Our cruise to the Bahamas: Celebrating 10 years of marriage!

We just got home from our first cruise! We celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary, which fell on Thanksgiving this year.

We enjoyed a delicious bottle of wine on our anniversary which we had bought on our 5-year anniversary in Napa Valley, California and saved for this special occasion! (In case you're wondering, it was V. Sattui Cabernet Sauvignon from 2004.)

Little Sweets enjoyed her special window seat in our cabin. I freaked out right after I took this picture--I saw dolphins playing in the water while we were still in the port in Charleston, South Carolina! One of her favorite parts of each day was coming back to our cabin after dinner to discover what animal the housekeepers had made from towels. The monkey hanging from the ceiling was definitely a favorite!

Okay, now on to the photos you all want to see: the Bahamas! Our first port was Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. We went snorkeling and I didn't bring my camera so I don't have any photos from that day.

In our second and last port, Nassau, we got an awesome tour of the island. We had lunch at Compass Point and it was definitely the most colorful place I've ever seen!

 

The water there was so beautiful. I could've eaten every meal of the cruise with this view.

I couldn't resist walking around the property and taking photos.

Our last day of the cruise ended with a beautiful display of God's creativity...

...a rainbow on one side of the ship:

 ...and a sunset on the other side:

God is good and He has blessed us so much in the past 10 years of marriage. It was so fun to be able to celebrate this milestone with our little family!

Fall Foliage in New England

It's Autumn! I was just browsing through some old pictures and found these from a trip we took to Massachusetts and Connecticut several years ago in the fall. It's amazing to see all the colors of God's creation!

The first four are from Boston and Cambridge:

Anyone on my mom's side of the family will recognize this last photo, which has a sentimental meaning to me (and probably to them, too).

It was taken near my grandparent's farm in Connecticut. I have so many good memories of times spent with my siblings and cousins exploring the woods, walking to the cemetery with the big lion statues, climbing on the giant rocks, and playing in the brook.

It was great to see all those cousins, aunts and uncles a couple of weekends ago when we celebrated my Grandma's 90th birthday in Arizona. We'll be back in 10 years, Gram!

(Linking up to Kanelstrand blog's Through the Looking Glass project.)

Travel Around the World in One Minute

I caught the travel bug when I was 20.

I studied abroad in England and traveled more than I had in my entire lifetime up til that point. That year, I fell in love with traveling. (That also happened to be the year that I realized that I was going to marry my now-husband-of-almost-10-years. Yes, it was a good year.)

We love to travel but when we can't, I'm almost as happy traveling vicariously through other people. If you're an armchair traveler too, here's an awesome 1-minute long travel video of this guy:

The story behind the video, in their own words:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime.

You'll want to watch this in full-screen HD (and probably more than once):



MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Two of my favorite reasons to travel are the titles of their other 2 videos, LEARN and EAT.

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software Giveaway ($40 Value!)

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{Update: Giveaway closed.}

Happy Tuesday! I have a new giveaway that I'm excited to share with you today.

It's MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software. One of my readers will win a free My Memories Suite v2--a $40 value!

I had the chance to try it out this past weekend and I made a few scrapbooking layouts from our trip to Wrightsville Beach. 

I have been wanting to scrapbook photos from last year's trip to the United Kingdom, but not wanting to get out all my supplies. This software will be the perfect way to finally get that album done!

The software also allows you to create Videos, Gift Tags, Photobooks, Calendars, join the Design Club (5 kits per month!), and if you love challenges and linky parties, you can share what you created on the MyMemories blog's weekly challenges.

If you can't wait for the giveaway to end or you don't win, you can still get $10 off the MyMemories Suite v2 and a $10 coupon towards downloads - Use Promo Code STMMMS63353 for $20 off your favorite MyMemories products!

How to Enter:

(up to 5 entries per person--leave a separate comment for each entry)

• Check out MyMemories Suite and comment here telling us your favorite digital paper pack or layout (1 entry) 
• Follow MyMemories on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or the MyMemories Blog (1 entry--If you already do, comment that you already do)
• Follow my blog (1 entry--If you already do, comment that you already do)
  ***My Followers widget does not always show up, but it should be on the top right of the page--refresh your browser if it's not there***
• Tweet or link on Facebook or your blog about this giveaway or my blog (1 entry)
• Become a fan of SweeterThanSweets on Facebook (1 entry - If you already are, comment that you already are a fan)

Please make sure that I have access to your email address in your Blogger profile or in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway ends Thursday, September 15th at 9:00 a.m. EST. Open to international entries. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be emailed a code for a free download of the MyMemories Suite v2.

Good luck!

Looking into the Past: Washington, D.C. Then and Now

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The other day I heard about a group on Flickr called Looking Into the Past, where people go to the original site of a vintage photograph and take a new photo there. Here's my favorite example:

Amazing, isn't it?

Since we just visited the most historical place in the United States, Washington, D.C., I was drawn to jasonepowell's Flickr photostream which is filled with amazing shots of how things have changed in D. C., like the above photo from the March on Washington in 1963.

What draws me to these photos is the feeling of standing in the exact spot where so many others before you have stood, seeing the same (but different) scene, and thinking about what else has happened there that wasn't photographed.

Here are some more of my favorites. As usual, click on the photo for a link to the original photograph as well as a description.

Thanks again to jasonepowell on Flickr for these amazing photos that allow us to look back in time at a city that means so much to our country.

Washington, D.C. - Part 3

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I can't get enough of Washington, D.C. I had never been there prior to just a few years ago, but it's one of those cities where you can discover more each time you go, so you want to go back time and time again. Here are a few more of our 1970s-style photos from the capital.

I love this last photo, which is a quote by Thomas Jefferson on the walls of the Jefferson Memorial. We watched a movie based on the book by Newt Gingrich, Rediscovering God in America, and I would highly recommend it for its "walking tour" of Washington, D.C. that focuses on the undeniable centrality of God in our nation's history.

If you missed it, Part 1 has more 1970s-style photos of Washington, D.C. and Part 2 is a collage of items from the National Museum of American History.

Washington, D.C. - Part 1

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Despite it being back-to-school time for most of the U.S., I'm in a vacation mindset because I'm still playing laundry catch-up from our last getaway of the summer. We had an amazing week in Washington, D.C. and the only thing that could've made it better is if I'd found these awesome Food and Games To-Go ideas before we went!

{I gave my photos a retro vibe using the Photoshop action "Seventies" by the Pioneer Woman. I love her actions!}

Check out Part 2 - A photo collage of items from the National Museum of American History and Part 3 for more 1970s-style photos of D.C.

What do you think of the Seventies action? Would you rather see traditional travel photos next time?

Birthday at the Beach - Wrightsville Beach Part 2

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The other day I shared a few of our photos from our weekend in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. Here are my favorites from the rest of our trip.

The morning of my birthday was spent at the beach. The water was warmer than it was a month ago and this time, Little Sweets declared (over and over again), "I do like the ocean!" I'm pretty sure that boogie boarding is the best way to spend a birthday morning. The last time we boogie boarded, I was 2 months pregnant with Little Sweets... oh how I've missed it! That's me out there waiting for a wave.

I just love the "East Coast-ness" of this next picture. I love the long boardwalks out to the sand and the tall grass on either side, and that you'll only find that on the East Coast.

Here's the view from the water towards the houses (with a little help from a few Photoshop Actions):

After afternoon naps and my walk around downtown Wilmington, we went out for my very special birthday dinner at The Melting Pot. We haven't been to a Melting Pot since 2003. It was time.

We got the best booth in the corner with this view of the wine racks. Or maybe it was the most secluded booth since we requested a booster seat when we made the reservation. Either way, it was awesome. And Little Sweets was on her best behavior.

We were so stuffed by the time the dessert course arrived, but of course we made room for it (we are Americans, after all).

Best birthday in a long time...probably because it was the first birthday I've spent with my husband in 3 years. It was so good celebrate with my two favorite people.

Wrightsville Beach - Part 1

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Last weekend, we celebrated my birthday with a little trip to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina. It was such a simple, sweet weekend with my little family yet I felt overwhelmed by how much God has blessed me.

We saw a beautiful sunset on our first night in town. This is near our hotel in Downtown Wilmington, which was next to the Cape Fear River. (Side note: do you remember that scary movie, Cape Fear? Whenever I hear the name of the river, I think of that creepy guy under the car.)

Back to the pretty sunset. =) See the U.S.S. North Carolina reflecting the sunset on the left side of this next picture?

The next day was my actual birthday and we spent the morning at the beach. Check out our photos from Wrighstville Beach here, but for now here are a few from my afternoon wanderings around Downtown Wilmington.

During Little Sweets' naptime, my Sweets (who is definitely a WonderDad, by the way) offered to stay at the hotel so I could have some relaxing time to myself. Is it sad that I was really excited to have some alone time on my birthday? I'm sure most moms can understand that. =)

While I was strolling, the skies opened and there was a huge thunderstorm, so these pictures made the town look very dreamy. For those of you who have never been to the Southern United States, it stays very warm on rainy days (it was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit). It was so humid that my camera lens kept fogging up.

I'll leave you with one more glimpse at the Battleship North Carolina. Pictures from the beach are coming soon!

THE Star Spangled Banner

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Today, those of us in the U.S. of A. are celebrating Independence Day!

Today, I'm thinking back to January, when our little family took a trip to Washington, D.C. and saw the flag that started it all... The Star Spangled Banner.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I went to see the flag. I knew it was the one that inspired Francis Scott Key to write what is now our national anthem, the one that flew in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812.

What I didn't know was that just seeing the flag would be enough to bring tears to my eyes. I somehow felt a connection to all the brave Soldiers who fought that day in 1814 while this flag waved nearby. Looking at this American flag, I came to a deeper understanding of what our flag represents and it took on a more personal meaning for me than it ever had before.

The Star Spangled Banner is in the National Museum of American History, one of the Smithsonian Institution Museums on the Mall. To give you an idea of the scale each star on the flag measures approximately 2 feet (0.6 meters) across.

Just down the street from the museum is another national symbol, the Washington Monument. We found it refreshingly desolate in the cold morning hours that day.

I realize that people who are not from the United States sometimes see our patriotism as narcissistic. But on the 4th of July, we are thankful for those who have stood up for the principles upon which our country was founded. We remember with grateful hearts those who serve and who have served in our military as well as their families. We wave our American flags to remind us that we are united by, if nothing else, our citizenship. We set off fireworks to celebrate and enjoy life, but also to remind us of the "rockets red glare" that inspired the writing of our National Anthem 197 years ago.

Now I'd love to hear from you in the comments. What symbol reminds you most of what we celebrate on July 4th? For those of you who are not from the U.S., what symbol best represents your country's history?

An act of God

There have been a handful of times in my life when I knew I was witnessing an act of God because even scientists' best explanations just don't fully cut it.

If I am ever blessed to see Aurora Borealis, this video is enough to convince me that it would be another one of those moments:




 Have you seen any acts of God lately? Let's look for those smaller miracles that happen every day.

Places Every Kid Should See

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The Grand Canyon
Image: Liz Noffsinger

I've been working on a 4-part series for my blog on Tips for Traveling with Toddlers and Babies and I came across this article and this article on places in America that every kid should see. Here's a list of some of the places they recommended:

• Grand Canyon, AZ
• Redwood National Park, CA
• Monticello, VA
• The Freedom Trail, MA
• Niagara Falls, NY
• The National Mall, D.C.
• Colonial Williamsburg, VA
• Walt Disney World, FL
• Ellis Island, NY
• Yellowstone National Park, WY/ID/MT
• San Diego Zoo, CA
• Fenway Park, MA
• Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, ID
• Alcatraz Island, CA
• Independence Hall, PA

Alcatraz Island
Image: Paul Martin Eldridge

I caught the travel bug when I was 20, so just reading this list makes me want to pack a suitcase or two! But I couldn't believe they forgot to include a few of my favorite family-friendly travel spots. Here are my suggestions to add to the list:

• Yosemite National Park, CA
• Route 66, CA/AZ/NM/TX/OK/KS/MO/IL
• Hoover Dam, AZ/NV
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI
• Space Needle, WA
• Plymouth Rock, MA

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Image: schizoform

What do you think? Any other places that need to be on the list of must-see locales for family travel?

Do you have travel-related questions that you want me to answer in my Tips for Traveling with Toddlers and Babies series? 

Comment on this post or send me an email.

Where we stayed and where we ate in Charleston

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There were so many options as far as where to stay and where to eat in Charleston, South Carolina. We had a hard time narrowing these options down for our 4-day stay but we knew we wanted to be near a beach and we knew we wanted to eat a lot. =)

We decided to stay at the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms, South Carolina:

The hotel itself gorgeous! It is right on the beach and there are tons of options for rooms depending on how much you want to spend... from small hotel rooms to homes on the golf course to deluxe beach villas. There were 3 pools and 3 restaurants within walking distance of our room. It was a 5-minute walk to the beach and that is where I blessed enough to do my Out Run CF run.

You know how there's always a "spender" in every marriage? My Sweets is generally the spender and I'm the saver, so I wanted to stay in the basic hotel room but he wanted the 1-bedroom. We went to Charleston to celebrate his birthday, so when I booked the stay I decided I should probably get him what he wanted. When we got into our room, I had to admit that he was right. It was amazing! This is the bedroom, and the bathroom was just about the same size:

If you looked at just the right spot off the balcony, you could see a little bit of the ocean! =)

Enough about where we stayed, now on to one of my favorite parts of traveling, eating! When my college roommate and I studied abroad for a year, we traveled around Europe where our stomachs led us. We would squeeze in sightseeing around our meal, snack and dessert plans. Now my Sweets is stuck with this eat-travel-eat habit of mine.

I love using Urbanspoon.com to find new restaurants when we travel, and it did not let us down on this trip. Our favorite meal was at Poogan's Porch, where we all enjoyed Charleston's "Lowcountry cuisine" on the patio for Sunday Brunch. My Sweets ordered the she-crab soup (we'd seen it on all the menus in Charleston) and he and Little Sweets both loved it! I am not a fan of any kind of seafood, but I had a delicious breakfast--Cinnamon French Toast with Pecans. We all has to pass on the Fried Alligator. This was the view from our table of the hotel across the street:

Our favorite dessert in Charleston was, by far, the cupcakes at Baked. We got the chocolate caramel cupcake with chocolate and fleur de sel frosting, the red velvet cupcake with vanilla bean frosting, and the vanilla cupcake with white chocolate frosting:

We decided to stop at Baked after reading that this cupcake bakery has one other location in New York City that has been featured on Martha Stewart, Today Show, Food Network and in magazines including Oprah, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine. However, the menu at their Charleston location was nothing like the NYC Menu, but good cupcakes nonetheless. Here's their cute little store front on the main road in Charleston:

Delicious and beautiful Charleston... we hope to come back one day!

**Don't forget to check out Part 1 - Quintessential Charleston**