Ainsley is HERE!

This will be short and sweet since I need to get to bed, but I couldn't go to bed without posting some pictures of the newest best thing in my life! Here is my best friend's sweet baby girl, Ainsley. Shortest labor in history for a prime, which was a darn good thing since she didn't get any pain meds! Way to go Kyla and Wyatt for making such a beautiful baby. She came into this world on Saturday, September 25th at 0822. Weighing in at 8lbs, 0.6oz, 19 in long and she's PERFECT.

CoZuMeL!

I didn't expect it to take so long to post- but thanks to Liz's gentle reminders, here another one!

The McCoy family has now decided to take one "surprise" vacation a year, always the same week, and not a holiday in order for everyone to be able to go. Knowing that I will always be a nurse, I will never have off a week around any holiday; it's just a standing rule among nurses. So this year, our surprise vacation was actually to Destin, but since the little oil spill occurred, Terry changed it last minute to Cozumel. 

The McCoys have been going to Cozumel for a long time now, but this was my first vacation to Cozumel, besides the one stay stop on a cruise. I am a fan. I felt very safe there. The resort was awesome. Although the food wasn't spectacular, I can live on chips and salsa. There was nightly entertainment and open bar. Service was wonderful. While laying out at the pool, we made all our plans by just telling the attendant what we wanted to do that day, what we needed (wanted) in our room, dinner reservations, and before he left, he would get us a dry towel or another drink. Service was a TEN! 

We had two private dives lined up. Although I'm not a diver, I think anyone who has ever read my blog knows that I am happiest sitting in the sun on the front of a rocking boat, listening to music. Justin said the dives were awesome, so I'll take his word. I did however jump in once to snorkel above them. It was fun seeing them way down below and catching their millions of tiny air bubbles. I actually jumped in to see the baby sea turtles, but I was more impressed with watching them dive and point at random things. While out on the water, we also ran into several dolphins. Very entertaining. I scared the driver and had a slight panic attack myself just after getting out of the water after snorkeling when I realized my ring was not on my hand. After a good 20 seconds of thinking just how Justin was going to kill me, I saw it where I was putting on my sun screen. Not a good feeling, and left a lingering headache for the next few hours. Good thing I'm an adult and can handle that spike in my blood pressure! 

We took one day to walk around the square, haggle for some jewelry, watch some bar tricks, and eat at their favorite place. Andie got her hair braided and Kelly, Justin and I played with a parrot. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed seeing tons of iguanas, a day at the spa, a few different pools, nights on the beach, and catch phrase. I had a wonderful time and just like the rest of the McCoys, I am now a fan of Cozumel! 

I hope this video works. This is a very impressive act in the middle of the square in downtown Cozumel. She's a retired Texas Tech twirler, working with only an umbrella and she's still got the skills!!!

Trinidad and Tobago

A few months ago we got the chance to travel down to Trinidad and Tobago again to see my parents. I have visited there enough times to feel like I was going back "home". I knew the airport well, the driver, directions, restaurants, things to do, the beaches, etc. However, this was the first time Justin got to join. I was so excited to show him the islands. We upgraded to first class on the way down there and we were just "giddy" about the flight! We had so much fun pretending this was a normal thing for us to do. We landed safely and Clyde and my mom picked us up. We drove back to their house with cold Carib's in hand and chatted my mom's ears off. We stayed in Trinidad for a few days- got to visit some famous beaches, had lunch at Richard's Bake and Shark, tried the local cuisine and enjoyed the culture. 

Then we headed to Tobago. Justin is not a fan of small prop planes, but there is no other way to reach the island. Although this was a short, 25 minute flights, he was nervous the whole time. 

We again, landed safely and met up with the next driver who took us to our villa. We stopped on the way and got some snacks and beverages so we could keep a fully stocked kitchen. 

While we were at Blue Waters, we did a lot of sitting on the beach, diving, kayaking, and reading. Justin took the Kayaks out one time and went around the bend and took almost an hour to get back. My mom even came out looking for us to make sure we were okay. One of the guys at the hotel explained the current to her and told her of how some couple went out, and never came back! 

Justin knocked down a coconut from the tree and after about 20 minutes of hacking into it, he finally got to the milk! 

Tobago is one of my favorite places in the world- and I don't get much happier than sitting on the rocking boat in full sun, listening to my music with a cold carib in hand. Justin and my parents went scuba diving several times, but the thought didn't even cross my mind! Out of the 459 photos (not joking) that we took, here are a few of my favorites! Maybe some day we will be able to go back there even though my parents no longer live there. Some day.