Cabo!

Shane just returned home from 9 days in Samoa yesterday...  He called it work... I called it a vacation.  :)  I understand he did spend 3 days working...  but he also toured the island, and sent us videos sliding down rocks and doing other "non"work stuff.  And on his way home he had an all day layover in Honolulu... so of course he surfed and hung out on the beach.  He has reminded me over and over again that he invited me to come with him.  That is true, and I would have loved it.  But in order for me to feel like a good mother I had to decide between two trips that were 2 weeks apart... and I chose...

Cabo San Lucas!!

It was mid-August, the girls not back in school so we had Tayler and Saige as helpers during the day...  And my awesome bro and sis-in-law Andy and Missy at night and on the weekend. :)  They were great to our girls.  And helped us cross off lots of things on our summer-to-do-list.  Thanks so much guys!!

Our trip involved no work at all...

only relaxation...  ahhhhh

We headed off to the airport with our awesome traveling pals Joe and Lisa ready for an adventure.  We stayed here...

Santa Fe Riu...

an all-inclusive resort with beautiful pools, swim up bars (we definitely had our fair share of fruity non-alcoholic drinks...  but didn't get our moneys worth out of the whole experience like some who were at the bars 24/7!  But we remember our trip! :))

We did amazing stuff like...

hiring a boat to take us to "Lands End" and the famous Cabo Arch...

Then we were dropped off at Lover's Beach near the rock for some fantastic snorkeling in the warm "sea of Cortez" water.  Seriously it was perfect!
(It is possible that it felt so awesome because Cabo was so hot that day!
I was melting...  It was Lisa that wanted to go in August...:))

Getting picture with birds... totally my favorite!

Joe felt VERY comfortable...

                    

Then there was our "camel adventure"...

which we MAINLY took to celebrate Joe and Lisa's son Josh's "Hump Day" (Mozambique Mission)...

We had a great tour guide who told us all about the areas "cacti".

We now have desert survival skills. :)

Then we were off to meet the camels...

but not before a few photos...

hahahahaha

None of us had ever ridden a camel before...

now we can say we have.

Truthfully I wouldn't want to travel very far on a camel...

Shane and I got the big boy Louis...

not the most comfortable ride!

Me... not wanting a kiss...

Shane willing...

Joe... GROSS! :)

After the camel fun we had a delicious authentic meal...

and I learned that I could make my family tortillas and even grind my own corn if necessary!

Another day we took a zip-lining tour...

it was hot!

(sweat-taco hot!)

And freaky...

we were way high and did 8 different lines...

the fastest went 55 mph...

(actually Lisa and I did 6 because we were wimpy and hot and too tired to hike anymore!)

It was so fun and the wind felt great while we were zipping across the canyon...

I was just freaked out to start and stop...

Ever.single.time!

O... and a guy in our group got a huge piece of wood impelled in his butt and had to go to the hospital...

Bet he won't soon forget that excursion! :)

 How is it that Shane looks so at ease and cheesy in every picture he is in...

even hanging from a wire across a canyon???

This next picture is about the time I am questioning Lisa's logic on how this excursion was "more safe" than taking a water taxi out to go parasailing... above nice cool beautiful water...

Instead we had vultures swooping around just waiting for us to fall to our sweaty deaths from a wire!

She never listens to me...

or gives me my way...

She's just like Jadyn...  STUBBORN!

Which is why they get along so well and why I love them both so much! :)

On a side note that reminds me of a great Jadynism from yesterday.

Shane said to her, "Jadyn you are strong willed."

Her reply, "well you better believe I am strong!

Today I carried 2 big boxes of ramen noodles and a huge thing of peanut butter in from the car!

:)

I was grateful to get back and get me a nice drink from the "bar".

And then spend the rest of the day vegging by the pool and getting more refreshment at one of the 3 swim up bars!

We tried hard all week to keep the guys from doing things like this...

But we have no control...

(joking, only joking... don't get worried peeps!)

They were more interested in doing STUPID things like this!!

Playing on boogie boards in the crazy waves off our beach...

(which is why Lisa wouldn't take a water taxi from the beach :))

They were getting PUMMELED by the waves...

and they thought it was a blast!

We also enjoyed more calm activities like a stretch/yoga class on the beach...

Lisa and I spent a lot of time visiting the vendors on the beach...

and avoided the ones trying to secretly sell our guys drugs...

Lisa and I must have looked like big spenders because every time we walked down on the beach they all swarmed to the rope that they couldn't pass.

We enjoyed lots of food...

but I wouldn't say that it was the BEST food I've ever had...

it was all inclusive though...

so we ate more than we should have...



We laughed a lot...

laughed a lot at drunk people...

did some spying...

played games...

skyped our girls...

sent "backpack boy" to the bar to get us drinks...

and ended our last night by having Joe entertain us with his "animal and scaring skills"...

Yes that is Joe... hiding in a bush... freaking people out.

It was hilarious...

by the time he was done there were at least 30 people "watching the show" waiting to see who he would scare next.

And we learned that drunk people seem to "scare" easier!

Only wish I had gotten better videos!!

We had a blast and loved our vacation in Cabo...

6 days that we won't soon forget!

Thanks Andy and Missy for taking such good care of our girls!  We love you!

Back 2 School...

Life at our house is different...

This morning Jadyn started Kindergarten...

Where has the time gone?

She was more than ready...

me not as much as her.

Her only sadness was that she won't be able to stay ALL day and eat lunch...

I teared up a little when she was sitting in her desk and I gave her the "kissing hand"... I think she gave me the look that it was time to leave...

The first thing she told me when she got home was that she "went on a bear hunt!"

Then quickly assured me that there weren't "real" bears on the hunt.

(that might have made for a bad first day of school if animals were involved :))

But wait that wasn't the 1st thing she said, the 1st thing was...

"I needed to go to the bathroom before I got on the bus so we need to hurry home mom!"

And that... was after the bus ride that was almost as long as her 1st day of school!

I called the school TWICE looking for her!

I figured they would be a little slow getting the kids home, so Lydia and I headed down to wait for her about 20 minutes after school was out.  About 10 minutes after that I saw a "bus" come by and waved frantically at it to stop as I saw the driver "reading" a map...  and then it stopped a 1/2 block down the street... a little boy got out... and no Jadyn.  The school assured me that she was on another bus...  after another 40 minutes of waiting and while talking to the district transportation department...

The bus pulled up and my little Jady hopped off with a very apologetic driver...

yep, she missed the stop and brought her by at the end.

Jadyn didn't seem to mind... except for the potty part.  :)

It wasn't easy for Jadyn waiting A WHOLE WEEK after her sisters headed off to school...

Tayler and Saige bright and early on their first day...

 and Kenna a couple hours later... at a more appropriate school time!

They are all adjusting...

Saige did have a funny 1st day of school experience though.

She pulled out all her syllabuses (or is it syllabi?) for me to sign and then stopped,

looked at her schedule,

put her hand to her mouth,

and in her freaking out way said, "WHAT! o, no, o, no... I went to the wrong class!"

She was a little embarrassed to have to go back to her "peer tutor" teacher the next day and explain that the reason why she wasn't on the roll was because she wasn't in the class!  The teacher tried to reassure her by saying that it sometimes happens, but that most kids figure it out while they are in class. :)  

Poor little Lydia is missing her sisters...

but is learning to play and explore on her own.

I took the gates down on all the stairs the other day.

She is giddy with excitement over that!

She now also LOVES dolls and she seems to carry one around all day long.

O, and climbing... that is her other love!

We keep the bathroom doors closed because her favorite thing to do is climb on the toilet, then up on the counter, turn on the water and stomp around in the sink.

That's safe!

I miss them at home, but then wish they would stay longer... because when school gets out I take on the roll that apparently I was destined for...

Chauffeuring!

Today one of my children needed to be taken to or picked up from a lesson at...

3:30

4:00

5:00

5:15

5:30

6:00

7:00

8:30

9:30

It's quite possible we are "over-scheduled" at our house! :)

Neighbors please call before running any "errands"... I'm sure my girls will need to be dropped off SOMEWHERE!