Musings on life, parenting, Jesus, and more...

You might have seen our Facebook Live videos or the compilation I put together on YouTube , but I want to tell you the full story. It was such a crazy, fun experience for our family that we will never forget. We went out to Estrella Del Mar resort to visit our friend from Oregon who was staying there for the week.  When she booked her stay, I didn’t even realize there was a turtle sanctuary there but as soon as I found out, I knew I had to bring the kids. They had been wanting to see baby turtles ever since we heard about them last November on our first trip to Mazatlán. This is the time of year that the eggs hatch and we had heard that sometimes the public can participate in releasing the babies into the ocean.  However, when we arrived at Estrella Del Mar this particular Sunday, we were told that they weren’t releasing them that evening. We were still able to visit the sanctuary though and see some turtles up close in an outdoor pool. The kids loved it! So mu...

So I actually haven’t been drinking much coffee here in Mexico. It’s hot and no one else in my house drinks it... and i can pretty much nap every day if I want, so it hasn’t really seemed necessary. However, after seeing a post the other day by the  Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond   I was reminded how much I love her iced coffee... and what could be more perfect here in Mazatlán than any beverage over ice, really.  But her iced coffee recipe is one of my faves. You can find it  here  if you’re interested. It is a bit involved, and is the very best if strained through cheesecloth, so today that’s what I set out to find. First stop, the public market... the cremeria to be exact. I mean, a store that makes and sells cheese should have cheesecloth, right? Unfortunately, no such luck. However, the gentleman behind the counter was very helpful and after looking at my  google images  search to determine exactly what it was I was trying to find, he directed me to a...

Seriously... sometimes I look at my life and think, "Is this for real?" I'm in my late 30's, and I'm living in one of the best cities in Mexico (in my opinion). Miles of beautiful beaches, delicious fresh seafood, gorgeous weather, and a culture rich in traditions and history. Affordable healthcare. A safe place for our kids to go to school. The opportunity for them (and us) to learn a second language.  If I can offer you any single piece of advise, it's this:  Don't put your dreams off until tomorrow . Our family is not rich. We didn't win the lottery or inherit a bunch of money. We made conscience decisions and choices that have allowed us to move abroad for a season and live the life of our dreams now, while we are still young enough to enjoy it. Sure, we could have waited... continued working long hours so we could fund the retirement account, pay the mortgage, save for college, ect. But we choose to live this life now... becaus...

My heart is saddened this morning at the news of what took place in my home country last night. The shooting in Las Vegas is being called "the worst mass shooting in US history." Thankfully no one I know personally was injured in the attacks, but I couldn't hold back the tears when I tried to explain to my 9 year old daughter what had happened. I shouldn't have to have this conversation with her, but I would rather she hear about it from me than from someone else.  One of her most vivid childhood memories from her school back in the States was having to go into lock down because there was the possibility of an armed man on campus. After that, "active shooter" drills became a normal part of her school experience.  It's easy for us to place blame when things like this happen. But that's not the answer. I wish I knew what the answer was - I'm sure we all wish we knew...  What makes people do these crazy evil things? Mental illness, prescription drug...

At first glance, it doesn't look like much. It's one of the many hotels in the Golden Zone of Mazatlán (the touristy "hotel district" of the city.) I choose it for our weekend getaway with the kids because of their affordable rate on  Hotel Tonight   and because of their fun looking pools and beach access. Unfortunately shortly after we arrived, Kenton took a nasty spill that ended up requiring 3 stitches at the local Red Cross. Within minutes of the fall, one of the hotel lifeguards was on scene with first aid to assess the situation and bandage the wound.  Numerous other hotel staff gathered around to offer assistance and help translate for us, including the hotel security manager, who provided us use of hotel transportation to take us to the hospital, wait for us while they stitched Kenton up, and bring us back to the hotel.  (My youngest is fine, by the way. The Red Cross took excellent care of him and he's happily recuperating at home now.) The hotel did have...