Christmas and GuideJ’s Ninth Birthday in Cancun

 

For Christmas this year, we headed down to Cancun, Mexico where we stayed at the JW Marriott. We had last been at this hotel the year that GuideJ turned three, so it was a pleasant to return. Additionally, we were able to get direct flights to and from Cancun which always makes for a faster start to the vacation.

The JW Marriott Cancun is a wonderful resort. As you can see from these pictures that I snapped from our balcony (nope, not a postcard a pic on my MotoX phone) the property has many connected pools, a lovely beach area (much larger since we are not here post hurricane this time) and Club 91. One certainly would have to work hard not to have a good time at this property!

 

Club 91 is like its own little personalized hotel within the hotel. One checks in on the top floor, where there are three concierges on duty at all times to assist you with everything, there are five small delicious meals served a day buffet style and fantastic staff! We greatly enjoyed the wonderful staff whom were like ninjas as every time a glass was empty it was filled before you put it down, if your plate was empty, it was whisked away in a heartbeat. They definitely got to know you well during your stay and were able to anticipate your needs. I would say that this was money very well spent. We enjoyed eating at our leisure, without waiting, a great variety of foods at the buffet (that did not make you feel like you needed to eat a day’s worth of calories at breakfast as you were paying $35/person), more mimosas/margaritas/wine/mixed drinks than you can imagine and an absolute love of ensuring that the kids had everything they needed.  The real magic of Club 91 is that you feel like you are at a very luxurious micro resort while enjoying the amenities of huge resort.

 

Our daily routine was to sleep until 8:30/9am, have breakfast, head to the beach. Move from the ocean into one of the pools, journey from end to end. Go up to club 91 in waves, snack and return to ocean. Go to the pool/ocean until around 5pm. Then the evening would be spent relaxing, having dinner and for the kids on a few occasions, returning for a night swim into the pool! I can honestly say that this was one of our most relaxing Christmas vacations ever as we were all on the same wavelength of relaxing, laughing and only having fun.

 

Now you will note that there is a picture of the hotel elevator panel in the collage and my family trying to look “innocent” and “deeply offended that I lacked “holiday spirit” to see the fun” in their antics! This is what happens when your family watches ELF and acts like “cotton headed ninny muggings” and announce it looks like a Christmas tree. Don’t worry, next year I will just buy them t-shirts, LOL

Floors one to ten lit up like an upside down Christmas tree!!!! 

 

Christmas Eve we enjoyed the beach/pool all day. Made some holiday ornaments in the Club, enjoyed listening to the ocean while using electronic devices (from Minecraft to Instagram (Mommy)) and watched holiday movies. There are few things better than enjoying Christmas Eve this way. In fact, even looking at these pictures relaxes me.... what a wonderful day.

 

Christmas’ day we enjoyed opening gifts, reading on the beach, swimming in the pool and snacking under the umbrella on the beach. That evening we enjoyed a delightful dinner that the Argentinean “La Capilla” restaurant on the joining property (the CasaMagna Marriott). This was a meal of epic proportions, both in flavour and breadth of options. We all tried new items and had a memorable Christmas dinner to cap off a lovely Christmas Day.

 

 

Five and eight more Christmases with you Momma! Better enjoy them before we go to Uni....

 

 

 

 

 

GuideJ’s Ninth birthday was spent enjoying the beach, the pool and a mini birthday celebration in the lounge complete with a gorgeous cake. The weather was most cooperative, producing a plus thirty day with bright blue skies! GuideJ selected a conch shell as her birthday beach purchase and in true sisterly fashion got a fedora for her brother. In return, they spent some time on the balcony with ScoutJ teaching her how to blow into her conch with his trumpet skills. This was perhaps one of my favourite memories of her birthday, them working together as a team.

 

 

I would say that turning nine in Cancun was a great time for GuideJ. She enjoyed being in the water, one of her favourite places, ate lunch on the beach and she was made to feel very special by all of the staff of Club 91 whom had made her a birthday card. It is good to GuideJ, happy birthday baby, we love you!

The next day, we were off to the local mall to grab some souvenirs. While there, the kids tried out the fish pedicure! It was hilarious to watch the looks on their faces when they first plunged their feet in the water and the fish began to nibble away the dead skin off of their feet. They giggled, worked hard not to wiggle around and generally loved the whole experience. I am not sure that ScoutJ would do it again but I know he will certainly not forget his first pedicure. Thanks for being such a good sport ScoutJ and for being so excited to try this out GuideJ.  

 

 

 

With our final two days, we enjoyed the wonderful weather and made the most of our schedule free relaxing time. As the kids get older, these trips seem to become even more fun. This year I was really able to see that when traveling and left to their own devices, the kids really do enjoy spending time with each other despite the usual antics. When you catch them in an unguarded moment laughing or chatting together looking out over the edge of the infinity how can your heart not swell? Now, instead of feeling relief that they are not bickering, I try and file those images away as I can see just how quickly time is going. In fact, this time away has become even more precious to me as I get these three all to myself! We laugh, we play cards, we make memories and we enjoy being together.

 

 

Thank you for an amazing Christmas vacation 4js, I loved it and I am so glad that we went to Cancun!

Christmas is nearly here!!!!!!!

 

As is our tradition (like staying at the West Glacier KOA in the summer, going to Kelowna in the fall) decorating gingerbread trees is an official Christmas spirit tradition for us in late November early December. This requires the consumption of much candy, drinking hot chocolate, stopping for Mom to take “ughhh another picture” , listening to Christmas music and Cayman Island’s rum cake. I can not imagine our holiday season without this activity...

 

 

Then for some new fun this year, GuideJ and I got to go see the “Snowman Movie” with the music performed by the Calgary Symphony Orchestra with AuntieAng and CassAng! What a happy day, two super snowman lovers at the symphony for the first time with a movie.

 

Thanks for getting the tickets DaddyJ, thank you for coming to town AuntieAng and CassAng in addition to the wonderfully HUGE lunch at Earls. Best girls afternoon out in 2013!

Officially a Guide and late fall fun

Well, it was official, BrownieJ is no more, now she is a Guide and able to recite the promise/law in French! Great job GuideJ, you had a very UNESCO enrollment wish for the world... “I wish for equal rights for girls to go to school and for health care, as the boys around the world”

 

In the late fall, we also learned to make cobbler from the Pioneering Woman (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/the_great_cobbl/ )

 

Fell in love with Dr Who the reboots with Christopher Ecclestone just in time to prepare for the Day of the Doctor the 50^th anniversary special

 

And finally I let the kids’ branch out into cooking even more items including Mini Monty Cristo sandwiches to their great success!

 

Halloween 2013 – not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

When veggie plates bite back

 Well, how often can you look at someone you love and point out that they really are not the sharpest knife in the drawer? The great news, I was able to this Halloween! DaddyJ and I were a fork and knife while GuideJ was a walking Grey’s Anatomy diagram and ScoutJ was an old-school Astronaut. Despite the cool temperatures, a great time was had by all.

Nope, no spoon for us!

 

Costume two, space cadet and hangover guy!

Additionally, this year Safeway got in the creepiest looking pumpkin/gourds ever! They were grey, bumpy brain like things, odd long necked things and strange little orange and green numbers. Hands down, of all the produce I have seen, these were the coolest decorating items ever. Here is what we managed to make with four I brought home...

While “trick-or-treating” with the kids friends, we came across several excellent displays of impressive Halloween spirit....

 

Lordy Lordy, looks who is forty

So this is forty!?

 

I have to say, DaddyJ turned forty with a great attitude! October brought us a great start with his first running race in 20 odd years where my favourite eight year old smoked him at the finish line ;) and then his much celebrated birthday. The celebrations would turn out to be a many part event, with the purchase of a boat in the summer, actual celebrations on the day of his birth and plans for a cruise in February.

Does his Sister-in-Law and family know him well or what!? Bacon, bacon and bacon!

For his actual birthday, the kids and I had amassed forty individual gifts each with their own balloon! Did you know that this will take up an entire standard sized coffee table? It turns out blowing up 40 balloons is as hard as shopping for an equal number of gifts. My cheeks were sore for days and the kids have them over every vent in the house going up and down every time the furnace starts...lol 

The day began with celebrations, included a quick afternoon snack, opening gifts, pasta carbonara, cupcakes made into a 40, a bottle of Dom and best of all time with those who love him most.
For a milestone birthday, I would say it has been a great one and turning forty looks very good to me!

Lots of love DaddyJ from you people!

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving 2013 found us on our way to Kelowna for a fun new family activity, visiting some vineyards and some waterside fun.

Legends Diner Golden BC - Best SHAKES

Our weekend began with a leisurely late morning drive over the mountain pass. As is everyone's favorite, we stopped in Golden at Legends Diner for a late lunch at the halfway point. From there the drive continued quickly and before we knew it we were just outside of Vernon at the Log Barn where we visited the goats and picked up out Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

 

Saturday, we as a family participated in the "5k Fun Run" as part of the Kelowna Marathon. While ScoutJ and I have done this before, it was DaddyJ and GuideJ's first time joining in on the fun. I am pleased to report that despite a scraped knee, a very good time was had by all. We enjoyed the scenery around the lake and through the community in the crisp morning air. GuideJ's was a trooper and powered through the whole 5k. This was a fantastic activity to do together as a family! I hope that we will get more family races completed in the years to come.

 

For those of you who have been to any of these big races, you know that there is no end of fun and entertainment in the post race area. We had a great chat with my first marathon coach, visited with friends from the school and enjoyed some snacks.

 

We spent the afternoon visiting some vineyards, enjoyed an picnic on Dirty Laundry's amazing patio and time on the waterslide. All in all it was an ideal day for everyone. Beating Mom and Dad across the finish line, finisher metals, yummy food, flying down the slide and lots of memories!

 

Sunday we enjoyed a relaxing day of visiting our usual haunts, more time in the pool and capped the day off with "portable Thanksgiving dinner". Our meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, green bean casserole,  cranberry sauce, BC wine and Log Barn pie was wonderful! By prepacking the meal, to make use of the hotels breakfast area microwaves, we were able to enjoy the traditional feast in a more relaxed way than ever. I could not more highly recommend the joys of a "portable holiday meal" to reduce stress, enjoy more time with loved ones and still stay traditional.

 

Portable Thanksgiving Dinner - Made even better by sharing with the front desk man!

In the end, the weekend was such a success, we are all registered to repeat the whole thing again next year starting with the race! I am thankful so much....