Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Viva Mexico!

This summer we decided to take the kids to our favorite place, Riviera Maya, Mexico!  Chad and I went here on our honeymoon, and have been back several times since.  We took the kids to the same resort that we visited on our honeymoon because we felt it was the most family friendly.  We think it was a great decision and a perfect place for our family trip! There was so much for all of us to do, the weather was perfect,  and we never had to leave the resort!  There was a waterpark area just for the kids, a lazy river, a wave,  pool, amazing beaches, restaurants, a shopping center, carousel, bounce houses, kids shows, and lots of animals.  The kids slept and ate great and Chad and I were able to relax and just enjoy some time with our kiddos.  It was a great time with lots of memories made! 
Ok, get ready for picture overload! (My camera kept fogging up so some of the pictures are hazy.  We also took a lot with our phones so the quality isn't that great)
The kids ready for their first flight!  We spent the night in Houston, got up really early and rode the hotel shuttle to the airport.  They were SO excited!  They did so great and loved the airport.
Ready for take off!
Hadley was most excited about getting to chew gum! Ha!
We love that is such a short flight.  One of our favorite things about traveling to Mexico!
The kids loved the towel animals in our room everyday!

We spent most of our days hopping from beach to pools!  We had lots of fun in the sun.  These two little fish were in heaven with water everywhere and all the ice cream/ milkshakes they could eat!

 
This swinging bed was my favorite relaxing spot. We even let Cooper nap here one afternoon. 
Beach babes
This waterpark was a new addition since we had been there.  Our kids spent hours playing here.  We couldn't believe how few kids were here each day.
 
The beach was beautiful as always.  Our kids loved the white sand and clear water.  They were amazed that they could see all the way to the bottom.  There was a lot of seaweed because of the storm, but it was still amazing.
 
 
 
 
 One of Cooper's favorite things about our resort was the animals.  There is so much wildlife there to see, and he loved going on adventures to see what we could find.  There were also deer, flamingos, swans, and tons of fish and birds we didn't get pictures of.
LOVE this picture! (Hadley was super tired when they came around with the toucan and didn't want to take a picture.)

These guys were definitely the favorite of the trip.  They are called Coati's and they were everywhere.  Hadley even got a stuffed one as her souvenir.
There were tons of peacocks walking around.  We loved seeing the babies.
Cooper hanging out with an iguana.
looking for animals

The hammocks were another one of our favorite spots.  They had about 15-20 hammocks hanging right by the beach.  We had to go swing at least once a day.
 
In the evenings, we usually headed over to the shopping center (also a new addition to the resort).  They had all kinds of entertainment there.  There were bounce houses, a carousel, balloon animals, a taco bar, dessert shop, hamburger stand, crepe and ice cream shop, souvenir shops, etc. 

Riding the carousel
 The food at the resort was amazing.  The kids thought the buffets were awesome.  They both ate a ton while we were there.  Our resort even had special buffets for the kids. 


Waiting for the shuttle to take us to dinner


Dinner at the Japanese restaurant! This was so much fun.  The kids loved watching Chad and I catch the shrimp in our mouths!





 One of the things we enjoyed the most, were the kids shows at night.  Each night there was a special show for the kids.  They played music and let the kids sing and dance on the stage, hit piñatas, play games, have dance contests, ate popcorn etc.  Our kids ate it up.  We couldn't believe how brave they both were.  They even had a magic show one night! 

Coop and Hadley dancing on stage
Hadley hitting the piñata
Dance contest
They were so cute every night talking on the microphone saying they were from Texas. 


 
After the kids show, all the kids were invited to the Disco to dance.  We decided to check it out one night.  When we got there, we discovered it was a star wars theme.  Cooper was elated!
Cooper with the Star Wars ship


Hadley and Cooper with C3P0

 
 One last walk around the resort!
Goodbye Mexico!  We hope to be back very soon!

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Star Wars Lego Birthday

Cooper decided to have a Star Wars Lego party at Powersports this year.  The kids had a great time playing with their light sabers and the new indoor playground addition!  Such a fun afternoon!

 










The boys
Time for cupcakes!




The girls having fun dancing to "Shake It Off"