Vacation; PART 1

I have been so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so... did I say so, so, so... overwhelmed with school and work lately that blogging has not even crossed my mind. I am finally thrilled to say I am fully registered for all my college classes and will be graduating this December!

HORRAY!

So anyway, we just got back from vacation, which is part of the reason school is stressing me out now. Writing papers and giving presentations just does not compare to lying on the beach and sipping fruity drinks. Now its back to the real world. 

I will have to blog about our incredible trip in segments because...

1. I should be doing homework and can't waste too much time on here. 

2. There is a million bajillion pictures that would overload your computer. 

3. There was so much wonderful fun I could not possible pack it in one post. 

So here is a quick summary of
DAY 1

I made this fun "Bride" sweatshirt to wear on the plane, since technically we considered this our "honeymoon trip". I was kind of hoping to get a free flight upgrade or something!
We did end up flying first class, but we paid for it....boo

I thought my jacket turned out cute, although I will change the font if I make another one. 

I bought the hoodie during the summer on clearance for $2.99 at Rue 21, and used hot glue to bedazzle it with multi-colored rhinestones which I bought from Hobby Lobby. I am considering selling them on Etsy at some point in the future. 

So after a short layover in Atlanta,
WE FINALLY ARRIVE IN MIAMI!

where we were met by the two most wonderful people in the world, sweet Kyle and Nicholl Vincent, our best friends. (You can view this post to read all about them.)

This is not exactly what they looked like when they greeted us at the airport,
its just an Easter picture, but I just had to share.
Aren't they cute???

After sharing some enthusiastic squeals and twirling hugs we headed on our way to...

Priority numero uno, PROJECT FOOD!

(even though we had just eaten in Atlanta, like an hour before) 

first stop in Miami; Arepas.

a·re·pa

noun /äˈrāpə/
arepas, plural

A corn pancake, sweetened or unsweetened, often filled with meat, cheese and or vegetables eaten in Venezuela and Colombia.

(And Miami in our case.)

We love them, and Mark is not a very adventurous eater, so that is saying a lot!!! There is nothing in Memphis that compares. Nicholl is sending me arepa mix from Columbia (don't forget Nicholl)!

Yummmm, You all must try one if you ever get the chance. 

We then headed to the Vincents home where I finally met sweet baby Cooper. Mia would have loved to meet him. He was a sweet angel! Mia and Cooper are long distance BFF that have never met.

After dinner and puppy play time we rested a bit and then hit South Beach! 

Nicholl and I love to get dressed up and were so excited to finally be reunited with one another we could barely stand it! So we primped in normal fashion and were then ready to hit the town! After finding an awesome parking spot right next to the restaurant we went to meet up with the lovely Ashley Durham and her sweet roommate Maria.

(Quick back story; Ashley is the sweetest girl you will ever meet, we go way back to high school double dates, boat rides, and watching Lord of the Rings! She was also a sorority sister and close friend in college and I love her to death. In 2011 she took some time away from the school to compete in Miss USA, which she was 1st runner-up in. Shortly after the pageant she signed a contract with FORD model mgmt and was temporarily moved to Miami. It was a blessing to get to see her during our vacation. Mark and I have missed her so much!)

Maria, Ashley, Me, Nicholl. 

We think she is totally a superstar and are so blessed to know such an incredible woman! She is even more beautiful inside than she is on the outside. I know that seems impossible to imagine. 

Get it girl!

Like I said, we also had the privilege of meeting her sweet roommate Maria Montgomery. Maria also competed with Ashley in Miss USA 2011 where she finished top 5, and now also models for FORD. Both Ashley and Maria are definitely the exception to the typical beauty queen stereotype. They are the most genuine girls you could ever know. It was such a pleasure to meet Maria.

she is pretty incredible too, right??

We had a wonderful dinner on the porch at "Pizza Rustic" where Nicholl and I shared a huge piece of Pizza (and considered ordering another, but decided not to) and then hit up a yummy yogurt bar for dessert. It was a great night, and a wonderful idea to end it with a sweet treat (thanks Ashley)!

Mark and I were so sad to say our goodbyes to sweet Ashley. But we will see her soon! We are so excited to see her graduate this May. (She is still graduating college in a total of 4 years after taking time off for the pageant, and taking online classes while in Miami. Not to mention she is graduating with honors. I told you, she is an incredible lady. We are truly lucky to call her friend.)

Check out my terrified looking expression.

needless to say,

Day 1 in Miami; Success!

I promise to continue to update as soon as possible, for now its back to homework!

The next 9 days were just as great, look back soon!

-M

P.s. Am I the only one who edits their blog post like 20 times?? I swear I've added to this one like a billion times since when I published it. It's done now, I promise.

I am truly avoiding homework in my normal fashion.