Right around Christmas my dear husband surprised me with a wonderful trip. (I knew about it for awhile...but couldn't tell anyone until the other people involved were informed.)
Craig...and the husbands of my three good friends...planned a trip for us.
So, the first week of January...we headed out.
Mel, Steph and I spent the night at a hotel near the airport...Chris met us there.
It was really, really early. We had to be at the airport around 6 to get checked in.
I barely slept the night before...either it was because I was totally excited or because the hotel room got up to 800 degrees!
We had to wait way to long in the airport....as you can see, Mel was trying to catch some extra zzzz.
It had snowed the night before we left...so we watched the crew as they de-iced the airplane.
Next up...we headed for Jamaica!
Here are Chrissy and I on the plane.
We actually took about a dozen versions of this picture...so I wouldn't see my double chin.
HA!
Not a good one in the bunch.
It didn't take too long until we saw this. The crystal blue water of the Caribbean Sea!
We're here!
This is us standing in line at customs...or immigration...I'm not sure which one. It went pretty quick though.(By the way, Steph has much better pictures of all of this...)
Our first day was spent getting situated and sitting on the beach.
That night was awesome...Beach BBQ!
I know, this is an awful picture, but I was trying to capture what the resort looked like at night. It was totally gorgeous.
The beach bbq was so fun. Lots of food, drinks, entertainment.
No makeup for me!
Ignore the dead looking plants in the foreground. Not sure what that's all about...but you can see the tiki torcehs and the tables set up on the beach. It was so nice to. Day time highs in the 80's...night time in the 70's. Perfection.
This is a small outdoor bar that we enjoyed. It look out over the ocean. Every night they had entertainment up here...I think it was a jazzy, Jamaican band. Very good.
There was also a show every night. Crazy energy. My camera couldn't capture it too well. This was the steel drum show.
Here are a few pictues of the resort. The Grand Palladium - Lady Hamilton.
Better than my greatest expectation.
Look what we found in Jamaica....imported from Lancaster County!
One of the beaches....
Outdoor massages overlooking the ocean.
The main pool
The pool at night....Gorgeous.
We enjoyed phenomenal food...
There were so many good restaurants....3 or 4 buffets...6 a la carte restaurants. We had seafood, Mexican, Jamaica jerk...Yum.
Lots of great entertainment....
Our i-phones did not work...which is probably a good thing!
Though we did miss our families and think of them often.
We chilled in the fabulous outdoor bar....
Steph was excited about something....
My best look...
mel writing a very important note....
We had such a great time. So many wonderful memories. The snorkeling, the swimming, the paddle boats, the food, the beaches, the laughs.
The inside jokes....like the guy on the shuttle bus (legs or no legs), We Are Penn State, this is a great book!...and so many others.
Checking out.....
Our final meal....
I am so thankful for these friends...and for the husbands that thought we deserved this!
Our super-cool driver dude.
So nice.
Leaving 81 degrees and sunny....to head home to cold and snow. :(
Back in the USA.
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times...
Somebody is happy to see mommy....
