Dani and Alan, Xpu-Ha Beach, Scuba Diving, Cenote Azul

 Dear Kids, 

Dani and Alan just left to go back to the USA this morning. They had planned previously a trip down here to Playa Del Carmen (PDC), Mexico about 6 months ago to go to an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) gathering. It was perfect timing because we got here just a week before they came down! It was great!

We spent the last several days with them doing all the "tourist" things. Which was GREAT to get a bit of that out of our systems before really settling into the flow of living here. 

We went to the beach called Xpu-Ha. It was FABULOUS. One of Dani's friends (who has traveled to many beaches) said this is her FAVORITE beach of all of them... which is saying a lot. We got there and now I totally understand why. It was amazingly beautiful. I told the kids that they were spoiled to have their first experiences with the beach to be THAT one! They would be forever disappointed in all beaches we ever go to from here on out. ha! 

The water was so clear and beautiful. The sand was white and soft. The kids saw several fish while we were there. It ended up raining a bit while we were there and that was an adventure. The kids could have stayed there all day. We had to head back home a little bit earlier than wanted to get Dani and Alan back for their dinner that night, and another storm was coming that looked like it was going to be a down pour. But WOW, that was an AMAZING part of the world on that Playa!!

While Dani and Alan were here we also visited Tulum and went through the Mayan and Aztek Ruins. We got a guide, which I'm really glad we did because he went over lots of different things about the city that we wouldn't have known about. All the adults and Gabe were LOVING it, but the younger three kids - well let's just say you were all champions of complaining that day. There were lots of groans and moans coming from you three. Dani at one point actually gave you a little talking to about it. Complaining is something we need to work on FOR SURE. 

I just told you guys that going through cultural experiences is something that you just have to do sometimes, whether you want to or not. It's important to learn about cultures and history. I was loving it. It was amazing to be in that part of the land. I could just feel the depth of Lamanite history there. There were a lot of Lamanite souls walking about around everyone that came to visit that place. One thing is for sure, we have a lot of work to do in the Millenium in order to get everyone's family history work completed, especially for places like that when we have no record of it! I felt spiritually that just having the gospel come and be part of their land was starting to liberate them spiritually to listen to the gospel. There is a lift that's happening on the other side because of the presence of the gospel and a temple. That was an interesting thing to feel.

The city of Tulum wasn't that great, VERY touristy. The ruins were cool, the beach was beautiful, but the city was "meh". We tried to go to a cenote while we were there, but they closed at like 4:30pm and we got there only about 30 minutes before it closed, and it was expensive. So Dani, Alan and Fili went in, we told the kids we were going to have to go to a Cenote another day. And WOW there was an OUTBURST of emotion from Talia. You would have thought we cut her legs off. She was really looking forward to it, but we tried to explain to her that when we pay, we want to be able to stay for the whole day, not just 30 minutes. She just had a COME APART. Definitely one of her best "toddler teenager tantrums" so far. It was difficult to be emotionally around her and we had to have her be by herself in the car for a while to get her cries out. 

But luckily, two days later we were able to go to Cenote Azul. And that was BEAUTIFUL. The water was so crystal clear. We went on a day that was cloudy and a little bit rainy, and it was awesome because the crowds weren't that bad because of it actually! It was such a perfect day to go and experience it. The kids just swam and swam and checked out the fish in the pools forever. There was a ramp to jump from, they had a blast with that. And the energy of the place was awesome with all the trees and nature around us. I was just soaking it in. I got to play and swim with the kids for a while and I LOVE it when I get to do that. It is the best! 

Your dad also got to go scuba diving while they were here! We went to the cutest little town of Puerto Morales. It was the CUTEST little place with adorable cobblestone streets and it was so clean. That is a little town I could totally live in! Your dad had to get reacquainted with the diving equipment in a swimming pool before they went out into the ocean. I just was able to hang out at the beach with you guys during the day while the group went scuba diving. We had a good time for sure! We ate at a cute little fish eatery for lunch while we were waiting for them. You guys went back and forth from the ocean to the pool for quite a while. It was a fun little spot. You got to see the boats coming in and out of the harbor. And when the sun went down, it was beautiful! 

All in all, having the car for the week while Dani and Alan visited was a good choice. It was more expensive that we wanted it to be, but it was worth it. The first day we had it, we just went for a drive and showed the kids different parts of the place. We found VERY poor neighborhoods were people were just living in shacks. They had no idea there were people living like that. I think it was hard for them to understand what it all meant, it was scary for them. At one point Talia said, "Um, dad... when are you going to get another job?" - which in her head meant she was thinking through that we wouldn't have a home if he didn't work. We explained that right now the Lord has blessed us so much that we get to be doing this without dad having to work for a few months, and we get to spend time together as a family. WE are VERY blessed that way. We shall see what the next few months bring, that's for sure. 

Having the car helped me to get my bearing of the city in general. Where everything was located, how the city is mapped out, and all the different parts. It helped me SO MUCH to feel more grounded and rooted inside of where we are. I couldn't believe what a trigger it was for me to have no idea where anything was and feeling like I needed to get a better understanding of what was going on around me. I think especially as a mother and the responsibility for my kids. 

All in all, the last week full of touristy stuff was good to get out of our systems. We ate at some good restaurants and had some really fun times! I think it helped you guys you as well because after several day of going and going and going some more, you were ready to come home and hang out here for a while.

I love you kids. I hope you know that part of the purpose why we are doing something like this is to give you experiences outside of the USA. To know what it's like to walk to the laundromat to get your clothes cleaned. To know what it's like to live in a small apartment. To be able to see the poor neighborhoods. To know what it's like to live without a car. To try to learn another language and be around people who are different from us. Those exposures are really important for all of you. 

I love you, 

Your Mom