Cruisin' in the Caribbean - Part 2

Ever feel like you're living life a day behind everyone else?? That's how I've been feeling lately! Sorry this is a day late, but here's the rest of the cruise pictures...

2nd Port of Call - Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. This was our FAVORITE port - it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, the water was turquoise blue, and the town had great shopping and sites...we would definitely like to just go back to Grand Cayman and stay for a while!!

Final Port of Call - Cozumel, Mexico. We shopped like maniacs in Cozumel, and found great finds!! And, let me just tell you - the people in Cozumel are all about having some FUN!!! It was a really fun stop on the trip :)

Fun on the ship...
The one thing that pretty much anyone that has ever went on a cruise will tell you about is the the FOOD. The ENDLESS SUPPLY of FOOD. Anything you want, at any time of day. FOOD. And, it was REALLY good too! This was my absolute favorite dessert - Warm Chocolate Melting Cake with ice cream - and, I had it almost every single night. Yummy!!!!

This was our last night aboard the Carnival Fantasy...
We had an AMAZING trip, and can not WAIT to go again!!

Cruisin' in the Caribbean - Part 1

After looking at the amount of pictures taken on the cruise, I decided it would be better to break it down into a couple of posts! So today, I'm sharing the first part of the cruise....

We left from Mobile, Alabama and had 2 1/2 days at sea before getting to our first Port of Call. So, we had alot of time to have fun on the boat - and, FUN we had!! We started our first day going to the SPA - OH MY GOODNESS what an amazing way to start a vacation :) Our first night was Captain's Night, so that was our 1st formal night of the trip. We also had SO MUCH FUN at the shows and with our dinner mates :)

On Tuesday, we arrived at our first Port of Call - Montego Bay, Jamaica.

We went on an excursion to see Dunn's River Falls, and Brad actually went in and climbed the falls!

Then, we went to Dolphin Cove to the beach and had our own little cabana where we had lunch and a foot massage...it was WONDERFUL!!!!

We thought this sign, and the many others that we saw like it, was funny - obviously there are Almond Trees everywhere!!

The water was just so incredibly BEAUTIFUL, and we even got to see dolphins right off the pier!!

We also saw some pretty incredible wildlife literally just behind our cabana...

Well, that's just the beginning y'all!! Check back tomorrow for more picture overload of the rest of the week!!

We're Back!

Hey y'all!! We're back from cruisin' the seas for a week! It has been an AMAZING trip, and I can't wait to share all about it! We had loads of fun, got tons of rest, and got a little bit of a tan while we were gone :)

And, I guess you MIGHT have noticed a few changes on the blog!!! What a wonderful WELCOME HOME present to come home to! I have been sooooo excited about my design change - a HUGE thank you to Danielle for what she's done so far!!! There will be a few more things added in the upcoming days that I can't wait to see!

Well, I just wanted to say "hey!" and let y'all know were home, safe and sound....we're still busy unpacking and doing lots of laundry, but I will DEFINITELY be posting soon about our trip - Check back tomorrow for picture overload...

Leaving My Baby...

...that's what I feel like - leaving my newborn for the first time. Our precious little Ellie Jane is being left for the first time with a babysitter, but not just for a day or two - for 8 1/2 days! I know that sounds just soooooo incredibly silly to those non-animal lovers (like my Mama!) out there, but in the month that Ellie has been with us she has forever changed our home. We absolutely adore her, and she has been a part of such a healing to my soul that I can't explain.

While we're gone, Ellie will be staying with my sister and her family. She will be held and loved and doted on far more at their house than at ours (if that is even possible!) Brad predicts it won't take very long for Carolyne to have Ellie dressed in doll clothes and riding her around the house in the stroller! HA!!

We're gonna miss our little Ell-Bell this week, but I am beyond words EXCITED to be going on a cruise!!! In 2 hours we will be loading up the car and heading out...I'll try to check in sometime during the week while we're cruisin' the seas!

Cruisin'

Aruba, Jamaica...Bermuda, Bahama...Key Largo, Montego...Kokomo...

Well, how about cruising to Jamaica, Grand Caymon, and Cozumel???

That's right - we're going on a Caribbean Cruise!

We are leaving out Saturday from Mobile and we'll be cruisin' the seas for 7 days!!!

I. Can't. WAIT!!!!!!! This is a MUCH NEEDED vacation for both of us, and it's going to be wonderful!

I've got to get busy...lots of packing to do!

A Clue...

I've mentioned several times about Brad and I going on a FUN trip this year, but I haven't shared when or what or where...

That's mainly because although Brad and I had talked about several different absolutely wonderful possible trips, we didn't set anything in stone, and I assumed we would wait until later on in the year when his schedule was a little more flexible. Well, less than 2 weeks ago Brad called me at work and asked if I wanted to go on a trip - I said "SURE!" thinking he was wanting to get away for the weekend and go to Atlanta or Nashville. But, boy was I wrong!!

My amazing husband had a plan already in the works to go NEXT WEEK to....

Well, why don't you just watch and listen to this for a little clue...

Soooo, watch cha think?? Got any ideas where we're going??? Stop back by tomorrow and I'll share the details :)

Hot-lanta

Valerie, Lori, and myself - are in Atlanta for....

We shopped until we dropped today at America'sMart, had a FABULOUS meal at Cheesecake Factory, and are now getting ready for an amazing day tomorrow with Beth and several 1000 other ladies to worship and learn!! It's gonna be great :)

Again, so soon???

So, it seems that Bradley just can't get enough of the Orient...

He's going back in March!! But, this time only for (hopefully) 10 days.


Truth be told, I think he just really misses eating Asian cuisine...

or, maybe seeing beautiful Mt. Fugi outside his hotel window...

or, maybe he's taking this trip because he didn't bring me back any pearls from his first trip to the Orient, and he feels so bad about it he decided to go back. Isn't he the sweetest??!!

**Sigh**

Or maybe (as in - the only reason) he's going back is because of a gargantuan project/business deal that has dictated our lives for the past 6 months...

But, I would really totally completely - and, oh so subtley - would like to get some pearls this time much like, a hum - this set of coin pearl beauties: I'm just sayin'. I mean if he's having to go, he might as well...

Brad in Korea

Well, Brad has already been gone for almost 9 of his 25 day trip to the "Orient"...Korea, Japan, and China. Thought I would share with y'all a few of the pics that he sent me of his stay in Korea. I laughed after looking at the pictures because so many of them are of food! I guess no matter where you are, that's the most important factor - when and where you're going to eat! HA!

Bucheon, South Korea...

At 10 degrees with close to a foot of snow on the ground, it was C-O-L-D!!!

Fish tanks are all along the sidewalks. Poor fish - they have no idea they're about to become SUISHI!
"Time is Money" Restaurant

LOOK at this spread of food!!! LOTS of raw fish (suishi) at this meal. Brad looks oh so happy about the cuisine...

Drinking Plum Tea. He said this is AWESOME - best part of the meal.

He was excited to see a large number of Christian churches in the area!

One of his happiest moments - walking down the street, he found this (look on the left side of the photo) -

That's right - a McDonald's and KFC!

Brad said he had no idea what the Korean symbols said, but he recognized the most important symbol - THE GOLDEN ARCHES! HA!!
Although he enjoyed the experience of Korean cuisine, he was one happy man to eat some good ol' "American" food. :)

Brad flew to Tokyo on Sunday, and will remain in Japan until the 28th. Then, he will be in China for a week before returning home. Being able to Skype with him has been AWESOME - I've gotten to see and talk to him twice a day! He's given me tours of his room and showed me the view outside his window of each of the hotels he has been in. I've been able to show him how my foot looks every day. It's been such a blessing, and made his time away easier (for me, at least!)

Stay tuned for some pictures of Japan soon to come...

Today's the Day

We have been in anticipation of this day for weeks now, and I can't believe it's already here.

I'm used to Brad traveling - that's part of his job. It's not unusual for him to be in Ohio or Michigan, Canada, or even Tennessee... but, JAPAN??? Half way across the world??

Our alarm clock(s) started going off at 3:00 a.m. this morning. Three alarm clocks to be exact because we aren't the jump-up-out-of-the-bed kind. We're the hit-the-snooze-button-ten-times-before-considering-getting-up kind. So, we need a little extra ear piercing buzzing and ringing for motivation.


Brad finally rolled out of bed, and before I knew it he was ready to go. Of course it took me the majority of the time he was getting ready to get my crutches and hobble into the living room! Our last few minutes together were typical - him reminding me of things to make sure and take care of (as if I had already forgotten), me reminding him to call me as soon as he landed (as if he wouldn't), praying, "I love you's" exchanged, the last kiss, the last embrace.

Every time Brad goes on a trip, I'm reminded how much I HATE goodbyes, and how much I completely LOVE him. He's my rock, and when he's not with me...things are just not complete. He can DRIVE ME CRAZY faster and more easily than anyone else, and make me so MAD I wonder how on earth I love him so much - but I do.

Brad will be gone for almost a month. He will spend a few days in Korea, then China, and then will be in Japan for the majority of his trip. I'm excited because our church family gave us Web Cams for our birthdays, and they will definitely come in handy during his trip. Due to the time zone changes, Brad will be 15 hours ahead of time here. So, we plan to Skype early in the morning before I go to work, and then hopefully in the afternoons when I get home (mind you, this schedule will be once I'm able to go back to work. Until then, I will be setting my alarm clock at 5 a.m. just to get up and talk to my dearest.) Cell phone charges will be very expensive, so Skype will be our main form of communication - but, we'll actually get to see one another so that will be awesome!

Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for safe travel for Brad, and pray for me as my ankle continues to heal and get stronger. Brad promised to send me pictures regularly, so I will keep you up to date of where he is and what he's up to.

Sand, Sun, and lots of Fun!!!

This week is Fall Break, and I was soooo ready for the break! I have a great job, and really enjoy it, but things have been so INSANELY busy that a break was desperately called for! Valerie and Robby always go to the beach during Fall Break, and we decided that we needed to go too! Unfortunately, Brad had to stay home this trip due to school, work, and church...never seems to be any rest for him these days. So, Valerie and Robby, Carolyne and Sam, Mama and Daddy, Lori, and myself all headed down to Gulf Shores on Friday. We had planned to stay Friday through Tuesday, but my sweet Daddy surprised us with an extra day, so we didn't come home until Wednesday. The first few days were cold...I mean REALLY COLD! Like 50 degrees and majorly windy cold - the kind of weather that you only want to have when visiting the mountains snuggled up by a crackling fire! But, we made do by going SHOPPING!! I got lots of pretties, and got some Christmas shopping done! YEA! But, the rest of the time was absolutely beautiful, and perfect temperatures.

I took this picture the first night we were at The Beach Club. My daddy says the redder the sky, the colder the weather. I don't know if that's just an old wives' tale, but it definitely was C-O-L-D that night!!!!

Monday - Wednesday was soooo beautiful!!
Carolyne loves the beach...if given the chance, she would definitely live right on the beach! She plays from the minute she steps foot on the sand, until everyone else is ready to go in. Such a beach bunny :)
Sam flying his kite!
Papa and Carolyne playing in the ocean!
Sam "cautiously" loves the ocean...he wanted so badly to be in the water, but only if someone was holding his hand. Very tightly. HA! But, he absolutely loves playing in the sand :)Lori soaking up the rays! Sam and Carolyne enjoying a train ride at the park.
My mama and daddy - LOVE THEM!Valerie enjoying the bumper boats - haha!
Sam and Robby making sure everyone got soaked that rode a bumper boat!

At the beach or not, we of course had to watch Biggest Loser Tuesday night! Of course, we watched just after we had ate steak, potatoes, and, um...s'mores. Please don't tell anyone of our shamefulness.

Packing up to leave. It's always so sad leaving the beach.

Lori and I stayed on the beach until it was dark on our last day. We watched the sunset, and it was absolutely beautiful!

The beach does something to my spirit that I can't explain. It's a place of respite for me. The sound of the waves, the occasional splash of water on my feet while sitting at the edge of the shore...it just brings peace to me, and draws me to "Be still" (Psalms 46:10) - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Such a place only exists because of its Creator. Thank you Lord for such a gift!