Living, Learning & Loving La Vida Nueva

Friday, September 14, 2012

Our Home Away From Home (Part 1)

Last week Jonathan, Kyle and I took our first "real" family vacation back to Cancun, Mexico where we lived in 2010.  Jonathan and I went back and forth for months over whether or not we should try to make the trip.  Wanting to visit our friends and church there before leaving for Africa, but not knowing if it was wise to spend the time and money, we finally determined that returning was the best thing for us to do. When we found this past Spring that instead of having to pay taxes, Uncle Sam was gifting us a large sum of money thanks to Kyle's birth and Jonathan's school bills, we saw how the Lord was providing for us to make this trip.  He does all things well! We booked the tickets a few months ago. In my heart I wanted to take a couple of these days to just spend as a family at the beach and the Lord provided through a family member for us to stay at the Marriott for two nights at no cost to us.  We rented a car enabling us to come and go as we pleased.  As we left on Tuesday, Jonathan and I agreed that the trip could not have gone more perfectly.

Driving to Atlanta on Monday the fourth to spend the night and catch our early plane Tuesday morning, we were giddy with excitement!  We ate at the famous Varsity restaurant for dinner.  I got a burger while Kyle and Jono devoured their hotdogs.  Being in downtown Atlanta with a car full of luggage and electronics, we sat where we could keep an eye on our loot.





Tuesday morning we woke up and had a yummy breakfast before catching a lift to the airport.  It is cheaper to spend a night in a hotel and park your car there than it is to park for a week at the airport. So, we were excited... can you tell?


Caught Kyle trying to grab more of the chocolate muffin as I took this picture.... little sneak!



Kyle scored a free seat beside us as the plane was nowhere near full.  He flew like a champ.  Great missionary kid.

By the time we arrived at the airport, though, he was worn slap out.  He made his desire for a nap well known in the airport as we waited to pass through baggage, immigration and customs.  Lots of funny looks from people probably wondering why we brought a one-year-old on our vacation.  I wondered the same thing a couple of times, but he's ours and we like to keep him with us.  He made it out alive and we were no worse for the wear.  I felt like crying, too, although for me it was because of how wonderfully familiar the smell in that airport was.  It felt like we were walking back into a closed chapter of our lives.

Once we got the car rental squared away, we headed for the hotel zone.  Before checking into the Marriott CasaMagna, we stopped into McDonalds to grab a bite to eat.  Jonathan and I have been in this McDonalds lots of times, but this time we brought a third Coca slurper along.  The cup reads : Where Mmmmm meets Ahhhh.  Yeah, I think that pretty much describes Coke.

Mommy and Daddy, Cancun 2010

Daddy and Baby, Cancun 2012

Then we checked into our hotel for two days of beach bum bliss.  The weather was gorgeous, the hotel was fabulous, but the company was the best part.  I think my eyes started to sweat a couple times as I tried to just soak in the few hours of sweet family fun.  I love my life and my boys.  We went to dinner, swam in the pool under the stars, took naps, played in the ocean and ate at a breakfast buffet fit for a king!








Pancakes with LaLechera (American equivalent might be sweetened condensed milk). Yet another reason why I love Mexico!

The donuts were.... so, so. They don't hold a candle to Chedraui donuts.  More on those later.  The marble cake was delish, along with everything else.

3/4 of the breakfast buffet.  My camera couldn't fit it all in.  That guy in the middle will make you any kind of omelette you can think of.  Jonathan took him up on that.





Our room was on the front of the building, fifth floor with an incredible view!




Kyle borrowed some nice little boy's trucks. Vroom vroom....

Doesn't Mr. Baby look so happy to be on vacation?  He is such a good boy!



Back for breakfast round two beside a large window overlooking the crystal blue water!


The best apple juice on the planet, Con Frutta jugo de manzana.  We brought some back in our suitcase. 

The enormous Mexican flag on the zona hotelera.  Viva México!

To be continued......
~Abby

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful. I am so glad you got to do this. It's easy to feel guilty as a missionary if you do anything nice or get anything nice, but God does give abundant life. That doesn't mean we'll be wealthy- but it means that He gives us everything that is good for us. And sometimes He can and does provide treats in the lives of His own (yes, even if they are missionaries!) What a happy memory for you and your hub!

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