OUTFIT: Our 5 year anniversary celebration

I took a little bit of time off from blogging last week but I am back this week with a full week's worth of posts, so expect to see me around a lot!

Last Friday was my husband and I's 5 year wedding anniversary!  I can't believe how fast time flies.  It does not seem that long ago.  My husband requested the day off from work and we had a babysitter so we could spend the whole day together.  Our original plan was to go to Kennywood (our local amusement park) then we had dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant at 6pm.  The weather had other plans and it decided to rain half the day, so we decided to see a movie, go to Dave & Buster's, then dinner.  We had so much fun!

Saturday I got to have an art day with one of my friends while my husband watched Paige.  And then Sunday we ended up going to Kennywood!  It was such a great, full weekend.

I bought this dress from ThredUp for sooo cheap!  It was under $10!  Just in case you never heard of thredUP before, it is basically an online thrift shop with brand name clothing.  You can buy and sell gently used clothing.  Everything I received from them was in great condition.  If you decide to check it out, here is my referral link.  Thanks in advance if you do!

Psst....I don't want to say this too loud but.... I'VE BEEN HEADACHE MIGRAINE-FREE FOR A WHOLE WEEK! Yesss!

If you missed my "Wedding Week" posts last year, here are the links:

Our Engagement

Wedding Details

Our Wedding

Our Honeymoon

What did you do this weekend?

linked up with: On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me, Rhea EtCetera, Pink Sole and Cha Cha the Fashion Genius

The Guy Behind the Blog #2

Hi everybody!  I took a little bit of a blogging break yesterday and the day before because I had a pretty killer migraine.  But hopefully I have it under control again and can catch up on some of the posts that I am behind on.  ANYWAY, enough of that!  Today I am bringing my husband back again to take over my blog for Betsy's "The Guy Behind the Blog" link up.  Every month she comes up with new questions for us to ask our guys, so you can get to know them a little bit better too.  I like this link up because I think it's interesting to learn more about my favorite blogger's lives.  I'm nosey like that.. lol!  This is only my second time linking up.  If you want, you can read the first one here.

1. Do you have a good luck charm or ritual? (like a lucky coin, or you always used to listen to a certain pump-up song when you played sports in high school or college?)
Chris: Julie bought me a ring when we first started dating, kind of like a promise ring. It's a silver band with lightning bolts engraved into it, because she knows I love watching thunderstorms. I really feel strange if I'm not wearing it and I think its definitely my good luck charm.

Me: Awww!!  That ring is almost seven years old and he still wears it every single day!

2. What is your favorite dish that your wife/fiance/girlfriend makes for you? do you have any fun memories of a time when she tried to cook and it totally flopped or does she get it right every time?

Chris: More often than not, it's me that "flops" making dinner.  It's simple, but I love it when she makes spaghetti or ziti.
Me: He's just being nice.  I've "flopped" plenty of times!  And he's a great cook.  He makes coconut shrimp drizzled in honey that are to die for!

3. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Chris: Spider-Man.  Duh!  Or Batman... ok, let's make them fight and whoever wins that's who I'll be!
Me: hahaha!!  I knew this answer was coming.  He's such a HUGE Spiderman fan.

4. Which of the five senses is your strongest?

Chris: Spider-sense.  Duh!  Er.. back to reality.  I'd say my sense of sight is pretty good.  "I can see for miles and miles!"  (That was a Who reference that nobody will understand but me.)
Me: He does have really great eyesight.  I'm pretty jealous about it actually.  I am hoping that my daughter's eyesight will take after his though

5. Would you ever run for president?
Chris: Bahahaha.. bah. Bahahahahahaha.  Wait... seriously!?  No.  I'm not that great of an actor.  I'd just tell people how it is and likely start a war because I'd just tell the truth!
Me: Yeah, I can honestly say that I would never want that job either.  No, thank you!

The Guy Behind the Blog

This is the very first time I am linking up at Heavens to Betsy for her "The Guy Behind the Blog" link up and I'm really excited about it!  I've always enjoyed reading these posts every month but always forgot to do my own.  But I scheduled this one ahead so I would remember. I'm OCD like that.  Anyway, meet my husband Chris.  We have been married for 5 years this July, and together for going on 7 years (and I've known him since I was 13!).  Man, time flies!  I think he's pretty amazing, so I hope you will too.

1. If you could write a book, what topic would you write about and why?
Chris:  I already have a large portion of data written for a fantasy book series with influences from Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Final Fantasy and Harry Potter.  Why?  Because I think I could combine those elements in a way that would appeal to many readers and inspire others.

2. What is one thing on your bucket list, or one thing that you'd like to do or accomplish in your lifetime?
Chris:  My bucket list is to travel the world and see all the sights I possibly can.  More simply, sky diving.
(Me: Oooo, I would love to go skydiving!  Let's do it!!  And travel the world?? Umm, yes please?!)

3. If you could look out your window and only see one view for the rest of your life, what would you want to see?
Chris:  My wife and daughter playing in the sunny back yard laughing and smiling.  Really.  That's all I want.
(Me: <3 <3 <3  Can you see why I love this man?!)

4. Imagine you're opening a shop.  what are you selling?
Chris:  Either a music store (because I'm a musician) or a gaming shop for dorks.  (Because I'm a huge dork!)  Or... maybe a store that has BOTH!  Boom!!  Best of both worlds.
(Me: He won't brag about himself but I will do it for him!  He is an amazing musician who taught himself how to play drums, guitar, bass, and piano!)

5. If you could have 50lbs of anything other than money, what would it be?
Chris:  Comic books.  That was easy!
(Me: hahaha!  I'm almost positive he already has more than that now!)

6. Time to brag on your girl...tell us one thing that makes you proud of your wife!
Chris:  Other than putting up with all my interests (band shows, dork games), I'm proud of her blog!  I am always amazed with how successful she has become and how many people care about her and what she writes here.

 (Me: Aww!  I told you!  Isn't he the greatest ever!? lol)

Happy Birthday Paige!

Today is my daughter's 2nd birthday!  I can't believe how fast time has gone!  People always said that it feels like when you blink they grow up and I never believed them, but now my baby is a toddler!  I don't know how long it will take me to get used to that.  She'll always be my little baby.

Dear Paige,

I wanted to write this letter to thank you.  You have shown me how to view the world through your eyes and see the beauty and wonder that I lost in my adult  years.  You have also shown me how to love more deeply than I ever thought possible.  I thought when I feel in love with your daddy that I already knew the greatest love in the world...and then you came and showed me an all new kind of love.  Every time you smile, I can feel it all the way to my soul.  And when you laugh it could shake all of the doubt and sadness out of my body.  

I also want to tell you how proud of you I am.  Every second of every day.  Whether you make a mistake or surprise me with a new skill or word that you learned.  It doesn't matter what you do, I will always be your biggest fan.  You've got this insatiable craving to know every little thing about everything, and I love it.  You just have to figure it out, and you won't rest until you do.

And last but not least thank you for helping me believe in myself.  You look at me with stars in your eyes and know that I will fix anything I can for you.  When you have a nightmare and call for me, I get to be your superhero and chase away the scary thoughts.  And when you get a booboo, you make me feel like with just a hug and kiss I can make all the hurt go away.  You make me feel like I can do anything!

Happy Birthday boopy doo!

I love you baby

<3 Mommy

You can read the very first letter I wrote to my daughter here.  

I am going to be taking the day off to spend every single second kissing and hugging my daughter like crazy....but I will be back tomorrow to catch up on all of your posts.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!

What I wore on Valentine's Day

I was so happy that my husband and I got a little bit of free time for ourselves to go out and celebrate Valentine's Day.  We ended up going out on Friday instead of Saturday, which was probably better because we beat the crowds.

He took me out to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then took me shopping at Express afterwards!  What girl doesn't want a mini shopping spree for Valentine's Day?!  He also bought me roses, chocolate and got me a beautiful necklace and earrings from Kay Jewelers. So basically I'm spoiled!  He must really like me or somethin!

I also curled my hair for once!  Well, I tried!  My hair doesn't really do much other than lay there, so no matter how much hairspray I put in it, it never holds the curl.

 

I bought this beautiful dress from a thrift shop for only $4!  Can you believe it?!  It was brand new and is from White House Black Market.  I actually also thrifted this red peacoat at the end of last winter.  I don't wear it too often because it isn't very thick.

Oh, and of course I had to include a picture of me looking like I'm freezing my butt off (because I REALLY was!)...haha!

Here are the beautiful roses and jewelry my hubby bought me, and on the right is Paige's Valentine to her daddy <3  It's now hanging on our living room wall.  I can't believe she's going to be two on Thursday!  Time needs to slow down!

What did you do for Valentine's Day?

linked up with: On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me, Pink Sole and Cha Cha the Fashion Genius, A Touch of Tartan, Rhea EtCetera

Merry Christmas!!!

I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday!  I'm taking a little blog break for the day and spending time with my family.  I will catch up on all of your posts first thing in the morning.  I hope all of your Christmas wishes came true this year and you have a great day with family and friends.  Wish me luck I'm cooking my first Christmas dinner!  Eeek!

DIY: Open When... letters

I've been seeing these "Open When..." cards all over Pinterest and I think they are the cutest and sweetest idea ever!  My husband is the romantic type so I knew he would love this.  

For the people who have never heard of this; you basically create a bunch of different letters for the recipient to open at different times.  You can also fill the envelopes with momentos, memes, candy, anything!  I also made my own envelops just to make them more fun looking then plain old white ones.  

As I was starting this project I realized that my printer was out of ink so I was going to have to create everything by hand.  I was going to fill them with a billion memes and cute animal pictures, so this was a HUGE bummer!  But I guess in the end it made it more personal anyway.

I thought I would share what I filled some of my envelopes with to give you an idea on how to start your own.  Above each picture I will tell you the "topic" of the envelope, and below I will share what I put in mine and give you a few more ideas!

 Open when....

You want to know how much I love you

 Inside: A list of 100 reason why I love you, folded handprint craft: on the front it says "I love you" and inside "This much", Coupon (for whatever you want), love quotes, picture from our wedding day, a personal love letter

You Can't Sleep

 Inside: Hot tea bag, goodnight kisses, a relaxing photo of us at our favorite place, the beach, with a little note of the back

You are super bored

 Inside: here is where it started to get really tricky...I found all of these printouts online BUT my printer wasn't working...so I made them by hand.  Excuse the sloppiness!  Mazes, puzzles, Crossword puzzle, Word search, Random facts

You want to feel like a Superhero

 My husband is a HUGE comic fan so this was a must!! lol!  Inside: I drew a picture of Spiderman and put his head on it, Spiderman mask, Superhero stickers, and a photo of memory of when he was my hero

You are feeling stressed

Inside: Bubble wrap with a note that says "Pop 3+ bubbles as needed", inspirational quotes, stress management tips, mini bottles of alcohol, Coupon for a free backrub, Hersey kisses

Here are a 15 more topic ideas:  Open when...

You need a confidence boost

You are mad at me

You are sick

You miss me

You feel sad

Things get tough

You are worried about the future

You want to know more about me

You're angry at the world

There is a zombie apocalypse

You're feeling naughty

 You need to feel appreciated

You're confused

You need a confidence booster

On special date/holiday/occasion

Have you ever made something like this?  If not, do you think you will give it a try?

linking up with: Modern Pilgrim, Sweet Bella Roos, Artsy Fartsy Mama, Just Us Four, Create With Joy, 

20 ways to make him feel special

1. Write him a love note and hide it somewhere he will find it (wallet, computer, briefcase, etc.)
2. Surprise him with a gift. It doesn't have to be something expensive, it could be something that you made for him yourself, or just his favorite drink/snack!
3. Compliment him. - Do you think he has killer eyes? Or do his strong arms make you melt??  Tell him!  You aren't the only one that loves compliments
4. Give him guilt-free time with his friends or to work on his hobbies
5. Lighten his load.  Is there anything you can do to help him out?  Clean out the garage, organize his desk, wash his car, etc.
6. Dress up for him for no reason.  After being with someone for a long time one of the major perks is that you don't always have to look your best, but sometimes we take it a bit too far maybe?  Get all dolled up for him like you would for your first date!
7. Encourage him and support his dreams
8. Make his favorite food.  My grandma believes that the quickest way to a man's heart is his stomach.... and she was married for over 50 years to the same man.  She might know what she's talking about!
9. Praise him in front of his family and friends.  Who doesn't like being bragged about?
10. Kiss him as soon as he comes in the door and every morning before he leaves
11. Play songs that are special to you as a couple from when you were dating
12. Plan a fun day for just the two of you.  Nothing makes a man more crazy then the indecision of figuring out something to do, especially when our response is usually " I don't care".  Instead of making him figure it out plan something you know he will love.  Is your guy an outdoorsy man?  Rent some bikes or go for a hike.  Is he a sports man??  Take him to see a sports game.
13. Give him a massage after a hard day
14. Sit on his lap.  Sometimes guy's like a good snuggle too!
15. Hold his hand.  This one may seem silly, but when you reach over and take his hand it is a great way to connect even if you aren't talking
16. Give him ALL of your attention.  Put down your computer/phone while he's talking to you and actually look him in the eyes.  Listen to what he has to say without interrupting.  
17. Choose the sexy pajamas over the comfy flannels jammys sometimes.
18. Flirt with him in public.  It shows him that you are just as crazy about him as you always have been
19. Bring him breakfast in bed.  Come on, you know he's done it for you.  Return the favor!
20. Have supper going so the house smells great when he walks in.

What are some ways that you make your man/woman feel special??

OUTFIT: Date day with my hubby

It's getting chilly here in PA, so I have officially broken out my favorite leather jacket.  I probably wear it 3 or 4 times a week.  I love it!  If you've been around my blog for a while then you already know that I have a little bit of an obsession with tribal print.  I swear almost half of my closet is tribal, if not more!

These photos are actually from a couple weekends ago, my hubby and I actually had the chance to have a date day.  We had my mom watch her for a couple hours just to have some "us" time.  We definitely needed it!  Our plans were to go out to eat and see a movie, but we ended up missing the show time that we wanted so I got to do some shopping instead (thus the Express bag in my hand in the first picture).

We also decided to stop and have a drink at Rock Bottom, a microbrewery located right in the shopping plaza. (How convenient is that?!)  I love playing with my daughter and she is the cutest baby ever, BUT it was sooo nice to be able to have an actual conversation with my husband.  We had a lot of fun just sitting there being goofballs and flirting with each other like it was our first date.

What do you do for your date days/nights? Is the Fall weather kicking in where you are too?

linked up at: Rhea Et Cetera, Pink Sole and Cha Cha The Fashion Genius, More Pieces of Me, On the Daily Express , I Would So Rock This, Still Being Molly, Claire Justine,, The Fashion Canvas, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Style Elixir

Blog-tember Challenge - DAY 13

Okay, so I am way late to this party, but Bailey Jean over at Brave Love is hosting a daily link up for the month of September.  She gives you a different topic to write about every day for the whole month.  Today is already day 13 and the prompt is: Your current relationship status. If dating/married, give us a glimpse of your story! If single, share about this special season.

I am married to my best friend in the whole world.  I've known him since I was 13 years old!  He was always my best guy friend.  If either of us needed advice on the opposite sex we would ask each other.  We always had each other's backs.  I secretly had a crush on him since the first day that I met him....and he never knew!  Apparently, he always like me back.  But neither one of us ever said anything because when I was dating someone, he was single...and vice versa.  

Fast forward about NINE years....Until one day when we messaged each other on Facebook trying to catch up on each other's lives.... I was single and when he told me he was single too it was like all of those goofy high school crush feelings came rushing back, but I still didn't say anything.  Since he had just gotten out of a long term relationship (2 months before)  I told him he should come out with my friends to the karaoke bar.  After a few minutes of begging he decided to come.  I thought he might, because he was in a band and is a great singer.

When he showed up I was really giddy and we had so much fun.  He got along with all of my friends so well.  They loved him, and kept asking me (right in front of him) why we had never dated. hahaha!!  My friends are good for putting me on the spot.

photo from that night

He was only able to stay for an hour or two but when he left, he asked if I wanted to come over and watch a movie at his house the next day.  Of course I said yes!  And then stayed up all night wondering if we were watching movies as friends or if he liked me to. LOL

When I got to his house we were flirting THE WHOLE TIME but I was still worried he just thought of me as a friend.  Once the movie was over and it was really late he asked if I wanted to spend the night, and I actually gave him kind of a "EXCUSE ME?!?!" kind of look but he laughed and said no, not like that.  I said I don't know and we decided to flip a coin....if it was heads I would stay, tails I would go home.   We cuddled all night <3  

He proposed after a year of us dating and we were married almost a year after that...And the rest is history!  We've been together for 6 years, married for four.  And still completely crazy about each other.

I have actually shared the proposal story and also shared some photos of our wedding day if you wanted to know more about us crazy kids.

10 Signs that he may not be "the one"

We have all had our share of nightmare dates and "why did I even like that guy" moments.  They usually aren't funny at all at the time, but looking back...sometimes you  have to laugh and say "what was I thinking?!".  I think you are finally able to laugh about it once you meet the right guy.

So if you are trying to figure out if the guy you are dating is the one for you or not, read some of my helpful clues (from my own personal experiences) and if any of them fit, RUN, run as fast as your legs will take you!!

1.  He only calls at 2am and just wants to come over to "cuddle". Riiiight...
2.  Not only did he forget your birthday but his intentions on showing up to your birthday party was actually to dump you....for your friend
3.  He tells a mutual friend that he wouldn't mind hooking up with your sister because she is so hot.
4.  He slept with your friend -  duh!
5.  He wants to keep the relationship a secret for a while.  Let me tell you a secret..what he actually means is let's not tell people at all because I want to keep my options open
6.  He tells you that you need to "start dressing nicer and looking prettier"
7.  For your big date he takes you to McDonald's and later has you smuggle a drink and candy in your purse to the DOLLAR theater.  True story
8.  He informs you that the only reason any of your guy friends talk to you is because they want to "bang" you.
9.  He brings you to one of his friend's parties and then disappears after an hour.  You later find him passed out drunk on the couch and have no way home.
10.  He disappears during school break and wants to pick up right where you left off when school starts back up.

Yeah, I dated some winners didn't I ladies?!?! haha!

But in the end, all of these nightmare experiences make me cherish my relationship with my husband even more now.  All of the jerks that I dated did teach me what not to put up with and how exactly I do want to be treated so I guess in that sense I don't regret them.  They were learning experiences!

What are some of your worst date stories??

Our 6 year anniversary

This may be a little confusing since I just did a post last month about our wedding anniversary, but my husband and I celebrate 2 anniversaries.  One when we got married, and the second is when we officially started dating as a couple.  We are super dorks like that.  I thought I would post a little collage of us year by year to celebrate...

And he's still my best friend in the whole world <3

A letter to my daughter

Dear Paige,

Just because you are a girl doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to get dirty.  Jump in mud puddles.  Make mud pies.  Get that finger paint all over yourself.....but try to avoid mommy's carpet if you can.

Don't grow up too fast.  I know you won't be my little girl forever, but sometimes you just need to be a kid.

Work as hard as you can.  Your dad and I will do our best to give you everything that you NEED, but unfortunately we won't be able to give you every single thing you want.  Even if we hit the lottery, you need to learn to work hard to bring in your own money...because we won't always be around.

Learn from your mistakes.  You are going to make a few along the way but don't keep making the same ones and expect different results.  And whether you succeed or fail, you are loved.

Laugh like crazy every chance you get.  Life can be cruel sometimes so enjoy even the smallest moments.

Don't be a bully.  You will learn as you get older that some people are mean just to be mean.  Don't let it change the good person that I know you will be.  That being said, don't take anyone's crap either!  Protect yourself, always!  Don't throw the first punch, but make sure you defend yourself.

It's okay to cry sometimes, it does not make you weak or any less of a person.

Know that I am always going to be your best friend...but first and foremost I am your mother.  Sometimes I'm going to make you mad.  Just try to understand that I always have your best interests in mind.

Don't be afraid to be different.  Just be you.  I know there will be a lot of pressure to act and look a certain way but never lose sight of who you are. You are beautiful.

Never stop learning.  Right now you are like a sponge trying to soak in all the information you can and I love it but as you get older you are going to think that you know it all.  You don't.  You will learn something new every single day.

Be kind to animals.  Pets know nothing in this world but how to love you unconditionally.  Love them back.  You will never have a better friend in the world than your pet.

Choose your friends wisely. A good friend will treat you like family.  They will have your back, encourage you, support you, and love you.

There will be some people who have more than you but material things do not equal happiness.

Learn to say no.  Don't do things that make you uncomfortable

And ALWAYS know how much I love you <3

Love,
Mama xoxoxox

Let me tell you 'bout my beeest frieeend...

As I was looking through some of my posts from the last couple months I realized that I haven't introduced you to one of the most important men in my life...

His name is "Momma's Boy" aka "Handsome".  I'm sure you can see why...

Right before I graduated high school, I started working at a pet shop.  I still consider it one of my favorite jobs ever!  I barely made minimum wage but I got to hang out with all kinds of furry and not so furry friends.

One day when we were about to close for the day, a woman came in with a litter of kittens that she wanted to get rid of (happened all the time), so what we always did was take them in, get them cleaned up, and schedule for a vet to check them out the next day.  One by one the vet checked them out and "okayed" them for sale, but when she got to the last 2 she found a level 3 heart murmur in the them both.  That made them "unsellable".  There was a teeny tiny orange and white guy (baby Momma's boy) and a little black and white boy.  My best friend took home the tuxedo kitty and named him Ozzy.

As the vet continued to give a check up to the little orange boy she noticed a bad upper respiratory infection, ear mites, and a gooey infection in his eyes.  She said he probably wouldn't last the week.  So, I decided he was coming home with me and getting all of the love that he could for that week, instead of living in some cage.

A week went by, then a month, and the vet was amazed to see that he pulled through.  She said with his weak heart she never would have expected it, and also that he may not live as long of a life as a normal cat but he was doing so much better.  Well, he is now 8 years old and still has me wrapped around his little paw.

His name was originally Gizmo but he followed me around constantly, so I kept saying "you're such a little Momma's Boy" and I guess he like that better.  He can be such a little butthead but I love him like crazy.  He's been with me through so much and I don't know what I would have done without him.

Best night out in a long time

Today is my first time linking up at Grateful Heart Monday over at Ember Grey!  This week I am grateful for a long awaited night out with my husband.

The weekend after our anniversary we were able to get someone (my mom) to watch the little one for us, so we could have a nice night out.

My husband isn't very good at planning things, BUT he did make us reservations for 6pm at the fancy restaurant where he proposed.  Other than that we thought maybe we would catch a movie...   Well, Paige ended up taking a longer nap than expected so we ended up missing the showing time for the movie we wanted to see.  We were trying to figure out what we wanted to do on the way to my mom's and my husband got an idea....but he wouldn't tell me what it was.

We still hadn't eaten lunch so he surprised me by taking me to The Cheesecake factory!  I loooove cheesecake.  And all of their food is amazing. We split a lunch and got a dessert to split.

After we left there we saw that they were having an art and music festival literally right outside!  So we shopped around a little there and then we headed to Hofbrauhaus right across the street.  Hofbrauhaus is a German restaurant/bar that brews their own beer on site.  And wait until you see their mugs.....

Yeah, HUGE!!

Once we finished our ginormous beers there we decided it was about time to head to our restaurant, The Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto.  It is an amazing restaurant on Mount Washington overlooking a beautiful view of Pittsburgh.

Most amazing food EVER!

I'm not going to lie, this was a very expensive night out but it was absolutely amazing!  It probably won't happen again until next year but it was worth it!

Wedding Week: Our Honeymoon

This is my last post of the Wedding Anniversary Week posts.  Thanks for hanging in there with me and letting me remember every detail.  I hope you enjoyed your peek into our wedding festivities.

For our honeymoon we wanted to do something really cool that neither of us had done before, so we booked a cruise to Cozumel and the Grand Cayman Islands.  I had never been on a cruise before so I wanted to give that a try.

We quickly found out that I get motion sickness.  haha!  I don't get sick to my stomach but I feel like everything is spinning.  The best way I can describe it is if you've ever drank just a bit too much and closed your eyes and felt like everything was spinning.  It was pretty miserable.  Unfortunately I didn't even get to leave the cabin much.  I spent almost the whole time in bed....and not for the reasons people usually are in bed on their honeymoon! haha!

I was so relieved when we got to the Grand Cayman Islands because I was able to get off the ship for a while and have a relaxing day on the beach.  The water was so beautiful!

The next stop was Cozumel and we got to swim with dolphins!!  Coolest experience ever!  They were so sweet and gentle.  I got dolphin kisses and rode on her back.

Have you ever scheduled an event or trip only to have it not be what you expected??  Where was your favorite vacation?