Our trip to Mexico

Joel and I were able to take a trip together, just the two of us, to Mexico. Grandma Ruth was kind enough to take care of all three kids for about a week. So even though it was a little emotional for me to leave the kids behind, we were able to go with complete confidence that they were well taken care of.














We stayed in one of those all-inclusive hotels. So we could eat or drink whatever we wanted at any time or place in the hotel. That was dangerous. We were loving the tortilla chips and every kind of dip.














Our first day was dedicated to pure relaxation and rest. It was great! The hotel was right on the beach and had lots of pools to swim in as well. The area is called Playa del Carmen.



















Then we decided to be more adventurous and get out and do things. We were able to go on an LDS tour to see Chitchen Itza and Tuloum. These are both famous Mayan ruins. We enjoyed the way the tour guide used the Book of Mormon and related places and ideas. Joel enjoyed it more, though because I slept through a lot of the tour on the long bus ride. . . oops.






















There were Iguanas cruising everywhere we went. They blend in really well, too so you could be looking at one for a while and not even know it. I was totally freaked out by them. But they really don't do anything to you. They also apparently taste like chicken. Yum.

My two most adventurous things from the trip were floating down an underground river (through caves) and jumping into a Cenote (sink hole). According to my brother Mike who served his mission down there the whole area is full of underground rivers and sink holes. The sink holes are just spots where the ground gave way. Fresh water runs into the holes from under ground. I was feeling a little sluggish when we got to the Cenote (after all my naps) and was considering sitting out of the cold swim. But I decided that I needed to take advantage of the opportunity to be a little more adventurous since I was without my kids (they are usually my excuse for sitting things out). I was so scared to jump, but very proud afterwards. Joel ended up jumping multiple times. But once was enough for me.














The whole trip for me felt like a gift. I was so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with Joel and to be just us for a while. I was also so grateful to be able to rest and sleep (two of my favorite things). The adventure of Mexico was an added bonus.