handsful

It’s been raining here a lot lately.  It finally cleared up today, thankfully….but, we had a few solid days of rain and more rain.

I hope my garden didn’t “drown”.

One afternoon last week, the littles were tired of being cooped up.

They didn’t know I was watching them from the kitchen door.

No thunder and lightning means  playing in the rain is a-ok.

They were soaked through.

Oops.  They see me.

That can only mean one thing.  They’ll turn into hams for the camera.

See, I was right.

Then, Lainey decides to up the ante on the water fun…

They continued this for a while, dumping or throwing water on each other while giggling hysterically.

Chilled to the bone, they were done and in their warm, dry PJ’s.

Playing in the pouring rain?

Why not?

Well, not quite.  We were told the rope was 600 ft long.  Randy estimated maybe we were 200+ feet in the air :)

On the boat, ready to go!  I wasn’t nervous at all.

About that…I swear I DO have a fear of heights.  I don’t like being in open, high spaces…like a roof, ledge, mountain.  I mean, the wind could blow me off, right?!  But, (most) roller coasters and zip lines don’t bother me.  I like them.

However, when we went zip-lining a while back, they also had rope bridges to go across.  I was STILL connected by the ropes that would catch me  if I fell, but the possibility of missing a step and falling even for a second was overwhelming.  I hated those bridges!

I’ve realized that, as long as I feel “contained” and I don’t have much of a “free fall” feeling, it’s all good.

Connecting us to the sail…

Letting out the rope…here we go!

We were in awe of all the different colors of the ocean below…and we saw a sea turtle.  Randy kept talking about how high we were.  I told him to shut up.

What a happy, little sail.

This one gives you an idea of how far we were from the boat.  We were over the water most of the time, but in this shot we were turning and ended up right over the coast.

Then, he managed to get us hovering over our resort!  Very cool…

Those 30 minutes were over so quickly, and before we knew it they were reeling us in.

Public displays of affection…

down…

down…

A perfect landing.

Seriously, one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done.  Besides lying beside a pool, reading a book.

If you ever get the chance, you should try parasailing.  It’s the closest I’ll ever get to flying without a plane :)

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.  

As he does every year, today Randy caught up to MY age.

I married a younger man.  By 5 whole months.

Big daddy and his crew…sounds like a rap band.

And, no, I don’t know why the littles are making those faces.

Main dude and the crazies.

…hurry up and sing so I can eat this delicious chess pie that my wonderful wife made…

He had two pieces.

Happy Birthday, Randy.  I love you more with every year that passes.  :)

Heh. Heh.

Our 6 kids are involved in a program called Acrofitness.  It combines floor acrobatics (and/or dancing) with fitness moves.

Hence, the name.

There are a variety of classes, and all of the kids have found the one that really fits their interests.

Abbey takes hip-hop…Marley is in advanced tumbling (since she’s had years of gymnastics in FL)…Payton and Ethan take a Free Running class (also called Parkour; google that one)…Lainey and Dylan take beginning tumbling.

Last night, Acro had their Fitness Festival.  A recital of sorts, where all the classes did a special routine to show what they’ve learned during the last year.  Combining all of the individual classes with all of the teams (those are audition-based that do about 40 shows during the year at various events), we watched 45 routines.  Abbey’s group was #19, the littles were #26.

The boys and Marley opted out…which was fine, since you’ve gotta purchase the event attire and it ain’t cheap.

The littles being goofy, while we waited for Abbey to get ready to go.

These aren’t great pics, but it’s the best we could do given all the heads in front of us.

Loved their routine…their instructor, Heather, is so good (she’s the dark haired gal in the white suit in the first pic)

Lainey and Dylan both did great…and D loved being in front of that many people.  Ham.

They’re on the right end.

L and D with their fav coach, Mr. Joey.  He’s SO good with them and they adore him.

All the kids will enjoy their summer break, but we’ll all be back at Acro again next year.  Three nights per week.  Flipping, jumping, and dancing.

Last weekend, we…all 8 of us…planted our garden.  This is our 2nd year…last year we planted about 3/4 of it.  This year, the whole shebang.

I have no pictures of the actual planting, you’ll have to take my word for it.  It’s hard to take pictures when you’re hands are covered in wet, red dirt.  Clay, actually.  We live in NC, and dirt “here” is a relative term.  When we lived in Florida, a flimsy spoon is all you really needed to dig a decent hole in the dirt.  Not so here.

Why was it wet?  Halfway through the planting, the rain began.  Most of us stuck to it for a while, but some of us (ahem) went inside until it eased up.  Randy and Abbey get full credit for “all day” planting.

When it was all said and done, we planned the garden (what plants, how many, where in the garden, how many rows, etc.), bought all the plants/seeds, and got it all in the ground in about 6 hours.

Now, we water.  And, wait.  Some of the plants are still trying to get established and look a little wilty.  But, nothing has died yet.

Here are some shots I got as Randy was replacing some sprinkler heads

I know it looks like only dirt, but I promise stuff is there.  Cantaloupe, 4 kinds of peppers, 4 kinds of tomatoes, beans, peas, 12 rows of corn, and cucumbers.

Farmer Randy

Yes, I am that tall…

running from the sprinkler

Forgive my change of subject, but I love having wildflowers on our property

And, this is the field beside us.  They allow it to overgrow, then mow it, put it into rows, spread it out to let it dry, and then bale it up.  This happens over 4 or 5 days.  We’re in the process of purchasing this extra land now, which will bring our acreage to about 19.  So thankful for this place we get to call home.

The day began early for me, since EJ had to be at church by 7:45am.  He plays drums for the middle school worship band every-other Sunday.  And, since Randy struggled with allergies the night before, I let him sleep in a bit.

I’m an amazing woman, aren’t I?

Once home, the rest of us got ready since the first, full TESTIFY concert was at 10:30.  I’ve really been looking forward to this.  The kids and Randy have been working hard, about 4 hours of practice each Sunday, to get ready for this.  Randy has been helping with the acting practices, since he wrote the play.  Abbey dances, sings in an ensemble, and acts; Marley sings a duet/solo, Payton dances and acts, Ethan sings a duet/solo.  The kids share acting parts, so they don’t always act in each concert…none of the kids acted yesterday.  But, Marley was singing her usual duet as a solo since her partner was out of town.  My daughter who is SO like me, and would rather the attention be on anyone other than her, was going to sing a solo.  Courage!  It helps that she absolutely loves to sing.

The concert was incredible, they did an amazing job!  Let me share a God moment…

One of the main characters in the play is a bully.  You don’t know it at first, but you find out that he’s very anti-God because he lost his mom to cancer when he was 15.  His father initially became angry, blaming God for taking her away.  He drank and the situation became too much for the son, who moved in with family.  Later on, the father stops drinking and eventually becomes a Christian, but the son…still too mad at God for taking his mom…wants nothing to do with his “religious” father.

After the play, a man came up to Randy, having heard he wrote the play.  He said, “You won’t believe this, but…” and begins to tell Randy that he lost his wife to cancer when his son was a teenager.  He became an alcoholic.  His son moved out and, to this day won’t have anything to do with him.  The father has since become a Christian.  He was in tears, Randy was trying to hold his back.  The man told Randy that he was going home to call his son, and ask if he’d come to a future concert with him.

God works, people.  He’s alive, and uses us in ways we’d never dream of, to further his plans and purposes.  I’m in awe!

So, that was the morning.  Pretty good, eh?  We came home to meet up with EJ (who had gotten a ride home from church), took a few hundred pictures to get a couple of good ones (heh), and then went to one of my favorite restaurants for a late lunch.  We ate too much.  But, it was yummy.

Oh, and they gave me a zebra print tote bag (from our church’s Marketplace store…we sell things made by women in impoverished countries and the money goes back to them, giving them a way to earn a living and support their families!), and a book that I can’t wait to start.  Score one for Randy.

Back home, Randy switched out sprinkler heads while Marley and I hoed around the plants in our newly planted garden.  I’ll blog about that next.

We spent the rest of the night watching old videos while Randy attempted to get them put onto DVD’s.  We have video from 2009 to present on our camera.  Not good.  He’s still tweaking the best way to do it.  Why can’t anything involving a computer be easy?!?

A great back massage later, and I was in bed for the night.

I’m blessed to have such a wonderful husband who spoils me and makes me feel so special, and 6 kids to get hugs and “Happy Mother’s Day” greetings from.  I think back to our infertility treatment days, when we weren’t sure we’d have ANY children….I still remember that sad feeling for the other women who so desperately want to be moms on this day.  It’s such a hard day for those not on this side of the fence.  I wish everyone who wants to be a mom, could be.

Mother’s Day 2013 was wonderful.