Take me back to Cabo

We took our baby to Mexico and survived! The week leading up to our vacation was a rough mom week for me and after little sleep, I was weary of how the trip would go. My worries were cast aside because we had such a fabulous time as a family of 3 and really enjoyed out getaway! If you can remember a while back me posting about Jon qualifying for his company’s club trip and us going to Costa Rica in February. Well fast forward to right after Christmas and us freaking out about Ford not taking a bottle. The plan was to leave him with my parents while we took an all expenses paid, luxurious trip to the Four Seasons in Costa Rica. God had a different plan. People always joke that if a baby is hungry enough they will eat a bottle. Yeah those people never had bottle strike babies! There was no way we could leave him so after much prayer and discussion, we expedited a passport for our little guy and booked a family trip to Cabo. It couldn’t have worked out better…we would be taking Ford to the city we honeymooned and celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary there!

Jon and I joked that the trip was exhausting yet very relaxing. Ford slept great but a few mornings graced us with his presence at 5:30am thanks to the time change. Taking a baby on a vacation is actually a great idea because when the baby naps, mom and dad nap too! Being away allowed us to spend quality time together as a family not focusing on our phones, TV, work stress, etc. We had long 2 hour dinners and strolled along the beach at night. Jon and I had some incredible conversations and spent so much time reflecting on the blessings the Lord has bestowed on us this year. A couple of months ago we had listened to a sermon (I think it was Matt Chandler, but maybe Marc Driscoll), where the topic of vacations came up. Sometimes Christians feel guilty for taking vacations and wonder if their money is better spent being donated to charities or their time being used to go out on mission. But God wants us to enjoy his wonderful creations, travel the world, and vacation with our family….as long as we are giving Him the glory. This really helped us set the precedence for our trip and with each new morning we praying in thanksgiving for the beautiful mountains, delicious food, hospitable service, INCREDIBLE whale sightings on our whale watching tours, empty flights that allowed us to have a row to ourselves, and so much more. We so easy forget that the luxury and beauty of vacations has been created by His hand and meant to be used for His own glory. 

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31

We stayed at Villa La Estancia and did the all inclusive package and are basically ready to book our next trip there! Vacations for us are a lot about the food and Jon did extensive research to find the perfect place for us to stay (we stayed at Hacienda Encantada when we honeymooned but it was booked). There were 3 Villa resorts right in a row and we were able to eat at those restaurants as well as the ones in our hotel. The food was out.of.this.world. All inclusives are pretty hit or miss but we enjoyed gormeut, fresh, organic, delicious steaks, sandwiches, drinks, and of course desserts. Breakfasts overlooking the arc and candlelight dinners outside by the fire were enjoyed everyday and Ford was a great 3rd wheel. The waitstaff (and pretty much everyone at the resort) told us how beautiful and happy he was. And he is! Even in his crabbiest of moments he flashes his dimpled smile. 

Ford swam for the first time but the pool was a tad chilly so we only swam once but he was hilarious kicking around. Oh and he looked so stinkin' cute in his swim trunks and shirt. 

He also got his first sand experience and LOVED it. He always had a fistful of sand and surprisingly it never went into his mouth. 

One major highlight of our trip was going on a whale watching boat tour. We went on 2 while we honeymooned and loved it, so knew we wanted to go back. You have a limited selection of excursions with a baby so whale watching it was. We took a big boat out early one morning with about 15 other people and witnessed some of the most amazing whale encounters ever. Seriously once in a lifetime. We would have been excited about blow holes and humps showing but we saw blue and gray whales breeching, playing, showing off their flukes, and diving into the water. These pictures won't do it justice...we only had my non zoom 50mm lens and an iPhone. We just couldn't stop saying how cool God is? Seriously! These giant creatures he created for us to stand in awe of. 

Ford loved the wind in his face but then fell asleep for most of the tour :)

Thank you for another great trip Cabo, we will be back.