Puerto Vallarta - Dia Tres, Quatro, y Cinco

Puerto Vallarta just kept getting better as the days went on. Sunday, we did our P90X workout then headed to the infinity pool to reserve some chairs, then it was off to breakfast. I don't know where it came from, but I LOVE salmon for breakfast - smoked salmon with cream cheese on some sort of carb. I sure as heck wasn't raised on the stuff (closest I got was a can of vienna sausages!) but I absolutely love it. And I ate it...a lot...like every morning. Okay, I may have refrained on the last day, but seriously, I couldn't get enough. I should have snapped a pic of that goodness... Anyways, we spent the day lounging at the pool and getting some sun, breaking only for a tequila tasting by the pool ;) We were planning on going into town to check out the cathedral and the market, but Troy got sick, so we opted to stay in. Everyone went for a nap and I snuck away to the secluded pool to finish my Chelsea Handler book, Are You There ,Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. Which is freaking hilarious, might I add. Not for the weak of heart, or proper of mouths, or proper of anything really. Just dang funny. I plan to read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang next :)

That night, we went to dinner off of the resort, to a place called El Set. Troy's dad and Carolyn recommended it, saying that they ate there on their honeymoon and it was the best food and best view around. They weren't lyin'!

The view was beyond breathtaking and the food was delish, especially the margaritas. We celebrated Amy's birthday while we were there too, which was too fun. We had a blast, and believe it or not, we were the only customers in the entire restaurant...the entire night!! I know, that doesn't speak too highly of the place, but we got there super early, and there weren't a lot of tourists on Sunday anyways, and well, I don't know why they weren't busy...maybe this has something to do with my stomach bug/parasite/virus...interesting...

That night, Troy got sick again (bad) so he went to bed early and Blake, Amy, and I went down to the beach for a bonfire and concert. We sang along to Brown-eyed Girl, Sweet Caroline, and a few ACDC songs before calling it a night. We were ziplining in the morning, and we wanted to be very well-rested :)

7:30 bright and early, we cabbed over to the local Quickie Mart (okay, it was an OXXO, but you get the point) and waited for our transportation to the mountains. We waited for freaking ever, but they finally came and we loaded into a crowded military-style bus for a 45-minute ride from hell. Oh, I'm sorry; do you sense my frustration? Ya...I was frustrated, and I am just getting started! :) We got to the top of the mountain, changed into appropriate gear, said farewell to our belongings, much to my fury; you know me - I wanted to take pics, yes while zipling, yes while repelling down a waterfall, yes while riding donkeys with 30 lbs of gear on. I am hard core with my photography madness. But the dudes made us leave all of our stuff behind, so I angrily mounted my donkey and rode up the trail to the first platform. Ya, that's right - I rode a donkey, named Pimienta. There are no photos of that...

We completed about 13 zip lines, some at 45 degree angles, some over completely treacherous valleys, others down waterfalls, into springs, and even one completely crazy vertical repel. On the last line, Troy and I got to go together and race...he was ahead for the majority of the race but I decided to not break until the last possible moment (remember, hard core.) and so I beat him in the end :) We had a good time and it was crazy watching everyone fling their bodies over cliffs, down rocks, and into open nothingness.

I noted a few very important things for our next zipline and hence, the reason we did not purchase but one photo out of the 100+ that they took of us:

1. Do not wear shorts. Unless you are anorexic. Frist - the girls have cameltoes and the boys look like they are seriously in pain. I don't think the guys can avoid the awkwardness that comes with a harness around their noonads though. Plus, the harness shoves your shorts up the entire time, and you sit into the harness while ziplining in manner that smashes your thighs down into flat pancake-ness. Not flattering...at all...regardless of your size. Next time, I will be wearing Nike pants in blackest black, regardless of the heat index.


2. Do not wear a t-shirt, especially a white one. Ya, I was wearing a swimsuit (see #3), but t-shirts just stretch out when wet and white doesn't look good wet on anyone, unless you are Brooklyn Decker or something.


3. Do not wear swimsuit bottoms. Ow. Reason one - stradling a donkey. Reason two - harness. Reason three - wet swimsuit + rock climbing = bad situation. Just sayin'


4. Consider wearing a sports bra, or you will constantly be making sure your tatas do not jump out of your top and reveal themselves through your wet white t-shirt, especially on the ride back on the monster truck sans shocks.

Okay, I know, I am complaining, but it was pretty fun :) Next time, massage! On the way back, the driver must have sensed my angst. He stopped at a family-owned tequila farm (?) and we all sampled tequila straight from agave. Yummm. We bought a chocolatey coffee version of the sinful stuff, which was amazing. I plan to make cheesecake with that bad boy very soon.

We enjoyed a nice lunch when we got back, then lounged on the beach for a bit. I got bored and wanted to snap some pics of 'real Mexico' so Troy and I went off to the market while Blake and Amy sat poolside. It was interesting, and not exactly what I thought it would be, but we got to do some walking around and mingling with the locals, which we love (more 'local' pics soon).

We headed to dinner that night for a final hoo-rah, at a nice little place Troy had been eyeing since we got to the resort (they were only open for dinner). We walked in and immediately took tequila shots. That was a sign of the night we had in store...The waitor made us all wear sombreros, kept bringing us tequila shots, served us the strongest margarita I have had in a while, and we indulged on the best authentic Mexican food we'd had in a while. A few hours later, and a lot less people around us (hehe), we left the restaurant and headed to our little hangout spot for drinks. After a few rounds of 'would you rather' and quite a few more drinks, we called it a night.

We left that next afternoon, after a walk on the beach, more photo-taking, and one last mixed drink. It was a great trip (minus the illnesses) and we really want to go back again. Kudos to the Dreams Resort PV - beautiful, fun, and a great place to relax!

Puerto Vallarta - Dia Uno y Dos

Llegamos a Mexico a las once por la manana y el hotel era muy linda - las vistas son magnificos y los cuartos - grandes y muy limpios. Nuestra vista - perfecto!

The View from our room:

Despues de llegamos al hotel, nosotros fuimos a la playa, y despues, a la piscina para bebidos. Nos encontramos dos personas de Chicago - Mercedes y Ed, y charlamos y bebimos a la piscina.

Por la noche, fuimos a un festival de Mexico al hotel, con musica, bailes, y comida de Mexico. Habia mucho tequila tambien! Era muy divertido - una que gran manera de pasar la primera noche en Mexico.

(Okay, back to English!) On Saturday morning, we woke up and had a wonderful breakfast overlooking the beach and kicked the day off with mimosas. Afterward, we headed straight to the beach to lay under these little tiki-type huts and occasionally get some sun. We swam in the ocean, jumped on a water trampoline, and then went to a secluded pool for some shade, all the while sipping on a mango tango, Mexican flag, or Jack and Sprite (the guys).

Dinner that night was pretty awesome; we ate at a seafood restaurant called Oceana, with menus that were carved into large wooden pieces. The food was to die for, and we had such a fun time laughing and joking around. Later, we went to bar Rendezvous to have some cocktails and listen to music, and the guys smoked authentic hand-rolled cigars.

As you can see, the first few days in Puerto Vallarta were amazing, and there are many more photos to post. I decided to spare you (a little) this go-around but will follow up with another set within the next day or so. We are still recovering from the trip, well, I am still recovering...let me just say that there is truth in not drinking the water in Mexico...or the ice...or anything frozen...(boo).

Hallelujah

Can I get a hallelujah for a relaxing weekend?! It was very much needed to get things ready for sending Tess of to the kennel for the first time (tear), our trip south of the border, and a busy work week ahead.

We were really happy to have found out a little while back that a friend from high school (rare - I keep in touch with maybe a handful of people from my days at KHS) and her husband, who are also Red Raiders, moved to Katy a few months ago. We have been trying to get together for a while and finally had dinner last weekend at our beloved La Finca. Erin and Chase met up with us again on Friday for a little cookout at the house, and we were joined later that evening by Troy's fraternity brother and his wife, also named Erin; we just found out that they have lived right behind us for over a year -- and we had no idea! I am really glad to have friends (old and new) that live so close to us, and am especially grateful that my husband now has two guys that he can talk 'huntin' and 'fishin' with. I do fear that I will not see him much this fall though... Either way, it was a nice Friday night, catching up and sitting on the back porch, enjoying the beautiful weather that Texas has been blessed with these past few weeks.

We met Allison for a day at the pool on Saturday and I played it stupid - no sunscreen (except on my face, of course, which always gets a healthy dose of SPF). I swear, there is something about taking a shower after sunbathing that really brings out the tan--ehem, burn--lines. Ya, I looked like a lobster when it was all said and done. After some serious aloe-lathering, I am much better, and thanks to my partial Italian genes, this redness should (hopefully) turn to a nice brown and all should be well for Mexico. Hopefully...

We are so excited about our trip by the way :) Can ya tell?? I can't believe we live a hop skip and jump away from Mexico and have never been. But this vacay couldn't have come sooner. We are looking forward to sleeping in, yummy food and margaritas (all included, might I add!!), ziplining, snorkeling, and sitting by the beach... ahh Mexico.

Let the countdown begin!

Never a Dull Moment

I am fighting through the pain taking over my body from P90X to sit here and write this post (yes, my abdominals hurt that much, and my arms ache at any slight muscle flex), but we had such a wonderful weekend that I have to post pics! Must...fight through...the pain...


I was so glad to have a relaxing weekend at home, and by home I mean in the Houston area. We still had so much to do, including getting ready for our trip to MEXICO next week!! I can't believe it is finally here :) Maybe next week's blog posts will be in Spanish!...Troy was off of work Friday so when I got home (around noon), we went out to Katy Mills to shop for some beachy attire, and other things required for our trip. We made out like bandits before heading home -- in a torrential downpour might I add--to watch Friday Night Lights and Forest Gump, and hit the hay early. We tried to keep it simple around here last weekend - mostly for Tess :) She was spayed on Thursday morning and was quite groggy! Plus, we had to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't scratch or lick her wounds. She was such a mess when I picked her up - so loopy!

It was a quiet Saturdaythough...until Saturday night! We went to Troy's co-worker's house for a birthday BBQ, then ducked out after a few drinks to head down the road to Whitney's second annual Martinpalooza. There were yummy snacks, smoked chicken wings, and boiled crawfish -- true Loozianne style! We played beer pong and chatted it up all night. Nothing beats a good night with good friends (and good food)!

The hostess!

The grub

Troy with a money shot!

What?! I needed that drink...

Anne and Loo - True Beer Pong CHAMPS!

Sarah and Matt got engaged last month and we celebrated with their families at an engagement party on Sunday. It was truly the most unique, and one of the best engagement parties we have ever been to! The food was awesome - Indian cuisine, with a beautiful cake and good company. We are so excited for Sarah and Matt and cannot wait for the big day...whenever that may be :)

Erin, Allison, Sarah, Me

Celebrate Good Times - Come On!

Is it already Thursday?! My how the week has flown... I guess it is just an after-effect of our whirlwind weekend back 'home' in DFW. We went up originally to see my mom for Mother's Day, but we ended up cramming a lot of {fun} stuff in the weekend as well.

We drove up late on Friday and hung out with my mom a bit, then took her and my dad to an early Mother's Day breakfast at this great place just down the road from their house. It was a simple and very nice morning with my mom, I just wish I could spend more time there. It always feels like we are in and out {except for the holidays, where we stay put and don't leave the house for days!}. I couldn't sleep that morning so I went for a walk to the lake at about 7am to let Tess free for a bit and snap some photos. I have way too many to post, so I will spare you all and just post this one of some great red roses growing in my parent's flowerbed.

It wasn't long until we were off to stop #2 - My grandma's house for a secret event. Yes, secret. My sis, Mandy, got all of us girls over there for a surprise get-together to ask us all to be her bridesmaids/maid of honor/flower girl, etc. It was a really nice party and I cannot believe she pulled it off without us finding out! I haven't seen my sis since she got engaged back in February so it was good to hang out and talk 'weddings' with her. I am excited to say that she and Brian are getting married next spring -- end of April, I think -- in east Texas, at a beautiful location. Mandy will be a stunning bride and I am honored to be with her on the big day!

On to stop #3, our final destination! Saturday evening we gathered with friends old and new to celebrate Cliff and Rachel's engagement. It was a wonderful party at Rachel's parents' house, with yummy Mexican food, tasty sangria, and chocolate-covered strawberries - yum! It was great to see a lot of the people we love and don't get to see too often, and chat about all the festivities that are sure to come during the next 4 months. I was also happy to meet the rest of Rachel's bridesmaids and start planning her bachelorette party :) This is a great group of gals and we are going to rock the socks off of Austin/the Texas hill country.

Whitney, Amanda, Rach, Brit, Mary, Me (missing - Elizabeth)

Saturday was also very special for another reason - RACHEL'S BIRTHDAY! Well, technically, her bday was Sunday, but since everyone was busy with Mother's Day, we celebrated after the engagement party with a surprise cupcake-and-presents party at Rachel's house and a night out at Pete's Piano Bar!

Pete's was an absolute hoot. We had so much fun singing and dancing, and we even got Rach up on the stage. I haven't seen that girl laugh so much - ever! She was such a good sport too...better than I would have been :) The best part was {of course} the school fight song showdown. Surprisingly {and I know many of you will be shocked}, the battle was not between A&M and UT, it was TEXAS TECH and Arkansas battling it out for their song to reign supreme. We put our guns up so much my arm hurt, but it was awesome to hear our fight song played over and over and over again. Troy even threw down a few big ones {$4 I think}. The pot got up to a few hundred bucks before it was all said and done! The Aggies had a few bucks in the mix, as well as Baylor, but there was absolutely no representation from UT and that made my night {and much to Cliff's disappointment}. We really had too much fun and I cannot wait to do it all again.

I seriously wish we were back in DFW sometimes, but that day will come :) Until then, we enjoy getting together with family and friends to celebrate some really special moments. I have a feeling this is just the first of many, many weekends of chaotic bliss...


We headed home early on Sunday morning, ready to be back home. Just as we were winding through some back roads, approaching a stop sign, I noticed the most peculiar thing - a peacock, sittin' on a fence post. I guess it is not so much peculiar as it was surprising, so what did I do? I took advantage of that gorgeous blue-and-green guy by snapping some photos of him like a paparazzo. Seriously...I changed lenses...three times... :) Troy made me! I love these pics though:

This weekend is a home-base one, but we are kinda busy nonetheless - date night Friday, a BBQ Saturday, and Martinpalooza (summer party at Whitney's house) Saturday night - complete with all the yummy goodness we have come to expect from this seemingly annual event. We also have Sarah and Matt's engagement party on Sunday, which we are so looking forward to! Have a great rest of the week!!

Painting with Pinot

Last night I had a night out, just me and the girls - Allison, Sarah, and Erin to be exact. We made the decision a while back to sign up for a unique event: a painting class. But this class wasn't your typical painting class, oh no, it was special. How special? Special enough that there was wine involved, and you can't get better than that! There is a place here in Houston called Pinot's Palette (formerly called Pinot and Picasso). You sign up for a class based on the featured painting and show up with your wine and snacks in tow. You get to mingle a bit as you enjoy your treats, then you get started on recreating the featured painting. It was so much fun!

Our painting was Winter Twilight and it was a fun one to recreate. It got my painting itch going so I have already started thinking about what to paint next...

It was a perfect night with the gals and we are hoping to do it again very soon. If you live in Houston and would love to do something like this, I highly recommend it!

DISCLAIMER: Do not store your new creation in the back of your SUV, then let your dog out when you get home and go to unload said painting. Dog will assume she is going 'bye-bye' and jump into your SUV, standing proudly atop your new masterpiece. Furthermore, do not yank her out of the car in horror because that will likely cause her to dig her claws into your masterpiece and rip a nice hole in its canvas... just sayin....

Celebrating One Fine Year

Yesterday, we celebrated the one year anniversary of buying in our very first house! We went to Perry's Steakhouse for a sinful lunch (why not?) and reminisced about the past year.

I cannot believe that a year ago today we were directing a team of movers, freaking out about denting the walls, and determining that we would be doing a lot of work to make the house ours - funny, because it was brand new!). I realize that we have done a lot when I look back to how the house was when we first moved in...

A lot has happened since we bought this house and we have had so many wonderful memories here - and it has only been a year! We are still in the process of making our house a home, but we have come a long way. Next on the list - painting! And boy do I mean PAINTING! We are hiring painters to do the two-story walls in the entry and living room, and we are painting the kitchen and our bedroom, and possibly the two rooms upstairs. Whew! We are also planning on ripping out the carpet on the first floor soon and installing hardwoods. THAT is something I can get excited about! Especially since...get ready for it...we are considering getting another pup! I love my girl Tess so so much but we want her to have a playmate. We had a BBQ last night with our friends to celebrate our 'house anniversary' and two of new 'friends' came over to play with Tess. She absolutely loved having dogs at the house to completely go bonkers with. It was awesome, and she slept ALL NIGHT! :) SO... we are planning on rescuing a black or yellow lab some time this summer (can you tell we love labs?). I think when it is all said and done, we will be happy with three doggies, but for now I will be content with two!

Wouldn't another one of these cute pups be just awesome?!