20Dec
This past weekend we went to Atlanta to have Christmas with my side of the family at my sister’s house. My sister and John Michael have the cutest little condo in downtown Atlanta. It is just what you would picture for a successful, young couple to have. And Ginny has decorated it perfectly. When we got there, it was beautiful in its Christmas glory, with their huge Christmas tree front and center.
Twenty minutes into our visit and we had destroyed their house.
I blame my mom and dad. They went above and beyond for all of our Christmas presents this year (like every year!). It was really incredible! My favorite gift, though, was a Kindle! They gave one to me, my sister, and my Grandma. We all love to read and so that was the perfect present. Although, they also got me a label maker for my classroom, which I will geek out on as soon as I get back to school. I’ve already labeled everything my kids own in the 24 hours that we’ve been home.
Gracie got her first baby doll, too…
…which she promptly ate.
And Bean got an awesome Thomas the Train set. Thomas chugs around the track and there’s even a crane that lifts boxes onto the freight part of the train. Bean quickly figured out that the freight thingy could also carry Lightning McQueen and, suddenly, it was like two cartoon worlds collided. Bean was mesmerized.
We spent Saturday afternoon opening presents and spending time together. It was really nice and I actually enjoyed it almost more than Christmas morning itself because we stopped to chat or eat between rounds of opening presents. It just seemed a lot less frantic than Christmas mornings can be and it was nice to be able to pause and enjoy each other even more than the presents.
Although, some of the presents were pretty awesome…
On Sunday morning, we laid around and had a slow-moving morning, with breakfast on the couch in our jammies. Bean must have been in the Christmas spirit because he shared his bagel with Gracie. And Bean doesn’t share food, like, at ALL. It was a Christmas miracle.
Later that morning, my Grandma came over (she’s been staying at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in Atlanta this week) and we opened presents with her, too.
Later, we all got dressed and went to the late church service at my sister’s church. I figure, I have about a year where I can dress Gracie in things like this before she starts protesting. I plan to take full advantage.
After church, the guys went to play golf with some of my dad’s old golfing buddies from when we used to live in Atlanta and my mom, sister, and I took the kids to two of the most Atlanta places you can go…
The Varsity is an Atlanta icon. They serve hot dogs and hamburgers, french fries and onion rings, Coke-a-Cola (of course) and their famous Frosted Orange, which are like orange frosties. Delicious! And we partook of it all! Even Gracie ate French fries!
After The Varsity, we headed to Lenox Mall to ride The Pink Pig.
Now, if you aren’t from Atlanta or even the South, this is going to sound very strange. The Pink Pig has been around since the late 1950s. It began as a little train ride at Christmas that went through Rich’s department store (back when Rich’s was still around). It hung from the ceiling and went through a pink winter wonderland inside the store and then it went outside to the roof top and you rode through an outdoor winter wonderland. My mom used to take me and my sister every year.
This is the original Pink Pig train that I rode when I was little.
Now, they have that on display and they’ve upgraded (or downgraded, if you ask me) to little trolley-like trams that take you through a tent in the Lenox Mall parking lot that is set up like a pink Christmas village. We waited in line for 45 minutes to ride a 2 minute train, but it was totally worth it. And I’m so glad it was my mom who got to take the kids for their first time because she’s the one who used to take me.
Later Sunday night, we met up with the guys at my Aunt Joan and Uncle Tim’s house to see them and my two cousins. My cousin, Abby, graduated this weekend from the University of Georgia (which I will forgive her for) and my cousin, Jake, is in his sophomore year at West Point. They definitely got all the brains in our family.
We don’t get to see my aunt and uncle very often, so it’s always nice to spend some time with them. Their house is beautiful and my Aunt Joan is one of the best hostesses. You can call her about an hour before you show up on her doorstep and she’ll still have a huge spread out for you to eat. I don’t know how she does it.
My Grandma is staying with them through Christmas and so she was there while we opened presents with Joan and Tim’s family. It was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to show pictures of this beautiful butterfly mobile they got Gracie. Bean got, among other things, this stretchy, slimy frog, which he keeps trying to feed his sister.
I actually have a pretty small family, but you’d never know it. I know I never knew it when I was growing up because the small little family that I do have is filled with the love and kindness of hundreds of family members. I think family is the same as Christmas. It doesn’t matter what day you celebrate or what kind of family you have to celebrate with, it is what you make it. And this weekend we made it pretty darn awesome.
Okay, friends. We are continuing our tour through the five trip packages Chris and I have been offered as a winner of the Costa Rica Million Dollar Gift of Happiness giveaway. Don’t forget as you read that we weren’t selected because we are special. We won just like you can win, so head over to their Facebook fan page, enter to win like I did, and then cross your fingers, eyes, and toes.
Package #3: Adventure Package (Guanacaste, La Fortuna, Quepos & Central Valley)
Ya’ll. I’m not trying to persuade you, but this package looks like the PERFECT blend of relaxation and activities. Not to mention that every hotel is amazing! Now, I’ll go wherever you vote to send us, but this one might be at the top of my list.
The first day, we are taken by private driver (someone asked if we have a driver on every package option and the answer is yes, and that same driver will be with us the entire trip, AND he or she will be a translator for us when necessary) to our first hotel, the Hotel Capitan Suizo. Hubba hubba.
We’re at Hotel Capitan for two nights and while we’re there we are able to explore the Tamarindo-Playa Grande area, which is situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, or relax at the hotel in the pools, on the beach, or treat ourselves to spa treatments at the resort.
On our third day, we jump on a plane to our next destination in the northern plains of Costa Rica, La Fortuna de San Carlos. This area is rich in cattle, pineapples, oranges, ornamental plants and other products that Costa Rica exports. One of the most famous attractions in this area is the Arenal Volcano, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world! We arrive at Arenal Kioro Hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring the beautiful resort at the base of the volcano.
Each room at the resort has a glass-front view of the volcano and a jacuzzi. Wowza! On our second day at the Arenal Kioro, we would head out to the Arenal Hanging Bridges. Now – true. I am scared of heights. But when I looked at the website, it doesn’t seem like I’d be hanging freely over caverns. It’s more like just another way to view the rainforest. I think it sounds awesome!
On the fifth day, we head by private car or plane to our third hotel, the Arenal del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort. The resort is in the Central Pacific area of Costa Rica, adjacent to the Manuel Antonio National Park.
While at this hotel, we spend two days with the options of relaxing on the resort grounds in their pools, jacuzzis, or getting spa treatments, or we could take a guided tour through the rainforest which lines the Pacific Coast, taking us through both the rainforest and the beach.
On the seventh day, we travel to the Finca Rosa Bianca Coffee Plantation and Inn. This hotel is beautiful and we have the option of spending our last two days relaxing and enjoying the beautiful bed and breakfast or touring the coffee plantation.
The next day, we jump on a plane home. And I’ll start to cry and wonder why I don’t have a driver, jacuzzi, and drink with an umbrella to meet me at the Orlando airport.
Package #4: Romance Package (Tropical Rainforest in the North, La Fortuna & Guanacaste)
If you’re into relaxing (I am), yoga (I used to be), or relaxing (I am), then this is the package for you. Or me. We spend the first two nights at the El Silencio Lodge and Spa, which is an eco-luxury hotel that focuses on well-being, peace, and silence. Ahhhhhhh…. Not a bad change from a house full of loud kids and smelly dogs. We spend those two days enjoying spa treatments, yoga sessions, and relaxation.
On our third day, we head to La Fortuna de San Carlos, where we can explore the Arenal Volcano. We’ll spend the next two nights at the Arenal Springs Resort and Spa which has 26 colonial style deluxe cabins with breathtaking views of the volcano. The resort also has private horse stables for hiking or horseback riding through trails near the volcano. On our second day at Arenal Springs, we head down to the village of Maleku where a local guide will explain how the Maleku tribe have lived throughout the years. Later, the tribe will actually perform a ceremony called “God-Nature-Man.”
On the fifth day, we will be “privately transferred” (oooohhh la la) to Nosara beach in Guanacaste. Here, we will stay at The Harmony Hotel, where we can do activities such as yoga, meditation, or surfing for the next three days. On the eighth day, we head home.
I feel more balanced and rested already!
Package #5: Wildlife Package (San Ramon, Quepos and Drake)
Our first day on this vacation would put us in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest, which sounds like a pretty spectacular place to be. We’ll spend the first two nights at the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel, which is a property with over 2,000 acres of the Los Angeles Biological Reserve and INBio Research Station. While here, we have the opportunity to take bird watching tours, horseback tours through the rainforest, or tours through the Thermal Hot Springs.
On the third day, we head to the Manuel Antonio National Park where we will stay overnight at the Si Como No Resort Spa and Wildlife Refuge. This resort has a “pure vida” vibe that boasts a private wildlife refuge, butterfly aquarium, crocodile lagoon, and amphibian garden. To put me in touch with the creatures and creepy crawlers of the Costa Rican wildlife!!
On the fourth day, we could either choose to work the organic vegetable plantation or in the rescue program for wild animals. Or, if we wanted, we could just hang out at the resort and relax for the day. Which I should probably do since I tend to kill any plants I touch.
On the fifth day, we head to the Pacific lowland rainforest, National Park of Corcovado. Here, we will stay at the Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge, a 170 acre private reserve bordering Corcovado National Park.
We spend the rest of our trip here, where we could choose to spend a day at Cano Island. Here we can picnic on the beaches, snorkel on the coral reefs, or hike up to burial grounds. Once back to the resort, we can spend our day on bird watching tour with a naturalist guide or just relaxing at the lodge. On the eighth day, we fly home.
******
Well, that’s it. All five packages. I’m excited and relaxed and pumped and dumbfounded all at one time. And in a mindset like that, I just cannot decide on a trip. So, that’s where you all come in. Vote below on which trip you think Chris and I should take. We’re so excited to see where you all send us!!! VOTE NOW! (P.S. The poll looks weird, but it works!)
Loading ...** This is not a paid or sponsored post. I’m just sharing because IT’S FREAKING AWESOME!**
Chris and I are getting the details nailed down for our adventure in Costa Rica in March and part of that means choosing which vacation we want to take. We have a choice of five and we have gone back and forth on several of them, so we decided that we would do what a good blogger should do. We’re going to let you all vote! Below are short little blips on each vacation package we can choose. Read through them and then vote at the end on which one you think Chris and I would enjoy the most. Whatever wins, we’ll do!
Ready?
Set?
GO!
Package One: Authentic Happiness (in The South Caribbean and Manuel Antonio National Park)
This trip gives us an authentic view of Costa Rica and its people. On our first night, we stay at the Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel, which is five miles from the airport in downtown San Jose. The next morning we are picked up by our driver (who we will have all week with us) and taken to the Aerial Tram at Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic. The tram covers a distance of 2.6 kilometers through the treetops of the primary rainforest at a leisurely pace of 2 kilometers per hour. Can you imagine the views we’d see?!?!
That night we are taken to the Almond and Coral Resort, where we will spend three nights. This hotel looks amazing and we’ll spend our time there doing things like exploring the beach (well, that’s what the brochure say… In real life, I’ll be laying on the beach with some kind of fruity drink), exploring the Yorkin River in a dug-out canoe in a tour led by the Bribri people, taking tours of banana and cocoa plantations, and enjoying a candlelit dinner by the beach.
Uhhhh…yes, please.
On the fifth day, we head to the Jaguar Animal Rescue Center in Playa Chiquita where we get to see how they work with injured and rescued rainforest animals to reintroduce them to their natural habitat before they are released back into the rainforest. We’ll get to have direct interactions with monkeys, wild cats, sloths, raccoons, anteaters, marsupials, reptiles, and amphibians. That same afternoon, we’ll take an aerial flight with the Nature Air to the Pacific Coast and Manuel Antonio National Park. (This would be the part of this trip when I’d pop a few Dramamine and pray I didn’t throw up in our tiny helicopter…) That night we’ll stay at the El Parador Resort and Spa. And let me show you this hotel. Holy moly. This hotel boasts a rich breakfast buffet, three ocean-view swimming pools, four superb restaurants, and a world class spa.
Yeah. That’ll do.
The sixth day is a slow day with a guided tour through Manuel Antonio National Park, which is a perfect blend of rainforest and Pacific waters. The seventh day is a full day of leisure. We can hang out around the resort or choose to participate in some optional activities in the local area. Or, we could indulge in spa treatments. (That last one gets my vote!) We leave the next day for home.
Package #2: Adrenaline Happiness (Central Valley, Pacuare River & Caribbean Slopes)
This package is all about exploring remote regions on Costa Rica and experiencing adventure tours at each destination. After a one-night stay at the same Ramada by the airport as in the first package, we travel the next morning to the Pacuare River put-in, where we then white water raft through category four rapids to our resort, the Pacuare Lodge.
And, ya’ll. Let me tell you. This hotel might be the best one in all the packages. We would stay in our own bungalow with a pool. And these things are SWAAAAAAANKY.
The lodge offers 19 different bungalows nestled in the hillside, with river on one side and rainforest on the other. The main lodge building features a restaurant, an open kitchen, and a lounge bar. On the third day of our trip, we get to hang out at the lodge all day, taking a waterfall hike or just hanging out at the resort.
The fourth day, we depart the lodge by rafting through class four rapids again, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. That night we arrive at the Selva Bananito Ecolodge, where we spend two days exploring the rainforest by zip-lining, on horseback, and taking hiking tours.
Our last two nights are spent at the Hacienda Pozo Azul Tent Suites and Ecolodge, where we stay in actual tents on an authentic working ranch and eco-adventure center. We’ll do zip-lining, river rafting, repelling (not for me, but maybe for someone else…), and horseback riding.
We depart the ecolodge and head home the next day.
Okay, I thought I could profile all these trips in one blog post, but I’ve been working on this post for two hours so far and I’m going cross-eyed! These trips are just too awesome to squeeze into one post. So, tomorrow I’ll post the last three trips and the poll. Hang in there… some of the best trips are still to come!
** This is not a paid or sponsored post. I’m just sharing because IT’S FREAKING AWESOME!**
A couple weeks ago, my sister called me. She was pissed. At me. For no reason.
“I hate you and I hate what I’m about to tell you, but as your PR person OR WHATEVER, I’m passing this message on to you.”
Needless to say, I locked both the kids and the dogs in the playroom so I could give her my full attention.
(To protect the pure ears of my readers, I’m going to BEEP Ginny out in the following conversation. She has a mouth like a sailor sometimes…)
“You won a (BEEEEP)ing trip to Costa Rica,” she barked at me.
“I won a what?”
“A trip. To Costa Rica. You (BEEEP).”
Let me back up even further. About a month ago, Ginny sent me a link to a contest called, “The Gift of Happiness,” on Facebook. Apparently, the country of Costa Rica is giving away one million dollars in trips to their beautiful country to people who pursue happiness in their lives. Ginny thought it sounded like me, what with all the “blooming where you’re planted” crap I went through last year. To be entered, you had to “like” the Facebook page and then enter the contest.
So, I did.
Turns out, one of the girls who works at the PR firm who is hosting and promoting this contest knew my sister and so she contacted Ginny – not to tell her that GINNY had won, but to tell her that I had won and could Ginny put her in touch with me.
Sisterhood doesn’t get much more bitter than that, let me tell you.
Being the big person that she is, though, Ginny set up a meeting with Chris and me and the PR company while I was in Atlanta last weekend so that we could get more information about the trip and find out exactly what this whole “Gift of Happiness” thing was all about.
Ya’ll.
YA’LL.
It’s about the coolest, happiest, most incredible thing EVER and you are getting ready to be GREEN with jealousy.
(And, yes, that last sentence DID require TWO words with capitalization.)
(So did that last one.)
Chris and I have, quite literally, been given a gift of complete happiness! They are sending us to COSTA RICA for EIGHT DAYS over my spring break in March. JUST CHRIS AND ME! ALL EXPENSES PAID! We are going to stay in crazy nice hotels (three of them!), tour different parts of the country, and do crazy things like horseback riding up into volcanoes and zip line through the rainforest. AND THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING!
We get to choose from FIVE DIFFERENT PACKAGES, all of which include amazing hotels and incredible opportunities to see and experience Costa Rica.
Dude. Seriously. They’re picking a ton of random people for trips like this! Get ye to their Facebook page and enter yourselves! Then we can sit with our mouths open and USE CAPITAL LETTERS TOGETHER!
I mean, even saying this sounds INSANE! I can’t even believe it! Seriously! I’m actually LAUGHING OUT LOUD as I write this!
We met with the PR team and I tried my hardest not to sit there with my mouth hanging open as they told me about this, but I don’t think I was successful. I’m pretty sure I looked like a freak. But I COULDN’T HELP IT! This is one of the CRAZIEST THINGS THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME!
Next week, I’ll post each of the trip options that we can choose from and, if I ever figure out this new polling thing on my site, I’m going to let you guys vote on which trip option we choose. HOW FUN!
I’ve been to Costa Rica before. I went in high school on a mission trip and, like many mission trips, I left feeling like the people there had made more of an impact on me than I had made on them. Their happiness and contentment with life radiated through each interaction I had with them. I’ve never forgotten that. After the past two years Chris and I have had, I’m not just excited that we have won a trip. I’m excited that we’ve won a trip to Costa Rica. If I’ve learned anything in the last two years of crazy transitions, ups and downs, and successes and failures, I’ve learned that happiness is truly about blooming where you are planted. And nowhere is that philosophy more ingrained than in the Costa Rican culture.
I don’t believe in chance or luck or even fate. I believe in faith and in a Plan bigger than I know or understand. Is it God’s will that I sit on a beach in Costa Rica? Probably not (but wouldn’t that be cool if that was how God worked?!?!). But I do believe that we get exactly what we need in life at the exact time we need it. And never have Chris and I needed happiness more than these past few years.
I’m grateful for Perfect Timing. And for happiness.
And for Costa Rica.
And for luxury hotels.
And for second honeymoons.
But mostly, for the Perfect Timing thing.
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