In April we took an amazing family vacation with friends to Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancún, Mexico that is accessible by ferry. We arrived a couple of days early and stayed at Beachscape Kinha Villa and Suites, a small resort on the north-facing beach of Cancún’s hotel zone. Our older son Dillon’s eyes grew round and his jaw dropped as soon as he saw the pool, beach, and palm trees.

We hadn’t had family portraits taken since our youngest Dawson was born, and I thought this trip would be the perfect occasion. As soon as I saw Monica Lopez Photography’s work online, I knew she was the one. She was very easy going and friendly, and handled our active little boys very well. Monica said our hotel’s beach was the prettiest in all of Cancún, so we didn’t have to travel far to meet her. I highly recommend Monica for your portrait or event photography if you ever visit Cancun or the surrounding area. Endless thanks to our friend Chris who performed hilarious antics behind Monica for a full hour to get Dawson to smile. Because yes, even the photographer’s kid will refuse to smile or look at the camera during a professional portrait session!

Though James visited Cabo San Lucas growing up, this was my first time in Mexico and our sons’ first time out of the United States. I adored our time there and we will definitely be back. The scenery is beautiful, the locals are warm and friendly, and the food is delicious. We took a tour with our friends to Cobá, a Mayan ruins site inland from Tulum and Playa del Carmen. There we rode bicycles through the jungle, hiked the pyramid, and rode the zipline. In Isla Mujeres we rented a villa with a pool at a marina with our friends and we traveled the island by golf cart. Isla Mujeres is a magical island. Dillon said it was the best week of his life.