More Mexico/Thanksgiving vacation

We began our trip in Cancun. We scored a direct flight from Salt Lake City to Cancun (very, VERY nice, especially when you are traveling with a restless toddler) which was also only 4 hours long. Before we knew it, we were in the smallest rental car you can imagine, driving 65 mph while the locals are driving 95 mph. I was clinging to my seat for my life as Chip excellently managed to make his way through the chaos and get us to our hotel safely. Keep in mind, I taught myself how to drive in Mexico, so ether these people were driving like maniacs OR it had been too long since I had been there. Probably the latter.
Anyway. We got to our hotel in Tulum, just 3 minutes walking from the pyramids. My girlfriends met us there, we headed to the small town center for a yummy dinner and then off to bed. The next morning, we ventured to Tulum. No LDS tour guides available (2 hour waiting list- no thanks). I tried to give Chip an unofficial tour from what I remembered. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach. On Monday, we left Tulum and drove to Playa del Carmen where we would be staying along with my family at the Riu. We laid on the beach, played beach volleyball, taught my mom and dad how to use a buggie board, took a catamaran out for a ride, swam in the luke warm ocean, enjoyed the music/theater shows at night, and ate, ate, ate, and drank piña coladas.
After our 4 days of heaven, we drove to Chichen Itza and made a quick stop (I mean quick...we literally went in, circled the pyramids so we could check them off our list and hopped back in the car). We finished the drive to Merida. We got to see the rest of my girlfriends and have dinner at my favorite restaurant. My parents took Kami back to the hotel so that Chip and I could go to a restaurant bar with the gals. Chip LOVED that place. It is an al fresco restaurant with mariachis playing in the courtyard. So typical of Mexico. Loved it.

The next day we were back on our way to Cancun. Our flight left Saturday morning so we had to be back in Cancun asap. We stayed at the Marriott Casa Magna. Such a beautiful hotel! Wish we had had more time to enjoy it's amenities. Maybe next time? We are dying to go back!

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A Brief (but much needed) Recap

They say pictures are worth a million words or something or other along those lines. I am heavily relying on this premise to be valid to most of you. This is what has been happening in our lives as of late October (don't hold your breath- it looks like it will be a long post):

 Our annual porch Halloween decoration night. Loved that Kamila was able to participate more!

 Kami's first pumpkin patch experience. We went with our friends Mitch and Jessica to the Red Barn in Santaquin. We loved it! The weather was perfect.

 Family pictures taken by my best friend Laura who is a culinary artist, imagine that! I set my camera up and she got to work. I think she needs to reconsider her choice of profession :) The pictures turned out pretty dang well, if you ask me! They are straight out of the camera.

 Mexico. This deserves its own post really. It was amazing. Chip in so enamored with this special land that he is already planning our return for 2011 (so he wishfully thinks).  I saw my friends from high school, took him to the schools I used to attend, the houses we lived in, the beaches I adore. Kamila loved playing in the sand with the bucket her grandpa bought her and even loved being in the ocean itself.

Christmas begins with CHRIST

I should be in bed right now but my mind refuses to turn off. This seems to happen quite a bit during the holiday season, much to my dismay, my grey-matter is much too preoccupied with things that are not worthy of such attention. I have been thinking about things I wish I had, things I wish I could get for people I love, things I wish life would hand me on a silver platter. I spend too much time telling myself why I don't need all these things when I should really just be focusing on being grateful for the things I have been given. 
Days are shorter and colder now, and my little Energizer bunny who is actually a little girl and not a bunny, goes bonkers if left indoors for more than 4 hours during the day SO we went to the mall. Not to shop, may I clarify, but to let her roam around the children's area. She was in complete awe and I was happy to just sit and ponder as I watcher her attempt to climb up and go down the slide by herself. 
All the things that I have previously mentioned circled my mind. Again and again. Over and over, until- the worst thought made it's uninvited presence in my mindless mind: "I hate Christmas". I couldn't believe I had let myself think those nasty and very untrue words. I LOVE Christmas! I look for Christmas music on the radio the morning after Halloween, for crying out loud.
I am still a bit shocked and ashamed at myself. Why would I think such a thing?
Kamila played, ran, and then it was time to get some substance in her so we went home. As we exited through Nordstrom in all of its glory with its red carpet rolled out for its refined, fancy valuable customers, I realized how much I was forgetting what Christmas is supposed to feel like. I miss those days when the best part of Christmas was on the 24th and all the cousins and aunts would come over for dinner and games and even a huge slumber party. Watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas at 10:00 and being told by our parents that the longer we stayed up, the longer Santa would take to get there; that would send us into a silly giddy laughing spell. The days where a quiet, reverent evening of thought and remembrance of the Savior's birth would strike a deep chord within that made me feel as if the entire world outside our festive and warm home was also still and quiet in observance of His special birth.
Christmas begins with CHRIST. Not with shiny, silver boxes from a trendy department store; not with huge lit trees or wonderfully decorated neighborhoods. It begins with Him and with us. Tonight, I am particularly grateful for the many blessings I have been given. I am grateful for my husband and daughter; for our parents, siblings, and their wonderful companions and children; for friends that are genuinely friends that care and reach out when we need them, for living in this special and magnificent country, and for having the only gospel in my life. I know that Christ lives; I know that Joseph Smith was an instrument in His hands; I know that families can be together forever and that I will see my grandfather again as well as all the ancestors I never met; I know that His church is true and that that jolly, kind and tenderhearted man called Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that my Heavenly Father and His Son live- and that they know who I AM, who you are; They know the matters behind our heavy hearts and the reasons that make us smile. They know me inside out. But do I know THEM?
This is for you, my dear friend (you know who you are). Thank you for sharing your heart with me tonight. I think I needed to hear from you... someone upstairs is also awaiting. Thank you for making Christmas come alive for me this day.

Tink

Someone is a big girl now...

Yes, she is officially walking!

 Kamila, you have been crawling around forever and have been taking steps for the past 3 weeks or so. You look too cute (as Bakka would say) moving those little legs as fast as they can carry you to reach and hug me and Daddy. You are growing up too fast, right before my eyes. You are definitely the rainbow in our sky.

Now, if only I could get you to be as happy as you are about walking about having your hair up in cute, little pigtails. I digress...with a happy heart though.


Love, Mamá

Us updated...

Ariel

My brother comes home in 28 days. It seems unreal. Unfathomable. I can't wait to see him. I find myself constantly imagining the whole airport moment. Anyway, I always get updates from him that uplift me and inspire me to share the gospel with those around me. Today his email made me cry; not due to sadness, but to supreme happiness. I thought I would share an excerpt and hopefully it will inspire you too.

This week has been an amazing week. We have had some really special experiences this week. We found a family from Iraq tracting about a 3 weeks ago. Our first lesson with them was awesome. The spirit bore witness of the truthfulness of the things we were sharing. They have been in the states for about 2 years and they don't speak too much English. The first night we went there we had something planned to teach but it definitely wasn't what they had to hear. We talked to them about the plan of happiness that our Father in Heaven created for us. We talked about the importance of families and the relationship that that has with temples. They said they wanted to come to the temple. One of the oldest daughters in the middle of the lesson stopped and said "I like how I feel right now... I feel peace." We then continued on teaching. We were there for about an hour and a half but it felt like 5 minutes. As we were getting ready to end the lesson we felt we had to share the first vision. Before sharing it we let them know that what we were about to share was something really important and that the spirit would bare witness that it was true by the way they felt inside in their heart and their minds. Muna following that statement said as she pointed to her heart and her mind " My heart and mind never the same. Always different." We then went on and shared the experience that Joseph Smith had. She was smiling, she looked at us and said "My mind and Heart the same!" Following that the Mother was in tears, her daughters had to interpret everything we said to Arabic because she hardly understands anything. They let us know that their Dad was in the hospital and that he was very ill. Elder Brewer and I felt inspired to let them know that if they read the Book of Mormon and prayed they would feel nearer to their father than ever. We had a prayer, left them with something to read and left. The following day we went over to sing happy birthday with some kids from the Young Single Adults. Towards the end of the lesson we asked them if they had prayed and what had happened. They smiled and said "Dad is out of hospital. He is OK." To that Mom replied " I felt really close to Dad." I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is real. It pierces the center of my heart to think that one day son I will no longer have the privilege to represent Him. I am grateful for the love the Savior has for us and for His infinite mercy. The Savior is truly mindful of all his people, wherever they may be. 

I stand amazed at the love that our Father and his Son, our brother, our Savior, have for all of us. I know that there is only one gospel, one true church and I am grateful for having it in my life.