Cancun

Long before our 5 year anniversary approached, I had decided I wanted to take a vacation to an all-inclusive resort.  We had never been, and had heard WONDERFUL things about going to one.  We saved our money and went to Cancun July 21st-25th.  It was awesome!!

The thought of the cost of an all-inclusive had turned me away from it for our honeymoon, but being the penny-pincher that I am, I allowed money to keep us from having the most fun on our honeymoon that we could (I didn't want to buy drinks with dinner, always chose the cheapest thing on the menu, no room service, etc.).  For our honeymoon, we went to Disney World, and it was a lot of fun, but it could have been better for me had I not stressed so much.  I decided rather than stress about money while we are on vacation this time, I would just stress about it one time when you pay for the resort up front.  It worked like a charm.  I never (well...almost never) stressed about anything once we got there.  It was such a nice, relaxing vacation!

I was a little worried about being away from Logan for that long since we hadn't been apart for more than a night, but after the first 2 days, it wasn't so bad.  I almost wished we had just 1 more day to enjoy it all since we really only had 3 days there and the other 2 were mostly travel days.

We stayed at the Excellence Resort - Playa Mujeres.  It was gorgeous!!  I highly recommend it.  The only downsides I saw was that the mirrors in the bathroom were a little tall for me, so it made it hard to see to get ready in the mornings, etc. (ha!) and the bed was slightly harder than I would like & expect for a resort (but I am spoiled with a Tempurpedic at home).

Here are some pics of our room (after we walked in I told Brandon "Don't touch anything! I want pictures." Ha!)...

 Our room was on the corner, and we had a special banner on our door since it was our anniversary.  So special & fun!
Also, see that extra wood panel to the right of our door? That is actually a little room service door.  I thought it was the coolest thing.  You ordered room service and could have it delivered there.  I am a breakfast person - I have to eat breakfast pretty much every day.  (Little known fact - Twice in college I actually passed out because I skipped breakfast)  However, when it's our choice, neither of us our morning people, so the thought of getting up early on our vacation to get ready and go to breakfast was not a priority.  So the cool thing about the box was Brandon could basically roll over, grab the phone, order room service and go back to sleep until it arrived.  Then, there's another little door inside our room, and we just got it out of there.  Pretty awesome!

Brandon checking out the view from our room...gorgeous!

The resort had 7 different restaurants (not all were open at all times or every day), so we had a lot of variety to choose from.  The first night we were there we decided to try their "Mexican" restaurant.  We, of course, ordered the fajitas and margaritas, but the fajitas were just not TexMex quality.  I was disappointed.  Ha!

 I was really hungry and I forgot to take a picture before I started, so excuse the half eaten food.  Ha!

Our first full day there, we slept in (huge treat now that we have a baby - ha!) and spent most of the day enjoying the resort & beach.  I even convinced Brandon to get a pedicure with me (I've had better pedicures though, but it was still fun)!  I basically took no pictures this day.

 Sunset

I did manage to get our picture at dinner.  Ha!

The next day was the highlight of the trip.  This caused me a little stress because it was an additional cost and not cheap.  We got to swim with dolphins!  They even charged us ANOTHER arm & leg just for the pictures.  Grrr...

It was sooo much fun though, and probably a once in a lifetime thing, so we did it and bought the pictures so we could prove it :)  Our dolphins' names were Isomal and Christa.

These next few are of what they call the dorsal tow.  You put your arms out and the dolphins swim along either side of you and you just grab on to their dorsal fin and they pull you along.  It was fun!

The next one is by far the coolest thing we did.  It was called the foot push, and you just float on your belly with your arms out and the dolphins swim up behind you, put their noses on the bottoms of your feet and push you up and out of the water.  It was pretty awesome!

 

I promptly face-planted in the water after this, but it was still lots of fun! 

We did a few more tricks with the dophins, but that was already a bunch of pictures and the others aren't as exciting, so I won't make you look at millions of pictures of us with dolphins.

To get to the place where we swam with the dolphins we had to ride a ferry over to Isle Mujeres.  The open water was sooo beautiful.

Swimming with the dolphins and travel time pretty much took up our whole day that day, so I didn't get any other pictures. Not even a picture at dinner.  I'm kind of mad at myself now.  I'm never good at getting pictures though.

After seeing the sunset the one night, I really wanted to get a picture of the sun over the water, but since the sun set over the land, it meant to get the shot, we had to get up for sunrise.  Well, I convinced Brandon to get up with me, and unfortunately, the morning we chose, it was cloudy.  I was so bummed.  Here's the best we got...

The rest of the day (which was our last) we spent at the beach, the pool & the restaurants.  Up until this day, we had spent very little time at the beach, and none at the pool.  It was a nice relaxing way to end our trip, but we sure wished we had a little more time.  They had dancing lessons and cooking lessons (at scheduled times) that I had really wanted to do, but they all happened either the first day we arrived when we didn't know or on the day we scheduled to go to the dolphins.  So I'm hoping we get to go back one day to enjoy more of the resort.

This was the pool just outside our building.  Our balcony is the 2nd from the top on the very far left.

 Relaxing by the beach.  Because of the room we chose, we had a more private beach with our own concierge & waitress.  It was nice.

 These crazy iguanas were all over the place...

Cheers to our last afternoon...

On this trip I discovered my new favorite drink - a lemon drop martini.  They were delicious!  The other drink pictured was not Brandon's favorite, but just happened to be what he was drinking.  I'm not sure he ever had the same drink twice (except maybe margaritas and beers).  He is much more adventurous with trying new drinks than me.  Ha!

I also didn't do so great getting pictures that last day.  I didn't get a picture of us at dinner again!  Oh well...we'll just have to go back ;-) Ha!  I did manage to get a farewell picture of us before we had to leave the next morning.  Well rested and still very much in love!

When we returned home, my inlaws met us at the airport with Logan.  I was sooooo ready to see him I could hardly stand it.  However, he broke my heart a little as he acted like he didn't know me/want to see me when we first got there.  I know that wasn't the case, but it was not the reunion I had planned in my head.  Ha!  I didn't get any pictures of this either :( 

Again, I must say, I highly recommend the resort or just any all inclusive resort if you can save the money to go.  It was some much needed rest and alone time for Brandon & I.  I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man and can't wait to spend the next 95 together :)

Cape Cod Part 1

Warning! I'm going to do this in multiple parts just because there is so much, but it's still a major long post with lots of pictures. This trip was full of a lot of firsts for Logan.  First airplane trip, first time in his big boy car seat, first time meeting Great Grandma Johnson, Great Aunt Joyce, Great Uncle Bob & cousin Dayna, first trip to the beach, first time touching grass.  It was an event filled trip, but so wonderful!!

June 30 - July 6th we took a trip to Cape Cod & Connecticut so Logan could meet my Grandma, his great Grandma, for the first time.  We also went to New York for an afternoon/evening so Logan could meet my Aunt, Uncle & cousin.

In part 1 - airplane ride, big boy car seat, meeting Great Grandma & first trip to the beach.

 

Watching them load our bags.

Hanging out with Daddy waiting to board.

Waiting with Mommy

 

 On the plane, all ready to go!

 

We made it!

Logan at Logan Airport

  

Enjoying his big boy car seat for the first time! (Although, by the end of the trip, he was not a huge fan of the carseat - poor kiddo spent hours of travel time in it)

 Meeting Great Grandma J for the first time

These next few are from his first trip to the beach...

 Looking for the troll under "Trip Trap Bridge"

Touching the sand/water for the first time

Fly fishing with Papa

LOVE this sweet boy!

Looking for rocks with Grandma

More to come on the rest of our trip later...

5 Years

Five years ago, I married my best friend, the love of my life!  It was such a magical day, and I will NEVER forget how I felt.  It was the happiest day of my life, and I still feel so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man!

 

Now, 5 years later, we have the sweetest, greatest gift God has given us.  Every day as I see my hubby in his new role as father, my love for both of my boys grows.  It is so special to watch him interact with and play with Logan.  It just melts my heart! 

To celebrate tonight, we went to dinner at Brenner's Steakhouse while Logan is having a slumber party at Gigi's and Poppy's house.  Brenner's is the restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner.  It is sooooo good! 

Isn't he handsome? I'm one lucky lady :)

I didn't get a picture of our delicious steaks, but here's a pic of our heavenly dessert :)  Yum!

We also have a trip planned in a couple weeks to go to Mexico.  I'm sooo excited.  I'm a little nervous about leaving Logan for 5 days, but looking forward to some quality time with the hubby and maybe a margarita or too :)

Happy Anniversary to Us!! :)

Ps.  I LOVE my wedding dress, and I totally want to wear it again...is that weird?  Ha!  Although it took 5 years, it has been cleaned and preserved now, so I guess I can't...but seriously, I totally want to :)  I felt like such a princess that day - it was the best day!

7 months

Logan,

You are 7 months old!  You are about 20 pounds now, and growing and changing EVERY day!  It is going way too fast for Mommy, but I am proud of all you do!

Two days after your 6 month birthday, you started "army crawling."  Mommy was not sure she was ready for it, but I can't help but be excited when you do something new.  Since then, you have been constantly on the move!  You are getting faster and faster, and are trying to crawl with your tummy off the floor now. You like to go over to the dogs, but especially after the dog bones!  You cry whenever Mommy takes the bones away, but those are for Bear and Cooper to chew, not you.  Ha!

 "It's OK Cooper, it won't hurt when I take your bone."

 "Almost got it!"

"Uh oh! Surrounded."

Mommy never thought it would happen so early, but she and Daddy have already had to start disciplining this month.  You have been going over to the fireplace and pulling on the gate we have in front of it.  For a few days we would tell you "no" and move you away from it, but you continued to go over there, sometimes even looking to see if we were watching first.  I see lots of other battles in our future, but it's all part of growing up and learning to make good choices.  Hopefully Mommy & Daddy can do a good job of teaching you how to make the right choices.

You had such an event filled month this month.  You went swimming for the first time in Grandma and Papa's pool.  You LOVED it! (except when Papa dunked you - you do not like getting your face wet!)  See this post for pictures.

Your feet are in constant motion - you are such a monkey!  You almost always need them to be touching something, or playing with something.  Often, you will have a toy in your hands but will also use your feet to play with another toy! It cracks everyone up!

Mommy tried giving you a sippy cup to see how you would do.  However, you seem to prefer to use it as a teether, rather than try to drink what is in it.  Oh well!  We'll keep trying, and maybe one day you will figure it out :)

As you can tell from most of the photos, since it's summer, we spend a lot of our days in just PJs.  Plus, with as much as you are scooting around, it helps to keep your knees and legs from getting carpet burns.

You started eating vegetables this month and you have enjoyed everything you have tried.  You have had squash, carrots, green peas, green beans, and sweet potatoes (in that order).  You do not seem to have a favorite, and will pretty much eat anything we put in your mouth.

You went to your very first wedding, and you were super!  The wedding was for Mommy's second cousin (Papa's cousin's daughter), Amy. You did not make a peep the entire ceremony, and did great at the reception as well.

 Cousin Melissa helping to keep you entertained

 Uncle Mark and Aunt MarMar

 Napping in Papa's arms...such an angel!

 Dancing with the beautiful bride

Your favorite sound this month has been "bah."  You like to change the way you say it too.  Sometimes it's a quick "bah!" and other times its a long "baaaaaah."  It is pretty cute and funny!

You got to take your very first trip on an airplane and you met your Great Grandma Johnson (your mommy's Grandma).  She was excited to meet her first great grandchild and the first boy in her family in over 60 years!

 

You loved Grandma J's necklaces - she called you a jewel thief. Ha!

Grandma and Papa also went on the trip with us, and you loved having so much time to spend with them.  Grandma taught you how to make "Indian" calling noises and Papa introduced you to lots of new things outside.  You did NOT like the grass at first, but you eventually warmed up to it. (more pictures and video in the Cape Cod post to come)

It has been a busy month and Mommy is enjoying every second with you!  I love watching you grow and experience new things.  You are such a joy!  I love you very very much!!

Love,