Since I brought up Paleo and eating like a caveman in my previous post...I thought I would fill you in on the lifestyle change that Cody and I are embarking on...
So...speaking of cavemen...Cody and I are going Paleo. If you haven't heard of Paleo (paleolithic), it's also called the caveman diet. Basically, we don't eat anything a caveman wouldn't have eaten. So, we eat any kind of meat (organic, grass fed, wild caught, hormone and antibiotic free...you get the picture), all veggies, all fruit, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. The things you can't eat when you are eating Paleo are: dairy, grains, processed foods & sugars (we...mainly me...were already not eating this stuff...GROSS!), legumes, starches (again...not really eating this to begin with), and alcohol. Of course, sometimes, we aren't super strict with this. We'll have a social drink with our besties, or we may have one drink if we go on a date...but we really don't drink anyways...so the whole giving up alcohol was kinda moot point anyways. As far as legumes go...I love me some hummus...which has chickpeas in it. I make my own if I'm going to have it...so I will still occasionally have this. I also love quinoa...so if I get a craving for it...I'll whip up some as a side dish and put tons of roasted sweet potatoes in it. I would honestly say that I eat Paleo 90-95% of the time. Cody is probably 80-85% of the time. It's a little harder for him because he and all the guys go out to each for lunch everyday and there is really no way to get around eating foods that aren't Paleo. Especially in Abilene. And he also still drinks regular milk. I've been drinking unsweetened almond milk for several years now...and I don't really like cheese, and butter is a cuss word in my book. So, honestly, I've probably been eating 80-85% Paleo for the past several years without trying to. I'm just extremely conscious of it now and only eat, cook, and buy foods that are typical of this lifestyle.
What I love about eating Paleo is how it makes me feel. I can really say that I have always felt great. I have always eaten super healthy and workout everyday. But, Paleo makes me feel even better. I used to always have to have something sweet at lunch, sometimes I craved something sweet after dinner too. I would always choose a healthy option, either something organic from the health food store or something I made myself from natural ingredients at home. Now, I don't crave sweets at all. In fact, the thought of eating something sweet kinda hurts my stomach now. Don't get me wrong...every once in awhile...I still get a craving. But that's what I love about Paleo. I can still do my baking and have my sweets, I just do it with coconut or almond flour, honey, agave, dates, coconut oil, almond or coconut milk, or nut butters. The beauty is, is that these Paleo sweets are naturally sweetened but not so sweet you feel like your mouth is coated with processed junk that's clogging your arteries and making you feel like poo. Blunt...but true! Really, it's crazy how much better I feel ever since I've started eating even more healthy than I was before. And the thing that's even more crazy...I'm never, ever hungry. Even when I was eating super healthy and being really strict with what I ate, I would get really hungry in between meals, even with a snack here and there. I'm eating so many more vegetables and meat, that I find myself extremely satisfied from meal to meal. And...when I am really hungry in between meals, I eat things like raw veggies, berries, nut butter, or Larabars.
There are so many options for all things Paleo it's unreal. You can just "Google" the Paleo diet and the list of resources is unbelievable. Disclaimer...it's called the Paleo "diet." I really don't believe it's a diet. It's a lifestyle. It is simply a way of life and all about the choices that you make to improve your health, energy levels, and physical fitness. You've heard me gush about CrossFit before. Cause it's AWESOME! It's the only thing Cody and I...and all our friends do now. We actually joined an extreme fitness team in Abilene in August. It's called Elite Fitness and Nutrition. And you should all go and check it out...then join because you can't get a better workout than the workouts we do there...I promise! We have been doing it on our own for about 2.5 years now. But our fitness levels have improved by leaps and bounds. I'm doing things and lifting weight that would scare some boys! Seriously though...CrossFit is a passion of mine and part of my heart (and blood, sweat, and tears) belongs to Elite now! But, I also feel like eating more of a Paleo diet has helped me to improve my overall fitness level. I have tons more energy and every ounce of food that I put into my body is good for me and is fuel for my workouts. The big time CrossFit athletes are super strict with Paleo. I'm talking like 100% Paleo 100% of the time. Like I said earlier...I do 90-95% Paleo probably 85-95% of the time and Cody does Paleo 80-85% strict 75-90% of the time. Kinda confusing I know! There is one thing that I can't seem to give up though. Coffee. And honestly...I probably won't ever. I love it and it's just something that I look forward to every morning. I'm not going to give that up for any diet or lifestyle change. A lifestyle change is supposed to be something you enjoy, are passionate about, and something that you can do for long term. If I had to give up coffee, Paleo wouldn't be something that I would be passionate about. So, it's not worth it to me to give up coffee. Plus...I can still kick some major butt and lift extremely heavy weight in CrossFit while still drinking coffee...winning! I do like my coffee sweet and with creamer. I have been using Stevia extract for a long time now...but I still buy the International Delight creamer...they're so yummy! Obviously...not Paleo. I'm probably going to try some coconut creamer soon to see how I like it. But if I don't...I'm going to stick to my favorites for the reason I just mentioned earlier. I do measure how much I'm putting in my coffee so that I know exactly how much I'm getting...but I measure and portion all my food...so that's nothing new!
Paleo and CrossFit are becoming major parts of our lifestyle. CrossFit has been part of our lives and important to us for a few years now and eating healthy has always been important to us. It's just even more important to us and has become our lifestyle now that we have joined an extreme fitness team and want our overall fitness level to improve even more than it has. Elite Fitness and Nutrition and the sweet couple that own it, Jeremy and Chanon Siglock, have helped us improve in so many ways...and they have become amazing friends! I can't say enough about Elite or the coaching we get from Jeremy and Chanon. It's truly a community. You are competeing against one another and yet, you are still motivating, encouraging, and guiding one another through the workouts. I'm obsessed! If you live in Abilene, check out the Elite Fitness and Nutrition page on Facebook...you won't regret it! Also...I'll post some Paleo resources at the bottom so you can see what it's all about. Cause...what I told you is only a tid bit of all there is. I'm still learning myself! Have an amazing Monday!!! Until next time...XOXO!!!
PaleOMG - All Paleo Recipes
Civilized Caveman Cooking - All Paleo Recipes
Health Bent - All Paleo Recipes
Paleo Comfort Foods - All Paleo Recipes
Paleo Holiday Meals - All Paleo Holiday Recipes...Plus tons of other Paleo Recipes
Paleo Parents - All Paleo Recipes
The Food Lovers Kitchen - All Paleo Recipes
Primal Home - All Paleo Recipes
TGIPaleo - All Paleo Recipes
The Unrefined Kitchen - All Paleo Recipes
The Urban Poser - Tons of Paleo Recipes
Clean Food, Creative Fitness - Tons of Paleo Recipes
Multiply Delicious - Tons of Paleo Recipes
Robb Wolf - Amazing Resource for all things Paleo
Everyday Paleo - Recipes and Resources
The Clothes Make the Girl - Recipes and Resources
Side Note: This is seriously the tip of the iceberg. These are just food blogs and resources that I have personally looked into and used myself. There are so many more you can check out for yourself if you Google or go to any bookstore!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
My Life Lately
Happy Fall Ya'll!!! I know, I know...the first day of fall was on September 22nd. But, I've been so busy enjoying all that fall has to offer, I haven't had any time to post about it! Well...that's not entirely true. I've had time...I've just been spending it doing other things! I feel like I say that every season is my favorite. And I guess in some ways...they are all my favorite because there are so many different things to enjoy when it comes to every season. But, there is just something about fall. It's football season, hunting season, the weather is cooling off, I can take the girls for a run and Sarge for a walk without fear of them overheating, cute fall/winter clothes can finally be pulled out from the back of the closet (thank goodness for leggings, skinny jeans, and long shirts and sweaters!), the time is getting ready to change, it's always beautiful outside, the leaves are changing colors, snuggle time increases because it's cool enough you don't sweat to death, and of course...Starbuck's has their pumpkin spice lattes! Cause let's get real...coffee is my crutch in the mornings (or afternoons, or evenings...just whenever really)! But really, there is something in the air with fall that smells and feels so good. I also love that it's time to pull out the crock pot and make yummy soups and chili. And...I bake like a maniac because everything is pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon and it just makes the house smell yummy! I usually don't eat what I bake...but I'll whip something up just to make the house smell like a bakery...or Cinnabon. Whatever floats my boat that day!
Cody and I have honestly been enjoying fall. He's been going hunting here and there...which is his passion. He actually shot a beautiful 8 point buck with a drop tine. It was his first buck to shoot with his bow! We were both super excited about that...it will definitely be up on our wall in the office soon! He's shot lots of doe, both axis and white tail. But, he's never gotten the opportunity to shoot something worth mounting before. They've always been too far away to shoot with his bow or they would smell him and take off before he got a chance to draw on one. He, my dad, and brother lease a place out in Noodle. That's where this buck was taken. They go to the lease on some weeknights and most weekends. They go out early in the mornings, come home for lunch, rest, then head back out to the lease until dark. Then come home and eat dinner and turn around and do it all again the next day! Of course, we have our ranch in Comfort, but it's 3.5 hours away. So, they actually have to plan and make a trip out of going down there. So, it's nice they have this lease so close to home. While the boys hunt, I usually just do stuff around the house. You know...the weekend chores. Run errands, clean house, cook, shop a little, hang out with my besties. If mom is also in town, I usually go run some errands with her too. Hunting season is fun. We get to enjoy just taking in God's beautiful creatures and His beautiful creations in nature with the changing landscapes...and the freezer gets refilled with yummy, healthy, lean, and natural meat. Sounds a little contradicting I know. But, it truly is amazing just to be in a deer blind and take everything in. Hunting is just part of how we feed our family and also how we do our part to manage the deer population. I mean...the cavemen did it! I've got a post coming up talking about a lifestyle change for Cody and I relating to how we're eating like cavemen...it's called Paleo!
All of this said...we are LOVING fall, our new Paleo lifestyle, and falling even more in love with CrossFit because of our amazing Elite team...more on that in the Paleo post! We are having so much fun enjoying the cooler weather, watching lots of football, hunting, taking our loves for long runs and walks, nights by the campfires with our besties, and all things fall. I hope I peaked your interest with my little teaser about Paleo and Elite Fitness and Nutrition! Until that post...XOXO!!!
Here are some pics of Cody's deer!!!
Cody and I have honestly been enjoying fall. He's been going hunting here and there...which is his passion. He actually shot a beautiful 8 point buck with a drop tine. It was his first buck to shoot with his bow! We were both super excited about that...it will definitely be up on our wall in the office soon! He's shot lots of doe, both axis and white tail. But, he's never gotten the opportunity to shoot something worth mounting before. They've always been too far away to shoot with his bow or they would smell him and take off before he got a chance to draw on one. He, my dad, and brother lease a place out in Noodle. That's where this buck was taken. They go to the lease on some weeknights and most weekends. They go out early in the mornings, come home for lunch, rest, then head back out to the lease until dark. Then come home and eat dinner and turn around and do it all again the next day! Of course, we have our ranch in Comfort, but it's 3.5 hours away. So, they actually have to plan and make a trip out of going down there. So, it's nice they have this lease so close to home. While the boys hunt, I usually just do stuff around the house. You know...the weekend chores. Run errands, clean house, cook, shop a little, hang out with my besties. If mom is also in town, I usually go run some errands with her too. Hunting season is fun. We get to enjoy just taking in God's beautiful creatures and His beautiful creations in nature with the changing landscapes...and the freezer gets refilled with yummy, healthy, lean, and natural meat. Sounds a little contradicting I know. But, it truly is amazing just to be in a deer blind and take everything in. Hunting is just part of how we feed our family and also how we do our part to manage the deer population. I mean...the cavemen did it! I've got a post coming up talking about a lifestyle change for Cody and I relating to how we're eating like cavemen...it's called Paleo!
All of this said...we are LOVING fall, our new Paleo lifestyle, and falling even more in love with CrossFit because of our amazing Elite team...more on that in the Paleo post! We are having so much fun enjoying the cooler weather, watching lots of football, hunting, taking our loves for long runs and walks, nights by the campfires with our besties, and all things fall. I hope I peaked your interest with my little teaser about Paleo and Elite Fitness and Nutrition! Until that post...XOXO!!!
Here are some pics of Cody's deer!!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Princess Faith!!!
When it comes to Faith, she will always hold a place in my heart. Cody knew how bad I wanted a female chocolate lab and he went to all measures to find just the perfect one for me...and for our family. I remember the day he came to school and surprised me with her. How he told me that he knew she was the one by how she reacted to him. She patiently waited for him to come to her while all the other precious pups were jumping around and going to him. He said when he picked her up, she just nuzzled into him and snuggled. From that moment, he knew she was perfect for us. And she has been just that for the past four years. Perfect! Don't get me wrong...she can be a pill. She's pretty stubborn and does what she wants a lot of the time. But, she is so sweet and loving. She is a true companion and knows when you need some space but also knows when you need to be comforted and loved on. My favorite time is when she wants to come and crawl up in your lap and lay with you. Cody's favorite time is when she snuggles with him in the morning. When I leave, I let her in our room and she lays right next to him all snuggled up. When his alarm goes off, she crawls on his chest and lays her head on his shoulder while he's waking up. I really can't put it into words how much she means to both of us and how much we really do love her. And I really don't think that we will ever be able to express it enough to her...or any of our dogs for that matter. They so much to us and we try to do everything in our power to show them how much we love them and how much they mean to us each and everyday...they are just our precious babies!!! We love you, Faith, so, so much!!! You're our little princess!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day
On August 1, 2012, my family and I went to Chick-Fil-A to show our support. Now, this post may offend some people. And if it offends you, then I genuinely apologize. My intentions are not to offend, upset, or judge anyone by any means. The reason that I wanted to go and show support for Chick-Fil-A on this day is because I applaud them for being a company that stands up for what they believe in. I mean, it's our right as Americans to do just that. People stand up for themselves all the time based on their religion, color, race, sexual orientation, or gender. So, why shouldn't businesses be allowed to do the same thing? Especially businesses who implement biblical minded principles. Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays so that the employees are allowed one day to be off so that they may spend the day with their families. They also close earlier than most places on any other weeknight for the same reason. The premise behind being closed on Sundays is also so that families may enjoy the time of worship as a family instead of having to do that separately if one member of that family has to be at work. I think it's wonderful. Chick-Fil-A simply stood up for what they believe in and for what the founder based his principals on long ago when he first started the company. They are a family owned and family led company that applies biblical-based principals into the daily operations and management of their businesses. When asked the question about traditional or same-sex marriage, Dan Cathy simply stated his opinions and beliefs in what the Bible says about traditional marriage. This question was definitely one that caused quite a controversy and led Chick-Fil-A to have this "Appreciation Day." I chose to support Chick-Fil-A because my family and I are firm believers in what the Bible says. The Bible is our guide to life and we should try to live the life that Jesus set out for us each and everyday. We are all sinners, we make mistakes on a daily basis, and we all fall very short on what God has set before us. The good news is, is that we are saved by the grace of God and by Jesus who gave his life on the cross for us so that we may live through him. How could Dan Cathy, or anyone else for that matter, not stand up for that?!?! I think what makes me the most mad about the protesting that went on is that anyone of those protesters were doing exactly what Dan Cathy did. Standing up for what they believe in and for their rights as human beings. We may not all agree on our beliefs, but we certainly have every right in the world to stand up for what we believe in. Just because Dan Cathy and Chick-Fil-A in general stood up for their beliefs, they got a bad rap from those that disagree. I think we can all agree that at some point in time, we all disagree on one thing or another. It doesn't matter if your husband and wife, siblings, family members, friends, or perfect strangers, none of us are ever going to agree on everything. We are different people who have different opinions and different interests. God made us that way for a reason. We are made perfect in his image, and his image isn't for us to all be the same. Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (NIV Bible). God has a plan for us long before we are ever conceived and he wants us to all be unique and different. His love for us goes far beyond what we could ever imagine, difference of opinion or not. He even loves those who do not believe in him. Those people are his children and he desires for them to know him, even if they turn away from him. Again, how could anyone not stand up for a God like that?!?!? I am a Christian. I agree with Dan Cathy, not because of what he says about traditional marriage, or anything else for that matter, but because of what the Bible says. I have so many friends from all walks of life and I love them no matter what. Some of those friends would disagree with Dan Cathy, and obviously me too. And that's fine for them to have their own opinion. We don't agree on that matter and we may never. They know where I stand on my beliefs about it and I know where they stand. But, you know what? We are still friends and I will continue to love them and be friends with them. That's what we are called to do...to love people. It's hard sometimes. There are many circumstances through all walks of life when it's hard to love or show love to someone, but in the end, we are to love one another just as God loves us. And, how will anyone come to know Jesus if we, as Christians, aren't showing others the love and light of Christ? I have made and continue to make so many mistakes and have failed so many times in my life at pleasing God. But, because of my beliefs, I know that his grace and love for me is enough to cover my sins and transgressions. I would stand up for my beliefs under any circumstance, why wouldn't anyone else do the same no matter what their beliefs are? If you are asked a question on your beliefs and you deny them, then aren't you being a hypocrite? I love the Lord and I believe in the Bible and what it says. I applaud Dan Cathy and Chick-Fil-A for standing up for their Christian beliefs and biblical-based work and management principals. Especially in a time when Christian beliefs, morals, and principals are pushed under the rug or altered to fit an individuals lifestyle so that they can still do and act as they please, even if it goes against what Jesus has laid out before us in the Bible. I'm guilty of it too sometimes, I think in some way we all are. It's easy to "of this world" and not just be "in this world." Romans 12:2 states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (NIV Bible). But, if anyone has any doubts on how to live and the views, morals, and principals of the ONLY one that can save us from this world and from our sins and transgressions, it's right there in black, white, and...red in the Bible.
The following are pictures of the many supporters at the Chick-Fil-A in Abilene on South Clack Street...
The following are pictures of the many supporters at the Chick-Fil-A in Abilene on South Clack Street...
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Jamaica Mon!
Our trip to Jamaica was simply amazing! The island is so breathtakingly beautiful and the Caribbean sea is so crystal clear with sparkling blue, turquoise, and aqua water. You could just look out from your lounge on the beach and see the water grow darker the further out from land you looked. We had so much fun while we were there...it was really hard to get on that plane back to Texas! There were so many memories and fun times made and we already look forward to taking another trip back! This trip would not have been possible if Josh and Abbie hadn't gotten married back in June! We totally crashed their honeymoon! Not really...but we did meet them there half way into it! When we got married (almost 5 years ago now), we invited several of our friends to come along with us. We went on our honeymoon for an entire week (from Sunday to Sunday) and asked our besties to come from Thursday to Sunday. On that trip, 6 other people met us in Riviera Maya, Mexico. There were two other couples, Brent and Bria, Jake and Leah, and two single boys, Josh and Randall. It was so much fun! We got to spend 4 and a half days alone doing whatever we wanted then the other 3 and a half days playing and enjoying a vacation with our friends. Since Josh was there, he wanted to do the same thing when he and Abbie got married. She was totally on board, so when they decided when and where they were going, they asked all of us to go to. Since we got married, the other two couples have had babies and several other couples couldn't make it due to other obligations. Thankfully, we were able to tag along! They were going to be there for a whole week (from Monday to Monday). So...we booked our trip for Friday to Monday and could hardly wait to be in Jamaica!!!
Our flight left on Friday morning at 6:00 and we were supposed to arrive in Montego Bay, Jamaica by 10:30. This was perfect because we would be at our resort in Negril by noon. Even though we were traveling, we wouldn't really be losing much time since we would be there so early. The only downside to this is that you have to be at the airport 2 hours before your flight leaves. Since we were having to go through baggage check, customs, and all the detectors, we knew that it was super important to be there...even though it meant waking up at 3 am on Friday morning. Since we knew all this ahead of time, we decided to head down to the Metroplex on Thursday. We stayed at the DoubleTree in Irving...5 minutes from the airport. We figured if we got there on Thursday night, it would give us plenty of time to rest, relax and get to bed early since we were having to get up long before the crack of dawn! If we would have stayed in Abilene, we wouldn't have gone to bed early because we would have been doing last minute stuff and playing with the dogs. Plus, we would have had to leave at like midnight...so it just didn't make any sense to not go down on Thursday night. It was a pretty nice evening. We got there, checked in to our hotel, then headed to P.F. Chang's for dinner. When we got back to the room, we laid out our clothes we were going to wear on the plane, took showers, then laid in bed and watched TV for a couple of hours. We really didn't go to bed super early, but about 10:00, we turned in. Then...it was not so peaceful anymore. I'm pretty sure someone tripped the fire alarm as a prank...which happened around 11:30. I must have been really asleep because Cody had to wake me up...I didn't even hear the alarms going off! We both looked out into the hall and some people were coming out of their room and some looked out and then went back in their rooms. Neither one of us could figure out what was going on or decide if this was real or fake. I was half freaked out and half mad...but I still didn't want to just stay in our room if something really was happening. Thankfully, we were close to an exit door, so I gathered up all of my luggage, Cody got his and we were out of the hotel within seconds. At first, Cody made fun of me for wanting to take all our junk. But...if it would have been for real...then we would have lost our passports, driver's licenses, luggage, etc. This is really irrational...but I was not about to miss a trip to Jamaica for a fire...real or fake! Thankfully, it was a false alarm/prank and everything was perfectly fine. It did take us both awhile to wind down and go back to sleep. It was probably around 1:00 before we finally fell asleep again, so we really only got about 3 hours of good sleep. Since we were both so excited about being in Jamaica, we really didn't notice how little sleep we had gotten. When the alarm went off, we both got up, got ready and went downstairs to get on the shuttle to take us to the airport. The DoubleTree had free parking up to 7 days...so it was super nice we didn't have to pay for that! We got to the airport around 4:15 am, got in line to check our bags, waited for about 15 minutes to do that, then went through security, and we were all done! Since we were there so early, no restaurants were opened yet. So, we waited until sometime after five when they opened to get breakfast...and a much needed coffee for me! Einstein Bros. Bagels was right around the corner from our gate, so I went and got in line while Cody waited with my carry-on. It was so good and so nice to get some coffee in my system! Shortly after, we boarded the plane and we were off!
When we landed, we were both so excited! On the descent down, you are flying right over the ocean and looking onto mountains covered with green trees and beautiful tropical flowers. We got off the plane, got our bags, and headed over to the Couples Swept Away: Negril resort spot in the airport. After about 10 minutes, we were on a shuttle and headed to Negril! The drive was an hour and a half...but it was so beautiful the whole way. There were so many things to see and our driver told us so many things about the Country. It was really neat...but by the time we got to our hotel...we were so ready to meet up with Josh and Abbie, put on our swimsuits, eat some lunch, and be on the beach! As soon as we checked in, we headed to our room, tossed our bags on the bed, changed as fast as we could and headed out to find Josh and Abbie. When we found them, they were lounging on the beach waiting on us. As soon as we saw them, we ran over to them, hugged them as hard as we could, and chatted for a few minutes. We were all starving, so we headed to lunch at the restaurant right off the beach and chowed down on some good Jamaican fare. One of the many good things about an all-inclusive resort is that you don't have to bring a single thing with you and you can order as much as you want. The food and drinks at this resort were amazing! After lunch, we lounged on the beach for a few hours, then went on a sunset catamaran cruise that took us all over that part of the island. We stopped at a beautiful little cove and all slid down the slide that was on the boat...so fun! We stopped by Rick's Cafe and watched the people jump off the cliffs into the ocean. After a couple of hours out on the water, we headed back in to the resort. By then, it was just about time for dinner. So, we all went back to our rooms, got ready and met at one of the many restaurants. Dinner was great, and we had made plans afterwards to go to the piano bar. But, after we ate, Cody and I had really started to feel the lack of sleep and the wear and tear of traveling. So, we all headed back to our rooms and called it a night.
On Saturday, Cody and I had made plans to go swim with the dolphins. When we were on our honeymoon, I really wanted to swim with them. But, we went on several other excursions and just wound up not having time. Those were so much fun, but I made him promise me if we ever went to another beach that had a place to swim with the dolphins, we would. So, we did! The place that we went was called Dolphin Cove and I was like a five year old. I could hardly contain my excitement and was so giddy the whole ride to the place. This particular site had lots of fun things to do. There was a camel, peacocks, a sting ray, nurse shark, and the main attraction...DOLPHINS!!! You could ride on the camel, but we decided not to do that. We did swim with the sting ray and Cody swam with the nurse shark. The peacocks were just there to be pretty. But, we did the ultimate swim with the dolphins option. This allowed us to be able to actually swim with them and also do some fun activities with them. We got to kiss them (rather they kissed us), dance with them, they pulled us by their dorsal fins, and they pushed off of our feet with their nose and it sends you into the air like superman. I'm not going to lie...just writing about this makes me so happy! I'm not sure when my love for dolphins came about...but it's one of those things that makes me so happy I could cry. So weird I know...but ever since I can remember I've been this way when it comes to dolphins! On a family vacation, back in 8th grade, we went to Cozumel, Mexico and Dad, Michael, and I swam with them. I remember it like it was yesterday and up to that point it had probably been one of the greatest times in my life. So, doing it as an adult was a whole new experience...but I got just as excited! Dolphins are so smart and so friendly. One of the things they did on this excursion was swim by you and you got to pet them. Their skin feels so smooth and really kinda soft. You would think it feels like rubber...but it doesn't at all. Cody and I both had so much fun swimming and playing with them. They are amazing, beautiful, magnificent animals and I am SO glad that we got to swim with them!!! After we did that, we headed back to the resort, met up with Josh and Abbie, and had some lunch. Then, we headed back to the beach and just lounged on floaties in the ocean for hours. I suppose at some point in time you have to come out to eat, so we did. We headed to our rooms to get ready for dinner and met up at one of the more fancy restaurants called Lemongrass. It was amazing! I think it was all of our favorite places to eat. After dinner, we headed over to the piano bar. Oh my...did we have fun! We sat around the piano and sang our hearts away. The microphone was passed around and each of us sang bits and pieces of multiple songs. But, the main attraction were our husbands. Crazy boys!!! Cody sang the entire song, Rocket Man by Elton John...which he sang really well. And Josh...well Josh likes to sing about everything. In fact, he'll make up a song about what he and Abbie are doing that evening or turn a sentence into a song. So, he was all about grabbing that microphone and singing every chance he got...it was great! After the piano bar, we went to the little night club at the resort and danced for a little bit. We had so much fun and it was a great way to end an amazing day!
Sunday was our last full day to be in Jamaica...so we had to go out with a bang! We woke up fairly early, met Josh and Abbie for breakfast around 8:30 and laid on the beach for a couple of hours. The boys went and played in the ocean while Abbie and I lounged on the beach reading. Both of us had gotten hooked on the Fifty Shades of Grey books. So you could hardly tear us away from them! I had just started the first book and Abbie was already on the second...but both of us were completely unaware of anything going on around us while we were reading. Around 10:30 we headed to the front of the resort because we were taking a private cruise around the island. We were so excited! It was going to be just us four with two workers from the resort on a private boat for as long as we wanted. We headed out a little after 10:30 and cruised around the island for awhile. A ways off the shore from our resort, there was a little remote island that they took us to. They anchored the boat and we waded through the water to the shore of this little island. When we got to the island, there was a group of locals cooking fresh caught lobster and listening to Reggea music. It was so cool to come upon them and talk to them for a bit and just watch them work. We wondered around that little island for awhile just looking at the panoramic views of all that is Jamaica. The water was magnificent to look at and it was so beautiful to look out onto all the beautiful mountains. Everything there is so green and the colors of the tropical flowers and water will literally take your breath away. We finally headed back to the boat and made our way back to the resort. After a couple of hours of being on the boat, we were all pretty hungry! The two workers had made us lots of different snack plates, but you can only go so far with fruit, veggies, and mini sandwiches! The private cruise was more than fun...it was amazing! We would have never gotten to see so much of Negril if we wouldn't have gone on it. And we had so much fun laying out and relaxing on the boat, talking, eating, and making tons of memories. So, when we got back, we had some lunch, then went back to our spot on the beach. The boys played in the water some more and Abbie and I grabbed our books and pretty much had our noses in them until we packed up and headed back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. I'm telling you...those books were SO good! I finished the first one on the trip and had the other two read within a few days of getting back. The story turns in to so much more than what the media portrays. Anyways...we got ready for dinner and then met up at the restaurant that was right off the ocean. We figured there was no better way to end the trip than with dinner right on the beach. Dinner was amazing...just like all our other meals. We sat there at the restaurant and just hung out and talked for a few hours, we wanted to soak in every last minute we could before heading back to our rooms for bed. We had to be in the lobby ready to go to the airport by 7:00 am...so we all needed a good night's rest! All four of us had the time of our lives. We got to go and do so many fun things while we were there and we got to do it with our very best friends. There were so many memories made...it was definitely a trip that will never be forgotten! Josh and Abbie are family to us, so there was no better way to spend an island vacation than with friends who are so near and dear to our hearts. We look forward to the next trip and making many more memories with these two precious people!
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip!!! Be prepared...there's a TON!!!
Our flight left on Friday morning at 6:00 and we were supposed to arrive in Montego Bay, Jamaica by 10:30. This was perfect because we would be at our resort in Negril by noon. Even though we were traveling, we wouldn't really be losing much time since we would be there so early. The only downside to this is that you have to be at the airport 2 hours before your flight leaves. Since we were having to go through baggage check, customs, and all the detectors, we knew that it was super important to be there...even though it meant waking up at 3 am on Friday morning. Since we knew all this ahead of time, we decided to head down to the Metroplex on Thursday. We stayed at the DoubleTree in Irving...5 minutes from the airport. We figured if we got there on Thursday night, it would give us plenty of time to rest, relax and get to bed early since we were having to get up long before the crack of dawn! If we would have stayed in Abilene, we wouldn't have gone to bed early because we would have been doing last minute stuff and playing with the dogs. Plus, we would have had to leave at like midnight...so it just didn't make any sense to not go down on Thursday night. It was a pretty nice evening. We got there, checked in to our hotel, then headed to P.F. Chang's for dinner. When we got back to the room, we laid out our clothes we were going to wear on the plane, took showers, then laid in bed and watched TV for a couple of hours. We really didn't go to bed super early, but about 10:00, we turned in. Then...it was not so peaceful anymore. I'm pretty sure someone tripped the fire alarm as a prank...which happened around 11:30. I must have been really asleep because Cody had to wake me up...I didn't even hear the alarms going off! We both looked out into the hall and some people were coming out of their room and some looked out and then went back in their rooms. Neither one of us could figure out what was going on or decide if this was real or fake. I was half freaked out and half mad...but I still didn't want to just stay in our room if something really was happening. Thankfully, we were close to an exit door, so I gathered up all of my luggage, Cody got his and we were out of the hotel within seconds. At first, Cody made fun of me for wanting to take all our junk. But...if it would have been for real...then we would have lost our passports, driver's licenses, luggage, etc. This is really irrational...but I was not about to miss a trip to Jamaica for a fire...real or fake! Thankfully, it was a false alarm/prank and everything was perfectly fine. It did take us both awhile to wind down and go back to sleep. It was probably around 1:00 before we finally fell asleep again, so we really only got about 3 hours of good sleep. Since we were both so excited about being in Jamaica, we really didn't notice how little sleep we had gotten. When the alarm went off, we both got up, got ready and went downstairs to get on the shuttle to take us to the airport. The DoubleTree had free parking up to 7 days...so it was super nice we didn't have to pay for that! We got to the airport around 4:15 am, got in line to check our bags, waited for about 15 minutes to do that, then went through security, and we were all done! Since we were there so early, no restaurants were opened yet. So, we waited until sometime after five when they opened to get breakfast...and a much needed coffee for me! Einstein Bros. Bagels was right around the corner from our gate, so I went and got in line while Cody waited with my carry-on. It was so good and so nice to get some coffee in my system! Shortly after, we boarded the plane and we were off!
When we landed, we were both so excited! On the descent down, you are flying right over the ocean and looking onto mountains covered with green trees and beautiful tropical flowers. We got off the plane, got our bags, and headed over to the Couples Swept Away: Negril resort spot in the airport. After about 10 minutes, we were on a shuttle and headed to Negril! The drive was an hour and a half...but it was so beautiful the whole way. There were so many things to see and our driver told us so many things about the Country. It was really neat...but by the time we got to our hotel...we were so ready to meet up with Josh and Abbie, put on our swimsuits, eat some lunch, and be on the beach! As soon as we checked in, we headed to our room, tossed our bags on the bed, changed as fast as we could and headed out to find Josh and Abbie. When we found them, they were lounging on the beach waiting on us. As soon as we saw them, we ran over to them, hugged them as hard as we could, and chatted for a few minutes. We were all starving, so we headed to lunch at the restaurant right off the beach and chowed down on some good Jamaican fare. One of the many good things about an all-inclusive resort is that you don't have to bring a single thing with you and you can order as much as you want. The food and drinks at this resort were amazing! After lunch, we lounged on the beach for a few hours, then went on a sunset catamaran cruise that took us all over that part of the island. We stopped at a beautiful little cove and all slid down the slide that was on the boat...so fun! We stopped by Rick's Cafe and watched the people jump off the cliffs into the ocean. After a couple of hours out on the water, we headed back in to the resort. By then, it was just about time for dinner. So, we all went back to our rooms, got ready and met at one of the many restaurants. Dinner was great, and we had made plans afterwards to go to the piano bar. But, after we ate, Cody and I had really started to feel the lack of sleep and the wear and tear of traveling. So, we all headed back to our rooms and called it a night.
On Saturday, Cody and I had made plans to go swim with the dolphins. When we were on our honeymoon, I really wanted to swim with them. But, we went on several other excursions and just wound up not having time. Those were so much fun, but I made him promise me if we ever went to another beach that had a place to swim with the dolphins, we would. So, we did! The place that we went was called Dolphin Cove and I was like a five year old. I could hardly contain my excitement and was so giddy the whole ride to the place. This particular site had lots of fun things to do. There was a camel, peacocks, a sting ray, nurse shark, and the main attraction...DOLPHINS!!! You could ride on the camel, but we decided not to do that. We did swim with the sting ray and Cody swam with the nurse shark. The peacocks were just there to be pretty. But, we did the ultimate swim with the dolphins option. This allowed us to be able to actually swim with them and also do some fun activities with them. We got to kiss them (rather they kissed us), dance with them, they pulled us by their dorsal fins, and they pushed off of our feet with their nose and it sends you into the air like superman. I'm not going to lie...just writing about this makes me so happy! I'm not sure when my love for dolphins came about...but it's one of those things that makes me so happy I could cry. So weird I know...but ever since I can remember I've been this way when it comes to dolphins! On a family vacation, back in 8th grade, we went to Cozumel, Mexico and Dad, Michael, and I swam with them. I remember it like it was yesterday and up to that point it had probably been one of the greatest times in my life. So, doing it as an adult was a whole new experience...but I got just as excited! Dolphins are so smart and so friendly. One of the things they did on this excursion was swim by you and you got to pet them. Their skin feels so smooth and really kinda soft. You would think it feels like rubber...but it doesn't at all. Cody and I both had so much fun swimming and playing with them. They are amazing, beautiful, magnificent animals and I am SO glad that we got to swim with them!!! After we did that, we headed back to the resort, met up with Josh and Abbie, and had some lunch. Then, we headed back to the beach and just lounged on floaties in the ocean for hours. I suppose at some point in time you have to come out to eat, so we did. We headed to our rooms to get ready for dinner and met up at one of the more fancy restaurants called Lemongrass. It was amazing! I think it was all of our favorite places to eat. After dinner, we headed over to the piano bar. Oh my...did we have fun! We sat around the piano and sang our hearts away. The microphone was passed around and each of us sang bits and pieces of multiple songs. But, the main attraction were our husbands. Crazy boys!!! Cody sang the entire song, Rocket Man by Elton John...which he sang really well. And Josh...well Josh likes to sing about everything. In fact, he'll make up a song about what he and Abbie are doing that evening or turn a sentence into a song. So, he was all about grabbing that microphone and singing every chance he got...it was great! After the piano bar, we went to the little night club at the resort and danced for a little bit. We had so much fun and it was a great way to end an amazing day!
Sunday was our last full day to be in Jamaica...so we had to go out with a bang! We woke up fairly early, met Josh and Abbie for breakfast around 8:30 and laid on the beach for a couple of hours. The boys went and played in the ocean while Abbie and I lounged on the beach reading. Both of us had gotten hooked on the Fifty Shades of Grey books. So you could hardly tear us away from them! I had just started the first book and Abbie was already on the second...but both of us were completely unaware of anything going on around us while we were reading. Around 10:30 we headed to the front of the resort because we were taking a private cruise around the island. We were so excited! It was going to be just us four with two workers from the resort on a private boat for as long as we wanted. We headed out a little after 10:30 and cruised around the island for awhile. A ways off the shore from our resort, there was a little remote island that they took us to. They anchored the boat and we waded through the water to the shore of this little island. When we got to the island, there was a group of locals cooking fresh caught lobster and listening to Reggea music. It was so cool to come upon them and talk to them for a bit and just watch them work. We wondered around that little island for awhile just looking at the panoramic views of all that is Jamaica. The water was magnificent to look at and it was so beautiful to look out onto all the beautiful mountains. Everything there is so green and the colors of the tropical flowers and water will literally take your breath away. We finally headed back to the boat and made our way back to the resort. After a couple of hours of being on the boat, we were all pretty hungry! The two workers had made us lots of different snack plates, but you can only go so far with fruit, veggies, and mini sandwiches! The private cruise was more than fun...it was amazing! We would have never gotten to see so much of Negril if we wouldn't have gone on it. And we had so much fun laying out and relaxing on the boat, talking, eating, and making tons of memories. So, when we got back, we had some lunch, then went back to our spot on the beach. The boys played in the water some more and Abbie and I grabbed our books and pretty much had our noses in them until we packed up and headed back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. I'm telling you...those books were SO good! I finished the first one on the trip and had the other two read within a few days of getting back. The story turns in to so much more than what the media portrays. Anyways...we got ready for dinner and then met up at the restaurant that was right off the ocean. We figured there was no better way to end the trip than with dinner right on the beach. Dinner was amazing...just like all our other meals. We sat there at the restaurant and just hung out and talked for a few hours, we wanted to soak in every last minute we could before heading back to our rooms for bed. We had to be in the lobby ready to go to the airport by 7:00 am...so we all needed a good night's rest! All four of us had the time of our lives. We got to go and do so many fun things while we were there and we got to do it with our very best friends. There were so many memories made...it was definitely a trip that will never be forgotten! Josh and Abbie are family to us, so there was no better way to spend an island vacation than with friends who are so near and dear to our hearts. We look forward to the next trip and making many more memories with these two precious people!
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip!!! Be prepared...there's a TON!!!
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