Cozumel, Mexico

Back in January Will and I went with some of both of our families to Mexico. My parents, older bro and his family, and my younger brother and sister were there...as well as Will's dad and step-mom. We had so much fun! Although I complained that the weather was overcast and rainy the first 3 days, which really does put a damper on what you can and can't do...the ocean was too rough to do anything in, and the wind was too cold to let us stay out and swim for very long...but it was A LOT warmer than it was back home! I always secretly wish it would snow 27 feet while we are gone, in hopes that it will be done for the rest of the year :) but it never seems to happen that way! This year it was just plain COLD while we were gone and man did we feel it when we got back. I wanted to wear a couple short sleeve shirts to show off my tan (which is just tan for my pasty whiteness), but instead I layered as many clothes as I could to keep myself from going into some sort of shock from the cold! While we were there we spent lots of time walking back and forth to town...it was so nice to have such a short walk from our condo. The grocery store was right across the street, and the walk to town was a ten minute leisurely stroll. Most everyday there was at least one, if not 3 or 4 ships docked, so going into town on those days was just insane! You'll find that the store owners will not give you the best price, because they think that you are from the ship and if you really want something you will choose to buy it, since you have to be back on the ship by 4 or 5:00. I got pretty good at my bartering skills this time around...I would tell people, no way...this is my 3rd time here and I've never paid that much for anything like this ever! It's all fun and some of the shop owners are pretty fun to talk to and tease. Will and I walked away with some great finds...I wanted to find a Mexican hand painted plate, with the Aztec calendar. Betsy got one a few years back and there was one in our condo in Cozumel, so I decided that was the item I really wanted to leave with. Unfortunately there are things that come in and out of style and the plate was one of them. I couldn't find one anywhere! After a couple of days of shopping Will and I came across a wooden Aztec calendar...It has a bunch of wooden pieces put in to make the whole plate stay together in one piece. You'll see the picture soon, to know what I mean. Some of them were so beautifully made, while others were sloppy and not worth the money! We spent a good couple of hours walking from store to store to find the best deal. It's funny to hear a store owner telling us the same stories of how the plates are made (all made by hand, no machines) and how some of them have such outrageous prices on them! Some people would more than double the prices of someone else's...In the end we went back to the first store we'd been to. It had the best deal and the best quality of work.

Click on this picture to bring up the bigger photo, so you can see each piece...It's a beautiful calendar.

The whole trip was so much fun. Will got the chance to certify to go scuba diving while we were there. He used the first couple of overcast days to his advantage to get certified. His dad has been bugging him for months to get him to go scuba diving with him, and the silly boy waited till the last possible second. We've known we were coming on this trip since June. He loved scuba diving and seems to think he's going to talk me into getting certified for our next years trip. But until you can get me to enjoy snorkeling for longer than 20 minutes, I don't think it's going to happen! The mask always hurts my face and head (I have a tiny head so the mask always let water in, so I cinch them up as tight as I can stand it, which only last 15 or 20 minutes). I have a fear of drowning, so asking me to dive so many feet under water just isn't gonna happen! :) We went snorkeling a couple of times, Bryce, Clayton and my dad went everyday that they could and most days a couple of times. We went to the Money Bar and The Wall...at the Money Bar we saw a sting ray and followed it for quite some time. Seeing those kinds of things is so cool.



I read 3 books while we were there, and got to take naps most any time I wanted...there was the one day that Will literally dragged my out of the bed to go to the ruins with him and his dad. I'm so glad I had Kylie to come with us! I have never cared about history, so spending a couple of hours walking through some old run down concrete houses is not my idea of fun. Will and his dad loved it, so it made it worth it...I made Will do a lot of shopping with me, so you won't hear me complaining.


I had so much fun being around my niece and nephew the whole trip. I teased my siblings that when we got back Elsie and Colt would call me their favorite aunt...that was not the case. I forget just how much they love Gammy and Gimpy (my parents)...sure they love me and I have fun playing with them, but if those two are around no one else matters! Elsie has such a big personality and is such a hoot to be around! There wasn't a day that passed without laughing at her hundreds of times. She knows she's funny too, so the more you laugh, the more she'll entertain. Mary and Bryce are such good parents to those kids too. They were so fun to watch interacting and doing day to day things with. I am so glad Mary was there for me one evening after having a little bit of a bad day...she is truly a sister to me and knows what to say to make me feel better.




Almost every night I got to have Will to myself for dinner and a walk around town. We got real churros almost every night, oh what I would do for a churro right now! I love being around my family and his, but sometimes it gets to be too much. I can't please everyone, and someone always ends up hurt. I wish there was an easier way to figure out these family vacations. I have a hard time trying to please everyone, and also need to learn that I have to do what makes me and Will happy, and if that includes everyone else, then great! We had a great time with both our families and were so glad we had the chance to go. I can't wait till our next vacation, already!

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At the end of the trip I think we were all happy to come home. Being away from home and the dogs for 10 days is hard. I was fortunate enough to have my best friend Stacey and her fiance Ben spend the week and a half with them. They stayed at our house, so the dogs had constant interaction and attention from them. They love Stacey and can't get enough of her baby, Garrett. Ben is a little bit more relaxed and allows Mia and Bosley to kiss Garrett here and there. :) They love their little cousin!