our CARIBBEAN adventure

Who knew that going to the Southern Caribbean would be so spectacular? Well I think we all kinda think that, and let me tell you that all my expectations were met and were even better that what we could have hoped for. Every time we reached a new location, I thought to myself 'this is the most beautiful place my eyes have ever seen.' It happened time after time. However, after much contemplation, I decided St. Maarten was my favorite.

Each place had something fabulous to offer, but I made my decision and that is that!

Blake's favorite place was probably St. Lucia but it was a tough choice for him also. St. Lucia was seriously UNBELIEVABLE but it was a rainly, cloudy day so we couldn't get the full effect, but the views were B-E-A-Utiful! (sorry the clouds are covering the tops)

There are two famous peaks called the Pitons (pee-tons) and it was such an amazing thing to see. Two HUGE peaks just shooting out of the water with lush rain forest/jungle covering them from top to bottom. St. Lucia is on Oprah's list of Places You Have to See and I know why! We went snorkeling at Jalousie Bay which is right between the two peaks and the coral there was AMAZING! This is the resort that is there. It's exactly what I picture when I picture a resort in the Caribbean...what about you?

Anyway, here are our FAVORITE THINGS about each island:

1. St. Thomas- Best snorkeling/clearest water/best banana daiquiri

2. Barbados- We got to swim with sea turtles and that was SO SO FUN!

3. St. Lucia- Most Beautiful Landscape (ps..coconut water is GROSS)

4. St. Kitts- Rented scooters and made our way around the WHOLE island almost running out of gas...

5. St. Maarten- Gorgeous water/most clean

Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to finish by giving a few (what we found to be) helpful tips...

1. Bring your own snorkel gear! It gave us something to do on every island for free!

2. We ordered room service every morning and got sandwiches to pack in ziplock bags to take for lunch. Also saved us money because we didn't have to buy food on the islands.

3. Sometimes renting a car is cheaper than getting taxis, especially if you have a few people to split the cost with.

4. Going to the shows on the ship was fun! "Free" entertainment that was usually pretty good.

5. We took our own camelbak and filled it with ice and water from the ship so we had something cold to drink with water we trusted.

6. Be sure to catch at least one sunset!

We had the BEST time and hope to go on another cruise again someday!

As of Late...

To CELEBRATE this...

We did THIS...

And it was the best vacation! We left out of Puerto Rico, spent 7 days in the Caribbean, went to 5 different islands (including: St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten), spent one day in Puerto Rico upon our return, got back to Idaho, packed up our loot, drove 14 hours, and ended up here... our cruise deserves a post of it's own, so I will get on that soon..ish

Life certainly has been crazy for us the past few months, but we are loving the direction our "ship has sailed" (get it? Cause we were just on a ship...) Arizona is super HOT but we are loving it thus far! Our apt is wonderful and I will upload some photos soon, you know, just in case you want to picture us in our new environment. Anyway, there's an update. Don't be too jealous! It's bad for you-

Our New Toy

With the last of our wedding money, we bought a new something to document our lives. Can't wait 'til something exciting happens so we can keep the memory in an HD form :) I guess Blake's Graduation in a few weeks will get to start things off...I hear that those are kind of a big deal.

My six years of living in Rexburg are coming to an end. However, we are excited to be moving to Phoenix to start a new chapter in our lives. Blake has a job with PetSmart. He will be a buyer for their company and is very excited about it, as am I! My little boy is growing up, and his wifey is sure proud!

I love Farmers

Something about this unshaven, greasy, covered in dirt, smells like the shop guy makes my heart go pitter-patter :) Love my Farm Boy!

The Pics I Promised

I FINALLY found my camera cord! Here are a few pictures from the Jazz game.

We Love Vacations!

We had our annual St. George boating trip and it was a much needed vacation. Blake has become some die hard wakeboarder and is already passing me up! He claims he'll be flipping and flying one of these days. Now, he's trying to clear the wake and was almost successful :)

We played some tennis, went swimming, and even convinced my dad to go to the mall. Sunburns, long drives, and sore bodies were 100% worth it!

Life is ROUGH!

It's spring. The NBA Playoffs, our favorite thing!

Jazz vs. Nuggets. Game 6. Jazz lead series 3-2.

Dad calls and within an hour we're on our way!

Life's Rough, but I accept the challenges :)

(pics coming soon)

The Day I Used to Dream About

The days leading up to our wedding day were FUN, EXCITING, and BUSY! There were so many helpers and I'm so grateful! Thanks so much, the day was PERFECT!

Finally, the day has arrived! November 7 was the best day of my life! I sat inside the temple doors with my one and only and was told we could be together forever. We sat in the Celestial Room before our sealing and I don't even know what we said to each other because all I could hear was my heart beating so hard in my little ears. I was a nervous girl holding hands with a nervous boy. However, the next 30 minutes were the best 30 minutes I've ever experienced. It truly was the HAPPIEST day of my life! I love you, Blake

A Day in the City

So, yesterday was a day or exploration and new activities for us newly established Beckers. A gal who works with Blake set us up for a tour of the captiol building. Blake kept trying to sneak away from the group and expore blocked off hallways, but I think he could tell by my face that I wasn't loving his attempt to break rules.

I went and walked around DC for the rest of the day while Blake went back to work. I went to a museum, walked around all the memorials and found my uncles name on the Vietnam Memorial, and hung out at the park across the street from the white house. I felt pretty hip hop doing this stuff, excpet I felt more dumb being the lone ranger walking around the big city.

Anyway, five o'clock finally rolled around and Blake and I started our trek to the Wizards vs. Cavs game. It was sweet! We chowed on our nachos and enjoyed becoming LeBron haters for the night. Wizards killed the Cavs and the Verizon Center was crazy. I am loving this city life while it lasts!