Yay God!

Yes--we made it back from our cruise and what a wonderful time we had!  I'm sure you've all seen the groups of hurricanes and tropical storms brewing in the Caribbean.  Well-we missed them all!  We had awesome weather and a wonderful cruise.  I'll try to share as concisely as possible because there is no way I could write about everything we did.

Friday and Saturday we spent driving, arriving promptly at Port Canaveral and loaded right onto the boat.  We were able to tour around the boat, get some sun, and go to a show that night--lots to do, lots of fun! 

Sunday was a Day at Sea so we filled it with as many activities as we could participate in throughout the day.  It started with us flipping on the television to see that there was a morning show with the cruise director and his assistant.  They are Hilarious!  I ended up calling in to answer a trivia question and won a diamond and saphire necklace!  Yay!  Without getting into too much detail, I left that call with the nick-name "Naked Nicki".....don't worry about how that happened :-)  So throughout the cruise, Butch (the cruise director) and whatever cruisers were watching the show knew me by my new-found nick-name.  I believe we did some karaoke that night after all of our other activities.



Monday we went to Cozumel, Mexico and got to do "The Amazing Cozumel Race" as our excursion.  We ran around that town so fast, going to a museum to answer puzzle questions, getting a henna tattoo for our next clue--yes...I had to do it...they would have had to shave Adam's leg for him to get it.  The guy says "it will only last seven days, no worries..."  Big fat liar!  It looks as dark today as it did then...which is exactly seven days ago!  No big deal though-I just won't wear any skirts at work.  Nobody wants to see a tattoo of a snake with wings and four dots on it with heels and a skirt!  After that, we ran to the pier and took a boat ride where Adam did some reluctant snorkeling to find out the name on the back of a sunken ship.  What beautiful water they had in Cozumel!  Crystal clear and the prettiest teal color on top!  From there we deciferred a few more clues, running around town from interest point to interest point, and came blazing into the finish line 4 minutes ahead of the next team--in First place!  Yay!  Good to know that we worked well as a team just in case we have to do that for real one day.....that would be AWESOME!  So, we got some "gold" metals, a snack and some Fantas and were on our way back to boat for usual evening festivities.

Tuesday we went to Belize for our Canopy Tour.  This is where you ride zip lines through a rain forest (basically tree top to tree top) and have a couple of rappelling opportunities as well.  We had a great time doing that!  We had to go on a bus ride that lasted over an hour each way to do this and Adam says he didn't think it was worth it, but I liked it.  The bus ride was INSANELY bumpy :-)  I just pretended that I was in one of those vibrating chairs...with the occasional earthquake during it!  It was neat getting to see different parts of Belize, but we were very thankful for the things that God has blessed us with, as the people of Belize have very little and seem to be very satisfied with that. Needless to say--all of this activity, combined with the "massage-like" travel left us very sore for a few days.  The weather was beautiful in Belize as well, so we loved it.

Oh yeah--we saw this crazy rain cloud while we were there.  Like I said, we didn't get any rain--but we saw it!  Somebody wasn't praying...

Wednesday we went to Isla Roatan, Honduras.  This is a little island that sits just off the coast of Honduras.  AMAZING!!  I can't say enough about the beach that we went to--it was a little paradise!  We had originally booked a beach day on this island for a place right next to where our boat docked.  After speaking with our cruise director, Butch, he recommended that we change the excursion to this other beach on the opposite side of the island.  We took his advice and we SO grateful!  The water was calm--no real waves, crystal clear (even when we were out too deep to touch, you could still clearly see the bottom!), it wasn't as populated as the other beach area, and it had the most relaxing atmosphere.  Now, the down side to all of this is that it was so beautiful, we soaked in all of the sun the we could...which left us as two bright pink lobsters!  And yes, we both put sunscreen on!  I re-applied every two hours and still ended up bright red on the skin that wasn't used to getting sun :-)  Adam says he doesn't believe in sunscreen anymore...because it didn't seem to work at all.  I might have to agree with him after this experience.  We might just be better off staying in the shade for the rest of our lives!

That night, when we got back on the boat, I auditioned for "Legends", which is a show at the end of the week where the winning cruisers perform with the dancers on the main stage.  The idea is that each person is imitating a Legendary singer...such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Madonna, plus many more.  I ended up getting the Aretha Franklin role and began practicing to sing RESPECT at the end of the week.  It was fun!

Thursday, because we were so burnt from Wednesday, we found the most shade we could in Costa Maya.  The water wasn't as pretty here because it was more of a jungle beach-with plants in the water, but the scenery was still lovely.  I stayed clothed the whole time I was there to prevent any further damage :-) 

Friday was another Day at Sea starting off with the Morning Show again--this time with Adam calling in to tell his Diarrhea joke....if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can ask him yourself.  I'm pretty sure he's told that joke to everyone we know, but maybe you've missed it somehow.  We spent the day moving around the boat to participate in the fun activities that were available.  That night was the "Legends" show where all of the singers had to wear ridiculous costumes and sing/dance for our fellow cruisers.  I had a fun time.  Here's a picture of me after with Adam...I look even LESS like Aretha with this get-up on!

Saturday we packed up and headed to our friends' house in North Carolina for the evening.  Jonathan and Rachel let us stay with them and we watched the WVU game with them and Jonathan's parents that were staying as well. 

Sunday, we got to go to the McClung's HUGE church and had a great lunch with Jonathan and his parents (because Rachel was saving lives at the hospital...what a great gal ;-).  We drove home and were greeted by a lonely kitty that was very loving when we got home:-)  Out little Lexi missed us and she spent the whole night next to me in bed, letting me pet her every chance I get...what a cutie pie!

Anyway--I'm not sure how much I consolidated, but there it is none the less!  You can check out my facebook page for the entire album.  We had a great time and can't wait to go on our next cruise!  Carnival Fun ships really are a great way to vacation and we're so thankful that the weather cooperated with us as well!  It is great to be back and continue our lives here in Morgantown, where God has blessed us so richly with amazing friends, a wonderful place to live, and an awesome church family to grow with and be a part of!

Western Carribbean, here I come!

I'm leaving work early today.  Not because I'm lazy.  Because I'm going to a better place....Not that place....but a pretty good place.  Actually...a few pretty good places :-)  And the best part is who I get to go with. 

Yes, I am referring to Adam!  Isn't one of the best perks of marraige getting to go on vacation with your best friend?!  We get to relax, get sun burned, gain weight, and travel all at the same time :-)  We love road trips, so even the traveling down to Cape Canaveral will be a great time.  Although, I think it's time for us to get come more stand-up routines to listen to on our iPods.  Demetri Martin and Seinfeld are really funny...but we pretty much have them memorized at this point :-)  I do know one thing though..we'll probably start our journey with Tik Toc...because that party don't stop, no.   (just pretend that I said that really cool)

All right!  Off we go into work - were they are taking me and my team out for lunch in honor of me getting my PMP certification :-)  I think we'll do Olive Garden...yummy....Might as well start my vacation out right with a great meal!

YAY!

Build a Burrito

I would like to consider myself a pretty good burrito builder. Now-of course-I'm not doing the actual building...that I will leave up to the experts at Black Bear Burrito here in Morgantown. I just mean that I am good at combining the flavors that I like to make something magestic. Something that tastes so good that I have to take huge bites and eat it faster than I can breathe. Adam and I went to Black Bear for lunch today. I just cannot get enough of this magical burrito--so simple, yet so wonderful! All that the burrito consists of is a Garlic Herb tortilla, rice, mild salsa (homemade of course), Steak, and queso dip on the inside.....yummy! The steak is beautifully cooked and mixed in with the rice and queso....mmmmmm....so good! I have a hard time cutting the giant thing in half and saving one half for another meal, but I do...so that I can experience this goodness twice per visit to Black Bear.

When you add the burrito to all of the other wonderful food that I had this weekend...well...let's just say I ate alot. I walked up to some friends last night at the CRC Volunteer Rally and one guy said, "You know Nicki, everytime I've seen you this weekend, you've had food in your hands!"....yep....that's a pretty good description of my weekend :-) I love food :-)

Over-planners Anonymous

Yes..they need to create one of those.  I am guilty of over-planning....alot! 

We are leaving for our cruise next weekend and I have broken down tasks, budgets, useful facts, directions, outfits, packing lists/instructions...you name it-I probably made a spreadsheet for it!  Of course, I do blame this on my use of Microsoft Excel at work.  It is such a useful tool that organizes and formulates pretty much anything you want it to!  Yes, I do use Word as well....and it's a wonder I haven't formed a Power Point presentation to explain the journey we will take with animation and clip art.  Wait a minute...that's a good idea....oh well-we'll just have to see what I have time for :-)

I do regret to inform you all that my muscles are indeed mad at me for taking up P90x again.  They have rejected all abilities to move in a normal way.  Adam is worried that my muscle soreness will effect my game playing abilities on our first cruise excursion  - The Amazing Cozumel Race.  I assured him that I will not let it slow me down or effect my performance in any way :-)  I can't wait to show those other families who's boss!

Adam and I are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary today.  It has been a great 5 years!  I have been able to be a part of wonderful ministries at a wonderful church, learned alot about cooking and how to organize a home, and have made some outstanding friends along the way.  Yes, marraige is hard and always takes some work, but I really have enjoyed getting to know Adam and the many quirks that makes him who he is. 

We went out to dinner last night in celebration.  Stefano's was the place of choice.  It was a little pricey, but very yummy.  The service was wonderful and we'll definitely go back.  There are cheaper options on the menu as well, but we felt like a little splurge for our aniversary.  After all--we're both the same size, if not skinnier then we were when we got married--so who can blame us for indulging in some lucious creamed pastas and succulent desserts!  We're glad we went somewhere new for us and were well pleased with the outcome!

Tonight we will be joining some friends for the WVU vs. Marshall game!  Hopefully Eric Meadows will be able to focus on the game with all of us nuts running around him at his house!  Of course, since he is the oldest of the people that will be there (as far as I know), we might have to borrow a "listening device" from church to make sure he can make out the calls during all the noise.  They say the hearing is the first to go...or is it the hips?  Who knows...I'm still too young and niave to know (wink wink)!  So here we go on our next weekend of fun!

What a weekend!

I had a great Labor Day weekend!  How about you? 

Friday night, Adam sang the National Anthem at the WVU men's soccer game and we stayed for the game.  I've got to say that I much prefer a live WVU Soccer game to a live WVU Football game.  Although the energy at a football game is unreplacable, the calmness at the soccer game allows me to actually focus on the game--which I very much enjoyed.  The crowd was packed on the blechers of the very nice soccer field and we had a great time.  We were expecting to be sitting alone for the game, but we actually saw alot of people that we knew there-so it was a great time!

Saturday morning, we set off to the hottest Morgantown shopping spots-The University Town Center (which I am pleased to say is spelled correctly....none of that fancy stuff like "Towne" and "Centre"....just spell it right people...) and then off to the Morgantown Mall (not the deserted one that I work at...the actual normal mall with hundreds of stores).  I am very thankful to have such a thrifty husband when it comes to shopping for clothes.  He is great at finding deals!  My stamina is a little lacking when it comes to how long I can stand shopping, but Adam is always there pulling me along, trying to get me to find things for myself. 

After that, I dropped Adam off at the church for weekend practice and service while I hit the grocery store and got some things accomplished at the house that afternoon.  Church after that-where I am really enjoying the series-and then dinner with our friends that enjoy eating out with us on Saturday nights-the Griffiths!

Sunday-I made cupcakes for the Meadow's/Griffith's Labor Day bash that resembled hamburgers...I think I have learned my lesson with this whole "cupcakes from scratch" stuff.  They're just never as good as Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker....Duncan and Betty definitely nailed it when it comes to cake batter....so why mess with perfection?  The cupcakes I made had a "brownie cupcake" middle as the patty with all vanilla icing-dyed to look like lettuce, mustard, and ketchup (is that how you spell it?  I get confused...is it Cats-up, or Kat-chup, or catshup...no...that's not right...).  I wasn't pleased with the density of the brownie cupcake, but everyone said it tasted good-so I guess that's ok.  Here's some pictures:

We spent the afternoon eating, chatting, and taking part in the largest corn-hole tournament of all time!  Adam and I did ok....I think we were 4th or 5th place...something like that.  I am glad to say that I focused on the game at hand-regardless of the many distractions like community and fellowship around me.  Adam--you're welcome!  Just kidding....I had a great time and afterwards we lit up a giant fire, made some 'smores and then ended the evening with a lovely game of Telestrations....one of the best games ever!

Monday, Adam and I head out to the Tanger Outlets in Washington, PA where we continued to find good deals and load up on "vacation" clothes.  Of course, I couldn't help but buy some work clothes, because I'm always in need of those.  We both stayed within our budget even with a little left over--so we'll just see what that gets spent on :-)

We finished up the evening catching up some tv--Big Brother to be exact.  Why is it that we love to watch this drama??  I'm not usually a big fan of drama--definitely the screaming kind, but the cast that is left on Big Brother this season is all alot of fun people, so they get along, and they're still playing the game.  Great show! 

I'm starting my workouts again this week to get in a little better shape before I blow up like a balloon on our cruise in a couple weeks...can't wait for that cruise food!  Yum!  But my muscles are definitely hating me right now.  Shame on me for waiting until the last minute to work out....oh well.  Can't help it!  There's just been too much fun to be had lately!  Bring it on P90X!  Let's see what you got!

Relaxation

I have seriously enjoyed my week of evenings at home with nothing important to do!  I haven't had anything that HAD to be done and I didn't have to be anywhere.  It is such a relief after 4 months of studying every evening concerned that my time was not being well spent.  Glad that's over! 

Tonight, Adam will be singing the National Anthem at the WVU Men's Soccer game.  After the game, we're going to go support Under Shelter at their Morgantown gig.  Tomorrow, Adam and I get to start spending money on vacation clothes!  Yay!  We're going to go to the Tanger Outlets on Monday to get some "no-tax" deals!  Sunday, we will be attending what promises to be the cook-out of the year!  The Griffiths and Meadows are doubling up for a fun filled Labor Day Cornhole tournement with tons of food and fun.  I'm thinking about making cupcakes that look like hamburgers...we'll see if that happens!

I don't really have much to talk about since I've been taking it easy this week.  I have really enjoyed it and now I will enjoy a busy, fun-filled 3 day weekend!  We'll just have to see what happens :-)






Oh-and Adam ordered his iPod touch for his birthday, finally!  It was cute because he is having it engraved on the back to say "I love Nicki Etris and my iPod touch"....what a cutie pie!  Glad I came first :-)