Mexico--Our Hotel

We planned a trip to the US Virgin Islands for mid-winter break, using Mike's United miles and we were very excited.  Well, a hurricane hit the Island in the fall causing so much damage that all flights were cancelled through April...including ours.  So we had to hurry and switch our flights....we still wanted the Caribean Ocean-type experience so we finally decided on Playa del Carmen in Mexico (40 min south of Cancun).  We found a hotel on the beach (which really turned out to be a privately owned condo) that had a great pool and was close enough to all the things we wanted to do.

We were not disappointed.  It was a gorgeous condo,with a kitchen, a maid, plenty of beds for all of us, a private wading pool off the patio, a huge pool, a beach club restaurant, beach access 2 min. from our room, and even our own hot tub.

We spent a lot of time at the pool....watched the sunset on the beach...and the kids finally got to play in waves (one of the things they miss most about California beaches).  

When we first arrived, it was super windy and cloudy...but still nice and warm.

Summer got to sleep with Mom and Dad the entire vacation because we had a KING-size bed.  

She was in heaven.

Finding food to eat was a bit of a challenge....even the groceries didn't taste quite right.  But the kids were actually really good sports about it...much better than me.

The amazing view from our patio.

  

In the hot tub 

The hotel pool was spectacular.  Just enormous and never busy.  There was even a little kid area with shallow water and a playground!

  

There were hammocks everywhere!

 

The kids enjoying the waves...and the palm trees

 

 We got up early to watch the sun rise over the ocean...magical (despite the looks on our faces--I couldn't stop laughing at my face in the corner--hahaha)

And May All Your Christmases Be White

This was our family's very first WHITE Christmas. So exciting!!

We did the usual opening and playing with presents and yummy turkey dinner....

(A few things Summer got: a play kitchen, cash register, farm, lots of toy food, calico critters, and way too much more.  She got tired of opening presents before she was done and just wanted to play)

(A few things Jordan got: GoPro, wireless speaker, Hydroflask, earrings, nike hoodie, hammock & Ed Sheeran tickets)

 (A few things Tyson got:  E300 electric scooter, a fitbit, a bunch of fun games, a triangular rubix cube, a sling shot)

 

(A few things Kya got:  lulu lemon leggins, addidas shoes, cozy blanket, Hydroflask, makeup & Ed Sheeran tickets)

... And mixed in a little outdoor fun in the snow

 (Even Ollie came out:))

The perfect combination to equal a magical Christmas we'll never forget!

Christmas Eve {My Favorite}

Christmas Eve landed on a Sunday this year, so our usual ice skating and eating out (which the girls claim needs to be Mexican food) was not an option.  Church was only an hour(which was nice), and the kids still got to open their jammies. 

 

We then started a new tradition...a Christmas Eve Talent Show.  I was so happy that everyone was excited about it and willingly participated (I was worried).  It was a lot of fun.  

The girls did a piano/ukulele duet (and a very loud O Holy Night duet)

Tyson did a card trick

Summer sand Rudolph (and played the triangle)

I played my flute and Mike told some jokes

Then we started another new tradition (I LOVE traditions:)) of watching a Christmas movie--this year we waited for Summer to go to bed and watched It's A Wonderful Life.  The kids hated it, but I LOVE it--but I may let them pick something different next year so I don't have to listen to them complain the entire time.

Summer left milk and cookies for Santa before going to bed.

Then right before we all went to bed, it started snowing. 

 And Santa came.

The Build Up

The kid AND MIKE had a full week off school before Christmas!!

We went to the Evergreen Lights

Made a gingerbread house

Picked out ornaments at Molbacks

Did a little last minute shopping

 Admired our tree

Took the Boyntons ice skating

Hiked Snoqualamie Falls

  

Decorated Sugar Cookies

 All before Christmas Eve!!

Microsoft Christmas Party 2017

It was fun to have an excuse to dress up!!

The food was fabulous...and so was this sparkly table cloth:)

Ski Ball was my favorite...until my husband blew my high score out of the water.

This nice man attempted to teach us how to play craps...I still don't get it.

The "funny" photo booth...our true Christmas personas.

The "fancy" photo booth.

Had to stand in line FOREVER for this cartoon drawing...almost every couple looked the same.

Overall a great night...even though my feet felt like they were bleeding by the end.

The Christmas Tree Debacle

I stewed for weeks over where I was going to put the Christmas tree this year.  With a new house and more specifically a new {long shag} rug in our living room, I was worried about all the needles dropping...and me not being able to get them all up with the vacuum.  It finally dawned on us (seriously can't believe how long it took us to think of this as an option) that this should be the year we take the plunge and buy an artificial tree--something we had debated about for the past few years.

Well, because of how long we waited (and because I am super weirdly picky about a tree), finding the perfect tree was quite the ordeal--even worse than the ordeal that is picking out a real tree in the Home Depot parking lot.  Weeks of online searching, endless talk about realistic versus tradtional branches, trips to multiple stores, watching for sales etc.

I finally decided on a Costco tree...only to find they were sold out online and in stores.  I kept checking their website and finally they were back in stock so I ordered it and anxiously awaited the arrival of my tree.  The day before it was to arrive, I got an email saying my order was cancelled because they were out of stock.  I can't even tell you how angry I was--definitely more upset than I am willing to admit.  

After the Costco order was cancelled, it was getting too close to Christmas and I was frustrated.  I went to store after store looking at UGLY trees.  I seriously just about broke down in Hobby Lobby crying because I hated all the trees.  I gave up.

We decided we would pick out a real tree, put it where there was no carpet (in between the kitchen and living room) and look for a artificial tree earlier next year.  While I was shopping for something to wear to Mike's work Christmas party at JCPenney, I saw a tree I actually thought was beautiful, but of course they were all sold out.  When I got home, I went online and sure enough, they had some in stock and it was on an amazing sale!!

The tree finally arrived and I got it all set up on December 13th...just in time for my little book club party:)  And the greatest thing is...I LOVE it {AND I can put it up extra early next year to make up for how late it went up this year}