Cancun 2015

 

 

 

Alright, so apparently I only update this thing when we go on a trip! Anyway, we just got back from an amazing trip to Riviera Maya in Cancun. It was a blast and I'm still slightly fighting post-vacation blues.

 

Ever since we got back from our last trip to the Dominican Republic, we decided we needed to do as many of these trips as we can before we start having kids. Levi wasn't working last winter/spring semester, so I told him as soon as he was working again, we could book a trip. The week after he started back a MarketStar, this trip was booked! We invited Levi's mom and stepdad, Lisa and Mike. A few weeks before the trip we decided "the more the merrier" so we invited my dad, and stepmom, Deanne. They of course brought my younger sister, Danica.

 

We flew with Mike and Lisa out of Vegas, where they live. We met up with my family on Wednesday night after we all arrived at the resort.

 

We stayed at the Catalonia Riviera Maya. It is in this gated community called Puerto Adventure. It was GORGEOUS!

 

 

 

 

We spent Thursday just relaxing by the pool and checking out all that the resort had to offer. We ate whenever we wanted and always had a cold delicious drink in hand. Even though we were combining two families that hadn't spent a ton of time together (except for our wedding), everyone clicked really quickly.

 

Friday we all went on an incredible excursion to Chichen Itza. We boarded the bus early in the morning and they took us to an underground sink hole. We swam in the water that legend tells will make you 10 years younger!

We are in cave about 50 Ft. under ground

 

We got back on the bus and they took us to lunch. After that we headed to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. It was incredible. And HOT!

 

We got back on the bus and they took us to a city (I can't remember what it was called). Apparently it used to be ruins, like Chichen Itza, but settlers came and tore it down to build a city. We had about twenty minutes to explore.

 

So a little back story... When we were in the DR, they had the most delicious churros I've ever had. I always said I wish I had eaten more while we were there! So leading up to this trip, all I could talk about to Levi was how much I hope they had good churros at our resort. Well, our resort had churros, but they were not very good. I was so disappointed.

 

So fast forward to our excursion... While we were waiting to get off the bus at this city, we saw people with churros! So we ran around this little park looking for them.

 

Levi found his favorite mayonnaise covered corn...

 





And we found the churros!!! I have the crazy look I get when I'm really happy! They were filled with chocolate and caramel. The caramel ones are now the most delicious churros I've ever had! We also got ice cream... I have the diet of a 5 year old...

 

On Saturday night, we made friends with one of the entertainment staff. His name is Javier and he was OBSESSED with Deanne and making her feel embarrassed. He was so cute and fun!

 

He liked Danica, too. But who doesn't?!

 

She's one of my faves :)

 

 

Saturday and Sunday we spent at the pool.

We could not have asked for better weather. Both days were more over cast, so it helped with the heat. Have I mentioned it was HOT?!

 

I love this guy and the fun things we get to do!

 

Our last night at dinner

 

On Sunday night they had a beach party. It was a lot of fun!

Danica and I were the only ones who danced. We only danced for 2 songs... it was getting too sweaty for me!

 

Then Javier spotted us and pulled Danica and Deanne each up to dance. He tried to get me, but didn't put up a fight when I said no... probably cause he was scared of Levi... :)

 

It was so sad to leave. We always have so much fun on these trips. We've already started talking about where we want to go next!



 

 

 

 



Also...

I forgot to post a couple of pictures that deserve mention:

Levi was teasing the captain of our catamaran and put his hand on the wheel. The captain stepped aside and let him drive the boat for a while! He was really excited and proud!

What do you do when you have no worries? You save a bee from drowning. 

Taylor tossed a bee out of the pool and the boys spent the next 45 minutes ensuring it dried off and lived. 

Side note: Katie has killer legs!

Dominican Republic Part 2

On Wednesday, we left the resort to go on an excursion. Levi and I went by ourselves and had quite a little adventure. We got on the bus (we were the only people from our resort who went) and quickly realized we were the only people who spoke English. Even the bus driver didn't speak English. There was a moment when I thought to myself that we were never going to be seen again and no one would ever know what happened to us! 

Starting the day out fresh faced and ready to go!

We took the bus to the south tip of the country and took a speed boat ride to a natural pool.

 I guess they call it a natural pool because the water is so calm, it is like a pool...? Anyway, it was awesome. The water was clear, calm and warm. We got to hold some star fish and just swim around. While swimming, we were approached by a couple who asked if we were on vacation. I replied "No, we do this everyday" jokingly. Then the woman said, "Ya, we just took the day off." We laughed until we realized she wasn't kidding. They were locals, Sobeida and Jorge, from Santo Domingo, and they literally had just taken the day off. It never occurred to us that this little excursion we were on would be like a trip to Hogle Zoo for locals. It blew our minds. Anyway, they became our little guides for the day, telling us about the culture, food, customs, etc. 

We got back in the speed boat and they took us to Saona Island. 

This is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. The beach was picturesque. You know when you buy a new computer and they have that stock photo of the palm tree on the white sandy beach? I'm pretty sure it was taken here...

We had lunch with our new friends, walked along the beach, and swam in the beautiful water. We had a close encounter with a blow fish and almost stepped on a crab.

After a few hours we got on a catamaran to take us back to the mainland. It was slow moving and dubbed "party boat" for good reasons! 

I think Levi had his hands full with this little senorita! 

They even got me to dance and I am AWKWARD! It was fun though :) 

We had to get a picture with our new local friends

It was an unforgettable day!

Thursday was our last day at the resort, and after Wednesday, we were grateful for a day to rest.

Enjoying the pool one more time...

One more picture on our last night...

Levi and I were super sad to be leaving on Friday. We walked around the resort one last time, taking it all in. See the gazebo on the right side. Ya, people get married there. I think I'll have my next wedding here, haha!

We had to get a picture of the Punta Cana Airport. No need for walls. The security was questionable.

This vacation was one we will never forget. Levi and I have talked a lot about how great it was. Not only to get away and relax, but it was so strengthening for our relationship. We created memories we'll never forget. We've decided to take advantage of these opportunities to get away more often. Enjoy!

Dominican Republic Part 1

I know, I know, it's been a really long time since I last updated this thing. After getting a hard time from probably the only two readers of this blog, I've decided to try and pick it up again. Fortunately, I get to kick start with our most recent vacation. We just got back from Punta Cana, which is in the Dominican Republic. It took a little convincing from Levi's brother, Taylor, and his wife, Katie, but we are so glad we decided to do it.

We stayed at an all-inclusive resort called Dreams Palm Beach. I had never stayed at an all-inclusive place, and it was AWESOME! Food, anytime...drinks, anytime. We had our fair share! The resort was gorgeous, we could not ask for anything more than what we got. 

The view from our deck. I sat out here and read most mornings while Levi was at the gym. Perfection!

We arrived Saturday afternoon, and after two 4 hour flights and a six hour layover, we were ready for a shower and food! After dinner, we got some drinks and caught a show. Every night they had a show, and they showed movies on the beach. On Sunday, they had a beach party, and on Monday they showed Monday Night Football on the beach.

Cheers to finally arriving!

Sunday was probably one of my favorite days. I can't remember the last time I had absolutely nothing to do. It took a minute to get used to, but once I did, I was loving it. None of us brought our phones with us to the pool, so we didn't know what time it was all day. We started the day out by the beach, but then decided we wanted to be by the pool so we could jump in and cool off.

This is where we spent most days...

I was in love with these swings they had near the lobby, so Sunday night I forced Levi to sit in one with me.

My first time eating sushi...and probably my last! Also, I have no idea how to use chopsticks!

They had this cool cart going around where the guy would shave the ice right there for your snow cone. He was actually SHAVING it! Cool!

Monday night dinner

We met 2 other couples at the resort, Jeff and Tara, from St. Louis, and Zach and Kayla from Pittsburgh. 

Tuesday was probably the "crummiest" weather day. By crummy, I mean it rained for 10 minutes and was cloudy for the rest of the day. It didn't stop us from sitting by the pool, playing cards, and walking on the beach.

Levi, Taylor and I competed in a ping pong tournament. None of us prevailed. 

Tuesday night dinner

After dinner, we went to the "Western Show" they were putting on that night. They pulled a bunch of people on stage to teach us the Merengue. Our whole group went up, and then they pulled Levi backstage. We had no idea what to expect. They told Levi he was going to be a part of the show, that the Sheriff was going to be shot, and the four contestants were going to compete to be the next sheriff. They did a series of competitions, and I even had to go up and help Levi with one of them. He won all the competitions and was crowned Sheriff! It was HILARIOUS! 

Dance Competition

I am getting ready to pop some balloons!

I had to pop as many balloons as I could on Levi's lap in as long as he could hold a breath

Crowned Champion!

Part 2 coming up!