In case you were wondering, DRCP is what the cool kids call "Devil's River Campers Park" even though the place itself now refers to itself as Devil's River Campground. Blah. Boo. Old names die hard. :)
ANYWAY... last weekend the girls and I do what we do best during the summer: tag along with Gigi and Grandpa Bob on camping adventures! And Devil's River is quite a classic for us. Because I'm super short on time, I'm going to just let the pictures here speak for themselves.
We've been spending quite a bit of time at Gigi's house in the past couple weeks. Here are a few shots of the "action":
Juliette & Magdalenne went to take a nap together upstairs. They were quiet for a long time and I optimistically hoped that meant they were actually sleeping. Then, I heard a lot of giggling. I went in to find that Juliette had done up Magdalenne's hair like this:
We're not sure if it was inspired by Magdalenne's recent (and constant) insistence that she is a princess, or by Juliette's urges to express her colorful creativity... either way, it was a pretty funny little 'do!
Baby Alice also was present for our visits to Manty-town and I got in as much cuddly baby time as possible:
Nothing like holding a sleeping baby...
Meanwhile my baby has officially grown up and turned imp!
She's become a bit of a handful lately. Chen does a great impression of her whining/asking for things -- an impression I don't really need to hear since the real thing is ringing in my ears nearly 24/7! Oh those terrible twos....
Down in Mexico... it sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low...
And sweet it was! Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. The much belated post on our big trip south-of-the-border. Sorry it took so long!
Now, on to the sweetness of Mexico (or Mexiquito, as Chen occasionally refers to his patria with affection). The girls got their fill of helados, nieves, and paletas! (Ice cream, sherbet, and popsicles) Sometimes, the anticipation of the sweet treat was almost as good as actually eating it!
Fortunately, we had plenty of opportunities to burn off all those sweet treats. Papá kept the girls busy with lots of fun activities.
Just being in the hot sun was all the fun I needed!
One particular highlight was a trip to the market or mercado. The girls and I were all wide-eyed at the endless colors, trinkets, pottery, fresh fruits, flowers, meat, fish, herbs, grains, etc., etc., etc... I could go on and on.
And the item at the market that they decided was a "must-have"? Guitars! Purple and pink, of course.
The guitars also came in handy when money got a little tight. We just set the two of them right in the middle of the market with a jar for tips. Nothing like exploiting your kids in a foreign country, right? Magdalenne's masterpiece was Moon River, and it quickly became the theme song for the entire trip.
(By the way -- I'm KIDDING about them singing for tips -- though it might not have been a bad idea!!)
And back outside -- more popsicles!
We also got to spend a lot of time with Ricardo and Sara. This photo looks like we bought gifts for them, but actually they got gifts for the girls -- they just wanted to be the ones to open them! (Again -- kidding!)
We went back to the hotel where Chen and I had our wedding reception for a brunch one morning. It's the first time I've been back in the nearly 8 years it's been since our wedding. Crazy.
Next up -- the zoo!
Magdalenne got to actually touch a real, live (though miniature and oddly subdued) owl!
It was a highlight to be sure.
Though I think the highlight for me was seeing the two grown Chenhalls brothers spinning around the merry-go-round with our girls. :)
Magdalenne got some Q.T. with her godparents. (She looks distressed, but that's only because she's been in Wisconsin for so many long, winter months, and thus is not yet accustomed to smiling in actual sunlight!)
(Doesn't this background look fake? The zoo was almost like embedded into the side of a big hill, and there were some fantastic views as we walked through.)
Back at Casa de Chenhalls... music surrounds us and Moon River makes a reappearance.
And Tato commenced imparting his priceless piano knowledge onto the girls.
Please let them be little sponges!!
Here we are waiting for some tortas at a food truck. The girls are getting fried -- both by the Mexican mid-day heat and by fatigue at this point, as seen in Juliette's cheery expression.
We also took a walk downtown and went to the plaza outside the church where Chen and I got married. We hadn't really planned this trip down wedding-memory-lane, it just sort of happened -- but I always love coming back to this spot. Some of my favorite wedding photos were taken here, and it just brings me back to that day every time I stand there (or sit, as the case may be).
Right around the corner from the church, there are always stands with jewelry and other handmade goods. So my girls did what most girls and ladies do in the face of such temptations -- they went browsing, oohing and aahing at all the beads and baubles.
And finally -- Magdalenne could take it no longer...
Great times in Mexico. I think Juliette was particularly enamored since she was old enough to understand a lot more of what was going on, who our family was, where we were, etc.
By the time Gigi picked us up in Chicago though, the girls were barely in the car for a couple minutes when they looked like this:
Gracias Mexico! We had a great time -- even if you did wear us out! :)
