Trippin'

As most know, Eric and I both LOVE to travel and this month we were lucky enough to be able to add to our long list of adventures!

I will admit that I'm pretty spoiled, Eric is so much better at making things happen than I am. I have SO many things on my "bucket list" but when it comes down to it, I'm also quite a cheapskate. Especially because we're both still in school and money doesn't grow on trees. (for us at least) But Eric is a champ. He did his research and we discovered that we only have one week out of the entire year of 2011 that our school breaks match up because we go to different schools. So crappy! So he did a little more research...which made my Christmas and Birthday presents so exciting! I had no idea what he'd been planning. What's even better is that he did everything, he booked our flights, the hotels and transportation in Miami, our cruise plus all of the fun excursions we did on our ports, not to mention his major budget/saving skills to make it all happen. Yep, he's a CHAMP! All I had to do was pack my little bag and get on the airplane.

This is how it all went down....

First, we flew into Miami and spent a day checking out the beach. At night we took a cab down to South Beach for dinner and totally loved it. The night life in South Beach is awesome, and I swear there are hardly any Americans (mostly Europeans) but we found this huge complex that was full of cool shops and outdoor restaurants.

Day 2
Waking up and walking out to the beach is more than and ideal way to start any day so that's what we did! We didn't have to board our ship till noon so Eric and I spend the morning on Miami beach in front of our hotel and from there we grabbed our bags and boarded the Carnival Liberty. These ships are unreal. I can't believe how big they really are and how much stuff they can put on them. When we first got on the ship they had lunch ready up on the main deck where we could find literally anything you wanted to eat and eat as much as you wanted. So we grabbed some lunch and a plate of cheese cake and headed out to sit by the pool. And then we were off!

Day 3
We cruised all night and all through the next day on our way to our first port. When I say these ships have everything, they really do cause we never ran out of things to do. There was mini golf, basketball courts, volleyball courts, games rooms, live chess, casinos, comedy shows, magicians, water slides with 3 pools and hot tubs. Our favorite thing was the huge movie theater out on the main deck. We'd go out there every night after all of the singing/dancing shows ended and grab some popcorn, hot chocolate and a blanket to watch a movie. I hope I never forget those nights.

Day 4

Cozumel, Mexico

We had a full day in Cozumel so we had planned to try to see as much as we possibly could. When we got off the ship that morning, we rented a jeep and headed to find the ancient Mayan Ruins that are still on the island. This was pretty funny (not really) Eric and I discovered that we could probably never be on the show Amazing Race...one of our favorites that we've always wanted to audition for. To sum it up, we got lost.

This pic was before we got lost...hence the happy faces. haha

 The Mayan ruins we were trying to find were in the middle of the island, in the middle of a forest. haha not so easy to find and for some odd reason none of the locals we stopped to ask directions from knew where these ruins were. Especially weird because this place was quite a big deal once we got there but anyway. Once we were on the right track the rest of the day was like a dream. We took the top off the jeep and just cruised the island doing whatever our little hearts desired...



We did some Jet Skiing. This was actually pretty hilarious because our 1st jet ski broke down clear out in the ocean....I am deathly afraid of sharks so I was sure I was shark bait. Luckily the people saw us after about ten minutes and came out to rescue us. Thank goodness!!!

We Snorkeled...

Here are a few more pics of our Mexico adventures.

Then it was back to the ship to get cleaned up for another delicious meal. Not a bad way to live my friends.

Day 5
This was another day on the ship which was great because sometimes you just want to relax; and you better believe relaxing is what we did! It was awesome.
Day 6
Grand Cayman! This was such a blast, When we arrived to Grand Cayman it was go time. We went straight out to the great barrier reef to snorkel. I think it was about a 30 minute boat ride to get out to the reef but once your out there, we literally just jumped off the back of the boat and went for it. So fun! If you've ever seen the movie Finding Nemo

After a few of our out to sea adventures, we decided to go to the famous 7 mile beach I'm still not really sure why they call it that because it's definitely a lot longer than 7 miles but whatever, this beach was perfect. It was what beaches look like on post cards...not real but this totally was. It had silky white sand, the water was 80+ degrees and it was hardly crowded at all. It honestly felt like a dream!

Day 7
Pretty sure this day was insane. We ported in Ochreos, Jamaica and I will have to try my best to adequately describe this day without making this post go on forever. (because it already has)
 Let me start off by explaining Eric's love for Bob Marley, a part of me thinks he may have picked this cruise for the sole reason of the ship porting in Jamaica, only a cab ride away from Bob Marley's house. For whatever reason, I'm so happy he did! as soon as we stepped foot on land we headed strait to the people we booked this tour with and that was it. The whole thing seemed a little sketch and everyone on the ship kept warning us to be careful everywhere we went in Jamaica and we'd be especially crazy to try to buy anything...definitely didn't listen to them. We were directed to a van along with several other people from our ship(which was slightly more comforting to know other people would be with us) NOT! We were driven across the street where they told only Eric and I to get out and get in this tiny car with our cab driver. Maybe we are totally stupid but we did as we were told and got in the car. Our cab driver (Cedric) was the man. At first I thought he was gonna totally screw us over...or kill us for that matter but clearly he didn't. The nest thing we knew we were cruisin up through the mountainside in Jamaica. I feel like this in itself was should be a survival story, the streets were insanely narrow, like smaller than a single lane in the states but it had both directions of traffic using it plus all of the people walking along the sides. Most people in Jamaica don't have cars, the walk everywhere and by the looks of their homes/huts I think its safe to say they were just thankful to have those. It was amazing though, we got to see all of the little school kids walking to school in their uniforms and they were SOOO cute! It's definitely a different world out there though. We didn't realize the cab ride was going to be so long but it ended up being over and hour and a half . This turned out to be my favorite part of the day. After trying to get passed the thought of this guy tricking us to actually be taking us up to the mountains to kill us, I didn't want to miss out on what I was seeing. I loved that we were able to get out of all of the touristy areas and see the "real" Jamaica and it's beautiful people.  They are beautiful.

Cedric apparently was friends with everyone we passed, we'd pull over and someone would give him some fruit through the window for him to eat which he shared with us, he'd honk at everyone and they'd all wave to greet him. Like I said, he was the man and all of this totally added to our experience.
When we made it up to Bob's house, Cedric asked us if we smoked...no. Long story short, we were offered all sorts junk but Cedric our trust cab driver totally helped us out and fought them all off for us. Thanks Cedric. Bob's house was everything Eric had hoped it would be. We did a little tour with another couple that (thankfully) pulled up a few minutes after us that were also from our ship. That made me feel so much better. The dude that showed us around was hilarious, no doubt he was already high and it was only 9am! He was great though, he told us all about the property and what memories of Bob's childhood. The best part was that he;s break into song midway through half of his sentences with lyrics from Bob's music that was written from that very place and applied exactly to what we were seeing. SO COOL! We loved it. Bob was also "buried" there (along with his mother, brother and grandparents)  However, he was not actually buried, his body is in a tomb six feet above the ground because he lived his life "flying high" all the time so it was only fitting to keep him above ground. Awesome.
After seeing all that we needed to see up there, it was back to the cab for our long and crazy ride back down the mountain. Where we climbed Dunn's Falls!!! This was unreal and I recommend it to everyone.

To wrap it all up, We spent the last day on the ship and it was back to Miami where we had one more day to soak in our short lived free time before it was back to reality.

It's nice to be home and I actually did miss our tiny apartment!

P.S. Sorry for the Picture Overload!!!

A Busy Life

As of lately I've felt like my world is spinning out of control. I'm only 3 weeks into my summer semester and things are already a blur. It seems like I'm always on the run and always cramming to get everything finished just in the nick of time... I hate that. Eric has been so patient with me and has been more helpful than he knows. It hadn't fully hit me how bad my schedule is till last night when I rolled in about 10:30 p.m and neither of us had eaten anything for dinner yet. We started driving to find the nearest edible thing that sounded good and he jokingly blurted out that "We're kind of just like sleeping buddies these days!" He's right. I leave for class at 7:00 a.m. and go straight to work from 9-4:30 then head straight back to school till 7:30 which isn't too horrible but it seems to have worked out that I have had something else going on every night for the past 3 weeks also. (Baby showers, bridal showers, presidency meetings, golf tournaments etc.) Which are all great and I am always so happy to see so many of my favorite faces but unfortunately it leaves little to no time for homework and especially my poor husband. Usually by the time I get home around 11:00 I'm just ready to crawl in bed and sleep.

Today at work my Dad pulled up this YouTube video that hit me in the face.

  

                               

I'm so grateful for this less than subtle message that my Dad probably has no idea made my day. Somehow he always does that.

Easter

So this past weekend was Easter and I love Easter! I love Easter egg hunts and being outside. I love the chocolate and all of the cute little bright outfits the little kids wear to church on Easter Sunday and I love being able to start off the spring season with a newness and having a time to focus on our Savior. This past semester I was able to thoroughly study the New Testament. Something I'm embarassed to admit was long overdue. (Sorry this is where I get churchy) but there is no greater blessing than to have the opportunity to grow closer to the Savior. I found this quote this week that pretty much sums up a few of my thoughts.

 “Words cannot fully describe the magnitude of the miracle that took place within the Garden Tomb that long-ago morning, but the angelic messenger captured its essence when he said, ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’ (Matt. 28:6.)

“It was an event long heralded by the prophets, long looked for among the Saints of God, long awaited by those in the world of spirits, yet little understood in the world at large, for none before had overcome the grave.

“The Lord’s resurrection completed the process of the Atonement that included His sinless life, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His death on the cross. The Resurrection assured immortality for all, and the blessed Atonement provided a pathway to exaltation for those who will adhere to His gospel principles."

I'm so grateful for him and for his perfect example and for all he has provided for us; even eternal life. I know him and know that he lives. This is why I'm especially grateful for this Easter season.

On another note, one of my most favorite traditions takes place right around Easter. The Nelson Easter Egg Hunt at Aunt Connie & Uncle Craig's house! It's great to see so many familiar faces and get a chance to hold so many sweet babies!

 

 

Spring

As of lately it seems like Utah is finally deciding to bring us some spring! Although We've definitely had our share of April showers, I'm pumped! The grass is turning so green and the tulips are starting to sprout, it's been so great. This past Saturday was finally sunny so we decided to take advantage. I was able to run OUTSIDE and Eric found himself at Rice Eccles stadium playing some flag football. It was kind of hilarious, they had the announcers and instant replays and everything; needless to say these guys thought they were the "shiz." Eric had loads of great plays and made it the jumbo tron without effort...It was until the last play that I knew he could die happy. It was so funny, the teams were tied up and the opposite team was on the 5 yard line about to score until Eric, yes my Eric (the former lineman) intercepted the pass and ran it back for a 90 yard return! My favorite part of the whole thing was his face as he outran everyone and saw himself in the end zone. Priceless my friends. Priceless.
We also decided we wanted to hit up the driving range to soak up a few more rays. It felt awesome. I wish I would've been smart enough to take my camera to his game but I ran there and didn't want to risk any damage but here are a few from our golfing excursion.

        

We are so excited for this Easter weekend and hope the weather holds out for us! We have loads planned as usual but that's how we like it :)

Another One Bites The Dust

That's right, I have officially finished another semester. I feels like this degree is taking me 4 times longer than it ever should have.... word for the wise, NEVER transfer schools before you've completely finished a degree. It sucks and it never completely tranfers over the way it should. I feel like I've taken every one of my classes twice now! Oh well, better late than never I guess. Luckily I love what I'm doing so it makes for those long/late hours of homework a whole lot better. One of my final projects this semester was to build a retail space in 1/4" scale. We were given the square footage and requirements and were sent our merry little way! For the most part it was really fun, just like all Interior Design projects they almost always take way longer than expected but in the end I was really happy with the final product. I'll have to add pictures later cause I'm not exactly sure how to get it off my phone. All in all, I'm so happy the semester is OVER!!! Now I'm planning to enjoy my 6 weeks of  bliss :)

Our buddies also invited us to go with them on a last minute St. George trip for the boys spring break and it  was great. It rained almost the entire time but the boys were still able to squeeze in a round of golf. Suprised? Definitely not. Eric will golf wherever and whenever he can, just not in the snow. It was a nice change of scenery from being in Salt Lake for so long and it was even better to share it with great company.

 Look who we ran into at the restaurant! We love The Biggest Loser so I was totally star struck when we saw these guys but they were super nice and friendly.

There's nothing better than a good game of Settlers!  

In other big news, Eric won an Ipad2!!!! I'm so happy for him. He's been wanting one so badly since they came out and I tried everything to swing a way to surprise him with one for Christmas but they are super expensive and unfortunately we are still poor students so he was just gonna have to wait...But not anymore!!!! Eric won a contest at school and it was definitely a good win. Even I will admit that this thing is pretty awesome. I still can't believe it but we are both beyond pumped cause we never win anything.

                              A familiar scene the week we got it.

Oops...

This is what happens with my luck these days. So sad, I'm sorry little phone :(