Saturday, June 16, 2007

All this and Jesus too?

We had the most amazing vacation of all time. If I did not have a little boy to come home to, I would have started paperwork on a visa! We did not want to leave! I cried on the second day telling Curt how much fun I was having. It was just so wonderful to be together and let those lighthearted, fun, adventurous, smiling 19 and 20-year-olds come out and remind us why they fell in love. There were no fights, no stressful conversations, no worrying (only wondering) about Jackson. There was nothing but great. We laughed until we cried. We watched our wedding video. We snorkeled at Xel-Ha. I swam with dolphins. We kayaked. I spoke in Spanish. We ordered room service as many times as we wanted. I gained a few pounds. And it was so worth it.

I was militant about my sunscreen but I could not beat the sun. It was seriously stupid of me to go down there without a base tan. My face never burned but it is darker than I wanted it to be. As you can see, my arms and my shins got a little red.

If anyone is wondering which resort we went to, it was an all-inclusive called El Dorado Royale in the Mayan Riviera. The casitas are about to split off into their own resort called Casitas Royale. Whether you go to the El Dorado side or the Casitas side, it is an incredible place and they treat you like kings and queens.

I am the new spokeswoman for getting away with your hubby for a few days if you're a new mom and you haven't done that yet. Go to a place where you won't see a lot of babies (that will make it easier) and invest in your marriage! The grandparents are probably chomping at the bit to keep your youngun and if they're not, I'm so sorry. Ask God to provide a way. Do it! You'll be so glad!




The room was absolutely amazing. We stayed in a "casita" and the room was round, making it hard to depict the wonderfulness of it all in one picture. There was a regular tub/shower as well as a jacuzzi tub and a roofless shower.





We had requested a second floor casita but we ended up in a first floor "swim up" room. The Lord gave us an upgrade! We loved having water two steps from our porch.


The view from our porch.


Our porch had a day bed and a hammock - perfect for reading when we'd had enough sun. There was a table for our room service breakfasts - cream cheese stuffed french toast with almonds!





The view from the "palapa" where I went when I rolled out of bed each morning.


In front of the palapa.


Great quiet times.


The palapa. Isn't it awesome?


The candlelight, beachfront dinner that was complimentary since we were celebrating our anniversary.










One of our waiters brought flowers to our table when he found out it was our anniversary.


I will have a few more pictures and stories when I get my waterproof camera developed.

42 comments:

  1. Welcome back! You both look so refreshed. You've inspired me to get away with my hubby, sans 19-month-old, sometime before our second arrives in early December. I've been dying to get back to a Hill Country B&B...any of them!

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  2. I'm wiping the drool from my chin, what a beautiful place! Maybe next year on our 10th we can get away! That looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I am so glad you all had such a wonderful and romantic and relaxing time!! What a place! I don't blame you for not wanting to come back. I have always wanted to swim with dolphins. I hope you have pictures of that. Jesus is so good to give you all an upgrade. He loves to delights us, doesn't he?! It sounds like you all were given the royal treatment and God truly blessed your time away. I love the pictures and you look so beautiful. May God continue to bless your marriage and I pray you all get to do this again! I loved reading about Camp Bigs and the adventures of Biggies and Papaw and Jackson! Have a blessed Sunday and Happy Father's Day to Curtis.

    Love,
    Patty

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  4. This makes me really really really excited about my vacation to Bali in just a few short weeks!! You look so beautiful and great in your pictures! I am glad you and Curtis had such a great time together!!!

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  5. Beautiful!! It is great to get away and come home! You chose a wonderful spot and the palapa sounds like the Lord was definitely romancing you!! I love it when he comes into those places and takes my breath away. I know your husband and Jackson will be refreshed by the refreshing our sweet Jesus gave you!

    So happy for you,
    Charlotte

    Oh, by the way, you guys looks great! I am sure all those sweaty moments the last couple of months was worth it.

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  6. Hi,
    I'm here via BooMama.:)
    Thanks for sharing your pictures, it looks so beautiful! The ocean is my all time favorite place. I'll be checking this resort out after church this afternoon. Have a great Father's Day!

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  7. Welcome home, Amanda & Curt!

    I enjoyed seeing every single picture! I'd love to go there sometime! It looks amazing! But... I have to tell you that my favorite part of your post was this... "...and remind us why they fell in love. There were no fights, no stressful conversations, no worrying (only wondering) about Jackson." I'm so glad you were able to enjoy each other! It sounds like you could have been anywhere and had just a wonderful time together! You look so happy!

    I'm sure you were excited to get home to Jackson! Sounds like he had a great time with your parents!

    p.s. I think it's great you had your quiet time even on vacation! This sista needs to learn a few things from a more mature Christian! Thanks ;)
    -Angie

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  8. What a great vacation. I'm so glad that you had that time together. That is making me itch a little to take a vacation with my hubby!

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  9. Thank you for sharing your trip with us! It all looks AMAZING. Happy Anniversary!

    Cathy

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  10. Everything is SO gorgeous...the room, the beach, you! I'm so glad it was so incredible!

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  11. it looks like you guys had a great time. i'm glad to hear it! but i'm also glad you're home. i think many of us were having withdrawals from your blog. :)

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  12. All my mind could manage to think when looking at these pictures was 'uhhhh.....'

    It is such a beautiful place! I was just blown away! Thank you for sharing the pictures. And you are just beautiful girlfriend!

    I'm so glad you and Curtis got to have a getaway. Can't wait to hear more :)

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  13. I'm so glad y'all had a great time. What a beautiful place. I'm ready to go!

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  14. Thanks for all the pics! I felt like I was there with you...bet you are glad I wasn't tho! LOL That hammock has my name on it!!! We lived in Mexico for a year and my sister is married to a Mexican and my husbands uncle is Mexican. They are wonderful people!

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  15. Amanda...I have tears in my eyes. I am so happy for you two. What a wonderful time to be away together.

    You are right time away with your man is good stuff. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. Anonymous11:30 AM

    Don't think for a moment Jackson didn't have his own gettaway! He lounged (or, rather, lunged) by the baby pool in his soggy pants. He swam with rubber ducks. Waiters waited on him hand and foot. He ate Fruit Loops for the first time. He got his hiney dusted often with old fashioned baby powder. He gave the dogs the dickens. He took field trips to the preschool play yard. And he stayed awake and in command as long as he could till cheated by the secret weapons. The beach towel surrendered to his brown velvety blanket and the boy surrendered to the lull of Gran Big's rocker. What a week it was! But, boy oh boy, was a boy glad to see his mommy and daddy! And his parents only got better because they had courage enough to leave the little guy, spend some well-invested cash and stealaway some time together. Till next time, Jackson!

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  17. So glad you and Curtis had such a great time. I know Jackson and the incredible people who cared for him had an exciting camp experience.

    Hugs to the whole family for a week well-spent!

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  18. Amanda,
    HOW FUN!!
    I love the pictures! You and Curtis are such a good looking couple :)
    It is so key to a marriage to be able to get away and enjoy time together (especially after having children).
    Tell Curtis HAPPY FATHER's day :)

    God bless you and your family
    (oh and I will be praying for you to be able to attend the birthday party on Monday - no sickness!)
    Much love,
    Kim

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  19. Such awesome pictures.. like those on a postcard. I love the idea of waking up and going outside to a view like that... What a great place to rekindle the romance with your hubby, and at the same time steal away precious moments with our Creator.

    Thanks for sharing... Kim

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  20. Wow the view is breath taking!! So glad you all were able to get away and spend quality time together. And, thats so cool about the upgrade!

    I am so ready to pack my bags and grab my hubby to go there...that would be amazing! :) I can't even imagine how refreshing that would be. I wonder if it would be ok to pray for that to happen, before our baby #4 comes? :) (yeah, thats what my husband got for fathers day...a postive pregnancy test. :) )

    Can't wait to see more pictures from your wonderful trip!

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  21. You look so beautiful Amanda! And curt looks handsome. What a blessing to me to hear that you had a wonderful time! How very wonderful!!

    My nephew Austin (A&M Class of 2006) and his fiance are staying there! The wedding is the last of June in East Texas, so we will be driving through your lovely state (our HOME!) then. In fact we'll be staying in Grapevine on our way home from Florida on July 9th. We are so very, very glad you had a wonderful time. I prayed every day for you both and your family!
    Love,
    holly

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  22. Last year we took a similar trip for our tenth anniversary (the first one by ourselves since we started having kids (the boys were 2 and 5) and I'm with you. It was like...oh yeah, it's you - the guy I married and fell in love with and used to laugh a lot more with...where've you been lately? Simply wonderful!!

    Ladies, take a trip WITHOUT KIDS ladies...make it happen! You will not regret it!

    Amanda, so glad you enjoyed it!

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  23. What an amazing place! And a bed on the beach?? Must be a prequel to Heaven...So glad you two had this time to refresh and remember!

    Lisa

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  24. The resort looks absolutely beautiful! And you both look radiant with your suntans! I'm so glad y'all had a wonderful time!

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  25. I am so happy for you two! The beach looks absolutely amazing. . and you look so happy and refreshed with your honey! I'll look forward to the under-water pics!

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  26. Well that looks just wonderful.

    And the first time I read the last paragraph, I thought you said that you had to get your waterproof mascara developed, and I spent a full 30 seconds wondering how one would do that, exactly.

    WELCOME HOME!

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  27. Couldn't wait to see the pictures! What an amazing place!! How did you find it? It is like a dream!!!
    I am so glad y'all got away!!!

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  28. Welcome home Amanda. Love the pics. Thanks for posting them. I am so happy y'all were refreshed in such a beautiful place.

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  29. I showed Bryan your pictures and he is already saving pennies to book our next vacation! I'm so glad you are back and just thrilled that you had such a nice relaxing time!

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  30. uhmm...Beautiful! Sign me up please. I am ready to go. Rod and I were just talking today about how we need to have a "second honeymoon". This place looks wonderful. You look so pretty and refreshed and happy.

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  31. Y'all are just a beautiful couple. In a beautiful location, too.

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  32. girlfriend, you are lookin mighty fine ;) so glad ya'll had an awesome time!!! i'm workin at camp for the summer and we were just talking about marriage and vacations in our girl's small group time with our boss tonight...and i thought about ya'll on your much anticipated trip!

    ps that black shirt is real cute :)

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  33. The pictures are beautiful... congrats on five years! The message written by anonymous (maybe your Mom) is funny. Sounds like he had a great getaway too :)

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  34. Oh my goodness Amanda! Those photos are amazing! What a beautiful place to be! And a swim up room? I've never heard of that! How neat! It looks like you guys had an amazing time! Thanks for sharing the photos. Now I'm off to print them out and dangle them in front of my hubby.... :)

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  35. Welcome back. Although I mourn with you that you had to leave such a beautiful place behind.

    Your pictures are amazing! And you and Curt look deliriously happy.

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  36. Um you look AMAZING sister! And I am so glad you got to get away for a while!

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  37. It looks like you guys were spoiled rotten on your vacation...just as you should be! Love the pics of the resort. Soooo nice.

    And ever since I looked at them I've asked forgiveness for coveting...a lot!

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  38. I am showing Jonathan these pictures! All your hard work paid off!

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  39. I wish that Zak and I could get away for a vacation like that...maybe next year :) Looks like y'all had a fabulous time.

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  40. Wow! That place looks absolutely amazing! In those pictures you two look so relaxed! I can't believe they have swim up rooms. I think that has to be one of the coolest things that I have seen!

    I hope you enjoyed your trip. Welcome back!

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  41. That is where we went on our honeymoon and my heart aches and longs to go back there! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing vacation and I will do my best not to lust after that place!

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  42. Amanda, I am new to your blog and have really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures with us and inspiring us to "invest in our marriages." I'll have to start planning that much needed vacation now!
    Happi at The Berger Buzz

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