Lutons in Lucia

We hadn't gotten away, just the TWO of us, on a trip like this in 15 years....not since our honeymoon, to be exact. Sure, there have been plenty of fun friend trips and work excursions over the years that have taken us to beautiful destinations that we have been exceedingly grateful to get to enjoy. But just the two of us, on a long, special trip? Not since Dominican Republic back in 2004. So. We were due. We were overdue. And we decided to do something about it, to celebrate 15 years of love and hard work and marriage and us. 

We did our research and settled on what looked to be an amazing resort deep in the Caribbean, a 4.5-hour direct flight from Charlotte. We booked our tickets, made our reservations, and began counting down the days. 

And finally, the day arrived. The trip arrived. Our "us" time arrived. And now that we're back, I can say: it exceeded every single expectation. 

Now, a look at our 15-year anniversary trip to the Viceroy at Sugar Beach in St. Lucia: 

The Viceroy. We considered a number of islands, numerous resorts, hundreds of reviews, and everything lead us to this exact place. And now that we've stayed and come back, I can say first hand: we would re-choose this place 100x again! Let me start with: 

The accommodations: As soon as we arrived and checked in, we were informed that we had been upgraded. Not sure how or why, but yes please! I truly think we somehow lucked into the best villa on the grounds, with the most incredible views. Ours ended up being a two-room villa that made us feel as though we were on this beautiful island alone. I kid you not, we did not see one.single.person. anywhere remotely close to our villa during our stay - no neighbors, no other residents, no one! When we were in our villa, it truly felt like we were on our own private island. It was incredible. 

The grounds: There are several beautiful resorts on the island of St. Lucia, but this one checked all the boxes for us. We wanted immediate access to the beach (i.e., not a 10-minute drive from a resort to reach a beach, which is the case for several of the other gorgeous resorts) but also one with breathtaking views. Ummm...mission accomplished. The Viceroy is situated directly between the indescribable Pitons, right smack in the valley of them, which means THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEWS IMAGINABLE everywhere you look. Honestly, I got so frustrated when I tried to take pictures of the breathtaking scenery because truly, my photos just didn't due the views justice. And trust me, I tried every angle, many times, over our stay. I was in awe. I just kept looking around, taking so many mental snapshots, trying to memorize how it felt to be surrounded by the kind of gigantic, beautiful, volcanic mountains only God could create. But sadly, photos truly don't capture the beauty of this place. But know I tried. :)

And the beaches! And the resort grounds themselves! And the pool! And the spa! And the sea! I have more photos of the beauty that surrounded us than I do of my hub and I there - ha! Because I just wanted to do whatever I could to capture this place clearly.  

The customer service. The second we were escorted to our villa, we were handed a small, white phone and were informed that anything we needed, anything at ALL, was just a click away. We need just push a button on the phone to ring our butler and he would handle everything. Reservation? No problem. Shuttle service? You got it. Ironing? On it. It was awesome. We came home to treats each day, including one evening when we arrived back to see a sweet card and bottle of wine to celebrate our anniversary. They thought of every detail and the customer service was truly outstanding. 

The food and restaurants. We ate and drank ourselves silly during our stay and everything was just so tasty. There was fresh seafood and scrumptious sushi and delectable breakfasts and tasty beachside dining and yum, yum, yum. We ate at every restaurant on the resort and loved them all! I am not a take-pics-of-my-food kind of girl, but trust me, it was good. As were the bevs. :) 

The fun. Going into our trip, the forecast didn't look so promising, with the first few days looking like they may be pretty overcast and rainy. FALSE. We could not have had more beautiful weather when we were there, and we took full advantage! Thank you, Lord, for the weather you gifted us!

Day 1. We arrived to our resort late afternoon on Wednesday, with just enough time to check out our accommodations, relax for a bit, and freshen up before heading to dinner. A great start to our stay! 

Day 2. We had decided we would lounge on the beach alllll day long this day, and we did just that, after first getting in our scrumptious morning breakfast and then a couples workout with one of the resort trainers. 

After that, we pretty much parked it on our beach chairs, where we were served lunch and drinks and just enjoyed each other's company all day (as in, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm). We finally peeled ourselves off the beach with enough time to shower up and head to another delicious dinner, followed by a quick stop at the resort's *party* that evening (which was super low-key). 

Day 3. Adventure day! Friends, if you ever find yourself on Sugar Beach, find Dwight and know that he will lead you on the greatest adventure! We, along with two other (sweet! fun!) couples, met Dwight at 9:15 am, where we then boarded a boat and were taken to the local town of Soufriere. 

We were then taken to one of the MUST DOs when in St. Lucia, the sulphur springs. We sat in the hot springs before being painted in mud. After rinsing it from our bodies (but not our faces), we were taken to most beautiful, *refreshing* waterfall, where we were instructed to get in and cleanse our faces. That thing was COLD and the water pounded down on us, but it was AWESOME! 

Next, we were taken to a local restaurant and served the most delicious, authentic St. Lucian meal. After this, we were taken back into the town for a little souvenir shopping. We then boarded the boat again and drove to a different part of the island but not before stopping to take in the bat cave, where thousands of bats gather. :0 

Finally, we were taken to the beautiful black sand beach, where we spent time snorkeling and enjoying the majestic views before arriving back to our resort around 2:00 pm. It was such a lovely day!

We quickly showered and changed because we had another boat to board just two hours later for a sunset cruise. The drinks were flowing, the music was blasting, the boat was hopping! It was so fun! As we cruised along for a couple hours, watching the sun slowly lower, the most amazing thing happened: a group of seven dolphins decided to join our cruise, swimming around and jumping in front of our boat for a solid 15-20 minutes. So cool! Once the sun had set, we made our way back to the resort and finished the day with yet another tasty dinner. 

Day 4. Our last full day - boo! We started this one with a high intensity workout on the beach with another one of the resort's trainers and whew! He kicked our butts! We then changed into swimsuits and camped out on the beach, where we spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon reading, snorkeling, paddle boarding, eating, drinking, and listening to music. Just perfect. 

Late afternoon, we headed straight from the beach to our resort's renowned spa for a couples massage. Y'all. This spa is incredible. Every treatment room is in it's own treehouse in the middle of this rainforest. It's unreal. We hit up the steam room and were then ready for our heavenly massages. And then, to our surprise, as our massages ended they opened a back door to the room and there sat the most beautiful, private pool for us to enjoy. Done and done! 

Feeling very relaxed, we headed back to our villa to shower up and head out to our last dinner. Ohmydeliciousness. SO good. Stuffed, relaxed, and oh so happy, we headed back for one last sleep. 

Day 5. Our last day. It's as if the weather knew we had to leave this incredible paradise and didn't want us to feel too bad about it; so, it poured rain the entire morning. This meant we just relaxed for hours on our private patio, listening to the rain pour down (while hearing and witnessing three separate rock slides - so crazy!) and enjoying our stay until the very last minute. Finally, it was time to go. Time to head home to the life we have built together. <3

We LOVED St. Lucia. Loved our time together, just us. Loved our beautiful resort and the top-notch staff. Loved the indescribable views and the experiences we shared. We loved it. 

And we loved knowing that our Bammy not only held down our fort back home, but did it with all the compassion and patience and love and kindness that makes her the amazing Bammy that she is. Thank you, Mama. <3 And thank you to our village who drove our kiddos to and from swim team and baseball practices, who had them over for playdates, who sent us pictures and updates. We love you all!

Here's to St. Lucia and the memories made. Until next time...

When June 16th and Father's Day Collide...

Today is June 16th. 

Today is Father's Day. 

Every so often, these two events collide: the one where we spend the day celebrating the amazing dad my hub is to our little Lus. And the one where I grieve the death of my own dad, who died completely unexpectedly 29 years ago today. On June 16, 1990. 

Trauma changes you. A big reason I am who I am today - the good, the bad, the me - is because of the inexplicable loss I endured as a 9-year-old child. My personality, my career path, my parenting approach, my perspective, my faith, my priorities...they are very much the result of losing my dad as a child. Much of who I am is because of June 16th. 

And much of who I married is undoubtedly because of June 16th. 

God knew that my life circumstances would mold me into a woman who needed to stand on her own two feet, who needed to spend her life helping children, who would try to control as much of the world around her as she could, all resulting from the complete loss of control experienced from a parent's death at such a young age. He knew that I would be a caring and determined (read: stubborn), quick-tempered planner who would love those around her with her whole heart and always carry a fear of suddenly losing them. He knew who I was. He saw who I would become. And He knew who I needed.

He knew I needed someone who would love Jesus with all his heart, who would support my dreams even when they changed, who would be as full of love and ambition as he was patience and kindness. He knew I needed a partner who would pour into our children - who would lead them and guide them, who would use their mistakes as teaching points, who would encourage independence but also be readily available for support. He knew I needed a husband who would serve not only as my best friend but also as my greatest confidant, most trustworthy secret-keeper, and the great love of my life. He knew I needed Clay. 

I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in Jesus. And I believe it was Jesus who sent my now-husband into my life on the exact day that he did: 

June 16, 2002. 

So, when these days collide: June 16th, when I lost my father, and June 16th, when I celebrate the father of my children, I will cry tears of grief and cry tears of gratitude, both for the great loss in my life and the great love in my life. 

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I miss you more than ever. Love, Your Princess.

Happy Father's Day, Clay. You are an answered prayer. Love, Your Linds

Mid-June Check-In

Howdy-ho! I thought it was time for a quick June check-in because before I know it, I will blink and this season, and these summer days that I love so much, will come to an end as we welcome in another school year. So, a quick, mid-June peek at what we've been up to since we closed out the school year at the start of the month: 

Swim team. Yep, swim team is in full force. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I said, "NO!" to swim team for years - overwhelmed by the presumed intensity of the practice and meet schedule, the volunteer requirements, the late nights, etc. I WAS SO WRONG. Because we are half way through our second season, and swim team is my favorite! Maybe it's the cheerleader in me, but I love, love, love cheering on all the awesome athletes as they swim their hearts out in the pool. 

Our swim team was the undefeated champion last year, which meant we got bumped up to the next division this year. And while the competition has been fierce, all the swimmers have been doing such a great job, beating their own times and improving in both stroke skill and speed. It's been great! This non-night owl doesn't even mind the late night meets because they are just so full of team spirit and fun - two of my favorite things. ;) ANYWHO, Banks and Raleigh are both having great seasons and great fun, and I can't wait until their next meet in just a few days, even after getting home from one late last night!

Clemson football camp. For the second year in a row, Banks attended the Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson earlier this month and had a blast! Although the whole Lu Crew was originally intending to spend the weekend in Clemson, we ended up changing our plans last minute, with the boys heading to Clemson and the girls staying home here in the Mill, just like we did last year. I'm not sure who had more fun! I'm guessing the boys may have edged us out since they were in God's country, after all ;), but we Lu ladies had plenty of fun, too. <3

All-Stars baseball. I am typically a one-sport-per-kiddo-per-season kind of momma. But we decide to make an exception ever so often, which is currently the case for Banks, who has been having three swim practices and two swim meets per week on top of three All-Star baseball practices. Whew! Although we definitely couldn't keep this kind of schedule up for the long-haul, it is fun to watch him take the field one minute and the pool the next. But also? Give this momma alllll the naps, please. Ha!

Social worker visit. As part of the China adoption process, we are required to turn in annual reports documenting Bella's progress, appointments, family life, etc., for several years. The first two years require meetings with our (beloved) social worker, the latest of which took place just yesterday! It is hard to believe that we will soon celebrate two years of Bella being home, but time marches on and so do our social work visits. :) We loved meeting with our social worker and getting to update her on how far Bella has come since our last meeting last summer. We are so proud of our littlest chickadee. <3

Odds and ends. Let's see - there's also been plenty of pool time and game time; education and ice cream; appointments and therapies; swim lessons and water play; family time and friend time. And we are loving it all. <3

And that's it for now, y'all - Father's Day weekend awaits! Tomorrow marks the (4th??) annual neighborhood Father's Day golf tournament which is always a BLAST for all the dads - and there are 120 dads playing this year! And we mommas will be waiting poolside when they are done with their rounds, with a band playing and a food truck ready to serve up some dinner. Fun for all! Have a wonderful weekend, friends. Back soon...

So Long School Year, Hello Summer!

And THAT'S A WRAP on the 2018-19 school year!!! Although Harrison finished up his preschool year several weeks ago, and Bella finished two days ago, Banks and Raleigh are finally done with 3rd and 1st grades, respectively, after a half-day today. I am so proud of these kiddos and how much each of them learned this school year. I am so very thankful for the teachers who have poured into them all year, leaving a beautiful educational mark on each of them in their own way. 

And now, we say HELLO SUMMER 2019! I am so super-duper excited for our many fun plans and our many un-plans. I hope to pop in here to document them, and bring some other fun content to the blog, but time with my Lu Crew is my tip-top, utmost priority. So, I'll be back soon, maybe weekly, maybe sporadically. For now, it's off to kick things off with a BANG (literally - surprise sparklers will be awaiting my kiddos as they depart the bus in just a bit :)) and soak in as much time as I possibly can with my s{quad}. 

Have a great one, y'all! Be back soon  at some point. ;) Happy Summer to all!