Take our children to work day!

This day has been so fun the past two years at IBM!  Except, this year both Meg and I have commitments.

So, we're having a good family breakfast as a consolation prize.

Cheers!

R

Notes in the lunch box!

I began the year wanting to write notes in AJ's lunchbox. However, I realized that he hadn't quite figured out the reading thing yet. It finally dawned on me that I could start doing that now! So on Monday, I wrote my first note. Today I wrote another one, and AJ wrote one back to me during snack time. When we got home, he took out his folded up note and gave it to me. How freakin precious is this???

❤️

Momma

The Sand Layer

A creation of our creations':  "The Sand Layer".

Don't want to...

Demps.  Snow.  

So cute at 2.5 yrs!  But nothing good lasts forever, right?  

Yes, she's turning.  Like somebody bit by a zombie, werewolf, or vampire.  A sweet, adorable, innocent little thing is turning against the light, and into the darkness.  Such is life.

"Don't want to!"

"Leave me alone."

"You go away!"

"Stay here!"

It's beautiful actually.  She's becoming empowered.  And this world needs more wonderful, empowered girls.  

Look out world.

R

Viva Mexico!!!

Mexico was amazing for 8 reasons:

1.  The only cries I heard were from birds.

2.  The quiet.  This was for the most part true.  When we were in the big resorts I felt like we were inundated by vendors selling things.  But since we spent the most part of our time in the smaller places we had each others, locals, and a small amount of visitors around us.  Russell was quiet. And sometimes I found myself wanting to talk more, but then I realized the quiet was awful nice.  So much of our lives involve answering questions, making requests, etc.  When the kids are asleep, I often am connecting with Russell.  Thus, not so much quiet time.  This trip we got a fair share of this.  I had so many thoughts in my head about all sorts of random things.  That was a benefit that I wasn't exactly planning, but surely appreciated.

3.  The Water.  Gosh water is my calm.  I experienced water from a beautiful open air shower, water from this waterfall that we hiked 4(ish) miles to, water from the ocean waves, and water from the spritz from our water taxi.  

 

4.  The Food and Drinks!  The best place...hands down was this place!  Between the delicious tacos and the Passion Fruit Margarita.  I still salivate just thinking about the experience!  So good.  And we had a lots of yummy fish and shrimp! I actually was pretty impressed by our drinking.  We managed to keep it together (I may have had a bit more the last night!), but nothing compared to past trips.  We had such a strong desire to get good sleep and feel good, that we didn't want to jeopardize anything!

See Russell waving?  This was our floor.

 5.  Yelapa! Holy buckets.  This place!  A.  You can only get there via water taxi.  B.  It is still not completely modernized!  C.  You had to hike to your open air "hotel".  D.  There was a sweet  waterfall 4 hours away.  E.  The people there were so amazingly nice.  A blend of ex-pats and locals!  We heard things like, "I'm going to Susan's!"  "Who's Susan?"  "The only Susan that lives here!"  and "I have lived in Yelapa all my live.  I love it here!"  F.  We stayed in an open air hotel that claimed that we should "bring ear plugs because of the loud waves."  Russell and I both turned cocky.  LOUD WAVES! TOO LOUD, said no one ever. Are you kidding me?!  And all be damned!  We legit hardly got any sleep those two nights!~  It seriously felt like the waves were about to sweep us under.  Sure wish we would have remembered those earplugs.  On a side note, while showering I had two iguana come join me on the side of the shower.  They were probably at least 2 feet long.  They had legit walked down from the side of the mountain.

  6.  The naps!  I'm trying to remember if I even took many.  But I certainly did this day, and ohhhhweeeee it was pleasant!  This was the result of the said "loud waves" that had kept me up all night.  So this nap was welcomed!  Honestly, we didn't have to take too many naps because we tended to stay in sleepy towns.  When the sun went down, people went to bed.  I truly enjoyed that!

7.  Russell man:  It was great to see him chill out and not go downstairs and work on the basement.  He got to adventure, and read, and sleep, and eat, and drink.  We joked how we moved from one basic need to another.  I suppose this is similar to at home, but we only had 2 human beings to worry about instead of 5.  I just love Russell and this trip was a chance to really connect again and just be.

8.  Coming home to these little dudes.  I definitely was ready to see them on Friday!  AJ and I had decided to keep a journal for each other to share what we did each day.  AJ took it so seriously and did a great job remembering to do it daily!  I was so impressed!  We showed them videos and pictures of our various adventures!  You know one of the coolest parts of coming home was that Dempsey happen to be in the car asleep.  Grandpa had just pulled up.  The boys came running out and we gave them huge hugs!  Then I poked my head into the car and Dempsey opened eyes, and got the biggest grin EVER.  "MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!"  I swear.  It was the best!

Another trip in the books!  I feel so lucky and also so proud of us Fruvellhoffs.  We work hard, and put our priorities into what is important!  I feel uber lucky to have great grandparents that I trust so completely with the kids.  I honestly question, several times, if the kids were ready for us parents to be at home.  They sure do love their grandparents!

Adios!

Love,

Momma

First stitches

We are at the airport about the board. But I fear I will forget everything that happened before this trip;) This happened, Friday. It was crazy.