Happy Anniversary, Paul and Lisa--June 9 in Puerto Penasco

Thursday, June 9 was Paul and Lisa Macdonald's wedding anniversary, so we took them to breakfast at the Mayan restaurant. Wasn't that nice of all of us to join them for breakfast? Hey, at least Lisa didn't have to cook. For 29 people. Again.

yum!

"and it was this big. . ."

"You know you love me, Kaeda!"

sitting in the sunshine

Then, we thought it would be nice to take the happy couple shopping, so maybe they could find a special gift for each other. At the dirt mall in Puerto Penasco. . .

'cause you never know when you are going to need a Mexican wrestling mask.

or a switchblade

And of course, what romantic anniversary gift package would be complete without a sombrero and cool shades?

After we made our selections, we consulted with some of our crew about whether Paul and Lisa would appreciate them.

Those of us who weren't wheeling and dealing with Paul and Lisa and the girls, on the other side of the dirt mall, decided that maybe the gifts we had in mind would be better suited to the individuals who picked them out.

So, we let them buy their own gifts. I think they selected purses and bracelets and such. We went home without the masks (my girls got bracelets) and the other things you have seen in the previous pictures. Also, some Mexican vanilla and a couple water bottles. 90 something degrees is a lot hotter when you don't have an ocean or a pool to cool your feet in.

The highlight of our shopping trip was seeing two sets of Mormon missionaries. . . and they weren't shopping. One pair was actually talking to a couple on their shop porch, with scriptures out and everything. Yay for missionaries!

After the dirt mall, we headed back to the grocery store (the same one we visited at the start of our trip).

You see, Lisa and I have spent numerous summers trying to feed our kids lunch, only to have them say they weren't hungry or they had been snacking all day. Rather than plan any big lunches, we had planned to have several snacks throughout the day and light lunches, like PB&J. We were not prepared for the voracious appetites we encountered, and I am not talking about the teenage boys, either. Anyway, it was necessary to replenish some of our food supply for the following day.

This turned into a bit of a process. Britt went into the store to help. I stayed out in the van with the kids. Um yeah, not such a good idea. Lets just say we are lucky no one was injured in the melee that resulted from all of us being crammed in the van in the summer heat on a Mexico street. And it wasn't all the kids fault. You see, I was in a bad mood. Reread this post if you have forgotten why I was feeling grumpy and uptight.

Anyway, it was a blessing and a relief when we finally got out of there.

Now, since the day had not reached its full romantic potential, we took Paul and Lisa to dinner at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. Yes, all of us. That's what made it so special, right? Britt had the concierge at the resort call in advance to let them know our large party was coming and to have a special dessert prepared just for the happy couple.

except the concierge never made the call

???

"We want our food!"

"Now!"

so they weren't exactly prepared for us (and they didn't seem too thrilled to be accommodating such a large party kind of close to closing time).

the boys fell asleep waiting for their food (No, I am joking. This picture was actually taken after they ate. The food was seriously tasty. My guys really liked what they got. Tyler liked her chicken fingers, but Olivia and Rachel were not impressed with the "fish sticks".)

Just so you know, that is Olivia sleeping in my lap

serenading the happy couple as they enjoy their chocolate cake (or at least Paul and a few other people enjoy it; chocolate is not Lisa's favorite)

"Who's idea was it to bring all these people to our party?"

It was a late night, heading home after that. We were all ready to fall into our beds back at the resort. I think Paul and Lisa really did have an enjoyable time on their special day. The whole trip was kind of an anniversary celebration, shared with people who love and care about them.

We just couldn't believe our trip to Mexico was almost over. . .