Hey there! I just got back from the most wonderful vacation with my family! We went to Mexico, specifically the Riviera Maya which is just outside of Cancun. I have to say that we had the absolute BEST time ever! Like really, the best time. We were so sad to come home and we are already talking about going back. That is how much fun that we had. 

We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Beach Resort. If you are looking to visit Mexico and you aren't sure where to stay, we give Iberostar 5 stars and two thumbs up AND a gold star. Our room was super cool, the food was great, the staff was amazing, and the pool...well the pool was nothing less than spectacular. 

This is just one TINY section of the pool. The concierge told us that they have the longest pool in the whole Riviera Maya! The pool also had THREE swim up bars. Totally cool, right? Even cooler when your 6-year-old can swim up and order his own pina colada (virgin, of course), he was a pro ordering them by the end of the week. 

I think that our fist day there he must have had at least seven! I tried to stop him, but my husband said, "ah, it's vacation. Let him have as many as he wants." Needless to say they BOTH ended up with a tummy ache at the end of the night, although very different kinds of tummy aches! LOL 

Here is a rare shot of me actually being in a photo! haha I tend to always be taking the pictures, so I really try to make an effort to jump in front of the camera for at least a few photos. Isn't this pool area the most gorgeous and relaxing place that you have ever seen? It ended up being out favorite place to hang out and spend most of our days. Since we visited mid June, which isn't considered peak season, there was hardly any one there. It was almost like we had the place to ourselves! 

Not only does Iberostar have an incredible pool area, they also have a super fabulous beach too! White sands and clear, blue water...it was literally heaven on Earth. The water was so warm. You could just walk right in and enjoy the waves. 

Our favorite time to hit the beach was in the evening right before sunset. It is way less crowded and the skies are so gorgeous. Plus, it's almost like you are there all by yourself.

I just love that he made this big smiley face! I think it was because he was so happy to be in Mexico! 

Where we were the sun didn't set over the ocean and that is always kind of a bummer, but the skies didn't disappoint over the resort or over the ocean. We were able to see colors that we don't often get to see here at home and I was in LOVE!

So, why did we choose to take our family vacation in Mexico? Well, that is kind of a funny story. Or at least it is a funny, round about way of how we chose to go to Mexico. So our son, Brody, he has been obsessed with Egypt and the pyramids since he was about two years old. He has been asking to visit Egypt and the pyramids and the Great Sphinx for the last four years. Well, for many reasons, the biggest being that it just isn't a safe place to visit right now (sadly), we told him that it just wasn't really somewhere that we could go. Instead we told him about the Mayan Pyramids and Ruins that we had seen in Mexico. We had showed him some photos and researched online and he was super excited about that. Plus, for at least a year he has been telling people that he was moving to Mexico and that it is his favorite place. I think mostly because he loves tacos and quesadillas! We even had a Mexican Fiesta for his sixth birthday party!

Sooooooo, long story short, or maybe not so short...we headed to Mexico with a mission to see the Mayan Ruins. 

Once we goto the ruins, Brody needed to have his own camera to capture the ruins for himself. I love that he has a love and appreciation for photos (as long as I am not making him be the sole subject LOL). I made sure to bring along a camera for him so that he could capture this trip threw his own eyes and I am so glad that I did. Check out some of his photos! 

This first sky shot is one of my favorites. Sometimes as grown ups, we don't always stop and take a minute to appreciate the beauty of a blue sky. I love that he finds it important enough to document in a photo. 

This next photo is another one that I really appreciate. Since it was just the three of us on our trip there weren't too many opportunities for photos of just my husband and I together. Even though this is a candid of us from behind, it shows us in the moment on the tour at the ruins. I am really grateful to have this moment to look back on. 

I think that for a six year old, he caught some really great images. He is such a lucky kiddo to have been able to see these magnificent ruins left behind from an ancient civilization. 

There are a few different places that you can check out Mayan Ruins in Mexico. We chose to visit the Tulum ruins, This is one of my most favorite buildings at Tulum. This is what they called the Governors House during the tour. One really interesting fact that our tour guide shared with us, was that every home had a deep hole in the center that was plastered shut. They found that the holes were used as a burial place for family. I thought that was kind of cool. 

We were super lucky to get a tour time when the ruins weren't super crowded. I LOVE that I was able to get some photos that didn't include lots of random people. The best part was watching Brody really taking everything in and enjoying being at the ruins. 

He sat here in a frame of what used to be a home, and found rocks all around that looked like they had fallen from the structure and said that he was putting the ruins back together.  Then he found a flower and put it inside a tiny hole and of course took a picture of it.

Here is his image... As we left the ruins, we took the "archaeological path" and hiked to the top of the hill. This was the incredible view from the top. 

After passing through the city wall, we hiked back down the hill through the jungle. Well, it was kind of a jungle. It was really hot and humid and there were trees...that's a jungle, right? hahaha! 

It's a great thing to have a kiddo who knows a little something about being behind a camera. I think this is one of the only photos of the two of us from our trip that isn't a selfie!

After we left the ruins we waited for the rest of our tour group at the Mexican Outlets, which was basically a souvenir shopping center. On our way we met this awesome guy who let Brody hold his pet iguana! 

Once we got our fill of the shopping center, and when I say that I mean that Brody made sure that he was able to bring home his own little piece of the ruins, we headed on the next leg of out excursion. We were able to check out the Cenote and a Lagoon for snorkeling. 

Unfortunately, my underwater camera that I purchased specifically for this trip broke on our first day in Mexico and I wasn't able to get take it snorkeling. I did get this really cool waterproof pouch for my phone called, Seawag, and I got a few videos and a couple of images that we can look back on for memories. I will share a few of those with you now! 

After snorkeling the Cenote and Lagoon we headed to an AWESOME beach restaurant for lunch. We had chicken and fish tacos right on the beach and then jumped in the ocean for a swim! Again these are cell phone photos, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep those memories right? 

  After that amazing day of getting to see the Mayan Ruins at Tulum and snorkeling in the Cenote and lagoon, we headed back to the our hotel and resort. We hung out there the rest of our vacation at the pool and on the beach! 

Here is a mixture of cell phone photos and camera photos to sum up the rest of our trip! We had such an amazing time, and thanks for reading along! If you are ever thinking about going to Mexico with your family we highly recommend Ibeorstar Paraiso Beach Resort!