St.Martin [day 2]

So Tuesday of our vacation, I asked that Joe let me just sleep a little bit.  I had no dogs to take care, no baby, no breakfast to make, no clothes to iron, and I just wanted to rest.  He was up at 6 and out the door…I slowly got up around 8 and went down to the beach where I found him sitting.

We ended up staying there all day!  We ate lunch at the outdoor cafe and just walked around the hotel.

The little bar, not opened for the day yet. 

Pretty much what I did when we weren't on the beach.

Obligatory waiting for my hubby selflies.

Seriously, I LOVED this dress. It was an impromptu purchase from Express. [ON sale now! ]

I loved how it had two layers; the inner was fitted but the outer flowed.

Should have used the flash. Oh well!

Off to dinner pics!

We love #awkwardselfies

We went down to Grand Case and kind of went through some questionable areas.  The main strip wasn't too bad, but the side streets were, well…interesting.

This is the restaurant I made reservations at online; it was rated #1 on Trip Advisor.

The owner Pascal came out to meet us because we told the waiter Momo told us to ask for him. (The owner from the restaurant the night before.)  He was very nice and his food was good; it was very traditional French.

Again, no photos, but Joe had the Dover Sole and they deboned it all fancy-like at the table.  I went super traditional and ordered Veal [I never eat it, but it was highly recommended]  Overall it reminded of eating in France; nothing was bad, but it was all very very rich.  We probably wouldn't go back, simply because there are so many other restaurants we would want to try as well!

As we sat outside watching tourists walk by and all the different walks of life, it was embedded in my mind how fortunate we were to take time away, again, just us two.  The day to day [hamster wheel of life] can become mundane and often taken for granted. Stepping out of our home, our comfort zones and truly exploring a new island, was just so incredible.  It definitely opened my eyes a bit and helped refresh my outlook on life.  

St. Martin {Day 1}

Our resort was GORGEOUS.  If you're looking for a family friendly {or even a romantic couple} destination, this place is hands down one of my favorites, if not my favorite place we have stayed.

Radisson Blu

Funky tree outside our room!

 Upon arriving, we were greeted with tropical drinks.  Inside our room was a bunch of fresh fruit!

Our view outside of our little balcony…



Amazing what a real camera can do! LOL

Vs. Iphone

We ran right down to the beach and stuck our toes in the warm water.

Joe loved all the iguanas

We were a little tired from all of the traveling, but a nice shower and a cute new summer outfit helped for sure!!  I had all this extra time after I got ready, while waiting for hubs…I can't imagine why? Oh that's right; I only had myself to take care of! No diaper changes, meals/snacks prepped, diaper bag packed, or anything. Baby girl was in good hands and having a ball with her grandparents.  What a relaxing feeling!

So?  I took some selfies….

Pardon the "Vibrant" setting---great for landscapes not so much people…oops.

Joe found a restaurant on trip advisor and we had the front desk make reservations.  {Not that we probably needed them} But first we drove around and took in some of St. Martin's beauty.

My handsome guy.  I am so grateful he took time away with just me; we just fell in love all over again. We missed Brooke a lot, but we knew she was being well taken care of.  The setting sun was just absolutely beautiful.

We had an incredible first night meal here at Ti Bouchon (cork in French!)   Seriously, check out the menu. It doesn't do what we ate justice, as it was SO contemporary and well presented!! I ordered this "caprese salad" but the tomato was actually a jelly (made from tomato, strained, no seeds, very complicated!) and the mozzarella was whipped!  There were scallops and fancy basil pesto. Oh my. It was heavenly…

As was my Duck (yes, I ordered duck and it was fantastic!)  He used the duck fat to roast these potatoes in as a side---we died. Soooo good!

For dessert it was a fancy creme brûlée, but the eggs were cooked. I was STUFFED.  {plus the loaves of French bread consumed were just ridiculous}

Unfortunately we didn't take many photos.  It was so intimate because it was simply, Joe, myself, the owner, and his cooks!  I wanted to take pictures but at the same time, I'm loving simply "living" and enjoying the moment.

#selfie Us and Momo!  He was so cool. He stood and talked to us through our entire meal.  He is from France, but lived in Spain and loves living in St. Martin during the busy season.

We loved it so much we were going to eat there our last night, but he was closed. That's ok, we will just have to return some day!!

Our hotel was very close to the restaurant, but it's a crazy drive up a mountain and down the other side to get to it. I think Joe really enjoyed it, but I could see it becoming a little annoying day after day.  Our first night, ok every night, was relatively early and we were in bed by 10.  R & R is what it's all about, especially when you're a mom and dad.

The Day of the Mother

Haha I dunno, I am just in a silly mood. Perhaps it's because I have SO much catching up to do and I want to do is play in the sun with Brooke, blog, and bake.  :)  I feel so revived from our vacation and cannot wait to share our relaxing getaway.  But first, let's talk about Mother's Day.

Some days I still cannot believe I am really a mom.

It's everything I hoped and more; there are hard days and trying moments.  And there are moments of perfection; like my daughter dancing and spinning in circles to one of her favorite songs, all while smiling.

Mommy.

Mama.

Mum.

Mere.

It changes you; inside out.

I woke up to let the dogs out and saw this gorgeous pink bouquet of all my faves! Some haven't even opened yet.  Thank you hubby and Brooke!

We waited (and munched on homemade Italian cookies) while Daddy ran and got us Panera for breakfast.

We were pretty tired from traveling home, so we did not do a bunch of running around.  I really just wanted some family of three time; I wanted to see my little girl play at the park.

Daddy had just as much fun on the playground!

She  LOVED the slide.

Such a goofy girl.

"wheeeeeeee"

I am not gonna lie. I MISSED one on one time with her. Taking a vacation was just what the Dr. ordered. I had so much fun running our errands today and we even picked up a new little picnic table.

I still haven't swallowed the price of a water table yet; so we just pulled out some bowls and such and I filled those with water.

I hit up Wal-Mart because she just keeps GROWING!! 3T for my 16 month old.  She's a big girl!

I could NOT resist this cute outfit for the 4th?!

And totally random, but this is my new BFF.  I cannot believe I have waited this long! I still shampoo/condition my hair and then spray a little--voila!  No tangles! Love love love.

I promise to share more on this later; I will leave you with a little sneak peak.  Hubby works SO hard for us, that I really make sure we do get time away. (beg, nag, plead, whatever you want to call it) and he kept thanking me for making him getaway.  He loves to work; it's in his blood.  But it's important to relax a little every now and again and enjoy all that hard earned money.  We were absolutely spoiled in St. Martin.

Flashback Friday ::St. Martin::

Ah….memories.  That was the last time hubby and I went away.  Just the two of us.  No baby.  No family or friends. Just us two.  I look at these photos and grin ear to ear because we had SO much fun.  It was a week long cruise and we stopped at 5 different islands and just had an absolute ball.  One island that we stopped at, we just fell in love with.  St. Martin.  We ended up stopping there again on my sister's wedding cruise, but being in my first trimester, it wasn't exactly the crazy and spontaneous vacay I was hoping for.  

Hence the OJ… haha!

I know I've mentioned it before, but in our original e-mail between one another, Joe told me that one day he would travel the world with his queen.  {I just had no idea it'd be me!}  I am so pumped to be getting away with just him for a few days!!

I can't get over this resort we will be staying at!! How beautiful.

It's not going to be easy being away from my little angel, but I do know that it is healthy for my husband and I to bond and spend quality time just us two.  He works crazy demanding hours and even on his off days, he's still working. {like right now} I respect that, but also know that if you work hard, you should play hard!! And so we will. I know we will make some fantastic memories and hey, maybe even scope out a place to bring Brooke back to one day when she is older!!

I can't help but to be over the moon about not having to load and unload the dishwasher for a few days straight! I legit run the thing 1-2 times a day.  We eat so many meals at home (for health and cost reasons) and once in awhile, mama needs a break!! OK OK, so we may have even had a little fish fry tonight [thanks carb ease!]  But being around other fabulous cooking actually does inspire me in the kitchen. I love trying island food and I have no doubt this trip won't disappoint!  That's why we don't even get all inclusive; we love to explore what natives eat.  

Joe has done a little research and it seems like the fine dining in Grand Case may be our best bet for some fabulous dinners!! I am just going to eat the whole time…well and walk the beaches, so I can eat more!! Woop!

Speaking of, I just made us reservations for this place L'Auberge Gourmande  It's rated #1 in this Grand Case area.  Yay!

Oui. Oui.  Je suis très heureux!!