Mexico

At the beginning of the month Johnny and I went to Mexico for the Property Solutions annual sales rewards trip (plus the executive team, plus the programming team).  

Because of a condition I usually develop at the end of my pregnancies, we weren't sure up until my blood test results came back two days before the trip if I'd be able to go.  

This was an interesting trip for me.  I'll show you all the amazing photos, paint a perfect vacation picture, make you jealous, then explain the real vacation. 

Monday was spent traveling all day to get to our resort in Playa Del Carmen. 

Tuesday, Johnny and I hopped on a ferry to Cozumel, then rented a moped to take us around the island.  We stopped at different beaches throughout the day, finally stopping at one with no one else in sight.  Johnny made me a chair out of sand to lay in while he attempted body surfing. 

 Wednesday I tagged along with Johnny and 21 other guys who went scuba diving.  I hung out on the boat with some friendly Mexicans who didn't speak english, but pretended to understand my attempt at small talk, and read a book while the group did two different dives. 

 Thursday we went to some Mayan ruins called Coba that we could climb.  The ruins were spread out over a huuuuge area. Luckily they provided bikes and carts (for pregnant ladies like me) to get from site to site.  

Friday we went with a group to swim with dolphins.  I wasn't allowed to take pictures (so they could charge a fortune for the ones taken by the place), so this is the only one I have.  This was probably my favorite part of the whole trip!  I wasn't able to swim with the dolphins because of the baby in my belly, but it was so fun watching the rest of the group get to do all the tricks.  I did get to pet and kiss them, rub their belly's, and do a few different things!  

We spent the evening at the beach and headed home on Saturday.  It was so nice putting a name to a face of the people Johnny works with, and getting to know all the awesome wives!

So what made this vacation difficult?  Looking back through the photos, it was a great trip filled with a lot of activities.  I was grateful for the opportunity Johnny and I had to get away before a 5th baby comes, at the expense of the company.  What I didn't anticipate was how exhausting - physically and emotionally - the trip would be for me.  

You know what sucks?  Body image. I was in a swim suit all week and couldn't help but compare myself to every skinny, pretty woman I saw.  Every fit girl in a tiny bikini I came across, I envied.  Why did I pick having five kids instead of traveling and looking awesome in a swim suit?!  Such a destructive thought process that I found myself in during this trip, and it took quite some time to get out of it.  I was mad at women for making me feel like I'd never be good enough, I was mad at men for wanting me to look like these other women.  I was mad at the sacrifice I'm asked to make to be a mom, which means constant weight gain, weight loss, weight gain, weight loss - all while my skin is stretching, my hips are spreading, and my boobs are sagging.  And I'm still in my 20's!  

It was a week of feeling sorry for myself and insufficient. 

So, if this blog is supposed to be a journal for my family, why am I documenting these emotions, rather than just putting the trip on here like it was a picture perfect getaway for mommy and daddy?  Because this is moms reality, kids.  This is the thought process behind moms bad days.  I may be doing well in some areas, but in my mind, I'm never enough.

Fortunately for me, I have a very loving, patient husband who listens to my rants and complaints and is as understanding as a husband/man can be.  I have wonderfully understanding and supportive female family members and friends who build up my self image instead of tugging at my insecurities with pity and one-upping.  It's odd how comforting it is to hear someone say "Yeah, this is hard, why do we do this?" instead of "Yeeaaah...that really sucks for you."

Why do I do this? That question gives me the opportunity to remind myself why I chose this life, because I DID choose this.  And today, I'm really glad I did.  

Time to go figure out what was dropped in the toilet, and why someone is screaming. 

Getting through the winter...

Johnny has been trying to spend more time with the boys one-on-one.  Each of them picked a different night to go on a date, and picked their activity.

For Drake, it was playing croquet at Provo Beach Resort.  Bubba and Con both picked games at Chuck-e-Cheese. All three got to go to Savers (a local thrift shop) to pick out a toy.  I love how easy to please they are at this age!

Johnny and I went to Atlanta for a weekend in January to visit a wonderful friend of ours.  She's the queen of hospitality, and staying with her was better than staying at any five star hotel.  She stocked the fridge with chocolate milk and snacks for me, and had the most comfortable guest bed EVER! 

(and I'm going to train the boys to leave the toilet paper roll like this.)

 We filled my BBQ pregnancy craving with some great lunch, and Johnny made faces at me until he got me to laugh.  He thinks this is the smolder, I think he looks like Con after I get mad at him.

 This home was a part of the Atlanta Historical Museum and just happened to be President Snow's house in The Hunger Games (and Catching Fire). Because we were two of four people who signed up for the tour, they took us through every room of the house and let us take our time posing in the different places from the movie. 

This is a playhouse on the property. I want one in our backyard soooooo bad.  And I wouldn't mind these floors in my entryway either...

We did some shopping in Atlanta, and you can bet that in a store full of amazing kitchen supplies, Johnny found the one horse head and wore it around the whole time. 

 Another great reason for our visit was to drive out to Athens, and hour and a half away, to see Johnny's Aunt Karen and Uncle Ray.  I had never met them and had a wonderful time getting to know them both.  Such amazing and interesting people!  The other couple with us were British friends of Karen and Ray's that they met in Ethiopia years ago. 

Johnny and I were able to see the Sundance movie Mitt.  Although the whole thing was about his two presidential elections, the biggest thing that I took away from it was what a great family the Romney's have.  Anne Romney managed to raise 5 boys to adulthood, maintained her sanity, and they all seem to love their parents.  What an accomplishment! 

Catching up on 2013 - December

December was cold and snowy, and for the most part we stayed inside.

Sometimes, though, I'd bundle the boys up and let them walk around the backyard until they're hands and toes were cold enough to come back in the house.

 We got neighborhood gifts out this year, which makes this the first year since we've been married that I actually did something.  Chips and salsa, just like my family would do when I was younger!

I thoroughly Bubba's preschool Christmas program.  Mostly because every forty seconds he made a different face like this. 

 I had breakfast at a restaurant that had amazing striped stone counters. 

 Most of our time was spent on our Christmas project - the toy room.  We had a contractor make a playroom out of the space under the stairs, cut windows, add a slide, and turn half of the floor into laminate for cars and trains to roll on. 

The boys got to decorate the space under the stairs, and each one chose something different.

 Seeing Santa is always an event.  The best part was probably when we were standing in line to see Santa and I dropped my phone and cussed in front of many children.  

(Don't worry, watching my language was a New Year's resolution.)

Banks was happy on Papa's shoulders, but not so much with Santa.  

 A neighbor brought over a baby snow mobile for all the kids to try out in our backyard.  I was so impressed with my boys fearlessness, just hopping on and taking it for a ride!  I didn't know they made them so small!

Our annual family Christmas Eve party at my moms house, complete with loads of food, a white elephant gift exchange, and a program.  Our favorite way to spend Christmas Eve.

 After the party, Johnny and I spent the next 5 hours trying to get this room in order for Santa to come. The next morning the boys were pretty excited, which made it worth it!