Lots To Do

Before Michele and the kids arrived, Jei & I sat down and discussed all the different activities we were going to do together. Due to both monetary & vehicle capacity restraints, it definitely wasn't a very long list, and my biggest worry was that the kids were going to be super bored! But to her credit, Jei was confident in the list of activities we had come up with and told me not to worry. Low & behold, she was right... there was nothing to worry about, for there was lots for us to do!    

Visiting the local park was definitely on the list...

and the kids loved taking Allen there to play.

Hangin' with the big kids meant

lookin' as cool as possible!

"Watch out down below... here I come!!!"

Perhaps the nearly 2-year-old was

rubbing off on some of the other children?

"Where's Allen???"

Allen playing peek-a-boo in the tunnel with the girls.

Monkey See... Monkey Do!

Allen getting a helping hand

(the only one she could spare) from Catalina.

Allen's favorite at the park is definitely the slide...

and it got plenty of use as Sofi & I cheered him on.

He even somehow got his Nina to go down with him!

The park always proved to be a great way

to get outside, play, and have a good time!

Of course when it was too hot to venture outside,

hanging out in the kitchen was an excellent alternative. 

And by hanging out... I mean standing around completely engulfed in their respective mobile Internet device making sure emails, posts, and pictures never ever go unnoticed!

But on the rare occasion when their Apple products can't bake a cake... they take pleasure in watching their Nina bake one and do her thing.

And of course reap all the yummy benefits! 

Allen loves him some cake!

When night fell, one of our favorite activities

was to break out the cue sticks and play a little pool!

Allen pleaded his case to play with the rest of us...

but in the end, he was just too small.

There were many battles fought on that table...

with each one ending in a smile and a handshake.

Another one of our outings landed us on the always amusing putt-putt course! Golf isn't exactly the national sport down in Mexico... so it wasn't all that surprising to find out that it was the kids' very first go at putt-putt.

The men...

handsome young bunch if I may say so myself!

It was definitely a struggle at times... but thankfully no putters were thrown in frustration and there were more hole-in-one's than expected. First time or not, it's hard not to have fun playing putt-putt!

Lucky for us, a go-cart track was right next door!

We chose our rides wisely and waited for the flag to drop.

Leo was fast out of the gate

and held the lead for a few laps...

But he was no match for the much older, wiser, driving instructor!

Win or lose, it's hard not to have fun driving go-carts!

"Listen here frog-man... I'll be drivin' this rig,

so just keep your trap shut and don't give me any lip!"

"Now let me turn this bad boy on 

 and put on some good time radio..."

"...and off we go!"

To say Leo was beside himself when it came to a few of my toys in the garage... well, it would've been a huge understatement! So when I invited him on the Ninja for a ride, he couldn't have said yes fast enough! 

Sporting a girly helmet and all, Leo didn't care one bit and was happy as could be! He climbed on the back and was ready to go fast.

Speaking of toys... I surprised the boys one morning with a trip out to the Elsinore motocross park. I was going to take my dirt-bike out there to ride... but I would've been the only one who got to have any fun. So instead, I borrowed my buddy's 4-seater RZR for the day... so we all got to have some fun!

Helmets on and ready to hit the track!

The boys each got there time behind the wheel...

which was a little scary at times, but overall it was a blast! 

Naturally, I made the kids get out and take some video of me pretending to partake in and win the Baja 1000 off road race! 

A trip to Old Town Temecula was a nice way to spend an afternoon... as the gang walked around town and enjoyed a delicious lunch out! 

"Okay Willy, here's the plan... I'll take the one on

the left and you take the one on the right. Got it?!?!"

As much fun as it is going out in town together...

it's just as much fun coming home and being silly!

Did I mention the being silly part???

Sometimes you just need a break from Allen.

"What d'ya mean you don't want to play with me?!"

And that is why man created headphones and the iPad!

Sadly, not many games were played...

but when we did partake, there were a ton of laughs!

And while the rest of us laughed and played games,

Allen & Willy had more important things to do.

When all else fails... there's always the pool!

Darkness couldn't stop these two night owls from getting in!

Michele & Caty watch in amazement as the grill-master works his magic... with a spatula in one hand and a flashlight in the other! 

Dinner, from the grill, outside, with family...

not much more we could've ask for!

Boy - I sure was wrong, huh?! Here I was worried that there wouldn't be anything to do and that we'd all be bored! Well, that certainly wasn't the case... for we had plenty to do with a bunch of stuff that wasn't even on our list! Jei said we could've all been stuck in the bathroom together and we still would've had a good time and not been bored! I'm beginning to think she was right... as weird as that sounds.  =)

Full House

I'm certainly no poker player... but I do know that a three of a kind is always trumped by a full house! And that exact metaphor could not have been any more true this summer, when Allen, Jeilene and I had the pleasure of housing Michele and her four kids... which definitely made our house a very full one, but it also made it a super happy one too! Of course when they arrived, the two biggest smiles belonged to these two characters!

It had certainly been a long time coming... but the wait was finally over, and we could not have been happier to have our favorite family from south of the border here with us and spend some good quality time together. 

Unfortunately, the visiting family wasn't complete. Jorge couldn't make the trip and had to stay back home to run the family restaurant. He was definitely missed, but we made sure to keep in contact with him via Skype.  

It didn't take very long before we all stopped chit-chatting, threw on our bathing suits, and ran for the pool. Our family was finally here and we were all in the pool having fun... I don't think we could have been any happier! 

Ever since seeing the first pictures, the kids have been dying to get in and swim in our pool. And judging by the smiles on their faces and the pure joy they had, it was worth the long wait and totally met their expectations. 

Leo sure does love him some soccer... but come pool time, the only football that was played was the American kind! Besides, kind of hard to kick a ball off the waterfall.

"Seriously Mom? You're embarrassing me!

Let me go so I can throw the football with the guys!"

Allen got in on the action too...

and that right arm of his sure does have potential!

Happy to be with family, happy to be in the pool, happy to... well, 

just plain genuine happiness from two very pretty ladies!

Leo being Leo. 

(The top of the waterfall was definitely his stage!)

Allen took a break from the pool for a while to play with his rocks... and to watch his cousin Leo act silly on top of the waterfall.

Catalina definitely didn't let her injured right arm bring her spirits down. I'm sure the yummy fruity drink and playing in the pool had a little something to do with it!

Believe it or not, we weren't in the water the entire day. We took a break from the pool and the heat to grab some lunch and a few yummy snacks. 

I also took some time from playing in the pool... to playing actual pool, and of course showing the young'ins just who the king of the table was!

And while some of us played pool, others got

sucked into the television screen playing video games. 

But it didn't take long before the kids

were out playing by/in the pool again!

Not sure what Allen promised him... but he somehow got Leo to take him for a ride around the backyard.

"Hmmm... not real big on the color, but they sure are comfy!"

They might be older and bigger... but Willy & Leo proved to be no match for Allen and his intense video game playing skills!

Playing outside by the pool or inside playing video games... it didn't much matter. Allen was just thrilled to have his Mexico City family here and playing with his four new best friends! But Allen wasn't the only one... Jei & I were just as happy and glad it was just the beginning!