Last Saturday morning we got up super early and traveled along with three couples we are friends with to Mexico.  The good pictures are still coming but I have a few from my point and click to share.  It was beautiful, relaxing, fun and none of us wanted to ever leave.  Sunday we had an adventure finding the local branch for sacrament meeting.  I understood maybe 3 words the whole meeting but it was such a neat experience to be there.  Their primary consisted of 9 kids that I counted with their primary president teaching them all together.  6 men, 12 women, 2 missionaries and a few teenagers made up the small group that met in a converted apartment in a not so pretty part of town.

Then we spent our Sunday checking out the hammocks and beach chairs.  87 degrees and 90 to 100 percent humidity felt like heaven.  I am sure working in those conditions would stink.  I ran twice and literally had to ring out my pants afterwards.  But to lay around and do nothing in felt wonderful.  Ignore the drool - I think I took a nap every single day there:
We played on the beach, laid around and read, snorkeled, swam in the pool and had crazy contests, ate at a bunch of restaurants, went to Tulum to see the ruins, did a jungle adventure of zip lining, rapelling and snorkling in a cenote (underground river/lake) and just loved every minute of it.  One of the coolest events was watching turtles hatching out of the sand right next to us, collecting them and then coming back late that night to help "launch" them into the ocean.
And it was so fun to be traveling with friends to hang out with.  We all got along great and just enjoyed each others' company.

Before we had left I had been taking Taylor in for his x-ray (still completely backed up) and going back and forth with his doctor as we changed meds.  How many laxatives can one person take?  That was my only concern when we left.  But evidently everything finally kicked in and he started pooping up a storm - so sad I missed that!  And he has been happy and chirpy and walking around ever since.  Meredith sent us a few updates that made us laugh and miss our kids - at least for a few minutes.  They all pitched in and did their part to make the week work and they loved all the people who helped take care of them.  While we were at 87 degrees they were seeing snow.  I think they were a little sad to see us come home.

Friday we got up super early to watch the last sun rise and enjoy a few hours on the beach before heading home.  Then it was a long day of sitting in airplanes before we got home after midnight.  Saturday we stuffed in as much Halloween kid fun as possible.  Spencer had a BYU pow-wow to go to.  We picked out pumpkins:
And then while Taylor stayed with Melissa and helped her with wedding invitations, we spent the afternoon and evening at Cornbelly's our nearby pumpkin festival.  We have never been before and were quite impressed.  At 9 we were cold, tired and ready to head home for some hot chocolate.  Jeremy initiated Spencer into the haunted houses which he loved although Jeremy laughingly said Spencer was booking it through the scary spots.  Spencer thought he was just so cool.
Robyn could not understand why she couldn't ride the exact same go cart as Spencer.  So Spencer willingly towed her around for several minutes while she strained to reach the pedals.  It was great to see him being a big brother and we laughed as afterwards he stretched and moaned "my back, my back"

So I am willingly facing my loads of laundry and big to do list as it has been a great few weeks and I am feeling blessed.