38 & mostly great

our first cenote

Cenotes are a big deal in the Yucatan. They are gifts of Mother Nature full of fresh, usually-clear water that is both beautiful and mystical. When you google cenote, you will ooo and ahhh. We were excited about getting to our first cenote at the Reserva Ecológica El Corchito as it was a short drive and involved a boat! This one is also unique because it is in the middle of a mangrove and nature sanctuary and is complete with furry friends. Amazing, right?! Based on photos and the overall hype of cenotes in general, we perhaps (okay, definitely) had high expectations. But some pesky things also came to the party. You might have heard of them: mosquitos. We brought bug spray and wore swim gear with long sleeves, but they were relentless. In a nutshell, they made it unbearable to enjoy the water to its fullest, and we sheepishly left earlier than we thought (as did many others). However, it gave us a great excuse to go to the nearby beach for lunch and soothe our bug bites in the Gulf. We do have plans to visit other cenotes. We can't let this one kill our cenote buzz, pun intended.

giddy up!

In addition to cenotes being a "thing" here in Mexico, birthdays are a big deal, like the next level. As for me, at home in Iowa, when I get an invitation for your kid to attend a party, I kind of half hope it is the drop-off kind. You know, where your kid can do a tuck and roll out of the van, and you can run an errand or two by yourself and come back in an hour or two and pick up your sugar-high kid. I know I'm not alone.

Anyway, as I learned from other moms at school here, when you get an invitation to a birthday party, it is assumed that the whole family will saddle up and celebrate. So, last weekend, we were fortunate to be invited to a party of Reid's classmate (the entire class & families were there!), and let's say it did not disappoint. It came complete with not one but two Barbie impersonators, the most elaborate of decorations, meals for everyone in attendance, a pinata, and it was so much fun.

Speaking of birthdays, the Dehner girls both celebrate theirs in October. Mine is first (yay for 38!), and we had a great night out, and the kids surprised me with a horse-drawn carriage ride downtown. I can honestly say a year ago, I NEVER expected I would be blowing out candles on a cake in Mérida, Mexico. I am one lucky lady. The whole day was sweet and made me sentimental. I felt loved and special. What else can a girl ask for?

social capital

If put on some introvert/extrovert spectrum, Ryan is more introverted, I am more extroverted, Madeline is more like Dad, and Reid is more like Mom. Sure, we all ebb and flow, needing alone time and have different ways of recharging, but everything being new here and figuring out where we fit, we are putting our pennies in our social connection bank whenever we can. So, in addition to birthday parties and swimming invites, we also said yes to a Sunday late afternoon bbq (carne asada) at one of Madeline's school friend's houses. It was wonderfully delicious and welcoming. As we tried to keep up with the conversation and cultural references, all four of us rolled with the punches of being the outsiders pretty well. At the same time, we were humbled by how much energy it indeed required. We got home ready for bed later than expected, but we've been here long enough to expect that. *After all the social and birthday excitement, I got a virus of some sort and took it easy the rest of the week. It turns out that being under the weather is bound to happen anywhere. Gotta gear up for the next birthday (Madeline's on Tuesday!).

Thanks for reading!

yummy cake for 38

vicious mosquitos not pictured

6 year old birthday party fun!

just like cinderella

cake is always better in your pajamas

these carne asada colors say everything