Cancun Reunion

It's the summer for family reunions.  Both sides of the family hold extended reunions every other year and happen to be on the same schedule.  Thanks to Brandon and Stephanie's encouragement, we did something a little different this year on the M. side of family.

Most of us were on the same flight - bright and early.

 A parent/siblings/spouse reunion  - at a resort in Cancun, Mexico (July 12-18).

I'll be the first to admit that Aaron and I put forth zero effort in planning/coordinating this event.  I knew we were in good hands with younger siblings doing the leg work.  This is such a crazy/busy season of life for us that other than making our payment (last September?) and packing our bags (right after Elsie's baptism), we just showed up.  Without the efforts of others, Aaron and I would not have taken the time to slow down for an entire week.  Ahh...but it was SO rejuvenating!

Stephanie, Jared, Janene, Bob

Two shuttle vans transported us from the airport to the resort (45 minute drive).

Just prior to the resort opening last November, they ran awesome promo deals to fill the coming year. We capitalized on this and enjoyed fantastic accommodations.

Never had full-size shampoo, conditioner, lotion and sunscreen bottles before.

You know it's fancy when they decorate the toilet paper....

...and have individual hand-towels in all of the public restrooms.

We arrived Sunday afternoon and met up with Brandon and Stephanie who arrived a few hours before  (traveling from Florida).  First order of business - deciding which restaurant to try out first.

Bonnie and Bryant took daily 'selfies' to send to Breanna (missionary in Kansas).

Each couple took a turn deciding where the group would eat for the evening meals.
Sunday night Italian won out.  Most amazing pistachio ice cream ever!

The resort had strict pool rules - no swimming after 8pm.
(Apparently, it stated 10pm in the room information books)

Some in our group didn't really like that rule:).  Such rebels!

The sun sets earlier in Cancun than it does back home.  While relaxing together near the pool (in the dark), I noticed the scurry of a critter at my feet.  Surprisingly, I remained calm but was NOT expecting this crab to join the conversation.

These brothers can turn anything into a competition.
It took skills to dive through this kiddie pool ring.

We spent lots of time at the pools and the beach.

The laundry facilities were kept busy...so many towels!

It was a short walk from the network of resort pools to the beach front down below.

Stephanie & Brandon, Julia & Chris

Renting equipment for our kayaking tour in the ocean.

Swimming in this water was like climbing into a warm bath.
SO AWESOME!

Along with our daily morning workouts (cross-fit style inspired by Bonnie & Bryant), Aaron and I did plenty of exercising during the day.  I'm not an awesome swimmer but certainly burned lots of calories playing in the water.  And we always took the stairs:).

Aaron's foot selfie

Bob & Janene, Brandon (Steph taking pic), Aaron & Heather, Chris & Julia
Jared & Stephanie, Matt & Whitney, Bryant & Bonnie

These fruity slushies were a favorite for many.  Besides a sip or two of Aaron's, I didn't bother.  I wanted room for the real food.  If there was a prize for drinks most consumed, Matt would have won.

The daily 'selfie' with Bonnie & Bryant

Tuesday morning we arranged for a shuttle bus to take us to the adventure park XPLOR where we spent the day together.

The resort we stayed at was built in a national reserve which meant it was very secluded/quiet and a distance from the craziness of Cancun.   We mostly stayed on site during the week.

Arriving at XPLOR...

Getting outfitted for the day...helmets & swimsuits were a must for every adventure.

Driving these amphibians on land/water trails through the Mexican jungle was loads of fun.  Besides demonstrating my awesome driving skills, our biggest laughs came when Steph turned around to film us (go-pro) and for some reason, Brandon turned his head to look behind also.

Hmm, he didn't see the turn in the road and drove smack into a tree!

Nobody was hurt during the crash but my abs were sore from laughing so hard...

We paddled rafts through underground rivers and swam among the stalagmites in caverns.

Cruising through 14 zip-lines and feasting at the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet were also highlights from the XPLOR Adventure Park.  After a full day, we returned to the resort to clean up for our evening meal together.

There were nine different restaurants/cafes and all of them were delicious.  The hardest decisions I had to make that week included what yummy dish to order next. 

Steph & Brandon

Jared & Stephanie

Aaron & Heather

Fancy salad from the french restaurant...

We took lots of food pictures and seriously ate WELL.

Because it was an all-inclusive resort, there weren't even prices on the menus.

 Presentation of food at mealtimes was always a conversation piece.

Bryant & Bonnie

Whitney & Matt

We made friends with the waiters who could hardly believe we were all related (6 of the 8 siblings with spouses together).  It gave us small opportunities to talk with others about the church/importance of families.  One waiter actually asked us why we didn't drink alcohol (a real perk of all-inclusive for most people).  He was genuinely surprised by our commitment to this type of lifestyle.

Aaron, Heather, Bryant, Bonnie

Janene, Bob, Jared, Stephanie

Chris, Julia, Steph, Brandon, Matt

Steph, Julia, Bonnie with their 'drink of the day'

We enjoyed Italian, French, Mexican, Asian, seafood cuisine along with fantastic sushi!

Stephanie & Jared - sushi

Actually, the hardest decision of the week was what song to sing for karaoke night.

Heather, Bonnie,  Steph, Whitney

The ages of the 6 sister-in-laws cover a 15-year span.  Although it feels like we're all the same age:), the differences became evident when trying to select a song...it was pretty comical.  In the end, we did an awful job of 'singing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".  Of course, we didn't know it would be the remix version.  Long and painful...whose grand idea was karaoke anyway?

Fortunately, the entertainment on Wednesday evening was much better than our karaoke...

I love this guy!

I am always amazed by the concentration and strength of fire dancers.
Such a hot and dangerous job!

After the show, outside vendors set-up shop inside the resort to sell their Mexican wares.  I'm not a fan of souvenirs and didn't want to spend money on overpriced "junk" for the kids.  In the end, we did FaceTime with Tanner and asked the kids if they would like us to bring them a souvenir or give them $10.  With their 50/50 feedback, it was a win-win.  I no longer debated what to do for which kid and everyone was happy in the end.

Jared, Aaron, Steph, Brandon

Most in the group were really looking forward to an afternoon of snorkeling.  They found a company (reasonably priced) to take them out to a coral reef in the open sea for a few hours.

I have enjoyed some incredible snorkeling over the years but decided to skip out on this excursion.  I just wasn't in the mood and relished a little alone time with a great book by the pool instead.  When I spotted Aaron returning, it didn't take long to realize how fortunate my decision was.  The choppy waves and toxic boat fumes made people sick.  Puking in the ocean (4 x's) allowed Aaron to see some awesome fish but would not have been worth it for me!

Of course, appetites were back to normal by the time dinner rolled around.

At the Asian restaurant we were wowed by the chef's skills.

A cooking show for the ladies...

...and another for the gentlemen.

Mug shots?

Nope. Just being goofy.

Matt, Brandon, Aaron, Bob, Bryant, Jared, Chris (missing Cam)

Stephanie, Whitney, Steph, Janene, Bonnie, Heather, Julia (missing Erica)

After another lovely meal, we changed into our pj's for game night.

Thursday evening we managed to fit the 14 of us in Bonnie & Bryant's room.  We played Reverse Charades and Up & Down - these brothers were hilarious!  Haven't experienced such sustained gut-wrenching laughter/tears for a long time...

Friday morning Bonnie, Bryant and I went on the bike tour offered by the resort.  Aaron wasn't feeling 100% and opted to stay behind in the air conditioned room.

Because the resort was built in a national reserve, the wildlife and vegetation in the area had to be preserved.  These beautiful macaws are indigenous to the area and are kept under careful watch by hired help.  I learned that these birds mate for life and can live up to 70 years old.  They are very expensive as they reproduce only once every 10 years.

Spider monkeys are also native to the area and always entertaining.

Lots of lizards/iguanas around too.

It was a fun mixture of leisure and laughter and adventure during our week at the resort.
I felt we struck the perfect balance between being all together as a group and having individual time as couples.  The resort was small enough to find each other without a lot of effort and various activities were provided on site.

We always gathered as a group and dressed up for dinner but breakfast and lunch were more casual.  The breakfast buffet included anything and everything you could imagine.  I liked this tasty sweet/sour green drink they offered - not quite a real "green smoothie" but there were veggies in it.

This man accompanied meal times with his Mexican music each morning.

Here's the view we had during lunch one afternoon at the seafood restaurant with Bonnie and Bryant.

Pretty sure this is how Bonnie feels about seafood...

Chris & Julia

One of the things I enjoyed most was the great conversations throughout the week. 

Brandon & Aaron

Our last evening together we returned to the Italian restaurant for dinner.

By this time, nobody was shy about asking for what they wanted.  Several of the guys ordered double entrees and many of us ordered two desserts (gourmet = smaller portions).  Even with the hefty appetites of some, we figured we saved the resort a lot of money since we didn't drink alcohol.

Steph and I didn't plan our color-coordinating outfits.

Steph, Brandon the photo bomber, Heather

Have I mentioned how much I love this guy?

Whitney & Matt - still newlyweds...

Bryant & Bonnie

Later Friday evening we all gathered in Bob & Janene's room for a gospel discussion.  Each person came with an article or topic or some thought to share with the group.  Along with the Priesthood blessing the six brother's gave to Bob earlier in the week when he wasn't feeling well, this was a special experience.  Such amazing people - I love them all!

Bob & Janene

Aaron's last pina colada - yum!

Saturday morning we packed our bags and prepared to leave the Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort.  To my knowledge, nobody actually did any golf or spa stuff - too pricey!

I became a fan of the little Coco Cafe.  The pastries/sweets in Mexico didn't usually hit the spot for me but this cafe had banana muffins that were de-lish.  And we packed a deli sandwich along for the long travel day ahead...

Bob, Aaron, Janene - waiting for the airport shuttle to arrive.

A view out the shuttle window.  

I love these trees with bright red flowers on them.

Stephanie, Jared, Heather, Janene

We hung out in the crowded Cancun airport until our flights departed.  Aaron and I were bumped to first-class on the return flight which was a nice perk we happily passed on to Bob & Janene.  Bob had two stints put in just before the trip and while he was blessed with good health and energy during the reunion, he had a few tough moments.  The extra room and meal were just the tender mercy Bob needed.  Landing in Salt Lake, we gave final hugs and went our separate ways.  It was nearly midnight before Aaron and I arrived in Logan where our children were sleeping after spending the week with G-ma and G-pa P.  The next morning - it was back to reality!