The guys spent Sunday golfing at the course across the street, so we picked out prime seats at the pool and stationed ourselves there for 8 hours. And of course we treated ourselves to some salty dogs and ritas at the swim-up bar.

The Hilton had such wonderful service. Each day at the pool, someone walked around with a wooden cart and handed out the tiniest, cutest popsicles I’ve ever seen. We chose coconut. What a refreshing treat after being out in the sun all day!

One of my favorite dinners was at Fenicia, an Italian restaurant at the resort.  We sat poolside and had the prettiest view as the sun set over the ocean and reflected onto the pool. 





They surprised me with a birthday dessert (one night early).

After dinner and drinks, we did a little night swimming. The perfect way to end a wonderful day!

8.26.13 — happy 30th birthday to me! The day was absolutely perfect from start to finish — minus one thing. Craig was taken prisoner by Montezuma’s revenge of some sort, and he sadly had to stay in bed the entire day. I hated leaving him inside while we enjoyed our last day of the trip, but I’m thankful that he at least got to enjoy the first few days with us. For those wondering, he’s mostly better now. That Montezuma is no joke.






For my birthday dinner, we were driven on a golf cart to the nearby Las Ventanas Resort. It was one of the neatest, most beautiful resorts I’ve ever seen. Cacti everywhere, white pueblo-style buildings, and an infinity pool that looked like it flowed right into the ocean. We ate at The Restaurant and had the most gorgeous view. It was a most perfect meal — all of us agreed it was one of the best we’ve ever had.






Aside from Craig’s illness, our trip was one of my most favorite that we’ve ever taken. We didn’t do much other than relax by the pool, eat fantastic food, and take in the gorgeous views at the beach, but that was exactly how I wanted to celebrate my birthday. I’ll always cherish the family trips we take, and this was no exception. Can’t wait till our next one!