You could say I clean up well.

But that would be an understatement. More accurately, I was the best-looking miniature groomsman in town.

I hated to outshine everybody like that, but I had an important job to do as the official ring bearer for Garrett and Morgan’s wedding. But I wasn’t the only one responsible for ensuring the success of those Goodenough vows. My ordained-minister-Mother was tasked with performing the act of marriage.

Just call us “The Dream Team.”

So after posing for several pictures with my wedding-party fan club,

the big moment arrived to show off my ring-bearing skills. That’s when I grabbed my pal Cora, informed the guests that the beautiful bride was coming, and then smiled my way down the aisle LIKE. A. CHAMP.

If it wasn’t for me and mom flawlessly executing our duties, Garrett and Morgan might not have become husband and wife that day. But luckily, this story doesn’t only have a happy ending; it also has a happy beginning…

Let me introduce you to the newly-weds: Mr & Mrs. Goodenough!

Overwhelmed by a sense of accomplishment at the conclusion of the ceremony, I buckled myself into the car seat and passed out with pride. But my job wasn’t done. After that well-earned power nap, it was time to rip it up on the dance floor!

And by “rip,” I mean my pants. And by “pants,” I mean my $180 tuxedo rental pants.

Oops. Well, if that isn’t evidence of a good time, I don’t know what is. Besides, we can’t really put a price tag on fun, right?

Answer: “Yes, we can… once we get the bill.” Source: (A. Goodenough, personal communication, February 24, 2018.)

So while Garrett and Morgan celebrated a holy matrimony, my parents experienced something different: “a hole-y matrimo-knee.” Guess which pair left as a happy couple:

… Just as it was meant to be! It was their day. It was their love story. It was perfect. And it was an honor to take part in it.

Congrats, Morgan & Garrett! I hope I did you proud!

The bad news?
Our trip came to a tragic end: It was cold and dark and Wisconsin when we arrived home.

The good news?
All went well in order to get there. We actually got to sit together on the plane – in the same row AND same side of the aisle! Thanks to Mom teaching me the basics of seat identification, I was able to find our assigned row by counting out loud as I walked by each one. Everybody on the plane thought it was soooo cute… I got high-fives just for knowing how to count and fist-bumps for getting closer to my seat. (Some people are easily impressed that I can count to 28, I guess.) Plus, Genesee and I were stellar travelers once again, and I’m sure it had nothing to do with us being sleepyheads for almost the entire flight. (Because, you know, vacationing is hard work!)

But, for the short time I was awake, Mom and I looked for Nana Florence in the clouds, like we always do. I think that’s why Mom enjoys this particular vacation spot… because the Moon Palace remembers our family stories of togetherness, of spirits who were once among the living, and of nuptials that foundationally created her pride and joy: me & G.

Fortunately, we find these stories at home, too. New chapters, perhaps, but they continually intertwine with the past and honor the passed. Our story unfolds with much soul…

Mom and dad were right… our Cancun vacation did eventually come to an end.

Adios, Mexico!

Homeward bound.

But before we headed back to the frozen tundra, we satisfied our appetites and quenched our thirst…

Dinner at JC’s Steakhouse – Reservation only.

For the meat lovers

The Chef’s Cut

“I’ll take your best plate of spaghetti.”

Refreshing salad

Ice cream makes me happy.

Does anyone else get so excited to eat ice cream that it ends up on your face? No? Just me?

Crepes!

Breakfast in bed(room)

Love the fancy desserts here!

Special delivery to our room!

Poolside pizza

Because the drinks are “free”

Mom likes her icecream too.

My “mojito”

G & Mom at our favorite dinner spot

The much-appreciated ice cream cart!

We soaked up the sun and swam our little hearts out…

G dips her toes in

Genesee likes it!

Genesee puts on her suit and joins us boys in the water

She is a champ!

All smiles.

And then shivers.

G snuggles with mom

Here I am with my fancy arm floaties

Watch me swim across the pool all by myself (and my floaties)

Genesee wants in on this action

We had so much fun!

And after playing as hard as our energy levels allowed us, you can bet we subsequently napped even harder.

G chillin’ like a villain

A family snooze fest

My sister smiles in her sleep. So cute!

I loved my poolside naps!

Finally, we explored every corner, enjoyed every view, and embraced every moment that the resort had to offer.

I love this place!

The view from our room

Sunrise

Out our front deck

Love my mom!

And my dad!

Alligators?! Yikes.

Golf cart escapades

G sporting shades

We stayed in the Venado section

Free ride!

Infinity pool at dusk

Moon Palace – Nizuc

It was the trip of many firsts… Genesee’s first time flying in an airplane and my first time dragging my very own suitcase. It was Genesee’s first time being in Mexico and the first time I’ll (probably) remember vacationing there. It was the trip that Genesee first splashed in a pool (she loved it!) and got cleaned up in a shower (she was all smiles and no tears… unlike an anonymous someone else who screamed bloody murder the first several times he was cruelly forced to take a scary water-down-your-face shower in lieu of a safe, warm, familiar bath). It was the first time I experienced the resort by riding behind the stroller instead of inside the stroller (although I did steal the seat a few too many times when “my legs got tired from just standing.”) And it was the trip that Genesee first learned how to roll over!

It was our first big trip as a family of four…. a warm way to beat the winter blues, a much-welcomed way to pause the chaos of everyday life, and a wanderlust way to discover a world beyond our borders. Different countries offer us a different perspective, different culture, different language, different foods, and different ways of knowing/being/living. But travel is a privilege not afforded to everyone, and so we remain grounded knowing that we don’t need plane tickets to broaden our worldview, or to make magical memories, or to live life to its fullest. We only need each other… to see each other, to teach each other, to love each other.

And so, we trust that more adventure awaits!

Just when I thought Mexico couldn’t get any more perfect, we got a day pass for The Grand at Moon Palace and treated ourselves to a sweet Valentines’ Day!

The newly finished 5-diamond addition featured top-notch restaurants, a shopping-mall-like lobby area, a Children’s-Museum-meets-Fun-World-style Playroom, and an elaborate waterpark complete with a wave pool, lazy river, kiddo splash area, thrill seeker water slides (not yet open), and a human-size blow dryer!!

In search of the water park….

Over the boardwalk we go!

Hello, Mr. Iguana!

Bathrooms at The Grand – what!?

Entrance to FUN!

Minnie Mouse with Valentine treats

Whoa.

Miniature Golf

“Let’s explore upstairs!”

A mirror maze

“Help! We can’t get out.”

Genesee is lost too.

We found our way, but it was pretty tricky.

“Thank you for shopping at Jaeger-Mart.”

Water-filled trampoline

Balloon wars

Racing Dad

This thing is cool!

See that ball floating in the air?!

A tornado maker!

An interactive floor game

“Weeeeee!”

As you can see from the expression on my face, I’m not having fun at all.

Glad I didn’t do my hair today!

Catch me if you can!

Lazy rivers are relaxing.

A human blow dryer!?

Just me and my new Mustang (rental)

Zoom!

They have bikes here too?!

…In every color!

And scooters!

We’re back!

“Should I try the ropes course?”

Love this thing!

“Look! No hands.”

Los Tacos Restaurant

Dessert!

The waterpark at dark

Good night!

From the Grand Buffet for breakfast to the Grand Theatre for the Circus Show…

…I definitely fell in love this Valentine’s Day because everything about The Grand was, well, grand! Even the chandeliers were something to be admired, according to Genesee, our ceiling inspector.

It was luxury at its finest and the best of all-inclusive, so if this is what they mean by “Lover’s Paradise,” then just call me “Lover!”

It was indeed a happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks, Moon Palace!

We spent the first couple days of our Mexican vacation getting reacquainted with the Moon Palace. Of course, it didn’t take long to recall some of our favorites: The Playroom, the endless pools, the mystical ocean backdrop, Arrecifes the Brazilian steakhouse, iguana sightings, mom’s Miami Vice frozen drinks, dad’s refreshing Mojitos, the made-to-order crepes, omelettes and wood-fired pizzas, the easy-to-order gelato and chocolate croissants, the 80-degree pool-side days, the 75-degree evening walks along the moonlit, breezy beach, our oceanfront king-size bed…. Mexico has everything, including my heart! And so I may or may not have ugly-cried on Tuesday morning when my trickster parents made me believe it was time to go home already.

“Just kidding,” they said. “But really, we will eventually need to return home.”

“But not today!!” I exclaimed as I jumped out of bed, wiped my snot nose, and lived in the moment like only a toddler can.

Dippin’ my toes and chasin’ my speed boat

Mobile Munchies

Dessert? Yes, please!

G discovered a love for chocolate

Air hockey with Dad

Beating Dad at Connect 4

The carousel

The beginnings of a sand sculpture

Sissy-butt

Loving the pools!

The kiddie complex

Swim lessons have made me brave

G loves the view

My new ride

G modeling her new hat

Mom’s Miami Vice

Sunbathing

And Sunsnoozing

Time for a nap!

Nachos for us, pureed mangos for G

Genesee and Momma

Genesee and Dad

Cruisin down the sidewalks

“Where do you want to go, Genesee?”

Bean toss

Motorcycle rides!

More of G’s Z’s

Love the fancy desserts here!

Mom’s Miami Vice from another angle

Hunting for iguanas

Found an iguana!

Kissed an iguana!

Held an iguana!

Nightly entertainment provided by the Moon Palace

Nightly entertainment provided by me, Jaeger.

“I’ll sleep here tonight.”

Sunkissed faces!

On February 11th, we left on a Sun Country jet plane and headed for Mexico’s warmer winds…

…and I’m happy to report that from passport to passed out, Genesee’s first out-of-country trip was a success!

4 checked bags, 2 carry-ons, and 3.5 hours later, we managed to arrive safely in Cancun, despite suffering assigned seats across the aisle and in different rows from each other. In fact, the flight above the clouds was a breeze… the only rough part was the landing, as the pilot bounced the plane along the tarmac. Other than that, Sis and I displayed zero meltdowns and became friends with fellow frequent flyers since we were “so well behaved.” Of course, Genesee slept 90% of the trip while I only snoozed for the last twenty minutes, and because good behavior requires very little effort when one is unconscious, we all know who should get the credit for the compliments.

We’re coming for you, Piña coladas!

The day after Christmas, Genesee turned 5 months old!

Then, we blinked, and as the calendar struck January 26th, Genesee suddenly became a .5-year-old.

Over the last couple months, a lot has changed…

As a 5-month-old, Genesee began a diet completely free of breast milk, she started eating in a high chair, and she definitely found her voice.

By the 6-month-mark, Genesee could be found dancing in the living room with dad, bouncing in her jumperoo, or attending campus events like ATP.

Although she’s experienced a chronic cough and unrelenting congestion for months, G’s 6-month Well Child visit revealed stats of a healthy, still-a-peanut-but-growing babe.

Cheers to your sweet six-month birthday, sis!