We’ve recently returned home from a fun-filled week hanging out with in Mexico with our friends, the Beards. I originally met them 7 years ago at The Grand Palladium when they were a family of four. They are from England, I’m American. In those 7 years their kids have gotten older, their family is now a party of 5, and I’ve gotten married. We had a fun reunion! I introduced them to hubby, they introduced me to their newest family member Alfie Bear, and it was wonderful to see how their two older kids, Jasmine and Harvey, have grown up and matured.
We got to catch up on some of the stories that we’ve each accumulated in the interim years. Hubby and Beard Dad, Matt, hit it off as I had predicted. They are like 2 peas in a pod with different accents. Mum Beard, Emma, told me the story of how she found out she was expecting Alfie Bear. Jasmine talked a lot about boys, like any teenage girl does. And Harvey shot me in an incredible game of pool. He’s pretty good, too!
We got to eat, drink, and be merry together. We went snorkeling and hung at the pool together. We fed fish and went to see baby sea turtles hatching on the beach.
We had cocktails in the lobby and watched some of the dance shows. We got to discuss the differences between our countries and make fun of each other’s accents.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention we also got to spend a little time with Emma’s parents, brother, and his girlfriend who were on the trip with them. Although, by the end of our time there, we were lucky enough to join in celebrating with them after Emma’s brother John proposed to girlfriend Robyn. We wish them all the best!
But as all good things come to an end, our 1-week vacay ended a week before their 2-week holiday and it was time to again bid adieu.
We said our goodbyes and promised to meet again here, there, or on another vacay. We’ve returned home and re-entered the grind of daily life.
Here’s my dilemma. We’re putting together a care package to send across the pond. We have some personal requests for specific items like a Hooters T-Shirt 
A Morning Engagement–Best Sunrise Ever!
We were in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in February a few years ago. Hubby wasn’t yet my hubby and we decided this trip would be great for him to get his scuba certification. I was already certified, so I decided to work on my advanced certification. Needless to say, this vacay turned in to more of a “working” dive trip. We didn’t have much free time, but I think we made the most out of the time we DID have.
We were at an Iberostar resort, which is one of my favorites. Our villa rooms were close to the pool and dive shop and were nicely decorated. We had turtles living in the courtyard.
I loved the colors of the buildings because they complemented the colors of the sunrise here. Over the years, hubby and I, upon arrival, determine if we are in a locale that will have a better sunrise or sunset and then we make sure to watch some. Due to the way Punta Cana is situated in the DR, we determined sunrises here should be incredible.
The food was also something to write home about. We loved that there was an ice cream “parlor” right next to the pool, and one afternoon, lunch was served poolside–a paella with prawns the size of small lobsters.
Besides diving, we got in a substantial amount of pool and beach time. And there were always chairs available at both. The ocean was a little rough, so we probably camped more at the pool.
We did get the chance to take one excursion–an all-day trip to Saona Island–which is a protected nature reserve. We took a long bus ride over to Hacienda Dominicus and got to use their amenities while waiting for our boat. We then went out for diving (the rest of our group went snorkeling) just off Saona Island. After our dive, we had an incredible beach BBQ and had time to relax and enjoy their beach. There were a few vendors selling their wares, and on our way back we got to stop at a natural pool where we got to see starfish. (Don’t worry, the one in the picture was not alive. The boat hands had planted many of them, so no one would disturb the live ones.)
My favorite part about being on the trip to Saona Island is that I got to meet my friend Melissa. She is one of the encouraging people I had met along the blogging path and you may want to check out her blog The Mellyboo Project. We had a great time on our bus trip back to our Iberostar and she is quite the inspiration!
Our last morning in Punta Cana was Valentine’s Day. We again got up before dawn so we could watch sunrise on the beach. It didn’t even cross my mind that this would be the BEST sunrise ever. We found a nice spot on the beach and had fun posing with the rising sun in the palms of our hands. Just after daybreak, Sonny got down on one knee in the sand and asked if I would marry him. Of course I said yes! We still keep up our tradition of catching sunrises and sunsets wherever we go, but none will be quite as special as this one was.
A Morning Engagement–Best Sunrise Ever!
We were in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in February a few years ago. Hubby wasn’t yet my hubby and we decided this trip would be great for him to get his scuba certification. I was already certified, so I decided to work on my advanced certification. Needless to say, this vacay turned in to more of a “working” dive trip. We didn’t have much free time, but I think we made the most out of the time we DID have.
We were at an Iberostar resort, which is one of my favorites. Our villa rooms were close to the pool and dive shop and were nicely decorated. We had turtles living in the courtyard.
I loved the colors of the buildings because they complemented the colors of the sunrise here. Over the years, hubby and I, upon arrival, determine if we are in a locale that will have a better sunrise or sunset and then we make sure to watch some. Due to the way Punta Cana is situated in the DR, we determined sunrises here should be incredible.
The food was also something to write home about. We loved that there was an ice cream “parlor” right next to the pool, and one afternoon, lunch was served poolside–a paella with prawns the size of small lobsters.Besides diving, we got in a substantial amount of pool and beach time. And there were always chairs available at both. The ocean was a little rough, so we probably camped more at the pool.
We did get the chance to take one excursion–an all-day trip to Saona Island–which is a protected nature reserve. We took a long bus ride over to Hacienda Dominicus and got to use their amenities while waiting for our boat. We then went out for diving (the rest of our group went snorkeling) just off Saona Island. After our dive, we had an incredible beach BBQ and had time to relax and enjoy their beach. There were a few vendors selling their wares, and on our way back we got to stop at a natural pool where we got to see starfish. (Don’t worry, the one in the picture was not alive. The boat hands had planted many of them, so no one would disturb the live ones.)My favorite part about being on the trip to Saona Island is that I got to meet my friend Melissa. She is one of the encouraging people I had met along the blogging path and you may want to check out her blog The Mellyboo Project. We had a great time on our bus trip back to our Iberostar and she is quite the inspiration!
Our last morning in Punta Cana was Valentine’s Day. We again got up before dawn so we could watch sunrise on the beach. It didn’t even cross my mind that this would be the BEST sunrise ever. We found a nice spot on the beach and had fun posing with the rising sun in the palms of our hands. Just after daybreak, Sonny got down on one knee in the sand and asked if I would marry him. Of course I said yes! We still keep up our tradition of catching sunrises and sunsets wherever we go, but none will be quite as special as this one was.