Our Daring Exploration

So, On one of the days we were there, Mike peeled me off of the lounge chair by the pool (good thing he did guys cause I am now dealing with sun poisoning) and convinced me to take a real walk on the beach. I half heartedly threw on my cover up and with bare feet we set off.

As we made some progress in the opposite direction from the way we had walked before, we realized that this way on the beach was not commercial. There were no hotels or resorts. Ours was the last in line. It was just ocean, beach and jungle. It was happily appreciated by both of us and we drank in the beauty of the day.

Now for you to get the feel for our resort, let me tell you that where we stayed the last time was maybe 10 minutes from the airport. This time it was a good 30 to 40 minutes. But when we arrived we pulled into a dirt driveway that did not appear at all that a luxurious resort could appear from. We drove and drove down the dirt and rocky one way path through the Mexican jungle a LONG WAY before our resort appeared.

It WAS set back in the middle of it seemed No where.

So when we walked this direction on the beach we weren't really surprised at how unbuilt it was.

Off to the right at one point we saw this...
And then we saw this....

We were so curious and debated back and forth about whether or not we should go up and explore. It obviously was vacant. And there wasn't No Trespassing Signs posted. But we didn't know if you even HAD to post signs like that in Mexico.

What we did know in our wild with probably overcautious mind was that last year at this time people's head were being found decapitated all over Mexico. And we also knew that the horseback riding in the ocean tour that we went on last year had since been held up by gun point. We also knew that people kept saying just not to leave the resort.

But we are silly Americans.

And probably watch too much "Weeds".

So we quickly ran back and got our shoes and my camera, and had the funniest exploration, but yet on edge time ever!

If you click on the picture below you can see the lizard on the pile of debris

This was from upstairs look down to the courtyard

It was literally room after room after room!!

Then on our adrenaline high took this beautiful shot of a boat

and found a snorkeling stop with carved drift wood. Can you tell what these are??

We found an old boat and I wanted to get Mike's picture by it. He went to lean against it and jumped off. Lol~there was a lizard inside! It ran to hide but not too well...Can you see the tail?

It was a great memory that we made ourselves just off and being together.

And we lived to tell...Lol!

Our Vacation of Doing Blissfully Nothing...

Let me start by saying, those of you who were readers last year might be disappointed in my reviews of our getaway this year. Not because we didn't have a great time, but because we didn't do a thing. I won't disappoint in the picture department, lol. I am a very visual person, and cut down my posts to only about 8000 of the 4 million pictures. Of us doing nothing. But I tell you I think we got it right this time of doing just that....nothing.

We laid by the pool. We laid in the sun. We walked on the beach. We laid by the pool some more. And then to be super exciting we took a nap. Throw in a 100 alcoholic drinks and that pretty much sums it up.

I am an agenda person, and as I laid there in the sun one day, I laughed to myself as I review my goals....turn onto my back next...then take a lap in the heated pool...order another "Death By the Gods"(a super delicious drink)...and be sure to coat with sunscreen in between.

In our busy life where I am hit in the face with a hundred things at once all the time by so many, this was a rare and selfish treat. I ate it up.

So enough with my explaining....here is the tour... This is the balcony from the from entrance walking in...

Our Room...

Some of the neat things around the resort....tables in the fountain...

outside the Mexican restaurant.....

the beach at sunset...

our swimout room...

Edwardo....Or so we named him....These suckers were EVERYWHERE. This one baked outside of our room. Sometimes with his chicka (girlfriend).

Are you threatening me???

Lol...As close as Mike would get:)

Me, gross after no showers and too much sun...going back to drunken sunning....

At one point Mike comes all crazy to me at the pool, Like "BECKY! You HAVE TO SEE THIS! COME HERE!" I had to drop everything and run with him across to an area to see.....THIS....

OMG! Look at it's tail!!

It was eating berries, and apparently they are as common as squirrels are to us.

I still have a daring adventure, a sad adventure and SO many more pictures to show you so stay tuned!! And I PROMISE I will be around soon to everyone's blog! I haven't forgot about you! I just have so much catch up to do here at home! Ugh!

Grandma at the Helm

Well this is my first try at blogging and I am very unsure of myself. Becky and Mike are hopefully having a wonderful time in Cozumel, and I am at their house trying to fill the gap.
I know only too well what they mean when they say, "have your kids when your young."
In my head I still look and act like I'm 35, but right now I feel about 80 and when I walk past a mirror, I have no idea who that old lady is looking back at me. I love my grandchildren dearly, but boy can they wear me out.

Things were different when I was a kid, my Dads parents had almost 30 grandchildren and you were lucky if they knew your name. We never minded, we just never had a close relationship.
My Moms parents lived about 200 miles away in Indiana, but back then it was like 800 miles now, you just didn't go visit on a whim. So tho I know they loved me, it was from a distance and I don't have that many close and treasured memories.

Now I hope with my grandchildren they know they are treasured. Each one of them is so unique and wonderful. Thats not saying they are perfect or don't have their faults like anyone else, but to me they are special and I know how lucky I am to be able to share time and experiences with each of them. I have 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, and its so much fun to discover their quirky personalities. Take the 4 I am staying with for a few days.
My eldest in this family is Tatum whom I'm sure you all know. She's beautiful and smart and someone you can depend on. She can be a little controlling, but that started when she was about 9 months old and we've all learned to live with it. She's a little on the serious side, which is sometimes good, sometimes not so good, but you know where you stand. All the bumps smooth out in time and she'll be just fine. I couldn't be prouder of her.
Jacob is our uniquey. He reminds me so much of my son Tim growing up, its hard to figure out how their mind really works. You just scratch your head and say "how in the world could anyone think of that?" But they are both kind, and generous of heart, and dear.
Matty, well what can you say about our Matty. He's strong minded, determined, smart , though he doesn't always think he is, strong emotioned, boy. Sometimes you think "He has no patience" but then you see him with little Summer, playing patiently with her, giving her the time and tenderness thats often rare in a boy his age, and yor heart overflows.
Then of course our dear little Summer. so sweet and cute and dear, and bossy.
She loves to dance but would be so much better instructing how to do it than by taking lessons.
She's a darlin, and we've all enjoyed her so much.
So I hope I haven't bored you with my musings. I guess I'm like any grandmother today, proud and braggy. Also very lucky. I've got 3 other ones who are pretty special also, but of course you don't know about them. Anyway, my time with them is important to me. I hope they will remember me as the grandma who enjoyed being with them.

OMG....I'm Going to Arizona!

Can you believe it?

I'm still am letting it sink in....!

For my present this year, Mike has known how much I have been wanting to see beyond Ohio, and how much I have wanted to meet my blog friend Lacey (who lives in a very NON OHIO place) and he is sending me on a weekend getaway!

All by myself! He will hold down the fort, while Lacey and I hike and do photography, explore gold mines and mountains, see her NEW HOUSE, eat Mexican, drink LIKE a Mexican, play with her animals, maybe get tattoo's, have a 6 Feet Under Marathon, and...Oh...and **MEET** for the first time!!! YAY!!!!!!

The flight is already booked! April 9th. OH MY GOSH! My first trip alone, since I got married!{{THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!!}}}

AAAaaannnd just to keep you all updated.... We leave for Mexico in EARLY EARLY SUNDAY morning.... So if I don't get a chance to post before then, my mom might give a wing at guest posting while we are gone. I have shown her how. Show her some comment loving okay :) I'll be back Wednesday!

Here is my new haircut for the trip... ( sorry...didn't have the will power to grow it out...grrrr!~)

Bring It On

I am grateful for so much this birthday, and I feel like on the right track at this point in my life. A big blessing for me has been the start of working in our church's freestore. It is just the beginning, but I really feel like this is the direction God wants me to go in. I feel more settled, and so thankful for where we are in this life. I think this year is going to rock...


I am so lucky to have been blessed with the true friends that surround me and of course...


My two "bigger" babies.
My two younger babies.

My brother. (Who I want to be when I grow up).

My mom. I would be lost with out her.

And this man...oh how I love this man. He makes me laugh every day

Okay, Thirty-Five....Bring it on....!

Humbled By A Nurse

I'm digesting this 35 year old thing pretty well. If your an overthinker (who me??), you would have thought by now that your 20's are young. When you reach 30 you console yourself that you are still closer to your 20's than not. When you turn 31, you are rounding still to 30! Same with 32, 33, and 34. Big ol' 35 sucks cause you know what they taught in school about 5's. Five and up get's rounded to the next 10.

Forty. (ick...did I just type that?? I'm so not even CLOSE to 40!)

So you can imagine the drama that went on in MY head to get me over this hump. And I did! I was. I thought...

Today I am sitting in the Dr's office (we are flying out of the country for our getaway {{double excited EEK!!!}} on Sunday and I have trouble with my ears and this cold I just can't get over) and the nurse is going over her little pre exam talk she does.

Nurse: So how old are you...

Me: I will be 35 on Friday, but I am 34 today...

Nurse: {{no hesitation, straight INFORTHEKILL}} so have you had a rectal thermal blah blah exam? (I actually don't know what she called it, I really wasn't paying too much attention at this point because I didn't see this coming, but my ears did prick up at RECTAL)

Me: (still confused at where this was going) HuH...Wha...ummm...noooo.

Nurse: Have you had a Mammogram???

Me: (starting to catch on) Um....nooooo...

Nurse: (continuing with line of fire) Have you had a COLONOSCOPY???

Me: : (SURELY this could be taken down a notch....do I need to be looking into Boniva or something??) No, I haven't.....

{{{{{SOB}}}}} So now I have come to the conclusion again, THAT I AM GETTING OLD! {{DOUBLE SOB}}}

(and I might need a COLONOSCOPY!!!!!! ack!!!!)

This is serious stuff people....

Jagged Little Pill

When I was a twenty two, it was a humongous pivotal year for me.

Mike and I had just moved out of the trailer park and just bought our first home. I was full and bursting with heaviness of my second pregnancy. I was young and still trying to swing this stage of my life.

My Dad, who had fought an evil illness for many many years had come to a point that was just. to. much. for mom to try to handle alone. She had fought tooth and nail for years by his side, but along with her back, her emotions and spirit were being broken also. The gut retching decision to put a 49 year man into a full time nursing home had come, and it broke all of our hearts. To make matter's worse, he fought this transition and cried and pleaded to just come home! He was not only trapped in his only body, he was now taken from his home.

During this sad time, I would make the 45 minute drive many times a week to the city to visit him with little Tatum in tow. She was a bright spot in his day. She was 3 and a half at the time and she knew no better. She saw no handicaps in people, and was just a happy little sprout that would hop along and greet all. She had grown up around wheelchairs and such, and disabilities did not faze this girl at all. She did great at the nursing home, and was more interested in seeing the house's dog or grandpa's fish. She helped so much. I really would like to credit this part of her life that is still seen in her spirit today. She works with handicap children in the gymnastic classes she teaches, and she is taking special classes next year in school to help her academically open doors for working in this field in the future :)

During those long drives to the city, I would listen to my Alanis Morrisette tape Jagged Little Pill, to the point that 3 year old Tatum would sing along and know all the words. Still when I hear any of her music it makes me think of this time in my life.

Yes, it was sad, but it was a special time too. My brother's daughter was born premature during this time and Dad got to see Tim's first baby. Jake was born that September. Dad got to hold him a couple of times...

Mom says God does things for a reason, and she thinks maybe that year where Dad was in the nursing home was for a good reason. It gave her a year to be use to be home alone. To not have him in the house, but yet not gone yet. Kind of baby steps. I don't know.

Anyways...Twenty two... Big year.

This week I approach a big numbered birthday. I was trying to reflect back on some on the years that were pluck able. Stood out. Made me who I am. This one definitely stood out.