Ft Lauderdale, baby!!!

I was right, I was right, I was right!

Ft Lauderdale was the destination that B had surprised me with last Friday morning! We arrived at the airport, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer, telling me just as we got out of the car and started to head into the terminal. I was blown away! And it was so cute to see how excited she was! We were both glowing…getting this chance to get away from our beautiful children for a few days. Love them to death, but momma and daddy need some time to relax and focus on each other and that’s it for a few days once in a while. We get date nights once in a great while, but I don’t think the last time we had longer than a night alone was since our cruise that we took six years ago. SO, we were due for this time away.

The flight went smooth, our luggage arrived with the plane (unlike our last trip to FL), and even though our cabbie drove like a bat out of hades, we made it to the hotel in one piece, and ready to really get the vacation started. We pulled up to the most amazing hotel I think I’ve ever been to. It was the Harbor Bay Marriott. It was amazing! We checked in, put our bags in our room, then went on a discovery mission to see what the hotel had to offer. First of all, a good sign was that we saw it had it’s own Starbucks! It had lots of gift shops, FOUR restaurants, it’s own private beach that was HUUUUGE, a very nice pool, and an amazing staff that made you feel like you were a king and queen. B wasn’t sure if it was a four or five star hotel, but I think we both agree that it didn’t matter…it was a five in our books! If I ever get back to that part of the world, I wouldn’t hesitate staying there!

Originally, B had planned on us going parasailing, or getting some jet ski’s. We even were “that” close to getting tattoos, but just couldn’t decide on what to get (we wanted to get matching ones), to help make the trip more memorable. When we didn’t do any of that, she said that she was bummed a bit, because she wanted it to be more special for me especially. I told her that the trip was PLENTY! Just getting alone with B for a few days was exactly what I had wanted. Anything more was just a bonus. We didn’t do much besides sit out and soak up the sun by the pool, or by the ocean. With how crazy our lives have been lately, that was just what the Dr ordered. We brought some books, and both knocked out a few while we were there. It was so relaxing!

Our 11 year anniversary was Saturday. It was the only full day we had at the place, so it was nice to at least have our anniversary being that way. We went to "Riva", one of the really nice (aka expensive) restaurants in the hotel for dinner. I was pumped because I wanted to have an emmaculate dinner to show my baby how much I loved her. We sit down and find out that while they do have food they can serve, that night they were putting on a buffet. I felt cheesy taking my wife out to a buffet for our anniversary meal, but once we got to the buffet, that all changed. They had NY strip steak, tons of various pastas, exotic cheeses and salads, and don’t get me started on the desserts! We both agreed it was perfectly fine to enjoy “this” buffet on our anniversary meal! HA!

While eating our meal, we saw that they were finishing setting up for a wedding outside on the hotel’s main deck. We snuck out to a gazebo a few hundred feet from it and watched most of it. It was a beautiful sight to think of the memories that couple were making, and it made me reminisce of our day 11 years ago. It may have only been in a small church in Denison, IA, but it was just as amazing. People, I am the luckiest man in the world…no question about it. I married the girl of my dreams, and I am in love with her more now than I EVER was back then. It’s hard thinking that I thought I knew what love was 13 years ago, before B came into my life, and 11 years ago when we were married. It has grown beyond love to something I can’t even put words to, because of the love I have for her. She wells up my heart with happiness!

Sunday came, and we were bummed because the vacation came to a close. The hotel let us check out, and then roll our account with them to another kind where we could still get food/drinks/etc and bill it to that, and still allowing us full use of their facilities since our plane didn’t leave until 5pm. We sat out at the pool for the last five hours we had before we had to leave…and got fried. B wasn’t happy with the tan she was getting, so she bought some tan accelerator, which then promptly fried her.

I really tried to eat “decent”, and try new things while on this trip. I ended up only gaining two pounds based off my weight last week, so I was more than okay with that. I drank many a pina colada, and my new favorite sandwich is a blackened mahi mahi. YUM! I tried some seafood that I have no clue what it was. It was rubbery and very chewy, so after the first bite was done, I didn’t go back. We hit “Bubba Gump Shrimp” and I personally thought it would be decent-at-best food, but we were both blown away with how amazing it was! I recommend the place to everyone! It’s mostly shrimp, but they have other stuff as well.

The beach scene is something I think B and I could definitely see ourselves in. I never really thought I’d like to live to Florida, what with the hurricanes coming through there all the time and everything, but after this trip, yeah, I could “manage” it. We both said though, that if we didn’t have a beach front house, it wouldn’t be something we’d do.  LOVE THAT OCEAN!!! The wind was so perfect, that you barely felt the heat. So it was comfortable to lay out all day and not feel like you’re roasting (until the sunburn anyway).

On the way to the airport (in which we were driven by the hotel in their very nice Town Car), the driver said that Steely Dan (an old rock group that I remember liking from my youth) was staying there the same time we were, and the group Aerosmith demand to stay at that hotel whenever they are remotely close to the location. I’m glad they weren’t there this weekend, because I would have never seen B! HA! We got to the airport very early. We misjudged timing of everything, but it was okay, as we could just sit and relax and wind down. B took a little nap while laying on my lap, and I finished up my last book. Then we hopped on the plane, and reality began to creep it’s way back in the closer we got to H-town. Seeing our kids (and my mom) made it easier to be back to reality though.

I honestly don’t know what could have made this trip any more perfect. Thanks B, for surprising me with such an amazing trip! I pray we can feel the waves, and smell the coconut suntan lotion for a long time to come.

And remember, I get to do the surprise trip next time!

Here are some pics... (make sure to check B's blog for more!)

Eagerly waiting to dive into the waves. Check out the shirt (IOWA GAMES 3on3 REPRESENT!)

Paradise part 1

Paradise part 2
View of the pool from where we sat the last day.

These are some things that they use for shade. Didn't know why anyone would use them until I got my sunburn. Then any shade was heaven!
The view of the hotel from the beach.

The main walkway view to the pool Alone with the love of my life. Nothing but us, the beach, and the wind.

Goofballs!