Coba:ancient mayan city

One of the pyramids at Coba

Hiking the pyramid

At the summit

Another ancient structure at Coba

Playa

More of Jonathan and Chris...all I can say is what a STEVE!!


Chichen Iza was too far of a bus ride for this trip, so we took a trip to a similar ruins site called Coba. It was so fascinating for me to see the ancient Mayan culture up close and to imagine some of the stories from the Book of Mormon that I have read coming to life and happening here. The picture shown depicts what archaeologists believe the stone representation below once looked like.

If you look closely at this pic, you can see the "hoop" in the far upper left of the shot. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered they hadn't just invented that game for El Dorado! I love visiting ruins and seeing a glimpse into the past. It is very thought-provoking to think of the evolution of cultures and the rise and fall of great nations and societies. I really wish that I could have been as interested in history in high school as I am now.

Flashback to the Past: Playa del Carmen

This picture is random; but who needs an excuse for posting pics of your adorable children?
Macy is so full of personality, sometimes I am floored by her. She packs a whole lot in a little package!

Jonathan and I took an awards trip with Pfizer to Playa del Carmen in early May. We stayed at the Fairmont Mayacoba in Playa. It was fabulous, and such a nice aside to the chaos of moving. On our arrival, as we shuttled our belongings to our room, Jonathan was pooped on by a passing bird. You can see the poop here in this picture. Someone told us that meant good luck for him; I think they were just trying to help him make lemonade from some sour lemons! Anyway, it was hillarious, and didn't turn out to be any kind of a bad omen for the trip. We had a splendid time and can't wait to return!

I'm still a little chapped that Jonathan chose golfing with Chris over Xel- Ha with me, but I am glad they had a great time golfing on a world-class course that didn't cost us a thing! I can definitely get used to the "winning" lifestyle with Pfizer!

It was so relaxing to layout, nap, read, drink virgin drinks to our hearts content, and order poolside or beachside with nary a thought of the kids or the cost of all this luxury. A BIG THANKS to my parents who watched Kennedy and Macy like champs. It's so nice to have a little break, uninterupted by worries of the well-being of your children.

We had a great time with Chris Lowry and his wife Laura, and are so grateful for the time Jonathan had to work side by side with Chris in the Ft. Worth territory. These guys are really hillarious together! Laura and I had a great time watching our husbands and their antics.

Dress up

I guess I'm just not that creative. I accept that; if I were playing dress up, I would mix and match, but I don't think I would ever think to drape my body in anyway other than the intended way the article was made for. Perhaps Kennedy is a budding designer; or maybe she's just more hip than me. In any case, she found clever and creative ways to wrap, drape, and twist clothing articles taking them to new heights of fashion. She also knows how to accessorize, something I am still learning how to do!

Scenes from this week

We were able to capture one of our critters in living color...He canvassed the garage for anything interesting and came up dry. Poor guy, should've tried the neighbors. I've always said if anyone or anything ever picks our house to burglarize, I think they'll be sorely disappointed with the lack of good loot to run off with.

The drama continues with Macy and bedtime, although we have seen some improvement. I had what I believe was revelation on how to handle this issue. I hate spanking and didn't want to do it, but admittedly, on a few nights of exasperation, we resorted to that tactic. It was ineffective. Probably because I didn't want to hurt her, so I tried real hard to seem as if I was lowering the iron hand while deliberately not inflicting pain. She's too bright for that nonsense. Anyway, I decided one late night, to set up the port a crib in the guest room across the hall. I decided that big girl beds are for big girls who follow the rules. If Macy was going to be a rule breaker, she was going back to the baby bed. She didn't like that idea at all. To my horror, she was able to scale the wall and get out of the crib herself, but she also disliked the experience enough to exercise a little self-discipline and stay put in her big girl bed. It's a little early to declare a victory, but I'm sure hoping this is the magic button. The above picture is typical of any given night around here. Macy and Kennedy play and giggle until they pass out in one or the other bed, together.

Macy, stylin' and profilin'

Last week Jonathan taught the FHE lesson on service. He found a cute object lesson online where you affix spoons to long sticks (i.e. shish kabob skewers and a lot of duct tape) and demonstrate that while it is frustrating and difficult to feed yourself in such a manner, it is easy and fun to reach across the table and feed your neighbor. The girls really enjoyed this lesson. We all enjoyed feeding our neighbors and getting messy while we ate daddy's chocolate pudding. He's the best daddy!

Sometimes I get so bothered that we have a playroom of toys that often goes neglected while the girls sit around bored stiff. I often threaten to give the toys to children who don't have any and might be more appreciative. On this particular afternoon, while they still weren't playing with their toys, they DID manage to find their own source of entertainment...the laundry. I had just folded this load of laundry and left it neatly stacked on the coffee table with the intent to put it away later that evening. Apparently it was a new-found source for dress-up. The girls delighted in putting on and taking off mommy and daddy's clothes for almost an hour. I was a little perturbed I had to fold the load again, but at the same time, happy to see some ingenuity in finding their own means of amusement.

The Kitchen

Yes, it is fair to assume that my kitchen has been in shambles up to this point...hence the reason it has taken so long to post these pics. There's really only one spot in the house you haven't seen now, and that's the master suite. For me, unfortunately, that is always the last room on my clean list. I know that's a bit backwards, but alas, that's the way it is around here.

It is a little smaller than our kitchen in Texas (actually quite a bit) but it makes good use of the space, so I don't feel too cramped. I just had a little extra motivation to sort through kitchen odds and ends and get rid of some stuff that was just sitting on the shelf. Remember all those useless kitchen gadgets you got for your wedding? Five years later I am purging my life of a few of those items. Some of them I may have even been guilty of purchasing myself before I really knew what I would use and what I would cook for my family.

I think the kitchen has a charm all its own. For the age of the home, we're just lucky it wasn't avocado formica (yikes!). The tiles are a pain to clean, and we are hoping to upgrade to granite sometime. I guess it all depends how long we actually anchor here in CT...

The built-in refrigerator is cute, but quirky. It has a language, I believe...I'm not sure what its saying yet, but I do believe it is speaking to me. The guy who did our home inspection said the appliances were all in remarkable condition for their age, but that he didn't warrant them against malfunction since they are all well past their predicted life span. Here's hoping they keep on keepin' on.

Sightings...

This will probably be a theme for sometime until the "newness" of our home in CT has worn off. We urbanites aren't used to so many close encounters with the wild. I actually kind of feel bad about it...my girls think it's really cool to see a chipmunk or a squirrel in the backyard. Once, after a hard rain fall, I actually became afraid the squirrels were taking over. They started coming out of everywhere it seemed...it was like some sort of sci-fi thriller. I actually had anxiety that I was so outnumbered. What if they were building a city under my deck? What if they started infiltrating my home? It was momentary, but very real. Anyway, I've decided to keep a record of the sightings we've had. Raccoons (1), skunk (1), squirrels (thousands), dead mice (2), live mice (1), tree frog (1, in the house!), possum (1), wild turkey (1), deer (10, at least), unidentified furry, long snouted creature (1). We haven't seen a bear yet, but the word is on the street that we've got one in the 'hood. Here's to hoping we don't have any close encounters with that one! We miss the cost of living in Texas, but we are thoroughly enjoying this jaunt so far. A couple of things we enjoy about the NE: it cools off in the evening, every time I turn around something new is blooming in our yard I didn't know was there, wide open spaces, reconnecting with the outdoors (duh!). I took the girls to the park this afternoon, and I actually lost track of time while watching the girls chase birds, play tag, pass a ball back and forth, and otherwise find their sense of independence at a guarded distance from me. It was thrilling to see their joy in such simple pleasures. Having spent the last 5 years of my marriage in the south, I had forgotten how lovely summer evenings can be. The cool air, the breezes... I remember playing imagined up games with friends outside until the sun went down. My girls have never known that pleasure because you just can't bear to be outside that long in Texas. It is nice to rediscover summer as I once knew it, and see it through my children's eyes.