk about the show for as long as I wanted!

He didn't realize how much I like to talk!

I also got a little tidbit of information from a friend that next season they will be doing an

ALL-STAR-WINNERS

ONLY SHOW
in the fall!

I am truly giddy with excitement!

For me the 2nd BEST show on television is DUCK DYNASTY!

I laughed so hard last night...

for the future I will have to tape Ron watching the show...

you can hear his laugh a mile down the street!

If you aren't watching this FAMILY friendly show...

you are missing out!

****************************

When I drove away from the school yesterday...

after dropping off Katie for science camp
 I started to cry!

I was wishing I had gone to be with her!

Why is it so hard to say GOODBYE...?

Well today...right at the moment I was really missing her I received this picture of her:

             

  And she looked happy...really happy!

I knew all was well!

I was so grateful that she called me tonight to tell me how good she had done on her archery score!

I love my cute redneck girl!!

*********************************

Jacob was in a musical performance at school called

SEUSSICAL the MUSICAL.

But I had to be at court.......AGAIN!

I tried going more than an hour early to court...

hoping and praying

we could be first and they would be on time,

so that I could

hopefully still make his performance.

I didn't and it made me sick!

I contacted my neighbor down the street to record it for me so I could watch it with Jacob later. 
 In the meantime she sent me this picture of him:

       He was happy...and that made me happy!

I can't wait to see it with him!

**************************

Tonight during my RUN...

I ran longer and faster than I ever had...

and I was PROUD!

Proud of myself for accomplishing something that I didn't think my body would ever allow me to do again!

I'm losing the FEAR...

and replacing it with

FEARLESSNESS!

***************************

FINAL THOUGHTS

Christopher started in his JV volleyball game today and played awesome...I am so proud of him!

My Bestie is getting married...this Saturday!

My stepdaughter Britni is having a baby in October!

We've made one more step towards our BIG family vacation in October.  

We are CANCUN bound!

We can't wait! 

Yep...this is where we will be staying!

Woot...Woot! 

  

Beach....check!

 

I can't believe it has taken me so long to post

our 

beautiful pictures of the

BEACH

while we were in California over 

FALL BREAK!

With our 

SPRING BREAK

coming up in only 7 days I thought I had better

get er' done!

We had 3-day park hopper passes which meant

that we had one day

FREE

to do whatever we wanted.

We choose to go to the 

BEACH!

Living in the midwest as a child meant that I had 

NEVER

been to the ocean until I was 24 years old!

(I was so deprived!)

I love the beach and everything about it!

(Except for the sand in everything!)

And I can't resist taking photographs as the lighting

with the 

SUN and the WATER

is just breathtaking.

Here are a few shots to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an absolutely beautiful day...

with my

BEAUTIFUL

family.

We have FRIENDS....

okay...well we ALWAYS had friends,

but not always friends that INVITED us to do stuff...

and I have to admit...it's mostly our fault.

Ron's work schedule,

me working,

kids' schedule,

church schedule,

being party poopers, etc and the list could go on.

But the Letner's are

AWESOME

and didn't let any of those excuses stop them from being our friends!

So when an invite to Rocky Point (Mexico)

with them came about...we originally said NO.

Again...for all the reasons I listed above.

But Dennis is pretty persuasive and he DIDN'T take no for an answer.  

We are so GLAD he didn't...because we had a blast.

I can't believe how much fun we had in just 2 short days!

Here is our itinerary of fun in pictures:
 
GIRLS must SHOP!!
 

While the girls shop...the boys will wait!

After an afternoon of HOT shopping...ice cream is promised!
 
Thrifty Ice Cream...one of our favorites is everywhere!

Boy...my kids are CUTE!

The girls got cute cover ups and Christopher looks Top Gun stylish  in sunglasses.

Jacob got a slingshot...watch out!

Christopher

Rachel and Amorette

My BAYWATCH cuties!

 
 I love this baby...he is so HAPPY and the funniest kid ever.

I love how tender these pictures are and shows the LOVE and TRUST he has for his parents.

Seriously...does he just make your heart melt!

Jared, I sure do love you!

But this man is the MAN of my dreams.

(Ronald...you truly are the VERY best part of me.)

Awww...still got the love after 16 years!

Dennis and Kinley we sure love ya guys.

The kids couldn't wait to join us on the beach that first night after dinner.  The tide was low and we were on a mission to search for all kinds of sea life!

What an amazing sunset.

We spent hours and hours at the BEACH or POOL...

we have the sunburns to prove it!

Jacob had a LOVE hate relationship with the ocean...
he spent hours running from the waves...
then decided to jump on in,
before coming to the shore to spit out SALT water.
An unexpected taste he didn't like!

The girls spent lots of time with RON...
on his shoulders...what a great stepdad!

And we found out you can't leave Rocky Point without one of their 

FAMOUS

chili and lime covered Mangoes!

YUMMY!

YUM!

Kinley and I talked about what makes a great vacation for a mom is to know that her FAMILY is enjoying it...
and that we DID!