Fiesta for the Cumple de Carlos

At my job we have to request the time off that we want for the year in October or December of the previous year.  I usually have no idea what is going to happen but this year I was restricted to the days I chose.  I randomly chose the weekend of Carlos' 70th birthday.  They were thinking they should do something where they got all the grandkids together and since Diego and Mariela moved to Mexico we have been talking about going to see them, it ends up being a good spot in the middle so there we met for the big birthday.  I have already forgotten where we were staying but I do know that it had three pools and a great beach.
Ben really starting to embrace the water and was jumping in and swimming around using his water wings.  Leaps and bounds from the last time he was in water.  

 We got reservations at a nice restaurant for the actual birthday night and Carlos got his wish to have all his kids and grandchildren together with him. 

 Ben and Clara picked up where they left off in Argentina.  It was great to see everyone twice in such a short time because we didn't have to start with the awkward couple days, everyone remembered everyone and were friends. 

 They had these great lounge beds around the pool which the kids liked to jump on, and also served as great meeting spots when the Felices men headed off in different directions. 

 What I really wanted to do was get a full family shot on the beach, I had an epic fail moment getting one with myself in it but got a great one of everyone else together!!

 Delfi and Luchi.

 Clara was the big instigator for jumping into the pool for Ben I think, she has a pool in her back yard and two big siblings so it isn't a big deal for her at all. 

When it wasn't too windy we sat under the thatch huts at the beach, surprisingly there was never a shortage, we usually could secure three fairly close together. 

 Jimmy even tried to get in on the action. 

 They had a beautiful wooden walkway connecting the different facilities in the area, we didn't ask them to hold hands, sometimes they just do it.  It makes my heart full.

 The beach had a bar with swings rather than stools.  Pretty epic.  They didn't even kick the kids out when they bellied up to order pineapple juice. 

 Our room was amazing, we had an outdoor bathtub on our balcony with a view of the ocean.  It was a gleaming success of a vacation and wonderful to get everyone from three countries all together for such a special occasion. 

Easter 2015

The first public Easter Egg Hunt was a success, there was no blood, no tears and no fights/scraps/stealing or otherwise unbabyjesuslike behavior from my children.  I was amazed.  Golden Lake Park hosts an egg hunt every spring put on by the fireman and policemen.  They have it divided into three different age groups so there is no stealing from babies or using toddlers to win the big prizes.  The like stay with the like.  And while crime scene tape may be off putting to some, it really added to the mystique of the day.

 Jimmy wandered around with his basket but didn't really get it.  OH!  I forgot to mention, the crime scene tape is to keep the parents out so the kids have to do their own work.  It was great! 

 Eventually a kind officer saw him wandering and gave him a prize egg.  I think he got $0.35 in it!

 Ben was a little better over in his age group, but hasn't quite acquired that greed necessary to really dominate at these kind of things. 

 He and the neighbor gal, Sylvi are the same age so helped eachother out in the parent free zone. 

 Jules and Gus are the older neighbor boys, they did pretty well for themselves in the big kid arena.

After the big hunt in the neighborhood park our neighbor who is superwoman had an egg hunt in her yard for the kids right in the few houses around us.

I failed at getting Easter pictures this year of the boys.  It was cold outside, so we kept the eggs indoors, and after already having two Egg Hunts and the bounty there of we kept it to a minimum.  So, I let that minimal mindset flow with my photography skillz as well.

Later in the day we decided we should do something so we headed out to the Franconia Sculpture Garden.  It was pretty slick.  And weird.

 Some of the art was pretty dark and the gloominess of the day really added to the experience.

 Love perspective shots. 

 It was real struggle to get Ben off of this sculpture play gym thing.  We would think we were done and be walking away and he would turn on his jet engines and sprint back.  Even after we left, for the next two months he asked to go back to the sculpture garden just to get up on this apparatus.

 Creepy and cool right?!

Ben's outift was too perfect not to pose with the pyramid of bucks.  Great spot.

What?! Children visitors from across the U S of A? Jack and Eva make their grand MN debut.

After one year of planning and replanning and rescheduling and nearing the end of grace period for previous cancelled flights the reunion of the ages transpired with the next generation, Cait and Em brought their wee ones Jack and Eva to Minnesota for what turned out to be a surprisingly nice and warm March weekend in Minnesota.  We were prepared to hunker down indoors with goldfish and the Disney Channel but mother nature provided us with a treat so we got to go out and let the pequenos work out their willies a a variety of Minnesota parks. 

Eva couldn't be cuter.

 Parks and food were the themes for the weekend, not surprising I guess.

 Eva got her daddy's fashion sense.  She really wanted to wear a Nordic sweater but settled for a little brother fleece.  Bro.

 My dream of being a stroller brigade was realized, don't let the shiny luster of my coat take away from the triple wide awesomeness the bestowed Stillwater, MN.

 A triple bath happened, too many man parts for Eva, Emilo forbade her for bathing with more than two men at once. 

 The group show had to happed at some point over the weekend.  Thank goodness for digital pictures. 

 We got smiles. . .

 And almost everyones eyes. . .

 I learned that Jack is much like his father, he is a little lover. 

 And has this laughter that warms up a room.

 And miss Eva has her mothers beauty and a very talented tongue. 

 Ben and Jack hit it off pretty well.

 Jimmy and Jack were practicing their sleuthing skills behind the couch. 

 Ben and Jack cuddled up for a little morning Wild Kratt action. 

 Awww.

It was amazing and everything I wanted it to be.  I can't wait for us all to get together again.  Seriously.  When is this happening.  Winter?  Colorado??  I NEED to know!!!!