VIVA MEXICO

Peter trekking though the jungle.

Peter and I got to go on "Our Second Honeymoon" to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It's a beautiful area in the Mayan Carribean just south of Cancun. Everything we saw was amazing because you have the thick green jungle, then white beaches, then the beautful turquoise water. It was a dream come true for me because I never thought we would actually be able to pull it off, but things just seemed to fall into place. Peter got a nice bonus from Ocean Dental and Grandma and Grandpa Gurr planned on coming to our house for Thanksgiving so we talked them into staying a little longer to take care of the boys, and they were so wonderful to agree. The boys were so happy to have their grandparents all to themselves! Thanks so much Brian and Myra!!!!!!

Peter and I had a wonderful time. I realized how important it is to take time to nourish your relationship as husband and wife. We had some laughs when multiple people asked us if we were on our Honeymoon--it's good to know we still look young and in love :)

It was crazy to see the island of Cozumel in the distance. It looked like the buildings were just floating in the ocean.

Love Feet--I could live on the beach there and be very happy. (Peter's caveman bushy legs normally do not look that hairy in real life)

This is the cool tree right in the middle of the hotel we stayed in for the first two night in Playa. It was the Quinto Sol.

Peter and I spent the day at Xcaret, a nature preserve right on the beach. We had lots of fun seeing all the animals and swimming through the underground river caves.

It's kind of hard to see, but this is the biggest turtle we had ever seen! It was amazing!

I always knew Peter was a charmer, but parrots too !?!

I have seen the ruins where this ancient Mayan ball game was played and I always wondered what it looked like. It was great to see some talented players reinact the game.

Those crazy Mayans played another game which is now referred to as "fire hockey, " which is basically just what they call it. Players play hockey with a flamming ball of fire.

The last three night in Mexico we stayed at an all-inclusive resort. It was an amazing experience to be pampered for three days straight.

The resort gave us a nice romantic dinner at their beach side restaurant. I felt so fancy. You know you're being pamered when they pull your chair out for you, place the cloth napkin across your lap, decorate your table with beautiful tropical flowers, and then feed you until your heart's content.

Peter ate stuffed crab for an appitizer and duck for an entree. I was not so daring and had shrimp pasta and some delicious steak.

The ruins in Tulum were amazing!

The water was so amazing! We came for the ruins, but the water was just as exciting!

Can you see the face on the building below?

The Voladores are amazing. This is an ancient ritual that has become a popular show at many ruins in Mexico.

It was so strange to see all the Christmas decorations because it felt like we were in the middle of summer.

Ahhhh, pure bliss! Lounging on the beach with a cold drink.

There were lots of cute turtles swimming in the lagoon around the resort.

The huge jetted tub in our room. We would go to the beach all afternoon and then come back and take a hot bath before getting dressed up for a fancy dinner. Notice the mango margaretta's on the side.

We had lots of fun walking up and down Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen. It was fun to see the mariachis and hear all the Mexican store owners trying to lure us into their shops.
Here's an outline of what a day in Playa looked like for us. Lounge in bed, savoring the fact that we didn't have to get up. Then we would stroll off to breakfast where a chef cooked whatever type of omelet we wanted, and we had about a million choices of things to eat like bacon, french toast, fresh chopped Caribbean fruits with yummy Mexican yogurt and fresh squeezed orange juice. We would then go touring or sightseeing for the remainder of the morning. Come back and get a nice virgin drink from the bar (they were always trying to get us to add a little Tequila to it). Then off to the beach all afternoon. At about 4 o'clock we would run back to the room to start filling up the huge jetted tub (it took about 1/2 hour to fill). While it was filling we'd go to the snack bar and eat yummy quesadillas and guacamole with some ice cream on the side. Then we'd lounge in the tub and watch a movie, while drinking another mango Margaretta. After that we'd get dressed up and go for a night on the town.

My favorite things: Being carefree (I always feel so stressed out worrying about the kids); getting to spend all the time I wanted with my sweet, handsome, wonderful husband; the most beautiful water I have ever seen; Mango Margaretta's at all hours of the day; getting dressed up and going on a fancy dinner date every night; dancing on the beach to Latin music benath a stray sky; basically eating, drinking and being merry all day and not feeling an ounce of guilt about it; knowing that my kids were safe and very happy with their sweet grandparents; snuggling with my hubby; dancing (I think I must be part Latin because my spirit is so happy when I dance to Latin music--it makes my heart sing)! Ending the vacation with an hour long, wonderful massage that only cost $28!

The amazing constructor fish that digs up stones and builds a wall.

On the evening Peter and I were flying back home,Brian and Myra were explaining to Joseph that they were going to fly back to Utah the next morning. Joey got concerned and said, "Are my mom and dad going to stay with us?" I guess he's not ready to babysit Kimball just yet :)