It has been a busy three weeks since the last Renton family blog update. A couple of weeks ago Marcy and I went on a snowshoeing date, something we hadn’t done together since the kids were born. It was part of an organized group that also included dinner and wine afterwards, although we had to pass on that because some bad weather moved in and we didn’t want to be stuck 50 miles from home on a Sunday night and have the babysitter stay very late.

The big part of the last three weeks, though, was our trip to Mexico. We went to Puerto Vallarta for 8 days staying at the Sheraton Buganvilias resort through the timeshare deal with Marcy’s parents. It was great to be by the ocean and in some warm weather again. The Sheraton is walking distance to downtown Puerto Vallarta which we took advantage of one day – this photo was taken on the boardwalk that runs through downtown.

While Anna wasn’t feeling the best during our trip Jude was completely fine. He stayed out late a couple of nights with me and we watched the sun set over the Pacific. Perfect.

While we spent quite a bit of time at the pool every day the beach was the bigger draw for the kids. Jude could literally amuse himself for hours looking for rocks, playing in the sand and chasing waves. The water was a perfect temperature for swimming although the onshore break was a bit rough at times. There were hawkers on the beach trying to sell us everything from trinkets, hats and clothing to whale watching trips. One day we were lucky and enjoyed our very own whale watching from the beach. A couple of humpbacks came in close to shore and I was able to zoom in on them and got this great shot.

But the highlight of the trip I think for all of us was the visit to Dolphin Adventure. The last time we were in Puerto Vallarta was over two years ago but Jude remembered it well and wanted to go and see the dolphins again. One of the places had a great kids program where they could touch, feed and even swim with the dolphins. So we signed them up.

This place also had sea lions and when we arrived we were greeted by this guy. The trainer asked Jude if he wanted a kiss from the sea lion and Jude being the brave one around animals said yes.

It was the dolphins, though, that everyone came to see. And they didn’t disappoint. Both Jude and Anna had wide grins on their faces the whole time and when Jude took a ride on the dolphin he could barely contain his glee. We bought the official video afterwards that you can see here on Youtube.

After 8 days it was back to Denver where we were in for a shock to the system. After enjoying sunshine, the pool and beach every day in glorious 80 degree weather we got hit with the worst blizzard of the season so far today less than 24 hours after getting back. So, it was time to get out the snow shovels.

There is some excitement brewing in our house these days: Jude has not one but two loose teeth. He is ecstatic to be catching up with some friends and a cousin who have already lost some of their milk teeth.

Most of the time Jude and Anna are great buddies. They can play together sometimes for hours on end with barely an argument. Of course, like most siblings they have their moments when they can barely stand each often but for the most part they are really good buddies. This was clear during Anna’s recent two-day hospital stay. Jude stayed home with me and couldn’t wait to see Anna at the hospital each day. And you could see the unbridled joy in Anna’s eye when she saw Jude had come to visit. Then there is the photo above taken by Marcy as they walked through the zoo on a recent visit. Jude just spontaneously put his arm around her shoulder.

When Anna was sick last week we had a Jude and Daddy date at the annual stock show. He was a little reluctant to go at first but when we got there he had a blast. The petting zoo was his favorite part. They had baby pigs, goats and sheep running around that you could feed and pet. Jude was particularly fond of the baby pigs. We also did a pony ride which he seemed to enjoy but not as much as in previous years.

The big news in Jude’s life recently was the start of Knights Club at his school. At the Denver Waldorf School they have two-year kindergartens and each January the older kids get to join a “club” where they go and do big kid kind of activities. Jude has been looking forward to this for the last 18 months. The transition to 1st grade is a big deal at Waldorf and they try and prepare the kids for it. Every Tuesday afternoon for the rest of the school year Jude gets to participate in Knights Club.

Jude still loves nothing more than making up imaginary games and stories in the backyard. Yesterday he had a lengthy discussion and game with the little boy statue in our yard and the reindeer.

Finally, I have been meaning to get a picture of our new car on the blog. We bought this fun little Audi TT in December and have been having a blast driving it. We haven’t had the top off much but in Denver you do get the occasional 60-degree day in winter where you can take advantage.