The Best Beach Holiday Ever...

...Well, after I left Texas on Wednesday, I flew to London where I stayed with my sister, Allyson, my brother-in-law, Luke, and my 2 adorable nieces for 2 days. We had fun playing, shopping, walking the streets of London, and just hanging out. Isabelle and I did get some hair styling especially done by Madeleine. We all left bright and early Saturday morning for our beach holiday to the Canary Islands. We stayed there from Saturday June 21st to the following Saturday, June 28th. It was fabulous! As many of you recall, I served my mission in the islands, and it has been almost 2 years. I had requested that we stay on the island of Tenerife, which was my last island to serve on. We stayed in a beautiful resort in the south, in Costa Adeje. I will report here on beach holiday happenings, and I will do a separate post for the 2 days that I went to Santa Cruz, the city where I ended my mission. Saturday we checked into our hotel, swam at the beautiful pools at our hotel, Maddie counted 4, that included the jacuzzi. The water in the pools was salty, a little different from chlorine, oh well. We ordered room service that night. Sunday was spent is Santa Cruz, see my other posting. Monday morning I went out for a run, running the same sidewalks that are all over the islands, and getting a few hola guapa comments like we used to hear on the mission. We went to our buffet breakfast-I was excited about tortilla espanola and the nutella and bananas for my crepes! I stole a mini nutella every day, shhhh, don't tell (it was like a one-serving thing, like butters, not a whole jar). Monday we spent all day at the beach, playing in the waves, playing in the sand. We went out for oriental cuisine that night. Tuesday I went to Santa Cruz again, see other posting. Wednesday we headed to the beach again, and it seemed that with each day, there were more and more topless women, yikes...we were definitely the most modest family there. We had more fun swimming and playing, and Luke rented a paddleboat that Maddie and I rode in with him. Isabelle seemed to like the ocean water, even though it was cold. Wednesday night we enjoyed the 80s music entertainment that the hotel had-Spanish performers singing 80s American tunes-scary. Thursday we spent the day at the pools. I wrote lots of postcards, or was swimming with Maddie, or playing and laughing with Izzie-she is a very happy baby. We went to Playa de las Americas, the neighboring city, and were a little disappointed...we did get Maddie dinner at McDonald's and I got a really cute shirt, my only souvenir...so I guess it was worth something. Oh, and of all things there was a Hooters right by the McDonalds, go figure...I wonder if the elders frequented it on Pday, I will hope not. Friday we spent the morning at the beach, and the afternoon at the pool. We ate the hotel's dinner buffet and then enjoyed the evening entertainment-Il Divo wanna-be's from who knows where. I thought it was going to be the real group, Il Divo, at first, I thought, "Oh, man, Alex will be so jealous." Saturday we had breakfast, hung out, packed up, went to the airport and headed back to London. My favorite things about my beach holiday were: sharing a room with Maddie, sand stuck everywhere after the beach, nutella, yummy ice cream (not quite daily consumption, but close), playing with Izzie and Maddie, using my Spanish, swimming lots, laughing with Ally and Luke or at them (kidding, love ya guys), sleeping lots (8-9 hours/night), and being a part of the happy Colton family. I love beach holidays, everyone should take one...they are good for the soul, and Ally would suggest that the sand is a great exfoliator for the feet. If you want to see more pics, you will have to come visit me and look at them on my computer...I am here in Salt Lake City until about July 29th before I head to Boston. Mucho Amor.