Spotlight on Pierce, at 2!

Probably my very favorite posts to write. Reflecting reminds me why I adore my boys so much!

www.arizonaromneys.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday Grams and Happy Birth Day Baby Tripp!

Lots of good stuff going on. Click here!

Leaving? Must party!

Want more photos? Click here!

I am constantly amazed by Mike's sensitivity toward me and my feelings. He understood how hard this move was going to be for me as I cried to him for over 24 hours as I thought about leaving a place I loved so much, where I had grown and changed and loved so many.

I was only in town for one night but he planned a surprise party where I was able to see and say good-bye to all those women who had meant so much to me. It made leaving so much easier and better and I will be forever grateful to him for loving me enough to put my feelings and happiness first during such a crazy time.

It was such a sad/happy night as I was able to say good bye to those I loved so much and who have loved me unconditionally in return.

We didn't own this house, but we surely made it ours with photos, decorations, and lots and lots of happy memories. 

This beautiful backyard was the source of lots of soccer matches, baby pools, gardens, kickball games, marshmallow snowball fights, real snowball fights, firefly watching, and endless BBQs and friendships. Something we will always treasure.

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These ladies made Michigan feel like home: Elizabeth Finkenbeiner, Mandy Tousa, Karen Mitten, Kali Stacy, Lisa Elms, Linda Lehrman, Brandy Boehm, and Jen Stavros

These ladies too! Karen Soderberg, Megan Hanks, Paula Alexis

And more! Marilyn Nielson, Diane Irwin, Melissa Orton, Paula Alexis, Karen Soderberg, Megan Hanks, Ginny Nobis, Rachel Bird and Myken Swaithes.

Some great friends gave me this darling print to hang and remember our time in Michigan. Can't wait to get it up.

I will always miss the gorgeous streets in Ann Arbor and Saline. They were all lined with wildflowers for most of the year. Every time I walked outside in Michigan I couldn't help but be stunned by the beauty and life all around me. Such a special part of the country.

Driving across country the first time was super fun with this crazy man. We listened to books, partied to music and talked and talked and talked. The second time in two weeks in a gigantic Penske was a bit less romantic. 

The next time I flew out, I was able to connect with Amy Strong who was a dear friend, Mia Maid counselor and visiting teaching companion. She was out of town during my last visit (but still helped plan the party), so when I came for one night, Mike sent me out with Amy and Jolene (who had just had a baby) while he hooked the car on to the trailer and packed some last minute items. It was so good to see them one more time and take a few photos of things I knew I would miss about Ann Arbor.

Me and Jolene with darling Avery Jane

We will so miss the school spirit in Ann Arbor and game days when every one wears blue and maize and says, "Go Blue!" to perfect strangers. It really is a magical town.

I will miss the history and character of every building and home in Ann Arbor. Honestly, the whole city is like one giant work of art.

We will miss the Big House, which is a serious presence in Ann Arbor. We will miss cheering along with 100,000 other fans for our team. It was a fantastic place to have boys and during the fall in Michigan, the excitement is palpable.

I will miss living in a town where art, music, diversity and culture is everywhere and fully appreciated. It was such a treat.

I will miss these lovely ladies who were there every time I needed anything. I learned so much from them! 

I will miss so much more and because of that, I am SO HAPPY that I have kept a record of our amazing time in Michigan. So grateful for everything we did and learned there and the relationships we made that will last forever.

Good Bye Michigan

Even writing this 2 months later, my heart still hurts.

Here is the back story in a rather short version:

We loved living in Michigan...especially I loved living in Michigan. While I was there I felt that I really was able to understand who I am and who I am supposed to be. It was an incredible time of growth for me where I felt stretched and pushed and used in every way. We had a fantastic neighborhood, the perfect ward, and incredible schools. Besides being way too far from family, it was an amazing spot for us.

Back in January we decided that we wanted to stay in Michigan for good and plant our roots there. The decision felt good and we began looking for homes. Nothing came up or felt right, so we plodded along. When the summer came and it was time to sign another lease, we did so, since we had not found a house yet.

Equation, a consulting company Mike worked for for a few months before heading to school had kept their interest in him during and after school. Mike did not think it would be the right fit, but after 15 months with a large, global consulting firm, often traveling 4 days a week and commuting and working more hours, weekends and holidays than we care to remember, they contacted him again. To make a very long story short, they gave him a loose offer, contingent upon interviews that  was great for our family, but it meant a move to Utah. This was all happening at the end of July, right before we were coming to Utah for a visit.

Mike flew out for interviews the week before we came for our vacation. He was wowed and impressed and everything just felt right. I remember the conversation we had over the phone after his interviews and I just knew it was going to happen. The opportunity was too good to pass up. We still needed to fast and pray about things, and the contract an offer weren't final as there were still things to negotiate, but I knew our life was about to change.

What I did not expect was the timing or the speed at which everything happened. While we were staying at my parents' house and Mike was in Michigan, he received the final offer and after fasting and prayer we decided it was right for our family. We thought we would go back until Christmas and move in December, then realized it would be better for everyone if we just went. It was a huge surprise to EVERYONE...our kids, family, friends in Utah and in Michigan. Writing that good-bye email was just painful and I bawled my eyes out, but it was the right thing and we knew it.

Mike's office is in Layton, so in one day we found and made an offer on a house in Kaysville (5 miles from his work!!), and got it. They even let us rent it until we could close so the boys could start school on August 26th. It is a great house in an amazing ward with a great school and the friendliest people around (we seriously received 14 plates of goodies when we moved).We felt led, guided, and blessed through every step of the way.

That being said, it was such a sad good-bye, especially because the boys did not come back with us. It was just easier, cheaper and much less hassle for me to go back, grab what we needed and have Mike drive me across country in our van. Mike stayed in Michigan to pack our stuff and finish work. Then, a few weeks later, I flew back to drive across country again in a UHAUL with Mike. Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Here are a few of the emails I sent to break everyone the news. I cannot express how much we were buoyed by the sweet, kind, loving and uplifting emails we received in return. We really made Saline our home and our relationships, as we said good-bye, were evident of that. We still miss being there!

TO OUR WARD MEMBERS:
Dear Sisters,

It is with a heavy heart and tears streaming that I write this email. Mike has been offered a wonderful professional opportunity in Utah that we have decided to take. It was unsolicited and came much more quickly than we could have imagined. After fasting and prayer we believe it is the right move for our family.

Just because something is right certainly does not make it easy. In only one year, you have made Saline feel like home for us. I told Mike, "I don't know how we can go...Saline is my happy place." I cannot thank each of you enough for pulling us in and holding on tight. We felt loved from the moment we moved in.

We have made so many incredible friends and strong relationships that we are so sad we will not be able to continue in person (hooray for technology!) I always tell people that our ward does everything "Just Right." I have learned so much from each of you about what it means to be a follower of Christ and lead your family and others to the Light. I love you all so much for all you have taught me and my children.

The worst part of it all is that in order to get the boys into school here, they will not be back at all to say good bye. I will be home Thursday and Friday morning to pack up our necessities, then drive back to Utah. Mike will oversee the move a little later.  We hope to come back soon to visit and give the boys a chance to say real good-byes. My heart hurts just thinking about it. 

I will miss you all and Michigan more than I thought possible.

All our love,

TO OUR SOCCER FRIENDS

To our soccer family, 

There have been some very unexpected changes in our family over the last week. Mike was offered a really incredible professional opportunity on Friday out west close to family and we have decided to take the job. This means we will be moving to Utah next week in order to get there in time for school to start (we are on vacation in UTah right now). The boys will be staying with my parents so they will not be back to say good bye. This was a completely unplanned surprise for us all and literally hurts our hearts.

One of the saddest parts of our move for the whole family, and especially for Parker is that we will not be playing soccer with you all this year or in the years to come. We were so excited about the team this year! One of the best things about Saline was being on a team with you all and being coached by Leigh. We loved every minute of it and every relationship and memory that we made with you. You are all fantastic, supportive, wonderful people as are your children and we will miss you like crazy. 

If you ever want to ski on real mountains or are looking for a reason to drive across the country, we would love to have you visit us. Please keep in touch! We can't wait to hear all about U9 and U8 black.

TO MY YOUNG WOMEN

To the best Young Women in the country,

This was one of the hardest emails to write, because I just love you all so much and I HATE that I am not going to be in Saline to watch you all throughout the next few years. As most of you know by now, our family is moving to Utah for Mike's job. It is a great opportunity for our family and after fasting and prayers we feel good about the confirmation we received. How grateful I am for personal revelation! I am also so grateful for the holy ghost who has been with me the past few days as a comforter. I was telling Sister Strong that I pretty much cried for 24 hours and many of those tears were shed as I thought about not being with you all. 

You are all the most gorgeous girls..inside and out. Each week I was amazed by so many things...the darling and modest outfits you put together :), your testimonies, your willingness to share spiritual experiences, you ability to feel and recognize the spirit, your acceptance of service, your dedication to the gospel, your willingness to do hard things and your desire to follow Christ. Each week I wondered who I might be now if I was anything like you all are at your age. I feel like I would just be unstoppable, which is what you all are. I literally cannot wait to see who you all become! The thought excites me and makes me smile. Please stay and touch and keep me in the loop of all the wonderful and exciting things you have planned.

I want you all to know that EVERY good thing in my life (my husband, my children, my friends, my education, my talents, my opportunities to serve and grow, and YOU) has come because of my decision to be dedicated to this gospel and my desire to follow Jesus Christ. My saddest times have always come when I have decided to distance myself from God and the church. I know with all my heart that this gospel is the plan of happiness...not plan of ease and luxury but the plan of happiness, in good times and bad. Please stay strong, grow your testimonies, associate with good friends, and support each other! You are all too great to not shine. 

I love you all more than you can understand. If you are every in Utah, shoot me a text and let's get together. You always have a place to stay at my house. I will pick you up and take you to EFY or a sports camp any time! Have a great time at high adventure...not sure you know how lucky you are to have a leader like Sister Strong! She is amazing!

Lots of Love!

Sister Romney

Utah Summer part 2

Tons of fun! Click here! 

Utah Summer Part 1

We had an amazing trip to Utah. Just the tip of the iceberg....Click here.

Kids say the funniest things ;)

They kill me. Click here.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore

To see the fun, click here!

Traverse City! One of our most favorite vacations ever!

I am determined to not let our family blog die. We have almost 7 years recorded and it is amazing!! So, here is to jumping back on the blog bandwagon.

To see it, click here.

Sunday Blessings

Click here! 

Using Family Photos: Stairway Gallery Wall

Using Family Photos: Stairway Gallery Wall

Like I said in my Family Motto post, I love things in my home to be meaningful. Because of this I love ourfamily photo stairway gallery wall. Our stairway opens to our main living room, so it's easily seen and is a focus wall from the main part of our house. It makes me smile every time I walk by.

For all the details, you can check out http://www.momexploresmichigan.blogspot.com/2013/05/good-looks-stairway-gallery-wall.html

Major Catch Up!

We have been living a lot of life! Check it out! 

Baptism Week!

Lots of great stuff to post about! It was one exciting week!

Click here!

Beef Fajita-Style Enchiladas

Created this one a few weeks ago and it is a family fave. Hope you like it too!

Good Eats: Recipe: Fajita-Style Enchiladas

Spotlight on Parker at 8 years old

My favorite food is: quesadillas and pizza

My favorite sport is: soccer and baseball

The best show on TV is: Avatar

The coolest person in the world is: mom, of course

My best subject in school is: math

I'm really awesome at: piano and reading

If I could change my name, it would be: Ang

My favorite color is: dark blue

When I grow up I want to be: an artist and a police officer

My parents are too strict about: when we don't obey the first time and picking our stuff up

My favorite song is: Stereo Heart by Maroon 5

My favorite book is: Harry Potter

When we stop for a treat, I get this: ice cream

4 words that describe me are:  smart, athletic, artistic, good friend

When I was little, I used to: play with balls a lot

My favorite scripture story is:  Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.

My favorite primary/church song is: I am a Child of God (all 4 verses)

My favorite season is: spring

The best snack ever is: blueberries, pretzels and graham crackers

The food that makes me want to barf is: sweet potatoes

The car I would love to drive when I turn 16 is: grandpa's convertible Porshe

My best friends are: Cade, Sam, Josh, Carson

The cutest girl I know is: mom

The most memorable day this year was: playing basketball for the first time

If I had one wish it would be: there would be no poor people

The best thing that has happened to me this year is: going to St. George

One thing I want to learn to do this year is:  to master art

One thing I need to work on is: picking up more

The most important lesson I've learned this year is: don't lie or the consequences will be bigger

Oh Parker, we just love you so much. I can't even tell you how blessed we feel to be your parents. You are an amazing child with the kindest heart. I love watching how you treat others and how you respond to those in need. You are always so close to the spirit and try so hard to do the right thing. You are a hard worker at everything. It has been such a joy to watch you discover the piano this year. You are doing so amazingly well at it and practice hard. I can see how much you love it and it makes me so happy. You have also blossomed into quite the artist. I amazed at what you can already to with a pencil and paper. You have so many gifts! My favorite thing about you is your interest in EVERYTHING. I do not have enough money or time to put you into everything you think would be fun and worthwhile. You want to try it all. I can't wait to see what you end up doing. One thing we tease you about is how SLOW you are. You are our turtle but we love you. You are also pretty silly and goofy around us and your dancing cracks us up. You can be a total nerd, and we just laugh and laugh. You are a very smart boy who has progressed so much this year. You have read 5 Harry Potter books and love them. You love reading just about everything. Your teacher pushes you to be your best and you accelerate in that environment. You grasp everything quickly and are willing to work hard. I love it. You have been an awesome basketball and soccer player this year. You are so little and kind, it is almost shocking to watch you on the court or field morph into someone so aggressive and driven. You have lots of friends and girls and boys like you a lot. You are a good friend and the kid everyone gets along with. That is a great quality. You are a great brother. You are so much fun with Jace and James and you are so sweet to Pierce. He loves you and looks for you all the time. You are learning to be a good helper and good worker. You are getting baptized in a few weeks and you are so excited! I am so grateful for your faithful heart and believing spirit. You are already a wonderful member of the church and example of Jesus. We just can't get enough of your cute smile and freckles. You are such a joy to our family. We love you more than you guess! 

Enjoy the ride!

I recently came across this treasured quote again:

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.  The Fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.  Life is like an old time rail journey—delays, side-tracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and thrilling bursts of speed.  The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

                                  Gordon B. Hinkley

As I was thinking about the reality of this, and the truth of it, I reflected on my life and wrote these words that I wanted to remember: 

I've always loved this quote, but have always been grateful that my life has already been blessed with much more bliss than most people get to experience. I feel so blessed to have a marriage that has almost always been a source of great joy, adventure and love. Healthy, smart kids who I genuinely enjoy. A job (staying home with my kids) that is better than I ever imagined and family and extended family that love and care about me more than I deserve.

Looking back, there have been hard times and rough patches, in fact in hind sight I often wonder how we made it through, but in the moment everything still seemed pretty good. I've always had people and the gospel to piggy back me over the worst of it. In fact, during the worst moments I often felt like my feet were barely skimming reality. 

There will certainly be more hard times to come, but I feel like I almost always have a taste of the beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed and am so grateful for that. From the outside my life seems rather ordinary but because of the people I've been blessed to be on this crazy ride with, I find it mostly extraordinary. 

Olsen Family Photos!

Super cute. Check them out!

March Madness!

This is a copy of the post I did today on Momexploresmichigan.blogspot.com! Can't wait for next week!

We love sports around here, but even if you don't, March Madness is a great time of year. We have a few traditions that keep it especially exciting:

Extended Family. In our extended family everyone over the age of 9, with an email, gets to participate in our March Madness pool. We create our own family group through CBSSPorts.com and we all submit our brackets before the start of the tournament. CBSSports keeps track of everything and has its own calculated scoring system.

Jolly trash talk ensues over email as the standings are reported after each round. The fun thing about March Madness is that it's rarely the most avid sports fan who wins (proof: I am often in the top 3). My dad always ponies up cash for the first, second and third place winner, but you could do it differently. We live far from family but always feel especially close during the month of March as parents, siblings and nephews bond over some friendly competition. 

Nuclear family. My first 3 boys are all old enough to make their own brackets. We print them out and tape them to the fridge and cross out our losers and circle our winners. You get one point for any first round winner, two points for any second round winner, etc. It's not especially technical, but it keeps us all involved and excited as we watch games together or check out the highlights. The winner of the bracket gets to choose the family activity the weekend after the final game and the whole family has to happily oblige. Depending on who wins, we might be stuck cleaning the garage or spending the evening at Chuck E. Cheese or indulging in a steak dinner. I might choose pedicures for all if I win this year. Wish me luck :)

Selection Sunday is this week, so watch a few games (or read a few articles) and get ready for the madness!

March Madness!

This is a copy of the post I did today on Momexploresmichigan.blogspot.com! Can't wait for next week!

We love sports around here, but even if you don't, March Madness is a great time of year. We have a few traditions that keep it especially exciting:

Extended Family. In our extended family everyone over the age of 9, with an email, gets to participate in our March Madness pool. We create our own family group through CBSSPorts.com and we all submit our brackets before the start of the tournament. CBSSports keeps track of everything and has its own calculated scoring system.

Jolly trash talk ensues over email as the standings are reported after each round. The fun thing about March Madness is that it's rarely the most avid sports fan who wins (proof: I am often in the top 3). My dad always ponies up cash for the first, second and third place winner, but you could do it differently. We live far from family but always feel especially close during the month of March as parents, siblings and nephews bond over some friendly competition. 

Nuclear family. My first 3 boys are all old enough to make their own brackets. We print them out and tape them to the fridge and cross out our losers and circle our winners. You get one point for any first round winner, two points for any second round winner, etc. It's not especially technical, but it keeps us all involved and excited as we watch games together or check out the highlights. The winner of the bracket gets to choose the family activity the weekend after the final game and the whole family has to happily oblige. Depending on who wins, we might be stuck cleaning the garage or spending the evening at Chuck E. Cheese or indulging in a steak dinner. I might choose pedicures for all if I win this year. Wish me luck :)

Selection Sunday is this week, so watch a few games (or read a few articles) and get ready for the madness!

Jace is 10!

Love this kid! Click to see his cute face! 

Spotlight on Jace at 10

My favorite food is: homemade pizza, strawberries, all fruit

My favorite sport is: football, soccer, baseball and especially basketball

The best show on TV is: Avatar

The coolest person in the world is:  me

My best subject in school is: reading

I'm really awesome at: basketball and reading 

If I could change my name, it would be: I wouldn't.  I love my name

My favorite color is: blue

When I grow up I want to be: a professional basketball player and/or author

My parents are too strict about:  everything

My favorite song is:  Dynamite, Magic, Feel this Moment

My favorite book is: Fablehaven, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson

3 words that describe me are:  cool, handsome, smart

When I was little, I used to: run around naked 

My favorite scripture story is:  Nephi and the brass plates

My favorite primary song is: I am a Child of God, verse 4

My favorite season is: winter

The best snack ever is: fruit

The food that makes me want to barf is: broccoli

My best friends are: Ben, Josh, Nate, Dominic, James, Zack, Eli, Emmanuel, Gino

The cutest girl I know is: Sydney and my mom

If I had one wish it would be: to have a real wand that works

The best thing that has happened to me this year is: moving to Saline

One thing I want to learn to do this year is: defeat my video game, be a more observant reader, play tackle football

One thing I need to work on: not getting angry 

The most important lesson I've learned this year is: getting angry is very bad

Jace, this has been such a fun year to watch you grow up. There seemed to be a lot of change in your personality and demeanor this year. You just got "old." It has been so fun being able to talk to you like a grown-up. We have been so impressed with so many of the choices you have made. You have chosen good friends, you are kind to everyone, you are responsible and happy. You are well liked and always stick up for people. We have loved watching you play sports this year...there is a new fire in you and it's been fun to watch you lead your teams. You are doing so well in school! Your teacher is so impressed with you and all you can do and accomplish. I can't believe what a reader you have turned into! You blow through books every week. I can hardly keep up with you. You have started to like girls and we had to have "the talk" with you this year. You were very interested and respectful, not embarrassed at all. It was a good experience for all of us. You are such a fun brother. You make life very exciting and lively all the time and I often wonder what Parker, James and Pierce would do without you. You crack us up always. You seriously say the funniest things and only a few of them are true, but they sure do keep us smiling. Since dad has been traveling, I have been able to lean on you for so many things. You have been a great helper at home for me and with Pierce. I love that I can count on you. Your testimony of the gospel has been strengthened this year. You listen to your teachers in primary and listen to the scriptures at home. I am always amazed by how much you know and understand. You have started to fast and you love to share your testimony. I know you communicate with your Heavenly Father and have faith that he will help and answer you. You are just all around a wonderful, dramatic, loud, energetic and exciting kid and I am so happy you are mine! Love you lots buddy. 

I have been so excited to share my new blog adventure with my family and friends! When I moved to Michigan, there was not a good website for families to find out about all the good Michigan has to offer. I was often scouring websites and asking friends about what to do and where to visit, but we discovered so many great things! I have missed writing for the newspaper and magazine in Arizona, so I decided to start my own blog about exploring Michigan and a few of the other things I love...including Bookworm Wednesday where I share a book recommendation each week! It has been a lot of work and I realize I have very little talent when it comes to design and computers but it has been a lot of fun! I will still keep up our personal family blog...I love the history that it is creating for us and it's still my first priority, but I would love for you to follow my Michigan blog too! You can see all of our fun Michigan adventure there, and maybe someone will want to join us out East :)!

www.momexploresmichigan.blogspot.com

While the Cat is away the Mice will play!

Check out how awesome my mom was with my kids while we were gone!!

www.arizonaromneys.blogspot.com 

Cancun, Mexico!

Every once in awhile something turns out better than you could have ever imagined and our February trip to Cancun was just that...perfect in every way! The best part was being with Mike for 6 days with no interruptions. I will be forever grateful that I married someone I completely enjoy and can't get enough of and that he feels the same way about me. 

He is also the best person ever to vacation with, even if you are not his wife! He plans everything perfectly and researches it all. I am always amazed by his confidence and comfort in foreign countries. He just soaks everything in. In fact, he doesn't speak Spanish, but the few words he knows he says with such a great accent everyone assumes he speaks Spanish and starts rattling to him. It always made us giggle, and he always knows where he is...he is the map master.

Traveling a large amount for your job does have some perks...like first class plane flights and a ridiculously gorgeous resort to enjoy. This is the view we woke up to every morning. The infinity pool that goes directly to the beach and ocean. We were all amazed by the perfectly clear, turquoise and navy blue water. Our rooms were fantastic and all the extras were just right like beach cabanas, fire pits, miniature golf, multiple pools, attentive staff, etc.

Another reason it was a perfect week was because of our traveling companions! It was so fun to meet up with Steve and Lyric Payne!  Their idea of a beach vacation is just like ours...a little relaxing and a lot of adventure. They don't sleep in much and work out in the morning which is what we love to do, and they eat just like we do...a light breakfast and then a big, awesome early dinner and a late dessert and they are up for everything! We all get along so well, there was hardly any time to read our books because there was so much life to catch up on and so much fun to be had. Steve and Mike together totally crack us up. I miss them! You know it's good when you are planning your next trip only a few days into things. 

El Autobus and Church

We arrived Saturday night and had a wonderful time easing into our vacation together with some grub and a walk on the beach. Steve and Lyric's flight was delayed, so we grabbed a little breakfast Sunday morning and headed to church.

The bus system in Cancun is awesome. You can get anywhere really quickly for about $1. Mike was the bus master and it was our main mode of transit. 

It is still amazing to me that everywhere we go, we can find a church. Such a blessing!

We were so happy our fantastic friends finally made it!! We celebrated the beginning of a great trip with an excessive amount of food at a really great spot on the lagoon.

Ek-Balam and Chichin-Itza

We took a full day of our trip to explore the ancient Mayan ruins a few hours away from Cancun. It was a really amazing experience to walk through so much history. It was shocking to see how dark the time was and how so much truth had been twisted. We loved our LDS tour guide who gave lots of great perspective into the symbolism and history of the time period and geography.

The Mayan civilization had their own game of basketball and there are basketball courts that surround every temple. The winner of the basketball game was sacrificed to the Gods. 

An amazingly clear carving of one of the basketball players. 

You can no longer hike Chicin Itza, so it was great to be able to stop first at Ek Balam. It is not as fully restored but we were able to climb to the top of the temple and explore the priests homes and other smaller temples around the perimeter. We were constantly amazed by how similar things were to Solomon's temple, just twisted. You can see how high the temple was that we are standing on. Straight across was the Mayan version of the Rameumptun. The whole experience was really breathtaking. 

The entrance to the temple grounds. 

As we learned more about the civilization, you heart couldn't help but feel heavy. When Christ came to earth and stopped animal sacrifices and asked for a "broken heart and a contrite spirit," instead the Mayan people interpreted that to mean a literal "broken heart," which is why human sacrifice was such a large part of their life and worship. There was just so much to learn...wish I would have written it all down.

When we left Ek-Balam there was a man on a bike selling fresh coconut milk. Mike loved it and I thought it was okay. After you drink the milk, he then scoops out the fresh coconut, seasons it with chili and lime and you eat it. The taste was pretty good, but I could not get over the slimy texture.

After Ek-Balam we visited Chichin-Itza. It is a major tourist attraction and swarming with tour groups. You can't walk into any of the ruins anymore, but just seeing them is a real sight. The village was gigantic with many temples and basketball courts to take in. There were also a million vendors asking you to buy things. I was so glad we stopped at Ek-Balam so we could really see and explore a Mayan temple. That being said, Chichin-Itza was a real sight to behold.

Our tour guide, Helaman. He was so awesome! I would recommend him to anyone.

For lunch we stopped in a tiny town to eat at a Mayan buffet. We were a bit skeptical, but the food was knock your socks off amazing. It also gave us a glimpse of how the native Mayan people live. One of our favorite meals!

 Isla Mujeres

One of the best days was exploring the island of Isla Mujeres. We got to roll around the island in a golf cart, soak in the sun, snorkel and eat amazing food. What could be more perfect?

The view of the island as our boat sailed into the dock.

Our mode of transportation and our totally crazy driver.

Lyric looks especially cool here

Huge iguanas roam everywhere...kind of like squirrels in Michigan. He was on our path as we wandered down to snorkel.

Trying to catch one for the kids :)


We stopped for lunch at an incredible spot on the water that cooks up the fresh catch of the day which was Red Snapper. We filled our bellies with ceviche, guac, and red snapper....MMMMM!

Lunchtime view

Birthday!

After a day of massages, soaking in the rays and playing and body surfing in the warm ocean we headed out to our fanciest dinner at Thai Lounge. We were served in our own little hut on the water in a lagoon and the food was fantastic and it had our favorite version of a virgin pina colada.  It was the perfect way to celebrate Lyric's birthday!

 Last Day!

We spent our final day on the beach then headed into downtown Cancun for dinner and some souvenirs. We once again loved our meal (we had a great concierge), then went to try and barter our way through Mercado 28. I don't think we got completely taken (thanks to us girls) and ended up with some soccer jerseys for the boys and some Mexican vanilla to take home. Lyric and I decided shopping in Mexico, unless it is at the really nice mall across from our hotel, is not our thing, but the guys kind of enjoyed themselves.

 When we woke up the next morning to leave and say good-bye it was kind of sad, but we were mostly grateful for the perfect week. Really, nothing could have been better, and I'm always excited to see my kids again! When we landed to 20 degrees and ice covering our car, I wasn't so sure! Thanks to my hubby and the Paynes for a great vacation. Can't wait to do it again!