Oh Mexico, It Sounds So Sweet......

Just got back from an amazing vacation to the Baja Coast. We have the opportunity to go every couple of year with Tanner's family to a beach house on a private beach in a little town called 'La Mision' in Mexico. It is far enough away that there is no cell phone coverage or Internet access, no grocery stores, no McDonald's.....but close enough that I could get safe Medical for me or my family if needed :) It is wonderful! We had a couple crazy weeks prior to leaving so we didn't really have finalized plans until the night before we left. I ended up flying with Maci to San Diego to meet Tanner, who was flying in from Washington D.C., where we stayed until his family picked us up before crossing the border. It was insanely stressful to make happen but it worked out!

I dropped my camera the first day and so i am left with no pictures until I steal some from my family ;) I found some Internet pictures of Rosarito Beach which is just North of La Mision, and some pictures of "our" Beach itself to give you an idea of what it was like...

I'll wait for pictures before I bore you with details of the entire week..... instead I will share the plethora of things I learned and was reminded of in the last 10 days....hold on to your seats.... it's just getting good!

For ease and comfort while reading, I'll just list them (in no particular order) ;)

-First, I am so incredibly blessed and truly grateful for the comfortable, clean, happy and healthy life I am able to lead......not only do i have the choice to take care of myself but the ABILITY to.

-Traveling with children is no picnic! I am more tired now than I was before...I didn't think that was possible!

-I LOVE not having a cell phone or the Internet!! It makes life simple and quiet and I actually had time to read 2 full books!

-I love reading! I love learning about people and their experiences. It is a great way to "escape"...I can't remember the last time I read just to read it and not to pass time while at the gym ;)

-How incredible it is to wake up without an alarm clock to the sound of waves crashing on the beach.....then sit on the patio staring at the ocean and watching dolphins while you eat breakfast!

-What a great feeling it is to not spend money.....homemade food and no driving for a whole week!!

-It takes approximately 153.2 ground level falls to take the life of a Nikon coolpix camera :) I've been trying for years....the one time it is on accident happens to be the first day of our only vacation ;(

-The expression on my 2 year old's face the first time she sees, touches, smells and tastes that ocean is completely priceless!

-She is so much like me....HATES the sand...she kept trying to wipe it off her feet while we were on the beach.... saying "ew, ew, ew"

-Kids don't have a vacation schedule.

-Pull-out mattresses, no AC, and poor water pressure don't agree with pregnancy.

- I miss running more than I thought possible.... I pretended to keep up with my sisters-in-law on their morning runs (only twice) and paid for it dearly, but happily!

-I am blessed with the most generous, fun-loving, caring, helpful, and supportive in-laws ever, they truly are amazing people! They would do anything and everything for us, I am so grateful to have them as in-laws and friends!

-I miss teasing my little brother and little brother-in-law so bad!!! The poor boys in the family we traveled with had to pay for it. Sorry Hacketts :) I love you all so much! It's just too fun.

-Ten days of Tanner and Maci together is the BEST!! She loves her daddy! He is the cutest in the world with her! Wow, I am so lucky.....just wish we all got to be together more often ;)

-Tanning on the beach is miserable when you can't lay flat on your back or on your stomach....let's just say my shoulders and forehead got kind of tan.

-Whoever invented RAID is one of my heroes.

-Having a portable DVD player with a supply of Elmo's World DVD's is unarguably the most important thing to pack when traveling with kids....I would even go as far as to say that I would prefer cloth diapers or none at all rather than going sans Elmo. (thanks Cara and Adam, you saved my sanity)

-Turning the AC completely off prior to leaving for vacation is a HORRIBLE idea! For future references....turn it down, NOT off!!

-Milk does extremely unpredictable and nasty things when not refrigerated properly for extended periods of time....I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

-Traveling alone with a small child and large expectant belly is scary and makes for a very vulnerable feeling young mother.

- I think feeling vulnerable is one of the worst feelings ever.

-I do like watermelon. I always thought I hated it.

-Lighting fireworks is strangely exhilarating....I can't believe I'd never lit a firework (other than sparklers) before.....

-It is no wonder I didn't ever make the softball or volleyball teams in High School...I am absolutely terrible at both. Playing sports in Jr. High gives you false hope ;)

-There is no such thing as cute maternity swim wear or anything cute about a pregnant woman in swim wear period.

-Maci despises showering and is exceptionally vocal about it. Thank heaven for bath tubs!

There's no place like Home!