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!!!

Sister, Sister :-)

Every summer my sis and I get together for a few days and play, talk, shop, talk, eat, talk, watch The Bachelorette, talk,...you get the idea!!!  So, of course this summer was no different!  Don't get me wrong...we see each other a few times throughout the year...but this trip is special!  I always make the trip to their house in the Metroplex because there are SO many more fun things to do, fun places to eat at, etc.  I guess this year was a little different because Cody went with me and we went over the weekend instead of me just going by myself and during the week.  The malls are far less crowded during the week...so Amie and I usually have Northpark all to ourselves when we go shopping!  This year, we had to share the mall with tons of other mall-goers on Saturday.  But...it didn't stop us from shopping all day long!!!  In fact, we went to a different mall everyday I was there this year!  We shopped till we dropped, caught-up, played with Gavin...and Stella too, laughed, ate, and just enjoyed each other's company for two and a half days...it was bliss!!!

Cody and I got up early on a Saturday morning to head that way.  Before we left town, we met Cody's sister, her husband, and their three kiddos at Cracker Barrel for a yummy breakfast.  They were in Abilene for Airicka's 16th birthday.  Which, by the way, I can't believe she's 16!!!  We wanted to be able to see them, so we met for breakfast before we headed out of town.  It was good to see them and visit.  It's crazy how fast those kids have grown up!  When we got on the road, I texted Amie and told her we were on our way.  We had plans to meet at BJ's Brewhouse for lunch.  There's one 5 minutes from their house...lucky!  That's one of our favorites...so we always make it a priority to eat there when I come visit her!  We definitely have our staples when I visit.  Where to eat, where to shop, what we watch on TV...it's our little annual tradition...and we both look forward to it every single year!  We pulled into Lewisville right around lunch time and met Amie, Ryan, and Gavin at BJ's for some delicious food.  The boys were going golfing and us girls were heading to Northpark after lunch...so we all needed some energy!!!  After lunch, we headed out in separate directions so the real fun could begin!  One of Amie's friends, Kirsten, from school was going to be meeting us at the mall...her husband was meeting the boys for golf...so it was fun to have another girl come and join the shopping fun!  I first met Kirsten at Amie's shower last summer and we hit if off right away.  All three of us are pretty similar when it comes to things we like to do...and we all get along like we've known each other forever...so it was a blast!  Gavin, of course, was with us!  He is so much fun to be around.  I swear, he is the best little guy and just goes with the flow.  For most of the time we were at the mall, he just chilled in his stroller.  The other part of the time, he was loved on by three girls that just couldn't get enough of him!  Kirsten was pregnant at the time with a little boy.  So, it was fun getting to shop for little boy things and love on her cute baby belly!  Cute pregnant lady I tell you!  She's had her little boy now...and he's just as cute as he can be!!!  We shopped, and we shopped, and we shopped some more that day!  Usually, Amie and I get to Northpark around lunchtime and close the mall down.  It was so busy when were there this year, and Gavin was ready to get out of his stroller and play around, so we left just a little after 6:00.  On our way home, we grabbed some sandwiches for us and the boys from Which Wich and headed back to Amie and Ryan's.  After dinner, Amie and I crawled into their bed and watched The Bachelorette while the boys watched ESPN.  I love it!!!  We have SO much fun together!!!

On Sunday, we woke up late, so we wound up not making it to church.  I guess staying up until the wee hours of the morning gabbing don't allow you to just pop right out of bed super early in the morning!  Even Gavin slept until 10:00 in the morning!  So, once we were all up and moving, we headed to McAlister's for some lunch.  After we ate, we headed over to The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano.  The boys were with us this time...but only for a couple of hours.  They just can't hang with us...we are serious business when it comes to us and our shopping!  After awhile, they were ready to head back to the house and watch the Rangers game.  Gavin went with the boys this time so he could spend the afternoon playing and getting some rest!  We wore him out on Saturday!  As the boys were driving off, Amie and I sprinted back into the mall, giggling and laughing the whole way in.  See...now...we could really go shopping!  Not just do the whole window shop thing...but REALLY shop!!!  On our way back in, we hit up Starbuck's...another one of our staples.  For a caffeine boost and snack.  Since it was Sunday, the mall closed at 6:00...and we more than closed it down!  We probably went in nearly every store.  We shopped, and talked, and tried on, and just had a blast together!  Because we left at dinnertime, we started talking about what to do for supper.  Grilling out seemed like a fabulous idea...so that's just what we did!  On the way home, we stopped at Central Market and picked up the stuff for burgers, sweet potato fries, and beer-ritas.  When we got home, we played with Gavin for a bit, then Amie started getting him ready for bed.  While she was doing that, I made the sweet potato fries and beer-ritas while Ryan made the burgers.  Cody kept us company while we were getting dinner ready and Amie soon joined us after putting Gavin down.  He was pooped...bless his little heart!  I love that little boy.  He is just so sweet and seriously...so much fun!  When dinner was ready, we sat down to eat and spent the rest of the night just talking and laughing.  We all have so much fun together...and I hate it when we have to leave each other. 

But, unfortunately, all good things come to an end.  On Monday, we were heading back home.  When I woke up, Amie was already up with Gavin.  So, I made some coffee and we sat at the table and talked while she fed him and drank her coffee.  A little while later, Cody woke up and came downstairs.  Ryan was working that day.  He got a job over the summer doing some landscaping...so he headed out long before we even woke up.  We sat around for a little while longer and visited before heading back home.  We knew the dogs would be ready to see us...and we didn't want to be driving through busy traffic...so our annual trip was coming to an end.  Amie and I had so much fun...and the boys did too.  It was fun Cody being there this year.  We got to do fun things with our friends separately while still getting to spend a weekend out of town together.  I love Amie to pieces and I always look forward to spending quality time with her and her sweet little family.  I can't wait to see how much trouble we can get ourselves into next summer.  Until next year!!!  XOXO

September 11, 2012

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my GOD is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call to the LORD who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18: 2-3

Our Birthday Boy!

Sarge is 7 years old!!!  Sarge's birthday was on July 23rd and neither one of us can believe he is 7 years old.  Sometimes, he acts like he's still a puppy.  He hops up and down and twists and turns in the air when he's excited (especially when we've just woken up, gotten home, or it's time to feed him), he wrestles around with and chases Trigger (who is 2), and he antagonizes Faith until she finally gives up and plays with him too.  Then...there are times when he acts like a grumpy old man!  He's definitely stubborn and when he's annoyed with his sisters he does this bark/growl thing that sounds really vicious and mean...but it's just so he gets their attention.  The problem is, is that Trigger always thinks he wants to continue playing so she goes about her business nipping at his legs, biting on his ears, or sticking the bone in his face to make him chase her.  He gets out of his grumpy mood pretty quick...but we can definitely tell he's getting older.  Sarge has the cutest and sweetest personality though.  He's not much of a snuggler...but he always wants you to rub on his belly.  He'll sit right next to you and paw at you until you pay attention to him and rub his belly.  We've both tried to rub on his back or side while he's laying down, but as soon as we do, he rolls over so you can rub his belly!  I guess he doesn't ask for much...he just wants his belly scratched!  His facial expressions are also hilarious.  We wonder sometimes if he's got much going on in his little brain by the "duh" looks he gives.  I think he tries to con his way by giving those looks!  He knows that if he acts like he doesn't know what you're saying...he can do whatever he wants!  Stinker...  But, he really is such a good dog.  He is so protective of Faith and Trigger...and us to for that matter.  He is playful, loving, funny, and smart.  I can't believe that Cody has had him for seven years already...and I have been in his life for five of them.  We love you Sarge...thank you for being so special to us for all these years!!!

This is a hilarious video of my mom playing with Sarge!  When she would jump up and down, he would jump too and make his play growl/bark at her...so funny!!!





Happy Birthday sweet boy!!!  We love you!!!

Independence Day...

Sadly...this post is long overdue.  July 4th usually involves a trip to Kerrville and several days worth of summer hunting for the boys and just some time away from Abilene for the girls.  We go to a parade, cook lots of yummy food, do some shopping, and just relax a bit from all the responsibilities of being at home.  But this year, July 4th was on a Wednesday, so my parents and Cody only got off work for that one day.  So...there was no traveling involved for us this year.  Cody actually wound up going to Kerrville, so it was just me and the pups at home for a few days.  Since both my parents were off, I decided to cook some lunch for all of us.  Dad was going to be grilling that evening for dinner, so I thought...why not make lunch!  I made a yummy summer wheat berry salad with cranberries, feta cheese, sauteed onions, and spinach; baked chicken; and a frozen peanut butter pie for dessert.  It was pretty delicious!  After lunch, mom and I ran a few errands around town, then came home and just relaxed until dinner.  I guess it was a little after 5:00 when I walked across the street with Faith and Trigger.  When I got them in mom and dad's house, I walked back to our house to get Sarge.  It's way too hard trying to get all three of them across the street alone.  They get so excited (especially the girls because they know it means they get to swim) and drag me the whole way.  I'm always afraid that I won't be able to control them enough and they'll run out in front of a car...and then I would lose it.  I can't bare the thought of anything happening to them that I can control.  Sarge isn't much of a swimmer, so he just likes to go and chill inside while the other pups swim and play outside.  We stayed over there for about four hours.  They played and swam, and we ate, talked, and watched them outside.  All in all it was a pretty uneventful July 4th.  But, it was nice to spend the day with my family and all the pups, eat some good food, and shop and play some too!