I sit here finally getting some pictures organized. I have conceeded that my love of picture taking is taking on a life of its own. I have maxed out yet another external hard drive, had my computer tell me again my memory is close to being to full -- this is a full time job on top of my full time job of driving Trent crazy..haha..
So on that note of picture taking I have narrowed it down to another blog to document. My sister reminds me no one likes to read all my typing so if you are like her then skip on through.
Carnival has came and went, to celebrate the week off school we skipped town yet again and headed to Ixtapa Mexico. We spent a week at the Melia Azul Resort which was a kids playground. Our kids were in heaven with the Flintstone kids club, enclosed soccer field, mini golf course and rock climbing wall. The boys spent hours upon hours playing soccer and tackle football in the padded walled cage (it was great). At the resort they also had a water park perfect for all ages, not to big and not to small. My favorite part was painting... more on that in a bit.
It was a great week of letting the kids explore and enjoying a bit of cooler weather. Panama has intense heat, where Ixtapa was hot but had a cool breeze which made it quite nippy getting into the pool some days. I really enjoyed the cooler air, I got to wear my beloved sweaters.
(my water rats-- oh do I love you guys... Look kids I am in the pool)
(even under the water Everett says "I'm watching you!")
(my water baby at it again... I think she would be a mermaid if we could magically transform her)
(it was a pretty tense water polo game. Trent had his game face on even when he was wearing his dome cone blue cap (funny looking)... Trent's team won by a mile (can't forget that part right honey)
FLINTSTONE land!
The kids club was a hoot. It was all flintstones (which I realized my kids have never heard of) and the staff was warm and fun. Our kids are becoming kids club seasoned pros.
(Emma taking the boys for a joy ride in the flintstone-mobile.. she is one crazy driver)
Em had a fun time learning who everyone was. My grandfather used to call Everett -Bam Bam when he was little (I wonder why - he was a little tank who bammed everything)
(this was an awesome padded, well surrounded soccer field that entertained our kids for hours a day. It was the best when a group of Mexican boys came and all the kids started playing soccer together. It was to funny when East and Ev started conversing in Spanish - the other parents faces were priceless)
(the fun waterpark for all ages)
(my favorite spot of all. There was an area on the resort property that had a little market set up. Here we could pick any porcelain piece, paint it and the following day the cute little man would bring it back to us all shinny and glazed. I spend hours upon hours here, I miss fun creative outlets like this. I was not at the pool like other woman, I was on the hard wooden bench trying to prefect my painting stroke)
(one day I went for the gusto. I decided to paint this plate, 5 hours later my labor of love was finally finished. I was very relaxed for a few hours until my wonderful boys came to join me to paint their own project and in doing so they innocently splashed a bit of paint on my plate. Now my plate has some interesting personality added to it... a mothers love :- )
The boys must fish...
Trent and the boys woke up very early to get a good start on deep sea fishing. Emma and I had a whole girls day planned of sitting by the pool and a little more painting. All of a sudden at 10:30am the boys returned to the hotel, --5 hours early. The boys got sea sick! As Trent was reeling in his fish Everett was chucking his breakfast overboard....(poor little guy). Easton proceeded to feel yucky to the point of screams of pain which forced Trent back to shore. Once on land Easton took that opportunity to loose his breakfast as well. I guess this is what you call male bonding..haha..
(The boys excited about their catch of a Bonito fish. At least they caught one before they got sick)
Meet the Jack fish... Trent's one and only catch of the quick morning out on the water, but it was fun he said)
Pacifica Hotel
After a week of fun and games at the Melia Azul we pilled into a taxi along the coast to the Pacifica Hotel to surprise the kids with some very special guests. Nothing is more fun than watching the kids go crazy with excitement when someone surprises them and that is exactly what happened when my Mom, her husband Jack, Aunty Penny, Lori and Jenna all showed up from Canada for a week of fun in the sun.
My Mom invited us to Ixtapa for a week in an amazing condo that was beautiful! Thank you.
(Everett was the first one to spot my Mom and he just kept looking at her. It looked like he recognized her but it did not register to him it actually was her)
(the boys on the stage at the beach - they create fun anywhere they are)
The gondola on the property transported guests up and down the mountainside from your villa down to the beach and the restaurants. Here we are heading down to dinner for some sushi dinning. The view down was spectacular!)
(the Edmundson ladies - it was fun girls!
L-R... Me, my Mom, Aunty Penny, Lori (cousin) and Jenna (cousin)
Beach Pics...
(this pictures was taken on a floating raft which was out a far ways from the beach. It was an event for my mom to (1st) -swim out to the raft (good for you) then (2nd) it was a whole other procedure getting mom up on the float. It was HILARIOUS!)
(good for you Mom, you made it. To good not to share)
(all the beach bums soaking up the sun. This was our spot everyday by our cabana with service from our waiter Michael, who was on the run all the time)
(the little girls are all grown up)
(me and my Ma-ma... we just finished getting our massages on the beach)
(Em and I went kayaking and kicked Trent and Easton's butt around the island. It was a bit hairy in a few spots but Girl Power lives on!..lol love you!!!)
A day on the Yacht and Island
My Mom and Jack had the privilage of having access to this yacht for a day to tour the Pacific venturing to a small island of fun in the sun. On the way to the island once we were in open sea Trent and the boys were permanently seated at the stern of the boat with the fishing poles.
(the kids setting up camp at the front of the boat as we maneuver through the Ixtapa marina. There were some spectacular boats)
(Mom and Trent enjoying the fresh air of the ocean)
(Dream it - live it - embrace it... the whole world is in front of you!)
(Everett giving it his all to reel in his feisty Spanish Mackerel)
(Ev was so proud of his hard work. Ev's fish was some yummy eating which we enjoyed at the beach restaurant... it was cooked to perfection. After Ev brought in his fish he proceeded to get sea sick and spent a great deal of time over the white telephone... poor kid. Along with Everett, Jenna also felt the effects of the soothing waves)
(the feast of Ev's fish - DELICIOUS)
(Emma is a real fishing Gal... Shes loves the challenge of the fish and sharing in the thrill of it all like her brothers and daddy. Em reeled in a tuna that was a beauty)
(the Divas)
Arrived on the small quaint island for the day...
(the Diva's with the pink flowers... these ladies are on the move..lol)
(Em enjoying her delicious Pina Colada in the best "pineapple man" EVER! We all ordered the yummiest drinks and they arrived in hollowed out pineapples with personalities. The drinks were delicious!!)
(these two reminded me that they could be cousins to "WILSON" the lonely volleyball from Castaway with Tom Hanks... It made me chuckle. This is all that is left, their eyes are gone, ears, hats - the casualties of beverage war)
(us girls) Em is growing into a young lady before our eyes and I could not be any more proud of her)
(strike your poss East... You look like King Julian from Madagascar...hehe... So fun buddy, this is your pace of life. A little sun - little beach - some munchies and just taking it all in stride. You remind me all the time to slow down - thankyou! xoxo)
Banana Boat... What do 9 people on a banana have in common... ALOT of screaming!!!
(everyone except my Aunty Penny straddled the banana for a rip around on the ocean. In true Latin form the setup took forever, then finally we were off to the races only falling off a few times because of some crazy individuals (you know who you are). Everyone ended up in the water, even if we had to push them in except Everett... he remained the king of the banana)
(it was a balancing act at first... oh fun times)
(everett was last banana rider standing.. Emma, Trent and I flew off for entertainment purposes only 3 times, or we could say we were the only ones willing to let go)
Kids and Creatures...
I love the kids curiosity and willingness to learn about creatures as long as they don't bring them home. That is our deal, right boys - not in the house!
(the boys played around with these two iguanas that were touring down the beach, (with their owner of course)
(strange looking fella)
(emma loves to get right in there and explore all God's creatures. Here Em is holding roughly a year old crocodile)
(easton eying up his little pal, watch your nose East)
(oh my water baby. Em is very rarely away from water, either in the ocean or the pool - a fish trapped in a 10 year old body)
(my favorite time of day... the late afternoon sun feels amazing on my face, kids are winding down from a fantastic day, the waves are lapping in, and the beach is clearing out. Very very peaceful and I am sooo very thankful!)
(serious faces here - body surfing is a serious job.. xoxoox love you guys)
(then surfing becomes a blast when the kids teach my mom how to catch the waves...yaaa hooo)
(my very funny Aunty Penny. An afternoon we will not forget... 1-2-3 Ocean floor, good thing we had Alex to come to the rescue, right Aunty Pen? The videos will be kept in the vault for years of good laughs)
Hmmm -- Am I too old for this?
Lori and Jenna my beautiful young cousins said "We have to go to Senior Frogs" Trent and I looked at eachother and said "aren't we to old for this?" NO!!! we are young, exciting, fun parents of 3 (but we had to be home by 1:ooam) lol
A few exciting moments happened ... but all I can disclose is -- Jenna on chair, man leaping in the air - and blue kool-aid ... it was a sight!
(love our new hats. Me with Jenna and Lori)
(we finally got Trent (our body guard) to come up on the stage to shake his booty with us girls. He danced two songs and then said "ok girls time to go" He takes such great care of us :- )
My favorite picture from the trip!!!
(this is my most fav picture. Thank you for cooperating because it is awesome and a memory we will have forever. We go from most experienced at the left Aunty Penny next Mom - Me - Jenna - Lori and precious babe Emma. No matter how crazy or where ever we end up... this is my fam! love you xoxoxo)
(time to say GOOD-BYE. It was an amazing week of spending time with family - sharing old stories, shedding tears, deep belly laughs and lots and lots of food. Can't wait to do it all again sooner than later...)
(me and my man setting up yet another one handed picture with the camera - my favorite kind of shots... love you babe. Nothing could be possible without our dreams!)
(the kids are just finishing up their ice cream at 9:00am in the morning (only on a travel day). The morning we were leaving was the morning of the huge earthquake in Chili. There were reports of tsunami warnings up the coast of the Pacific and all over the news in Panama were alert messages. It was funny because we left Zihuatanejo airport without a hitch to Mexico City. When we landed in Mexico City Trent was very concerned about the possible threat of tsunami in Panama so he inquired with the airline and the agents had no idea, they had heard nothing)
It was a great two weeks of beach, sand and family time. However it would not be complete without a doctors visit.
Emma woke up one night at 3am... she had extreme pain in her left leg and arm, she could not move them. I figured she was all tensed up from all the activities she had been doing and sleeping in the same position to long. I massaged her leg and arm and we got them straightened out and after a while she was able to go back to sleep. Early morning again, screams of pain. Trent called the doctor and it turns out Em was most likely bit or stung by something close to her knee joint which had inflamed the area, making it very sensitive. Em received a needle in the tush filled with Cortisone and Antihistamine... few hours later she was back at it swimming in the ocean.
The second last day Trent and the kids were in the ocean with goggles and they came across a half dozen string rays hovering over the ocean floor. One theory is Em brushed up against one of them and it gave her a little poke causing her stiffness - a mystery but so thankful it was nothing worse and Em has no lasting effects except trauma of needles.
(taxi Mexican style. Our luggage strapped to the roof, family all piled in and the taxi driver had to stop at the gas station)
Home for the BIG game!
(home from Ixtapa to hit the Marriott Hotel Sports Pub in Panama to watch the showdown of Canada vs. USA Olympic Gold mens Hockey Game. It was a small crowd of excited Canadians but the pride was in the air. It was nice that the kids were excited to connect to their Canadian roots and tell Mr. Jon that he had to paint his face red for Canada (mr. jon is american and is a great sport)
I am finally at the end of my page and it is time to close this blog off...I have to get back to the real world..haha... We have been busy with activities especially since Trent has taken on the role of Emma's soccer coach at the school. It has been very enlightening for Trent to coach a group of young girls and all the personalities that go along with that (testing his patience with female emotions)
The kids have a week off school coming up so we will see where we end up. I think we will be staying close to home to prepare for my Grandparents arrival. My dad's parents are coming down for a week and I hope when I am their age I am still globe trotting.
Happy Easter to all. Enjoy the holiday.
Until I write again.
All our love
Jody. Trent. Everett. Easton and Emma (ev is tired of always being last he said)