PUNTA CANA!!!

Ahhhhhhh....looking at these pictures makes me want to go back stat!  We left last Wednesday VERY early for Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  It was AHHHH-MAZING!  Before I get to the trip, here is a little back story...

Last year, when we were in St. Louis for MLK weekend, Elle and I decided that instead of a party for our 30th birthdays we wanted a fun trip, just the 4 of us.  That would have been January, so by about November this year Elle and I decided that we should probably go ahead and start planning our trip because clearly the boys weren't doing anything.  We were SO wrong!  They had been talking, emailing, researching, trying to figure out where we should go.  The original plan was for Ellen and BJ to fly here (so they could meet Landon man), then we all drive to Savannah, and do a cruise from there to the Bahamas.  Well, flights started getting pretty expensive for them and then the boys wound up having to tell us about their plans.  One night we were all on speakerphone together on computers, iPads, phones, any internet search device and were searching trips.  After a great suggestion from BJ's family travel agent we decided on PUNTA CANA!!!  Keith and I had slight heart attacks when we couldn't find our passports ANYWHERE, but thankfully found them and booked this trip.  We had six weeks to get ourselves in shape and to prepare for our trip.  Obviously that meant a few trips to the mall and outlets too! ;)  February 15th arrived before we knew it and we were OFF to our week in paradise!!

We arrived in Punta Cana on Wednesday afternoon and their airport is about the coolest thing ever...seriously, how could you not be happy in a place like this?! After leaving the airport we were off to our resort on a stupid bus that stopped at 4 other resorts along the way...mental note, just take a cab! I was STARVING and started to feel very carsick, it was terrible. I was thinking this trip was not off to the best start, but then we saw Elle and BJ in the lobby and it was smooth sailing from then on out!

We did a whole lot of nothing, correction...a whole lot of EATING! Oh my gosh, the good thing about an all inclusive is you get to eat and eat and eat, that can also be a bad thing too! This was our favorite lunch spot...it was right next to our pool. There were DELISH nachos, a great chicken sandwich, hot dogs, and yummy chocolate cake. Lunch of champions right?!

Yup...we did a lot of this!  It was GLORIOUS!!

All fancified going to dinner...this night we went to an "Italian" restaurant.  It was pretty good, however I have to say Maggiano's is MUCH better :)  Can I just say that I love my kiddos beyond what I can even write about, but it was SO nice to get dressed up for dinner, not have a child on my lap, only cut up my own food...it was just such a wonderful treat.  I enjoyed each second of it!

We hit the beach one day...this was our pretty overcast day.  This is also a day Elle and I will NEVER forget...

So pretty!

...this is why Elle and I will never forget this day...we went to the spa to have a lovely massage...ahhh!  We couldn't wait!  I will spare you all of the details, but I will say that neither of us have every laughed as hard as we did.  We were told to take EVERYTHING off and put on our robe, we then were put in a "couple's massage" room (good thing she is my best friend!), and we were told to put on a "mesh thong."  Seriously...I am like peeing myself writing this.  It was HILARIOUS!  The Dominican culture is not shy about their bodies, quite the adjustment for us.  SO we put those beauts on and had our massage...it was relaxing, but I have to say I was laughing throughout the massage thinking about what the heck we were "wearing."  After our full body (not exaggerating) massage was finished, which they ended with a lovely head massage that used about a bottle and a half of oil, we were looking SO pretty!!  Oh my gosh...I am not typing this to even come close to the hilarious-ness, but it was a memory I will NEVER forget!!!

Before dinner the night of our massage...we both had to wash our hair like 10 times to get all of the oil out!

Elle and BJ

We had a fancy contraption to set the camera on to take our group shots!

BEAUTIFUL!!

Let's bake!

LOVE this girl!!

our last night...boo hoo!

Do you see that sky??  This was the day we had to leave...

We left on Monday afternoon and had a layover in the ATL which got us into Raleigh at about midnight.  It was a long day, but such a wonderful trip!!  We all decided we need to do it more often...after we all win the lottery and all of our children are sleeping through the night ;)  (right mom?)

We couldn't have done this trip without our wonderful mothers and grandmothers watching our kiddos...gosh, what a job!  THANK YOU SO MUCH Mom and Gran (and Gramps!). 

Ellen...Happy ALMOST 30th Birthday!  The bar is set pretty high for #31 huh!? :)