Thursday, May 30, 2013

Our Florida/Bahamas Vacation

What a vacation we had! We started out in Fort Lauderdale, cruised to The Bahamas, then ended in Orlando. I wrote about how I was nervous for vacation, but it turned out better than I ever imagined. I truly enjoyed the time I spent with my husband, we had to work as a team as we navigated in a new place and planned out different things to do. Even when frustrating things came up we didn’t fight, we just went with the flow. Vacation was definitely a time for us to reconnect, laugh and have fun again without the daily routine.

Our vacation package included the hotel stays, the cruise, a rental car, and food vouchers for every meal. That good husband of mine let me choose the car. We drove around in a Fiat, because when would we ever have the chance again? It was fun to zip around in, but definitely tiny.




You can read about the fishing trip we took while in Fort Lauderdale. We spent a little time in West Palm Beach. Our tour guide Frank said the area is known for being able to grow anything. He showed us a lot of trees and plants that people have brought to the area.







One night we went out to see Star Trek, not the most exciting thing, but we really enjoy going to the movies so it was fun for us. We spent time napping, snacking and watching TV, things I don’t usually do at home.



Friday we boarded the cruise ship. I was a little nervous because I never found our passports, luckly our birth certificates were enough to get us through. From what I heard this was a dump of a cruise compared to the major cruises, but for our first experience we had an enjoyable time. The second night we were feeling a little sea sick during our fancy dinner so we retreated back to our cabin to try and get a grip. Not sure if we could handle a 7 day cruise.


On the island we went to the Taino Resort where we spent most of the time in the pool because my husband doesn’t like swimming in salt water. There was a swim up bar inside a cave where we had a fun time drinking and chatting with other vacationers.







Our last stop was in Orlando, it’s a big tourist area so there was plenty to do. We went to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum and saw some strange things, like a Michael Jackson cockroach. Tuesday we went to Islands of Adventures so I could go to Hogwarts. Jose wasn’t really excited about going, but he just wants to see me happy. I know he ended up really enjoying the HP rides, even if he won’t admit it. We had lunch at The Three Broomsticks along with a butterbeer and a hogs head brew. We were tired and our feet hurt by the end of the day. I can’t imagine going with kids, sounds miserable, but maybe their joy makes it more bearable.







It’s good to be home in our own bed with our kitty cat. I love the time we spent making memories together.  We played hard, now it’s time to come back and work hard until our next big adventure. 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean


Today we headed out on an 8 hour charter for a little drift fishing and some sport fishing. We got to the ocean a little early so we stopped at a beachside café for breakfast. Jose ordered a bagel with lox and didn't realize that lox is a type of salmon. He doesn't like fish so we switched meals. I think it was meant to be that he ordered wrong; I was pleased to have fish for breakfast.


We headed out at around 8:30 AM with three other guys, the captain, and his mate. I caught the first and biggest fish of the day. 

Captain Stu


Working on his farmer's tan


Tile Fish


Since we're on vacation we have no where to store or cook the fish we caught. Hopefully I get a chance to try wahoo and tile fish at a restaurant while we're here. 

Monday, May 20, 2013

New & Old Friends

This weekend was a social one. Jose went to a BBQ on Saturday with his work crew and then we went to my new friend Sammy’s house for a little get together. It was fun meeting cool new people and hanging out with Erika who is in town from Harvard. 





Sunday we went to a BBQ  at our friends Miriam and Jose’s new place. There new house is really nice and way out there in West Valley. Everyone felt like it was really far, but I’m all about seclusion and their view of the Oquirrh mountains is beautiful. 


My Ladies


Our Men
Jelem and her boyfriend Jhancarlo are dancers and put on a little performance for us. 

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Pushing Me Further

I've never needed any pushing when it comes to my education or career, but for all of the other little things in life I have a partner that pushes me for the better. I posted about how my little motorcycle just wasn't cutting it on long rides and I knew eventually I'd need to upgrade, but I had decided I would let that be my graduation present in one year. My husband thought differently, he thought now was the best time. I'm grateful for how much time he spent looking for the perfect bike for me. We knew it needed to be short enough for me to reach the ground and something that wasn't too heavy. He asked me if I wanted an 880 or a 1200, I told him if I'm upgrading I'd better go big or go home.  He found a really good deal on a bike in Tooele, UT that is a Harley Sportster 1200 Low. 

Friday night we made the hour drive to check it out. The drive was so beautiful as the most recent storm blew in. I can't wait to go back and take my time taking it all in and get some good shots of the lake and mountains out that way. 

I wasn't fully convinced from the photos of the bike, but once I saw it in person I loved it. It's not the bright red I thought it was, it's a darker red and just perfect. I could reach the ground and it already has a windshield and saddlebags. The only thing that will take some getting used to are the forward controls, but in the long run they'll probably be more comfortable. Now here's where some pushing came into play. My mind is a powerful thing and it often times holds me back. I was super nervous to test drive the bike, thinking I'd probably drop it or die, but I had to keep telling myself it works the same as my current bike and I know how to ride. I got my boots and helmet on and glided around the block, it was awesome. Lately I've been thinking about this quote because I really need to tell my mind to shut up and stop holding me back. I'm more capable than I let myself think I am. 



Here she is. 




Just friendly reminder to all of the drivers out there, please watch out for those on motorcycles. 

Monday, May 6, 2013

Kaleb Daniel

My new cousin Kaleb came into the family early Friday morning. Sunday my parents, tia Chelo, Cecilia, and I drove up to Rexburg, ID to meet him and congratulate the new parents. It was a fun little day road trip. Distance is a challenge, but good thing for FaceTime. Hopefully we can make it up more often to visit the Olivas family.
Friday May 3, 2013 * 1:40 AM * 6 lbs 14 oz * 19 inches