Al and I met up with a bunch of friends at Holly's house for the tail-end of her Fourth of July cookout, then went to Parkland for fireworks. Fun, fun!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Birthday, Amurica!
Last year, Al and I spent Fourth of July talking about the fact that we couldn't believe that, in one year, we would be a married couple! Fourth of July would be special because it would be our first holiday together as husband and wife. Well, that year went by so quickly, and we found ourselves home after an amazing wedding and trip to Mexico ready to celebrate!
We met up with Al's family in Rantoul for the parade. Sarah and Mary planned a mini tailgate, complete with eggs, sausage, tons of pastries, and mimosas! YUM!
The kiddos all looked so cute. I love kids dressed up in America gear (especially THESE kids)!
We met up with Al's family in Rantoul for the parade. Sarah and Mary planned a mini tailgate, complete with eggs, sausage, tons of pastries, and mimosas! YUM!
The kiddos all looked so cute. I love kids dressed up in America gear (especially THESE kids)!
Al loves America too...
The kids anxiously waited for some candy, and I don't blame them because Rantoul's candy is da' bomb! I can't believe that I got gypped throughout my entire childhood on Fourth of July. 85 Tootsie Rolls...phhhffffttt. Whatevs! These kids cleaned up! I'm talking mini premium candy bars, people...the stuff they serve at the checkout line!
Al and I had a blast!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Last Night in Mexico
Al and I were dreading leaving, but we were looking forward to a relaxing, romantic last night in Mexico. Our night was a bit derailed, but I'll get to that later...
First, we planned a mini-progressive dinner to enjoy our favorite parts of each restaurant on the resort: soup and appetizers at Mercure, dinner to see what we'd missed out on at Capers, and dessert anywhere!
We were treated to gorgeous weather, so we decided to take our appetizers and soup at Mercure on the patio.
Afterwards, we hit Capers up for some "authentic Italian".
Al and I got some pretty hefty meals...
It certainly wasn't Olive Garden, but a pretty good attempt at "authentic Italian" at least! ;)
This was the point at which things got a little hazy. After a brief attempt at a romantic stroll around the resort, it became clear to me that Montezuma had a hold of my belly. That night and the following day of travel was M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E. At least the rest of the vacation made up for it!
Thank you!
Al and I ventured down to the beach this evening so that I could collect some shells for our nieces and nephew and we could create our thank-you message. I got lots of loot and I think our pic turned out pretty darn good!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sunset Cruise
Al and I had been pumped for our sunset cruise ever since we booked it well before our trip. We're a little embarrassed to admit this, but we were both under the impression that we'd be boarding a Carnival-style cruise ship and eating a romantic, candlelit dinner out at sea.
Not so much. Al and I arrived on this stormy day doubting whether we'd even be able to go on our cruise. We waiting under a tent-like setup with a bunch of other tourists to hear whether or not we'd be able to go. During this time, a ruffian couple threw a giant fit (cursing included) about getting a refund. Little did we know at that moment where the night would lead us...
We boarded our catamaran (yup, catamaran) terribly confused. Where were the tables and chairs? Where was the romantic music? No tables, no chairs. And only a strange mix of outdated hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s blasting from the sound system. With a shrug of our shoulders, we boarded the boat and made the best of it.
Thank goodness for adult beverages. This was a wild ride! We barely left the shore the entire ride and the other guests got a little restless. Tequila shots were had, sex jokes were made (and pictures taken)-not by us!, and Al and I just had to laugh! It was not what we were expecting! At least the ruffian couple offered to take our picture so that we could remember this strange evening. It actually turned out to be an awesome story.
After docking, we headed back to the beach for our romantic dinner. It looked lovely! Each couple had a private table on the sand sectioned off by sheer, gauzy fabric. The food, served by the resort we were on, was amazing too!
However, one huge problem (or several, rather) arose immediately: mosquitos. Tons of them. Now, for anyone who isn't aware, I have horrible reactions to bug bites. They swell up ridiculously huge and I get itchy all over. Yeah, this kind of ruined our dining experience. At one point, the waiter actually stood me up and sprayed me down, head to toe, with bug spray. Al got the same treatment, although I think he just did so to ease my embarrassment. He's a good husband like that!
Even in my extreme discomfort, our dinner was salvaged by one singular experience. Our table was located behind the ruffian couple and we got quite a show. That resulted in enough hilarity to (kind of) take my mind off being eaten alive.
Not so much. Al and I arrived on this stormy day doubting whether we'd even be able to go on our cruise. We waiting under a tent-like setup with a bunch of other tourists to hear whether or not we'd be able to go. During this time, a ruffian couple threw a giant fit (cursing included) about getting a refund. Little did we know at that moment where the night would lead us...
We boarded our catamaran (yup, catamaran) terribly confused. Where were the tables and chairs? Where was the romantic music? No tables, no chairs. And only a strange mix of outdated hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s blasting from the sound system. With a shrug of our shoulders, we boarded the boat and made the best of it.
Thank goodness for adult beverages. This was a wild ride! We barely left the shore the entire ride and the other guests got a little restless. Tequila shots were had, sex jokes were made (and pictures taken)-not by us!, and Al and I just had to laugh! It was not what we were expecting! At least the ruffian couple offered to take our picture so that we could remember this strange evening. It actually turned out to be an awesome story.
After docking, we headed back to the beach for our romantic dinner. It looked lovely! Each couple had a private table on the sand sectioned off by sheer, gauzy fabric. The food, served by the resort we were on, was amazing too!
However, one huge problem (or several, rather) arose immediately: mosquitos. Tons of them. Now, for anyone who isn't aware, I have horrible reactions to bug bites. They swell up ridiculously huge and I get itchy all over. Yeah, this kind of ruined our dining experience. At one point, the waiter actually stood me up and sprayed me down, head to toe, with bug spray. Al got the same treatment, although I think he just did so to ease my embarrassment. He's a good husband like that!
Even in my extreme discomfort, our dinner was salvaged by one singular experience. Our table was located behind the ruffian couple and we got quite a show. That resulted in enough hilarity to (kind of) take my mind off being eaten alive.
Happy moon, indeed.
Lounging on the Beach
Today, Al spent the day resting and I spent the day lounging in the sun. I started my morning with breakfast from CoCo's Cafe:
What a tiny coffee! Oh well, I probably couldn't have handled a giant hot coffee in this heat, anyway. :)
I walked down to the pool and enjoyed Jen Lancaster's Pretty in Plaid and this amazing view for the next few hours.
After a while, I decided to go up to the room and check on my husband who had been promising to come down and meet me...he was still sleeping! At least on my way up to the room, I made a new friend in the hallway...
After I realized that Al would definitely not be joining me in my lounge day outside, I headed down to the beach for more funny book and more of the beautiful view.
All in all, it was a very relaxing, quiet day. :)
What a tiny coffee! Oh well, I probably couldn't have handled a giant hot coffee in this heat, anyway. :)
I walked down to the pool and enjoyed Jen Lancaster's Pretty in Plaid and this amazing view for the next few hours.
After a while, I decided to go up to the room and check on my husband who had been promising to come down and meet me...he was still sleeping! At least on my way up to the room, I made a new friend in the hallway...
After I realized that Al would definitely not be joining me in my lounge day outside, I headed down to the beach for more funny book and more of the beautiful view.
All in all, it was a very relaxing, quiet day. :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Last Night with the Deppas
Tonight, Al and I met up with Ryan and Kim for dinner at Spice to celebrate their last night in Mexico and send them home in style!
The sushi was delicious, per usual, but the shenanigans started pretty early. There were shots of tequila almost immediately:
Once again, yikes. That was just the beginning of the evening, though. After dinner, we checked out the outdoor market set up on the resort for the evening. Al and I were able to score two awesome serving dishes, and I had my first haggling experience! I was so proud!
Afterwards, Al decided to purchase a couple celebratory cigars and we went to visit Al's best friend, Darius. Now, Darius was the Lithuanian bartender of the outdoor bar, whom all the guys fell in love with early on in the trip. He hooked us up with some more tasty beverages and Al and I had a relaxing cigar smoke, as well as a late night walk on the beach with the Deppas.
Inevitably, we ended the night at SCORES, which essentially was our Mexican version of Guido's, and that was okay with me. It was an incredible night and my only complaint was that it had to end!
The sushi was delicious, per usual, but the shenanigans started pretty early. There were shots of tequila almost immediately:
Once again, yikes. That was just the beginning of the evening, though. After dinner, we checked out the outdoor market set up on the resort for the evening. Al and I were able to score two awesome serving dishes, and I had my first haggling experience! I was so proud!
Afterwards, Al decided to purchase a couple celebratory cigars and we went to visit Al's best friend, Darius. Now, Darius was the Lithuanian bartender of the outdoor bar, whom all the guys fell in love with early on in the trip. He hooked us up with some more tasty beverages and Al and I had a relaxing cigar smoke, as well as a late night walk on the beach with the Deppas.
Inevitably, we ended the night at SCORES, which essentially was our Mexican version of Guido's, and that was okay with me. It was an incredible night and my only complaint was that it had to end!
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