Puerto Vallarta

Vacation could not have come at a better time. We were all ready to get on that plane and head down south to Puerto Vallarta. We had vacationed in Puerto Vallarta in 2008 and were looking forward to going back. This time we would stay at a different resort, but along the same strip of beach.

We headed to the airport early Friday morning and by 3:00 p.m. local time we were playing in the pool and sipping (or gulping) our drinks. We were a little nervous about the pool situation and if it would be big enough so we wouldn't feel crowded; at the first glance at the pools we knew they would be perfect. The best feature of the big pool was the island (we named it shark island) in the middle. It was great because Trent could swim to it, play around on it and we could feel comfortable with him in the water, as long as he had a PLAN. Shortly after we had gotten into the refreshing pool it started to rain, we didn't care though, rain or shine we were swimming.

For 8 more days we enjoyed the pool, beach, and all the resort had to offer. The resort was all-inclusive, which is the way to go in Mexico. We ordered room service every morning and usually didn't make it down to the beach or pool until 11:00 a.m. It doesn't get much better than that. I am lucky that Trent loves to sleep, so we were able to sleep in most mornings.

The days consisted of hanging out at the beach for a bit and then lounging in the pool the rest of the day. Lunch usually consisted of nachos, fries, hot dogs, pizza, quesadillas and pork tacos, all of which was eaten pool side. The nachos were ridiculous and we would pile so much on them that we named it "the plate of death." I was so tried of eating my the end of the trip. Our dinner options were awesome. There were 4 restaurants to pick from, Chinese, Mexican, Brazilian and Italian. Our favorite was the Chinese restaurant. The sushi was delicious and the fried banana and ice cream for dessert was so yummy.

As we checked into the resort we were pleasantly surprised to learn that with each room came $1,500.00 to spend towards selected excursions and the resort spa. Tim and I hadn't planned to do any excursions because last time we were in Puerto Vallarta we swam with the dolphins and that is usually a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had 6 excursions to pick from and one of them was swimming with the dolphins. Tim and Trent did the dolphin encounter and then me, Tim, Jeff, April, Zachary and Madison swam with a Mama dolphin and her nine month of baby. It was amazing. The cool thing about our experience was the foot push by the dolphin. You don't realize how strong a dolphin is until she is pushing you across the pool by her nose against your foot. An amazing experience. We also took a boat tour along the canal, which was fun. The draw of the canal tour is to see crocodiles. We only saw baby crocs, which was fine with me. I know those Mama crocs were near their babies, but didn't make an appearance, again fine with me.

All in all we had a great vacation. I am already looking forward to our next summer vacation.

The Reimers Clan invade Puerto Vallarta.

Tim and Trent on the balcony off our room.

Jeff and April

The many moves of Trent.

Me and my boy enjoying the pool.

Zachary and Trent on Tim's shoulders.

Madison and Trent

Family picture.

Going swimming after dinner. No sun shirt or cap. Yay!

A beautiful sunset.

My boys!

Trent enjoying reading his Star Wars book in bed. He makes me proud.

Kissing a dolphin.

Fun in the sand.

Swimming in the rain. Tim and Jeff playing with the kids.

John and Cindy

Tim and Trent kayaking.

Sunset pictures.

Last time in the pool before we head home.

4th of July Weekend

We celebrated the holiday weekend in Lake Arrowhead. We planned to leave for the cabin on Saturday around 11ish. I wanted to sleep in and Tim wanted to get a bike ride in, so we would head up in the late morning. Trent was itching to get to the cabin, so he could play with Maddie. He loves his cousin Madison. She is so good to him and they play so well together. I was able to sleep in until 8 a.m. and Tim had a good ride, so we headed up the mountain and got up there in no time. As we were turning off highway 18 it hit me that I forgot my camera. Luckily, Tim had his so I got a few pictures, but I was looking forward to using my camera during the fireworks show.

The whole family was up there and Aunt Debbie brought a special guest, Sophia. I hadn’t told Trent that Sophia would be up there and he was so excited to see her. I don’t think Trent made it in the house to say hello to people, he went directly to the play set and stayed out there for hours. Madison, Trent and Sophia had a great time playing. Sophia definitely gave Trent a run for his money in who could be bossier. Good thing Madison was there to tell them how it would be.

We didn’t get much sleep early Sunday morning because Freddy decided to be a pain and he got his wish and was able to sleep in our room. Even though we didn’t get much sleep Tim and Trent were up early (6 a.m.) to go for their much anticipated hike to Pilot Rock. They took Freddy with them, thank goodness and set off on their adventure. Thankfully, I was able to go back to sleep and woke up feeling rested. My boys came back a few hours later and were all smiles; they had a great time on their hike. Trent is a real trooper and Tim really enjoys hiking with him. I am so glad they are able to do this and spend quality time together.

Sunday afternoon, we were treated with a visit by our friends Rod, Leah and their new addition Judah. They were on their way to visit friends in Crestline and they knew we were up at the cabin, so they came to see us. It was so nice to see them and to meet baby Judah.

As the day went on we were all looking forward to the fireworks over Lake Arrowhead. We were going back to a spot we found a few years ago. We hoped it would be as good as we remembered and better than last year’s spot. Our spot for the fireworks did not disappoint. We had a clear view of the amazing fireworks being shot off over the lake. In past years, Trent has not been a big fan of fireworks. I think age had a lot to do with it and with him almost being 6 years old he has gotten over his fear of the fireworks and the loud sounds. He was so excited to see them and said that this was the best fireworks show he has ever seen. He was all smiles. We all had a great time and it was by far the best show we have seen.

We made our way home Monday morning. We left the beautiful weather in Lake Arrowhead and as we made our way down the mountain we could see that we were going to be greeted with overcast and somewhat cooler weather. It was nice to be home and get ready for the week, but we do enjoy relaxing at the cabin.

When the 4th of July rolls around we are reminded that half the year is behind us and we have six more months to go in the year. So far, these past six months have gone by so quickly. I need to start Christmas shopping soon, I know I am crazy.

We are also reminded that we need to thank those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. I am lucky to live in a country where our freedom is protected on a daily basis. Thank you to all the brave soldiers who have fought to keep this country safe.

Pilot Rock in the distance. They are almost there.

Taking a much needed break.

Waiting patiently for the fireworks show to begin.

Great show!