As parents, Kathy and I felt a little tug on our hearts over the past few years.

You see, shortly before our son Carson returned home from his two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our son Andan left on his. Because of that timing, the two brothers had not seen each other for almost four years. These are two boys who grew up sharing a bedroom, playing on the same sports teams, going on dates together, and basically being best friends in every sense of the word. Watching them be apart for so long was not easy.

So when Andan finally came home, Kathy and I decided it was time to celebrate in a big way. We planned a week-long vacation with just the two boys.

Both of them had discovered surfing while the other was away. Each had learned on his own adventure. Naturally, they both wanted to go somewhere they could surf together. Hawaii felt a little too familiar. The boys wanted a new adventure. Costa Rica sounded amazing, but the long flights and extra travel time did not fit into our short six-day window. We considered Florida and a few other places.

Then I finally persuaded Kathy to try Cabo, Mexico. A good friend of mine, Aaron Frazier, has been there many times and swears by it. There is a direct flight from Salt Lake City that takes about three hours, and the hotel is only about forty minutes from the airport. Easy in, easy out.

Another fun bonus was that all three of us served Spanish-speaking missions, so we were excited to put our Español back into action.

We booked the trip before all the news stories about danger in Mexico started circulating. When things got a little tense, I called to see if we could cancel. The answer was no. Apparently Cabo was considered very safe, even while other areas were experiencing problems.

So we decided to go for it.

Before we left, our extended family’s Super Bowl group text lit up with jokes. One nephew sent the following funny video predicting what I would look like packing for the trip....

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Another sent the following clip showing what they expected me to look like once I actually got to Mexico...

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Let’s just say the teasing was relentless and hilarious.

The flight was even better than we expected. Not only was it short...but we pretty much had the airplane to ourselves! Apparently, there were not a lot of people flying to Mexico from the US! So weird! 😂

The surfing was fantastic.

Watching the boys laugh, compete, and cheer each other on in the waves was worth the entire trip by itself.

But one of the most thrilling experiences came when we went deep sea fishing.

Aaron had recommended a fishing guide he has used many times. He told me, “He is the best there is.” He was right.

At first, a bird tried to steal our live bait. I've never seen something like this before!

Then, about fifteen miles offshore, we hooked a massive marlin. Carson has spent countless hours watching marlin fishing videos online. Catching one was a true bucket list dream for him that he never imagined would happen so soon. Yet there we were.

This fish was enormous. Sixty-five inches long and about 120 pounds. It was literally too big to fit in the boat.

I could not resist saying, “We're gonna need a bigger boat,” borrowing that famous line from the movie Jaws.

Carson did not even know how to hold it for a photo. I told him, “Just lift it like you are holding a baby.” So he did.

Apparently, as you can see in the photo above, striped marlin exhibit a brilliant, flashing display of bright blue stripes just before attacking prey. The stripes fade immediately after the attack. What a beautiful fish!

Watching our guide Carlos clean a fish that size was fascinating.

He carved out huge fillets and asked if we had anything to put them in. We did not. We had no idea we were going to catch a sea monster. Carson quickly took off his extra shirt and said, “Here. Wrap it in this.” Carlos gave us one of the 12 massive fillets.

We left the marina carrying a shirt full of fresh marlin...

...and soon we spotted the Spicy Tuna sushi bar...

...with a sign that read, “We cook your catch.” Perfect.

We walked in, handed them the shirt, and asked if they could prepare it. They smiled and said, “Seguro que sí. Siéntense aquí.” Absolutely. Sit right here. Little did we know, that chef and waitress would soon become our best friends!

What followed was one of the most memorable meals of our lives. Dish after dish appeared at our table.

Sushi rolls, ceviche, fried fish, grilled fish, creations we had never even seen before. The flavors were incredible. The boys and I were starving after fishing all day, and we gave it our best effort. Eventually we had to surrender. We simply could not eat another bite....but the chef was not finished! So, we asked him to pack up the remaining dishes to go.

Even the wasabi was shaped like a jalapeño...

Even with that, he didn't use all the meat that we gave him. He was thrilled when we told him to go ahead and keep it for his next guests.

Back at the hotel, Kathy absolutely loved the food we brought her. We all did. It was a true culinary adventure.

The next day, we went to see the famous Arch of Cabo San Lucas. Throughout the trip, people kept asking how we spoke Spanish so comfortably. We jokingly told them we were “Joyeros,” a local nickname that sparked even more curiosity.

The boys had a fun time doing backflips off of everything...

If you know me at all, you know what a big BYU football fan I am. So, you can only imagine how pleased I was to find one of the locals out in the middle of nowhere with a BYU hat on. Go Cougs!!

We found a marlin shirt and just had to get it for Carson

We loved the hot tub next to the beach (I may have gotten sunburned)...

But, the unique food was one of the most memorable parts of our trip. Eggs with beans and peas for breakfast...

Dinner at the beach...

Breakfast at the beach...

And so many sauces and flavors to try! (...just be careful because they're all super spice and will burn your mouth. Ask me how I know! 😂)

In the end, the trip was everything we hoped for. Surfing together. Laughing together. Eating incredible food. Experiencing new adventures as a family after years of being apart.

And just to cap off the adventure with one final laugh, when we boarded our flight home, airport security confiscated my tube of toothpaste but allowed us to bring the eighteen-inch sword from the marlin’s nose onto the plane.

Apparently a sword is fine. Toothpaste is where they draw the line. 😂😂😂

But you know what really stayed with me after we got home?

It was not just the surfing.
It was not just the giant marlin.
It was not even just the incredible meals.

It was the memories connected to the food.

The laughter around that sushi table.
The thrill of tasting something totally new together.
The simple joy of sitting with my boys again after so many years apart.

Those are the moments that become family legends.

And that is one of the reasons I love what we do at Cook’n. Recipes are important. Great meals are wonderful. But what matters most are the memories that form around them. The stories. The traditions. The experiences you never want to forget.

Whether it is a once-in-a-lifetime marlin feast in Mexico or your grandma’s corned beef on a Sunday afternoon, capturing those food memories helps keep them alive for generations.

That is the real magic.