With the new edition to our family earlier this year, Jeilene was under super strict orders to take her new baby to go meet and visit Michele, Jorge, and the twins down in Mexico City as soon as possible! For everyone involved, it just worked out better to fly down a whole six months after Jack was born... which ended up being just in time for William & Sofia's 15th birthday and Quinceanera. Allen and I were of course invited... but it was Jack who they really wanted to see. Regardless, we all jumped on a plane, to include 'Wela' and Allen & Jack's cousin, Anabella, and headed down south to visit one big happy and anxiously awaiting family!
Wela and Jack took a much needed nap on the flight down...
While Allen & Anabella sat next to each other
and had a blast playing on Jei's iPhone!
Once we finally got home to Michele & Jorge's... Allen, Jack and Anabella were all treated to a couch full of fun gifts and surprises!
But the biggest gift of the day...
was when Michele & Jorge finally met Jack!
Michele and Jack enjoy some time together
watching Allen play with his new toys.
With William & Leo being put to work out on the patio... Allen was left to discover (and fall in love) with a random non-operable four-wheeler.
Meanwhile... the girls got busy inside organizing cake supplies
and catching up on all the gossip.
Leo shows Allen & I how to play
his favorite airplane game on the iPad.
Jack & Michele finally get some alone time outside to bond.
Allen loved playing & pretending on the ATV... but once Jorge gave him his very own hand-me-down helmet, that love quickly turned into an obsession!
The girls were naturally into holding, playing, and taking care of Jack... but the boys were just as infatuated with the little guy as the girls were!
A trip to the mall completely wore out the little ones!
With Jei in charge of baking both William & Sofia's birthday cakes...
a lot of her time was spent in the kitchen.
"Please Daddy will you buy me a
red 4-wheeler when we get home?!?"
Joanne, Gema and Helen (and Nani) finally fly into town to join the gang... and enjoy one of our many packed van rides out in town.
The impending birthday celebration even brought in Jorge's parents, Don Alfredo & Margarita... who both enjoyed Jack's company very much!
Not sure how they did it... but the two bakers managed to share the kitchen and do their thing, all with big smiles on their faces!
Meanwhile... outside, Jorge & Don Alfredo prepare some delicious Ceviche as Allen watches and tries to help out.
But after realizing he wasn't very useful or helpful,
he grabbed his helmet and went for a ride!
Farmer Jack... all dressed up and ready for lunch!
After looking everywhere for Allen in Walmart,
we finally found him... buried in the ball bin!
Two, four, or even six... it didn't much matter to Allen,
for he was all about having fun on wheels!
Definitely the best looking crew at the Mall for sure!
Jack was certainly the center of attention... but sometimes iPad games and social networking left Jack feeling a little ignored!
While the older folks enjoyed some snacks, adult beverages,
and a little entertainment at the dining table...
The younger ones were left in the living room
to be as crazy as could be!
Bunch of handsome young men if I may say so myself!
Michele & Jorge's house is only so big... so to accommodate all of their guests, a friend let them borrow their house... which undoubtedly belonged in a magazine!
The house wasn't all that big or in a great location... but the grounds & landscaping were absolutely spectacular. It was definitely hard to leave.
Just because he's not at the restaurant,
doesn't mean Chef Jorge isn't cooking!
And boy did he have some hungry mouths to feed!
There are those that can hang with the big boys...
and then there are those who can not!
With the house party in full effect, Sofia enjoys a nice
cheers from her family in celebration of her birthday.
The Etheridge's with the birthday twins!
The ladies... in full (drunken?) force!!!
"Mom... Dad... Anyone? Okay...
well, I'm going out to go ride... so, see ya later!"
Jei couldn't do all the baking and decorating by herself...
so Catalina was eager to lend a hand.
"...and that, sweet baby, is how I met
and fell in love with your Great Grandfather!"
We finally made it to the restaurant to eat some lunch... which I had been patiently waiting to do for over two years! And it was so worth the wait... because it was just as delicious as I had remembered!
At the market, Allen found himself his very own size-appropriate cart, and then demanded to be in charge of the shopping trip!
Just when I thought Walmart couldn't stoop any lower... they've now started to sell toddlers and babies in the stuffed animal bins!!!
We may have had World Cup fever... but I still took the time to show the boys how to throw an American football in the streets.
One afternoon, we all jumped in the vans and headed to an old abandoned and historical pueblo/hacienda just outside of town... where it's now popular for filming novelas and movies.
We had a little bit of bad weather...
but Anabella & Allen were well prepared.
I can only imagine the stories this narrow little street could tell!
I don't know... I'm pretty sure this motley crew
could star in their own Mexican/American novela!
The grounds there had some cool bridges and logs to cross...
Which the kids and I took full advantage of!
The kids took Allen & Anabella to the movies one evening to see 'How To Train Your Dragon 2'. Either it was horrible or Allen was just really tired... because he ended up sleeping through most of the movie!
After the movie the big kids took
the small kids for a walk around the mall...
And eventually stopped at the big playground as Kati and Jack watch Allen play and try to interact with all the other kids.
How Michele's living room floor looked on most evenings!
Allen got super lucky one afternoon, when after ordering his favorite meal from the restaurant... the owner/chef personally took him back into the kitchen to see how his meal was prepared!
I'm sure Michele & Jorge thought feeding two mouths
instead of four, was a total walk in the park!
After such a big delicious meal, a walk across the street
to the mall seemed rather appropriate.
But then all the walking just got to be too much...
so a trolley car ride was the next best thing.
Although the 'del Patio' Shrimp is a great mascot...
Jorge made the surprising decision to replace him with Baby Jack!
"Listen kid... as soon as you can get away from those crazy parents of yours, you've got a place to stay... and a job for you when you're ready! All you have to do is say the word, got it?"
"Thank you Tio & Nina for making my Mommy & Daddy take me to come visit you... and for loving me sooooo much! I had the greatest time ever! Can't wait to come back again when I'm a little older. Love you!"
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