Dia de Gracias - Giorgianis en Mexico

Contrary to our previous Thanksgiving trips - Akumal Beach, just south of Cancun, proved to be just as warm and inviting as we hoped. No jackets on this trip! Just beautiful sunshine, water, sand and family. It was fantastic.  

The house we stayed at was unreal; 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 2 pools, a hot tub and touched the beach. We could sit on the porch and know that we were only steps away from the pool, the kitchen and the ocean. 

That's before you factor in that there was a staff on site that would shop, cook, serve and clean. They kept us full of margaritas and free of sand the whole week long. 

As cousins often do, they fell in immediately to playing together and pairing off when their interests differed. Peityn and Gretchen are happily chatting in the pool while the three little gingers play with water and buckets on the side. A little something for everyone.

When we travel together, we have a big crew, so it was ideal to have space to spread out, enjoy a quiet book on a covered rooftop, there was a space to exercise including rustic dumbbells made from tree trunks and hammocks to lay in while listening to the ocean and watching the tiny sand crabs dig. There was also a bar a few houses down on the beach - really an ideal spot. 

Mom and Dad celebrated 46 years of marriage while we were there. A little bonus celebration beyond the holiday. 

We're all so thankful for another healthy year for Mom. She has to work hard at it, but she is staying cancer-free!

We discovered cenotes! None of us knew what they were, but they are basically sinkholes that expose the water beneath. Watering holes of all different shapes and sizes - and temperatures! The kids were brave, one of the moms was braver (she is pictured here, and it's not me). 

It was slippery. There were bats. The water was cold. 

The kids all snorkeled, and jumped off of rocks and enjoyed searching for hanging pods of bats. And we all laughed at this poor woman who was there with another family who kept mistaking us for her group as she tried to get in on our family photos.

On our last full day in Mexico, we were down one family. We decided to try out the Akumal Animal Sanctuary and it didn't disappoint. This was no ordinary animal tourism stop, every animal in the sanctuary was recovered from some kind of terrible living condition. These animals have been found in luggage, recovered by border agents and removed from horrific conditions to be given proper food and medical care best rehabilitate them from trauma. 

We had perfect weather, even when we could see rain spouts way out in the ocean. A great place to vacation, highly recommend.