Cancun 2015 - Part 3

We spent a lot of time at the pools and Kaylea and I played in the sand.  We knew this particular location didn't have the best beaches, so we didn't plan for too much time at the beach.  I was thankful we brought floats this year.  Going to the pool with a 5 year old who is learning to swim and a 6 year old that can swim well are two totally different experiences.  The latter is much better.  Kaylea loved playing with Mikey in the pool and he is amazing with her.  She also loved having time with Meagan and Trina.

The restaurants were good, but we think Jordy got food poisoning at breakfast one morning.  I actually thought this was some of the best food we have experienced at an all-inclusive resort.  One night we used our resort credits and attended the Chef's Dinner.  It was supposed to be like the Iron Chef.  The internet reviews said it should not be missed.  We were disappointed.  The food was amazing and the chocolate before was smooth, but the show was awful and it took over 2 hours to eat and we didn't stick around for dessert.

Kaylea was excellent this year.  It's amazing how mature and how well behaved she is.  Sometimes around this time of year with vacation and her birthday she starts to get a little out of control, but she was good.  It made the vacation such a joy. 

We played a lot.  This resort had a kid's club called the PlayRoom and she asked to go there several times.  There was a lot of cool stuff in the club.  It had an arcade room and a giant jungle gym inside with a trampoline. 

I almost forgot - Kaylea lost her 2nd tooth while she was in Mexico!

I am so thankful for this trip.  I praise God everyday that my mom was healthy enough to go on vacation this year.  When I found out she was diagnosed with cancer, I really hoped we could have another vacation together.  It's great to get away and enjoy life without the hassles of home.

Cancun 2015 - Part 2 (Professional Photos)

We also used credits for massages.  I was sad they wouldn't give my mom one because she had cancer.

The one thing I was excited about was our photo shoot.  No one in our family really likes having pictures taken, but we all wanted pictures with my mom.  We didn't have them taken in Punta Cana last year.  I wasn't expecting them to be so amazing. I wish we could have gotten all 85, but the reality it, we had to narrow it down to 10...and she let us throw in two additional.

Cancun 2015 - Part 1 (Dolphin Swim)

When we set out to spend a week in Mexico, we had no clue it would be so hectic getting there.  We left for the Dulles Airport at 8:15 AM and we were supposed to arrive in Cancun at 2:30 PM.  However, after mechanic problems on our flight, delays, changed gates, and a cancelled flight, we finally arrived at 9:30 PM.  My mom was sick.  We were exhausted and we had just enough time for dinner and to go to bed.

With a stay at Moon Palace, you get $1500 in resort credits per room.  You have to pay a 16% tax on any activities or purchases made with the resort credits, but for most things it was worth it. 

For our tour, we went swimming with the dolphins.  At first, they told us Kaylea wasn't tall enough to go for the ride on the dolphin.  No one told me this when we signed up.  After a little persuading, they agreed to let her go.  It was interesting.  The dolphin felt a lot different than I expected.  The ride was exciting.  I didn't know if Kaylea would end up taking the ride, but she did it and loved it.  She was also the only one who was asked to tickle the dolphin's belly.  I had no intention of spending $200 on photos, but I did.

 

 

 

My Very Strange Week

This past weekend/week have been very strange for me.  Jordy & Kaylea drove back to Indiana.  I’ve spent time away from Kaylea, but it is usually me doing the leaving.  We were supposed to have a big yard sale on Saturday, but it rained hard in the morning so we had to cancel.  They ended up hitting the road around 11:15.  It sounds like they had a great time.  I arranged a playdate a Chuck E Cheese for Kaylea where she got to see some of her friends.  We also planned for Jordy and Kaylea to meet up with Matt and Owen in Columbus.  It seemed like they enjoyed seeing each other, too.

I actually did a lot of work around the house.  I finished painting the cabinets.  I ordered a paint sprayer and painted and stained our new fence.  I worked on pricing all of the yard sale items.  We also completed a lot of mystery shops.  Since they have been gone, we did 3 different shops. Let’s just say we have eaten very well.  I also took the dog to be groomed and took my mom to her chemotherapy and doctor appointments.  We are getting ready to leave for vacation, so I am starting to pack.  It was nice getting some quality bonding time with my mother, but I’m looking forward to having the family all back together under one roof.

 

Happy Birthday Kaylea

I always take the day off for Kaylea's birthday.  Kaylea has been wanting some mommy time, so we planned to spend some alone time together in the morning.  We started the morning with breakfast at IHOP.  We shared pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon.  I just happened to mention to the server that it was Kaylea's birthday and he went all out, getting about 10 staff members to come sing to her and bring her a birthday sundae at 9:30 AM.  I wish I had a video of the excitement on her face.  Some people get embarrassed, some get really excited.

After breakfast, I took Kaylea to meet her new doctor.  I know, I am mom of the year.  I knew she didn't have to get shots and I also knew I would be off work that day and I don't like missing her appointments.  We went to the doctor.  She talked so much to them.  They gave her a birthday certificate and a birthday sticker.  We really liked her new doctor.  Kaylea was 46.5'' tall and 50 lbs.  She grew 3 inches and gained 6 lbs last year.  She's getting so close to roller coast height.  As always, she is a healthy and smart girl.

Next on the agenda was the American Girl store.  We were in and out a lot quicker than I expected.  We ended up leaving with Grace.  I was surprised that's who Kaylea picked.  She had been saying she was going to select Grace, but I thought she may pick a blonde.

We headed back toward the house to pick up daddy and Mimi for lunch.  We went to Red Robin.  Kaylea kept asking when they were going to sing to her.  Thankfully, they do.  We followed it up by seeing the Minions since it came out on her birthday.  She loved it.  She thanked us many times for making her birthday wonderful.  It is always nice to hear sincere gratitude in your child's voice.

We came home and opened presents.  Kaylea still hadn't spent all of her gift card money from her birthday so I used most of what she had left to buy some things that she could open.  She decided it would be more fun to have surprises to open.  She had a lot of presents to open and we sang one more time and ate cake.  

She decided she wanted to go to swim team so we went to the pool for 2 hours.  She ended the night with McDonald's dinner, playing with mommy and Mimi, and watching a new movie while practicing on her gymnastics mat.

 

It was a great day.  I'm thankful to celebrate Kaylea coming into this world. 

Kaylea Is Turning 6!

I can't believe Kaylea has been in our lives for six years.  She's an amazing little girl with a heart of gold.  Below are some things I want to remember about her at six years old.

• Kaylea can swim.  She's been able to swim, but this is the year she has really learned how to do proper strokes.  She can swim freestyle and backstroke.
• Kaylea loves doing gymnastics.  She took the summer off, but she is getting ready to start her lessons again.
• Kaylea can read.  She learning more and more words each day, but she is able to pick up a new book and read it.
• She loves to play pretend.  I love that she hasn't outgrown this yet.  Some of her favorite things to play are with her stuffed animals and pincher.  
• She loves her family.
• She loves God.
• Favorite Color - Gold
• Favorite Toy - Arts & Crafts
• Favorite Fruit - Apple
• Favorite TV Show - Sponge Bob
• Favorite Outfit - Pink Fancy Dress
• Favorite Game - School
• Favorite Snack - Goldfish
• Favorite Animal - Dog
• Favorite Song - Bad Blood, Taylor Swift
• Favorite Book - Junie B. Jones
• Best Friend - Lucy Isaac
• Favorite Cereal - Fruity Pebbles
• Favorite Thing to Do Outside - Swim/Hot Tub
• Favorite Drink - Coke
• Favorite Holiday - 4th of July
• What Do You Take to Bed at Night?  Elsa Blanket
• Favorite Breakfast Food - Biscuits & Gravy
• What Do You Want for Your Birthday Dinner?  The Melting Pot
• What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?  A Model