Last few days we’ve been spending more and more time at the hotel.  We’ve had [...]]]> It’s Friday…sigh…only one more full day in Mexico on vacation.  Mazatlan has treated us well…the weather during the day has been amazing.  Last night we were treated to a pretty amazing lightning show…but thankfully the wind and rain cleared by morning. 

Last few days we’ve been spending more and more time at the hotel.  We’ve had an opportunity to explore the city a little bit…but it’s just easier (and definitely more relaxing) to stay close to “home” with Maria.  Our little one has fallen in love with the pool…so we take turns playing with her and relaxing pool side.

Not much else to report out on…below are a few pictures we’ve taken over the past few days.

The pool area that Maria refers to as “Maria’s Pool”.

After an evening of exploring, an ice cream break at Bing.  Maria likes her Fresa (strawberry) ice cream.

Every afternoon the play “crazy games” at “Maria’s Pool”.  On Wednesday they flooded the pool with white balloons that were partially filled with water and started the largest water balloon fight I’ve ever seen.

Swimming can be tough…after awhile you need a Cheetos break.  We accidentally bought Cheetos with Tomato and Chili flavor…Maria doesn’t seem to mind.

This evening’s sunset over the Marina.

Our first day was filled with a bit more adventure then [...]]]> Arrived on a long awaited return to Mexico.  Last time we were here was over a year and a half ago…a long time by Sarah and my standards.  It’s great to be back…this time exploring a city that neither of us have been to; Mazatlan. 

Our first day was filled with a bit more adventure then we would have liked…but it all worked out in the end.  My parents graciously picked us up at 5:30 from our house and delivered us to Sea-Tac around 6:15.  Walked up to the ticket counter, swiped my credit card to check in…”YOU ARE TOO LATE TO CHECK INTO THIS FLIGHT.  PLEASE SEE A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT.”  What?  Our flight wasn’t until 8:00…sure we weren’t two hours early like they ask you to be for international flights…but c’mon!  As we got into the gigantic line at customer service, a very nice Alaska Airlines representative, Pablo, asked what we were getting in line for.  With a confused look on his face, he asked Sarah to stay with our bags and whisked me back to the ticket machines to see for himself.  Same thing happened…so then he took me to an agent behind a desk to try and figure out what the issue was.  Turns out Alaska had re-booked us to fly through Portland and then on to Mazatlan instead of going through Los Angeles…the BIG problem was that the flight to Portland departed at 6:30.  They told me they sent an e-mail a few months ago…I had no recollection of any such e-mail.  Oh boy.  So I hurried back to Sarah, Maria and the bags and waited till we got to the customer service desk where we told our story to Craig.  He was incredibly kind and spent the next 20(ish) minutes trying to figure out a way to get us to Mazatlan that day.  Finally he was able to get us back on to the 8:00 to LA…and back onto our connecting flight for Mazatlan.  In addition for the trouble, he waived one of our checked bag fees.  Also…since we had spent so much time waiting in the customer service line and working with him, he recognized that it might be tight getting through security and to our gate…so he closed his booth and walked us to the front of the security line to let us through.  When we got to the gate, the agents there told us that he had also called ahead to make them aware of our situation and they were scrambling to try and get us seats together on the plane.  A few minutes later, they were ready to board us…the agent walked us down, boarded first to shuffle some people for us and came back with three seats right next to each other.  Crisis aborted…we were on our way!  BIG THANK YOU to Pablo, Craig and the ladies working Gate 3D (I’m sorry I didn’t catch your names) the morning of 7-10-10…you helped to make the entire situation very easy to resolve and helped get our vacation started with minimal stress.  (Also note…during this entire process…Maria was amazing…standing with us calmly and quietly…maybe she was tired due to the early waking…but she was absolutely GREAT!)

The flight down to LA was quick and uneventful.  One big change since our last flight with Maria is that she now prefers going to the bathroom on the potty…and after our first trip to the airplane restroom, she must have found the bathrooms fun because she wanted to go ALL THE TIME.  On the flight, Maria and Daddy did four trips to the potty…three successful outings and even one poo-poo…which was GREAT for all three of us and the passangers around us.  Who likes a poopy diaper?  YEAH MARIA!

Due to the mix up of the tickets, we had to depart Seattle without tickets for the leg from Los Angeles to Mazatlan…but when we got to the gate, they had us ready to go with three seats together no problem.  The flight from LA to Mazatlan was pretty short…only about 2 hours…and Maria slept most of the way, what a trooper!  She really has become an excellent traveler.  Yesterday Sarah and I that with all the complaining that we do about Maria’s inability to sleep through the night…a worse curse for us would be “2.0” to sleep like a champ but for him/her to not like to travel.

Mazatlan’s airport is pretty small, which is great because it allows you to get through customs pretty quickly.  We gathered all our things and walked up to push the infamous button that decided whether your bags would be searched or not.  We decided to let Maria push it for us…since she likes pushing buttons so much.  Sure enough…ROJO…it was search time.  The man who went through our bags was pretty kind and didn’t tear our bags apart too much.  We were worried since we weren’t sure if we’d be able to get Sarah’s bag back together in the airport…and thankfully we decided not to pack any of those illegal items.  Phew!  Got out of the airport to find our hotel’s shuttle waiting for us.  Once on board we realized…we left the stroller behind.  CRAP.  What do you do?  Do you try to get back through security and immigration for a $20 umbrella stroller?  Will we really walk so much that we’d need it…and more importantly…if we do walk so much that we think we’d need it, will Maria ride in it?  We made the decision to leave it behind…more because we had no clue on how to get past all the armed security more then anything.  Oh well…it was a good stroller while it lasted.  We’re confident that it’s been cut in half looking for smuggled drugs or something by now…but we’ve sent an e-mail to Alaska asking for them to see if they can find it for us.

Got to the hotel…we got a great room overlooking one of the pools and the Marina.  Once we got situated, we headed straight to the pool.  With Maria’s swimming classes, she’s really started to like being in the pool a lot.  The pool our room overlooks has a great kiddie section that is shallow enough for Maria to walk around and keep her head above water.  We still need to be with her, of course, but we are able to give her a good deal of freedom while in the pool…which she likes.  We kept it simple on our first day…drinks and food by the pool for dinner.  Afterward, we did take a taxi to the supermarket to buy water, sweet breads, soda, snacks and milk…with these staples we were ready to being our vacation.

On Sunday, Sarah and Maria woke up around 8:00…I somehow slept in till about 9:00.  I’m not a sleeper so I don’t know how that happened…must have been a combination of being tired, the blackout shades and the cool air conditioning…felt great!  We spent the morning at the pool and then hurried off to find a restaurant that was showing the World Cup Final.  The silly people at FIFA did not consult us on the timing of this game…and it unfortunately coincided with nap time.  We got to the restaurant and Maria decided that she didn’t really want to wait for nap time, so she just fell asleep in Sarah’s arms…WOW…again, what a trooper!  The swimming must have really tired her out because she made it all the way through regulation.  After she woke up, Maria and Mom decided to go shopping for pool toys while Dad stayed to watch the extra time.  What a game…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that it didn’t go to PKs…what a horrible way to finish a tournament.  Both teams had their chances, and didn’t convert in regulation.  At the end of the day, I think the better team won.  Now only 47 months to wait till the next cup…Maria and I are going for sure!

Monday…more or less more of the same.  Pool in the morning…a well coordinated nap time and then we went to check out the beach.  Our hotel surrounds a Marina that is on a small jetty that heads to the ocean.  To get to the beach you have to take the hotel’s water taxi across the jetty…a 3 minute trip.  It was a nice beach, a good breeze with plenty of chairs and umbrellas (for those who wanted shade).  Unfortunately there were jelly fish in the water so they highly recommended we stay out of the water.  We played in the sand and watched a family flying kites, Maria loved them!  After a few hours, we headed back to get cleaned up…and went out to do some exploring of the city.  Up till this point, we frankly hadn’t been too impressed with Mazatlan…no real walk-able areas to enjoy…just one random building after another…but then we found a neighborhood called Olas Altas.  We didn’t get to explore much, but it was exactly what we were looking for.  Lots of quaint, old world shops with little cantinas and cafes with al fresco dining, cheap food and views of the ocean.  Unfortunately it is LITERALLY on the opposite end of town…so it requires a taxi to get there…but it was well worth it.  After dinner at a cafe that was recommended on Trip Advisor, La Cueva del Leon, we walked around the street vendors stalls and enjoyed just being around some of the locals.

So on this trip, we decided to live like Mexicans and not pack our car seat.  It is so bloody heavy…and it’s not like we’re able to strap it into the shuttles or taxis.  (And before anyone judges us…remember that when we were all two, none of us had boosters…we were lucky to have lap belts…and we all survived.)  When in Rome right?  Anyway…on the ride back, we were riding along…about 9:30 at night, Maria seated in Sarah’s lap…and then all of a sudden she grabs the door handle and opened the door.  Yes, that’s right, while we were whipping along the main thoroughfare.  It was the craziest, most surreal thing.  Sarah quickly grabbed her hand away from the door…and then I saw the taxi’s door start to swing open.  Sarah then grabbed the door and pulled it closed.  It happened in a matter of seconds…but WOW…CRAZY.  The taxi driver was very cool about the entire situation…but he did tell us that we got his heart racing for a moment.  WOW.  Oh…speaking of taxis…Mazatlan is full of them…and they’re not just plain old yellow cabs…they’re freakin’ super-powered golf carts.  Picture a VW bug…but saw off the top and put a golf cart top on it…that would be a taxi here.  They’re great…but the first few rides are a bit nerve racking…especially when you’re riding around unbuckled while holding your two year old.  We will, however, be riding in the open air taxis from now on as the handle to open the door is on the outside of the car…much easier to control Maria’s nimble hands from causing a commotion.

Alrightly…I’ve rambled enough.  Really hoping all the craziness dies down…all we want is some peace and quiet and a safe trip home.  OK…it’s nap time here…and I think I’ll catch some Zzzz’s myself.  Adieos from Mexico!  Pictures to come shortly!

So what have [...]]]> I feel like all posts these days begin with some comment about how long it’s been.  My recent hiatus has been exceptionally long.  I don’t know why but I haven’t been using my camera much recently…and it’s usually new photos that help inspire posts.  Something that we’re sure to rectify in the coming weeks.

So what have we been up to…

First…the BIG news in our lives; Sarah is pregnant!  Our due date is January 4, 2011.  Sarah has been feeling terrible…the nausea has been worse with this pregnancy.  Sarah has been a trooper and is mustering through.  She had a rough time finishing up the school year but she’s able to manage better now that she doesn’t have to worry about vomiting in front of 25 second graders all the time.  Being able to take naps in the middle of the day, with Maria, has helped too.  We’ve yet to share the news with Maria…but Lucy was pretty bummed to hear about another demotion.  Poor Lucy.

At the beginning of June, we all got together to celebrate Jon’s 40th birthday.  It was also our first time to their house…what an amazing place.  They just finished having a monster patio installed, very impressive!  The party was a 70’s theme; hilarious…perfect weather (which was amazing as it rained the week before…and the week after)…great food (one of their friends did some grilling/smoking for them)…and wonderful people. 

This summer has been pretty mellow for Sarah and Maria…play dates with friends and neighbors keep them busy.  As for me, other then work, World Cup has taken over any free time I get.  Maria has also enjoyed watching the games.  She frequently insists that we both go put our Sounders Jerseys on to watch together…and she refuses to put her jersey on until I have mine on.  Hilarious.  Been bummed to see the US, Portugal and Brazil eliminated already…but it’s been a joy to watch so much high quality soccer…makes the Sounders/MLS games seem terrible by comparison.

Maria and I have started a swim class at the YMCA…”swim class” sounds awfully advanced for what we do.  It’s a lot of songs and games to get the kids more comfortable in the water.  It’s been fun doing those together.

Maria and I have also been enjoying after work bike rides!  Now that it’s summer (well…sorta) we are trying to get out for short rides after dinner a couple times a week.  She loves riding along in the Burley trailer and will prod me with, “I want to go FAST Daddy!”  She’s so funny.

Another update we’re excited to share is that we finally finished our back yard beds!  We had 5 cubic yards of mulch delivered and mixed it in with the soil we installed earlier this year.  They look great!  After they were finished, we were so excited we went to Sky Nursery and picked up a bunch of herbs and veggies to get the garden going.  We figure we aren’t too far behind because it really hasn’t been sunny around here yet.  Hopefully September will be nice and extend our growing season.  I’m now working on building a bench to further enhance our back yard.  Day 1 of bench building was completed with all 10 fingers still attached…so I call it a success.  I hope to get a chance to work on the project more today.  I’m to have a bench by the end of the day…or we’ll have plenty of cedar 2x4s for firewood.

Next weekend we take off for a much needed vacation in Mazatlan!  We cannot wait to get away for a little fun in the sun.  Up until yesterday; Grandma, Pappo, Mitch & Sam were going to join us as well…but unfortunately Ken’s mom needs to be move into Hospice…so the four of them won’t be able to join us.  Such a bummer as Maria has been looking forward to spending time with all of them.

Well…I think that covers most of the big happenings for our family.  Until later…

The highlight of the past month, Maria’s first Sounders game.  We were able to get 3 tickets to the Safeco suite…the perfect [...]]]> So it’s been a busy month.  Not with our family…but with my work…so I haven’t had much time to post or even take pictures.  Thankfully, things should start to calm down in the near future.

The highlight of the past month, Maria’s first Sounders game.  We were able to get 3 tickets to the Safeco suite…the perfect place for a 2 year old to be able to enjoy their first game.  Maria had a great time clapping and dancing along with the ECS cheers.  It was a 7:00 game…so we left at half time.  Maria definitely wants to go back…and I can’t wait to take her!

Another highlight…my sister’s 30th birthday.  What a wonderful milestone…but man did it make ME feel old.  My little sister isn’t supposed to be THIRTY YEARS OLD!  Anyways…happy birthday sis!

Well…short and sweet…just had to post something.

More updates on her special day to come.  We’re off to a birthday dinner for Maria…and then, unfortunately I have to fly out to Boise for work…I hope to get a more detailed update, and pictures posted once I get to my hotel [...]]]>

More updates on her special day to come.  We’re off to a birthday dinner for Maria…and then, unfortunately I have to fly out to Boise for work…I hope to get a more detailed update, and pictures posted once I get to my hotel this evening.

Yes, a basketball hoop and a slide!  Maria had so much fun with the hoop that cousin Alex had, we thought she’d enjoy having her own.  And [...]]]> To begin Maria’s birthday week, we held a small family party.  But before everyone came over, we decided to give Maria a few of her presents…a little early.

Yes, a basketball hoop and a slide!  Maria had so much fun with the hoop that cousin Alex had, we thought she’d enjoy having her own.  And every time Maria sees a slide, she wants to run to it…so we thought it might be better to have a small something in our backyard.  She almost didn’t know what to do with these new toys…I think she’s still trying to figure out the whole concept of gifts.

Anyways…back to our party, it was nothing fancy…my parents and Kristine & Jake were the only ones that were able to make it…but it was nice to have an afternoon to hang out and relax together.  Appetizers (a few cheeses, crackers, strawberries and a mushroom tart from Trader Joe’s) as well as wine, beer & soda started things off.  It was a nice day today so we all were outside which made Maria happy because she was then able to show off her new toys and her bubble gun to the family.

Dinner was grilled flat iron steak and chicken, both glazed in a teriyaki BBQ sauce, brown rice, steamed broccoli and pineapple spears…all of Maria’s favorites…actually, all of MY favorites too…that’s my girl!

For dessert Maria requested a chocolate cake with pink frosting…we asked her many times during the week what she wanted and she kept coming up with the same thing…so that’s what she got.  OF COURSE today she changed her mind and said she wanted yellow frosting…too late.  Amazingly, instead of going for the frosting like she usually does, she ate all the cake and left the pink butter cream alone.  Go figure…

Both Sarah and I are taking Wednesday, Maria’s actual birthday, off from work to have a family day.  It was a fun day last year so we thought we’d do it again and make it a tradition.  The weather reports are all over the place…from sunny to a chance of snow.  (Whaaa?)  We’ll see.  Ending with a few pictures of our day…