Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Can you say SPOILED?

We can. Dang spoiled. This is where we were last week. This is where our kids werewith this amazing woman.
Yeah, it ruled.

Byron had a conference at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. His conference, air fare and hotel room paid for. It was rough. Actually I still can't believe we were there! It is an amazing concept to me, we are so dang lucky.

The resort is located on a tiny island called Paradise Island. We decided that while we were there it was
almost Paradise Island. It was uncharacteristically cold and windy. Now, lest anyone thinks I'm complaining, let me inform you I am not. I am just trying to explain why I came back from a 5 day trip to the Bahamas just as pasty white as your average midwinter Michigander. Believe me, I would NOT complain about a five day trip anywhere without kids, let alone to the Bahamas. It was absolutely wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating, and downright fun. Just not in the sun.

We had two views from our corner hotel room.
We chose to look out the second one the most.

Byron had conference every morning, afternoons off, conference in the evenings, and nights off.
That meant sleeping in for me, reading in bed, running OUTSIDE, and hanging out by the pools waiting for Byron and for the sun. This is how he typically found me. These were all the people who were joining me. Wimps. It wasn't that cold, it was in the 60's!

We took a ferry across the harbor to Nassau to do some shopping in the markets
and found some yummy Bahamian food: conch fritters (mostly fritter, little conch).
We had a great time exploring the resort and all the marine life. We decided the sharks are much better to watch in the cool aquariums they have all over, not at night in the open pools just next to your sidewalk path. Cool, but creepy. We also had fun finding different places to eat and just being able to talk instead of shoving food into four other tinier mouths.
Friday the sun did come out for about an hour and a half. (Yes, we took a picture, it was thrilling!)
We cheered, we warmed up and we did some sweet waterslides and rides. Saturday afternoon the sun came out and smiled down on us and amazingly enough, the clouds didn't come back. We actually applied some sunscreen, swam in the ocean, and soaked up what sun we could while trying to not get blown away. Sunday when we woke up to leave for the airport, it was all blue skies, not a cloud to be seen, with a nice island breeze. It was the Paradise Island we knew existed. Just our luck.
I guess we'll just have to go back another time...

11 comments:

Jana said...

Never, in my whole life, have I ever known anyone, ANYONE, who has more fun than you two. I just don't get it. I read my scriptures and pray with my family, I go to church and temple, I do everything I am supposed to do; and yet, I have never been as lucky as you.

What's your secret?

I have a feeling its your mother. Free and ready child care seems to be the key to most successful adventures.

I'm happy for you - jealous - but happy. Serves you right the sun never came out! :)

Lisa said...

Sounds like our trip. Kind of windy and cold (until the day we went to the airport), but in the end, who's complaining? Not me!

Glad you two had such a great time!

Amy said...

I thought I'd better jump on the computer and comment after getting chewed out this morning! It looks like you guys had soooo much fun!! I'm jealous about the beach, even though it was cold. Glad you still roughed it alone out there on the lawn chairs. Oooh, it makes me long for a get away vaction on the beach (even though we just had one last May in Maui. It just seems really long ago).

Ben, Telia, Aeden and Eliza said...

What a fun time! It just looks incredible there. Blue skies, beautiful water, Wow, what a trip. Thanks for sharing. By the way, are those alligators in the water?

Janie said...

So fun! I remember seeing that gorgeous hotel from a boat while going to one of the little islands there--it is amazing! You totally deserve to be spoiled, and I am so glad you got to go!

Sharon said...

I think I saw about 3,000 commercials for that place after you told me about it. It made me a little bit jealous...I'm glad you had a great time! Were the sun glasses sufficient?

Jill said...

Yeah for moms! I'm glad you guys had a good time! Such a perfect time to get away from MI!

kesli said...

I love that you wrapped yourself in a towel at the pool. I think everyone here in MI would have done the same thing just to be outside in 60 degree weather!! Glad you had fun. Lucky.

Marcie and Holly said...

We love this place! We stopped there on our cruise and spent the day at Atlantis. We would love to go back and stay there. We are jealous!

kami said...

I've always wanted to go there. I am like you and would have been out by the pool with my towels wrapped around me. When you live somewhere freezing cold...you gotta take what you can get.

On Sunday, we're off to Kauai for CME. I'm hoping to see some sun and get a Hawaiian tan...but if not...time away from the kids and just seeing the sun makes it all worth it. Our moms are angels!!!

Glad you had a good time!

jenny said...

I would be so bummed you didn't get sun until you were almost leaving. Glad you did make the best of it. 5 days with no kids sounds like a dream!