A trip in pure Paradise

After a week in what I would have to call pure PARADISE, John and I are finally home. We had such an AMAZING trip! From the moment we stepped off the plane in Jamaica it was like a whole new world. If any of you have seen the movie Cool Runnings, that is the perfect example of how Jamaica and the Jamaicans truly are. So happy, full of life, and no worries!

As we arrived to our resort the Sandals, Carlyle, we were so fascinated by everything!! So much green, tropical plants everywhere, and gorgeous flowers. It was a bit scary though because not only are the drivers on the opposite sides of the car there, but they drive going the opposite directions too! Oh and no driving rules. Cars were zooming past us, cutting you off, and it was not a big deal!

Once we got to our resort we were immediately greeted by the staff.. i really have never felt so welcomed in my life. Every single worker wanted to say hi and treat us like a king and queen. We were definitely pampered the entire week. I have so much to tell you all about this wonderful experience that I am going to have to break it down in to a few posts!!!

To start off, I will tell you all about our resort, the Carlyle. One of the things that attracted us to Sandals Jamaica is that they allow you to stay at one resort but offer shuttles to the other two locations for you to play at as well. Our resort was the smallest and cheapest so we spent most our late nights here but played elsewhere during the day. We absolutely loved our resort though, it was so intimate and felt as if we had most the place completely to ourselves. There was so much to do here too! Tennis courts, volleyball, swimming, spa treatments, a gym, entertainment at night, and much more activities you could participate in all day long!

The first night we were there we ate at a little place called the Bay Window. It was so incredibly delicious! John ordered a steak and I had the Salmon. Hands down best Salmon I have ever eaten in my life!! It was such a romantic setting too! Candles lit everywhere, flowers decorating the table, and servers that were at your every call! We loved it!! One of the best things about it too, it was free!!! Well, not free, but included in our total package when we bought the trip! It sure felt like we were dining and dashing every time we ate though!

We also made some great friends staying at the Carlyle. Meeting couples from all over the world was such a fun thing! You met someone new every single day... Most our responses we got from telling them we were from Utah were a shocking looks and almost kind of a sneer but we actually met two couples from Salt Lake City as well!!! We even managed to make great friends with a few of the Resort workers. I absolutely loved it there in Jamaica. Coming home was such a bittersweet moment!!!! Hopefully you guys will get to see how much fun we had through the next couple blogs!!! Enjoy the pics and yes they will make you jealous!!! Stay tuned for the next blog about our tropical adventure!

One couple of our many friends we met

Just a little entertainment, they were amazing!

My delicious Salmon!

John's yummy steak

A view from our balcony

Another view from our balcony

Exploring around the resort!

Walking around our resort

A view from our balcony

Room service lunch

Off to JAMAICA

After 7 LONG months of anticipation, the time for us to adventure off to JAMAICA, has finally arrived!!! We are both so excited to travel out of the country together for the first time! We get to stay at the Sandals Resort, where all of our food and activities are included. Hope everyone has a good week, I know we will!!!!!!!

A Little Family Time

Happy Birthday Ian!

Kisses from the Padri

Mr. Green Lantern

I love my little sister! I find myself missing her around me ALL the time

Pizza time!

Yesterday we got to spend some time with the family celebrating my nephew's 4th birthday! He is such a cute little guy and we love spending time playing around with him. It's amazing to me how much imagination kids have, the joy the smallest things give them, and how much they look up to those older than them. My family is a hoot, we definitely have great times together! I LOVE YOU ALL!!

A New Addition

Well, the time has come, John and I are adding on to our nice little family.....

Nope, Sorry, NoT PREGO. On July 20th we get to bring home a new puppy!!!

I have been begging John to get a puppy probably since the day we were married, only to receive a no way, not happening, don't have time, or we all know how well you took care of your last puppy. Of course that didn't stop me from asking daily, looking at puppies for sale, or holding on to the hope that one day I would finally brake John down enough from bugging him that he would give in. Looks like my plan worked out quite well! When John finally said we were ready for a dog we both were looking online constantly. John is actually the one who found ours!

A few days ago John sent me a link to the cutest little Mini Schnauzer. Instantly we both had to go look at her. Right when we saw her, held her, and talked to the owner selling her we fell in love and put our deposit down! She is absolutely adorable and we can't wait to bring her home! Once again, my husband is amazing for finally letting me get my puppy!

Chloe Condrat

Helloooo Summer!

This summer John and I decided we want to travel as much as possible. There is nothing as good as getting away from work, home, cleaning, etc. John is busy, busy, busy these days and works so hard! I am such a lucky girl, but only means the break for him is MUCH needed.

Earlier this year John purchased a four man tent from Costco that he was dying to try, meaning to kick off our summer travels, it was camping time! So far we have gone on two camping adventures,Yuba Lake and Jordanelle. Mind you growing up I was the last person that would ever set foot into the wilderness but now I find that camping is the perfect escape.

Our first trip was to Yuba Lake which turned out to be quite eventful when we were hit by a unplanned storm and seriously, I have never seen a rain/windstorm like this one. The wind was blowing so hard that to keep our tent from completely collapsing, I had to push against it with all the pressure I could manage. It was a pretty funny site but definitely gave the both of us a good laugh.

John was a sleepyhead, I tried several times to get him up!

Gotta have my PINK

Our YUMMY foil dinners

The Lake was gorgeous... cold, but so fun!

My friends adopted the nickname Wally for me, I thought this cabin was close enough......

John is so proud of his great tent find

No matter where you find yourself, I would definitely recommend camping for a fun, relaxing get away!! The summer has just begun and we plan to have many more adventures to come our way!!

Life is a Journey

Life so far for me has definitely been a journey. Full of experiences whether they be good or bad, I always manage to learn life lessons that will stick with me forever!

At the age of 25, I am happily married to John, the man of my dreams, who has been the best thing that has happened to me. A constant companion who not only is always there for me but who LOVES me for every little detail, including the flaws. Loving and accepting myself for who I am has not been my strong point. John is the first person who was able to help me realize that I have EVERY reason to be confident in who I am.

When we started dating, I was instantly attracted to him! He was always happy, kind, giving, and knew exactly how to put a smile on my face. We had SO many fun adventures while dating, that I couldn't wait for every moment I got to be with him! After a few months of dating, I knew with all my heart he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I couldn't remember what my life was like without him and definitely didn't want ever be without him by my side.

A little over a year went by with plenty of time for John and I to grow together as a couple. Learning each others strengths and weaknesses, supporting one another during hard times, John finally popped the question on Christmas morning! It was the most romantic, shocking ans surprising experience in my life. I couldn't have asked for a better proposal!

We only took 3 months to plan our wedding....So our days were busy, busy, busy! I didn't think planning was going to be that hard but with everyone having an opinion on something it definitely created an emotional roller coaster for me, which John can attest to! One of the more fun parts of planning was being able to take our engagements. Our photographer Wendy Atkins was absolutely fabulous!! I could rant and rave about her for hours!! She really spent the time with us to get the shots we wanted! Our original spot was going to be at the rock amphitheater in Provo but along the way we found this orchard that turned out to be gorgeous pictures!!

April 17, 2010 at was the BIG day and it was seriously a DREAM come true. Every little thing turned out perfect. We held our event at Cactus and Tropicals in Draper which was absolutely gorgeous! We wanted the feel of an outdoor wedding and let me tell you, it definitely felt like an outdoor tropic experience!! With the help of my amazing mom and sisters I felt like a beautiful princess and couldn't have asked for anything else! We had all of our best friends and family share our special moment with us and that is what made our big day complete!!!

We have been married for a little over a year now and things are going great!! It definitely has it challenges but I am loving every minute of it! John is now apart of my journey and together we are going to experience whatever life brings our way. I am so lucky to have a wonderful husband, an amazing family and great friends!!