This week has been a busy one. My brother and niece came up to stay with us last Friday and Saturday nights for Audrey's big birthday bash on Saturday. (More to come on that later.) Just as we caught our breath, David left Sunday afternoon for a business trip to Washington DC. Audrey has had swim lessons every day this week, so we've spent a lot of time at the pool, with which I have a love-hate relationship. The hate side - it takes forever to get two kids in their swimsuits, sunscreen applied, picnic packed, toys and towels and goggles gathered, etc. etc. etc. But, the love side is that the kids enjoy it, it wears them out, and I get a tan.
Anyway, throw in me stepping up my workout game (because what was supposed to be a week off somehow stretched into nearly four and we're hitting the beach in two weeks) without being able to squeeze it in before David goes to work since he's not here, Audrey's gymnastics, a thousand returns for unused party goods, a play date, updating the blog and editing/posting pics (see below), and making and delivering a meal to a friend, and I would really just like a nap. Maybe this weekend.
Here is this week's list:
1. The true miracles that a smooth pregnancy, safe delivery, and healthy baby are, and how blessed I am that me and my sisters-in-law all got to experience those miracles. Last week, friends from our small group had their third baby. Without going into a lot of detail, I'll say that her delivery went well, but shortly after they discovered she had severed an artery in the birth canal and she was rushed to surgery. She lost 80% of her blood and nearly died as she lay on the operating table having amnesia awareness (yes, that means she felt numb but could hear and understand everything that was happening to her.) After being in ICU on a ventilator for two days, she slowly and gradually got better and was discharged last Saturday. As you can imagine, she is still struggling, in a lot of pain, and grieving over the lost time with her newborn and the moments she can never get back. With two other littles at home, I cannot fathom how much they have on their plates right now. It has been a horrific experience for them during what should be one of the most joyous occasions of their lives. Pray for them, please, and if you had a healthy delivery, stop and thank the Lord.
2. The result of that first healthy delivery five years ago. Can you believe my baby girl turned FIVE last week? I am still in denial. I hope to write more about it and the party soon, but I would be remiss if I didn't add her to this week's list.
3. Close calls turned okay. David's grandfather was having chest pains earlier this week and was hospitalized while they ran tests and did a procedure. He does have blockage in a neck artery that he'll have to get taken care of soon, but he got to go home with a clean bill of health for his heart, thank the Lord.
4. New running shoes. Truthfully, I hate buying new running shoes, but I was way overdue for a pair and finally broke down and went to the speciality store where I buy them. Of course, my exact kind had been discontinued. I tried on the "new and improved" version, but wasn't completely sold. I decided to wait and look online and, sure enough, I found some! Yay for postponing change a little bit longer. That's a motto I like to live by.
5. A surprise early return. David called me late this afternoon and said he was able to wrap up his business trip early and that he was sprinting to make the 8pm flight back home. We have really missed him and he's really missed us this trip, so I'm glad he'll be back early. On top of that, he decided to take tomorrow off! Yay! (And no, I'm not just excited about someone else being here for sunscreen application duty...well, that may be a very small reason.)
Enjoy your weekend - I know we will!
May 2014 Recap
Since it's almost time to do the June recap, I think I'm going to get over my perfectionism and do a quick, bullet-point recap of May so I can finally move on and quit having it hanging over my head. So here's May (in a long nutshell):
Notable parenting struggles/stories:
- We had a cookout to celebrate our final small group of the semester. I summarized my feelings about it on Facebook: "When you're house hunting, you imagine the future in every potential place you walk through. Tonight as we celebrated the end of a great semester of leading couples' small group, I looked around our patio full of strangers-turned-friends and our yard full of kids playing and realized I was experiencing a dream fulfilled. Back before the contract was even signed, we committed to using this house to serve God and our church and I am oh-so-grateful we had the opportunity to do so."
- Luke attended his first official friend's birthday party when his buddy Patrick turned two. He seemed to be a fan, especially of the cake.
- Mother's Day was great. I enjoyed some time off the day before, which was much needed and appreciated. The day of we went to church and then hiked around the Buford Dam down to the Chattahoochee River and back up. We had a picnic lunch near the lake side, then came home and did some yard work and had some of David's yummy hamburgers on the grill for dinner. Luke gave me a Willow Tree angel figurine and Audrey gave me hanging baskets for the porch and pink gardening gloves. So blessed to hold the title of "Mom" to those two.
- Audrey's Pre-K graduation was awesome. I nearly burst with pride at how well she did with her brave singing, especially since she was on the first row! I didn't cry at the event itself (saving all of that for August), but I definitely teared up at seeing how she overcame her struggle of stage fright. We'd been praying for weeks and then that night I took her aside before walking her to her room and prayed over her. After we got home when we were praying before bed she said, "Hey! God DID answer our prayers!" So cool.
- We picked strawberries at a local patch with friends. We ate most of them fresh, but turned some into yummy smoothies.
- One weekend we visited my dad and stepmom's new house and then went to David's parents' home to hang out. We were supposed to do a boat ride, but it was chilly and wet, so we just hung out at their dock then went out to eat.
- Audrey got her glasses towards the end of the month. She handled them like a champ and it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would to get used to seeing her in them.
- Of course, the highlight of our month was our Anniversary Trip that I wrote about here.
- My sweet husband turned 33 while we were in MX. We celebrated when we got home, too, with lots of homemade cards and a homemade peach cobbler.
Notable parenting struggles/stories:
- I jotted down some notes on my phone for this month's recap but it's been so long ago that I can't remember what some of them mean. For example, "Luke's sleeping troubles." So apparently, I need to record that the early part of May held some sleeping troubles for our youngest (and therefore, for us) but since I wrote that in a state of sleep-deprivation, I don't really recall what they were. Oh well. I'm sure it's for the best that way.
- Audrey has been struggling with comparing what she has/gets vs. what Luke has/gets since he was about 18 months old. I've lost count of how many times I've reviewed all of the things that she gets to do because she's older that he can't. One day I fixed them a snack and ran down to get something from the basement while they ate it. Suddenly, I hear a very accusatory little voice shout down, "Moooommy! YOU gave Luke four teddy grahams and you only gave me THREE!" (I'd thrown a couple in their regular snack to be NICE.) I took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then walked upstairs. I took the three Teddy Grahams out of Audrey's bowl, had her follow me to the kitchen, and I promptly dumped them in the trash. We had a long talk about how comparison steals your joy and I explained that if she'd never noticed how many Luke had, she would've been perfectly content with her number. I promised I hadn't meant to give Luke more, but that I just hadn't been paying attention and, by the way, stuff like that was going to happen a lot in life because, newsflash: LIFE ISN'T FAIR. She didn't cry or pitch a fit, she just let that sink in. We're well past a month since it happened and while she still succumbs to comparing every now and then, it's gotten much better! Score one for Mommy.
- Just in case the story above didn't prove what a mean mother I am, we also started using spanking as an occasional punishment for Luke. We began earlier with Audrey, because a) she understood more at a younger age and b) I'm a bigger sucker the second go-round. I know this is a huge hot topic amongst parents so let me assure you it's not something we entered into lightly nor do at the drop of a hat. For perspective, Audrey probably had about 15-20 spankings total from the ages of 2-4 and now averages about one every 6-8 weeks. I expect Luke's number will be slightly higher because, ya know, BOY, but so far the couple he's had have worked wonders.
- Audrey is doing really well with reading, but I have to be careful that the material is still age appropriate. A lot of the early reader first chapter books will have some name calling among the characters or words like "stupid" and "dumb" that I really just don't want her exposed to. Case and point: One night while we were getting ready for bed, she said, "Luke, you're a jerk" and giggled. I gasped, she burst into tears and explained she'd read it in one of her books. We had a talk about what that meant and I assured her she wasn't in trouble because she hadn't known better. It may be prudish and I know public school is going to rock our world, but for now, I'll be previewing Nancy Drew's Clue Crew thoroughly thankyouverymuch.
Cute Quotes from the Kids:
- When leaving Cracker Barrel one night, Luke said happily, "I like to eat. But when I get bigger, I [will] eat salad." ?! Enjoy the carefree pre-salad days now, Buddy!
- I always cheer runners on when we pass them in the car and I guess it rubbed off. When cruising by a jogger, Luke's little fists pumped in the air and he yelled, "GO Runner GO!" :)
- David to Audrey: "Where did you get all of those bug bites?" AJ: "Uh, from bugs."
- Luke has started saying, "Mommy? You so cute!" I'll take it.
So that was May. Sorry if it felt a little disconnected and strung together. Turns out short bullet points aren't really my strong suite, but at least it saved me from having to come up with transitional sentences and paragraph breaks. Maybe June's recap will be better. Maybe.
Until the next time, check out May's pictures here and be sure to view our Anniversary Trip album too if you haven't already by clicking here.
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Trying New Things
Friday, June 6, 2014
Today was my first swim "lesson" with a young college-age woman here in our neighborhood. She normally does lessons for kids, but I swallowed my pride and asked if she'd consider doing 3-4 lessons with me super early in the morning. (The early thing was as much a courtesy to David so he wouldn't have to solo it during the evenings as it was a chicken move on my part because I desperately hoped we wouldn't have an audience at that hour.) I know how to swim, but I don't know how to do it well. I wanted to learn some proper techniques so that I could feel confident enough to use it as a form of exercise. I've heard it's an amazing workout and it's obviously easier on your joints than running.
I decided that before I had my first lesson, I had better get in the pool and see what I remembered. It has been years since I've gone swimming for exercise. And, frankly, I may have only done so about 4.5 times ever. BC (before children), time at the pool was about getting a tan. AC (catch on yet?), time at the pool is about wearing out the kids while simultaneously keeping them alive so that we can all take afternoon naps.
So anyway, yesterday I set my alarm for 5:40am and woke up to a dark room. Running in the dark is one thing, but swimming in the dark? Alone?! Uh, CREEPY. I sighed, slid out of bed and into my new Speedo one piece, and whispered to David, "If I'm not back by 6:45, I've drowned. Come recover my body before the neighborhood swim team finds me and is scarred for life."
While I have grand goals of running to the neighborhood pool, swimming, and then running back home, I opted to drive for the first couple of times. I punched my code into the gate, half wishing it wouldn't work and I'd have to go back home. It did work and I pushed it open and breathed a sigh of relief that the pool and deck were completely vacant. As I strolled towards a chair to set my towel down, motion-detected spot lights triggered on one by one. I felt like they were illuminating my steps into an Olympic event...or a firing squad execution. At least it was getting light out at this point, so it didn't feel quite as foreboding.
All I could think about as I slunk in the pool was a recent conversation I'd had with my brother. I had gushed about my new undertaking: "I'm convinced that trying new things is what keeps you young. Getting over yourself and going for it is important! It teaches your brain and your body to be used in different ways and it's refreshing to your spirit, too."
"Try new things," I'd said. "It's refreshing to your spirit" I'd said. Know what else is "refreshing"? The pool water at 6:00am. Telling myself to get it over with quickly, I held my breath and dipped under. It actually wasn't too terrible! After having a brief internal argument about whether to stretch or not, I opted not to. I adjusted my goggles, breathed in deeply, and pushed off the wall. "Just remember," I silently coached myself. "WWKD?" (What would Kara - my dear, sweet friend who has swam and coached for more than half her life - do? I'm not sure I knew the answer, but I did know I desperately wished she was with me!)
I did what I've since learned is called the freestyle stroke down to the other end and stopped, absolutely out of breath and heaving. My lower back hurt in a weird way and I whispered out loud, "Seriously?!" My astonishment was two-fold: 1) I had made it in a semi-straight line and didn't totally suck. Or at least, I didn't think I did. 2) It was exhausting. I had taken about ten days off of exercise and even before that, my cardio hadn't been half-marathon level for some time, but still...I was in decent shape. You certainly couldn't tell it from the looks of me after one length of the pool, though! I rested another second...or 50...and then swam back.
After two more laps this way, I thought I'd try the butterfly stroke. Big mistake. I swallowed half the pool.
"Okaaaaaay. So that needs some work." I thought. "What the heck are your legs supposed to be doing back there anyway?" I made a mental note to Google "butterfly stroke" when I got home and read up about it.
I opted to finish out my time in the water with the back stroke. That lasted all of one lap because, even though it was light out, I've watched way too many murder mysteries and crime shows and I didn't like not being able to see whether someone was about to grab me from the side of the pool and attack me. Morbid, but that's how I roll.
I toweled off and drove back home, a little bit pleased and a lot of bit tired. Like, embarrassingly tired. Even though I'd only gotten about six hours of sleep the night before, I knew most of my exhaustion was due to my 20 minute swim session. Pitiful? Maybe. But I was also a teensy bit proud I gave it a shot.
This morning's alarm went off a little bit later and my nerves were in high gear. I checked the forecast and didn't see any rain in the area, but it was 67 degrees and had stormed the night before, so I expected it would be pretty chilly in the water. I tried to push the idea of what great running weather it was out of my head as I suited up and climbed in the van.
Kelly, the coach, was just getting out of her car when I pulled in. We'd met last summer when she did Audrey's lessons, but we kind of reintroduced ourselves while we walked to the pool. There was one older lady and an older man doing laps in the pool, which added to my nervousness, but didn't totally intimidate me.
We began the lesson with what I'd imagined would be one of the hardest parts - learning to put on a swim cap. She showed me her tricks and explained everyone is different and some people do goggles on top while others wear them underneath. I opted for on top and asked her if they looked right. "Well, I think they're upside down," she said kindly. Strike one for me.
We got into the water, which was surprisingly about as warm as the day before, and I admitted to Kelly that I was nervous. She put me at ease by immediately confessing that she was as well. I assured her that I had two small children and was quite used to blunt honesty. I told her she wouldn't offend me easily unless she just couldn't stop the hysterical laughter long enough to tell me what to do, in which case I might feel a teensy bit hurt.
Once we both relaxed, I began by doing the freestyle stroke. (Thank the Lord she told me that each way in our sized pool is a lap, because I was seriously questioning my abilities when I thought I had to go down and back to equal a lap!) She swam alongside me and watched me closely. As I finished and planted my feet, I breathlessly asked, "So, how'd I do?" She replied, "Um, good! Except that you kept your head up the whole time."
Right. I kept my head UP the whole time, y'all. As soon as she said it, I looked at the lady swimming a few lanes over while simultaneously having flashbacks to what few swimming events I've watched. Head down, swim a few strokes, side breath, head down. DUH.
I laughed hard at myself and apologized that she was dealing with such a novice. She sweetly reassured me and we began to pick apart the proper way to do the freestyle. After a few laps, she convinced me that I'd do better just taking breaths on one side. I hesitated, but realized she was right. There would be time for getting technical, but for now, I needed to work on not drowning.
The rest of the lesson went really well. Kelly was so very kind and patient as we went through thirty minutes of freestyle, then breaststroke, then backstroke, and back to freestyle. (Neither of us felt I was ready for butterfly stroke.) Backstroke was hilarious because when I rotated my arms back, she said I'd do this big "umph" kick with my legs. She had me practice just kicking from one length of the pool to another and I somehow got myself so crooked I was nearly perpendicular to the side. Again, she reassured me and promised it was really hard to focus your eyes on something when swimming outdoors. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'd actually had my eyes closed for most of the time. Oops.
We finished up and I thanked her profusely. I made a comment about the small of my back hurting way more than I'd anticipated. "I expected my upper back and arms to be sore, but not my lower back," I commented, surprised. "Is that normal?" With tact, she pointed out that it was probably because I kept my head up so much. Right. The head up thing. That would probably be it.
So, in conclusion, I survived. And I'm really glad I'm trying it. I have two more sessions with Kelly and she's encouraging me to do some homework in between: 2 laps, rest 30 seconds, 4 laps, rest one minute, repeat. She said I can do any stroke, but I can tell she wanted me to work on freestyle a little...or a LOT...more.
I'm not sure whether this will turn into a regular form of exercise for me, but I am very thankful to be learning enough about it to feel like I have that option. I do still whole-heartedly believe that attempting new adventures keeps you young. As for "refreshing the spirit"...well, I don't know about that part of my big speech. One thing I do know for sure works every time for refreshment is a nice, cozy nap. I'd better go check just to be safe.
I decided that before I had my first lesson, I had better get in the pool and see what I remembered. It has been years since I've gone swimming for exercise. And, frankly, I may have only done so about 4.5 times ever. BC (before children), time at the pool was about getting a tan. AC (catch on yet?), time at the pool is about wearing out the kids while simultaneously keeping them alive so that we can all take afternoon naps.
So anyway, yesterday I set my alarm for 5:40am and woke up to a dark room. Running in the dark is one thing, but swimming in the dark? Alone?! Uh, CREEPY. I sighed, slid out of bed and into my new Speedo one piece, and whispered to David, "If I'm not back by 6:45, I've drowned. Come recover my body before the neighborhood swim team finds me and is scarred for life."
While I have grand goals of running to the neighborhood pool, swimming, and then running back home, I opted to drive for the first couple of times. I punched my code into the gate, half wishing it wouldn't work and I'd have to go back home. It did work and I pushed it open and breathed a sigh of relief that the pool and deck were completely vacant. As I strolled towards a chair to set my towel down, motion-detected spot lights triggered on one by one. I felt like they were illuminating my steps into an Olympic event...or a firing squad execution. At least it was getting light out at this point, so it didn't feel quite as foreboding.
All I could think about as I slunk in the pool was a recent conversation I'd had with my brother. I had gushed about my new undertaking: "I'm convinced that trying new things is what keeps you young. Getting over yourself and going for it is important! It teaches your brain and your body to be used in different ways and it's refreshing to your spirit, too."
"Try new things," I'd said. "It's refreshing to your spirit" I'd said. Know what else is "refreshing"? The pool water at 6:00am. Telling myself to get it over with quickly, I held my breath and dipped under. It actually wasn't too terrible! After having a brief internal argument about whether to stretch or not, I opted not to. I adjusted my goggles, breathed in deeply, and pushed off the wall. "Just remember," I silently coached myself. "WWKD?" (What would Kara - my dear, sweet friend who has swam and coached for more than half her life - do? I'm not sure I knew the answer, but I did know I desperately wished she was with me!)
I did what I've since learned is called the freestyle stroke down to the other end and stopped, absolutely out of breath and heaving. My lower back hurt in a weird way and I whispered out loud, "Seriously?!" My astonishment was two-fold: 1) I had made it in a semi-straight line and didn't totally suck. Or at least, I didn't think I did. 2) It was exhausting. I had taken about ten days off of exercise and even before that, my cardio hadn't been half-marathon level for some time, but still...I was in decent shape. You certainly couldn't tell it from the looks of me after one length of the pool, though! I rested another second...or 50...and then swam back.
After two more laps this way, I thought I'd try the butterfly stroke. Big mistake. I swallowed half the pool.
"Okaaaaaay. So that needs some work." I thought. "What the heck are your legs supposed to be doing back there anyway?" I made a mental note to Google "butterfly stroke" when I got home and read up about it.
I opted to finish out my time in the water with the back stroke. That lasted all of one lap because, even though it was light out, I've watched way too many murder mysteries and crime shows and I didn't like not being able to see whether someone was about to grab me from the side of the pool and attack me. Morbid, but that's how I roll.
I toweled off and drove back home, a little bit pleased and a lot of bit tired. Like, embarrassingly tired. Even though I'd only gotten about six hours of sleep the night before, I knew most of my exhaustion was due to my 20 minute swim session. Pitiful? Maybe. But I was also a teensy bit proud I gave it a shot.
This morning's alarm went off a little bit later and my nerves were in high gear. I checked the forecast and didn't see any rain in the area, but it was 67 degrees and had stormed the night before, so I expected it would be pretty chilly in the water. I tried to push the idea of what great running weather it was out of my head as I suited up and climbed in the van.
Kelly, the coach, was just getting out of her car when I pulled in. We'd met last summer when she did Audrey's lessons, but we kind of reintroduced ourselves while we walked to the pool. There was one older lady and an older man doing laps in the pool, which added to my nervousness, but didn't totally intimidate me.
We began the lesson with what I'd imagined would be one of the hardest parts - learning to put on a swim cap. She showed me her tricks and explained everyone is different and some people do goggles on top while others wear them underneath. I opted for on top and asked her if they looked right. "Well, I think they're upside down," she said kindly. Strike one for me.
We got into the water, which was surprisingly about as warm as the day before, and I admitted to Kelly that I was nervous. She put me at ease by immediately confessing that she was as well. I assured her that I had two small children and was quite used to blunt honesty. I told her she wouldn't offend me easily unless she just couldn't stop the hysterical laughter long enough to tell me what to do, in which case I might feel a teensy bit hurt.
Once we both relaxed, I began by doing the freestyle stroke. (Thank the Lord she told me that each way in our sized pool is a lap, because I was seriously questioning my abilities when I thought I had to go down and back to equal a lap!) She swam alongside me and watched me closely. As I finished and planted my feet, I breathlessly asked, "So, how'd I do?" She replied, "Um, good! Except that you kept your head up the whole time."
Right. I kept my head UP the whole time, y'all. As soon as she said it, I looked at the lady swimming a few lanes over while simultaneously having flashbacks to what few swimming events I've watched. Head down, swim a few strokes, side breath, head down. DUH.
I laughed hard at myself and apologized that she was dealing with such a novice. She sweetly reassured me and we began to pick apart the proper way to do the freestyle. After a few laps, she convinced me that I'd do better just taking breaths on one side. I hesitated, but realized she was right. There would be time for getting technical, but for now, I needed to work on not drowning.
The rest of the lesson went really well. Kelly was so very kind and patient as we went through thirty minutes of freestyle, then breaststroke, then backstroke, and back to freestyle. (Neither of us felt I was ready for butterfly stroke.) Backstroke was hilarious because when I rotated my arms back, she said I'd do this big "umph" kick with my legs. She had me practice just kicking from one length of the pool to another and I somehow got myself so crooked I was nearly perpendicular to the side. Again, she reassured me and promised it was really hard to focus your eyes on something when swimming outdoors. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'd actually had my eyes closed for most of the time. Oops.
We finished up and I thanked her profusely. I made a comment about the small of my back hurting way more than I'd anticipated. "I expected my upper back and arms to be sore, but not my lower back," I commented, surprised. "Is that normal?" With tact, she pointed out that it was probably because I kept my head up so much. Right. The head up thing. That would probably be it.
So, in conclusion, I survived. And I'm really glad I'm trying it. I have two more sessions with Kelly and she's encouraging me to do some homework in between: 2 laps, rest 30 seconds, 4 laps, rest one minute, repeat. She said I can do any stroke, but I can tell she wanted me to work on freestyle a little...or a LOT...more.
I'm not sure whether this will turn into a regular form of exercise for me, but I am very thankful to be learning enough about it to feel like I have that option. I do still whole-heartedly believe that attempting new adventures keeps you young. As for "refreshing the spirit"...well, I don't know about that part of my big speech. One thing I do know for sure works every time for refreshment is a nice, cozy nap. I'd better go check just to be safe.
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Anniversary Trip to Playa Mujeres
Sunday, June 1, 2014
This past Wednesday, David and I returned from a four night stay at Excellence Playa Mujeres, which is an all-inclusive adults-only resort about thirty minutes outside of Cancun, Mexico. The vacation was to celebrate our ten year anniversary, which isn't actually until the end of July. We decided to go early because A) it worked best with our summer schedule and B) why wait? and mostly C) hurricane season starts June 1st.
So where do I even begin? I'll skip right over the months of anticipation and weeks of work (organizing the house, cooking and freezing meals, updating the grandparent binder with every.single.detail, stocking up on household goods in case of an catastrophic event, writing daily notes/activities for each child, cleaning like a madwoman, etc.) and get to the part where we walked in the resort lobby and they handed us glasses of champagne and said, "Welcome Home." I nearly cried.
After checking in at our private Excellence Club Lounge (we opted for the club level upgrade because it was the only way to get an ocean view room and it had several other luxuries we deemed worthwhile), we ate lunch at The Grill then strolled around the grounds until our room became available. At first, the place seemed overwhelming and huge. By the second full day, however, you know your way around quite well...or at least can get from your room to the beach and back, which is all that really matters. We went back to the lounge and were once again offered food and drink, but turned it down and relaxed in the comfy leather couches for a few minutes until we were escorted to our room. We opened the door to find everything just like it appeared on the website photos, which was a relief. The spacious layout had a four-post king size bed, an L-shape leather couch, a modern marble bathroom with a shower big enough to sleep in, and a private patio with a hot tub and a lounge bed. Housekeeping had placed two swan towel arrangements on the bed with rose petals scattered around them. A bottle of champagne and fresh fruit was set out for us in honor of our anniversary. Incredible. We dumped our suitcases and began lounging right away. There was no time to waste...or rather, there was. And it felt awesome!
For dinner that night, we went to the resort's Lobster House and ate soup, grouper (me) and lobster (D), and cheesecake for dessert. The portions weren't huge, which is actually good since every meal has at least three courses. We walked right in and didn't have to wait for a table. This restaurant jetted out over parts of the main pool and we had a great view of the palm trees on the beach and glimpses of the ocean. After dinner we headed over to the main building and walked through the gift shop before settling down at a large outdoor cafe and listening to an incredibly talented singer cover some "easy listening"/pop hits. Around 9:30 (yes - we were still awake!), a group of performers came out and put on a "Fire Show", which involved dancing and twirling various chains, hoops, balls, etc. that were on fire. Quite impressive, but we called it a night before it ended. It had been a long day of traveling and, frankly, if you've seen one performance of fire juggling, you've seen them all.
The next morning, Sunday, I woke up at around 5:30am, which was 6:30am EST. I'm not a late sleeper anyway, but I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I just do not sleep well at all on trips. We did bring our little fan, which helps a lot, but when you have the most comfortable bed in the world at home and a brain that is never fully "off", eight solid hours on a vacation night is a pleasure I rarely experience. No matter, because one thing I don't have at home is a phone by the bed that I can reach room service on. Thirty minutes after placing our order, we were eating a delicious breakfast on our patio while looking out at the ocean. We ate, lathered sunscreen on, and hit the beach.
The next six hours went something like read, take a walk on the beach, lie down and snooze a few minutes, wake up, eat, read, splash in the ocean, repeat. I kept looking at the time and then chiding myself because WHO CARES? We'll eat when we're hungry and sleep when we're tired. The only thing I really needed a watch for was to time my exposure to the sun. There was no one's nap, potty, or eating schedule to take into consideration but our own. And that, my friends, was an unnatural phenomenon I came to terms with quickly.
They had a Burgers and Rock n' Roll lunch set up farther down the beach that we decided to try. We found one of the few tables in the shade and listened to the Hispanic accented singers belt out "Hotel California" and other classics while we ate our yummy guacamole-topped hamburgers, onion rings, and fruit.
That night we got dressed up and ate at the French restaurant at the resort. They have nine restaurants on site and we'd chosen four ahead of time for our four nights, but honestly the French one was the one we were the most hesitant about. It turns out we had no need to be. I ate the most delicious filet mignon I have ever tasted and David had some really tasty sea bass. As we were eating dessert, they surprised us with a little fancy dessert plate of white chocolate mousse that had "Happy Anniversary" spelled out in chocolate sauce.
After dinner we hung around the bar and waited for the Retro Show to begin in the Stars Theater. It was about a 30 minute show of dancing put to tracks from the 70s through today's hits. Not terrible, but we were thankful it was included in the price of our trip and we didn't buy special tickets. We called it a night after the show. Had to be up early for more beach laying and all that.
Our second full day, Monday, went basically the same as Sunday. We ordered breakfast from room service, ate it on the patio, and went down to the beach. This time we walked a short distance over to a short of jetty wall that frames part of a small harbor. We walked out to the edge of it where there was a very small lighthouse and surveyed the beautiful Caribbean water. The weather was as perfect as it had been the day before: highs in the mid-80s with a constant warm breeze by the ocean. The farther you moved into the heart of the resort, the hotter it got. The air seemed to circulate best and the humidity was felt less right by the shoreline.
Just before lunch, we decided to grab a kayak and see if we could recall any of the skills we'd once learned. Without any real intention on our part, we've realized kayaking has kind of become our adventurous thing on vacations. It began on our honeymoon in Aruba, then we did it on a cruise stop in the Dominican Republic, and there was the amazing experience of the Bio Bay in Puerto Rico a few years back. We couldn't leave without adding Mexico to our quests. Sure enough, it was easy to fall into our paddling rhythm and David encouraged (read: taunted) me until I agreed to go all the way to the pier we'd walked earlier and back. It wasn't that far - maybe a mile total - but as is usually the case, it's harder on the way back. Though the wind was in our favor as we turned around, we'd miscalculated how strong the current was and had to work hard not to be pulled out farther from shore than we cared to go. My turkey club sandwich and David's quesadillas were certainly tasty rewards as we chowed down on the beach afterward and then catnapped.
That afternoon we packed it in a little early and moved our stuff up to the pool area. We reapplied sunscreen, someone brought us two frozen drinks, and we made our way to the lazy river part of the pool. One can only aimlessly meander around in a pool before becoming utterly exhausted, so when we saw a chance to rest our tired souls in the hammocks draped over one end of a quiet corner, we climbed in. After all, it had been nearly thirty minutes that we'd spent upright since we left our lounge chairs on the beach.
For dinner that night, we decided to cash in our "Anniversary Card" (a special card we received at check-in that supposedly gave us a little extra pampering) at the Italian place called Toscana. We handed it to the hostess and while she snapped a couple of pictures of us, the waiter inside placed fresh rose petals all around our table in the shape of a heart. We ordered - linguini for me and shrimp for D - and they brought a bottle of wine to our table. The food was good and the view by the window was nice, but the conversation was the best part. I found myself somewhat surprised that here we were at the end of our third full day together without anyone else to interject, interrupt, or even give us subject matter to talk about and we were still going strong. I hadn't turned on my phone in days and David had only used his to read by the beach. We were focusing on no one else and connecting...and it felt great. Our kids mean the world to us and technology has its perks, but they will suck the life out of your marriage if you allow them to. It felt amazing to be on this trip with my groom and feel like newlyweds again.
The show that night was a light show on the beach, which we soon found out was code for "Fire Show with Balls and Strands of Light instead of Fire", so we packed it in early and tried to see how far we could carry the newlywed feeling. ;)
We awoke the next morning with the sinking realization that it was our final full day there. The one thing that was making it a little easier to want to leave, besides missing the kids of course, was that I hadn't been sleeping well and was beginning to feel ill. Not only was it our last day, however, but it was also David's 33rd birthday, so I wanted to make the most of it. Per our beach concierge's recommendation, I was at our section of the beach a few minutes before 7:00am in an attempt to claim one of the awesome beds they have on the back rows. It wasn't meant to be and they were already all taken, so he set us up with towels on our usual chairs and I went back to the room to have breakfast with the birthday boy.
After our tasty French toast, we went out and settled into our read, rest, eat, rest cycle for a few hours. At lunchtime, we walked up to the Lobster House and ate. I wasn't feeling well at all and decided to send David back down to the beach and head to the room to catch a nap out of the sun and on a little more comfortable spot. I managed to get in about thirty minutes before the hammering of tile from somewhere outside woke me up. I decided to
stop by the club lounge and ask if they could do a few balloons in our room for David's birthday. They were happy to oblige and I assured her we'd be out for another couple of hours.
We lingered on the beach later than previous days and managed to commandeer a bed up front with a great view. It had previously been in the sun, but was now shadowed by the beautiful palm trees overhead. We snuggled and talked awhile, trying to avoid the inevitable. Neither of us was ready to go, knowing we would be saying goodbye to the turquoise waves and white sandy beach for an unknown amount of time. I've had breakups that were less traumatic.
We headed up to the pool area, played a little ping pong at their outdoor game center, and then cleaned up and showered for dinner. David had decided he wanted to save the Mexican restaurant for his birthday dinner, but of course didn't want me to tell the hostess anything. The balloons and streamers around the room had been more his speed as far as recognition goes. The food was good, but I'm afraid my company was not. I knew I was running a slight fever at this point (I suspected a sinus infection and UTI) and felt pretty rough. The ambiance was gorgeous, though, and we tried to soak up one of our last uninterrupted meals together. After eating our fajitas, we went back to the room so I could rest before that night's show. It was to be a magic show and I knew David was really looking forward to it. On the way back down, we went by the gift shop to get the kids a little something and pick out our traditional ornament souvenir. Since all of the shows had drawn very small crowds all week, we didn't worry about getting there early. Unfortunately, that night's event was more popular than we'd anticipated and we had to settle for some seats on the side without great views.
The magician was funny, but the tricks left a lot to be desired. They did a few of the "put a woman in a box then stab/saw/grind her up" type of tricks. He worked in a couple of corny jokes and the audience gave polite pity applause. Thirty minutes into it, we opted to head for bed. We still had to get up early to pack before our car arrived at 8:00am to take us to the airport. I wish I could've felt better for David's birthday, but I think he suffered through having it at a five-star resort just fine. I neutralized my guilt by realizing I was way less maintenance than two kids would've been.
After a few coughing fits, I slept fairly decently that night and awoke ready to get home to my babies. We packed, ate a light breakfast on the patio, and said our farewells to the Caribbean. The bellhop showed up to help with our suitcases and our driver arrived right on time. The thirty minute ride to the airport passed quickly as we watched all of the sights zoom by on the way. We checked in and went through security without any trouble and only a little wait and ended up having about an hour and half to spare before boarding began. We got muffins at Starbucks and looked through all of the souvenir stores. With an hour to spare, we found our gate and I began working on editing pictures while David read.
The plane ride was uneventful, which is the best kind. I tried to nap, but was afraid that leaning my head back would cause coughing fits from the drainage, so I did the college-student-falling-asleep-in-class head bob a lot. We landed and began the most idiotic journey from the international terminal to immigration and customs. I usually brag about Hartsfield and how efficient it is, but I cannot for the life of me understand how they expect the majority of international passengers - especially the young, old, and those in less than good health - to travel the obscene distance to get from their plane to all the required checkpoints. We attempted not to let it dampen our spirits and finally stepped out into the muggy Atlanta air to catch our bus back to our parking space in an off-campus lot, which is another 15 minute ride.
We finally got to our car and loaded up the luggage. As we pulled onto the interstate and the Atlanta skyline came into view, I whispered a prayer of thanks to God for bringing us home safely from such an amazing trip. I texted our parents and my brothers and felt the butterflies and excitement build as we got closer to the house and dodged in and out of rain showers. David's dad sent me a message that said they were waiting outside for us. We pulled into the driveway and I spotted Audrey with her rain boots on and umbrella spinning. I jumped out and squeezed her tightly and told her how much I'd missed her and loved her until she said, "Mooooommy!" in her classic "that's enough" way. I took Luke from David and hugged him while he excitedly told me about David's cake inside. We went in and found several handmade colorful birthday signs and the cookie cake they'd gotten for him earlier that day. We visited and swapped a few stories before his parents left. I began unpacking a little with the kids underfoot - neither of us wanted to be out of each other's sight - and we gave them their souvenir instruments. It wasn't long before the doorbell rang and the pizza delivery man handed us the yummy dinner we'd ordered. We sat around the table together, ate, and talked. As we did our nighttime ritual of devotion and prayer, we thanked God for keeping all of us safe and giving us all such a fantastic time.
Unfortunately I brought back a couple of unwanted souvenirs - I was right about the UTI and sinus infection. I also caught a case of...well, let's call it "Traveler's Tummy" to top things off (or bottom things out - however you want to look at it.) I went to the doctor on Thursday and have started antibiotics. I'm feeling better, but please pray for complete healing.
Even with all of that, it was such a wonderful, luxurious trip. In closing, I offer this PSA: I cannot stress enough how important a few days away are for a married couple with young kids. There are the obvious huge benefits to your relationship as a couple, but it improves your relationship with your kids as well! It makes you savor every minute in the week leading up to your departure and cherish every moment in the days after your return. Not to mention how awesome it is for them to have those special times with grandparents. I realize not everyone has the opportunity to do a fancy resort in Mexico, but if there is any way to go somewhere for even just two or three nights, do it. Not only will the memories we made last us a lifetime, but we'll be reaping the rewards in our marriage and with our kids for a long time as well.
We are so, so grateful to our parents for stepping up and taking such wonderful care of our kids so that we could do this. I missed them, but not once did I worry about them. I knew they were in capable hands and that kind of comforting peace is absolutely priceless.
Thank you, David, for the trip of a lifetime. Thank you, Nana, Grandpa, Grandma Gloria, Grandmom, and Granddad, for allowing us the opportunity to take it.
And thank You, Lord. Not only for the trip and our safety, but for all You've given us in our nearly decade of marriage. We wouldn't have been celebrating if not for Your grace.
Pictures: Our Anniversary Trip to Mexico
So where do I even begin? I'll skip right over the months of anticipation and weeks of work (organizing the house, cooking and freezing meals, updating the grandparent binder with every.single.detail, stocking up on household goods in case of an catastrophic event, writing daily notes/activities for each child, cleaning like a madwoman, etc.) and get to the part where we walked in the resort lobby and they handed us glasses of champagne and said, "Welcome Home." I nearly cried.
After checking in at our private Excellence Club Lounge (we opted for the club level upgrade because it was the only way to get an ocean view room and it had several other luxuries we deemed worthwhile), we ate lunch at The Grill then strolled around the grounds until our room became available. At first, the place seemed overwhelming and huge. By the second full day, however, you know your way around quite well...or at least can get from your room to the beach and back, which is all that really matters. We went back to the lounge and were once again offered food and drink, but turned it down and relaxed in the comfy leather couches for a few minutes until we were escorted to our room. We opened the door to find everything just like it appeared on the website photos, which was a relief. The spacious layout had a four-post king size bed, an L-shape leather couch, a modern marble bathroom with a shower big enough to sleep in, and a private patio with a hot tub and a lounge bed. Housekeeping had placed two swan towel arrangements on the bed with rose petals scattered around them. A bottle of champagne and fresh fruit was set out for us in honor of our anniversary. Incredible. We dumped our suitcases and began lounging right away. There was no time to waste...or rather, there was. And it felt awesome!
For dinner that night, we went to the resort's Lobster House and ate soup, grouper (me) and lobster (D), and cheesecake for dessert. The portions weren't huge, which is actually good since every meal has at least three courses. We walked right in and didn't have to wait for a table. This restaurant jetted out over parts of the main pool and we had a great view of the palm trees on the beach and glimpses of the ocean. After dinner we headed over to the main building and walked through the gift shop before settling down at a large outdoor cafe and listening to an incredibly talented singer cover some "easy listening"/pop hits. Around 9:30 (yes - we were still awake!), a group of performers came out and put on a "Fire Show", which involved dancing and twirling various chains, hoops, balls, etc. that were on fire. Quite impressive, but we called it a night before it ended. It had been a long day of traveling and, frankly, if you've seen one performance of fire juggling, you've seen them all.
The next morning, Sunday, I woke up at around 5:30am, which was 6:30am EST. I'm not a late sleeper anyway, but I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I just do not sleep well at all on trips. We did bring our little fan, which helps a lot, but when you have the most comfortable bed in the world at home and a brain that is never fully "off", eight solid hours on a vacation night is a pleasure I rarely experience. No matter, because one thing I don't have at home is a phone by the bed that I can reach room service on. Thirty minutes after placing our order, we were eating a delicious breakfast on our patio while looking out at the ocean. We ate, lathered sunscreen on, and hit the beach.
The next six hours went something like read, take a walk on the beach, lie down and snooze a few minutes, wake up, eat, read, splash in the ocean, repeat. I kept looking at the time and then chiding myself because WHO CARES? We'll eat when we're hungry and sleep when we're tired. The only thing I really needed a watch for was to time my exposure to the sun. There was no one's nap, potty, or eating schedule to take into consideration but our own. And that, my friends, was an unnatural phenomenon I came to terms with quickly.
They had a Burgers and Rock n' Roll lunch set up farther down the beach that we decided to try. We found one of the few tables in the shade and listened to the Hispanic accented singers belt out "Hotel California" and other classics while we ate our yummy guacamole-topped hamburgers, onion rings, and fruit.
That night we got dressed up and ate at the French restaurant at the resort. They have nine restaurants on site and we'd chosen four ahead of time for our four nights, but honestly the French one was the one we were the most hesitant about. It turns out we had no need to be. I ate the most delicious filet mignon I have ever tasted and David had some really tasty sea bass. As we were eating dessert, they surprised us with a little fancy dessert plate of white chocolate mousse that had "Happy Anniversary" spelled out in chocolate sauce.
After dinner we hung around the bar and waited for the Retro Show to begin in the Stars Theater. It was about a 30 minute show of dancing put to tracks from the 70s through today's hits. Not terrible, but we were thankful it was included in the price of our trip and we didn't buy special tickets. We called it a night after the show. Had to be up early for more beach laying and all that.
Our second full day, Monday, went basically the same as Sunday. We ordered breakfast from room service, ate it on the patio, and went down to the beach. This time we walked a short distance over to a short of jetty wall that frames part of a small harbor. We walked out to the edge of it where there was a very small lighthouse and surveyed the beautiful Caribbean water. The weather was as perfect as it had been the day before: highs in the mid-80s with a constant warm breeze by the ocean. The farther you moved into the heart of the resort, the hotter it got. The air seemed to circulate best and the humidity was felt less right by the shoreline.
Just before lunch, we decided to grab a kayak and see if we could recall any of the skills we'd once learned. Without any real intention on our part, we've realized kayaking has kind of become our adventurous thing on vacations. It began on our honeymoon in Aruba, then we did it on a cruise stop in the Dominican Republic, and there was the amazing experience of the Bio Bay in Puerto Rico a few years back. We couldn't leave without adding Mexico to our quests. Sure enough, it was easy to fall into our paddling rhythm and David encouraged (read: taunted) me until I agreed to go all the way to the pier we'd walked earlier and back. It wasn't that far - maybe a mile total - but as is usually the case, it's harder on the way back. Though the wind was in our favor as we turned around, we'd miscalculated how strong the current was and had to work hard not to be pulled out farther from shore than we cared to go. My turkey club sandwich and David's quesadillas were certainly tasty rewards as we chowed down on the beach afterward and then catnapped.
That afternoon we packed it in a little early and moved our stuff up to the pool area. We reapplied sunscreen, someone brought us two frozen drinks, and we made our way to the lazy river part of the pool. One can only aimlessly meander around in a pool before becoming utterly exhausted, so when we saw a chance to rest our tired souls in the hammocks draped over one end of a quiet corner, we climbed in. After all, it had been nearly thirty minutes that we'd spent upright since we left our lounge chairs on the beach.
For dinner that night, we decided to cash in our "Anniversary Card" (a special card we received at check-in that supposedly gave us a little extra pampering) at the Italian place called Toscana. We handed it to the hostess and while she snapped a couple of pictures of us, the waiter inside placed fresh rose petals all around our table in the shape of a heart. We ordered - linguini for me and shrimp for D - and they brought a bottle of wine to our table. The food was good and the view by the window was nice, but the conversation was the best part. I found myself somewhat surprised that here we were at the end of our third full day together without anyone else to interject, interrupt, or even give us subject matter to talk about and we were still going strong. I hadn't turned on my phone in days and David had only used his to read by the beach. We were focusing on no one else and connecting...and it felt great. Our kids mean the world to us and technology has its perks, but they will suck the life out of your marriage if you allow them to. It felt amazing to be on this trip with my groom and feel like newlyweds again.
The show that night was a light show on the beach, which we soon found out was code for "Fire Show with Balls and Strands of Light instead of Fire", so we packed it in early and tried to see how far we could carry the newlywed feeling. ;)
We awoke the next morning with the sinking realization that it was our final full day there. The one thing that was making it a little easier to want to leave, besides missing the kids of course, was that I hadn't been sleeping well and was beginning to feel ill. Not only was it our last day, however, but it was also David's 33rd birthday, so I wanted to make the most of it. Per our beach concierge's recommendation, I was at our section of the beach a few minutes before 7:00am in an attempt to claim one of the awesome beds they have on the back rows. It wasn't meant to be and they were already all taken, so he set us up with towels on our usual chairs and I went back to the room to have breakfast with the birthday boy.
After our tasty French toast, we went out and settled into our read, rest, eat, rest cycle for a few hours. At lunchtime, we walked up to the Lobster House and ate. I wasn't feeling well at all and decided to send David back down to the beach and head to the room to catch a nap out of the sun and on a little more comfortable spot. I managed to get in about thirty minutes before the hammering of tile from somewhere outside woke me up. I decided to
stop by the club lounge and ask if they could do a few balloons in our room for David's birthday. They were happy to oblige and I assured her we'd be out for another couple of hours.
We lingered on the beach later than previous days and managed to commandeer a bed up front with a great view. It had previously been in the sun, but was now shadowed by the beautiful palm trees overhead. We snuggled and talked awhile, trying to avoid the inevitable. Neither of us was ready to go, knowing we would be saying goodbye to the turquoise waves and white sandy beach for an unknown amount of time. I've had breakups that were less traumatic.
We headed up to the pool area, played a little ping pong at their outdoor game center, and then cleaned up and showered for dinner. David had decided he wanted to save the Mexican restaurant for his birthday dinner, but of course didn't want me to tell the hostess anything. The balloons and streamers around the room had been more his speed as far as recognition goes. The food was good, but I'm afraid my company was not. I knew I was running a slight fever at this point (I suspected a sinus infection and UTI) and felt pretty rough. The ambiance was gorgeous, though, and we tried to soak up one of our last uninterrupted meals together. After eating our fajitas, we went back to the room so I could rest before that night's show. It was to be a magic show and I knew David was really looking forward to it. On the way back down, we went by the gift shop to get the kids a little something and pick out our traditional ornament souvenir. Since all of the shows had drawn very small crowds all week, we didn't worry about getting there early. Unfortunately, that night's event was more popular than we'd anticipated and we had to settle for some seats on the side without great views.
The magician was funny, but the tricks left a lot to be desired. They did a few of the "put a woman in a box then stab/saw/grind her up" type of tricks. He worked in a couple of corny jokes and the audience gave polite pity applause. Thirty minutes into it, we opted to head for bed. We still had to get up early to pack before our car arrived at 8:00am to take us to the airport. I wish I could've felt better for David's birthday, but I think he suffered through having it at a five-star resort just fine. I neutralized my guilt by realizing I was way less maintenance than two kids would've been.
After a few coughing fits, I slept fairly decently that night and awoke ready to get home to my babies. We packed, ate a light breakfast on the patio, and said our farewells to the Caribbean. The bellhop showed up to help with our suitcases and our driver arrived right on time. The thirty minute ride to the airport passed quickly as we watched all of the sights zoom by on the way. We checked in and went through security without any trouble and only a little wait and ended up having about an hour and half to spare before boarding began. We got muffins at Starbucks and looked through all of the souvenir stores. With an hour to spare, we found our gate and I began working on editing pictures while David read.
The plane ride was uneventful, which is the best kind. I tried to nap, but was afraid that leaning my head back would cause coughing fits from the drainage, so I did the college-student-falling-asleep-in-class head bob a lot. We landed and began the most idiotic journey from the international terminal to immigration and customs. I usually brag about Hartsfield and how efficient it is, but I cannot for the life of me understand how they expect the majority of international passengers - especially the young, old, and those in less than good health - to travel the obscene distance to get from their plane to all the required checkpoints. We attempted not to let it dampen our spirits and finally stepped out into the muggy Atlanta air to catch our bus back to our parking space in an off-campus lot, which is another 15 minute ride.
We finally got to our car and loaded up the luggage. As we pulled onto the interstate and the Atlanta skyline came into view, I whispered a prayer of thanks to God for bringing us home safely from such an amazing trip. I texted our parents and my brothers and felt the butterflies and excitement build as we got closer to the house and dodged in and out of rain showers. David's dad sent me a message that said they were waiting outside for us. We pulled into the driveway and I spotted Audrey with her rain boots on and umbrella spinning. I jumped out and squeezed her tightly and told her how much I'd missed her and loved her until she said, "Mooooommy!" in her classic "that's enough" way. I took Luke from David and hugged him while he excitedly told me about David's cake inside. We went in and found several handmade colorful birthday signs and the cookie cake they'd gotten for him earlier that day. We visited and swapped a few stories before his parents left. I began unpacking a little with the kids underfoot - neither of us wanted to be out of each other's sight - and we gave them their souvenir instruments. It wasn't long before the doorbell rang and the pizza delivery man handed us the yummy dinner we'd ordered. We sat around the table together, ate, and talked. As we did our nighttime ritual of devotion and prayer, we thanked God for keeping all of us safe and giving us all such a fantastic time.
Unfortunately I brought back a couple of unwanted souvenirs - I was right about the UTI and sinus infection. I also caught a case of...well, let's call it "Traveler's Tummy" to top things off (or bottom things out - however you want to look at it.) I went to the doctor on Thursday and have started antibiotics. I'm feeling better, but please pray for complete healing.
Even with all of that, it was such a wonderful, luxurious trip. In closing, I offer this PSA: I cannot stress enough how important a few days away are for a married couple with young kids. There are the obvious huge benefits to your relationship as a couple, but it improves your relationship with your kids as well! It makes you savor every minute in the week leading up to your departure and cherish every moment in the days after your return. Not to mention how awesome it is for them to have those special times with grandparents. I realize not everyone has the opportunity to do a fancy resort in Mexico, but if there is any way to go somewhere for even just two or three nights, do it. Not only will the memories we made last us a lifetime, but we'll be reaping the rewards in our marriage and with our kids for a long time as well.
We are so, so grateful to our parents for stepping up and taking such wonderful care of our kids so that we could do this. I missed them, but not once did I worry about them. I knew they were in capable hands and that kind of comforting peace is absolutely priceless.
Thank you, David, for the trip of a lifetime. Thank you, Nana, Grandpa, Grandma Gloria, Grandmom, and Granddad, for allowing us the opportunity to take it.
And thank You, Lord. Not only for the trip and our safety, but for all You've given us in our nearly decade of marriage. We wouldn't have been celebrating if not for Your grace.
Pictures: Our Anniversary Trip to Mexico
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