I take so many pictures and videos because they tell a story that are hard to describe through words. The way Hallie ran after the waves for hours. The way in which Briggs followed his older siblings and always wanted to hold hands. The way Bennett built sand castles and searched for hermit crabs. The many times Cannon asked to be buried in the sand. Pictures tell stories and they speak to my heart.
Last week was our kid’s fall break and we spent it in Mexico with a couple families. It was unlike any of our previous trips and yet still as amazing as always. We experienced our first Mexico rain storm (thank you Hurricane Rosa) which put us out of power for 14 hours. Streets were flooded and some washed out. We take for granted that in the states, power is typically restored quickly and even when power is out, we still have running water – which was not the case. The first two days, the winds were strong which created large waves – our kids had never seen waves this large and they enjoyed playing in them. They were disappointed by the third day when they had died down. Due to weather and potential road conditions, we ended up leaving one night early – but we weren’t willing to miss a beach sunset. So we played until the very last minute, enjoyed the sunset and then packed up and headed out as they kids settled into sleep in the car. It seems as though each time we go there’s a new adventure.
One thing from this trip that was a welcome change – Briggs (and the other boys his age) were able to walk up and down the stairs to beach unassisted. This may not seem like a big deal but it’s a game changer! When your hands are full carrying every thing to and from – it’s great to have them by your side walking and not having to hold them. Perhaps next time we can be diaper free! Love these milestones.
I now have a laundry room floor caked in sand (luckily the laundry is done) and a couple kids under the weather – clearly they played too hard. Looks like our fall break will be extended another day as we try and get kids healthy and not contagious!
Here’s our week in pictures…
More pictures from Mexico that stir up emotion and make me happy. I love this time with my family and with friends.
As you can see in this picture – Hunter was a little outnumbered. There were five 2 year old boys – and yet only 2 boys among all these girls.
Hunter had to be close to the girls for the picture but he didn’t have to touch them! (That’s not his hand on the right, just on the left!)
This is the gang. All born within 6 months of each other – they’re a handful now and I’m sure it won’t be much better when they’re older.
Hallie and Hunter both learned to drive this little Razor. It is kid sized for sure which made it a little difficult for me to get in and out. It’s a step above a go-cart but a step below a golf cart. They loved driving that little machine.
We spent the latter part of last week at our happy place in Mexico surrounded by amazing friends. What is hard to believe is that we are just four hours from here! We get to enjoy an empty beach, authentic food and the sun always looks better setting over an ocean. With 29 kids between the families – there was never a dull moment. There was also rarely a quiet moment!
We were fortunate to have a few warm days and only one chilly day. (Which didn’t stop us from hanging out on the beach until the sun started to set – it just meant we were bundled up in sweatshirts one day.)
This was Briggs’ third time at the beach and each time we go it gets a little easier with him. He was happy playing in the sand and rarely needed to be held. He played hard and slept well and woke up every morning saying “beach”. He’s converted.
This is a vacation that pleases everyone from old to young. Is it too early to start planning our next trip down?
