Ft.Myers Beach Fun

Our time at the beach was really enjoyable. Tricia, Hector and family stayed with us both weekends in the condo. It was fun spending time with them and the kids. Most days we swam at the pool or beach, the kids and men played ping pong or pool while the girls relaxed by the pool or watched movies. We grilled out, went to a few restaurants but all in all just enjoyed laughing a lot!

Since we weren’t able to have the condo for Tricia’s birthday, we celebrated early. We took the adults on a sunset cruise on the water where Michelle and Rafael joined us. That night was so much fun, lots of drinks and even more laughter!!

The guys were hilarious, but then again, this is always how they act together.

On Tuesday night I was happy to be able to meet up with my ex-step brother, Matt, and his wife. We spent several hours catching up, sharing old stories about childhood and laughing. It was nice to see him and I enjoyed the time spent with them. Really hoping the relationship will grow as I miss him and his sister from my life. ❤️

The next day we had to pack up and head back to Ocala for a few nights before we hit the road for a mini trip to Orlando with the pups and Annie Too. We plan to see Rob and Kris and ride some rides at Universal. Can’t wait!!

Visiting Family in Naples

On Wednesday, we drove down to Naples to see my Aunt and Uncle. Keith was able to get in another golf day but this time with my Uncle and two of his friends. I was able to find a Groupon for them at Eagle Lakes Golf Course, which according to them, was a great deal. So off they went to play 18 rounds of golf in the hot sun.

My Aunt and I spent the day shopping and then finished it off with a glass of bubbly. We mainly stuck to the Home Goods and Marshall's so I could find some home items for the RV. Spoiler alert, I did!

The guys came back exhausted and hungry so we headed to the beach for dinner and drinks. I had the second best Bloody Mary I've had on this trip. The golf course in Ft.Myers is still the winner! 

It was a great day but we were both tired and ready to crash. Thanks family for having us - we love you all!!

Visiting Family in Parkland

While we are in Florida we wanted to also find time to spend with some family who also live in the state. Last time we were here we tried to see my cousins in Parkland, but were unable to get down there. Thankfully this trip, we made it happen!

So, On Monday, we headed South. They took us to a cute little ocean side town where we went to this dog friendly restaurant, the Nautidawg Marina Cafe. It was in such an adorable area, the weather was great and the company was perfect. I forgot to snap pictures but I did get this shot of the cute Easter egg colored homes on the street. Doesn't it look like a happy place?! It was a great day and we can't wait to go back down and visit them again!

Side note... I hadn't ever been to the Parkland area but it appears to be a lovely town. Sadly, as most of you know, they have had some really horrible times with the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. My cousins kids were in school during the shooting and have become huge advocates for the March For Our Lives movement and we couldn't be prouder of them!

Please take some time to support the Never Again movement and the March For Our Lives. They are making some amazing steps forward and we support them. 

#neveragain

My DNA Results

I found the results to be pretty interesting. It also appears they have identified 279 genetic variants that can be traced to the Neanderthals. 

Not sure how I feel about that...

Our First Trip to the Movies

Keith and I used to go to the movies a lot more but since moving to Mexico over a year ago, we haven't gone at all. We have been trying to do more things that we don't normally do. 

So, on a Sunday afternoon we jumped in the car, drove to Playa Del Carmen and headed to Cinépolis Las Américas. They show movies in English with Spanish subtitles or movies dubbed in Spanish. We weren't really sure how to read the board to see which was which so I had to message a friend for help. Sadly we missed the movie we wanted to see due to the very long lines. So, we opted for the Fantastic Beast movie.

One thing we didn't take into account was the fact that Sunday's tend to be the day all the Mexican families are out and about - the beaches are packed, stores are full and apparently so are the movie theaters. The odd thing was there was another line but it was empty. I didn't pay much attention to it until it was too late. It appears you can join their movie club for $46 pesos ($2.25 USD for the year). I kid you not, we stood in line for 1 hour to get tickets and then 45 for popcorn... Not sure why we opted to do that but I think we figured we are here, might as well. I did try and but the movie pass while in line but was having issues with my signal. Anyways, next time I will be prepared with the membership as those lines only had a few people in them...

As for food, we tried a new place to us - Celia Taco's. We both enjoyed al pastor tacos, a cheese and chorizo appetizers and plenty of sauces to choose from. The food was really good and the restaurant had a really cool hip vibe to it. On the way out they had a Bart Simpson as El Chappo (El Barto) and a Make Playa Great Again sign - it gave me a chuckle. My kinda place!!

Twenty Day USA Trip Wrapped Up

Keith and I left on September 21st to fly to Ohio to see my family and to go see John Mayer in concert at the Bourbon & Beyond festival.

My wonderful father let us use his car to drive to Louisville on Saturday to see the festival. It had rained the whole day and just kept on raining. Check out this video to see what I mean... Lenny Kravitz and John Mayer were amazing!! The festival ended up being cancelled for day 2 due to the park being destroyed from all the rain. It really was a nightmare in regards to the water and mud - music wise, it was awesome!

My worst nightmare came true at the festival... I dropped my cell phone ON THE FLOOR of a muddy port-o-potty!!! Muddy floor. Toilet. At a festival of 1000’s of people. (My brain was screaming bloody murder) 😱 I know what you’re thinking, “are you sure it’s mud, Tarah ?” It’s mud, shut up!!! Besides this horror, we did get back to Ohio and realized the next day someone had hit my fathers car... Our affordable trip just became much more expensive for us as we plan to pay to get it fixed for him. I can't believe someone hit us and drove us... Jerks!

During the trip we decided to make a side trip to Lake Ozark in Missouri. We have been wanting to buy a 2nd property for awhile and with Lake Ozark offering more lake front property than California we decided to check it out. We spent two days there exploring the area and with a realtor. 

We are happy to report we found a place and hope to close in early November! If you haven't been, you should. It's a beautiful area that revolves around lake living. My dream!! I blame my grandparents as they had lake front homes and boats and it was a life I dreamed to have as it was always so enjoyable!

Our adorable grandkids

On the 30th we flew to Nevada to rent a car and drive to Arizona. We were so excited as the grandkids, Alexis and Zavier, as they are in Nevada. We were thrilled to see them and their mother, Miranda, for breakfast. It was so much fun seeing them and catching up. They are getting so big. Alexis has started school and Zavier is so much more chatty than when we last saw him. We miss them so much so seeing them was a highlight of our trip!

After seeing them we drove to Lake Havasu City where Keith grew up. He showed me his high school and the house he grew up in. We also were able to see several of his high school friends for dinner, which was really nice. While there we also saw our Pruvit team members, Chris and Dani Webb. They are so inspirational and they really do live a life of health and wellness, one we'd like to emulate. 

While there, it was our 2 year wedding anniversary (October 1st). We decided to go to dinner at Shugrue's. We've had the most amazing time together in these 2 years of marriage - I can't wait to see what the next 40+ years bring!

We wrapped up or Lake Havasu trip with breakfast with Lester, Keith's HS buddy. We then drove to the Grand Canyon to stay with another HS friend, Sara, for 2 nights. She and her husband live and work in the park. First night there we met Sara for sunset over the Grand Canyon - I had never been there before so it was quite the sight. I knew it was big but it is BIG!!! So glad I was able to experience it!

Our last stop on this 20 day tour was Phoenix. We had found out the Foo Fighters would be performing there and Keith has always wanted to see them. We were lucky enough to see one more HS friend, Tiffany and her husband, for dinner. the next night we met with another Pruvit team member, Shelley, she also was an inspiration. After this trip we feel so empowered by this company and are looking forward to building our business. That night was the Foo Fighters concert and it was GREAT! 

I fell in love with Arizona and can't wait to go back!

We flew home on October 10th during hurricane Michael so our flight was a bit delayed - thankfully we were able to get home safe and sound. The dogs were happy to see us after being gone so long - we really did miss them!

Can't wait till our next big trip!! :)

Our Family Came to Visit us in the Riviera Maya

Dinner at Alux in Playa

Our family recently visited for 10 days to escape the cold weather of Ohio. Keith and I tried to be good this time and build an itinerary so we didn't wake up each morning saying "hmmm, what should we do today" to 6 different people. Surprisingly, it worked out really well and I think everyone was pretty happy.

Here is what we suggested (however, we didn't always follow this plan):

Jackson enjoyed All Inclusive day!

Monday:

Breakfast at Lolha

Tulum/Coba Ruins

Dinner at our home - we invited friends over to meet the family

Tuesday:

Xpu-Ha beach for kayaking, lunch and light shopping

Dinner at a local restaurant

Wednesday:

Day trip to Valladolid - sightseeing and shopping

Thursday:

Burrito Amor for lunch 

Pool day

Dinner at La Lunita

Friday:

Cenote Azul

Happy Hour at Lolha

Dinner at Traverna (Italian)

Cooking class was a winner!

Saturday:

Monkey Sanctuary 

The Dining Experience in Tulum

Sunday:

All Inclusive day at Bahia Principe (pool, food and drinks)

Monday:

Cooking class with Lily in Tulum

Pool in the afternoon

Dinner at Alux in Playa

Mamitas Beach Club

Tuesday:

Catamaran Trip 

Dinner in Puerto Adventura

Wednesday - Playa Del Carmen for the day:

Mamitas Beach Club

Spa day for the ladies

Beach day for the men

Early dinner at the beach club

Thursday:

Breakfast at La Buena Vida

On Thursday, everyone flew home... We think it went well - everyone was still talking to one another after those 10 days, so that's a win in our book! ;)