Easter Visitors

Hope it was a beautiful Easter weekend for everyone.  Ours was a little cool and drizzly but today the sun is shining and hopefully temperatures will rise as Crystol and Jake are here visiting.  They arrived Thursday night and yesterday she went to the ship to work through tomorrow night.  Friday we went to a restaurant at the Oceanside Pier for lunch which was great.  Saturday was Connor's lacrosse game in which he did very well despite their team losing.  That night we made s'mores and pies.  The boys are staying busy playing basketball, lacrosse, and watching the basketball and hockey playoffs.  Once Ryan is finished with school this morning we will go do a little sightseeing before it's time to get the other kids. 

  

Catching up ...

As Mark so correctly posted on Facebook, I am indeed having trouble adjusting to life without a maid, butler, and driver!  Paying bills, buying faucets, and doing laundry just doesn't compare to the relaxing week I left! 

Today is my sweet husband's birthday. We celebrated last night as we have meetings and lacrosse tonight.

I am very grateful to Mark for giving me the opportunity to enjoy a week in the Dominican Republic at Casa de Campo Resort with my sister and later time with my parents. The trip was an experience of a lifetime and memories I will always cherish. Here are a few pictures from the trip. When I finish the memory book, I will share the link should you want to see more of our adventure.

The first evening there we enjoyed dinner at the Beach Club with this beautiful sunset.

Probably my favorite place at the resort was Altos de Chavon, an Italian-replica village that truly felt as if you were in the heart of Italy.  We had a private tour of the pottery workrooms and talking with the manager to learn about the continued practice of doing pottery, weaving, and handwork as it's been done for hundreds of years.  Sadly we missed the weekly performance at the ampitheater which holds 5,000.  The buildings were gorgeous and the items in the shops amazing.

Of course the highlight of the trip was celebrating my sister's birthday with a boat trip to a private island where we were served amazing food and wine.  It was an experience we will never forget.

These are the two birthday cakes from the day.  The white one was presented at the island.  The top lifted off and another cake was inside.  The chocolate one was brought at dinner.  It also lifted off and inside was another work of art.  Both were spectacular and delicious.

Here are a couple pictures of our villa.  I have too many to post but it gives you the idea.  It was 6,000sf and had 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths.  Truly a lovely and comfortable home.  Our favorite spot was the gazebo by the pool where we enjoyed breakfast each morning.

Two of the girlfriends who were able to join us are Kathy and Sue.  We were all rested from our island excursion and ready for the birthday dinner!

I was able to spend a day with my parents before flying home.  Their new home in Ft. Myers is gorgeous and we had a great dinner filled with lots of laughter as I got to meet relatives I've heard a lot about but never met.

Birthday surprises so far ...

Today my little sister turned 50! Our day began with a light breakfast and we were picked up by a driver to go to the marina. Little did we know that we would have a chartered boat taking us to a shallow swimming area with stingrays and stone fish. From there we were taken to a private, uninhabited island where a smaller boat came to take us ashore. As we got closer, we could see a beautifully set table with lobsters and chicken on the BBQ, shrimp, pasta,vegetables, salad, and wine. Let me just say, the "Bachelor" series had nothing on us today! Once we'd finished there was an amazing birthday cake brought out. The beach was spectacular and we took lots of beautiful pictures. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are now back at our villa to shower off the sand, rest a bit (important to keep pacing ourselves), and then primp for a late dinner. A truly phenomenal day.

Day Three

Lovely breakfast ... sunbathed ... took a tumble on the tile landing on my hip and arm but nothing broken ... massage at spa ... lunch ... sunbathed ... primped for dinner ... lovely dinner at hotel ... tomorrow the surprises begin!