Tomboy!

Actually, Samantha is a very "girly-girl," but when it comes to scars, bumps, and bruises, Taylor has nothing on her! She is pretty tough though and likes the fact that this one made it look like she was wearing Eye-Shadow.

Always posing, just like her sister!

The camera added 10 lbs to her cheeks and the wound!

One Tough Son-of-a-Gun

Taylor is the boy in the family and takes his duty to be the rough, tough, rowdy brother very seriously. It isn't very often that you see him without a bump, bruise or large scrape somewhere obvious on his body. They are his "Battle Wounds" and he is proud of them. Taylor knows that the chicks dig it when a man looks like he just returned from a fight.

Here are a couple recent Battle Wounds that were in very noticeable places.

This one was from a Skateboard accident. He's smiling cuz he knows that's cool!

Taylor got this one after a fight with a rather large German Shepherd. If you think Taylor looks bad, you should have seen what the dog looked like.

Ladies, I know it might be difficult, but he's only 5 and isn't allowed to date yet. You're gonna have to wait a few years.

Sarah? On the Beach?

Many of you who know Sarah may think that the 2 words Sarah and Beach cannot be properly used in the same sentence, but I am here to tell you that this is entirely NOT true. I am pretty sure that she hasn't put as much as her pinky toe in the water the last 2 times we have been to Rocky Pointe, but she still spends some time on the Beach. Over the years, we have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary for her to like to get wet and play in the sand on the beach because I do it enough for the both of us. Kinda like, I don't really have to be in love with New York because she's in love with New York enough for both of us (and ten thousand other people for that matter). We have a very complementary relationship that way.

She does, however, really know how to have a good time when we are down in Mexico. She likes to hang out with family, take naps, read books (and the occasional trashy magazine), make (and eat) delicious food, work on her tan (lol), hang out at the pool, and just plain old relax. She is also one mean barterer. For instance, on Saturday the kids all wanted bracelets with their names on them. The guy selling them wanted 5 bucks for each one. Well, she talked to him for a few minutes (her spanish is amazing by the way), and when all was said and done, she got the 3 bracelets, a mango, 2 pairs of sunglasses, a sarong, her name on a grain of rice, a henna tattoo, and the guy paid her 500 Pesos. I don't know how she does it.

Sarah also was introduced to a new (and very addicting) game while we were there. It is called "photo hunt" and it is on these touch screen computers at one of the condo resorts. We stayed up till midnight one of the nights while Sarah, Meghan, and Sammie (Herbert) were trying to beat the high score. They kept yelling and screaming at the computer whenever they would get one wrong, but I am pretty sure the computer only understood Spanish.

She had a good time while we were there. She deserved some relaxing time to unwind and I think she got it. Unfortunately I didn't get many photos of her while we were there.

Sarah always wears an evening gown when posing for pictures with the kids.

She even knows how to relax while riding in an elevator.

I'm fresh out of material from Mexico, time to go on another trip.

My Name is Sammie, and I, Like to Party!

She actually told Sarah that last week. I have no idea where she learned that from:)

If you ask her what her name is, she will say "Samanta Merlee Allen."

She had a great time in Mexico and she does like to Party. She also loves to swim without her floaties now and does a pretty good job. Sammie mostly just went with the flow and was into doing whatever everyone else was doing. She just likes to be included and has a way of becoming the center of attention.

Just hangin out on the beach with "uncle wod."

Sammie only smiles when SHE wants to.

She also yells a lot when she swims, and when she doesn't swim.

And she loves her sister Ashley!

Let me know if you want to see what Sarah does at the beach.

Boy's Just Wanna Have Fun!

Taylor is nonstop and this certainly doesn't change while on vacation. He is either doing something or begging someone to do something with him. For some reason this kid has no concept of time and when you tell him "just a minute" he thinks that is an open invitation to ask you the same thing 20 seconds later.

Taylor was constantly swimming, sliding, boogie boarding, diving, riding razor scooters, looking for shells, throwing shells, causing mischief, or eating on this trip. He played hard, but he also crashed hard. At night, and 2 minutes after he'd lay down, you could hear him snoring.

"I wonder what would happen if I pushed all of the buttons on the elevator?"

Getting ready to throw a shell, rock, empty beer bottle, or used syringe at the waves.

Taylor loves the water and was wet 93.7% of the time he was there. The other 6.3% he was eating and sleeping.

Part of the of the 6.3%. Eating authentic Mexican Cuisine.

Drop in tomorrow to find out what my youngest child calls herself and what she likes to do.

7 going on 17

Ashley is our miniature teenager and it really came out this weekend. She had a really good time swimming, sliding down the slide, and looking for seashells and crabs, but what Ashley really loved most was hanging out with Sammie and Meghan Herbert (senior in high school and BYU graduate). Ashley was pretty much down with doing whatever they were doing and felt really cool to be included with them.

She spent her days tanning on the deck 15 floors up while reading a jewelry catalog.

Smiling for the camera!

Getting her "party hair" done in the evening.

Ashley is my one child who knows that there is a time to relax and a time to have fun!

Log in tomorrow to see what kind of stuff the boy was up to.

Rocky Point Barrels!

We spent Labor Day weekend with the Herberts in Rocky Pointe. We had a great time enjoying the ocean, pools, and the hospitality of the Herbert family. We didn't take as many photos as usual, however I think that we were able to capture everyones moods and mindsets pretty well with the ones we did take. Over the next 5 days you'll see what each of us does and how we act in Mexico.

We'll start with me. Of course there are no pictures of me as I am usually the one taking them. You don't get to see how great I looked in my speedo on the beach or my golden bronze tan and blonde hair. However, with Hurricane Jimena spinning south of us in the gulf of california, I thought that there might be a small chance we would see some sizable waves on the beach. I threw a little 5 foot surfboard that I made for the kids on top of the minivan and prayed for surf (and that we wouldn't get shot by the federalies m16's) the whole way to the beach. As my luck would have it, there wasn't much there in the way of surfable waves, but I did get some nice tube rides while mindsurfing these beauties that were breaking right on the shore.

a stand-up barrel for a chiuaua

the kahuna of the cookoorauchas could get some nice turns in on this left

So pretty much my mind was on surfing the whole time eventhough I got skunked, again.

Check in tomorrow to see how Ashley rolls in mexico.....