~Jamaica~ Part 2

What a crazy fun couple of days!!  Here's the update:

Sunday:
Woke up late, ate breakfast.  Then, we headed to the beach.  It was the perfect weather day.  Sunny and warm!  We spent the morning swimming and sunning.  Duane found a really cool starfish!  After lunch, we went snorkeling again!  This time, we headed to the Sandy Key.  It was way out past all of the resorts.  It started off kind of so-so, but then we saw a really cool ray and followed it to get a few pictures.  Then, as we were loading the boat, it started pouring down rain!!

You could almost set your clock by the weather here.  Sunny in the morning, rain about 4:00, then breezy and cooler in the evenings.  Pretty much perfect if you ask me!  We got all dressed up for dinner.  We headed back to the Japanese steak house!  It's one of my favorite places to eat and I rarely get to go at home, so we're taking advantage of it here!!  We finished up the night with a walk down the beach.  We even climbed up in the lifeguard stand... we did that on our first vacation together in the Outer Banks.

Monday:
Memorial Day... weird.  Someone asked today about the American Holiday that was today and they had no idea what it was about.  It's kind of weird to think that other nations have no idea why we celebrate.  It means nothing to them.  We had a blast today!

We did so much crazy fun stuff today.  First, we thought we would go to the beach.  For the time since we have been here, it was NOT sunny in the morning.  What's up with that?!?  We decided to take out a kayak and go exploring.  The water here is crystal clear and gorgeous!  You can see straight to the bottom even at 10-12 feet deep.  It's nearly impossible with only two people on your vacation to get any good pictures of yourselves.  We met another couple out kayaking that took our pic for us.  Duane also got to have a chat with his new Jamaican friend that kept trying to sell him the "good stuff."  Ha!

When we got back to shore, we decided to try paddle boarding.  I really was just going to let Duane do it, but when he kept falling off, I decided to prove that I could do it better than he could!!  Success!!!!  We had so much fun!  Click below to see who did it better!

Duane

Lora

 It rained on us most of the afternoon, so we decided to go get some pizza from this great little pasta restaurant on the resort.  Jamaican jerk chicken and pineapple pizza-  Amazing!!!

Tonight, they were supposed to have a beach party, but it was moved to the grand terrazzo instead.  We watched a steel drum band play that was amazing!  Such a cool experience!  This trip has been amazing.  I wouldn't change anything about it.  Some much needed time away in a tropical, crazy fun environment!  I have to admit, though.  I'm kind of starting to miss my kids.... just a little!  Ha!  Only a few more days until we're back in the real world.  Until then, you'll find me in paradise.  Have a great Memorial Day!

~Jamaica~

I'm pretty sure heaven looks like Jamaica.  I can't think of any place on this earth I would rather be than sitting by the beach.  The sound of the waves and the sun in my face is pure bliss.

Here's an update of our trip so far:
Day 1 (Wednesday PM/ Thursday):
Craziest longest day E.V.E.R.  We left Harrison about 10:30 PM Friday night.  We drove to LR, stopped and ate at Waffle House and ran through Walmart to pick up a few snacks for the trip.    We went on to the airport and slept a couple of hours in the car before we went to check in.  We had three separate flights before we finally arrive in Jamaica at about 9:30 Thursday night.  Then, another hour bus ride to the resort and 24 hours, we were finally here!  It was late and dark, so we ordered room service and went to bed.

On two of our flights, we rode first class and in the front row!  I have no idea how that happened, but I'm so glad we did!  What a nice treat after a really long day.  After arriving at the hotel, we were shocked at how much they really do accommodate you.  They brought us room service at 10:30 the night we arrived because they knew we had a long day and they will continue to bring it to us as often as we like.  I'm not sure why I've never done this all inclusive thing before, but I will definitely do it again!




Day 2 (Friday):

Slept late!!  No one to come in and say, "Mom, is it time to get up?"  In fact, we slept through the glass bottom boat tour that we were supposed to be on at 9:30.  Oh, well... we'll get to that eventually!  We pretty much spent the day on the beach.  It was cloudy most of the afternoon, but still warm and gorgeous.  We saw a couple getting married on the beach today, then ran into them again later that afternoon by our room.  So fun!!

That night, they had a Mayor's Gala where they showcased all of the staff of the resort and had a HUGE spread of food!  Lots of fun, music, just a great time for everyone.  This is also where I discovered that many of the chocolate desserts have a little extra ingredient!  RUM!  Let's just say the cake balls here don't taste quite like the cake balls at home!  haha  I guess that will teach Duane not to cram the whole thing in his mouth next time!!

Day 3 (Saturday):

Cheap Charlie

Slept late again!!  We spent the morning on the beach, then went on the snorkeling cruise in the afternoon.  That is the absolute coolest thing I have ever done in my life!  I've been on lots of crazy adventures a lot of beaches, 3 oceans, and quite a few countries.  Snorkeling takes the cake.  We are hooked.  Our boat captain even mentioned that he takes people on a sunset cruise and you can see more of the octopus(es) (octopi?) and fish out at that time.  We may just have to do that.  We also met a crazy guy named "Cheap" Charlie.   (Notice the officer standing in the background.)  I got a cute coverup and some other random goodies for a much cheaper price than they were charging in the gift shop!  Oh, and I have never been asked to buy marijuana this many times in my entire life!!  Good grief!  Every other person that walks down the beach is selling cigarettes, cigars, and the "good stuff."  Crazy!

We spent most of the day on the beach and that night we went out for sushi!  Yummy, yummy goodness.  The eel and smoked salmon were our favorite!  It was at a Japanese steak house that you are supposed to make reservations for here on the island.  Most of the tables were empty, so we asked if we could just stay and have dinner.  They added us in with another table and had a blast.  We've met a few fun people here and some really nice couples.  We've met a few crazy, wild ones, too.

The crazy thing I've just started really noticing is that there are no kids here.  I knew that when we booked it, but when kids are such a huge part of your life like mine are... you start to notice the absence of them.  Kids are so much fun and entertaining.  They bring a sense of innocence and laughter that I am really starting to miss.  I got to Skype with mine yesterday and it was so good to see them smiling and laughing and having a great time with Nana.   Technology is a wonderful thing!  Duane and I are having a blast and enjoying some much needed time together.  I'm so thankful for my mom who has the kids for us this week.  There is no way I would have come unless I knew they were in good hands.  She is the BEST!  What an honor to call her my mother.  I am truly blessed.

 Thanks for reading my really long post today.  I'll make the next few days much shorter.  Life is good on the islands.  You definitely need to check this place out!  It's amazing!

Duane caught the starfish!

Summer Bucket List

Summer Time!!!

Has anyone else made a summer bucket list?  We did!  In the car the other day, I took a million (not literally) post it notes and started listing everything the kids wanted to do.  Some were pretty extravagant, but most are doable.  I'm keeping a list going all summer and we're going to see how many of them we can mark off by the end of the summer. 

Today, we marked off the first one.  We went to the library and signed up for the summer reading program!  We came with more than 20 books, too.  It is one of my favorite parts of summer.  We try to go to story time every week and then check out books to keep the kids reading. 

Tomorrow, we're off for another adventure.  We're heading to the Buffalo River to go swimming!  And, on the way, we're going to stop by Fenton's Blueberry farm and pick some blueberries!!  I've got enough kids, it shouldn't take that long to pick a few buckets.  What are your plans for summer?  Are you going on vacation?  Do you have your own bucket list?

ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Detergent

ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Detergent-- Smiley360 Connect

Check out Smiley 360!  They are amazing!  I just qualified for a free bag of detergent.  I'm really starting to love this site!

Free Bohemian Bamboo Ring!

Get a FREE Bohemian Rhapsody Bamboo Ring when you join Sneakpeeq!
1) Sign up for a FREE Sneakpeeq Account (New Members)
2) Connect with Facebook
3.) Click ‘Share’ to unlock your rewards (you can share with up to 3 friends if you would like)
4) Click ‘Use Your Rewards/Badges’
5.) You will be taken to the page with the Bohemian Rhapsody Bamboo Ring
6.) Then Click ‘Peeq’
7.) It will be FREE and you can click ‘Buy Now’ and complete the checkout process, shipping is FREE!

I got a scarf and some free Say yes to cucumbers products when I signed up a while back!  Go get your freebies!!

Thanks, Hunt4Freebies!!

Redbox

Free Red Box movie!  Use code MAY13.  You can use it once per card, so if you have more than one debit/ credit card, you can get more than one movie! :)

Dollar General Coupon

There is a new Dollar General coupon out on coupons.com.

Yay!  Dollar General has a new store coupon available, valid starting today 5/13 through 5/20. Just hop on over to Coupons.com and enter zip code 62946 to print a coupon valid for $10 off a purchase of $25 or more in Yellow Dot Spring and Summer Apparel, Accessories, and Shoes (in-store only).

I found some great clearance deals last time they ran this and got a pair of shoes for the boys!!

Thanks, Hip2Save!

Who Ate My Donut?

Funny story of the day:

Yesterday we brought home Krispy Kreme donuts so we could have some for breakfast.  This morning, Duane helped the kids get breakfast and get ready for church while I took a shower.  When I went to get my donut for breakfast, this is what I found.

Seriously?!?  Who ate my donut?  I'll give you two guesses...

Saturday with the Fam

Saturday with the family was a hoot!  My little guys crack me up!  Our conversation tonight went a little something like this:

Caleb: (from in the bathroom) "Mom, don't come in. I'm trying to get my poop out!"
Me: "Do you have any poop to get out or are you just sitting there?"
Emma: (hugging my neck as tight as she can) "Mom, I love you sooooooooooo much, I feel like doing a cartwheel right now!"
All one big conversation. Craziness! lol

They crack me up!  I am truly blessed to be called their mother!! 

We had a great day!  Free yummy smelling goodness from Bath and Body, free shorts from Old Navy, great deals shopping, and as we left Branson we noticed the Hot Now sign at Krispy Kreme!!   FREE donuts!!  The perfect afternoon snack to help us make the trip back home.  We finished up by watching Karate Kid (old school) on Netflix tonight which led to a new house rule:

No karate chopping while you brush your teeth!

Every day's an adventure, but that's the way we like it!

MAD Party!

Do your kids love Madagascar as much as mine do?  You know you're singing the "Move it, move it" song in your head right now!  Well, maybe that's just me!  I just found out we get to have a Madagascar 3 party sponsored by crowdtap!  My mind is racing, but right now, I'm thinking... How about a party at the Drive In?  Seems like a fun place for the kids to run around and enjoy an awesome movie!!  See if you qualify, too!!

http://bit.ly/Jt1JTY

Mission accomplished!

Day one of family time complete!!  I spent the day with my youngest child, my sister in law and baby nephew, my Mom, and my two little "sisters" from Mexico!  We spent the day in Branson shopping, eating dinner, and then shopping some more!  This is the first time I've been on the computer since early this morning and I honestly have not missed it one bit!! 

Oh, and I almost forgot!  I spent the morning at my grandparents' house!  We've laughed and laughed and talked and just caught up on each other's lives.  Sometimes family time in the car is the best way to make that happen!  I rarely get a chance to visit with my mom without being interrupted a million times by kids.  We got to visit today and it was great!  today is a blessing and I'm so excited for summer!  I'm looking forward to a great relaxing weekend with the fam and maybe even a little lake time!  I missed the rest of my crew today, so I'll make some extra special time for them tomorrow!  I love lazy Saturdays!!

Family Time

I realized today how important it is to hang out with the kiddos!  I've missed them!  I realize how much time I've been spending online lately.  Grading papers, preparing for classes, facebooking, crowdtapping... you name it, I've done it!   With summer coming, I plan to set aside a goal for myself every single day.  I want to limit my time on-line and spend more time with the kids!  Every week this summer, I'm making a plan for an adventure!  It may be a trip to the park, a swim in the river, or an a trip to the zoo or the butterfly palace.  The kids are going to help me make a list and we're just going to enjoy our time together.  Isn't that what summer is about?

Phone blogging! :)

Check it out! I can now post from my phone!

McCormick Grill Mates

I did it!!  I qualified for the hosted party!!  Duane did, too, so it looks like we're going to have one big grilling bash!!  WooHoo!!!  If you haven't signed up for Crowdtap yet, go now!!!

http://bit.ly/K2Fnt8

Free shorts from Old Navy and crowdtap

Free shorts from Old Navy!!  I love crowdtap!  Heather and I picked out free shorts yesterday!  So, I'm not a fan of short shopping, but had a blast hanging out with Heather and I LOVE free clothes!!  Check out Crowdtap and Old Navy rock!!
Crowdtap - sign up here!

crowdtap McCormick Grill Mates

Have you checked out crowdtap yet?  If not, you should go sign up now!!  I just applied for a house party for McCormick and yesterday we went shopping for free shorts from Old Navy!  All from crowdtap!
 http://bit.ly/ps7NE1