Bon Voyage

Celebrating with my hubby after finishing 13.1

Pre-race photo-op in the hotel room with Angie...Half Marathon #3-Here we come!

This picture really doesn't do the sunsets from the cruise any justice...they were breathtaking!

Josh receives his Golden "Ship on a Stick" Trophy from Rachel, the Cruise Events Director

Ready to board our boat again after a full day in Cozumel

Spending the day on the beaches of Cozumel

Megan and I get ready to tackle the climbing walls at the Adventure Park in Cozumel

Who would have thought we could clean up so nice?

My proud hubby after his 3rd place finish in the Hairy Chest Contest

Braving the winds and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida up on the top deck of the ship

On Thursday, Josh and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. In addition to celebrating 5 incredible years of marriage, we are both celebrating our 30th birthday this year. Seeing as how both of these are pretty big milestones to-date in both of our lives, we decided this called for a special celebration. To celebrate, Josh and I embarked on a 5-day Carnival Cruise out of Galveston with one of my dearest friends (and roommate from college) Megan, and her husband, Darin. Although we love our little Abigail more than anything in the world, this was one trip she wasn't going to make. Vacation means sleeping in, relaxing, catching up on a good book, etc...and let's be honest, it's hard to really accomplish any of those with an 11-month old in tote. So with Abigail in goods hands at "Camp Grammy and Grandpa" we set sail and left our worries behind to enjoy a week relaxing together with great food, good fun, and incredible company.

I won't bore you with all of the details of our adventures at sea, but I will tell you that Josh managed to bring home 2 medals and a golden "Ship on a Stick" trophy. Although I wish I could brag and say that our prize earnings were racked up from our time spent in the casino and gambling on several different rounds of BINGO, I guess I should brag and find pride in the fact that my husband came in 3rd in the Hairy Chest Contest and 2nd in the Jeopardy-like game show. I probably should throw a little disclaimer in here that Josh was awarded 3rd in the Hairy Chest Contest not because of the amount of hair he has but because he and Darin decided to win style points by shaving a "Smiley Face" into the chest hair that he does have. As if two medals and a "Ship on a Stick" trophy weren't enough, we had the privilege of watching re-runs of Josh's performance in the Hairy Chest Contest over and over and OVER throughout the week thanks to the camera crews that were taping and broadcasting highlights of the week on the different tv screens throughout the boat. Needless to say Josh quickly earned the unspoken title of Carnival Cruise Lines Mr. Congeniality. I wish I could say I was able to fly under the radar and avoid the spotlight altogether, but it wasn't too long before we were all quickly associated and recognized as being part of Josh's group. We were frequently stopped and asked about Josh as to whether or not he was always this funny and silly. I've said it before and I'll say it again...marriage doesn't change a man. What you see is what you get with my husband and as crazy and off the wall as he can be sometimes, I love him even more today than I did when I married him 5 years ago.

By the time it was all said and done, we came back completely refreshed and relaxed. As if a week on a cruise wasn't exciting enough, I ran the San Antonio Half Marathon the day after we got back. Despite the fact my body had grown accustomed to endless buffets and a daily afternoon snack of pizza, I managed to finish the half in 1:55...not too shabby considering a year ago to the date of the half marathon I was cooped up in a hospital bed awaiting the arrival of Miss Abigail Rose.

What an incredible trip! Thanks again to Camp Grammy and Grandpa for watching Abigail so that we could get away and spend some much needed time together. We will update the blog soon with an official report card from Camp Grammy and Grandpa.

Until then, thank you to all of our friends and family who have blessed us beyond belief with love, support, encouragment, and most imporantly prayer, over the last 5 years of marriage. Our journey wouldn't be the same without you. We are looking forward to discovering what the Lord has in store for us as we enter into our 6th year of marriage. We are even more excited about having you all by our side as we continue this incredible adventure. Hang on...there's no doubt it will be a wild ride!