Celebratin' like Celebrities....CRUISE TIME!

Well, since so much has happened recently worth celebrating, we decided a few months back that we would go on a cruise. Our personal victories include: Alan's graduation, my job ending, PA school starting, both of our birthdays, and our one year anniversary! Anyhow, Cruisin' has got to be one of the greatest activities EVER! We had such a blast! We sailed out from NYC on Sunday, May 9th, after a wonderful tour of their pot-holey streets through Brooklyn on a shared van that took us straight to the ship. We talked to our moms as it was Mother's Day, and although Lorraine wasn't very coherent, I think it may have struck her on some level that her son was calling her. She took a turn for the worse that day... However, Alan and I had come to terms with her death a long time ago, and we placed all our faith in the Lord's hands and will for her. We know the Plan of Salvation is real, and that we would see his Mother again. If anything, we just hoped her pain would end quickly, and that she might be free from worldly sorrow and pain. So...we said our "I Love You's" and took off. We waited for nearly an hour on the last block of the street, and we were watching people get out of cabs behind us and just walking themselves up to the ship! It was pretty funny. We saw this one couple where the man was hauling on like 6 pieces of luggage while the woman next to him walked with the style of a celebrity....The older couple in the van announced to everybody "See how it should be!"... A few minutes later, another couple walked by, where the woman now was lugging all the suitcases while her hubby in a baseball cap walked ahead of her by a few feet. He was very nice to look back and 'checkup on her' every now and again. That's when Alan then announced to the van "Now, THAT's how it Should be...." Everyone got a good laugh at that one. It was freezing outside, and sooo windy--apparently it did some damage to the ship's boarding planks or something, so we had a late start, but we didn't mind like others did, because we were to busy checking out the ship. Exploring, we decided, might take us all 9 days of the cruise!

Calling our Moms from the airport...

We had two full days and nights on the ocean, and as we neared the Caribbean, we saw the Coolest Bird-Fishes...We aren't entirely sure what they were, but there were these little bird like creatures that would come flying out of the water, and then they would dive back in and swim for a while. I tried to catch a good shot of them, but they were too quick. You'll just have to settle for some shots of the ocean views...

Manhattan...our future home? Perhaps....

I absolutely LOVE this pic. Isn't he handsome?

We went to four different islands on the cruise...First stop-PUERTO RICO!!!! Yaya! Back to the mission! It was soo much fun. We walked around everywhere, sweating like pigs, exploring the area, and eating real authentic PR food. It was neat for Alan to get a little bit of a taste of the culture of my mission. He was such a champ while we walked up and down all the the steep hills and streets, and for trying a personal fave...Mofongo!! It was his lunch. I had a plate of good ole' arroz con habichuela. It was nice to go back. We explored the island, and then made it back to the ship in time for a little swim and our dinner.... OH our dinners! They were incredible!!!! I thought the food was delicious, every night being like a 5 course meal, and we got to eat anything our little hearts desired. They were soo sweet and our first night on board brought us a special "Happy Anniversary" treat, and sang to us in front of the whole dining room! It was such a fun celebration of our anniversary! Here's some of the food, and some shots of our fun times with our amazing Nelson. He is from the Phillipines and always had the biggest smile. We just love him!

Nelson--he kept bringing more and more food!

Beautiful oceanfront view...


I watched from the front of the boat as we pulled in to PR

Alan had his first batida de fruta... it was so good!

The view from the castle was just incredible...

mmm....Mofongo!!!

Dessert was definitely our favorite part!

Sooo funny! Since I still have my maiden last name,

They thought there were two separate couples celebrating
A one Year anniversary!!! We got two culinary creations!

Our 2nd stop was to the lovely island of St Marteen. We had a blast there. We had a tour of the island that lasted a few hours, but was worth it. We got to see the French side and the Dutch side. I think I am more a fan of the Dutch influence than the French. Our driver made it a point to take us to their fine and esteemed Orient Beach--apparently... A NUDE beach! And we are now "cultured" :0) It was so fun to see that they spoke papiamento there, and I could chat a bit with our driver, who was originally from Aruba--in fact, the neighborhood that I served/lived in for all the months I was there. It was so much fun!




So True...

This man had an entire cart filled with these coconuts

So there is this runway that starts literally just across the

Street from the beach, and when airplanes come in, they
pass just over your head--This is without zooming in at all!

This is the view from the top--heading into the French side...

3rd island...Sigh! ST THOMAS...I imagine the Celestial Kingdom will be much like the beautiful beaches of St Thomas. It was more than I have ever imagined! This island was by far our best adventure ever!!! We went to the most gorgeous beach that felt like it was in a cove, surrounded by lush green islands. The water was absolutely crystal clear! Now, I thought those words painted a pretty clear picture, but I had no idea, and I don't think anyone else could understand the beauty of the ocean without having seen it with their own eyes! Absolutely unlike anything I could have ever imagined. Anyhow, enough of that. We got to do yet another thing we have always wanted to try out...We went parasailing!! It was sooo fun! 500 ft in the air, they brought us down and dipped us in the ocean, and then while we were all the way up there again, I looked down and could see a giant sea turtle...The guys said it was a good 60 feet deep, and i could see all the way down to the floor! We were so sad to have to go back to the ship after our adventures on St Thomas.

The most amazing swim of our lives!!!


St Johns was over to the right, and we were surrounded
by all the gorgeous islands while we swam

Those are Alan's legs...

Our 4th stop was such a disappointment after St Thomas, but we tried to make the best of the Grand Turk...it was really just beach, but we had a good time visiting Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville! I wish we could have enjoyed the swim up bar and all, but I was taught not to drink and swim...or rather...not to drink at all:0) We enjoyed our walk along the beach, and watched the funniest thing! There was this younger girl that kept posing in cheerleader-esque moves and this really old man taking pictures of her! After every sexy pose, she would run back to look at the camera/picture, and then return to her spot for another great move....It was so funny! We kept trying to figure out their relationship...but it was just so funny... and Weird.



MargaritaVille

We might have been sad if those were the last days of our beloved vacation, but Alas, no....we still had two whole days to get home!! I spent most of my free time reading by the pool. I read The Hunger Games, as well as my dear Jane Austen faves...Mansfield Park and Persuasion. We laid by the pool, drinking margaritas and pina coladas endlessly, and then we had our fancy pants dinners, saw some AMAZING ballroom dancing shows, and finished up relaxing with a movie under the stars until we crashed...It was so much fun, and yet....just exhausting:0) I know...there are worse things! Here are just some fun shots of life on a Carribbean Cruise!:

Alan has yet to beat me at scrabble!!!

There was supposed to be ballroom instruction,
But no one was there, so we chose the next best thing!

Formal dinner night....Lobster tails were divine!!!

Baked Alaska anyone? It was on fire just before this!

There was an incredible gym! Don't worry, the only

time I saw it was to look around while eating my ice

cream cone:0) Lots of unhappy people that day!

Reading while the jazz swayed me into bliss...



Alan...watching PrisonBreak....



Bedtime Stories...also, please note the mirrors of

eternity!

Our battle for the chocolate.

Apparently, He really loves His chocolate!

This was such an adventure, and obviously, I have more than enough pictures to go around, but these are just the highlights. They were so amazing on the ship! Our room was cleaned like 5 times a day--Alan reallly liked the 24 hr buffet, although, thankfully, I think it got a little old for him...around day 6, and I loved spending every minute of every day with the most amazing husband in the world. I don't know why or how he puts up with me, but I'm thankful! We're going for another year!!! Wish us luck:0)

The Crazy Moves of our Life

So... How's about we play catch up for a bit?... It's been one heck of a month, and I can't begin to describe the emotions, the timing, the challenges, and the exhausted limbs that seem to hang carelessly from our bodies as we've covered 9 states in the last 3 weeks, along with 4 Caribbean islands(I know...it was tough), and hours of endless driving! So, here we go:

We packed up our apartment and headed out of Idaho on May 7th, after spending some time with Alan's brother, Chris, and his wife, Becca. They were so good to help us get it all done in time...My last day of work was the 5th--we spent the next 48 hours getting everything done...and headed out around 1pm. Alan had been in Houston and was supposed to be home on Sunday, HOWEVER:0) He didn't make it home as expected.One might ask why--and then you would be in for one of the funniest stories of your life. So, let's say you did ask why, and I proceeded to tell you, "Well, Alan was at the airport on time, and was waiting to board the plane. He heard them call for first class, and then--HE FELL ASLEEP?!!! Yep, he sure did. He woke up 45 minutes later-the plane had left (Without HIM), and he had to go find someone to talk to about catching another flight. The funniest part is this--He was so embarassed that when the person asked him what happened, he responded with "I was in the bathroom and got distracted." Bahahaha!!!! Anyhow, he didn't get home until Monday afternoon, and I was frantically running around trying to get things done whenever I wasn't at work. Needless to say Becca and Chris were such a blessing! We got everything loaded up and started out. By way of background-When we drove up from Texas, we had to stop every couple of hours to try and re-tie the tarps or duct tape them down. We were determined not to have that happen this time around. As you can see, however, about 45 minutes out, our tarps were fraying, and I was "I told you so-ing" Alan, until he put on the tarps the way I wanted:0) Guess what?--No more tarp stops after that! Now I'm not saying I was right....But....

Our drive took us through some boring places, like Nebraska:0), and we made it there in about 26 hrs. I drove the last 16 hrs by myself! I think I may have been a trucker in some previous life. We made it to our leasing office exactly 1 minute before they 'closed,' but it was all just fine. Our new apartment is wonderful--and we love the accent wall color of choice. We haven't really decided between gold, mustard, or baby vomit...You'll have to let us know! Between the two of us, we got everything moved in and up the two flights of stairs within a couple of hours, and then we were just so exhausted, we barely had time to pack our things for our cruise the next day!!! I know--our lives are so hard. To really appreciate my poor little muscles' strenuous activity, you'd have to know how much stuff we have! But here's an outside view of our home, and our mess... a Little before and after. The day we got home from our cruise, we started unpacking, and these are the things we've accomplished:

Our dining room--pre unpacked:0)

Just after unpacking the Kitchen!

Just an hour before we headed out for Houston for the funeral...Finally! At least the kitchen is done now!!!


Our "black and white" themed study room...

My project before we took off...I'm making a clock! It's simple and sooo fun. Just a lazy susan wheel for $9, a big thing of Elmer's Glue, and paint. Black paint on the base...Elmer's sponged on as shown above, and then immediately after--the color of choice sponged on after.

Once it dries, the Glue will start to crackle and split open, creating the Crackled Clock look... I will post more pictures once I get the hands and motor I ordered. Vinyl lettering to come as well.


Our lovely fireplace!!! It's so nice and just in time for summer!

Sooo cold:0)

Well, that's our new home for ya. I'll post more pictures when we finish our decor! Tomorrow I'll work on pics of the cruise, and then Lorraine's funeral after that...Lots to come!!! TAKE CARE

You're The Getaway Car

Well, I just wanted to share about our big 1 Year Anniversary that just passed. We had a blast! So much fun that I forgot to take pictures! I worked a long day on Friday..the 16th...in case you needed a reminder. (I didn't know it was our anniversary until my mom reminded me the week of...oops!) Anyhow, here's the breakdown of what all happened:
1. Alan picks me up for lunch in his NEON Lime Green t-shirt. --This is the same shirt he was wearing when we met.
2. He took me to Taco Bell--where we met while he was wearing his Neon Lime Green t shirt...He was bald at the time, a little chubby from a good semester, and made me laugh...a lot.
3. Took me back to work
4. I decided to walk home after work around 6...It was beautiful
5. I was walking by the park--he met me and walked me home.
6. Before we got home, there was a picnic basket placed conveniently by a tree. We drank sparkling cider out of our 'fancy' glasses
7. He said we had reservations...He lied.
8. We enjoyed a lovely meal at Olive Garden (where we celebrated every week's anniversary for like a month after we were married. Ate so much!), We ate at an Italian Restaurant the night he proposed...
9. On the Drive home, We stopped by the walkway around the River by the Idaho Falls Temple
10. CD--Michael Buble's "Everything", Foxtrot, bare feet on grass, and my Husband of one year...Dancing by the river. It was Incredible.

So there are the ten steps to happiness and a perfect/inexpensive/thoughtful celebration of having made it a year. Our next goal is 2:0)

He let me know he tried to do something that would represent each of the 3 phases of our relationship. Our First Meeting, Our Engagement, and our Marriage...Let's be honest now, I think I've got a keeper! And I love him. The End

The Final Days

It's been quite the month. I know, I know....I will try to up my allotted once a month post to at least Two! I have given out the address to 3 or 4 more people, so maybe I'll be more movited to write. Well....where to begin...

About a month ago, we decided for sure, we are going on a Caribbean cruise!!! I'll get to visit my mission again, and on top of that, we can spend all day long lying next to a pool, reading books I've been wanting to read for...oh...years....and waiting for drinks and food to COme To ME! BLISS....I think it's the closest to a perfect life as we'll ever get:0) Or at least a lazy one...I can't wait! So...all you people who are just dying to talk to me--as of May 9th, I will not be available as I will be sailing...CRUISING...across the ocean with my Hubby of ONE YEAR!!!! I know, I know, can you believe we made it?! We are celebrating his graduation, our anniversary, my starting of PA school, and anything that falls inbetween. One year down, forever to go--quite literally, and we are so happy. I understand now why the first year is the hardest, and let me share some insight and maybe more than you want to know about how my mind works. I have always heard the hardest part about marriage is the "adjustment period," where all people adjust to the quirks and kinks in their chosen partner....I believe this is not the case for us. I love Alan. He is a dream to have around the house, and a hard worker for sure. He and I both strive to be clean, we wash dishes by hand so we have yet to encounter problems with loading and unloading:o), and we have never, that I am aware of, had a fight over anything simply "odd" about the other person. I believe the cause of pain during the first year of our marriage has been......Birth control. Hate it.

No, but really, it has definitely messed up so much about my body---That's a different story. Let's just say, the first thing we will be doing when I have that insurance of mine....will be to see an endocrinologist. HOWEVER, the Real answer to complete my sentence is....The cause of all contention has been: unexpressed and misunderstood expectations. Take that for what you will. The better we get at expressing our expectations, and the longer we are together, the easier it is to understand those expectations...resulting in a quite perfect marriage. Naturally, we are nowhere near that yet, but I have every hope of getting there as long as we keep working to understand each others' motives and the way we process information... It's been a great year for learning!

Next--pre-cruise: I have never felt so ready to get out, and luckily, now it's possible. Alan Graduated!!! Stats:

Major Field of Study: Financial Economics (I'm not sure what that means, and I'm not entirely sure he does either, But it sounds good, huh?!) No, he really does know. And he's really good at what he does!

Cluster 1: Communications

Cluster 2: Business entrepeneurship

I'm very proud of him. His dad came up for the graduation, as did Becca's family, and we had a good time. I had to work until about an hour before his grad, and when I got home, there was no water! So please excuse my greasy do! We ate at this little filling station restaurant that turned out to be fabulous, and met up with some friends for some Fro Yo here in town.

Becca's dad treated us to a nice dinner after both Alan and Becca's graduations, and may I just tell you...I had the best salad in the world!!! It was divine. And it was nice for everyone to sit together and just chat. Becca graduated in Elementary Education, and I think she is going to be the greatest Teacher! Keep your fingers crossed as she's looking for a job now! Pics turned out cute, I think. For a graduation gift, Becca's dad got her the same camera I received from my sweetheart for Christmas last year. We have now planned to travel the world together and have our photographs published in small magazines/articles like....National Geographic?! What a dream! Obviously, I did Not graduate with both of them, however, I have no pictures of graduation since I decided to go home and get married instead of walking...We decided to take a few shots together as "graduates." It was a lot of fun.

Today, we just got back from Jackson, WY....Alan and I have been thinking about all the things we needed to make sure and do before we leave this ......blessed place. Fortunately, since we are well acquainted with the Wal Mart in town, the Mexican Burrito place, snowboarding at Kelly Canyon, the Rexburg Temple, and BIg Judd's...We found we have done pretty much everything! ha....So we went to Jackson today and had a blast! Here are some pics of our good time. Unfortunately, the lunch had some ill-effects on the boys in our groups...Let's just end there.

We tried on all the overpriced things we couldn't ever pay for...not in a million years. I think they look pretty good!

Candy barrels...

Lots of Candy barrels....

Walked the town....took some shots

Stood beneath the elk horns...

Saw the "sights".... they really Cracked us up! (get it?)

Anyhow, We are heading to Texas on Saturday, so that should be fun! I can't wait to spend an entire week with my fam! and to finally see the little stud baby Jacob who is now teething! Can't wait....See you soon. I come back to work for a week and then we head off to The Holy Land...Chicago, I mean. Nothing but fun heading our way! Please keep Alan in your minds and in your prayers...he'll be looking for a Big Boy job in the city--that's a lot of pressure! As always, it may have taken you two days to read this, so I'll leave you with ... today has been a nearly perfect day--If only you were here!