Cancun Getaway

 Last May, we started planning a trip with our friends, Shane and Kris Bell and Joel and Natalie Hammer.  The Bells like to go to an all inclusive resort, The Grand at Moon Palace in Cancun, so we all met there for a fun week in Mexico. The weather was warm but often cloudy and more rain than we would have wanted.  But the rain didn't ruin any of our excursions except for the ten minute downpour as soon as Matt and I got to Chichen Itza.  No sunburns, traveler's tummy, injuries, or other mishaps on this trip.  We had a great time eating, drinking virgin mojitos and other yummy mocktails, getting pampered at the spa, sitting by the pools, talking and laughing hard with our best buddies, going to new places and having little adventures together. Flying first class was awesome.  Swimming, snorkeling, zip lining and jumping into four different types of cenotes was a highlight. Sailing on a catamaran to Isla Mujeres was a blast. Golf for the guys and a favorite things exchange for the girls was fun. Experiencing a little bit of Mayan culture and regional food was great. Our couples massage was incredible. We will definitely do that again sooner than later. Here are just a handful of photos from our week.

November

There's a cute old couple in our ward who is assigned to minister to us...you know, be our friend, check in on us occasionally to see how they might be able to help us.  Sister Weidman actually went to nursing school with my mom in the 60s.  Anyway, they cut down their flowers in preparation for winter and decided to bring us an armful.  Literally, an armful.  Super sweet of them.  I only used maybe a half of them and put them in some vases.  They lasted a good week.  

More pretty yellow fall colors on one of my morning walks.

I finished my painting of little Josh in November!I like how it turned out. Now on to painting little Chelsea.

Matt and I went to a BYU basketball game the night before our big trip to Mexico.  We had a little more packing to do, so we didn't stay for the whole game.  It was fun, and it was free!

I'll skip over our vacation to Cancun in this post and move onto Thanksgiving.  We hosted my family here at our house for the big feast.  Everyone pitched in with food, but we did the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, a pie and a couple other things.  Lots of work.  Plus housecleaning and buying some more tables and chairs. It all turned out nice, and it was good to be with family.  I really missed having my own kids here though.  It's just not the same without them. 

That's it for November! At least for pictures. 

Bits of October

I love our views from our Provo neighborhood.  It is constantly changing... the light, the clouds, the leaves, the snow on the mountains.  Beautiful.  Here are a few from the month.

I went on a little outing with my sister Kristen.  We went to Fashion Place Mall in Murray to pick out some eyeglasses for her.  We decided on some cool red ones.  Then we went to a new-to-us soda shop called Thirst and got some of their tasty treats.  I took a pic of our food but not of us together.  Darn.

There are still some of these people still out and about.  Matt had to snap a pic of this guy.  We saw him again the next week at Target.  He stood out... because how can one miss the pink mask?

We went to a BYU football game and had a blast despite the rain and the team losing to Boise State.  

Luke and Marisol finally came back to Utah together.  They needed to get married here in the States, so we witnessed and celebrated that in Hebe's and Carley's backyard one evening.  Her parents and sisters also came from Mexico for the wedding.  It was a mix of cultures... In and Out burgers and a mariachi band.

My Uncle Larry passed away unexpectedly.  He's the first of my parents' siblings to die.  Kristen and I drove up to Rockland, Idaho for the funeral.  It was good to see my nine cousins from that family as well as other Fillmore extended family.  Larry and Liz are back together in heaven.  That made it more of a happy occasion.  

Halloween came on Saturday the 30th because we live in Utah.  I sat on the doorstep for two hours and passed out candy to the many cute kids that came by.  I made us the perfect dinner for the holiday: the best sloppy joes on homemade buns with potato chips and ate it in between trick or treaters.  

Here are random pics of the fam in October.