A first...

In a few weeks, I head off with 19 other people from my church to Carrefour, Haiti for an orphan care mission trip.  I am so excited to get to make this trip!  This is the first mission trip I've ever done and it's one I've been wanting to go on for over a year.  The dates have finally worked out for me to go!  

People have asked me why I want to go on a mission trip to Haiti.  

Why there?  
Aren't you worried something will happen? 
Why can't you do work here to help others?

Now I realize that I've said "I" several times and that's not the focus of this trip. 

Me.

This trip is about Him.  It's about God.  It's about Jesus. It's about the Holy Spirit.  

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands us to go.  

This is an opportunity for us to go and teach them about Jesus and His love.  We get to spend time with close to 40 orphans...loving on them, playing with them, singing with them.  What better way to show His love than through our own loving actions!  

"But seriously Elizabeth, why are you going to Haiti for this trip?"

The best way I can answer this comes from one of the other folks going on the trip.

We are going on this mission trip to Haiti for the Glory of God. 

Plain.  Simple.  

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 says "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God -- even as I try to please everyone in every way.  For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.  Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Do it all for the Glory of God.  Follow the example of Christ. 

What a tall charge for each of us going!  

For the most part, I don't have an issue letting others have the limelight. I don't need recognition for things I do.  But how often do I make sure the limelight is on Jesus?  Whew, that's a tough question!  But it's a great question for me to ponder now, while we're in Haiti and when I get home.  Talk about growth.  I love how God is pushing me with this trip. 

So as we prepare for our trip to Haiti, I add specific prayers to my prayer list...

• I pray that we will take Jesus with us to Haiti.  

• I pray people will get to know Jesus and seek a personal relationship with Him. 

• I pray we will show His love to each person we encounter on our trip.  

• I pray that God is glorified from start to finish on our trip.

Friends, if you feel called to help others, do it!   Go!  Do!  It can be as small as cleaning out your closet and making a donation to a local charity or it can be as large as moving across the country or to another continent to help others.  The bottom line is to go and do.

As we prepare for the trip, I would appreciate your prayers for the list above, as well as, prayers for our protection and health during our travels.  When we get back, I will most definitely post about the experience.  

Until then, happy travels and many laughs...

Rocky Mountain High

Our annual AGC Management conference took us to Vail, Colorado this year.  It's always nice to hit the mountains in the summer for some beautiful scenery and a break from the Texas heat. We checked in a day early to The Sebastian hotel in downtown Vail.  Let me tell you this place is top notch!  I've been to some nice hotels with good service but The Sebastian blows all of those out of the water.  They were overly attentive and took amazing care of everyone.  If you're in Vail, check out this hotel.  You won't regret it. 

What to do?

•  Day trip to Golden        

We met up with some dear friends in Golden for lunch and a tour of the Coors brewery.  We had a great lunch but didn't make the brewery tour...too long of a wait...bummer!  All was not lost because we got quality time with some of our favorite people!  The town is super cute, so grab some lunch, walk around and drink a beer or two!

• ATV tour at Nova Lodge   

A beautiful 30 minute drive to Nova Lodge, located at Camp Hale.  Here you can rent ATV or 4 Wheelers for a guided or unguided tour.  Chris and I chose unguided and spent 2 hours on our own exploring the roads outlined on the map.  We went at our own pace and had a blast! Even built a few snowmen at the snow line. 

• Walk around Vail Village                         

 A cute little town with shops and restaurants.  You can easily tour the whole place in an hour.

• Mountain Views 

 Ride Gondola 1 up to the top of the mountain for hiking and lunch.  Great views!

 

• Fly Fishing 

With the big snow melt and flooding from rainfall in the area, the main rivers and creeks were bank to bank full and not really conducive to fishing.  However there were other options, so we headed out with Cooper Anderson at Gore Creek Fly Shop to fish Homestake Creek.  Cooper was an amazing guide and if you're looking for a guide in Vail Valley...book him!  The creek was flowing pretty big but we still caught a few fish.  Plus the scenery is gorgeous!  Can't beat being out in the middle of nowhere with a wet line, flowing waters, birds chirping under a beautiful sunny sky!

Where to eat?

In Vail...

• Bully Ranch

                Located in the Sonnenalp Hotel, they offer a great menu and best of all they have Hoffbrau Original (plus some others) on tap.  Delish! I highly recommend the Caprese salad with steak.  You won't regret it!

• Mountain Standard

                A nice spot right along Gore Creek with an unique menu.  Chris and I shared the Frog legs (perfectly fried) and the warm Pimento cheese topped with bacon jam and served with grilled bread.  Oh my!  Both were amazing. Then Chris had the Muffuletta with onion rings (swoon!!) and I had shrimp and grits.  Hellllllooooo taste buds!  SO GOOD!

• Sweet Basil

                Our last night we ate here with a group and while it was a set menu with a few selections, let me tell you it was all good.  This restaurant and Mountain Standard are siblings and run by the same chef.  Most definitely different but the quality of both was amazing.  The passed apps included black truffle deviled eggs (Amazing)!  I had the marscapone stuffed Anglotti (pasta similar to ravioli but different shape) for a starter which was killer! Then steak with whipped potatoes and dessert was a caramel toffee thing. Can't explain how good it all tasted!  Plus it was the right size portions to be full but not stuffed.

Outside Vail...

• Sticky Fingers in Minturn

                Chris and I stopped here for breakfast on our way to Nova Lodge.  Adorable restaurant with large breakfast burritos and lots of coffee options.  The menu board had a ton of sandwiches and wraps for lunch too. We love local spots!

• Mango's Mountain Grill in Red Cliff

                Spencer, the awesome hotel concierge, sent us here for our lunch after our 4 wheeler adventure.  Now you have to want to go to Mango's because it's not on any main route and the road into Red Cliff is a little unnerving.  In its hayday, Red Cliff  boasted a population of 3000 and a booming mining industry.  Now it's about 250 people with no cell service and during the winter sometimes the only way out is by snowmobile.  The beer here is cold and the tacos are great.  A beautiful (somewhat scary) drive to a fun place if you're in the area. 

• Woody's Woodfired Pizza in Golden

                Delicious.  Amazing.  We ate the buffet and it was great!  The place is very well run.  The buffet stays full of hot, fresh pizzas and the salad bar is constantly restocked.  You will not want for anything...well except more pizza!!!

Whew!  What a fast and furious 6 days!  I love experiencing new places and doing fun activities but man that trip wore us out.  Now for a few slower weeks before July 4th. Yay!

Until then, many laughs and happy travels...

Toes in the Sand!

May proved to be the month of beaches for me!  

MEXICO!

First up, Chris and I traveled to Cancun, Mexico with a fun group to check out the new Finest Playa Mujeres all-inclusive resort.  Now I was a little concerned about traveling to Mexico with the whole kidnapping thing.  However, I was reassured by our friends who travel there frequently that they feel safe and haven't had any issues.  They were right and we had a great time.

The Finest is only a few months old and overall I enjoyed the experience.  The pools are nice, the staff friendly and the beach was pretty despite some sea grass.  The main annoyance for me was that while it is an all-inclusive resort, tipping most definitely got you better service.  When Chris and I went to Sandals a few years ago, tipping was not allowed.  (Except if you had butler service, and then you could at the end of your stay if they had earned it.) In my opinion, we'd paid good money to come on the trip and still had to dole out money for better service.  Otherwise, the food was good especially being an all-inclusive and the drinks flowed freely. If you go, be sure to check out the Japanese restaurant hibachi dinner...delish and SO fun!  

Our favorite part was the day trip to Isla Mujeres! A group of us hopped on the ferry and rented golf carts to tour the island.  (Be sure to grab some beers as you can drink and drive. Ha!) SO fun!!  After a quick lap to the south end of the island, we headed to Playa Norte (North Beach) for drinks and swimming in the amazing turquoise water.  Beautiful! 

Regardless of where we were, the company made the trip!  Great times with old and new friends!  Looking forward to seeing the whole gang again soon.

KEY WEST!

A few weeks later, Brandi and I headed to Key West to celebrate her birthday.  As usual, we flew in to Ft Lauderdale and made the fun trek down the Keys.  We hit our obligatory stops at Robbie's, World Wide Sportsman and The Island Fish Company.  If you want more info, check out my Florida Keys entry from a few years ago.  Everything was just perfect as we cruised down Highway 1.  One note, our stop at Robbie's to feed the tarpon was much more challenging than in the past as the water this time was only a few feet from the top of the dock.  Man those fish are big and fast!  I can usually feed them, no problem...this time not so much.  Whew!  Crazy!

We finally arrived in Key West about 10 pm and got checked into the Southernmost on the Beach hotel.  A new spot for us to stay and it was great!!!  Nice hotel, great pools shared between their 4 properties and beach access with use of chairs and umbrellas.   

The next morning we headed off to fish with Captain Teddy and Heath with Lethal Weapon Charters.  A fun 12 hour trip with these guys netted us plenty of Mahi Mahi to take home, as well as, Rosebelly fish and Brandi caught a huge Glass Eyed snapper.  Amazing!!!   *If you want to catch some great fish when you're in Key West, look no further than Captain Teddy.  He's the best!

This trip had a different experience including trying a new hotel, all new restaurants and reminiscing about our past trips.  We felt more like a local and less like a silly tourist.  Don't get me wrong, we still day drank on Duval and had Key Lime pie!  When you're hungry in Key West, check out Blue Heaven, Abbondanza Italian restaurant, Dante's (they'll cook your catch!) and Ana's Cuban Cafe for a killer cuban sandwich, across from Southernmost hotel.

A very special part of our trip was crashing our friends, Beth and Justin, wedding!  So we really didn't crash it since Beth invited us when she found out we'd be in Key West the wedding weekend.  But I still say we crashed it!  Beth is a wonderfully sweet soul that Brandi and I got to know through Casey.  Along with the Ramen Slaw recipe, I am so thankful for Casey bringing Beth into my world.  Both have made my life better!  (Yes I realize I'm comparing a human to a recipe but seriously, if you have ever met Beth or tasted the slaw, you know what I mean!) 

Anyway, the wedding was just perfect!  The two got married on Smathers beach as the sun was setting over the Conch Republic.  Beth looked beautiful in her perfect dress.  I loved that she and Justin wrote their own vows.  I felt so honored to be a part of their celebration! Afterwards we ate a The Commodore Waterfront Restaurant and what a riot!  We sat with Beth's brother, his good friend, and Beth's college friend.  Hilarious time with good people and great food! Then we headed over to Schooner's Wharf bar for celebration drinks and dancing.  So fun!  However, when the Jaeger shots hit, it was time for the 2 old ladies to go!  The next morning we headed out early for our journey back to Ft Lauderdale and home.

Truly an unbelievable May to fit in two super fun beach trips but hey, when it works out you just gotta roll with it.  Whether it's a trip to the beach or a staycation, make the best of the time you have with family and friends.  Memories made and stories to tell are the true souvenirs! 

Until next time, many laughs and happy travels...

You have a blog?

Well hello there! 

It's been a loooooooooong time since I've written and for that, I apologize.   

What happened?   

Maybe it was too hard to continue doing something that Casey inspired me to do.   
Maybe so much time passed I felt like I'd never "catch up".  
Maybe I hit that stall I always hit with journaling. Ugh!

No matter the reason...I'm back! 

So what's happened since my last post almost 2 years ago?

SO MUCH!!!! 

While I might not have blogged about it, I fell in love with an amazing man who loves me like NO other. We shared our first kiss November 2011.  We were engaged February 2014 and were married September 2014.  I think back to this time last year and how we had SO much going on with wedding planning.  It was a special time in our lives.   The wedding couldn't have been more perfect surrounded by those we love and cherish.   

So I'm back and ready to share more of my travels, laughs and other adventures.  I hope you'll join me in my excitement to start blogging again.  I'll do a little recap of a few trips I've taken recently in my next post.  B and I hit Key West again last month but had a different and new experience.  I definitely want to share that with you.  Also, I want to share more in the "other adventures" category.  Plus I'll throw in my silly, punny jokes now and then.  You'll love them!  I just know it!

Until then, happy travels and many laughs...

Tears of Sadness and Joy

First of all, while the blog is mostly light hearted, I feel "other adventures" can also include life changing events and more serious topics.  So with that I bring you this entry...

If you've read my blog in the past you know about "The Bitches" and how much fun we have together on a regular basis.  You also know that C has been courageously battling breast cancer for the past few years. We have lived it up since her diagnosis and often times I'd forget she was even sick.  Unfortunately, the battle was too much for her to fight and that ugly, mean, nasty cancer took her from all of us in early July. 

Yea.   

It happened.

The dreaded outcome none of us wanted. I wanted her to be exception.  I just knew she'd beat those statistics. This cancer fight for the most part was totally different from what I expected. C was amazing taking constant chemo treatments, handling the side effects the best she could, all while still being a part of "normal" life.  We still traveled.  We still had dance parties.  We still had fun.  Damn you cancer.

I'm really not sure what I'm trying to express here.  This loss is hard. It's probably the hardest loss I've ever experienced. It flat out sucks. It's been 2 months and I still cry when I think of her. People say it's ok to be mad. I'm not mad at all. I fully believe God has a plan for each of us and her story was written from the day she was born. My faith has gotten me through this because without faith I'm not sure I could begin to process it all.

I try to remember how lucky we all were to have Casey in our lives and how we had almost 3 years after her diagnosis. Not to mention of that time, she wasn't brutally sick but maybe 1/4 of the time.  I have no idea how she did it but in many ways she made cancer look "easy" in a sense. I've learned so much from her. While I'm a positive person, she taught me how to further focus on the positive and look for the silver linings in life. She taught me to not pass up an opportunity for fun. All that other stuff can wait but if a dance party starts, join in. It doesn't matter if you can't dance, the point is about being free and living life. Who cares what other people may think! Life is too short to take yourself so seriously.

I will forever cherish my memories made with Casey. I often think of her smile and laugh. She's the one who inspired me to start this blog.  I loved that girl like my sister and miss that I can't just send her a text or call her when I want. But I know she's here with me and watching over all of us. I look forward to one day when these tears will be ones of joy because I had her in my life and not sadness because I miss her so much.

Until then, hug those you love, let them know how you feel, and pray for Casey's family and friends as they continue to heal from this loss.