#January 1 in Winterpeg

[ramenheim]

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[earlylearningmom]

Decided to participate in the #megamotherhood January photo a day challenge 📷. Today is day 1, selfie and intro. - 👫I have been with my fiancé Travis for nearly 10 years. Lol well we have been engaged 💍 for 7 of those 10 years. Still no wedding date. But when that day comes I know it will have been worth the wait in a beautiful destination 🌴. - I'm a mother to 2 handsome boys ages 12👦🏼 and 5👦🏻. I also have a beautiful 11 year old step daughter 👧🏻. - We live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦aka Winterpeg ☃️❄️⛄️. I'm currently Homeschooling our 5 year old. I also run a home daycare and care for littles during the day. @jamerrillstewart

[bonysko]

Guayabitos and Puerto Vallarta 2017

On December 31st, 2016, Carmen retired. On January 2nd, we were on a plane with my mom bound for Puerto Vallarta and an 8-week retirement adventure - our longest time away. The month of January was spent in a rented, four-bedroom beach house on the north side of Guayabitos - a fishing village about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. It was a mile down the beach from the hotel where my mom has been staying for years. We visited her regularly.

This was a group adventure with several couples coming and going over the month. Carmen and I stayed the full four weeks. Her sister Michelle and husband Ray, 2 weeks; our hiking buddies Lydia and Lars, 2 weeks for Lydia and 3 for Lars; and our friend Teresa, 2 weeks, and her husband, Terry, 1 week. The house worked well, but we had to endure noisy neighbours who came and went at the house next door. Everyone in the house took ill at some point during our stay. Here is the first group enjoying lunch on Isla Corale. Good snorkelling that day.

We walked just about everywhere we went, and Fitbits were racking up the mileage! We were a five minute walk from pickle ball and tennis, playing both. Ray cleaned my clock in tennis. Lars and I did a couple of hikes, joining a group for the first one, then temporarily loosing our way on the second. We always got to our destination - a restaurant called “Carmen’s” and replaced fluids and calories with excellent food.

We had some favourite eating spots in the next town over called La Penita. Lars and I found two excellent coffee shops (with deserts), while Terry and I couldn’t walk the beach without a stop at Mateo’s for a beer. We also went there to watch NFL football. 

Near the end of our stay we took a tour to a rustic hot springs up the mountain. You could take the waters in the rustic, or in the new pools.

Our month went quickly. Carmen and I said goodbye to my mom and boarded a bus for Puerto Vallarta and the start of 4 weeks of time-sharing. First stop, the Marina for 2 weeks. We loved the Thursday night market at the Marina and the Saturday markets in the Zona Romantica. We joined our friends Teresa and Terry, their daughter and her boyfriend on a bus trip to Sayulita, and later,  a taco tour in Old Town. I needed taco detox for two days after that tour! Met up with our friend and fellow retiree, Terri-Lyn and her sister.

Our last 2 weeks were spent up the road in the Vidanta complex in Nuevo Vallarta. There we met our friends Ken and Eileen. At the small marina there Carmen and I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a large pan of paella. 

Our annual must do outing was to celebrate Eileen’s birthday at Cafe Artiste back in Puerto Vallarta. It was another wonderful meal with great company! 

Carmen and I played tennis several times during our stay. We even took a lesson. I got a lot of lap swimming in, as the pools were usually empty before the daily 10:00 am start to sun tanning. Carmen would hit the gym early in the mornings. We did a return bus to Guayabitos to visit friends Ron and Marg and stayed with my mom. She joined us in Nuevo Vallarta for one night before we departed for Winterpeg. We enjoyed a nice meal on the property and got serenaded as well!

Then one more walk on the beach and one more sunset!

We had fun with a ton of friends. Adios!