Our 10 Year Anniversary Trip

Dan and I just returned from an amazing anniversary trip!  This year marked 10 years of wonderful wedded bliss and so we wanted to go on a special trip, just the two of us.  When we started talking about taking a "real vacation" back in the spring, it didn't feel real and I kind of even chuckled at the thought.  I mean, we are two very pratical people who rarely go anywhere let alone a place that would require a passport.  Plus, we have 3 young kids!  But, the more we talked about it, we saw this as a great oppurtunity to do something we have never done before.  So, with the grandparents on board for watching the kiddos, we started looking at destinations.  We looked at everything from Hawaii to San Fransisco to a cabin in Maine, but when it came down to it, we decided that what we really wanted was a vacation that required very little planning on our part...no finding hotel rooms, places to eat, what to do everyday, etc.  We just wanted relaxation!  So, a few people suggested the all inclusive resorts of the Carribean.  After LOTS of research, we settled on Excellence Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and it ended up being the PERFECT spot for us!!

We set off on our adventure early on Monday, July 28th from the Birmingham airport. 

And a few hours later, we landed in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  The airport was really cool with a thatch grass roof and even had a steel drum band playing in the lobby.  We immediately felt like we were in paradise.   

Arriving at our resort by way of our friendly, happy taxi driver, we walked up to champagne and a cool towel waiting on us.  Then, we walked to our room where the little extra touches made it feel very special.

 

The resort was really so nice and well maintained.  Dan and I noticed how there were constantly people working to improve upon the facilities or working in the gorgeous gardens. 

 And we just thought the resort was beautiful...then we walked out to the beach.   Breathtaking!!  It was the clearest, icy blue water I've ever seen.

We spent most of the first afternoon, walking the grounds and taking it all in. 

 There were pools everywhere!  This is the main pool that had the swim up bar and was the biggest pool area.

And then this was our favorite pool that we affectionately started referring to as "our pool" by the end of the week. :)  It was less crowded and had a more relaxed atmosphere....plus look at that awesome cascade waterfall! 

 The next morning, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and discovered the delicious coffee of the Domincan. It was the best part of breakfast every morning and we are kicking ourselves that we didn't buy some to bring home.

The next day we spent the morning soaking up some rays at the beach.  We also got recruited to play in a couple's game of water balloon toss and you know us...we were all over that!  (If you are laughing about how much this sounds like one of those romantic comedies like "Couples Retreat" then you are exactly right!  There were several times throughout the trip that we kind of felt like we were on one of those movies but it really was so fun!) 

This was a special drink they make called the Coco Loco made with real fresh coconut milk.  Yum!

The resort also had a mini golf course, tennis courts, and even an outdoor darts area, all of which we didn't try out, but cool that they had it nonetheless. 

And probably the best part of the trip was getting to take our time getting ready and going out to dinner just the two of us.  It sounds so simple, but when you are constantly having think about what to cook, planning around sports schedules, and getting kids to eat, THIS is vacation!!  And, oh, how I love this man!!  

There were 9 resturants at the resort and we tried a different one every night.  All the food was really good and it was cool that you just walked up to which ever one you chose each night at whatever time you chose.

There were also lots of bars around the resort.  This was one of our favorites.  It was called Martini and there was usually sax and keyboard combo playing in the evenings.  

And every night at 9:30 there was a show ranging from circus to pop music shows that were really fun and entertaining.  And the fun kept going even after that at the disco dance hall.  We only ventured in there a couple of times, but that's not really our scene...at least not anymore. ;)

The next day we had an AWESOME couple's spa treatment.  (Yes!  I actually was able to convince Dan to have a massage with me...and he thought it was great!!)

Then it was back to the pool! 

On Thursday, we hung out at the main pool and discovered all the fun activities that were going on.  I jumped in on a water aerobics class (hehe) and Dan joined in on a Texas Hold Em game going on poolside.  The whole place had such a fun atmosphere and the staff of the resort was such a friendly group of people.  Everyone from the maids to the activities director greeted you with a smile and a hello.  We also laughed because they would always ask you how you were doing and upon asking the same question of them, everyone responded "Excellente!"  It became mine and, especially, Dan's mission to evoke that response from everyone we came into contact with. 

And here are some more views of the resort.  It was just amazingly beautiful! 

And then on Thursday afternoon, we went on a horsebacking adventure on the beach.  This would become "not the highlight" of the trip for me, but I guess I'm glad we did it.  It wasn't that it was just terrible, I think I'm just a total chicken and lack that strong sense of adventure.  My horse did not seem happy and was a bit of a renegade who would just speed up on his own accord.  Maybe he could sense my insecurity, but whatever it was, I was looking forward to standing on my own two feet...on the beach...back at the resort.  ;) 

The silver lining of the horseback ride was getting to witness views like this:

 

And then it was back to "our pool."   

Thursday night we also had a "special" anniversary dinner at the French resturant.  It basically consisted of a special menu with our names on it to keep as a souvenier and tableside champagne at dinner.  It was really nice! 

And with all the mai tais, pina coladas, and drinks you could ask for this was probably my favorite drink...a REAL coke in a glass bottle.  (Haha!  I know!  I'm such a wild woman!) 

Saturday came rather quickly and it was time to pack our bags and head home.  It was bittersweet to leave.  We had one fanstatic trip and thoroughly enjoyed our getaway but distance makes the heart grow fonder and nothing is more true of that than missing our kids.  We were very happy to see their beautiful sleeping faces when we arrived back to Hartselle! 

I am so very thankful for every moment of these past 10 years with Dan, not just those captured in this post.  He is truly my best friend and makes me whole!  We have been blessed beyond measure with great jobs, 3 healthy beautiful children, and a love that only grows stronger every day.  I thank God EVERY day for finding me the perfect soulmate!  I look forward to many, many more years and all the adventures in store for our family.