Lil Daisies
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
My moment with "Blair"
This was an amazing weekend for me! It was the first time that I was able to be a "bachelorette" for a few days. I have not been away from my youngest daughter overnight yet...and this weekend marked my first time. I was a little worried, but my anticipation of a little "freedom" outweighed the worry. Plus, they would be with their Papa. I think I may have been a little worried for him.
This weekend I went with my Moms (my Mom and MIL) to an Extraordinary Women Conference in Roseville, CA! I was excited because there would be some extraordinary women speakers! I was really excited to listen to Lisa Welchel, "Blair" from the Facts of Life. I could or should tell you about the other speakers (they were all amazing) but, I really wanted to tell you about my moment with "Blair". She has been a believer since she was 10 years old. I was amazed about her story. You can read her autobiography...check out her website. http://www.lisawhelchel.com/index.htm
She is now a speaker, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, author, etc. I read her book, "Taking Care of the Me in Mommy". I loved reading this book and it has touched me in tremendous ways. So, you can imagine the excitment I had to see her. Well, I bought a CD from her afterwards and I had to have it signed. So, I waited in line. I waited and waited....We chatted a little bit, and I got my picture taken with her! Woo hoo!
She is one lady that I would love to go over to her house and have coffee and chat. She has a nice southern voice...it sounds just like Blair! Ha! I think I had a few "stars" in my eyes. Starstruck! I was in awe! I can't remember the last time I was so excited to see someone famous. I was probably a little silly. But, oh well, I loved having this moment. It makes me think how it would be meet Jesus someday! Iam sure I would be 100 times more starstruck!
I should write more about the conference, but I suppose I need to get back to being a mom in my home for once. Maybe I could write more later someday....but for now, this will do.
FYI ---Believe it or not, Ric and the girls had a wonderful time without me....however, they were ready to have me home. :)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
A sweet glance of my family
I love my Family! I have the greatest God-given husband ever and two remarkably beautiful girls. They are the delight of my life! Enjoy a sweet glance of my family! Pictures don't even begin to shout out the beauty that lies within each person...the journey we embark upon....the stories of our lives....but, it somehow at least delivers a taste of who we are.
Are you getting the proper amount of laugther each day?
Are you getting the proper amount of laughter each day?
Laughter is nature's stressbuster you know! It is healing!
As I "Googled" or maybe "Giggled" (hee hee) Laughter, there were many sites about laughter. And a few of them I just had to laugh of how extreme one can take laughter. There was Laughter yoga, Laugther School,Laughter remedy...it goes on and on. I was quite amused.Laughter is nature's stressbuster you know! It is healing!
But, the real reason I chuckle today is that I came to a point that I needed to. I asked God to bring me joy in every situation, because I was filling up with stress and anxiety and bubbling over with fustration. I am a mom of two girls, 4 years old and 16 months. That alone can explain reason for my daily fustrations. I am kept busy. Well, to not drag the many stories into this blog, I was worn out and tired. I began to pray to God for joy in my heart towards my girls. And, you know, God does answer prayer. Because today, I experienced joy. I experienced laughter...in what could be a typical stressful situation.
It began in the morning with Sophia wetting the bed and we were late to preschool. It was grocery shopping next and then quickly back home to get my house prepared. Because at about noon-time I would be watching a total of six kids ages 5 years old and under; 4 boys and my 2 girls. I told a few of my friends "yes" to watching their boys....it was a last minute emergency desperation plea from them...so, I could bear to not let them down. I could not say No, because I have been in those situations plenty of times myself.
Well, my floors were completley dirty but, I decided that it was not worth it to clean them since we were to be having boys over. Am I saying that boys are messy? Yes!
While shopping, Lydia decided to sing...but, in her high soprano voice. I had to cringe a few times, but thankfully, I kept cool and decided to sing along. That was a lot more fun and we both had a few laughs together.
We came home and I got Lydia out of the car. She ran over to our neighbors house and disappeared into their garage, while I quickly carried groceries into the house. The phone rang, I ignored it, the doorbell rang (my door was wide open) and there stood two ladies handing out pamphets "to everyone in the world" they claimed. Nicley, I refused the pamphlet, otherwise it would become recycle material and I ran over to the neighbors house to find Lydia. Huffing and puffing, I about arrived at their garage, when out comes Lydia riding a quad. She had the biggest smile on her face and she was so proud. I could not help but just laugh at that moment and decided to forget about my dirty house, but rather just have some laugh time with Lydia. What a squirt. I realized then that God had answered my prayer. There were many incidents that I could have broke down in rage, but rather I was able to sing along, or play with those situations in joy. This made the rest of my day easier as I was about to encounter 6 little kids soon. And, believe it or not, our time went smoothly. I was truly amazed by the end of today all I could do was give praise to God. Now, yes I am extremley tired, but I am filled with joy too. I think I may have even fell asleep with a smile.
Humor and laughter make a significant contribution to both your physical and mental health. Learning to adopt a lighter attitude and see the funny side of everyday situations gives you the resilience you need to cope on the tough days.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Are You Right or Left Brained? Here are my results:
You Are 20% Left Brained, 80% Right Brained |
 The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The Jesse Tree
Have you heard of this tradition? I came across this a few days ago and thought it to be an awesome tradition that I plan to start with our family. I am sure that it has been around for years...but new to me and a very cool way of teaching our children abou the coming of Christ. Let me tell you a bit about it. Okay? You may want to start it with your family too!
First, the name "Jesse Tree" comes from Isaiah 11:1-2
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
The idea, of course, is that Christ came from the "stump of Jesse" (Jesse's "tree", get it?), and all of the Old Testament points toward the coming of Christ as Messiah.
To summarize, we will put a two-foot tree on a table in our living room, and beginning on December 1, we get out an ornament each day. The first ornament represents creation, and we read a little devotional on creation. Then each devotional takes us through the Old Testament, showing how it all pointed to Christ, until Christmas Eve, when we finish by placing the star on the top of the tree. I think this is a great idea that will teach our family a great deal! I am so excited...Now, if I can just get it all together before Dec. 1.
Here is a link that describes the Jesse Tree.
http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html
Jesse Tree Family Devotions: Advent 2006
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=1628&srcid=1602
Thursday, October 12, 2006
John Scofield and Mavis Staples
It was about two months ago when Ric sent me an email notifying me about the concert of John Scofield and legendary Mavis Staples. We have several of Mavis Staples albums and Ric was very excited that she would be performing live here in Redding. So, of course, after reading his email, I called the Cascade Theater and got our tickets; fourth row in the middle. I really wanted to try and make it a surprise, but I was too excited about the tickets that I just ended up telling him about 30 minutes after I ordered the tickets. I didn't even have a nifty way of spilling the news....I just blurted out, "We are going to the concert"....He was still pretty ecstatic about going, so surprise or no surprise, he was very excited we were going.Well, tonight was the concert. After getting our children settled with the babysitter, we were off for a nice dinner and then concert. Our review?? Well, the dinner was nice, wine was delicate and refreshing.....
Oh, the music? AWESOME! They did a tribute to Ray Charles.
John Scofield and his band will share the stage with soul and gospel star Mavis Staples as they perform the music of the legendary Ray Charles. Together, these two musical giants will share the spotlight to create a night of unforgettable music.
The concert was unbelievable and unforgettable.
http://www.mavisstaples.com/
http://www.johnscofield.com/
Vacaciones de México: El día Ocho
Our Family in the Carribbean Sea of Playa De Carmen, MexicoDay Eight: Tuesday Oct. 10th
Our final day here in Mexico. It is a little bittersweet. We don't want to leave this paradise, but we are ready to be back to our home. I think the amount of time spent here in Mexico was perfect. We could use a few more days to shop and swim, but I think the time we did have here was so memorable and enjoyable. Sophia is a little sad....she says "I'm going to miss Mexico"
We relaxed this morning----we went to breakfast at the Buffet and enjoyed some coffee, hotcakes, fruit, potatoes, juice, etc.
Papa and Sophia went swimming for the last time while Lydia napped and I packed all our things for the travel home. I was hoping that Lydia might wake-up for a little bit so that we could swim a little too, but she was passed out. She was a tired-out little bug!
We had our bags stored at the bellboy station while we checked out and had some lunch before we left in our taxi cab ride to the airport (a 40 minute drive).
After lunch---Lydia ate a whole plate of pasta---we met our taxi driver, which was actually more like a car. The hotel reserved us a private transport to the hotel...instead of the regular taxi cab. We were on our way to the Aeropuerto de Cancun for our 5:25pm flight to the USA.
We arrive rather early to make sure we got our luggage checked-in, etc. We arrived at the gate about an 1 1/2 hours before departure. About 30 minutes later we noticed a delay in our flight. It was not a slight delay it was 2 hour delay. Ugh! After realizing that not only did our plane delay, but it was also changed to another gate, our plane was again delayed another hour on-top of the 2 hour delay. Yikes! Ric called Continental airlines and we were unable to go to another airline for an earlier flight and found out that we would most likely miss our 8:55pm connecting flight from Houston to Sacramento. Apparently there was terrible weather in Houston, Texas.
After finally boarding our flight we arrived in Houston ---our connecting flight had already left and that was the last flight of the evening to Sacramento. We were then re-booked for a flight to Sacramento leaving the next day at 8:55pm ---24 hours. That would be a long time to wait. Apparently all other flights were previously booked. However, we could arrive early in the morning (7am) and wait on stand-by for a 9:25am departure. So, that is what we did. We checked into our hotel and finally fell asleep around 1:00am and then awoke at 6am to catch the shuttle to the Houston airport. Re-checked our bags and the nice attendant gave us meal vouchers. There was a Starbucks Coffee near our gate! Yes! Just what my body needed! We used our vouchers to order some coffee, hot chocolate, juice, and scones for our breakfast. We had about 2 hours before the 9:25 departure. I had been on stand-by before, but not with a whole family. I was a little nervous as I really had hoped that we would be able to make this flight. I did not want to stay all day at the airport with two little girls. The next available flight was at 5:25pm---which we would still be considered as stand-by. And, if we did not make that flight, we would be guaranteed a spot on the 8:55pm flight. That would over 12 hours in the airport. So, as you can imagine, I was praying fervently! Lord, please get us on this morning flight.
We waited and waited. Made sure that the flight attendants knew we were there! Kept checking in to see if any possibilities... The plane began to board....we waited....prayed....then finally, they called our names! We had tickets to board! Praise God! We were thrilled! Of course, we may not have seats next to each other in these cases of stand-by tickets, but it didn't matter to us as we just were happy to be heading home and not have to stay 12 hours in the Houston airport any longer. But, another BIG praise to God....we had been given 3 seats all next to each other! Perfect! And, another praise.....Lydia slept the entire flight home to Sacramento!
We have finally made it home to our world. We are very exhausted and are in due shape of some good rest and showers!
What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful family vacation. It seems to be all a dream....but, a fantastic dream at that. We are so blessed to have been able to step into Ruben's world for a little bit and experience Mexico. This will be a vacation to remember.
Los pies de Familia han dado un paso en arenas mexicanas. Un lugar hermoso ser.
(The Family's feet have stepped into Mexican sands. A beautiful place to be.)
(The Family's feet have stepped into Mexican sands. A beautiful place to be.)
Our Family had stepped foot into Mexico sands!Vacaciones de México: El día Siete
Day Seven: Monday Oct. 9th
It was another relaxing day. There was no particular schedule or specific time to do anything or go anywhere. It was nice. We ate a relaxing breakfast and then took a taxi (5 dollars) to the 5th avenue shopping area of Playa De Carmen. We spent most of the morning there doing a little shopping. I finally did find some turquoise for me. I kept looking in the many jewelry shops, but many of them had gaudy big stuff. I wanted simple. I finally found a little turquoise pendant and a silver necklace chain to go with it. It was simple and perfect and not too expensive. It is interesting shopping in Mexico. There are plenty of people that speak English, but then there are many that do not or just speak a little English. When we walk past the little shops most call out to you, because they are trying to get you to come into their shop to buy. However, some of the things they say are just funny. "Hey Lady!"
"Free Parking" (We had a stroller with us)
And, most of them wanted to braid Sophia's hair. This was a popular thing there I suppose. But, we already knew what that experience would be like. Sophia does not have patience to sit and have her hair braided into tiny little braids....and well, neither does Mommy or Papa. We would rather continue shopping or swimming! :)
But, nevertheless, we conquered our shopping spree without too much hassle and then headed back to our Resort for some lunch and swim.
While swimming in the pools we met several people. We met a small German family living in Frankfurt, Germany. They were there for a 2 week vacation. Most people spent about 2 weeks to a month for vacation. The German family had a little boy about 2 years old. He was pretty cute and had some toys to share with our girls in the shallow pool. We only knew a few words in German, but he was appreciative. Lydia know the word "Nine", which means "No" in German. And, it was quite funny to hear her say this. I think she actually uses the German word more than the English word.
We also met a British family from Northern England. Ah, I love to hear them speak. There were two boys and a girl. The girl was about Sophia's age. She only wore bathing suit bottoms. I guess this is what European little girls wear. But, she was nice and Sophia and her liked swimming together. And.....they both spoke the same language. Though, sometimes I think it is hard to understand because of the accent. Ah, but I love to hear them speak. The boys, especially the older one was excited to know that we were from California. He would love to visit there someday! The family has been to Florida, but never to the West Coast. We spent the rest of this day relaxing by the pool and Sea.
We got dressed in our little Mexican outfits for a dinner at the Mexican Restaurant. We thought it would be appropriate to eat there for our last night in Mexico. Unfortunatley, they did not have Horchata there! Bummer! But, Sophia and I did enjoy a Strawberry Daquiri together. The girls were sleepy around this time ---so, it felt like a rushed dinner at the end. But, Ric and I had seen that another couple ordered a Mexican coffee...and we could not resist to order some too with our dessert after the presentation we had observed. The waiter put on a little presentation with our coffee. It had alcohol in it ---which he would burn off with flame. He would pour the liquid back and forth making a streams of fire. It was fun to watch and of course tasted delicious. We decided to go back to the room to put the girls to bed....but, I am not sure what happened, but the girls got a second wind of energy and Papa and Mama were now exhausted. So, the girls played around in the hotel room jumping on the bed, giggling, etc. We decided then that it would be fun to call the grandparents. We used our cellphones and called Mimi and Poppie and then Grandma and Grandpa. Sophia loved talking to them about her trip thus far. She told them about how we traded American money into Pesos....the fun swimming pools....etc. It was a fun little chat and I am sure the grandparents were surprised and thrilled to hear from the granddaughters!:) I think this was a good settling down time and we eventually fell asleep while watching Mexican TV.
It was another relaxing day. There was no particular schedule or specific time to do anything or go anywhere. It was nice. We ate a relaxing breakfast and then took a taxi (5 dollars) to the 5th avenue shopping area of Playa De Carmen. We spent most of the morning there doing a little shopping. I finally did find some turquoise for me. I kept looking in the many jewelry shops, but many of them had gaudy big stuff. I wanted simple. I finally found a little turquoise pendant and a silver necklace chain to go with it. It was simple and perfect and not too expensive. It is interesting shopping in Mexico. There are plenty of people that speak English, but then there are many that do not or just speak a little English. When we walk past the little shops most call out to you, because they are trying to get you to come into their shop to buy. However, some of the things they say are just funny. "Hey Lady!"
"Free Parking" (We had a stroller with us)
And, most of them wanted to braid Sophia's hair. This was a popular thing there I suppose. But, we already knew what that experience would be like. Sophia does not have patience to sit and have her hair braided into tiny little braids....and well, neither does Mommy or Papa. We would rather continue shopping or swimming! :)
But, nevertheless, we conquered our shopping spree without too much hassle and then headed back to our Resort for some lunch and swim.
While swimming in the pools we met several people. We met a small German family living in Frankfurt, Germany. They were there for a 2 week vacation. Most people spent about 2 weeks to a month for vacation. The German family had a little boy about 2 years old. He was pretty cute and had some toys to share with our girls in the shallow pool. We only knew a few words in German, but he was appreciative. Lydia know the word "Nine", which means "No" in German. And, it was quite funny to hear her say this. I think she actually uses the German word more than the English word.
We also met a British family from Northern England. Ah, I love to hear them speak. There were two boys and a girl. The girl was about Sophia's age. She only wore bathing suit bottoms. I guess this is what European little girls wear. But, she was nice and Sophia and her liked swimming together. And.....they both spoke the same language. Though, sometimes I think it is hard to understand because of the accent. Ah, but I love to hear them speak. The boys, especially the older one was excited to know that we were from California. He would love to visit there someday! The family has been to Florida, but never to the West Coast. We spent the rest of this day relaxing by the pool and Sea.
We got dressed in our little Mexican outfits for a dinner at the Mexican Restaurant. We thought it would be appropriate to eat there for our last night in Mexico. Unfortunatley, they did not have Horchata there! Bummer! But, Sophia and I did enjoy a Strawberry Daquiri together. The girls were sleepy around this time ---so, it felt like a rushed dinner at the end. But, Ric and I had seen that another couple ordered a Mexican coffee...and we could not resist to order some too with our dessert after the presentation we had observed. The waiter put on a little presentation with our coffee. It had alcohol in it ---which he would burn off with flame. He would pour the liquid back and forth making a streams of fire. It was fun to watch and of course tasted delicious. We decided to go back to the room to put the girls to bed....but, I am not sure what happened, but the girls got a second wind of energy and Papa and Mama were now exhausted. So, the girls played around in the hotel room jumping on the bed, giggling, etc. We decided then that it would be fun to call the grandparents. We used our cellphones and called Mimi and Poppie and then Grandma and Grandpa. Sophia loved talking to them about her trip thus far. She told them about how we traded American money into Pesos....the fun swimming pools....etc. It was a fun little chat and I am sure the grandparents were surprised and thrilled to hear from the granddaughters!:) I think this was a good settling down time and we eventually fell asleep while watching Mexican TV.
Vacaciones de México: El día Seis
Day Six: Sunday Oct. 8th
We all got plenty of rest from our long day yesterday. This day was proposed to be a little lighter and relaxing. We awoke and went to the restaurant for all inclusive breakfast. There was a buffet of all sort of fruits, yogurts, cereals, etc. And, then we could also order from the menu. It was nice to look out the big windows of the restaurant onto the bright beautiful blue Carribbean Sea. The storm had broke and it was clear outside!
After breakfast, I took the girls back to room to get them changed into their bathing suits. Ric and Ruben went over to the Game Hut and played a little Ping Pong! This is one of Ric's favorite games. The girls loved playing in the sand puddles outside our cottage. Sophia was making "cookies" with her sand. Lydia was making, well, just plain sand mess.....maybe soup? I just let them have at it. I figured we were going to go swim in the ocean in a bit and most of the sand would come off then. Of course right when I thought that, Lydia decided to put a big goop of sand right onto her little head. Big grins from that girl! And, then big sister Sophia had to follow suit....so, now both girls had heads full of sand! Bummer, I did not have my camera at that moment.
We went over to the Game Hut and met Ruben and Ric there in an intense game of Pong! The girls desperatley wanted to get in on the action. They take after there Papa----the love the game too! Lydia loves "balls" ---so, she was mainly interested in holding the ball. She can say that word too. "Ball, ball, ball!"
The big boys let the little girls play some Pong with them. They had a good time! We stopped the boys game at 2/2 and decided it was time to take the girls for a dip in the Carribbean Sea. So, we all went to the Sea for a swim! Awesome----"Wow, here I am in the Carriiiiiiibbbbbeean!!" It was beautiful and easy to walk out into. Sophia practiced her swimming. I am so glad she had swimming lessons before we came to Mexico. She used to be afraid of the water, but after swim lessons, she is not afraid. It makes it so much easier to enjoy our swim when we don't have a fearful child. Lydia is still at the age of no fear. However, she started to do the whole "I don't want mommy to be out of my site or me out of her arms stage" while we were in Mexico. I don't blame her. We were in unfamiliar territory after all.
Ruben made our swim even more enjoyable. He showed us how the Mayans have different uses for the sand. He went under the water came up with a pile of goopy wet sand in his hands and then proceeded to tell us how the Mayans used this sand to make their teeth white! He put the pile of goopy sand into his mouth and "brushed" his teeth! Of course, all of our eyes just opened wide in surprise and then we all burst into laughter. He then showed the girls that the sand was a good face cleanser too! Haa haa! It was a good laugh and I doubt that this was a true tale of Mayan culture ---but, you never know!
We took showers and cleansed off all the sand as best we could got all of our belongings and checked out of our resort. Ruben had planned to go back to Merida today as he had business to take care of Monday morning early. We were going to be staying at another resort in Playa De Carmen for the remainder of our time. So, this would be our goodbyes to Ruben.
As we were leaving, Ruben's brother and friend came driving up to resort. We only said "Hello" from the car, as they did not get out. They were going to be taking Ruben's truck to use while they were in Cancun and then Ruben would be driving back with his cousins. He was glad about that as he did not have to drive the full 4 hours back to Merida by himself.
Ruben proceeded to take us to our new resort. This resort was amazing. It was a 5-star all-inclusive resort. It was called SANDOS. http://www.sandoshotels.com/english/hotel_playacar/hotel_playacar.php
We were so blessed to be able to stay at this resort for the discounted Mexican price. Ruben's parents paid the price for us to stay there and got the discount and we then would pay them. It was exciting to stay at such a nice place. I had never been to a big resort before. Ric, kept mentioning it was like what you would see in the movies or on TV....."I can't believe we are really here!"
Ruben helped us check-in---we had to get special wristbands and then we had to wait at least an hour before we could go to our room. That was fine, because we go into the resort and look around and enjoy some lunch from any of the 4 restaurants.
We had to say goodbye to Ruben before we set off into the resort. We were sad to say goodbye. He had made our vacation ubelievable! We were so thankful to all that he had done to make this time tremendously wonderful for our family. We had a great time with him.
Now, we were set to spend sometime together just as a family at the resort. It was a perfect ending to a trip.
After our goodbyes, we went to the Mediterranean Restaurant to eat some lunch. It was buffet---similar to the buffets in Las Vegas---only this was underneath a hut in the Carribbean.
We were able to check into our room after lunch and relax a little bit. Right when we arrived in our room, Sophia made herself right at home. She unpacked her little DORA bag that she had brought and proceeded to put things into drawers --making little beds for her ponies--- placing books into the drawers as well. She also started to make "lists" with the hotel paper and pen. These were her important papers! :)
We were all tired and decided to take a little nap. But, soon after our nap, we took a swim in the Sea again and the pool area. We ate at the Italian Restaurant for dinner. It was pretty decent. I had ordered some pizza---tasted fairly good, but nothing like the pizza in Italy.
We pretty much did the same thing all day it seemed....Eat, nap, swim! What a vacation!
We all got plenty of rest from our long day yesterday. This day was proposed to be a little lighter and relaxing. We awoke and went to the restaurant for all inclusive breakfast. There was a buffet of all sort of fruits, yogurts, cereals, etc. And, then we could also order from the menu. It was nice to look out the big windows of the restaurant onto the bright beautiful blue Carribbean Sea. The storm had broke and it was clear outside!After breakfast, I took the girls back to room to get them changed into their bathing suits. Ric and Ruben went over to the Game Hut and played a little Ping Pong! This is one of Ric's favorite games. The girls loved playing in the sand puddles outside our cottage. Sophia was making "cookies" with her sand. Lydia was making, well, just plain sand mess.....maybe soup? I just let them have at it. I figured we were going to go swim in the ocean in a bit and most of the sand would come off then. Of course right when I thought that, Lydia decided to put a big goop of sand right onto her little head. Big grins from that girl! And, then big sister Sophia had to follow suit....so, now both girls had heads full of sand! Bummer, I did not have my camera at that moment.
We went over to the Game Hut and met Ruben and Ric there in an intense game of Pong! The girls desperatley wanted to get in on the action. They take after there Papa----the love the game too! Lydia loves "balls" ---so, she was mainly interested in holding the ball. She can say that word too. "Ball, ball, ball!"
The big boys let the little girls play some Pong with them. They had a good time! We stopped the boys game at 2/2 and decided it was time to take the girls for a dip in the Carribbean Sea. So, we all went to the Sea for a swim! Awesome----"Wow, here I am in the Carriiiiiiibbbbbeean!!" It was beautiful and easy to walk out into. Sophia practiced her swimming. I am so glad she had swimming lessons before we came to Mexico. She used to be afraid of the water, but after swim lessons, she is not afraid. It makes it so much easier to enjoy our swim when we don't have a fearful child. Lydia is still at the age of no fear. However, she started to do the whole "I don't want mommy to be out of my site or me out of her arms stage" while we were in Mexico. I don't blame her. We were in unfamiliar territory after all.
Ruben made our swim even more enjoyable. He showed us how the Mayans have different uses for the sand. He went under the water came up with a pile of goopy wet sand in his hands and then proceeded to tell us how the Mayans used this sand to make their teeth white! He put the pile of goopy sand into his mouth and "brushed" his teeth! Of course, all of our eyes just opened wide in surprise and then we all burst into laughter. He then showed the girls that the sand was a good face cleanser too! Haa haa! It was a good laugh and I doubt that this was a true tale of Mayan culture ---but, you never know!
We took showers and cleansed off all the sand as best we could got all of our belongings and checked out of our resort. Ruben had planned to go back to Merida today as he had business to take care of Monday morning early. We were going to be staying at another resort in Playa De Carmen for the remainder of our time. So, this would be our goodbyes to Ruben.
As we were leaving, Ruben's brother and friend came driving up to resort. We only said "Hello" from the car, as they did not get out. They were going to be taking Ruben's truck to use while they were in Cancun and then Ruben would be driving back with his cousins. He was glad about that as he did not have to drive the full 4 hours back to Merida by himself.
Ruben proceeded to take us to our new resort. This resort was amazing. It was a 5-star all-inclusive resort. It was called SANDOS. http://www.sandoshotels.com/english/hotel_playacar/hotel_playacar.php
We were so blessed to be able to stay at this resort for the discounted Mexican price. Ruben's parents paid the price for us to stay there and got the discount and we then would pay them. It was exciting to stay at such a nice place. I had never been to a big resort before. Ric, kept mentioning it was like what you would see in the movies or on TV....."I can't believe we are really here!"
Ruben helped us check-in---we had to get special wristbands and then we had to wait at least an hour before we could go to our room. That was fine, because we go into the resort and look around and enjoy some lunch from any of the 4 restaurants.
We had to say goodbye to Ruben before we set off into the resort. We were sad to say goodbye. He had made our vacation ubelievable! We were so thankful to all that he had done to make this time tremendously wonderful for our family. We had a great time with him.
Now, we were set to spend sometime together just as a family at the resort. It was a perfect ending to a trip.
After our goodbyes, we went to the Mediterranean Restaurant to eat some lunch. It was buffet---similar to the buffets in Las Vegas---only this was underneath a hut in the Carribbean.
We were able to check into our room after lunch and relax a little bit. Right when we arrived in our room, Sophia made herself right at home. She unpacked her little DORA bag that she had brought and proceeded to put things into drawers --making little beds for her ponies--- placing books into the drawers as well. She also started to make "lists" with the hotel paper and pen. These were her important papers! :)
We were all tired and decided to take a little nap. But, soon after our nap, we took a swim in the Sea again and the pool area. We ate at the Italian Restaurant for dinner. It was pretty decent. I had ordered some pizza---tasted fairly good, but nothing like the pizza in Italy.
We pretty much did the same thing all day it seemed....Eat, nap, swim! What a vacation!
Vacaciones de México: El día Cinco
Day Five: Saturday Oct. 7th
We awoke at 5am and departed from Merida at 6am. We said our last goodbyes to the Dominguez family and were on our way in Ruben's truck. Ruben was driving us to Chichén Itzá and then onto Playa De Carmen on the Carribbean Sea.
It takes about 2 hours to get to Chichén Itzá from Merida. We wanted to be there early because it gets very hot quickly. We arrived at opening time of 8am. We were the first visitors to arrive. Thankfully, it is off-season for tourists, so there would not be too many people there. We went to the bathroom, paid our entrance fee and walked into the grounds of Chichén Itzá.
There are not words to describe this moment. It was amazing. I could not believe I was going to see a Mayan pyramid. To me, this was one of the great wonders of the world. I am in awe of how they built it. There was much more to see than just the pyramid and we walked around to see most of the sites. It is a large area and I wish that I had time to tell you about all the history. It is very interesting. Ruben did a great job telling us all about the history of it. Chichen Itza is the ancient city whose name means "in the mouth at the Itzáe's Well", was, in its time of grandeur (between 800 and 1200 A.D.), the centre of political, religious and military power in Yucatán, if not all of South-eastern Meso America.
We were unable to climb to the top like we had hoped to, but apparently they had it roped off. At one time, people could climb to the top, but not now. However, it was beautiful and the time of day was great. I was a little disappointed that we had not charged our camera battery the day before, as it shutdown about half-way through our excursion. We did get in several great pics though.
There were many little vendors along some of the paths selling their goods---like pottery, jewelry, souvenirs, etc. Sophia had been given some money from her Uncle Dave for her birthday to spend in Mexico. So, she did a little shopping. She bought a little braclet and a mexican shirt. She decided to save some of her money to spend later on in the trip. I bought a plate that had the Mayan calendar engraved in it. I was also given a paper that explained the symbols and days. Ruben was a great help in wheeling and dealing with the merchants. He was very good at bargaining.
We saw the sacred Cenota. The legendary Sacred Cenote (natural waterhole) of Chichén ltzá was special to the people for its religious and social significance.On occasions, the sacrifice of human life was part of the offerings made to the god of water. There are Cenotes in Mexico that you can swim in, but obviously we would not want to swim in this one.
The ball court was interesting. I was struck by the excellent accoustics of the stadium. The panels along the side walls are decorated with scenes from the ball game and its players. One of the scenes, the beheading of a player in center field witnessed by the players of both teams, is one of the most dramatic examples of Maya art. The scene not only illustrates the horror faced by the players but also the sacred importance of the game. At one time it was believed that the losers were destined to die but new theories have been proposed by researchers. Some think that the captain of the winning team was sacrificed since his team's triumph made him a fitting offering to the gods.
We then walked past the Tzompantli. The Tzompantli platform was a centrally-located platform used to display the skulls of enemy warriors defeated in battle as well as the heads of sacrificial victims.
We went to see the El Caracol, the Observatory, was dedicated to the study of the movement of the stars and planets. We were able to climb to the top of this one. The steps are steep,but big. It was easy going up, but coming down was a little challenging, especially when carrying a baby in your arms.
We left Chichén Itzá and headed towards the Carribbean. It is suppose to take us about 2 hours from Chichén Itzá to Cancun area and well, we ended up on the back roads going through several small villages. And, each time you come to a village, there are huge bumps (these speed bumps area all over the Yucatan) and you really have to slow down. (These are kind of annoying---I am glad we don't have these all over in USA). It started to pour down rain part of the way. It was coming down hard and in heavy sheets. What is ironic was that it was still about 94 degrees outside. Thankfully, we were inside the truck. Our luggage in the back however was getting a bit wet. And, if rain could not delay us anymore, then we would find ourselves in one of the villages behind a parade of people. What was this?? They were having some sort of celebration and were all part of a parade in the rain going down the road. There was no way to pass the crowd. We could only follow them. We were scared to find out how long this parade of people would travel. Thankfully, they did turn rather soon onto a side street. And as we passed, we saw the leader of the parade with a plate over his head and on that plate was a big pig's head. Ucck! Did I mention that Ric was driving at this point?? We had to laugh!
We finally arrived at our destination in about 3 hours. We were staying at a place called La Posada Del Capitan Lafitte. http://www.capitanlafitte.com/
We planned to stay in this little resort owned by Ruben's friend. It was located in Playa De Carmen, about 40 minutes south of Cancun. It was gorgeous here. The ocean was bright blue and clear and beautiful. The clouds however were starting to form again. We unloaded our luggage and checked into our rooms.
We then headed out to the town of Playa De Carmen to have a light snack before dinner. Our hotel was all-inclusive except for lunch and specialty drinks. So, we thought it would be a good idea to see the town and get a light snack. We went to 5th Avenue where there are a lot of little restaurants and shops. Of course, we got there, it started to down pour again. We made it to a little Pizza stand and had some very good tasting pizza and soda while we waited for the rain to pass. It did not take too long. We looked at a few shops and then headed back to our resort. Ric, Ruben, and Sophia swam in the pool while Lydia and I laid down for a nap. They also treated themselves to a Pina Colada. Sophia's of course was virgin. I couldn't wait to have my real Pina Colada later on in the evening. We ate dinner in the dining area and was so impressed. You could walk outside the little door on the side of the restaurant and step into the ocean...no kidding! It was amazing. I, of course, had to touch the water. So, I stepped out the door, took two steps and walla I was in the Carribbean Sea at 7:30pm at night. What luxury!
We had a nice meal and then the boys were very tired and decided to take a little rest before the evening fun. I got the girls dressed in their bathing suits and let them play in the sand and water puddles right outside our little cottage. They had a great time and were sandy from head to toe. Ric took a snooze in the hammica outside on the little porch. I then decided to take the girls to the pool and swim with them there. Ric and Ruben still snoozing away (it was suppose to be a short nap---haa haa!). The girls and I swam for a bit and then I enjoyed a Pina Colada, got Lydia & Sophia a sprite at the outside bar area. We had the whole area to ourselves! I could not wait for Ric and Ruben to awake---it was now 10:45pm. So, I went back to the cottage as Ric was awaken a little to tell him of the time. I got the girls dressed into pajamas and well needless to say we all went to bed ---and the boys did not wake up from their "short nap"!
We awoke at 5am and departed from Merida at 6am. We said our last goodbyes to the Dominguez family and were on our way in Ruben's truck. Ruben was driving us to Chichén Itzá and then onto Playa De Carmen on the Carribbean Sea.
It takes about 2 hours to get to Chichén Itzá from Merida. We wanted to be there early because it gets very hot quickly. We arrived at opening time of 8am. We were the first visitors to arrive. Thankfully, it is off-season for tourists, so there would not be too many people there. We went to the bathroom, paid our entrance fee and walked into the grounds of Chichén Itzá.
There are not words to describe this moment. It was amazing. I could not believe I was going to see a Mayan pyramid. To me, this was one of the great wonders of the world. I am in awe of how they built it. There was much more to see than just the pyramid and we walked around to see most of the sites. It is a large area and I wish that I had time to tell you about all the history. It is very interesting. Ruben did a great job telling us all about the history of it. Chichen Itza is the ancient city whose name means "in the mouth at the Itzáe's Well", was, in its time of grandeur (between 800 and 1200 A.D.), the centre of political, religious and military power in Yucatán, if not all of South-eastern Meso America.
We were unable to climb to the top like we had hoped to, but apparently they had it roped off. At one time, people could climb to the top, but not now. However, it was beautiful and the time of day was great. I was a little disappointed that we had not charged our camera battery the day before, as it shutdown about half-way through our excursion. We did get in several great pics though.
There were many little vendors along some of the paths selling their goods---like pottery, jewelry, souvenirs, etc. Sophia had been given some money from her Uncle Dave for her birthday to spend in Mexico. So, she did a little shopping. She bought a little braclet and a mexican shirt. She decided to save some of her money to spend later on in the trip. I bought a plate that had the Mayan calendar engraved in it. I was also given a paper that explained the symbols and days. Ruben was a great help in wheeling and dealing with the merchants. He was very good at bargaining.
We saw the sacred Cenota. The legendary Sacred Cenote (natural waterhole) of Chichén ltzá was special to the people for its religious and social significance.On occasions, the sacrifice of human life was part of the offerings made to the god of water. There are Cenotes in Mexico that you can swim in, but obviously we would not want to swim in this one.The ball court was interesting. I was struck by the excellent accoustics of the stadium. The panels along the side walls are decorated with scenes from the ball game and its players. One of the scenes, the beheading of a player in center field witnessed by the players of both teams, is one of the most dramatic examples of Maya art. The scene not only illustrates the horror faced by the players but also the sacred importance of the game. At one time it was believed that the losers were destined to die but new theories have been proposed by researchers. Some think that the captain of the winning team was sacrificed since his team's triumph made him a fitting offering to the gods.
We then walked past the Tzompantli. The Tzompantli platform was a centrally-located platform used to display the skulls of enemy warriors defeated in battle as well as the heads of sacrificial victims.
We went to see the El Caracol, the Observatory, was dedicated to the study of the movement of the stars and planets. We were able to climb to the top of this one. The steps are steep,but big. It was easy going up, but coming down was a little challenging, especially when carrying a baby in your arms.
We left Chichén Itzá and headed towards the Carribbean. It is suppose to take us about 2 hours from Chichén Itzá to Cancun area and well, we ended up on the back roads going through several small villages. And, each time you come to a village, there are huge bumps (these speed bumps area all over the Yucatan) and you really have to slow down. (These are kind of annoying---I am glad we don't have these all over in USA). It started to pour down rain part of the way. It was coming down hard and in heavy sheets. What is ironic was that it was still about 94 degrees outside. Thankfully, we were inside the truck. Our luggage in the back however was getting a bit wet. And, if rain could not delay us anymore, then we would find ourselves in one of the villages behind a parade of people. What was this?? They were having some sort of celebration and were all part of a parade in the rain going down the road. There was no way to pass the crowd. We could only follow them. We were scared to find out how long this parade of people would travel. Thankfully, they did turn rather soon onto a side street. And as we passed, we saw the leader of the parade with a plate over his head and on that plate was a big pig's head. Ucck! Did I mention that Ric was driving at this point?? We had to laugh!
We finally arrived at our destination in about 3 hours. We were staying at a place called La Posada Del Capitan Lafitte. http://www.capitanlafitte.com/
We planned to stay in this little resort owned by Ruben's friend. It was located in Playa De Carmen, about 40 minutes south of Cancun. It was gorgeous here. The ocean was bright blue and clear and beautiful. The clouds however were starting to form again. We unloaded our luggage and checked into our rooms.
We then headed out to the town of Playa De Carmen to have a light snack before dinner. Our hotel was all-inclusive except for lunch and specialty drinks. So, we thought it would be a good idea to see the town and get a light snack. We went to 5th Avenue where there are a lot of little restaurants and shops. Of course, we got there, it started to down pour again. We made it to a little Pizza stand and had some very good tasting pizza and soda while we waited for the rain to pass. It did not take too long. We looked at a few shops and then headed back to our resort. Ric, Ruben, and Sophia swam in the pool while Lydia and I laid down for a nap. They also treated themselves to a Pina Colada. Sophia's of course was virgin. I couldn't wait to have my real Pina Colada later on in the evening. We ate dinner in the dining area and was so impressed. You could walk outside the little door on the side of the restaurant and step into the ocean...no kidding! It was amazing. I, of course, had to touch the water. So, I stepped out the door, took two steps and walla I was in the Carribbean Sea at 7:30pm at night. What luxury!
We had a nice meal and then the boys were very tired and decided to take a little rest before the evening fun. I got the girls dressed in their bathing suits and let them play in the sand and water puddles right outside our little cottage. They had a great time and were sandy from head to toe. Ric took a snooze in the hammica outside on the little porch. I then decided to take the girls to the pool and swim with them there. Ric and Ruben still snoozing away (it was suppose to be a short nap---haa haa!). The girls and I swam for a bit and then I enjoyed a Pina Colada, got Lydia & Sophia a sprite at the outside bar area. We had the whole area to ourselves! I could not wait for Ric and Ruben to awake---it was now 10:45pm. So, I went back to the cottage as Ric was awaken a little to tell him of the time. I got the girls dressed into pajamas and well needless to say we all went to bed ---and the boys did not wake up from their "short nap"!
Vacaciones de México: El día Cuatro
Day Four: Friday Oct. 6th
We awoke to a yummy breakfast deliciously made again by Senora Dominguez. We would call Senora Dominguez "Abuela" at times which means "Grandma". She was please with this, because none of her kids were married yet or even were at the potential of having children of their own yet. So, for this brief moment she could be an "Abuela". She served us a special rice drink called Horchata. The girls love it! It is Deliciosa! It is a sweet rice milk and we will be sure to get some to bring with us back to the states. Very yummy!
I wanted to get some shopping in today---it is cheaper to buy things here in Merida then in the more tourist filled portions of Mexico like Cancun. But, before we would go shopping we would go to the Zoo. Ruben had some business to take care of in the morning and he thought it would be nice to see the Zoo for a little entertainment time for the girls. Good idea! Zoos might be Zoos anywhere you go, but the girls love animals and it was free! Abuela drove us to the Zoo and dropped us off. She would pick us up in an hour. She told us about a little train that goes all around the Zoo. We went to the train and boarded the train---only to find out that it takes a ticket to ride. Well, Ric rushed off the train and went to the place to buy tickets for us....which only cost 1 peso....about 10 cents. Ric unfortunatley only had a large bill, so the lady had to break the big bill for our tickets. The train engineer was trying to leave several times, when some nice people ahead of us told him No---we were waiting for Ric. And, another train worker was also telling the engineer to wait. Ric barley made it in time before the engineer left. We took the little ride and it was quaint. It was a fun way to see the animals and not have to walk everywhere.
We got to see giraffes, birds, tigers, bears, etc. and of course a big Hippo! It was huge! Can you believe those animals can run very fast too???
There was a little play park inside the Zoo that girls of course wanted to play upon. There was an old airplane that was turned into a slide. This was pretty cool. Sophia was not sure about it at first. She has some little fear of slides. She would rather swing on the swings. But, Lydia, on the other hand has no fear and was ready to climb and slide down. She climed up with Papa and slid down all by herself. Well, this encouraged Sophia to try too. But, she wanted Papa to go down with her all they way down the slide.
After the Zoo, we met Ruben for some shopping. There were several things that I wanted to get while in Mexico. One of them being some Turquiose and silver. It is much less expensive to buy that here in Mexico than in the States. A gentlemen told us about it while at the airport. We also wanted to by Ric a Mexican shirt call --Guadabara ---Ruben had been wearing some of the shirts and they looked nice.
I did not find my jewelry yet, but we did find a shirt for Ric! I love it! It is black with some nice embroidery on the front. He looks really handsome in it! Whistle whistle! We also found a cute little mexican dress for Sophia.
However, I did find one thing that I wanted. I had forgotten to tell you about the Hammicas! These are Hammocks! Mostly all the Yucatans sleep in these instead of beds. They are little off the ground and are a bit more airrated than beds. Because it is hot and humid there, it is more comfortable to sleep in these. Well, we tried out Ruben's Hammica which was in his room and also the Hammicas that were in the beach house. It was very comfortable. I was a little skeptical at first, but then when I laid in one, I was completely comfortable and relaxed. So, I had to have one! We were able to find one in the downtown Merida for a decent price. My Hammica is pink!!! Sophia helped me pick out the color!
After shopping in the downtown area of Merida, Ruben dropped us off at the Mall for a few hours while he had to go to a meeting. We did not buy anything there except for a coffee and some more ice-cream. Sophia slept most of the time, while Lydia was awake. Ruben picked us up and then we went back to the house for a light dinner. Lydia had fallen asleep on the way home and was out for the rest of the night. I put her to bed and Sophia and I ate some dinner and talked with Ruben's sister Anna Bella. Ruben and Ric went out for a night on the town. Ruben wanted to show him some a few places. They had a few beers and enjoyed visiting with one another. It was good for them to have that time together. Sophia and I went to bed around 10am---as we needed to get some rest. Tomorrow we wake at 5am for a 6am departure to Chichén Itzá---the Mayan Temple.
I realized that I hadn't properly introduced you to the Dominguez family! They are such a wonderful family and we were so blessed by their hospitality.
Ruben was Ric's roommate in the states for two weeks. Ruben was an exchange student in Ric's hometown in high-school and he apparantly needed a place to stay for at least two weeks. He stayed with the Komarek family. Ric and Ruben both wished that it had been longer. However, they stayed in touch for all these years and have become good friends.
Ruben's Father Senor Ruben Dominguez is a Doctor --an Internist. He speaks a little English. We did not see him too much because he was busy working. But, he is very very nice!
Ruben's Mother Senora Aida Dominguez was a Dentist, but stayed at home when they had children. She does not speak English, except for a few words. She is very hospitable and a great cook. She is so sweet and loves to be with the girls.
Ruben's Sister Senorita Anna Isabella Dominguez is a dentist and training to become specialized in orthodontics. She speaks English well. She was also an exchange student in Alaska. She has also been a nanny in France and speaks French very well too. She is very sweet and was great with the girls. I enjoyed visiting with her late Friday night. She reminds me a little of Ric's sister Suzy. I hope that she will come to our home someday in the states for a visit.
Ruben also has a brother Randy, but we only met Ruben's brother briefly in Playa De Carmen
We awoke to a yummy breakfast deliciously made again by Senora Dominguez. We would call Senora Dominguez "Abuela" at times which means "Grandma". She was please with this, because none of her kids were married yet or even were at the potential of having children of their own yet. So, for this brief moment she could be an "Abuela". She served us a special rice drink called Horchata. The girls love it! It is Deliciosa! It is a sweet rice milk and we will be sure to get some to bring with us back to the states. Very yummy!
I wanted to get some shopping in today---it is cheaper to buy things here in Merida then in the more tourist filled portions of Mexico like Cancun. But, before we would go shopping we would go to the Zoo. Ruben had some business to take care of in the morning and he thought it would be nice to see the Zoo for a little entertainment time for the girls. Good idea! Zoos might be Zoos anywhere you go, but the girls love animals and it was free! Abuela drove us to the Zoo and dropped us off. She would pick us up in an hour. She told us about a little train that goes all around the Zoo. We went to the train and boarded the train---only to find out that it takes a ticket to ride. Well, Ric rushed off the train and went to the place to buy tickets for us....which only cost 1 peso....about 10 cents. Ric unfortunatley only had a large bill, so the lady had to break the big bill for our tickets. The train engineer was trying to leave several times, when some nice people ahead of us told him No---we were waiting for Ric. And, another train worker was also telling the engineer to wait. Ric barley made it in time before the engineer left. We took the little ride and it was quaint. It was a fun way to see the animals and not have to walk everywhere.
We got to see giraffes, birds, tigers, bears, etc. and of course a big Hippo! It was huge! Can you believe those animals can run very fast too???
There was a little play park inside the Zoo that girls of course wanted to play upon. There was an old airplane that was turned into a slide. This was pretty cool. Sophia was not sure about it at first. She has some little fear of slides. She would rather swing on the swings. But, Lydia, on the other hand has no fear and was ready to climb and slide down. She climed up with Papa and slid down all by herself. Well, this encouraged Sophia to try too. But, she wanted Papa to go down with her all they way down the slide.
After the Zoo, we met Ruben for some shopping. There were several things that I wanted to get while in Mexico. One of them being some Turquiose and silver. It is much less expensive to buy that here in Mexico than in the States. A gentlemen told us about it while at the airport. We also wanted to by Ric a Mexican shirt call --Guadabara ---Ruben had been wearing some of the shirts and they looked nice.
I did not find my jewelry yet, but we did find a shirt for Ric! I love it! It is black with some nice embroidery on the front. He looks really handsome in it! Whistle whistle! We also found a cute little mexican dress for Sophia.
However, I did find one thing that I wanted. I had forgotten to tell you about the Hammicas! These are Hammocks! Mostly all the Yucatans sleep in these instead of beds. They are little off the ground and are a bit more airrated than beds. Because it is hot and humid there, it is more comfortable to sleep in these. Well, we tried out Ruben's Hammica which was in his room and also the Hammicas that were in the beach house. It was very comfortable. I was a little skeptical at first, but then when I laid in one, I was completely comfortable and relaxed. So, I had to have one! We were able to find one in the downtown Merida for a decent price. My Hammica is pink!!! Sophia helped me pick out the color!
After shopping in the downtown area of Merida, Ruben dropped us off at the Mall for a few hours while he had to go to a meeting. We did not buy anything there except for a coffee and some more ice-cream. Sophia slept most of the time, while Lydia was awake. Ruben picked us up and then we went back to the house for a light dinner. Lydia had fallen asleep on the way home and was out for the rest of the night. I put her to bed and Sophia and I ate some dinner and talked with Ruben's sister Anna Bella. Ruben and Ric went out for a night on the town. Ruben wanted to show him some a few places. They had a few beers and enjoyed visiting with one another. It was good for them to have that time together. Sophia and I went to bed around 10am---as we needed to get some rest. Tomorrow we wake at 5am for a 6am departure to Chichén Itzá---the Mayan Temple.
I realized that I hadn't properly introduced you to the Dominguez family! They are such a wonderful family and we were so blessed by their hospitality.
Ruben was Ric's roommate in the states for two weeks. Ruben was an exchange student in Ric's hometown in high-school and he apparantly needed a place to stay for at least two weeks. He stayed with the Komarek family. Ric and Ruben both wished that it had been longer. However, they stayed in touch for all these years and have become good friends.
Ruben's Father Senor Ruben Dominguez is a Doctor --an Internist. He speaks a little English. We did not see him too much because he was busy working. But, he is very very nice!
Ruben's Mother Senora Aida Dominguez was a Dentist, but stayed at home when they had children. She does not speak English, except for a few words. She is very hospitable and a great cook. She is so sweet and loves to be with the girls.
Ruben's Sister Senorita Anna Isabella Dominguez is a dentist and training to become specialized in orthodontics. She speaks English well. She was also an exchange student in Alaska. She has also been a nanny in France and speaks French very well too. She is very sweet and was great with the girls. I enjoyed visiting with her late Friday night. She reminds me a little of Ric's sister Suzy. I hope that she will come to our home someday in the states for a visit.
Ruben also has a brother Randy, but we only met Ruben's brother briefly in Playa De Carmen
Vacaciones de México: El día Tres
Day Three: Thursday Oct. 5th (Progresso Beach House)
We left for the small beach town of Progresso, about 20 minutes North of Merida. Ruben took us to nice little "outdoors" like restaurant near the beach. I say outdoors like because the restaurant did not have windows. It had a thatched roof and walls came up about half way....the rest was open to the beautiful view of the ocean. It was there we ate breakfast. We had "hotcakes" ---the universal word for pancakes. They also served bread and jam ---which Sophia pounded down into her little tummy. She loved the strawberry jam and ate the whole thing (she reminded me of Auntie Kristin who would eat all of the salsa condiments at a restaurant --ha!). She loved the stuff!
Ruben ordered a traditional Yucatanian breakfast so we could what it looked like. It has meat in the dish, so that is why we did not order or eat. It had pork, eggs, peas, etc. It looked interesting! We gave Ruben our bacon that came with our hotcakes. He was happy about that! :)
After our breakfast, we drove around Progresso a little bit and Ruben pointed out other restaurant options for us to go to if we wanted for lunch or dinner. We then went to a store in Progresso that is owned by Wal-mart. Yes, they have Wal-marts in Mexico. Actually, they have many American stores and restaurants there in Mexico. I was quite amazed. They had the typical McDonalds, Burger King, etc. But, they also had Costco, Home Depot, Wal-mart, TGIFridays, and many more. They did not have many of these stores in Progresso. The stores I mentioned were mostly in Merida, the larger city. But, in Progresso, they had a store owned by Wal-mart. (I can't remember the name). We shopped there for some traditional breads, strawberry soymilk, watermelon, and some water to take with us to the beach house. They had many breads out right now, because it is tradition to have many breads for the Day of the Dead (Halloween) ---a big holiday they celebrate.
After our adventures at "Wal-mart", we headed about 10 minutes toward Ruben's family beach house. Their family actually has two beach houses there in Progresso. One is owned by Ruben's Father's family and the other is owned by his Mother's family. His Mother's beach house is larger and more newly constructed. That is the one that Ruben took us to. We had the option of staying here for however long we wanted. We arrived to a beautiful, large beach house. It had 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, a large Kitchen area and living room area. The back patio was huge and spatious and was very close to the ocean. It was remarkbly beautiful. Ruben left his truck with us and Ruben returned to Merida with his sister who was currently in Progresso working (she is a dentist).
Our little family was left alone in the beautiful beach house overlooking the radiant waters. Sophia immediately went all around the house and picked her room out to stay. She also found two little rocking chairs that were perfect size for her and Lydia. Oh Joy! Both girls could not resist a little rocking!
We went outside to play in the sand and collect sea-shells. There are a lot of sea-shells on this beach. The girls loved the sand. I found some big cups and brought them out to play with and collect sea-shells with. The girls were so content in just sitting in the sand and playing.
We came back into the beach house ate a little of our breads and strawberry milk. Then it was rest time as the girls were plenty tired from the days adventures thus far. The girls took about a 2 hour or so nap. Ric and I rested a little bit, but then enjoyed some quiet time outside on the patio overlooking the ocean. It was nice to sit in some rocking chairs and just look out and visit.
We had the option of staying the night there in the beach house, but we did want to go back to Merida where a traditional concert was being performed in the city center. It is an orchestra that its members are dressed in traditional Yucatan outfits and they have singers that sing some historical songs, etc. Sometimes they have dancing as well.
We decided to head back to Merida and if we felt like returning after the concert than we would come back and stay at the beach house, otherwise we would just stay in Merida.
Before heading back to Merida, we decided to eat some dinner. We drove back towards Progresso downtown area where Ruben had showed us the restaurants. We actually ended up at the same restaurant that we had eaten at for breakfast. The restaurant had a little play area for kids and Sophia really wanted to go play in the little "park". So, we let the kids play for awhile before dinner. They loved swinging in the airplane swings. This one of Sophia's favorite thing to do at a play park is swim. Now Lydia on the otherhand loves to climb. That is our little monkey.
I ordered a traditional Yucatan meal for dinner. It was fish stuffed with seafood. It had had octupus inside along with shrimp, calamari, etc. It was actually good. I know you may think---octopus?? I had Octopus once in high-school at our Prom dinner. It was pickled Octopus and not very good. Ruben mentioned that octopus was in season at the moment and very popular and good tasting. So, I decided to try it! Why not? And, I was impressed it was much better than the pickled stuff I had in the states.
On our way back to Merida, Ric got a little lost driving the truck into the city. Ruben forgot to give us a little bit of important info----ooops! So, here we are lost in Merida and we have not been able to get our cellphones to work with Ruben's cellphone yet. However, we were able to connect with his parents home phone. Thankfully, Ruben's father was home that speaks a little bit of English....and when we called back a few minutes later, Ruben was home. We pulled over in a Costco parking lot and Ruben came and picked us up. Funny thing, was that the Costco was right around the corner---within walking distance---from Rubens house!
We thought that we had missed the concert, but Ruben informed us that his sister was wrong about the show starting at 7pm---it really started at 9pm. So, we didn't miss it! Yeah! We realized then that after the show we would stay in Merida. We went back to Ruben's house for some "taquito" like snack out on the patio overlooking the pool. We also had a little Vino that we had brought as a gift to them from California. Ruben also pulled out a little drink he had brought back from Chezch area of Europe. It was interesting---almost tasted like brandy.
At 9pm we headed to the city center to enjoy a little concert. The music was pleasent and the girls, especially Lydia, loved to dance to the music. Both the girls met a little mexican girl and danced with her too. It was sweet and also funny, because they would talk to each other in their own languages and somehow they just kept talking and "communicating" somehow.
We also ate some spicy mexican peanuts that they were selling. Ruben told us that they do this concert every Thursday all year long. It is a big hit with the tourists. But, at this time when we arrived, there are not many tourists. We were at a tourist off-season....and it was the perfect time to be here.
It was a long day filled with many different adventures. The girls were very tired at the end of the day.....me too!
We left for the small beach town of Progresso, about 20 minutes North of Merida. Ruben took us to nice little "outdoors" like restaurant near the beach. I say outdoors like because the restaurant did not have windows. It had a thatched roof and walls came up about half way....the rest was open to the beautiful view of the ocean. It was there we ate breakfast. We had "hotcakes" ---the universal word for pancakes. They also served bread and jam ---which Sophia pounded down into her little tummy. She loved the strawberry jam and ate the whole thing (she reminded me of Auntie Kristin who would eat all of the salsa condiments at a restaurant --ha!). She loved the stuff!
Ruben ordered a traditional Yucatanian breakfast so we could what it looked like. It has meat in the dish, so that is why we did not order or eat. It had pork, eggs, peas, etc. It looked interesting! We gave Ruben our bacon that came with our hotcakes. He was happy about that! :)
After our breakfast, we drove around Progresso a little bit and Ruben pointed out other restaurant options for us to go to if we wanted for lunch or dinner. We then went to a store in Progresso that is owned by Wal-mart. Yes, they have Wal-marts in Mexico. Actually, they have many American stores and restaurants there in Mexico. I was quite amazed. They had the typical McDonalds, Burger King, etc. But, they also had Costco, Home Depot, Wal-mart, TGIFridays, and many more. They did not have many of these stores in Progresso. The stores I mentioned were mostly in Merida, the larger city. But, in Progresso, they had a store owned by Wal-mart. (I can't remember the name). We shopped there for some traditional breads, strawberry soymilk, watermelon, and some water to take with us to the beach house. They had many breads out right now, because it is tradition to have many breads for the Day of the Dead (Halloween) ---a big holiday they celebrate.
After our adventures at "Wal-mart", we headed about 10 minutes toward Ruben's family beach house. Their family actually has two beach houses there in Progresso. One is owned by Ruben's Father's family and the other is owned by his Mother's family. His Mother's beach house is larger and more newly constructed. That is the one that Ruben took us to. We had the option of staying here for however long we wanted. We arrived to a beautiful, large beach house. It had 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, a large Kitchen area and living room area. The back patio was huge and spatious and was very close to the ocean. It was remarkbly beautiful. Ruben left his truck with us and Ruben returned to Merida with his sister who was currently in Progresso working (she is a dentist).
Our little family was left alone in the beautiful beach house overlooking the radiant waters. Sophia immediately went all around the house and picked her room out to stay. She also found two little rocking chairs that were perfect size for her and Lydia. Oh Joy! Both girls could not resist a little rocking!
We went outside to play in the sand and collect sea-shells. There are a lot of sea-shells on this beach. The girls loved the sand. I found some big cups and brought them out to play with and collect sea-shells with. The girls were so content in just sitting in the sand and playing.
We came back into the beach house ate a little of our breads and strawberry milk. Then it was rest time as the girls were plenty tired from the days adventures thus far. The girls took about a 2 hour or so nap. Ric and I rested a little bit, but then enjoyed some quiet time outside on the patio overlooking the ocean. It was nice to sit in some rocking chairs and just look out and visit.
We had the option of staying the night there in the beach house, but we did want to go back to Merida where a traditional concert was being performed in the city center. It is an orchestra that its members are dressed in traditional Yucatan outfits and they have singers that sing some historical songs, etc. Sometimes they have dancing as well.
We decided to head back to Merida and if we felt like returning after the concert than we would come back and stay at the beach house, otherwise we would just stay in Merida.
Before heading back to Merida, we decided to eat some dinner. We drove back towards Progresso downtown area where Ruben had showed us the restaurants. We actually ended up at the same restaurant that we had eaten at for breakfast. The restaurant had a little play area for kids and Sophia really wanted to go play in the little "park". So, we let the kids play for awhile before dinner. They loved swinging in the airplane swings. This one of Sophia's favorite thing to do at a play park is swim. Now Lydia on the otherhand loves to climb. That is our little monkey.
I ordered a traditional Yucatan meal for dinner. It was fish stuffed with seafood. It had had octupus inside along with shrimp, calamari, etc. It was actually good. I know you may think---octopus?? I had Octopus once in high-school at our Prom dinner. It was pickled Octopus and not very good. Ruben mentioned that octopus was in season at the moment and very popular and good tasting. So, I decided to try it! Why not? And, I was impressed it was much better than the pickled stuff I had in the states.
On our way back to Merida, Ric got a little lost driving the truck into the city. Ruben forgot to give us a little bit of important info----ooops! So, here we are lost in Merida and we have not been able to get our cellphones to work with Ruben's cellphone yet. However, we were able to connect with his parents home phone. Thankfully, Ruben's father was home that speaks a little bit of English....and when we called back a few minutes later, Ruben was home. We pulled over in a Costco parking lot and Ruben came and picked us up. Funny thing, was that the Costco was right around the corner---within walking distance---from Rubens house!
We thought that we had missed the concert, but Ruben informed us that his sister was wrong about the show starting at 7pm---it really started at 9pm. So, we didn't miss it! Yeah! We realized then that after the show we would stay in Merida. We went back to Ruben's house for some "taquito" like snack out on the patio overlooking the pool. We also had a little Vino that we had brought as a gift to them from California. Ruben also pulled out a little drink he had brought back from Chezch area of Europe. It was interesting---almost tasted like brandy.
At 9pm we headed to the city center to enjoy a little concert. The music was pleasent and the girls, especially Lydia, loved to dance to the music. Both the girls met a little mexican girl and danced with her too. It was sweet and also funny, because they would talk to each other in their own languages and somehow they just kept talking and "communicating" somehow.
We also ate some spicy mexican peanuts that they were selling. Ruben told us that they do this concert every Thursday all year long. It is a big hit with the tourists. But, at this time when we arrived, there are not many tourists. We were at a tourist off-season....and it was the perfect time to be here.
It was a long day filled with many different adventures. The girls were very tired at the end of the day.....me too!
Vacaciones de México: El día Dos
Day Two (El día Dos): Wednesday Oct. 4th (Happy Birthday Sophia)
Cumpleaños felices Sophia! It is Sophia's birthday celebration in Mexico!!! We sang a morning "Happy Birthday" song to her. She is now 4 years old on the 4th of October.....this moment only comes once in a lifetime!
We awoke to some delicious breakfast made by Senora Dominguez (Ruben's Mommy). We had potato hashbrowns (papas), papaya fruit, refried beans, juice, etc. It tasted so good after a long day of travel.
We then had our little tour of the home and then got ready to depart for some sightseeing of downtown Merida. Ruben took us to downtown square where the Governor's office was and the big Catholic Cathedral and then we stopped into a bookstore so that I could get a little book of spanish/english translation. We stopped by a bank to exchange some money and tried to figure out our cellphones----finally, I was able to call Ric to his cellphone. But, we were unable to connect to Ruben's cellphone....
We ended our little tour of the downtown area with a yummy treat to some helado (ice-cream). It was so refreshing and sweet. We got three different flavors. Ric ordered an ice-cream with corn (maiz) in it....not my favorite. It just is a little weird to have corn kernals in my ice-cream. Sophia and I ordered a "coconut" flavor and that of course was yummy! Ruben ordered an ice-cream that was made out of a native fruit there in mexico....sorry, I can't remember the name....but, it was very sweet and delicious. I think that flavor was my favorite. The ice-cream was more like Sorbet. It was not as creamy as ice-cream in the states. I think it was perfect for the weather there in Mexico. We really liked this treat! :)
After our excursion in downtown, we headed back to the Casa de Dominguez for lunch. Now, lunch is the greatest meal of the day there. It is a lot like Europe. They eat a big lunch and then have a lighter meal for dinner. That makes so much more sense. So, we ate our big lunch prepared by Senora Dominguez. She is so sweet, because they know that we are vegetarian. Senora Dominzuez does not speak English. But, she will speak Spanish slowly and then louder and louder. Ha ha! Just like we Americans do to foreigners also. We speak slow, simple sentences, and when the look of confusion comes over the face of the listener, we start speaking louder, as if that helps for some reason?? Ha ha! However, she did a wonderful job in accomidating to our "eating" situation. She made absolutley delicious things for us the entire time we were there. She got more creative and creative. I was truly amazed.
Well, for our lunch for the day today...she had made spaghetti. Not quite the traditional Mexican meal, but it worked and of course, the girls loved it. She had also made other things like beans, guacamole, tortillas, etc.
After our nice lunch, Ric and the girls took a little swim in the Dominguez pool. The weather was suppose to be "stormy" later, so the best time to swim was now. It was still very hot and humid out. I gave up on wearing make-up quickly. And, I definatley did not need lotion for my face. You just end up sweating it all off. The pool was refreshing and fun for the girls. I had forgotten to bring swim diapers for Lydia, so we used regular diapers. And, well if you know anything about diapers, they have little gel beads that soak up water. So pretty soon after being in the water, she had a bubble butt! It was pretty funny looking.
We spent a relaxing afternoon by the pool and took some naps and then we got ready for a dinner out on the town. We went to a nice mexican restaurant. We were able to to sit outside in a beautiful covered area with a stage, bar area, outside. It was very tropical looking. It felt like we were outside in the jungle.
The waiters brought over sombreros for us to wear to take pictures. They were huge. We had fun wearing them for a short bit. We ordered Nachos (which was a fun discussion about how Nachos even came about---we think they are an American food ---made by a Senora in maybe New Mexico area who had a son name Ignacio....ended up naming them after her son "Nacho" (nickname of Ignacio) Well. that is our rendition....I will have to Google it to find the true history of Nacho). Anyhooo...we ate some fajitas, burritos, etc. Sophia had a yummy Limonade drink in a big Margarhita glass. I couldn't resit taking a pic of her with that drink. Ric and Ruben had a Negro beer and Lydia and I enjoyed some filtered water.:) It was a relaxing and eventful day.
Cumpleaños felices Sophia! It is Sophia's birthday celebration in Mexico!!! We sang a morning "Happy Birthday" song to her. She is now 4 years old on the 4th of October.....this moment only comes once in a lifetime!
We awoke to some delicious breakfast made by Senora Dominguez (Ruben's Mommy). We had potato hashbrowns (papas), papaya fruit, refried beans, juice, etc. It tasted so good after a long day of travel.
We then had our little tour of the home and then got ready to depart for some sightseeing of downtown Merida. Ruben took us to downtown square where the Governor's office was and the big Catholic Cathedral and then we stopped into a bookstore so that I could get a little book of spanish/english translation. We stopped by a bank to exchange some money and tried to figure out our cellphones----finally, I was able to call Ric to his cellphone. But, we were unable to connect to Ruben's cellphone....
We ended our little tour of the downtown area with a yummy treat to some helado (ice-cream). It was so refreshing and sweet. We got three different flavors. Ric ordered an ice-cream with corn (maiz) in it....not my favorite. It just is a little weird to have corn kernals in my ice-cream. Sophia and I ordered a "coconut" flavor and that of course was yummy! Ruben ordered an ice-cream that was made out of a native fruit there in mexico....sorry, I can't remember the name....but, it was very sweet and delicious. I think that flavor was my favorite. The ice-cream was more like Sorbet. It was not as creamy as ice-cream in the states. I think it was perfect for the weather there in Mexico. We really liked this treat! :)
After our excursion in downtown, we headed back to the Casa de Dominguez for lunch. Now, lunch is the greatest meal of the day there. It is a lot like Europe. They eat a big lunch and then have a lighter meal for dinner. That makes so much more sense. So, we ate our big lunch prepared by Senora Dominguez. She is so sweet, because they know that we are vegetarian. Senora Dominzuez does not speak English. But, she will speak Spanish slowly and then louder and louder. Ha ha! Just like we Americans do to foreigners also. We speak slow, simple sentences, and when the look of confusion comes over the face of the listener, we start speaking louder, as if that helps for some reason?? Ha ha! However, she did a wonderful job in accomidating to our "eating" situation. She made absolutley delicious things for us the entire time we were there. She got more creative and creative. I was truly amazed.
Well, for our lunch for the day today...she had made spaghetti. Not quite the traditional Mexican meal, but it worked and of course, the girls loved it. She had also made other things like beans, guacamole, tortillas, etc.After our nice lunch, Ric and the girls took a little swim in the Dominguez pool. The weather was suppose to be "stormy" later, so the best time to swim was now. It was still very hot and humid out. I gave up on wearing make-up quickly. And, I definatley did not need lotion for my face. You just end up sweating it all off. The pool was refreshing and fun for the girls. I had forgotten to bring swim diapers for Lydia, so we used regular diapers. And, well if you know anything about diapers, they have little gel beads that soak up water. So pretty soon after being in the water, she had a bubble butt! It was pretty funny looking.
We spent a relaxing afternoon by the pool and took some naps and then we got ready for a dinner out on the town. We went to a nice mexican restaurant. We were able to to sit outside in a beautiful covered area with a stage, bar area, outside. It was very tropical looking. It felt like we were outside in the jungle.
The waiters brought over sombreros for us to wear to take pictures. They were huge. We had fun wearing them for a short bit. We ordered Nachos (which was a fun discussion about how Nachos even came about---we think they are an American food ---made by a Senora in maybe New Mexico area who had a son name Ignacio....ended up naming them after her son "Nacho" (nickname of Ignacio) Well. that is our rendition....I will have to Google it to find the true history of Nacho). Anyhooo...we ate some fajitas, burritos, etc. Sophia had a yummy Limonade drink in a big Margarhita glass. I couldn't resit taking a pic of her with that drink. Ric and Ruben had a Negro beer and Lydia and I enjoyed some filtered water.:) It was a relaxing and eventful day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
