A special message...

AMEN!! 

This sign was at the entrance to a place where we ate lunch one day.  

I thought it was funny.

Cancun Quotes from Emily

Climbing a tree in Tulum

Making out with a statue in 5th Avenue Shopping District in Playa del Carmen

Rope climbing like a little monkey in the kid's play area of our timeshare

We all know that Emily is a nut.  SO many times on our vacation, we were totally entertained by her.  Here are a two great quotes I can remember:

At the pool:

Emily: Hi, I'm Emily, what's your name?

Random girl: Hi.

Emily: I'm 4, I'm almost 5.  How old are you?

Girl: 8.

Emily: When are you getting baptized?

Girl: (no response, just a puzzled look, and then swims away)

Emily: I'm a dolphin!! (squeals and dives several times in a row)

While Painting Pottery:

Emily (LOUDLY): Mommy, I think Spiderman's penis should be blue. (see photo)

The lady across from her was laughing so hard she had to pause from painting, as to not ruin her masterpiece.

Cancun 2009

We're back-and Cancun was great!  I think this year , we had the best weather we've ever had in the last 4 years.  On Thursday and Friday, the ocean was so calm, it looked like a lake.  We had a mini family photo shoot, and got some nice pictures.  I was totally mad/sad though, because we had to use my cheapo snapshot camera, and so ALL of the pictures have some sort of lighting, color,  or focus issue.  And it doesn't have a high megapixels count, so if I tried to enlarge a picture, it looks really bad.  I really need to buy Photoshop, so I can make bad pictures look good.  I had brought my new awesome paparazzi lens ($$$) that I got for Christmas, but I dropped it on the hard marble floor like on Monday, and it BROKE !  I'm SO hoping it can be fixed for a reasonable amount, or replaced.  It should be under warranty still.  

When we were unpacking, we also discovered that our video camera was STOLEN right out of one of the suitcases.  The case was there, but the cords were all out loose in the suitcase, and the camera, GONE.  I could care less about the camera, but it basically had the last year of our family's life on it, and that's what upsets me the most.  Summer activities, California visits, birthdays, holidays, music concerts, the annual family talent show, school reports, and just the kids being silly.  I can't even think about it or it gets me too upset! GGGRRR!!  After a few days, Mike bit the bullet, and bought a new one in Mexico.  It's not a great one, but at least we can remember our trip and it wasn't just a phantom vacation.  I'm SO glad that my camera and lenses were buried well enough in clothing that they weren't stolen also.  That REALLY would have been awful!

And, of course, we had some issues with our travel there and back....but we flew the most retarded airline ever, US Airways.  We HATE them, there is always something that happens every year, but it's the only airline that flies non-stop from Phoenix to Cancun, and with kids, a lay-over is no bueno.  Aside from all that, it was fantastic.  It felt like the time went by a lot faster this year than last year.  Maybe because the kids are older, and therefore, easier--so we could relax. More details to come....

Huli Huli Chicken

A little while ago, I came across a recipe for Huli Huli Chicken. It is sold at fundraisers in Hawaii, and in some areas you can get it from locals at little roadside stands or at temporary set ups in parking lots. It's been around since 1955.  Huli Huli means "turn, turn" in Hawaiian.  It got that name because the chicken is turned several times during cooking , and each time basted with a delicious Hawaiian bbq/teriyaki sauce.  I made it.  We all loved it, and Emily has been requesting it ever since.  I made it tonight, so I thought I would share the recipe.  The "real" way is to cook it over a fire, but I just use our gas grill.  I think it would taste even better over charcoal.  I also intended on making it last night, but things got crazy and we ended up going out, so the meat sat in some sauce overnight.  It was so good!  I think I'll always marinate overnight from now on.  Traditional side dishes are white rice and macaroni salad. We had brown rice and salad, not exactly hawaiian, but much healthier.  Some people (Stephan) might like SPAM sushi with theirs (choke, gag).  Anyway, it was super yummy.  

Isn't huli huli fun to say?

Huli Huli Chicken

4 lb. chicken pieces ( I can't do meat with skin or bones, so I used boneless skinless breasts)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate (or 1/2 c.  pureed pineapple chunks)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1" piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated

3 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well blended and sugar is dissolved.  Pour half of sauce into a large ziploc bag and save the other half for basting chicken.  Add chicken pieces to ziploc bag and marinate for 20-30 minutes.  Heat grill to medium/medium low.  This isn't a quickie meal. 

Cook chicken, turning every 10 minutes or so and basting with reserved sauce until done.  My boneless skinless breasts take like 60 minutes.  If you use meat with bones, obviously the time will be different.  Just be careful with the grilling temperature, because you don't want burned sauce on the outside, and raw meat inside.  The longer and slower it is cooked, the better.

Cancun Countdown

Exactly one week from today we will be lounging on the beach in Cancun.  We are all totally excited!  Hopefully, this year will be better than last year. Let's remember......

The first night we are there, I get up to use the bathroom, am confused and think I'm at home, trip in the dark and fall, hit my head, split it open, blood is everywhere....  

Mike (jumping out of bed at the loud CLANG): "What just happened?  Are you ok? "

Me: " I don't know, I hit my head, I think I'm bleeding."  (He turns a light on)

Mike: "OH MY GOSH! Blood is everywhere!  This looks like a murder scene! Oh, this is bad...you need stitches!"

Me: "No, I'm good..man that hurt.  I brought band-aids.  We can just cut a few lengthwise and  butterfly it closed."

Mike: "No way, I can see your skull!  You definitely need stitches!"

Mike then calls the front desk of our timeshare complex, they send the maintenance guy on duty (what was he gonna do?!?), he realizes the severity of the injury, the front desk then calls a "doctor" ( I'm not sure she actually was) from the Cancun Hospital, she drives  to us and sews my head closed.  Then tells us she only takes cash, almost cleans out our spending money, and advises me not to get my head wet or go in the sun for 5-7 days.  This is our FIRST night there!  The amazing part was, that all through the noise and commotion, and people ringing the doorbell, no one else ever woke up- even Dylan who was next to us in a crib!  The next morning, they were all "What happened to YOU?".  

So, Amber, the babysitter we had brought with us, went with Mike, Spencer, and Hallie on all the fun adventures we had planned, and I stayed with Emily and Dylan and took naps, sat in the shade by the kiddie pool, and read magazines.  It actually wasn't that bad.  I enjoyed spending time with little two, but I wished I could have some more variety.  

I'm hoping THIS year, no one gets injured (or sick- Mike got a heat rash 2 years ago), and we all have a good time.  Amber is coming with us again.  My parents were planning on coming, but my Mom fell and broke her arm really bad, and the doctor told her she couldn't travel.  We were all disappointed.  They went with us the year before, and it was really nice to have them there.  So, wish us luck on our hopefully fantastic vacation, I'm sure there will be many new stories to tell!

Spencer

It's time I brag about Spencer a little bit.  He can really be a sweet boy when he wants to be.  A few days ago, we got an e-mail from his teacher, Mrs. Willard.  She started the e-mail by first saying how she thought the world of  Spencer and what a great kid he was.  Then she forwarded a message she had recieved from the SPICE teacher, Mrs. Yellon,  about him.  The SPICE program is the Special Ed  program at the elementary school.  Spencer is one of the 6th grade volunteers who works with the SPICE kids.  Mrs. Yellon, was so excited to share what had happened at lunch that day. 

I guess there is a boy, Bjorn, I don't know what his limitations are, but he doesn't really communicate with people often, and when he does, he just repeats what you say.  Spencer saw him at lunch and said "hi" to Bjorn, they made eye contact, and Bjorn said "hi" back.  Mrs. Yellon said it was  hard to describe just what a big deal this was, and that it totally made her day.

Spencer has told me a couple of stories about the SPICE kids and his "buddy".  He really enjoys being with those kids, and I  think it has been a great experience for him.  Mike and I were so proud to hear what a great buddy and role model he is to these kids.  We love you, Spanky!

Fresh Lemonade

Our first lemons!  This little tree had 3 lemons on it that we have been waiting for.  (We would have had 4 more, but an "incident" occurred involving Spencer, the trampoline, a stunt gone wrong, and an unplanned "landing" into the tree.  It was sliced almost in half, poor tree.  It was taller and wider--Spencer was just bruised, maybe a scratch or two, I don't remember).  

It was very exciting when we decided the lemons "felt juicy" and were ready to be picked.  Hallie and Emily did the honors.  Hallie was especially excited about the lemons, and has been patiently waiting for them so that she could make some fresh homemeade lemonade.

Since there were only 3 lemons and 4 kids, I cut them in half and let everyone take a turn juicing.  We actually got quite a bit of juice out of them.

Hallie

Emily

Dylan needed a little bit of help from my huge muscles.

(I like how the tv is on in the background on ESPN --that's my Mikey)

A little sugar, water, ice... and voila!  A super delicious glass of homemade lemonade!  

Next fruit, hopefully, will be our clementine tangerines.  We also have plum and apricot trees in the backyard, but I don't think those produce anything until they are  a few years old, and I just planted all of these trees last year.  I would love to have a vegetable garden, too, but there's no room left in the yard.  Maybe I need to sit outside and stare until I figure something out.  It will give me a new project to do.  Mike, I know you're SO excited.  Love you!