off for a little r & r

Even though Christmas is still not blogged about,  we need something a little more recent just to break up my days.  It actually isn't that recent, but since it is the last momentous thing for the last two and a half weeks - since I've been laying in bed try to heal my back - it is recent in my memory!

But first - my birthday.

This is the birthday candle Maddy lit for me in the evening.  She even sang happy birthday.  That was about it for my birthday celebrations but that was completely okay with me.  We were busy getting ready for a much needed and well deserved trip to.......

the BEACH!

 Ah!  It was grand.  After a very full few months it was so, so good to get away.  So good.  I read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", did my bible study, talked with Eric and friends, watched my kooky kids.  Loved every minute of it.

In order to save some cash, Eric and Cade camped (as in tented) nearby while the girls and I had the hotel room.  The place we stayed at had only been open for one week before us, so it was also kind of fun to be in such a new, beautiful place..  And because they are new, their prices aren't ridiculous, like everything else here is getting.  Despite the look on Cade's face, he really did enjoy camping with Daddy!

Drinks by the pool.... another ah! moment.  Although I was too cheap to do it for myself, Marlo and I did let the girls split a piña colada (virgin, of course!).  But at $5 a pop. I wasn't about to do it.  Looking back - I should have.  Sometimes my frugality really gets to be a problem....

 We played musical beds, switching who slept with whom.  One night, against their wishes, Lucy and Mia were made to share a bed.  An hour later, after a little spat about it, they were snuggled up together.  It was pretty darn cute - and ironic, and hilarious, and I still haven't shown them this picture.....

 Taking pictures at the beach is a love - hate thing for me.  I could take about a million but I hate having my camera out there for fear of sand, salt water and nasty thieves.  It just has to be done though - the beach has got to be one of the best places for pictures.  The kids even cooperated - for a little while.

(note: no Cade was not crying, nor is he on drugs.....  that is what a lot of salt water, sun and chlorine water will do to this guy)

That night we had an amazing sunset.  I haven't seen too many amazing beach sunsets in my life, but  this one was spectacular.

New years eve we had planned to do fire works.  In this country, fireworks are a dime a dozen (figuratively speaking - realistically speaking they are about $15 a dozen, depending on what you get, of course!).  People shoot off fireworks way more often than I shoot off my mouth.  Not as often as Lucy sho...... we'll just stop right there.  Anyway, we didn't buy an old man to burn but we did buy King Tut's Curse (it was kinda lame - apparently his curse wasn't too dramatic).

 Back to new years eve... it got too late, the kids got too grumpy (which means the parents got even grumpier), so we postponed it for a night.  We invited some of the other guests at the hotel to join us for the dazzling show, but no one did.  After all was said and done, I'm glad they didn't.  We don't need anyone saying "sheesh, those gringos sure are lame with their fireworks".

 Since we didn't burn an old man, Marlo jumped over some little fizzy fireworky thing instead.

 The roman candles were the coolest.  We didn't fight with them like the boys did last year - we just had all the kids line up like little soldiers and fire them off towards the ocean.

 We did have a few pretty explosions....

 Back to the beach and daylight.

New years day Lucy was out boogie boarding.  She got bounced by a wave and the board bumped her in the mouth and knocked her loose tooth out.  She looked down on the board, and FOUND IT!  Yes, even though there was water sloshing all over around her, her tooth was on the board!  Here she is running to tell me about it....

 Crazy.  Speaking of crazy.....

 Watch out, she is looking a little physco in this next picture - look at those crazy eyes! 

Moving on from my little looney Lucy...  Cade did a little surfing.  I missed it with the camera, but he likes to show off and do the Macarena on the surf board.

The kids had a lot of fun at the pool as well.  This place has a pretty cool swimming area.  They had the Jensens to play and swim with, and then other friends, the Luginbills came the day before we left, so there were even more friends.

 Night swimming was one of the highlights for the kids.  There is something awfully fun about swimming after dark.  They played a lot of the stick game - someone has a little piece of stick and while everyone is outside of the pool with their backs turned, they lay the stick somewhere at the bottom of the pool.  Everyone turns around and tries to be the first to spot the stick (as it slowly rises to the top) - then they jump in and try to grab it.  It usually just ends in splashing chaos trying to move the stick away from the person who first saw it....  The person who ends up with the stick is the next to hide it.

Well, that beach trip is over and I feel ready for another one.  Not that I need any more rest, but I could use the social time.  It was from driving home from the beach that I messed my back up so badly.  Going over these pictures and writing it up, makes me realize that it still was worth it.  I love to be with great friends and my wonderful family.