The Dominican!!

We went on a week long trip to the Dominican Republic. It was an all inclusive resort for adults only right on the beach. It was so beautiful and we had an amazing time. I'm not a fan of the beach but I LOVED the beach there. the sand was soft and fluffy and felt more like baby powder than sand. The water was the most spectacular turquoise blue and was so warm with gentle rolling waves. there were tons of palm trees and cabanas around the beach and everyone was so relaxed. Some old ladies were so relaxed they decided to go topless (not pretty!).

We spent most of our time at the pool when we finally rolled out of bed around 10 or 11. Most days we woke up too late for breakfast but a couple times we called in room service. The pool was huge but it was super hot. Almost not even a relief from the heat. It was so sunny and nice up until the last day we were there. Tropical storm Emily came through and it rained most of the afternoon and all night long into the next day.

We ate so much and got to try some new interested things. We had fun going to the different fancy themed restaurants at night but just ate at the snack bar or buffet during the day. We went para-sailing and on the banana boat one day but mostly just laid around or played in the pool. Everyday this crazy guy Ramon or a lady named Yannette would do water aerobics and play music for a few hours. They were good dancers and were funny and entertaining. She said they call her Yannette, la negra sucia. Which is the dirty black lady. and I was talking to her and we were joking around and everyone said my nickname should be la wera sucia which is the dirty white girl haha. at night we would hang out in the lobby and play games or listen to music or we would go to the shops or the club. The resort was huge and we didn't ever even have to leave. We decided to just do planking in random places. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the rest and relaxation. Most of all I just loved being able to be with Josh so much. I'm still so crazy about him after all these years. I just can't seem to get enough of him so it was pure bliss to be with him every minute of everyday for 2 weeks.

We went with Martha and Gus and another couple Larry and Cindy. of course Josh and I didn't get a ton of pictures. Larry and Cindy had a nice camera and took a lot but we haven't got them yet. I'll post more later.

Our flight home got delayed due to a mechanical issue and then we missed our connecting flight from Miami to LA so we ended up having to stay in Miami. luckily it was their fault so we stayed for free and got free breakfast and dinner. It was nice to have an extra day. We have never been to Miami and we wished we would have had more time to see the city. It was really cool when we flew over though so I'm sure we will go back.

Visitors

a couple weeks ago Josh's Dad came into town while he was driving truck and we were able to have him stay the night with us. We got ice cream at Handels and then went out to breakfast the next morning before taking him back to his truck. It was nice to see him and to get to spend some time with him.

Then a few days later Josh's uncle, who also drives truck, came into town and he stayed with us a few days also. I took him to the mall so he could get some new clothes for his trip to Disneyland with his 3 cute kiddos. Then my parents came and he had to go back to his truck.

My parents stayed for almost a week and we had so much fun with them! we went to Mormon dodger night and watched them play against the Washington Nationals and then we went to San Diego to see the temple and the Mormon battalion in Old Town San Diego. We ate dinner at the Old Town Mexican Cafe and it was DELICIOUS. We had a very special day as a family there and I'm just so excited about it. Then Sunday we had a nice quiet day of church and then a yummy dinner with our friends Martha and Gus. We went to dinner at a restaurant called "the boiling crab" where you order seafood by the pound and they bring it too you cooked in an amazing sauce in a bag and you eat it right off the table with your hands! it was a mess and we were all covered in it by the end but we finished it and it was soooo good! We went shopping and they spoiled Josh for his birthday (belated but it didn't matter) and then we headed up the mountain to Big Bear to stay for the night. We hung out and ate mostly and just enjoyed the fresh, cool mountain air. When we got back my mom made home made tortillas and my dad made Chile Verde. We went to Gus and Martha's and they had carne asada and rice and beans and we shared a big Home made Mexican feast. I miss their cooking and our big family dinners so it was nice to do it at least once while they were here. We were supposed to go to the beach but I got a job interview and so they ended up leaving early. I was super bummed that I didn't get to say goodbye again. I just kissed them all goodnight and didn't know they wouldn't be there when I got home the next day. I Love them all so much and it was so fun to have our family around us. After they left we started packing and cleaning up the house to get ready for our trip to the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!

(I carry my camera around everywhere and of course we have our phones but I am so bad at taking pictures. I feel bad I don't have more. I didn't even get 1 of Rick! )