I am 30 years old now. Wow, it feels odd to type that.
Today was not the day I had envisioned and hoped for over the past year, it was quiet and uneventful. Turning 30 is a big deal, they say your 30's are the best years of your life. I was kinda hoping to start my 30's off with a bang, or at least a fun day.
My morning was quiet with just Aubrey and I. Ashlyn was at MDO. We ran an errand and then came home. I picked up the house a little while Aubrey played, we ate sandwiches for lunch, then picked Ashlyn up from school. (Aubrey's favorite part of the day!) After naps the girls were extra cranky and objected to anything I asked of them. When Phillip came home we went out for dinner, then back home for Cheesecake. Ashlyn helped me make the cheesecake the day before and was so excited to eat it. She insisted I have candles, sweet girl. Because every birthday cake needs candles! My mom gave me my birthday gift while we were in Texas with strict instructions not to open it until my actual birthday. It's been on my dresser tempting me to take a peek all week (I didn't :) ), so I was anxious to open my gift. My parents gave me two charms for my Brighton charm bracelet and some birthday money. My mom also gave me a special book she has spent many many hours making for me that shares about her life and our family. It meant the world to me and made me cry!
My mom was always good at making us feel special on holidays and birthdays. My favorite birthday was when we were stationed in Germany. (My dad was in the Air Force) When I walked in the door from school there were long streams of ribbon hanging from the ceiling. It was long curly ribbon and they were all over the living room ceiling. I thought it was the best thing!
My next favorite birthday memory was getting my own telephone for my room. I can't remember if I was 15 or 16. It was maroon and corded. Man, I thought I was somebody. I wanted badly to have my own phone line but was happy to just settle for an actual phone in my room. Now that crazy phone is so outdated! My mom has that exact same style of phone in the toy basket at her house for the girls to play with. When we were there for Christmas Ashlyn held up the phone with a puzzled look on her face and said "what's this". We only have cell phones, she's never seen a corded phone! I died laughing!!
My 20's were filled with so many memories. I don't think I will have another 10 years with so many life changing events.
*I got married, ok so I was 19 but I turned 20 two months later
*I moved away from home to another state
*Got my first new car
*My new car was sent to the body shop 3 times. None of which were my fault. Phillip still drives that car. I don't think it will ever quit running, it's a great little car.
*I worked three jobs for the same health system, two of those I loved and are still friends with many of my co-workers.
*Bought my first house.
*Bought my second new car. Dumbest purchase ever.
*I was pregnant with my first baby.
*I gave birth to my first baby. Hardest thing I've ever done!
*Quit my day job to stay home with my sweet baby.
*I was pregnant with my second baby
*Bought my third car. I love my mommy-mobile!
*I gave birth to my second baby. It's easier the second time around!
And there's so much more in between all of those memories! God has been faithful and has blessed me more than I deserve!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Easter 2011
We had a good Easter Sunday! It was cold and rainy and we had to wear coats over our new Easter outfits and got our cute hair wet, but that's not what it's all about. This day is for celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Saturday evening we dyed our Easter eggs. Pink, purple, and orange. No boy colors like blue or green. Orange was chosen simply because mommy said to choose one more color! Ashlyn loves any kind of craft so she loved it. Aubrey just tried to stuff the egg in her mouth and see how much wax off the crayon she could get on her teeth. After about a minute and a half, Aubrey called it quits.
Sunday morning is always an early morning for Phillip. This year we had a sunrise service to try to make more room in all the services so Phillip was up at the church at 5:30am preparing for the first service which started at 7. The girls and I went to our normal 8:30 service and stayed for the next service so I could serve in the nursery. By time we got home the girls were tired so we ate lunch and laid down for naps.
I snapped a quick picture of the girls when we got home in their matching dresses. If you look at Aubrey's little hand you can see Snow White. Ashlyn loves these little princess dolls. Their clothes are rubber and you can change their clothes. This is all Ashlyn wants to spend her commission on! Anyways, Aubrey knows their special to Ashlyn so she always wants to play with them too. The only way she would stand there was if she had a princess in her hand. Oh well, it will give me something to smile about 10 years from now. Not that their cuteness wouldn't already make me smile!
After nap time the girls got to look at their Easter goodies Daddy and Mommy gave them and hunt Easter eggs. It was still raining after nap plus the grass was just mushy, so we hunted eggs in the house.
Someone was upset because she wanted a Rapunzel doll too!
But once they started looking for eggs and Ashlyn showed her there were treats in there she forgot about the Rapunzel doll.
I laid yellow and green eggs on the ground and told Ashlyn those were for Aubrey and the other colors were hiding for her. She was so sweet to help Aubrey with her eggs and didn't try to sneak them from her. Aubrey didn't want to put the eggs in her basket once she found out there were puffs in there. She would take them over for Ashlyn to open and Ashlyn would gladly open them for her. She's so sweet to Aubrey!
And Ashlyn had snickers, skittles, and M&M in her eggs. Yum!
It was fun dying eggs, having goodies in our Easter baskets, and eating treats from our eggs we found but this was not the main focus of our weekend. I love these little Resurrection Eggs I got a couple years ago to explain to the girls what Easter really means.
In each plastic egg there is a little item. All the items represent the main points leading up to Christ's death on the cross then an empty egg which shows us Christ is no longer in the tomb. Ashlyn loves to go through the eggs and is really starting to understand.
Saturday evening we dyed our Easter eggs. Pink, purple, and orange. No boy colors like blue or green. Orange was chosen simply because mommy said to choose one more color! Ashlyn loves any kind of craft so she loved it. Aubrey just tried to stuff the egg in her mouth and see how much wax off the crayon she could get on her teeth. After about a minute and a half, Aubrey called it quits.
Sunday morning is always an early morning for Phillip. This year we had a sunrise service to try to make more room in all the services so Phillip was up at the church at 5:30am preparing for the first service which started at 7. The girls and I went to our normal 8:30 service and stayed for the next service so I could serve in the nursery. By time we got home the girls were tired so we ate lunch and laid down for naps.
I snapped a quick picture of the girls when we got home in their matching dresses. If you look at Aubrey's little hand you can see Snow White. Ashlyn loves these little princess dolls. Their clothes are rubber and you can change their clothes. This is all Ashlyn wants to spend her commission on! Anyways, Aubrey knows their special to Ashlyn so she always wants to play with them too. The only way she would stand there was if she had a princess in her hand. Oh well, it will give me something to smile about 10 years from now. Not that their cuteness wouldn't already make me smile!
After nap time the girls got to look at their Easter goodies Daddy and Mommy gave them and hunt Easter eggs. It was still raining after nap plus the grass was just mushy, so we hunted eggs in the house.
Someone was upset because she wanted a Rapunzel doll too!
But once they started looking for eggs and Ashlyn showed her there were treats in there she forgot about the Rapunzel doll.
I laid yellow and green eggs on the ground and told Ashlyn those were for Aubrey and the other colors were hiding for her. She was so sweet to help Aubrey with her eggs and didn't try to sneak them from her. Aubrey didn't want to put the eggs in her basket once she found out there were puffs in there. She would take them over for Ashlyn to open and Ashlyn would gladly open them for her. She's so sweet to Aubrey!
And Ashlyn had snickers, skittles, and M&M in her eggs. Yum!
It was fun dying eggs, having goodies in our Easter baskets, and eating treats from our eggs we found but this was not the main focus of our weekend. I love these little Resurrection Eggs I got a couple years ago to explain to the girls what Easter really means.
In each plastic egg there is a little item. All the items represent the main points leading up to Christ's death on the cross then an empty egg which shows us Christ is no longer in the tomb. Ashlyn loves to go through the eggs and is really starting to understand.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
1 Peter 1:3
1 Peter 1:3
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Yeah Thursday!
*When we left for our vacation the house was nice and clean. The moment we came home it instantly looked like a disaster. Why is that?
*I keep expecting to hear knock knock "housekeeping" and knock knock "turn down service". They haven't come knocking since we left Jamaica.
*Ashlyn has been slacking in her manners department lately. Phillip and I are both firm believers that children should say yes mam and no mam. So, we've been "staying on top of her" the past week to get her back in the habit.
Yesterday our conversation went like this...
Ashlyn: Mom when I was a little girl I didn't use good manners but now that I'm a big girl I use manners.
Me: Yes, you have very good manners now. (So yesterday you were a little little girl but today suddenly you became a big girl?)
*On Tuesday Aubrey was outside playing and did not want to go in when it was time. I told her to come here and then the second time a little more firmly, using her middle name this time (because moms think that seems to help). She looked at me, sat straight on her bottom, then gave me a little smirk. She is so stink'n cute but boy she's got attitude!
*Come to think of it, Aubrey was more well behaved before she stayed a week with Nana and Pawpaw! ;)
*Ashlyn and Aubrey got the cutest matching rain coats from their Great Aunt Jan. Ashlyn was so proud of hers that she wore it all day at school. Her teachers kept asking her if she wanted to take it off and she said no. I finally convinced her to take it off in the car when she was complaining of being too sweaty.
*Phillip is working lots of hours this week. I got so used to spending all day with him that I miss him more than I normally do.
*I'm not a big fan of my long sleeves after wearing shorts and flip flops all last week.
*I get kinda nauseous when I think about turning 30 next Thursday.
*People say your 30's are the best years of your life. So far I've noticed grey hair and teeny tiny wrinkles around my eyes. Someone explain what's so great about that!
*Ashlyn got a pre-school work book from Nana and Pawpaw. She loves it! That girl is like a sponge. She loves anything that has to do with letters and counting.
*Aubrey loves going to pick up Ashlyn from mother's day out. She trots down the hall to her room giggling "ashes, ashes" then points and squeals at her when she sees her. Ashlyn is always so proud of her sister. She takes her to her friends and says "this is Aub-wee" and kisses her on the cheek when she knows they are watching.
*I love having two girls! God has blessed Phillip and I more than we could imagine!
*I keep expecting to hear knock knock "housekeeping" and knock knock "turn down service". They haven't come knocking since we left Jamaica.
*Ashlyn has been slacking in her manners department lately. Phillip and I are both firm believers that children should say yes mam and no mam. So, we've been "staying on top of her" the past week to get her back in the habit.
Yesterday our conversation went like this...
Ashlyn: Mom when I was a little girl I didn't use good manners but now that I'm a big girl I use manners.
Me: Yes, you have very good manners now. (So yesterday you were a little little girl but today suddenly you became a big girl?)
*On Tuesday Aubrey was outside playing and did not want to go in when it was time. I told her to come here and then the second time a little more firmly, using her middle name this time (because moms think that seems to help). She looked at me, sat straight on her bottom, then gave me a little smirk. She is so stink'n cute but boy she's got attitude!
*Come to think of it, Aubrey was more well behaved before she stayed a week with Nana and Pawpaw! ;)
*Ashlyn and Aubrey got the cutest matching rain coats from their Great Aunt Jan. Ashlyn was so proud of hers that she wore it all day at school. Her teachers kept asking her if she wanted to take it off and she said no. I finally convinced her to take it off in the car when she was complaining of being too sweaty.
*Phillip is working lots of hours this week. I got so used to spending all day with him that I miss him more than I normally do.
*I'm not a big fan of my long sleeves after wearing shorts and flip flops all last week.
*I get kinda nauseous when I think about turning 30 next Thursday.
*People say your 30's are the best years of your life. So far I've noticed grey hair and teeny tiny wrinkles around my eyes. Someone explain what's so great about that!
*Ashlyn got a pre-school work book from Nana and Pawpaw. She loves it! That girl is like a sponge. She loves anything that has to do with letters and counting.
*Aubrey loves going to pick up Ashlyn from mother's day out. She trots down the hall to her room giggling "ashes, ashes" then points and squeals at her when she sees her. Ashlyn is always so proud of her sister. She takes her to her friends and says "this is Aub-wee" and kisses her on the cheek when she knows they are watching.
*I love having two girls! God has blessed Phillip and I more than we could imagine!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
While the cat's away the mice will play
Ashlyn and Aubrey stayed with my parents while Phillip and I were in Jamaica. Ashlyn was stoked about the idea of being there without us. She would confirm that "you are leaving and me and Aubrey will stay by our self" several times before we left for our trip. I was a bit worried about how Aubrey would do. The last time Phillip was out of town she did not handle it well and had little melt downs by the door waiting for daddy to come home for a full week. But she ended up doing great! I'm pretty sure they had just as much fun as Phillip and I did! They were spoiled rotten!!
Both girls became best of buds with my mom's two dogs. The puppies are so gentle and patient with the girls and follow them around constantly. Aubrey would go up to them and hug and love on them.
One of the first days they were there mom said she looked over and Aubrey had a kitchen towel and was sucking water out of it. She wondered where in the world Aubrey got water from then realized she snatched her kitchen towel and dipped it in the dogs water bowl! Ick! Nana learned you can't keep kitchen towels hanging on your oven door handle with Aubrey around! Ha!
Nana also learned that 18 month old's don't always tell the truth. Apparently Aubrey was fussing in her bed after they laid her down for the night. My mom went in to check on her and asked her if she had a poopy diaper. Aubrey grinned and nodded her head. So Nana took her to the living room where the wipes were and sure enough, her diaper was clean as a whistle. So she got to stay up late and dance to American Idol. Sucker!
Pawpaw and Ashlyn love watermelon so he made sure he had one for them to share while she was there!
One day while Pawpaw was at work they went to the park and played for a while then went to Dairy Queen for lunch. I didn't see any pictures from the park, I'm pretty sure Nana was running after Aubrey the whole time and didn't have time to take any pictures!
My dad was able to take a couple days off later in the week while they were there so Thursday they went to the San Antonio zoo.
I can't quite tell if this picture was taken before or after Aubrey's "big melt down". Ashlyn has her hands on her ears, Aubrey has a mad "I don't want to ride in the stroller face", and it looks like her little knee is skinned from when she threw herself on the ground in protest. Then again Ashlyn claims the monkeys were screaming too loud, that's why her ears are covered, and Nana is still smiling!
The girls also got their finger and toe nails painted. Aubrey's first time! She still points to her toes and tells me "soot" (cute).
Ashlyn and Aubrey also helped Pawpaw check the cows everyday. Ashlyn has loved going to check the cows since she was Aubrey's age and now Aubrey is old enough to tag along. I used to go with my Grandad to check the cows when I was younger and have such fond memories of it. I know the time they get to spend with their Pawpaw out with the cows is something they will always cherish. While they were there Ashlyn got to see five brand new baby calves.
Ashlyn and Nana made chocolate chip cookies on Friday. I can tell Ashlyn loved this because she is still talking about what ingredients they used to make the cookies. I'm pretty sure the girls ate cookies for breakfast because when we got back Aubrey kept begging for cookies when she woke up. My mom swore up and down that she didn't eat them for breakfast but I find it funny that the only time Aubrey begged for them was at breakfast!
Although Nana can't deny that she had several of them during the day, I have proof. I lost count of how many pictures they have of Aubrey eating a cookie. And they aren't all on Pawpaw's lap like this one!
Our flight got back into town late Saturday night so the girls were fast asleep by time we got to my parents house. The next morning when I heard Aubrey talking in her bed I went in to get her eagerly anticipating the squeels and grins I would get. Aubrey didn't budge when she saw me! She sat on her bottom and stared at me with a blank look on her face. I picked her up and gave her a big hug and kiss and she turned her face away from me! Then I changed her diaper and tickled her and talked silly to her... no reaction. She would turn her head and move her eyes around my head, she refused to look at me! She was mad at me!! It took her about 30 minutes to finally warm up to me and give me the time of day. Can you say stinker!!
Ashlyn of course hopped in bed with us the second she woke up and talked our ear off!
My brother and his fiance were able to come down for the weekend and spend Sunday with us. I was thrilled because I didn't know they were coming until we pulled in the driveway Saturday night. Ashlyn thinks Kristine is wonderful and always attaches herself to Kristine. Kristine is so sweet to play and draw with her and even gave the girls a bath Saturday night.
The night before we left to head back home the handle on the guest shower broke off in Phillip's hand! Which caused water to gush at full force. My dad had to shut off the water coming into the house and take the next day off work to fix it. It ended up being quite the project which involved cutting into the wall of the adjoining bedroom! I'm pretty sure Phillip and I are about to be banned from our parent's houses. Nearly every time we visit either one of our parents something breaks! While at Phillip's parents several years ago they lost power for days in the middle of an ice storm and as we were walking out the door to go back home the power came on. I'm not exaggerating! They have also had a water line break while we were there and last month when the girls and I were there the coffee maker bit the dust. This past Christmas at my parents the door handle to the girls room locked up and my dad had to disassemble the whole knob to get into the room. And now we break the shower! I'm not making this stuff up!
The girls had a wonderful time and I'm pretty sure Nana and Pawpaw did too! Ashlyn is still talking about their visit and Aubrey keeps pointing to the phone wanting to call Nana.
Thank you Mom and Dad for watching the girls for us! I am so grateful that they have wonderful grandparents who love them and want to invest in their lives. I know they will cherish all these memories they are making with you!
Both girls became best of buds with my mom's two dogs. The puppies are so gentle and patient with the girls and follow them around constantly. Aubrey would go up to them and hug and love on them.
One of the first days they were there mom said she looked over and Aubrey had a kitchen towel and was sucking water out of it. She wondered where in the world Aubrey got water from then realized she snatched her kitchen towel and dipped it in the dogs water bowl! Ick! Nana learned you can't keep kitchen towels hanging on your oven door handle with Aubrey around! Ha!
Nana also learned that 18 month old's don't always tell the truth. Apparently Aubrey was fussing in her bed after they laid her down for the night. My mom went in to check on her and asked her if she had a poopy diaper. Aubrey grinned and nodded her head. So Nana took her to the living room where the wipes were and sure enough, her diaper was clean as a whistle. So she got to stay up late and dance to American Idol. Sucker!
Pawpaw and Ashlyn love watermelon so he made sure he had one for them to share while she was there!
One day while Pawpaw was at work they went to the park and played for a while then went to Dairy Queen for lunch. I didn't see any pictures from the park, I'm pretty sure Nana was running after Aubrey the whole time and didn't have time to take any pictures!
My dad was able to take a couple days off later in the week while they were there so Thursday they went to the San Antonio zoo.
I can't quite tell if this picture was taken before or after Aubrey's "big melt down". Ashlyn has her hands on her ears, Aubrey has a mad "I don't want to ride in the stroller face", and it looks like her little knee is skinned from when she threw herself on the ground in protest. Then again Ashlyn claims the monkeys were screaming too loud, that's why her ears are covered, and Nana is still smiling!
The girls also got their finger and toe nails painted. Aubrey's first time! She still points to her toes and tells me "soot" (cute).
Ashlyn and Aubrey also helped Pawpaw check the cows everyday. Ashlyn has loved going to check the cows since she was Aubrey's age and now Aubrey is old enough to tag along. I used to go with my Grandad to check the cows when I was younger and have such fond memories of it. I know the time they get to spend with their Pawpaw out with the cows is something they will always cherish. While they were there Ashlyn got to see five brand new baby calves.
Ashlyn and Nana made chocolate chip cookies on Friday. I can tell Ashlyn loved this because she is still talking about what ingredients they used to make the cookies. I'm pretty sure the girls ate cookies for breakfast because when we got back Aubrey kept begging for cookies when she woke up. My mom swore up and down that she didn't eat them for breakfast but I find it funny that the only time Aubrey begged for them was at breakfast!
Although Nana can't deny that she had several of them during the day, I have proof. I lost count of how many pictures they have of Aubrey eating a cookie. And they aren't all on Pawpaw's lap like this one!
Our flight got back into town late Saturday night so the girls were fast asleep by time we got to my parents house. The next morning when I heard Aubrey talking in her bed I went in to get her eagerly anticipating the squeels and grins I would get. Aubrey didn't budge when she saw me! She sat on her bottom and stared at me with a blank look on her face. I picked her up and gave her a big hug and kiss and she turned her face away from me! Then I changed her diaper and tickled her and talked silly to her... no reaction. She would turn her head and move her eyes around my head, she refused to look at me! She was mad at me!! It took her about 30 minutes to finally warm up to me and give me the time of day. Can you say stinker!!
Ashlyn of course hopped in bed with us the second she woke up and talked our ear off!
My brother and his fiance were able to come down for the weekend and spend Sunday with us. I was thrilled because I didn't know they were coming until we pulled in the driveway Saturday night. Ashlyn thinks Kristine is wonderful and always attaches herself to Kristine. Kristine is so sweet to play and draw with her and even gave the girls a bath Saturday night.
The night before we left to head back home the handle on the guest shower broke off in Phillip's hand! Which caused water to gush at full force. My dad had to shut off the water coming into the house and take the next day off work to fix it. It ended up being quite the project which involved cutting into the wall of the adjoining bedroom! I'm pretty sure Phillip and I are about to be banned from our parent's houses. Nearly every time we visit either one of our parents something breaks! While at Phillip's parents several years ago they lost power for days in the middle of an ice storm and as we were walking out the door to go back home the power came on. I'm not exaggerating! They have also had a water line break while we were there and last month when the girls and I were there the coffee maker bit the dust. This past Christmas at my parents the door handle to the girls room locked up and my dad had to disassemble the whole knob to get into the room. And now we break the shower! I'm not making this stuff up!
The girls had a wonderful time and I'm pretty sure Nana and Pawpaw did too! Ashlyn is still talking about their visit and Aubrey keeps pointing to the phone wanting to call Nana.
Thank you Mom and Dad for watching the girls for us! I am so grateful that they have wonderful grandparents who love them and want to invest in their lives. I know they will cherish all these memories they are making with you!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Yeah Mon!
Phillip and I just got back from our anniversary trip to Jamaica! We had a wonderful time!! It was so relaxing and fun. It was great to just get away, just the two of us. It's nice to reconnect on a couple level and not be caught up in the day to day duties of life and raising a family.
We drove to Texas on Friday and Saturday to my parents house so they could watch the girls for us. We split the drive up and stayed the night at Phillip's youngest sister's house in Dallas Friday night. Ashlyn was so excited to see her cousin even though it was only for a short time. And I was excited about the yummy dessert my sister-in-law whipped up for us! It was basically an oatmeal cookie with chocolate smeared all over it! We drove the remaining 6 hours the next morning and made it to my parents right after nap time, and just in time for Ashlyn to check the cows with Pawpaw.
The next morning Phillip and I got up at 3:30am so we could catch our early morning flight out of San Antonio. We landed in Montego Bay Jamaica shortly after lunch. Once we got off the plane we had to take a shuttle bus two hours across the island. The drive across the island is a whole another story in itself! There are basically no rules in the rural areas and the roads are not maintained. Thankfully we were one of the bigger vehicles on the road so for some reason I felt safer. If we had been in a little compact car, I would have wet my pants!
We stayed at the Sandals Whitehouse Resort which is on the south east side of the island and it was wonderful. The views, the beach, the water, the pools, the food, the service, the cleanliness, the Jamaican people, everything was just wonderful!
This was our view when we stepped out our front door.
And the view from our little back deck.
Every morning after breakfast Phillip would go diving. He got his certification before we left so he could take advantage of the free unlimited diving the resort offered. His dives we anywhere from 30-75 feet deep.
And while Phillip was out diving I would spend the hour and a half doing this...
...reading in front of the ocean or by the pool.
And sometimes I would watch some of the other vacationers do their morning water aerobics while I ate this...
A freshly made crepe from the little bakery, Cafe de Paris. I mean seriously, who exercises on vacation!
After Phillip was done with his dive we would eat lunch and then do something fun together. One day we took a little Hoby Cat (a small sail boat if you will) out on the ocean and another day we went snorkeling. The other days we would hang out in one of the three pools, walk along the beach, or just relax.
There was a hammock over by our room that we relaxed in a couple times. And I'm not embarrassed to say that I did fall asleep in it one time.
The resort was beautiful! The landscaping was amazing and all the buildings were so cute!
There were several peacocks and peafowl on the resort. It was always fun to watch them strut their stuff!
The food at Sandals Whitehouse was awesome! Each morning they had a large buffet of any type of breakfast item you can imagine. We usually opted for the omelets and pastries. Oh, and the fried plantains of course! For lunch there were three restaurants open with amazing food including anything from fried calamari to burgers and wraps. At night you could choose from five restaurants, each serving amazing food. The bakery was open all day and we frequented it often!
There were always activities going on after dinner. We usually walked over to Cafe de Paris for dessert and coffee or ice cream and listened to the band that was playing outside.
One of the last nights we were there people were flying little paper lanters. They were really neat to watch!
On Saturday morning we had to pack our bags and head down for one more visit to the breakfast buffet before making our two hour ride across the island. We were sad to see our vacation end so soon but after being away from my baby girls seven days I was ready to head home. I am so grateful for our time away! Phillip did an amazing job planning our trip all by himself, I wasn't allowed any part of it, the only thing I knew is that we were going to Jamaica. And Phillip and I are so thankful for my parents watching the girls a full week! I know that was not an easy task... more on that later!
We drove to Texas on Friday and Saturday to my parents house so they could watch the girls for us. We split the drive up and stayed the night at Phillip's youngest sister's house in Dallas Friday night. Ashlyn was so excited to see her cousin even though it was only for a short time. And I was excited about the yummy dessert my sister-in-law whipped up for us! It was basically an oatmeal cookie with chocolate smeared all over it! We drove the remaining 6 hours the next morning and made it to my parents right after nap time, and just in time for Ashlyn to check the cows with Pawpaw.
The next morning Phillip and I got up at 3:30am so we could catch our early morning flight out of San Antonio. We landed in Montego Bay Jamaica shortly after lunch. Once we got off the plane we had to take a shuttle bus two hours across the island. The drive across the island is a whole another story in itself! There are basically no rules in the rural areas and the roads are not maintained. Thankfully we were one of the bigger vehicles on the road so for some reason I felt safer. If we had been in a little compact car, I would have wet my pants!
We stayed at the Sandals Whitehouse Resort which is on the south east side of the island and it was wonderful. The views, the beach, the water, the pools, the food, the service, the cleanliness, the Jamaican people, everything was just wonderful!
This was our view when we stepped out our front door.
And the view from our little back deck.
Every morning after breakfast Phillip would go diving. He got his certification before we left so he could take advantage of the free unlimited diving the resort offered. His dives we anywhere from 30-75 feet deep.
And while Phillip was out diving I would spend the hour and a half doing this...
...reading in front of the ocean or by the pool.
And sometimes I would watch some of the other vacationers do their morning water aerobics while I ate this...
A freshly made crepe from the little bakery, Cafe de Paris. I mean seriously, who exercises on vacation!
After Phillip was done with his dive we would eat lunch and then do something fun together. One day we took a little Hoby Cat (a small sail boat if you will) out on the ocean and another day we went snorkeling. The other days we would hang out in one of the three pools, walk along the beach, or just relax.
There was a hammock over by our room that we relaxed in a couple times. And I'm not embarrassed to say that I did fall asleep in it one time.
The resort was beautiful! The landscaping was amazing and all the buildings were so cute!
There were several peacocks and peafowl on the resort. It was always fun to watch them strut their stuff!
The food at Sandals Whitehouse was awesome! Each morning they had a large buffet of any type of breakfast item you can imagine. We usually opted for the omelets and pastries. Oh, and the fried plantains of course! For lunch there were three restaurants open with amazing food including anything from fried calamari to burgers and wraps. At night you could choose from five restaurants, each serving amazing food. The bakery was open all day and we frequented it often!
There were always activities going on after dinner. We usually walked over to Cafe de Paris for dessert and coffee or ice cream and listened to the band that was playing outside.
One of the last nights we were there people were flying little paper lanters. They were really neat to watch!
On Saturday morning we had to pack our bags and head down for one more visit to the breakfast buffet before making our two hour ride across the island. We were sad to see our vacation end so soon but after being away from my baby girls seven days I was ready to head home. I am so grateful for our time away! Phillip did an amazing job planning our trip all by himself, I wasn't allowed any part of it, the only thing I knew is that we were going to Jamaica. And Phillip and I are so thankful for my parents watching the girls a full week! I know that was not an easy task... more on that later!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
