Fun in the Sun

I had never seen a swim-up bar. Waiters are there to serve you unlimited cold drinks through-out your stay.

Photos of the Two Resorts We Stayed At

Aren't these beautiful? When we arrived at 4 PM on New Year's Eve we had difficulty finding a reasonable place to stay. (Didn't make reservations!) After searching long and hard we were ready to turn around and drive home for the night. That was a 3.5 hour drive. The Lord was good to provide a gentleman who had an "in" and he made a call for us. He found us a hotel for half the price and that was on the beach. We switched rooms every night and then even hotels on the last night. Each night our stay got cheaper and cheaper.... No crowing roosters, barking dogs or load music all hours of the night. Just fire-crackers.

Downtown Ixtapa

We believe Ixtapa is a perfect resort town in Mexico. It is smaller than most which makes it easier to get around. Most resort towns are huge with tons of people, hotels, cars and shops. We were at Tesoro Hotel on New Year's Eve, which wasn't necessarily quiet. We hope to go back monthly during our stay in Mexico. ~T

Ixtapa Island was a Blast. Who Needs Hawaii?

Snorkel Mania

The verdict is in. All the Knutz's love to snorkel. This was a first for us. It was amazing to be so close to God's magnificent creation. A gentleman who works on Iztapa Island took us to the best spot. He got in with us with a package of crackers. After opening them, their were hundreds of beautiful fish all around us. It was nearly impossible to drag the girls out of the water. ~T

More Boat Smiles

These photos were taken right after we left the dock. I wished I had taken one of everyone flat. ~M

Cuatro Noches en Ixtapa

Don't let all these smiles fool you. 30 minutes into our 2 hour tour out to Ixtapa Island we were all laying flat in the boat from sea sickness. We were suppose to fish, but no one could peel their bodies off the benches. Alberto, our captain, did get to put a couple lines in the water. Once our feet hit dry land, life resumed as normal and we were able to swim and snorkle. We were amazed at the number of colorful tropical fish that we saw at the reef. I even saw an octopus.

~M

Taking a Time-out in Ixtapa!

Hola to all our familia y Amigos! It is good to be on the beach for a few days. Our family was in desperate need of a good night's sleep. The noise level has been tremendous every since our arrival in La Haucana. Our hope is that life will settle down after the holidays but we are doubting our neighbors' roosters will go on sabbatical anytime soon. (LOL) The continuous loud music may subside, but the dogs will likely stay on guard. Can you believe that it was quieter in our resort hotel on New Year's Eve than in La Haucana? I am not joking! There was a lively fiesta by the pool and the beach front was full of people. The fireworks all the way down the beach were amazing. Anyway, we have been enjoying the tropical ocean, the sunshine, the comida Mexicana (Mexican food), swimming in the pool and baking in the sun. This is our vacation time. Once we return to our pueblo (town) then it is time to buckle down. Mike will start teaching in the escuela (school) and the three oldest of our niños (children) will be joining the Spanish niños in escuela. Maddy has decided to continue in her home schooling with me. Carmen, me la amiga espanol, will come to me casa every day to give us lessons in both language and cooking.

Mike and I enjoy all your comments; they prevent home-sickness! It is agreed that this blog is keeping us connected in the states. Like I said on a comment, our family is so blessed to have been given this wonderful opportunity that we want to pass on our Mexico experience as much as we can. I have hardly had time to miss home yet. Since we are at the 3-week point, reality is starting to set in. We aren't going home anytime soon. The past three weeks has been an adjustment/settle in period and now we understand that the real stuff is about to begin. Our heart is that God will work in us and through us, effecting others' lives as well as our own. We know it is only through God that our family is here. This could not have been pulled off by little 'ol us. We continue to pray as a family for this, trusting God for His purposes that we may not yet fully understand or see. We are walking by faith, not by sight.

I will be posting a series of pictures soon. WARNING: pictures will contain warm ocean beaches and sun-tanned bodies. As hard as it may, try to be happy for us. We love you all and miss you a great deal. Everyday we are reminded of how much we love our home in America. It may be rainy and cold but "there is no place like home"!

Thank you immensely for those who pray daily. Those prayers give me an amazing amount of strength and faith. ~T