throwback thursday: glamour shots

I mean really, need I say more? Who didn't get Glamour Shots? It was all the rage when I was still a tween. I see we went with a Native American theme. Happy 13th Birthday to me!

You're welcome. 

throwback thursday: florida

Oh, Florida.

I lived in Florida for approximately 6 months in 2005. And although I try to deny it, the fact is, I totally followed Rob down there. Rob and I met in May 2004 through our mutual friend, Ashley, at Trans Mistakes Airlines. We'd been dating for a little while... maybe 6 months or so, when he took a job flying for Planet Airways. Yes, Lou Pearlman's airline (the guy that started the Backstreet Boys and N'Sync) and who is now currently serving 25 years prison. Not for starting the Backstreet Boys, but for running one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history. I sure did meet him at the company party. Wooot woo... yeah not so much.

After months of playing it cool, and driving/flying between Virginia and Florida to see Rob, I decided to move down there and "get a real job." Not only did Rob help me financially with the move, he also flew to Virginia, packed my car, and drove with me to Florida. I had a 1-bedroom apartment in Indiatlantic, just a few miles from Satellite Beach where Rob lived in a house with a roommate (who he inspired to become a pilot). Heh.

I have good and bad memories of Florida, but really, when I look back at it, I tend to only remember the good. Rob taught me how to surf. I will never forget that weekend and my first time on a board. It changed my life. Oh, and Rob and I were "broken up" when he gave me my first lesson. Hah!
But before those first few lessons, I never "got" why Rob loved surfing so much. I would roll my eyes when he wanted to surf instead of lay out on the beach with me in 95 degree weather, in the direct sun, with 95% humidity, reading US Weekly. As if. Oh, and I get it now.
I will never forget dawn patrolling (early morning surfing) in Cocoa Beach watching the sunrise with Rob.
I will never forget buying my first surfboard, which I had to put on layaway. Of course I still have her! I have bought and sold quite a few boards, but I will never part with Stella.
I will never forget what it felt like to work Monday-Friday 8am-6pm for the first time in my life, and how it felt like I was ALWAYS working... with no free travel benefits.
I will never forget the alligator that lived in the retention pond outside of my office building.
I will never forget those thunderstorms that would roll in every evening and light up the sky in the most amazing way.
I will never forget having THE WORST skin of my life! Way too much humidity.
I will never forget one day in July, after a full morning of surfing, we came back to his house for lunch. He then asked if I wanted to walk back to the beach. When we got there, he proposed.
Great memories. Beautiful memories.

Forget the bad times because here we are... years later, living a life I could have never imagined then. It was a time in our lives where God really showed Himself to us in a big way.

I can't even with my hair.

Celebrating my 24th birthday.

The view from my balcony.

My first (and only?) surf injury. The fins got me!

When Planet Airways got shut down, Rob got hired by a cargo company. They didn't have a base in Florida, and I thought, "Here we go again. I just moved down here, and he's moving again!" But, he proposed, and I knew I'd be moving with him... forever. 

We left Florida in September 2005 on a cross-country drive to Santa Barbara, California just after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the South and completely changed our original route to the West Coast. Our cars were packed, and not only was it my first time living in California, but it was also my first time IN California. Ever. And nothing but grand adventures from here on out. 

throwback thursday: our honeymoon

Hopping on the "Throwback Thursday" bandwagon, I thought it'd be fun to share a few pictures from Rob and I's honeymoon in Belize in May 2006. We had a bit of honeymoon drama, as some may remember. We had already planned our honeymoon to La Paz, Mexico. EVERYTHING had already been reserved and payed for.

A few weeks before our wedding, the airline we were going to take, Aero California, was shut down. Read about that jank ass airline here. But seriously, this was a HUGE blessing in disguise. I couldn't imagine a more "us" and perfect honeymoon than the one we had. We did a lot of last minute emails and phone calls, and our trip to Belize was set. And it only took us 6 months to get our money back from the airfare on Aero JankAssAirline.

Belize was beautiful and tropical and just our speed.

Waiting at the El Salvador International Airport for our flight to Belize City. 

Getting ready to hop on our itty bitty airplane to Placencia, Belize.

On the aforementioned airplane. We took off and landed several times, on gravel runways/roads, before we made it to Placencia. 

Welcome to Placencia!

SoulShine Resort and Spa. We slept in a cute little thatched cabana. It was a pretty far cry from a "resort."

Hiked in the jungle in Monkey River Town. My first time seeing monkeys in the wild, as opposed to in the zoo.

Spelunking! We explored some Mayan Ruins. This trip also included river tubing and jumping off cliffs into the river.

In order for us to leave the resort, we had to take a little canoe across the water. We wanted to explore and the canoe was parked on the other side. Rob hijacked a random kayak, threw it in the canoe, put the kayak back where he found it, and across we went. 

I suppose this post is unintentionally appropriate. On April 29th, Rob and I will be celebrating 7 years of marriage - the best 7 years of my life.