Packing tips for next beach trip!

Some things I want to remember for next beach/hot/sun trip:
1) LOTS of SUNCREENS and LOTS WITH ZINC in it!!!!!!
2)HATS for EVERYONE
3)SWIM SHIRTS for Everyone-after not seeing the sun the kids get burned, also helps with surfing
4)BIKER SHORTS for Cruz-especially with salt water and sand
5) Beach bag to carry stuff

IXTAPA, MEXICO-Raddon Family Reunion 2018

FRIDAY MARCH 30th, 2018

We left for big adventure on Friday morning March 30th.  We left for the airport at 8 a.m., so the kids missed school this day.  When we got to the airport we learned that our flight that was supposed to leave at 10:30 for LA was delayed till 11:30.  Then as it got closer to 11 we found out it was delayed more.  We were trying to figure out how we were going to get 15 people to LA if our flight got cancelled.  Luckily the flight did go out at 4:00 but unlucky for us we sat int he airport all day instead of having fun seeing Rich's office, Ryan's studio, and Ryan't lot in LA.  But it all worked out and we made it safely to LA.  We did get some eating vouchers from Alaskan Airlines so we were able to eat lunch and buy snacks for free in the airport.  When we did get to LA, we got our bags, and then went to get our rental cars (Russ's van never showed up) and then went to check in at the LAX Marriott. Originally we were suppose to have an early flight out of SLC Saturday morning but about 3 weeks before our trip they cancelled that flight out of SLC and the only time the airlines could get us out was on Friday, so they put us up in the hotel for the evening.  Our family and grammy jumped in the rental car and drove out to see Ryan and Naomi's lot and then went to their house to eat a late dinner with Naomi and Isla.  When we got home Shawn took the rental car back (since it was only about a mile away from our airport).

SATURDAY MARCH 31st, 2018 - We took the shuttle from the LAX airport at 7:00 a.m., grabbed breakfast in the LA airport, and then boarded the plane to Ixtapa.  Katie and Ezra joined us on this flight.  Rich, Clara, and Nick drove through the night across the boarded because on Friday night Katie discovered that Clara and Nicks passports were expired!!!!  After doing research she realized you can drive across the boarder with just a birth certificate, so Rich, Nick, and Clara quickly packed their bags, bought a new plane ticket from Tijuana to Ixtapa and headed for the boarder.  Rebecca, David, Pierce, and Farrah also had a close connection in LA, but they made it on our flight too!

Warm Mexico.  Got to our rooms at about 5:00 p.m. and the kids quickly changed to hit the beach!

Alegra will never dress matching but so happy she did this day!

We love the beach!

First of many beautiful sunsets for the week!

After dinner yoga with the girls

SUNDAY APRIL 1st, 2018 (EASTER) - Sunday was Easter Sunday and General Conference.  The Easter bunny found the kids in Mexico.

We spent the day doing activities around the hotel-beach, pool, and archery!!!

Cruz did pretty well for his first time!

It was my first time doing archery and I was better than I expected!

Of course, Shawn was a natural

Easter outfits for dinner Easter Sunday!

Ryan, Naomi, Mia, Isla, and Sasha flew into town on Sunday afternoon private because Ryan had had a show in Vegas the night before.  After dinner with the whole group there, Grammy gave each of the kids an Easter egg with a little money and candy.  (When Grammy was going through security at the Salt Lake airport, she got stopped and the security guy opened up all 19 eggs!!!!!)  Grammy also had a nice devotional telling the story about Grandpa when his business broke up and the lady called grammy with the dream about grandpa.

MONDAY APRIL 2nd, 2018 -

Time for the kiddos to try trapeze.  Lexi learned how to make these flower chains while we waited for Cruz and Alegra.

(I have videos of their jumps too). Monday we spent at the beach, pool, and drinking pina coladas!

 TUESDAY APRIL 3rd, 2018 -

More sandcastle building time, beach time, and pool time.  It was crazy how fast the days went.  Shawn and I usually got up around 7 to work out but then the days would just fly by in so much fun.  Club Med also had awesome food.  For sure, it was the best food of all the all-inclusive we have stayed in.

The kids loved playing with their cousins.

Tuesday afternoon many of signed up for the Turtle Release Expedition.  We left the hotel at 4 and boarded a bus to Troncones, a surf beach/town about 30 minutes away.  We had chips and guacamole and soda at this restaurant on the beach while we waited for our turn to dig up the baby turtles.  

Once it was our turn we went in groups of 4 to assigned gridded off places to start carefully digging up the turtles.

It really was so cool!

We then had to wait for everyone to have their turn to dig up their turtle.

At about 7:15 (just as the sun was starting to set) we took our bin of turtles and went to a line the man sketched in the sand about 10 feet from the ocean waves.  On the count of 3 we carefully flipped our turtles onto the beach and they were off to the ocean.  It was so funny and cute to watch them crawl toward the ocean.

Otto,

 WEDNESDAY APRIL 4th, 2018 -

Naomi was rubbing mom's feet and it helped her knees so much.

Cruz was getting so shaffed from the sand and salt water and his long board shorts.  Cruz, Lexi, and Shawn walked to the market at Playa Linda on Monday to look for some biker shorts or something to put under his swim trunks.  They found some but Cruz found it way more comfortable with just the biker type shorts so he totally sported the "Euro" look.  I loved that he didn't think anything of it!!!

Wednesday was filled with floats in the pool and beach, food, ice cream, trapeze for the adults, and family pictures in the evening.

after pictures and dinner a little late night swim for these 2 little ladies

THURSDAY APRIL 5th, 2018

On Thursday we rented this large yacht and sailed the sea.  It was so fun.  Plus we saw turtles on top of the water, dolphins, and 2 different pods of whales.  It was so cool!!!!!

We stopped at one cover to snorkel but it was a little rough, but everyone got off to swim.

We tried another cove snorkel most everyone tried it.  Lexi was so excited to test out her snorkel equipment that she got for her birthday and we bought it to Mexico.

Grammy loves to snorkle.  The snorkeling wasn't great but I am glad she went out anyway!

We came back to from the yacht to a fancy "white" dinner outside.

 FRIDAY APRIL 6th, 2018 -

Last day :(.  The girls did the trapeze in the morning while Shawn and Cruz went with some of the group to surf right about 2 miles from our hotel.

After the girls were doing doing trapeze Grammy, Farrah, Lexi, Alegra, and myself jumped into a taxi to go to the surf spot.  I got there in time to grab a few waves.  Cruz surfed his heart out and Rebecca said he was doing awesome!

After surfing, grammy and our family walked on the beach to the little market at Playa Linda to shop for a bit.  There were also these huge crocodiles  in a canal right by the market.  

From the market to our Club Med, we jumped in a local bus.  That was fun!!!

Braids!

Lexi shocked us all and decided to get braids!

 
Painting at the hotel-trying to get it ALL in this last day!

 SATURDAY APRIL 14th, 2018 -

We had to be on our bus for the airport at 10 a.m.  We ate breakfast, checked out, and had time to pick up the pottery the girls had painted.

Sad to leave Ixtapa!! Hopefully next time will be sooner than 11 years (we came with my family 11 years ago because I was pregnant with Cruz when we came).