Cancun Mexico!

Brian and I just got back from an amazing trip to Cancun, Mexico! Brian won the trip as part of an incentive this summer for work. We left Bracken with my parents and brothers and sisters. It was hard to leave him, but it was so relaxing and fun to have time for just the two of us. Above: All the food and drinks were included at our resort. We drank so many pina coladas! The waiters all thought we were crazy for ordering them with no alcohol.


Brian Parasailing...It was way different than we thought it would be. I thought it would be a little scary, an adrenaline rush. That I'd be zipping through the sky veering from side to side. But it was more like floating than flying. It was very peaceful and quiet. And the view was incredible!


One afternoon we went out in the jungle and took a zip lining tour. It was really cool to go flying through the canopy of the forest. We even zip lined upside down! At the end of the course we got to swim in a cenote, a water filled sink hole. My favorite part was zip lining right into the cenote.


We rented a 17 passenger van with a driver for the day and a group of us went to see Coba and Chichen Itza. Coba was more dilapidated than Chichen Itza, but it was cool because we were able to walk to the top. This is the last of the Mayan ruins they'll let you walk on (or in) the others were all closed in 2006 after Chichen Itza was declared one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. This picture is from the top of Coba. Look how steep it is! We could see for miles and miles from the top.


Chichen Itza was definitely our favorite. It was impressive. Our guide gave us the "LDS tour." So many of the buildings were based off of calendaring and astronomy.

Our guide showed us pictures of Chichen Itza where the sun creates triangles on the steps which look like a snake coming down the steps. (See the sculpted snake head at the bottom?) It happens twice a year at the equinox, March 20 and September 21. And the sun rises exactly between the two main posts of the Temple of 1000 Warriors.


A close up of one of the Feathered Serpents.


We had to build a sand castle fortress when we were at the beach. We only had plastic cups that kept breaking, but we had fun making it. I don't have my pictures scanned yet, but I also got to swim with dolphins, one of my little girl dreams! We went snorkeling with sting rays and went underwater next to a bunch of bull sharks while they were being fed. We could have reached over and touched them! There was only some hard plastic part of the way up and then a net. It was pretty crazy. It was so nice to have a week together without work or school or anything else to get in the way. And at the same time, we were both so excited to get back home to our little boy.

Bracken's First Christmas

Bracken's first Christmas!


Bracken's favorite present in his stocking was the orange. He'd roll it around like a ball and bite it until the skin was full of tiny little bite marks.


Kristi, Bracken, Brian, Kira and Melissa. This was the first time Brian's family has had a little kid around for Christmas morning since Kristi was a baby. So it was extra fun for them to have Bracken there too.


Bracken's favorite part of Christmas morning was sitting in a pile of wrapping paper and crinkling and ripping each piece to shreds. This is one of the few tims he actually looked at the toy for a minute before going back to the wrapping paper.

Our Trip to Phoenix

We went to Phoenix for Christmas this year. Bracken loved that he could crawl around on the grass and being outside as much as possible. We could definitely get used to the winters in Arizona!


We went to the zoo with some of Bracken's cousins. Above: Ethan, Ella, Adelle and Bracken.


Bracken liked the goats in the petting zoo. Although his version of petting is still more like hitting.


On Christmas Eve we ran a 5K Jingle Jog with Brian's brothers and sisters and cousins. We had a good turnout and it was fun!


Recreating the finish line: I tied Sally for first place! I only had a chance because she had a minor injury and a major side ache, but I was still excited. :)


Brian finished reading "My Life's Review" this year, an autobiography of his great-great-great grandfather Benjamin Franklin Johnson. Brian came to really appreciate and admire him, and was glad we were able to find his grave at the Mesa Cemetary.

Brunch with Grandpa and Grandma

Grandpa and Grandma Ellingford stopped to see us on their way back to Evanston from Yuma for Christmas. We went to IHOP and stayed for almost three hours just visiting and having fun. (Above: Grandma, Linsy, Kylie, Grandpa, Kira, Bracken and Shaylee.)

Grandma and Grandpa with their great-grandkids.

Thanksgiving

We ran a 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Even my 3 year old brother Tyson ran the whole way. Breonna was Dallin's pit stop crew. She drove the car and fixed his bike chain each time it fell off. After the turkey trot we all felt like we deserved an extra piece of pie.


My silly family...do you know how much arm twisting it takes to get everyone together for a simple family snapshot? sigh.


I am thankful for my boys!

Clucking and Crawling

I've loved each stage of being a mom. But these last couple of weeks have been my new favorite stage. Bracken is discovering and learning so many new things. He's crawling, clucking his tongue, clapping his hands, picking up cheerios with his thumb and finger, saying "dadadada," "mom," and "dad-deee!" He loves looking at books, pulling Brian's homework out, and crinkling paper. When we roar at him he will either respond with a roar of his own and attack us, or pretend to be scared and flee to the parent who didn't growl at him for "protection" before turning around and smiling for more. He has a bottom tooth and two top teeth and so looks adorable and silly when he smiles and laughs.

This video is for Grandma Sue!
Laughing, Tongue Clucking, and Crawling: