Date Night & City Lights

That man knows the way to my heart...a night of delicious food and great conversation, walking hand in hand under city lights, laughing and randomly singing through it all...just the two of us.

Bon voyage! (real camera photos of our cruise:)

This is the last post of our cruise, promise :) The first post of our tropical getaway was filled with pictures I took with my iphone. And I finally got another cord so I was able to transfer photos from our camera to the computer! woohoo!

The cruise was filled with lounging, laughing, sleeping in, palm trees galor, endless horizons, lots of kisses, SUN, the ocean, delicious Mexican food, sweet little shops, great entertainment, wearing sunglasses everyday, and just soaking up time together!

{i loved the live music on the ship...can't get enough dancing with my love}

{being that it was right before Christmas I had hoped they'd have a Christmas tree on the ship...and they sure did!! this picture shows about 1/3 of it}

{Earl Turner was a FABULOUS singer & comedian!}

1st port: Cabo San Lucas!

{Getting geared up to scuba!}

2nd Port: Mazatlan

Did some fun shopping around the little shops.

Back on the ship they had a Johnny Rockets cafe...gooooooood eatin :)

3rd Port: Puerto Vallarta

Perfect day at the beach with my love!

While is Puerto Vallarta we went out to dinner and ate some of the best Mexican food wither of us have EVER had...fish tacos and coconut shrimp. OH MY.

Back on the ship...

{Ronn Lucas was a HILARIOUS ventriloquist!!}

We enjoyed the show and then went to our last formal dinner...

Then we decided that we needed to hit up the arcade...all dressed up, oh yes.

{how do you like Adam's game faces?? haha! We don't mess around when it comes to air hockey}

The next morning we slept in, got ready, and enjoyed a lovely breakfast :)

Adam rocked that wall ;)

Our favorite place for dinner was called "The Sound of Music." Loved it!

Our room keepers made this cute little guy (with Adam's shades) on our last night :) :) :)

While it was hard (a lot harder than we thought) to be away from our sweet Brooks, the time spent just the 2 of us was much needed! And we hope to be able to have a little getaway, even just a weekend stay at a local bed-n-breakfast, every year :)

a whole new wooooooorld

Read the title again...but sing it, Little Mermaid style ;)

WAIT...that'd be Aladdin. How did 2 of my favorite Disney flicks get swapped in my head??Thanks to my friend Lula for catching that. haha!

*

Okay, so back in December Adam and I enjoyed a cruise, just the 2 of us :) We started in L.A. and stopped by the Mexican beaches of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta (my favorite). Can you say relaaaaaaaxing?? :) While in Cabo, we were lucky enough to be able to go SCUBA DIVING! And I finally got around to getting the film from our little disposable underwater camera developed :) There are only a few we snapped from the first 10 minutes of our dive because we went too deep and the film broke...but enjoy the few that we got!

Adam has been scuba diving a number of times (once when we went to Belize...and a few times at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge where he went spear fishing). I was preggo with our little B, so I haven't been able to experience diving outside of our classes we took to certify. And while I've loved snorkeling, I was so excited that this time I could actually go under! ...but sadly, I don't think I'm much of a diver :( I got really anxious going so deep, and I couldn't seem to find my "zero gravity"...so I was holding onto our guide's hand 90% of the time (otherwise I'd either sink or float). haha Our guide was a great guy, and really patient with me :) It was phenomenal to swim through a school of fish, see amazing coral, and feel weightless. But I will admit, it was FRIGID, even with wetsuits. (understandable though, it was December and we were in the Pacific Ocean). I am glad though that Adam and I were able to experience it together!

{I spy with my little eye....a little yellow fish}

{I guess we were really wanting to "hang loose" haha}

{yea, we even flirt and hold hands underwater }

Overall, it was quite an unforgettable experience! But truth be told, we still think that Belize topped it (even me just snorkeling) for the color and marine life we saw (I don't know why we didn't get an underwater camera for that trip!).
Have you ever been scuba diving?? I'd love to hear stories about where you went and your experience :)

** side note...thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful words about my last post. I really felt the need to record our experience, and that sharing it would show that our marriage is real, and has bumps...but those bumps just add flavor, and it is oh-so sweet. So you wifey's out there, what are you doing today that is a little extra to show you love your hubs?? :)

Elf + baked goods = new tradition

Okay, so I technically didn't BAKE the goods that we'll be delivering to family & friends...I jazzed up some ginger snaps with white chocolate, and pretzels with milk chocolate. Next year the goods will be baked in the kitchen of yours truly, I promise.

But while I was creating our holiday plate of goodies, Adam and I watched Elf.

That movie never, ever, gets old. You want to know why I love Elf so much?

Because it brings out the inner kid in me. It makes me want to

ride the escalator all the way to the top in the splits,

congratulate random little shops that make the best of anything (coffee in Buddy's case),

eat spaghetti for breakfast (minus the candy & maple syrup),

hang up paper snowflakes all over your house,

not be afraid to be myself,

being so optimistic I ooze with cheeriness,

and still believe in Santa.

{White chocolate-dipped ginger snaps & "SANTA'S COMING!!!!"}

"Drizzling milk chocolate on the pretzels and "Baby it's coooooold ooouttt siiiiidde!"}

{Sweet & salty pretzels and "You missed...smooch!"}

{following suit of Buddy & Jovie}

{cookies, pretzels, and clementines...a tradition at my house growing up was covering pretzels with chocolate and sticking cloves in oranges [a natural air freshner] as our Christmas plate of goodies for friends & neighbors}

We'll be taking the Christmas batch to Adam's co-workers today, and then a New Year's batch to friends and neighbors next week :)

PS - You may have noticed, but the photos caught a few of my favorite scenes from Elf :)

What are your favorite scenes or quotes??

A Lover's Cruise {as told by my iPhone}

As the title implies...this post is filled with iPhone pics because some sand got in my camera right where the cord connects it to my computer...so I haven't been able to download any pictures of the cruise from my camera to the computer :( But LUCKILY phones are so convenient now days and can capture some decent shots...and you'll notice that I found a few new favorite photo apps (Instagram & Pocketbooth). So enjoy the iphone pics as they tell the story of our cruise...

Enjoying paradise, just the 2 of us :)

THE SHIP:

Royal Carribbean ~ Mariner of the Seas

BON VOYAGE!

CABO SAN LUCAS

SCUBA DIVING IN CABO

I loved the festive tree at this restaurant :)

and the massive, painted map of Mexico on the wall.

MAZATLAN

(actually just before we got off the ship...all the pics from Mazatlan are on the camera)

PUETRO VALLARTA

I love all the [mostly handmade] treasures at the shops...

Christmas in the air!

BEST fish tacos & coconut shrimp EVER:

BACK ON THE SHIP

You'd think eating near a STUNNING chandelier you'd eat all proper...

and I put a spoon on my nose...that's me ;)

That week brought back sweet memories of the days when it was just the two of us. Just with a change of scenery :)

I. Loved. Every. Minute.

But it also gave us a better appreciation for our little family and how true happiness is when we're ALL together.