Ixtapa

I have been gearing up to try and even put into words the trip we took back in October.  To celebrate 10 years of marriage, to the day.  Coming up on 15 years of being together next month.  Almost half of my life has been shared with my man.  Such richness, such joy of being together for so long.  Someone asked me recently why stay married when people eventually grow apart, sleep in separate bedrooms, etc.   I just about gasped as I retorted that I wouldn't go back to the early years of marriage.  Not when you are so full of happiness of where you are at right now. 

I would love to have some wonderful photos from the wedding years.  But that might not come until 2012.  But you can imagine at age 22 and almost 22 (Derek is a wee bit younger than his old lady) just how naive we were.  No idea what the Lord had in store for us.  We have lived in so many places, been through lots of rough patches, but how thankful I am to still be in love with my high school sweetheart.  When I can let my mind settle from the daily tasks he can still give me those butterflies.  The Lord is good, and that is the only reason our marriage is what it is today.

When we were deciding on where to go, we didn't want a big time change, didn't want a beach but more of a pool atmosphere, and wanted it to be fairly close by plane.  That's when I noticed the Bethancourts had just returned from a dream vacation.  And somehow it met all of our requirements.  So uncharacteristically we booked the place without doing a shred of research.

It wasn't until about a week before our trip when we started getting the low down that we realized what a jewel we had found.  We boarded a plane, and two hours later arrived (still in central time!) in the Ixtapa airport.   After a lovely 30 minute taxi ride, we arrived at Capella Ixtapa.

I want to go back.  Tomorrow.  But I can't.  So instead I will just try to portray how we took the most relaxing and spiritually refreshing vacation we have ever been on.  Ever.  Almost like the honeymoon we never had.

It was worth every penny.   The service was impeccable.  I loved how we somehow chose the rainy season to come and yet it never rained.  I love how the place wasn't that full so we felt like we owned the place.  I love how the waitstaff took turns changing roles.  One morning we would get a guy bringing us breakfast and would later see him at the pool.

I miss Jorge, Felix, Omar, Alex, Nancy, Azucena, Fernando, and Pepe.  I wish I knew Spanish better so that I could convey how much I wanted to pray for them.  So instead I showed them through our actions of not being a typical pompous white face expecting the royal treatment.  More on that in a bit.  Just trying to get all my jumbled thoughts written down so I can remember the things that mattered.

I hesitate to brag on the place, though how can I not.  Because I don't want to remember how lavish and wonderful the place was.  I want to remember how full my heart was as the Lord revealed Himself to me in so many ways.  The Lord met me in Ixtapa, a much needed meeting, and it was such a wonderful place to be.

The views.  Breathtaking.  Makes me want to travel more to see God's creation.

We arrived on our actual anniversary.  So glad Derek wanted to do that - made for such a fun day!

These flowers never died.  They were just as beautiful on the day we left.

The little touches were fun.  They would use the flowers from right outside the room to decorate the bed.  No lie they would come in and clean our room 3 times a day.  Everytime I looked up there were new towels.

The view from the bedroom.  I would wake up every morning hearing the waves crashing on the rocks.  "When sorrows like sea billows roll.." would run in my head.  Every thing reminded me of the Lord and His creation.

The closet and bathroom space was so fun.  It opened up somewhat to the outside so if was kind of cool from the AC but also had humidity.  Our clothes have never been so wrinkle free - such a great concept!

Both the shower and the toilet had windows that would open up directly to the ocean below.  I loved coming in here with the contrast of our freezing cold room that my husband loves to the fresh air of the bathroom.

What made this room was the porch.  We were out here constantly.

I would come out each morning and have my quiet time while listening to the waves.  SO peaceful.

If only I could always have my quiet time in such a beautiful, unrushed condition.

Notice Derek's golf clubs there on the porch.  First time ever that we brought his clubs and he never used them.  We just loved doing all this nothing-ness that golf sounded like too much effort.

The view to our right

and to our left

Derek reading his Bible as the sun was rising. 

Housekeeping would keep fresh flowers in different places in our room.

One morning we snagged some of those flowers to send a message to the kiddo back in Waco with Papa and Birdie.

We missed Baylor Homecoming while on our trip.  Giving a sic' em on the day of.

The breakfast every morning was almost our favorite meal.  Freshly squeezed juices - I made a different combo every day.  The freshly made jams made me eat more toast in one sitting than I had in years.

As close to beach as we were going to get this trip.

Derek made it all the way to the top, but ole Shani stopped the last little bit.

Our resort from the view at the rock.  Later some of the guests who were eating breakfast at the restaurant asked if we were the crazies climbing on the rocks.

To the right of the rock, a view we didn't have from our porch.

10 years, baby

The current was pretty strong that day.

The next two days we rented bikes.  They had recently made a new bike trail, but the hills were killer.  We did about 12 kilometers a day and basically crawled back to the resort.

Felt like I was in Florida when I saw this gator.

We rode to the Ixtapa center of town and checked out the beach.

After our daily dose of exercise we would put on a bathing suit for the rest of the day.  My husband requested no tankinis, so I busted out some suits that haven't seen the light of day in years.  Literally.  Here's the stash:

The elevators were so cool and on the "outside" with no walls surrounding it.  Great view on the ride down!

Kyle & Lori told us to run and get a cabana.  Derek rarely moved from this spot, ceiling fan included.  I would occasionally get closer to the pool.  We would eat lunch on the sofa every day and just veg.  Read lot so of books in this spot.

So the cucumber basil margarita.  Delicious.

They would always bring out something for you to taste.  These were mango Popsicle.

A closer view from the reflection.

Another try-it-out drink they brought us the first day we arrived.

The view from the outdoor restaurant.

Us in the pool.  What a view.

Derek thought the weather would have been cooler being off the Pacific.  I was just fine thankyouverymuch.

An added bit of blue post editing.

Derek loved the ice container they brought to keep his beer cold at the cabana.

After lunch we would come back and hang on the porch until dinnertime.  Derek tried out the hammock the first day, but I was the one who lived in it after that.  Not really made to fit a 6'7'' fella comfortably for too long.

The pool was clutch.  Perfect combo - tumbler of wine and reading Radical.

Derek was getting a lesson on where to focus behind the lens.  Great job honey!

Sometimes Big D relaxed.

And other times

he took

the plunge.

Going going gone.

This eagle came every afternoon to our porch.  There were lots of eagles in the distance, but this one would come and circle above my head. 

We would lock eyes, and I could feel the Lord tell me that he was always watching me.  He was always circling over me.  I needed to look up, not around me, to find satisfaction. 

In the late afternoon our complimentary chips, homemade guacamole, and Mexican beer would arrive.  We would seriously count down the minutes until we heard the knock on our door.

The only time we would clean up was at dinner time.  I somehow managed to only wash my hair one time on this trip, thus the creative hairdos to cover up the grease.

Gotta love the timer.

We would sometimes go the bar area first for snacks and such prior to dinner.

If nothing else for the spectacular view.

They would bring fresh fried banana slices, seasoned popcorn and a variety of potato skins. 

The sweat that comes with humidity.

This was my drink of choice before dinner.  Fresh sangria with pear slices.  Our waiter, Omar, would concoct something different with this every night.  He even made me fresh banana slices one day when they weren't serving them.

The restaurant was normally not crowded so we always got a table by the window.  Our favorite waiter, Fernando, was always there knowing what we wanted.  They ran out of Chardonnay one night and made sure it was at our table the next night.

I pretty much ordered this pear salad every night.

Omar came to the restaurant to fix Derek a Mexican coffee on our last night.  It was all about the presentation.

Did I mention there was fire involved?

Truly was an art to this.

The final (and hot!) finished product.  Too bad I don't like coffee and didn't get to share in the end creation.

The last night we were there we enjoyed being outside.

We got a glimpse of the moon over the hill that night.  Gorgeous.

This was to show Justin that Curious George is not the only monkey that can grab a banana.  These trees were all over the resort.

Sigh, I miss it so.  And not just for the beauty of it.  The intensity I felt the Lord's presence, the uninterrupted time with my husband, the stillness.

I got to read three books - I was in hog heaven.  I read Radical and was all over Derek to start it.  Life changing book - a must for all you believers out there.  I then read Crazy Love - should not be read after Radical.  It was a great precursor, and I know lots of you love the book.  But once you read Radical you will realize how it takes it a step further.  I also finished the second book of the Francine Rivers Legacy series, Her Daughter's Dream.  And lastly, I started and then later finished a fiction book called The Last Christian.  A great read and introspect of what's to come with technology in the future.  All these books added to the enrichment of the trip.

When we were driving back through the poverty stricken streets to get the airport, my heart was yearning for a people that needed the Lord.  I heard Him tell me that He came to save a people such as these.  Made me want to relearn Spanish, go on a mission trip, and pray fervently for Omar, Fernando, Azucena, Pepe, Jorge, Felix, Alex, and Nancy.  These were the people that served us constantly on our trip.  And yet they all live in an area with such need.  The need for a Savior. 

A message I gleamed from Radical was that the challenge is not just give away excess stuff we don't need anyway.  That's not sacrifice.  Sacrifice is giving away what it hurts to give.  Lord, may I be obedient in the sacrifice you are requiring of me.

Ixtapa, until next time, we loved you so!