The 5 Littles + Peter & Simon looking so little in 2012.
The 5 Littles looking so big in 2016.
While we survived Cancun, we almost didn't survive the trip to the airport. We left home at 4:30 a.m. and hit glare ice as we approached the airport. We saw many cars in the ditch and literally watched a few spin off the road next to us. Thankfully we made it and were only a few minutes late taking off.
Given our very early start, I hoped the kids would sleep on the flight. Right. It was musical seats. (Notice Hadley's favorite sweatshirt made the trip too).
Hadley crashed as we began our descent and slept a whopping 20 minutes, Finley nada.
One perk of flying out early - we had time to hit the beach and pool when we arrived!
After a long day, we had dinner poolside and called it a day.
Grandpa & Grandma were bragging about their penthouse view...
...not so much for us. We literally had no view this year.
First-world problem I know, but the view of our resort pool flowing into the ocean never gets old.
Our weather was a little spotty this year, we had more clouds/wind than normal, but it didn't slow the kids down.
Nolan & Hadley jumping waves.
Nice air.
We bought boogie boards and the kids used them all week in both the pool and ocean.
It's fun/interesting to watch the kids build in the sand. They work alongside each other, each adding to whatever they're creating. They talk about adding things here, digging there, flattening this spot, or dumping water here. No plan going into it, but you'd think they did.
Pinata Party!
Patrick finished it off and the candy chase ensued.
Lobby bar, Badger game, iDevices, quiet kids...win, win, win, win.
Two peas burying each other in the sand.
T-shirt painting!
Pool games w/ the resort staff.
The resort photographers were walking around taking pictures and the photographer noticed my camera (that I use as a point-and-shoot). Patrick told him to give me tips on how to use it...because I like small talk w/ strangers when I know nothing about the subject. Practice shots and I quickly put my camera back on auto...eyeroll.
Beach volleyball.
See Ariel's red hair in the sand? It's the last time we saw her and the mermaid friends. Hadley buried them and they were never found again.
For a change of scenery, sometimes the kids wanted to swim in the Phase 2 pool (our resort's second pool).
Sharing a Banana Monkey.
Spencer wanted to visit La Isla for his birthday dinner. On the walk in, Finley convinced Patrick to let him go on the trampoline...which meant all 5 kids wanted to go on the trampolines. Finley liked it, but it scared him too, he made a funny/weird Weeeeeeee! on his way up/down.
Sister liked it too, I have a feeling this will be an annual activity.
Ready for dinner!
Grandpa gives birthday spankings and I'm sure some passersby thought it was child abuse. Spencer put up a good fight, but I'm pretty sure he got 8 of them.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant that had a conga line and a magician.
Happy 8th Birthday Spencer!
After dinner we walked around La Isla for pirates and ice cream.
The kids are starting to need a little more than a pail/shovel for a full day of fun. We take advantage of the resort activities for the kids - pottery painting, bracelets, art projects, and more. The kids have become quite comfortable getting around the resort, it makes me slightly nervous (they're not quite as independent as they want to be), but we did let them go into the Activity Center and play foosball on their own.
Ring diving.
Looking for shells....
...score! Kidding, they found these sitting next to a vacant chair, so technically they found someone else's left-behind shells ;)
Kids in the surf - total excitement as the waves chase them.
Little boy, big ocean.
3:00, Happy Hour!
It was fun spending time w/ family friends that were staying there too.
A very wild dinner in.
Quieter moments...literally moments.
I was trying to get a picture of Grandpa & Grandma's view and these two monkeys were complete photobombers.
Spencer & I found a coconut, he made a game of throwing it out and having the ocean return it right back.
Cute little beach girl...
...cute little beach buns.
Cute little beach boy.
And yes, cute little beach kids.
I had to laugh watching Finley look for shells. It wasn't exactly snorkeling (like he said), he'd bend over and put his face in the water.
Both in the pool and in the ocean, Finley has gotten more confident in the water.
It seems the group is usually broken up - two are on the beach, one is in the room w/ Grandpa, two might be in the pool, etc. But I caught all 5 having fun together.
Beach football w/ Uncle Ryan.
Finley ate 1-2 cheeseburgers each day, no joke.
It drives Finley nuts that Spencer's birthday almost always falls during spring break. Finley doesn't like others getting special things he doesn't get, something he needs to work on. So Finley was given permission to choose our restaurant for Thursday night - he chose Bubba Gumps.
I'm fairly certain he chose Bubba Gumps for the balloon animals.
Finley's night also included a bus ride, which can be an adventure in itself.
Watching the big kids play water volleyball, hoping the ball comes out of the pool so they can race to retrieve it.
It was Friday of our fun (but tiring) week and this 7.5 year old needed a break...Pout City w/ a bad attitude.
Water balloon fight!
Kids in goggles is always funny.
Once upon a time, I had my hair braided in a beach hut. Not Hadley, she had her hair braided in a salon.
She loves them!
Grandma (not pictured) took Finley shopping for souvenirs.
Things 1-5.
And that was it, one more ice cream treat and we were headed home.
Thank you Mom & Dad for giving us another memorable trip - we are lucky!
See the post below of the professional pictures taken by our resorts photographer.
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