We just got back from an AMAZING vacation to Mexico! We decided last year to take the girls, as this year seemed to be the perfect year with them all being good ages and no jobs yet! We threw the idea out to a bunch of our friends and ended up going with 2 other families, and it truly was the BEST trip ever!
The Sunday before we left Rachel had a volleyball tournament in town, and they ended up coming in 1st place! They were so much fun to watch and it was a great start to our vacation!
Monday night the girls and I got pedis/manis. It was so fun as 2 of our good friends and their daughters were there at the same time!
Valentines morning I made the girls heart shaped pancakes and they each got a small purse to take with to Mexico. Old Navy had the CUTEST purses for $15.
Tuesday after work we headed to the cities to stay overnight at a hotel as our flight left at 7:30 the next morning, which meant we would have to leave our house at 3. Jim and Melissa always stay at the Park Plaza hotel which is 15 minutes from the airport and then we can leave our vehicle there free of charge.
We got there around 7:30 and had some drinks in the lobby bar. We were all tucked in by 9:30.
Wednesday morning we were up bright and early as our shuttle left at 5. We were there plenty early which was perfect. Everyone made it through security without any issues, and it wasn't super busy. We found a great little restaurant bar and had some breakfast and bloody marys/screwdrivers.
If you know me at all, then you know I HATE flying. Hate it. There is nothing fun or enjoyable about it. There is no reason on earth that something that big should be flying in the air. I was fine until the descent, which was very rough. Thankfully we didn't die, and successfully made it through customs and got our luggage.
One thing I will say with this trip is how smooth everything went! No long lines in customs, no lost luggage, and always made it to our destinations quickly.
We got to our resort around 1:30. We stayed at Ocean Coral and Turquesa in Puerto Morales. We LOVED it! Our rooms were perfect, 2 double beds and a pull out couch. Our patio (we were on the 1st floor) was really nice, and it you craned your head enough, you could see the ocean.
When we were checking in, they gave you a champagne glass of fruit punch, the kids thought this was the coolest thing ever, haha! The best part is when you see the ocean for the first time from the lobby.
Emma and I got a quick selfie in!
And then the whole fam got in on the action.
We immediately dropped off our luggage and got our suits on. The beaches were gorgeous!
That first night we ate at the Carribean restaurant that was amazing! I had the salmon, and it was the best I've ever had!
The view of our hotel and pools at night.
The one thing I'm so glad we did, was get up every morning to watch the sunrise. There is nothing better than watching the sun come up over the ocean drinking coffee! We were usually out there by 6:45 and it was so peaceful. We also learned that you need to reserve spots on the beach by that time, so it worked out well! The girls even came out 2 mornings with us.
The resort had several restaurants to choose from. Some of the reviews I had read complained that you had to wait forever to get in to eat because they don't take reservations. We had no issues. We were always standing in line by 6, and would wait maybe 10 minutes to get a seat.
This restaurant was a big disappointment. The adults went to Bluemoon which was an adults only restaurant, and the kids went to Route 66 which was like an American burger joint. They said they food and service was horrible. We felt so bad!
We spent lots of time at the beach collecting shells, and Brad even found a starfish that we brought home with us.
Rach and I beaching it!
The restaurants were awesome! This was the Italian restaurant, and I had the mushroom risotto that was incredible!
Our three beauties all dressed up...
The ladies...
And the kiddos...
This might be my fave pic of the whole week! It was so nice that kids got along all week, it was a great group to be with!
On Saturday we took the kids to swim with the dolphins. None of my pics really turned out, but thankfully we spent 4.8 billion dollars buying pics and videos of all the kids with the dolphins. :)
Here's the three fellas...
Alayna and her bestie, Brielle.
Being on the beach was my favorite. The pools were really nice, but you can sit by a pool anywhere, I made sure to be on the beach as often as we could! I even managed to read almost 2 books!
Getting all dressed up for supper at the hibachi grill, this was SUCH a fun night! The food was amazing, and our chef was a riot!
The was the last morning, and the prettiest sunrise. I was a little sad to leave the ocean, but I was so ready to come home! I missed our animals, my bed and shower, haha!
One last walk on the beach..
I had been praying for weeks that this vacation would be amazing. I prayed for safe travels, good health, and no injuries. He exceeded my expectations! No one got sick (and we have been pummeled with colds, stomach issues, etc. before the trip), or injured, it was truly the perfect trip!
I am so, so glad we did this, I was a bit of a nervous wreck leading up to it, just all the "what ifs". I am not really a travel-out-of-the-country kind of gal. And especially where our country is right now, made me nervous. I will say that this trip was worth every single minute of lost sleep/appetite I had! Everything went so smooth and we all just really had the best time!
