handsful

Alternate title:  Longest post ever.

About this time last week, Randy and I were leaving Mexico.  Because Randy is such a gifted salesman and God greatly blessed his efforts, he had earned an all-expenses paid trip to Mexico for 4 nights.  I was incredibly excited, since I’ve never been anywhere even remotely “tropical”.  We settled on the Cancun area, and made our reservations.

Our resort was…amazing.  I want to go back today.  That would work for me.

Since we chose an adults-only resort,  I never once overheard anyone yell “MOM!!”.  Ahhh….  I love my kids!  But, having a break to concentrate on just the two of us was extremely refreshing.  All parents need time away… it makes us better parents when we take care of our marriages first.

Randy tells the kids all the time “Hey, your mom was here first”.  I love that about him.

We arrived on Monday, a few hours before our room was ready.  We toured around, ate a yummy lunch, and played backgammon while we waited.

Here are a few general pics of the place…

Randy in front of our building

Me, over by the pool, and posing with one of the many iquanas that hang out around the resort.  All the resorts in this part of Cancun (well, technically just outside Playa del Carman) are WAY off the road and bordered by thick vegetation.  The animals make themselves at home.  And, the black birds are just as good as roosters…

A shot of the beach

The view from our balcony

And, another from our front door.  See all that expanse of green?

Our room.  The inside couch and desk are directly behind me.  Then, the balcony is behind that…it had a sitting area and a bathtub.  Yes, a bathtub.  The inside tub is on the other side of the curtain behind the bed, and then the bathroom is behind that.

So, I thought a fun way to go through our vacation would be to post 10 things that we observed or learned while in Mexico.  Here we go…

1.  Making souvenirs in the shapes of private parts and, shall we say, couples “embracing” is very popular.  Forgive me for not taking pictures of those…

Weird way to start the list, huh?  Hey, it’s Mexico.

On Tuesday, we joined a group that went shopping in downtown Playa del Carmen.  There is a 25 block street called “5th Avenue” that has tons of stores and restaurants, and only foot traffic.  We were dropped off by our driver and told we had 3 hours to shop.  Heh, that’s WAY too much time, I thought to myself.  Turns out we squeezed every single second out of those three hours.

We made friends with the locals.

Randy sampled many types of tequila…I declined.

And, we watched as other people had their feet exfoliated by tiny, biting fish.

Wednesday morning…

A zoomed shot of the ocean from our balcony.  Can’t get enough of that blue.  Speaking of that…

#2  Yes, the water really is THAT blue.  In fact, it’s even more amazing in person.  So many different shades of gorgeousness.  The sand is nearly white, very fine, and there are ZERO shells.  None at all.

After another wonderful breakfast buffet (not quite the White Swan in Guangzhou, China, but nothing will ever top that), the plan was to meet the dive master for scuba lessons at the pool.  We signed up for those on Monday, and I began fretting about it right away.  I can’t go under water without holding my nose.  Cannot do it.  I hate the feeling of being under water.  What in the WORLD made me think I could try this?!?!  While we were talking to Jose’ Luis, I had some kind of cross between a panic attack and an extreme desire to run away.  I told Randy that, as much as I would like to be able to do this with him, it just wasn’t gonna happen.  Which brings me to another thing I learned…

#3  My fear of being underwater greatly trumps my fear of heights.

I know this is true because, on Tuesday we made arrangements to go parasailing on Thursday.  And, I was crazy excited about that.

So, Randy was on his own with scuba diving.  I planted myself beside the pool and took pictures.  Right along side Lisa, which was Duodi’s wife.  Duodi (doo-waddy, for those who like to be able to pronounce things they read) being the other guy taking scuba lessons.  He’s originally from Paris, but lives in Ireland where his wife is from.  I could have listened to her talk ALL DAY LONG.

Pool lesson done, now it was time for the real deal.  Diving down to the coral reef…

After waving goodbye, I went back to my chair beside the pool…read a book, grabbed lunch at the poolside grill, and had the waiter bring me a coke.  Why can’t everyday be like that?!

#4 Having extremely kind and gracious people wait on you 24/7 isn’t a bad gig…we made the most of it. 

He brought along a waterproof camera and got a few good shots…this one was taken by the dive master.  He looks pretty comfortable to me!

He made it back safely, as you can see.  He loved it, but at the same time said it was one of the hardest things he’s ever done.  Both physically (his ears gave him fits with the pressure…he ended up having to go to the doctor once we were home) and mentally.  Forcing yourself to go down a rope, hand by hand, to a point that you can’t even see was very difficult.  But, once he was down there, he  really enjoyed it.  And, he’s already talking about wanting to do it again.

That afternoon, Randy played some volleyball while I sat in a lounge chair and read my book.

Turns out this trip made me realize what an adventurous and EXCITING woman I am.

A not-so-good shot of the pool at night.

Thursday was our last day…sniff.  We packed it full with breakfast room service, and then headed to the lobby to meet our group going to the Mayan ruins in Tulum.  They are amazing, and the view of the ocean is breathtaking, but…

#5  The heat in Tulum in the summertime would make hell seem downright chilly.  It’s true.  Air conditioning is both appreciated and needed in Mexico.  At least for us spoiled Americans.

Randy talking to one of the couples we met.  They were on their honeymoon, just like 99.9% of the rest of the couples.

#6  We played the game “Find the Honeymooners” a lot.  A dead give-away?  The guys who couldn’t stop spinning their rings.  And, the smiles on the girls.  

Entering the ruins…

That’s the foundation of a kitchen of one of the Mayan houses.  And, that’s me walking by, hiding under my hat.

Their main temple.  We weren’t allowed to go up any of the steps, but it was incredible just to be there, stepping on the same grounds that the Mayans did.

At the end of our guided tour, we were given some free time…which included walking down to the small beach area off the cliffs.  The view was amazing…

Randy jumped in (see him with his hands up?), while I watched our things on the tiny beach area.  This brings me to…

#7  Women from other countries can’t afford bathing suits that actually cover their bodies.  Someone should take up a collection…

Our parasailing appt was at 2:15, and we cut it a bit close.  We were dropped back at the hotel with about 30 minutes to drop off things at the room, change clothes, grab a snack, and head to the lobby.  We jumped in the van with another group headed out for various activities.

Swings surrounding outside bars are quite common here…this was our spot to hang out while we waited for the parasailing boat to return from the previous group’s outing.  The boat was FULL, and we were told that each couple gets about 12 minutes in the air.

Somehow, we were the ONLY couple with our group, so they let us have 30 minutes :)

The last group coming in…see the sail with the teeny-tiny white boat it’s attached to?

The rest of the parasailing pics were taken by a photographer on the boat, and since there are quite a few, I’ll post them separately on the next post.  This one is already too long!

After our adventure, we were taken back to the resort and went straight back to the beach to take some pictures.  In fact, any time we had free time during our stay, we were usually at the beach.  I loved swimming in that water, and that’s saying a lot.  Ya’ll know I’m not usually much of a beach girl!

These last couple were taken by a honeymooning couple from Argentina.  They were in the middle of a 3 week trip, their next stop being Miami.  Must be nice…

Our last night…we propped up the camera on the balcony.

On the way to dinner, there was a market set up.  The vendors are die-hard about making a sale…thankfully, Randy can handle them.

#8 Randy and I made a great team…if one of us couldn’t understand what someone said, the other usually could.  Tag team translation!

However, this definitely caught our attention and we were sucked right in…I’ve seen spray paint painters online, and was so excited that there was one at the resort!  He told us he was taught to do this by his grandfather.  The fire helps to speed-dry it.

We brought this one home.

We nabbed someone to take our picture, right outside the main building.  We were heading up to the Italian restaurant again…it was our favorite.

#9 Eating at 5 star restaurants every night, without ever having to consider prices or be handed a bill?  Yeah, we liked that.  

The next morning, we headed out about 10am for the airport.  The nice driver took our picture in front of the main entrance.  I know it looks a little weird, the lens was foggy from the heat!

This will be a vacation that I’ll never forget…it was just perfect.

#10 Spending time alone with my husband is wonderful, magical, and definitely mandatory.  And, if you ever get the chance to visit this area…just do it.  

It’s October, and you know what THAT means? NC State Fair time! We dropped the dog at the vet, and we hit the road with our friends Ed, Kelley, Kylie, and Kailee following behind.

The fair is all about tradition. Randy and I have been going to the fair since we were kids (with the exception of a few years while we were in Florida), and there are certain things ya’ just have to do.

We always eat lunch at the same booth. Dylan finished every bit of his first foot-long hot dog. We might make a change next year since we saw that the local Shriner’s have a booth there, too. Gotta back the Shriner’s, they’ve done so much for Dylan.

The big kids (and Randy) rode the crazy rides. The littles rode a few, too. We took in the pig races, petting zoo (twice), and posed for pics in front of the fountain. We went to all the animal exhibits, ran into friends and family we don’t get to see often enough, and ate. Oh yes, we ate. That’s one of the very best parts of the fair.

Before they big kids took off on their own, I made them pose for pics. I’m such a mom.

The trips and their friends.

We decided to attempt a family shot. Enjoy the progression.

Not bad!

The kids running around by themselves, we took the littles for a few rides just for them. Well, Randy joined in on this one. Mama doesn’t spin. It would have made for a miserable rest of the day if I had!

The tube ride on water. They were really looking forward to this one.

Lainey did most of the work, while Dylan tumbled.

Abbey hung out with us more than the other kids did, which was nice for us.

There was one area that was growing local crops as an exhibit. The kids got to feel real cotton, right off the plant. We took one home…it was lying on the ground already, we didn’t pluck it!

In the chicken exhibit. Looks like we’re skipping through!

Randy made a friend. This rooster didn’t know what to think…

Weird robot-guy wandered around the fair, with loud music blaring. The lady in the white shirt is Randy’s aunt, we usually only see her at Christmas and were excited to run into her!

We also found Jayden and his family…another one of Dylan’s Luoyang orphanage buddies!

Tradition dictates that you MUST wear stickers. And, all of the exhibits give them out. Randy and I wore our stickers proudly. Can you guess which ones WE wore?

The petting zoo…goats, calves, camels, llamas, etc. They sold bags of sliced carrots to feed them.

And, then there was the food.

One of Marley’s favs. As well as roasted corn and cotton candy.

Lainey cleaned that cob perfectly.

If it can be deep fried, it’s at the fair. Abbey loved the Reese’s cups, and Ethan the Oreo’s. Payton enjoyed his old fashioned apple pie, hold the deep frying.

My favorites? One of the exhibits had cupcakes. I had the Smore’s, with toasted marshmallow on top. And, the handmade soft pretzel booth. Oh, and the french fry stand that we ALWAYS stop by. Nothing deep fried for me, though.

Given that the fairgrounds are very close to NC State University, you won’t find anything with UNC-CH on it!

The fair at night…

We did what we always do. Stayed till the very end. Randy drove home, while the rest of us snoozed away. Home by 1am, we fell into bed. Happy…and, very full.

Another blog about the comings and goings of our crazy household…I really enjoy writing posts, and looking back at the history of “us”.

I don’t necessarily do them for the enjoyment of anyone else. Cause, truth be told, I have no idea if anyone other than a few very consistent people (thanks!) who comment actually read any of this. I kinda wish there was an app that alerted me when someone clicked over and read the blog….kinda sounds like something the government would do, though. Watching our every move…another subject, eh?

Course, I’m guilty of reading other peoples blogs and never commenting…I guess I should get better about that. It’s nice when you realize that others really ARE stopping by :)

Enough whining…

A little over a week ago, Randy made the last-minute decision to get us tickets for an Atlanta Braves baseball game. It’s been years since our last game. I think maybe 6, so Abbey would have been 10?

So, we hit the road that Friday afternoon…leaving too late, it turned out, and then having to back-track to get the forgotten camera. Ugh. Which made us miss the whole 1st and 2nd innings. Oh well, we were in our seats for the rest!

Our biggest “wants” for that night? To see Chipper play. To see Kimbrel pitch. And, of course, for them to win.

Chipper….first check. He retires this year, and Randy said should easily be a first-year Hall of Fame player. Some players wait years for that honor.

Notice Marley is missing? She had a previously planned trip to PA with her friend Kylie and her family. This was really the only weekend we could make a game, and she understood. We really missed having her there.

The wave, of course.

What I get these days when I ask the boys to pose for pics…goofballs.

Dinner…Dylan has portion control issues.

Hot dog and this ballgame treat…oh yeah.

Chipper again. He’s such a rock star.

Speaking of rock stars. The crowd went CA-RAZY when Kimbrel (second check) started running across the field. All the screens turned into fire! His stats are extremely good and this is only his second season in baseball. If you care nothing for baseball, I’m boring you to tears. Sorry…

I’ll skip to the end. They won (3rd check) and did a bit of celebrating.

They always have Friday night fireworks, so we moved farther up (a lot of seats opened up) and the kids started trying to get noticed for the jumbo screen.

It worked!

The fireworks were awesome…

If I could crop out the annoyed guy on the right, I would…but we look happy!

Showing off the signature Braves “Tomahawk Chop”

Me and my sweetie.

Forgive me while I post a bunch of pictures of my kids in random poses.

Smooch!

Payton’s been captured!

Not sure they had leap frog in mind when they made this statue…

We had such a great time at the game, and it was over WAY too soon. Rather than drive home that night (which would have gotten us home about 3am), we crashed at a nearby hotel and drove back the next day.

Hoping to watch the Braves in the post-season this year!

On our last morning in Florida, some of us wanted to hit the beach.

I wasn’t one of them. I like the beach, I don’t love it. The sand is sandy, the water isn’t refreshing to me, and with my fair skin…it’s just a burn waiting to happen.

So, I chose to stay behind and pack. I’m such fun, eh?

Randy took just the girls. Dylan shares my opinion of the beach, and the boys chose sleeping in.

Thankfully, Randy took the camera and got some great shots.

Love this shot!

Looking for shark teeth

Abbey ended up finding several

Randy gave the camera to Abbey…

I saw this photo and immediately knew which beach they went to. The beach isn’t covered in fine sand, but instead has these tiny shells all over. Kinda crunchy under the toes :)

Our trip to FL and Power Up Clubs, 2012 was a huge success. Hope to make a repeat next year.

Even though KK originated in NC, we don’t have one close to us. So, we had to stop by the one close to our old neighborhood in Florida :)

We swam. A lot.

Every night, we watched the Olympics (this was the first night Ethan was supposed to have stayed at the church, but he stayed with us because he got sick)

A highlight of our trip was spending a day at Hope’s house! Dylan was so excited to have a day with his bestie from Luoyang. They were shy with each other for about 3 minutes, and then it was like old times. We’re so blessed to be able to continue this friendship and plan to until their eventual wedding. Ahem.

We enjoyed lunch at a local Asian place (predictable, eh?)…

Someone tried to steal a kiss and someone was playing hard to get…

Then, it was back to Hope’s house for playing and swimming…

The goofiness was times three.

The cuteness times a zillion…

Persistent little thing!

Randy did a lot of traveling. He spent days in Orlando, Jacksonville, and even Raleigh (flying in and out in the same day!) No pics of Randy working…what fun is that? :)

Next up, pics of the last day when Randy took the girls to the beach. The boys and I stayed back, to pack up (and sleep in a bit).

Earlier this month, we made our yearly trip back to Jacksonville, Florida. The big kids were welcomed back at our old church to participate in their week-long, backyard version of VBS called “Power Up Clubs”. This is their 3rd year since we moved back to NC, and we are so thankful for the time they get to spend with their beloved friends.

Last year, we rented a condo on the beach in St. Augustine, while the big kids roughed it staying at the church with the rest of the PUC teams. This year was different. With Randy’s new job, and his sales territory expanded to include most of the southeast, he combined a lot of working with a little bit of downtime. So, it was mostly me and the littles hanging out in Florida, while Randy traveled back to NC, GA, and FL.

To clarify what Power Up Clubs are…the kids are divided up into teams of about 7 (aged 12-18) with an adult leader. The teams visit 3 houses (hosted by church members) per day and put on 1 1/2hr clubs for the neighborhood kids that have been invited by the host’s. So, for the whole week, the kids do this 15 times, in the Florida heat (and accompanying thunder storms which ALWAYS come in the afternoons…). Plus, they stay at the church, church members provide three meals and snacks, and they end each night with awesome teaching and worship.

We always take Lainey and Dylan to visit each of their siblings clubs….

Payton was part of the daily skits. A pirate, as you can see.

Tagged!

He was also the Surginator…the guy who, under the strange influence of the lightning bolt, runs around screaming about how fun Power Surge (the end of the week carnival at the church) will be!

Lainey and Dylan loved the games…

Arghh

The day we visited Marley’s club, there was a HUGE storm coming. So, we ended up in the garage, which worked just fine.

She does NOT like to talk in front of others, so this was perfect for her. The boy read the script and she acted it out.

Freeze dance :)

Abbey’s club, next…

Abbey was full-out in pretty much all the skits. And, did a great job.

A game called “steal with bacon”…Puuullll, Lainey!

I don’t think it even occurred to him that the other guys were bigger than him…

This shot cracks me up. All the kids, being kids and not afraid to ask the hard questions, were asking him about his leg. He matter-of-factly explained that he jumped off the stairs and broke his leg. ?? Yes, he DID do that soon after we brought him home, but it’s not why he wears his “jingwa”. We had a talk about it later, so he’ll be better prepared when the questions come again.

The kids are loving the clubs!

Ethan’s turn. He was also in the skits…

Gave Dylan a much-needed ride during the games.

And, wore the lightning bolt :)

Drip, Drip, Drop is always a favorite “get wet” game at PUC.

I love being able to “spy on” the big kids, by taking the little kids to see them at their clubs!

Next post, hanging out in Jax, and visiting friends in Orlando!

the NC mountains.

And, we’re blessed to be so close to them. It takes us an hour to arrive in Boone, NC…the hometown of Appalachian State University. We like to hang out downtown, right in the midst of the student’s hang outs. Local diners, antique stores, Mast General Store, etc. It definitely has a college town feel to it, and the hippie vibe is always present. :)

Then, just a few miles down the road, you can jump onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and take in some free rock climbing and gorgeous views.

Check out the day we had about a week ago…

The van we parked beside. Peace, baby…

Our first stop was the Mast General Store. The first one was built in 1882 in Valle Crucis. The one in Boone was built in 1913. It has clothing, housewares, local products, and tons of candy sold by the pound. The kids are drawn in by that last one. Course, so am I.

Shopped out, it was time to check out the scenery. Randy was holding Dylan by the overall straps to get this shot!

Me and my little girl…

Whatta ya want?

Explorers!

Conquerors!

Abbey tries to make a new path

Marley is content to enjoy the view

Spiderman showed up while we were there…

Dinner time. Southern style.

Finished with yummy dessert!

It was a great, mountain day trip :)