Half way to B-day and turning 30

We've hit some major milestones over the past 2 weeks. Mama Flora turned 30 years old and Barack is 20 weeks (the halfway point). We all celebrated it with a much needed vacation, and thanks to Gram and Grandad, the whole Flora clan (including Uncle D) packed up our bathing suits and shorts and headed down to Cancun. Barack must have liked his first foreign adventure because he was definitely kicking during the week--usually during the evening hours from 6-11.

The beaches of Cancun are amazing--just like those Corona commercials with the white sandy beaches, clear aqua blue water, palm trees, and sun. We spent a couple of mornings laying out and splashing in the warm waters. Here is a view from our hotel room one early morning. The sun rose each morning at 6:00 am and it was hard to sleep in as the beaches were so inviting. Our hotel was nice, but the "hotel zone" of Cancun reminded us of a Mexican Las Vegas, complete with major American restaurants which were somewhat mediocre. Only Uncle D headed out to experience the night clubs one night in which he said they were like a Spring Break party. Barack was a little too young to go out yet.

On Mama's 30th birthday, we made an excursion inland to Chichen Itza to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World and Mayan capitol. It was probably one of the highlights of the trip. The archaeological park was big and many of the buildings were well kept. Here's a picture of the main temple called El Castillo, or the Castle.

On the trip we also visited Playa del Carmen, a beach town just south of Cancun and the all-inclusive resorts. We really enjoyed the atmosphere of Playa del Carmen, and would like to return there for another Mexican vacation. We also visited the Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancun. We got off the ferry and explored the downtown region. Then Daddy F hiried a taxi driver to take Mama and him on a tour of the island. Once we got south of downtown, we got to see the beauty the island and a Mayan temple ruin. The temple was for goddess Ixchel, the Mayan Goddess of fertility, reason, medicine, and the moon. Here are some shots from the island:

We also explored downtown Cancun called "El Centro" by locals, had some great meals including traditional Yucatan food and Barbacoa (type of BBQ), and had massages and/or traditional Mayan Vapor bath. We really enjoyed our little Mexican vacation, and look forward to visiting it soon. Even Barack got a new little outfit:

Finally, an updated bump picture to show off Barack's growing process: