Viva Mexico!

It's been an exciting year of travel for Kyle and me. In just seven short months, we took two week-long trips outside of the country. I would love to make this a habit, but Kyle has had his fill...at least for now. We really didn't intend to vacation so big in 2015, it just sort of happened.

I was responsible for our volunteer vacation, which Kyle never really counted as a vacation in the first place. But Kyle is the mastermind behind our recent Cozumel trip. We have always wanted to go to an all-inclusive resort. When we found out we were pregnant, we thought that would be the perfect baby moon. Kyle did all of the research and booked the trip himself. It was already paid for by the time we found out about the miscarriage, but it was nice to have something to look forward to.

I was excited to go but wondered if the trip might be a little sad at the same time. The first night we were there, we watched a couple on the beach posing for pictures. She was expecting and looked about as far along as we would have been had things worked out differently. We had a moment of sadness but decided to focus on the positives. After all, it is pretty great to be able to sip piña coladas on the beach, lay in the sun to my heart's content, eat anything without the threat of nausea or heartburn, and go parasailing for the first time.

The vacation was a blast! Our trip to the DR made us incredibly grateful for the little things like hot water and A/C. The 24-hour room service was just icing on the cake!

I am so grateful we were able to spend this time together and check another item off our bucket list!

 Kyle didn't love the idea of leaving my car in airport parking, so we got this handy little loaner! Kyle was in car guy heaven hell.

I had my nose buried in a book when Kyle tapped me on the shoulder to see the beautiful view! 

The drive from the airport reminded me so much of the Dominican. Complete with rain and all, but the similarities ended once we pulled up to the Secrets Aura Resort. 

 They greeted us with champagne, and we had just enough time to check out the room before heading to the beach to catch the sunset.  

The next morning we woke up to rain, rain and more rain. 

There was a break in the weather and Kyle talked me into walking to the neighboring resort to check out the gym. This would become our routine on most mornings since our 5k was only a week away. 

After a quick run, it was raining again, but we didn't let that stop us from exploring the beach. Kyle was totally jealous of my hat! 

We had guacamole with practically every meal, just the way I like it! 

When we got back from lunch we discovered that someone had mistaken us for honeymooners. Oh well, we'll take it. We did get a surprise wine delivery later in the day, so maybe that door sash did the trick!

By dinner, the skies had cleared, and there were no more rainy days in sight!

We took advantage of the room service and ate at least one helping of dessert each night. Chocolate cake for Kyle and coconut ice cream for me! 

Kyle wanted to spend every day relaxing, but he agree to go on one excursion with me. It was a jeep tour of the island. We ended up being paired with our next door neighbors, Rita and Anthony from Baltimore. 

Stop 1: Snorkeling at a nearby beach. 

Stop 2: The lagoon, where we saw a grand total of one alligator. They also talked to us about conservation and how determined they are on the island to protect the environment. Inside these tubes are some native plants that were planted a few years ago in an effort to restore this lagoon. 

A little tiny ruin on our way to stop 3. 

Stop 3: The lighthouse.

It was tight, hot and narrow on the journey up the lighthouse. Mom may not have been able to make it. Thankfully, there were a few windows on the way providing a bit of the breeze. 

Kyle doesn't love heights, but he made the climb! 

The view from the top was worth it all! 

These were the little shops at the foot of the lighthouse where I bought some black coral earrings to remember the trip. 

There was also a tiny museum at the bottom. 

Stop 4: Lunch at a sandy beach. Most beaches in Cozumel are rocky, including the one at our resort. This beach had more sand, so we enjoyed walking in the water and cooling off a little after a delicious lunch. 

Stop 5: The Mayan ruins. All of the large ruins are on the mainland, so this was just a little taste. 

 The animals sure did enjoy them!

This was the old gateway to the city. 

They still teach the Mayan language in school so that piece of history is preserved throughout the generations. 

Stop 6: The tequila tour!

They don't actually make tequila here because we were in the wrong region for that. So instead, they showed us their process and let us taste a few samples. I actually liked a few of them!

These were some of the sights on the way back to the resort. It was definitely a full day and by this time, we were exhausted.

Day 3 started with a bike ride down the coast. We looked awesome in our helmets and vests! :)

This was the view from our balcony on a sunny day. 

The snorkeling at our resort was great, so we spent the rest of the day doing that and laying by the beach. 

And the pool!

Day 4 was gameday, so of course Kyle had to wear his orange! 

Watching a little beach volleyball and enjoying the view. 

These are some pictures of the resort from the dock. 

I finally talked Kyle into going parasailing with me!! 

We were in the boat with three girls who belonged on the Jersey Shore. They were hilarious and having a REALLY GOOD time. But they were great photographers and thankfully, in between endless selfies, they took a few pictures of Kyle and me.  

Then it was our turn. Kyle was nervous, but he had a great time! 

This was his face whenever we made it safely back in the boat! 

This day was my favorite because after we went parasailing, we headed straight to the spa for a couples massage, which was another first for Kyle. It was relaxing and delightful!

We followed that up with an early dinner. Kyle thought we'd be able to catch the game somewhere, but we didn't have much luck. 

So we headed back to the room and monitored the score on Kyle's phone. :) 

Before we knew it, it was time to head home. After one last morning out on the balcony. 

I miss that view!