Vaca Part 2: Sand Pebble

I think this year marks the twentieth year I've been coming to the Sand Pebble in Treasure Island, FL for vacation at my grandparents' condo. We had a nice week laying by the pool mostly; Aaron is as "brown as a berry" as my Mammaw used to tell my sister and I when we were little. On Wednesday Aaron and I went to Universal Studios so I could experience the new addition to Harry Potter world. As soon as I got on the first ride (the Forbidden Journey) my face lit up with the goofiest smile. I'm glad we went through the single rider line for that one so Aaron didn't see me be a total dork. As far as the new park goes... The Hogwarts Express was a little underwhelming but we rode it both directions to get the full experience nonetheless.  Here we are getting ready to board the train:

The Escape from Gringotts ride was awesome but ended too soon. Walking through the bank was really neat leading up to it. It looked just like the movie. 

This fire breathing dragon was pretty cool. The heat off of that blast was impressive. I was glad I didn't use much hairspray that day. 

I even rode the Dueling Dragons roller coaster and I DO NOT ride roller coasters. Unfortunately, I think that ride started a downhill spiral of motion sickness for the rest of the day. We went on a slew of other rides after that in the other portions of the park but the Mummy ride (one of the better ones) was it for me. I've never gotten sick on rides before so I was a little disappointed because I was looking forward to more Potter that evening. Actually, I don't know if it was the rides or having to see dozens of people with those ridiculous selfy sticks that made me sick. Anyways... Once I knew I was done for the day, we headed back over to Diagon Alley to drink frozen butter beer and watch the magic fountain squirt unsuspecting people with water. The butterbeer was even better than I expected. I'm looking forward to trying some of the homemade recipes for it that I found on Pinterest. 

I had a great time. I was definitely meant to be a wizard. I'm happy Aaron tolerates my vivid imagination but I'm still holding out hope that I can convert him one day. He did crack a HP joke when we got home yesterday. Proud wife moment! 

This is pretty much what the other days of the week looked like:

On the last day, Aaron and I went to the Don Cesar (where we got married) to have brunch. Ever since I saw the hotel post a photo of their chicken and waffles on Facebook last year, I've been wanting to try them. They did not disappoint. Aaron and I both were pretty much licking our plates. 

It was a great vacation but Aaron and I were definitely ready to get home to our own bed by the end of the week. He starts his new job June 1 and is really looking forward to it. Keep him in your prayers! 

By the way, we are still working through those Love Dare books I mentioned a few posts ago. I would highly recommend them for any married couple at any stage. They really give you perspective and remind you of what's important! 

Vaca Part 1: Cruising

Aaron and I just came back from a great two week vacation. The first week we went on a cruise out of San Juan to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten on the Carnival Liberty. It was by far the best cruise we've ever been on. 

At St. Thomas we did a little shopping and then got back on the ship for several hours to soak up the sun and enjoy this awesome view.

We pretty much had the boat to ourselves which was super nice. That afternoon we took a sky lift up to Paradise Point to view the island and St John. Here's a shot of us overlooking the ship:

The next day was the one and only sea day we had on the ship. We laid out most of the day. That night was the first "formal" night on the ship so we had lobster for dinner (yum!) and enjoyed getting to know a couple that we shared a table with. 

The following day we arrived in Barbados. We'd prearranged a catamaran excursion with Elegence which I would highly recommend. There were only 9 people on the very nice and large boat and the staff literally waited on us all day long. 

We snorkled with sea turtles which I loved. Here is a shot of Aaron reaching for a turtle (also my favorite picture from the whole trip):

Next we snorkled at two different shipwrecks. There were tons of fish. 

After that, we sailed on the catamaran for about an hour touring the island while the owner fixed us a traditional Bajan lunch.  If I said to Aaron, "this is awesome" once, I must have said it a dozen times. I may have started to repeat myself due to the amount of Mount Gay rum punch I was consuming... But what can I say? The Bajans know how to make rum. It was the most relaxing excursion we went on all week. If you go to Barbados, look up Elegance Catamarans. 

The next stop was St. Lucia and we went on a tour with the Real St. Lucia Tours company. A guy drove just Aaron and I around the island all day long. It was sort of unbelievable that we had a totally private tour. St. Lucia is a stunning island.  It's mountainous as all get out but stunning. Our driver took us to all of the great look out points, the Tet Paul nature trail, a warm spring waterfall and natural pool, several local shops, but our favorite was snorkeling between the famous pitons. Aaron and I both agreed it was the best snorkeling spot we'd ever been to. The view below the water was great but looking up at those massive volcanic spires was something I just can't describe in words. Aaron is still talking about how amazingly beautiful and lush that island was. 

We stopped at St. Kitts the next day. We didn't have anything planned but we got off the boat to do a little shopping. Aaron loved these little guys. Can you believe it?  My husband, who won't even pet my sister's dog, wants one of these creepy little monkeys. 

Our last stop was the beautiful island of St. Maarten. We took a Power boat trip with Soualiga Destinations and it was pretty thrilling. We snorkled with turtles again and then stopped at several spots to jump off the boat to swim.  They took us to a local restaurant for some Guavaberry frozen cocktails and fresh mahi mahi. That afternoon we snorkled at another spot and then stopped for a swim in front of the most exclusive resort on the island. The cheapest room went for $1,500 per night.

We also went to the beach right by one of the top ten most dangerous airports in the world. There is no wiggle room on the runway whatsoever and it's a major tourist attraction because people can stand right behind where the jets blast their engines. 

We had an absolutely fabulous time. I am so happy it worked out so that Aaron and I could take that trip together. & to top off an already great trip... We disembarked and headed straight to Treasure Island, FL for another week. More to come.... 

May Fun

I am so excited that its May.  There are so many fun things happening this month.  This past weekend, we had our third annual Derby party and it was the best one yet.  It was a beautiful day to be outdoors enjoying the races, good food and even better company.  There were several great hats but Aunt Mel was the winner of the best hat competition.  Here are some photos from the event.

 

On Sunday, Aaron and I tried out our new kayaks in Floyds Fork. We went around5:30 p.m. and were in the shade most of the time.  It was perfect! We came up on a log in the water that was covered with turtles sunbathing which was really cool. I have a feeling we are going to be using the kayaks frequently this summer. 

 

 

Next up is Mother’s Day and then Kelsey and Tyler’s wedding shower (yay)!  And to top off an already great month, Aaron and I will be flying to Puerto Rico in a few weeks for the start of a lengthy vacation.  Aaron has to hear me say “I am so excited” at least twice every single day.

 

As with the other months this year, we are also challenging ourselves in a new way in May to be more like Jesus. Around our first Christmas after we got married, my aunt and uncle surprised us while we were on a trip by setting up a Christmas tree in our home and leaving ornaments for us to decorate the tree with together.  Another surprise they left for us was two copies ofThe Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick.  The book is a 40-day challenge for married couples to understand and practice unconditional love. We’ve committed to completing the challenge throughout May and June.

 

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:7-