Packing our bags

The Mr. and I are finally going on our honeymoon. And after a bump in the road (maybe more like a mountain), we are headed to Cozumel, Mexico. We are staying in the all-inclusive Melia Cozumel Golf & Beach Resort. Take a peek:

It has taken nearly 7 months to go on our honeymoon, and 6 a.m. tomorrow morning can't come soon enough. Though I'm sure when I get up at 3 a.m., I'm going to wish we had taken a later flight. But I'm excited nonetheless.

Now, I just have to tell you the whole ordeal with planning this vacation:

1. We were originally supposed to go to St. Maarten in the Caribbean a week after our wedding. The day before we were supposed to leave, we decided not to risk it because there was a hurricane closing in on the islands, and at that time, meteorologists were predicting it was headed right for St. Maarten. So we thought, better safe than sorry. We had booked the hotel through my grandparents' vacation club, so we weren't out any money for the stay. And we were able to keep our flight credits and apply them to our next flight.
2. We decided that we would try to go to Cancun over Thanksgiving because rates were cheap. We had everything booked and had even paid $360 to rebook our flights through Orbitz (don't even get me started on them). Well, of course things came up and we had to use our honeymoon money for other sudden expenses and we weren't going to have enough money to go on our honeymoon over Thanksgiving, so we cancelled it again.
3. Then our best friends, Rik and K.Ruff let us use one of their vacations through their vacation club. We decided on an all-inclusive in Cozumel. I called and booked everything and even got a confirmation. I had to call the vacation club to reconfirm our reservation yesterday (2 days before we were scheduled to fly out). I talked to four different women from this company - the first one said our name wasn't on the reservation and she'd call me back. I called again that afternoon and the second women said we were good to go, but when I had her double-check that my name was on the reservation, she put me on hold for 15 mintues only to have yet another women pick up the phone and say that we were good to go. When I told her that the hotel hadn't contacted us for the rest of our payment, she said she would call the hotel and have someone from the hotel and from the vacation club call me back to reconfirm. About 15 minutes later (it's 4 p.m. at this point yesterday), another women calls me and says, "There's been a terrible mistake." Not what I wanted to hear. Apparently, the hotel never received our reservation and there were no rooms available at the hotel or any other hotel the vacation club works with in Cozumel. So they were going to send us to an all-inclusive in Cancun. To travel between Cozumel (where we were still flying to because we would have had to pay another $350 to rebook our flights to Cancun), and Cancun is a 45-minute ferry ride to Playa del Carmen, then a 50-minute bus trip to Cancun. Needless to say, we weren't thrilled but we were going to do it.
4. So this morning, I looked up all-inclusive hotels in Cozumel on a whim. I found one. I called the vacation club that was supposed to book our hotel in Cancun. They hadn't booked it or charged my credit card, so I told them not to, and that we were going to book a different hotel on our own. The vacation place said they would reimburse our booking fees ($310). I called the new hotel, Melia Beach and Golf Resort, and booked, paid and confirmed our reservation for tomorrow in about 20 minutes.

Honestly, it's been quite an ordeal to go on this honeymoon, and I am finally excited. We are going to Cozumel, which we have been looking forward to for the past three months since we booked it. But the wait is almost over. In less than 12 hours, we will be on a plane (which we have confirmed) to paradise. And I can't wait to have my toes in the sand, a cold drink in my hand, a tan, and a relaxing week with my man :)

All the right friends in all the right places

Apparently my last post came at a really good time. After I had just gotten done telling all my friends how much I missed them, they surprised me at work on Friday night with a month-early birthday/honeymoon present:Complete with sunscreen, gossip magazine, plenty of headache medicine, shovels and a bucket for all the sweet sand castles the Mr. and I are going to build on the beach, brain teasers and cards for entertainment on the plane, candles, and a gift card to Victoria's Secret. Not pictured is the SI swim suit edition for Mr. Ritter.

And of course, their beautiful selves. It was just what I needed, and I was on the verge of tears with excitement.

This weekend was all about realizing the power and selflessness of my friends. Friday night kicked it off on a great, but also a sad note. We all found out that E's cousin, whom she was closed to and lived with for more than a year after college, left this earth at his own hand. I can't begin to imagine what she's going through, but it was amazing the amount of love and support I wanted to show her to make her feel better. I texted her immediately to let her know I loved her and I was here for her.

While I was stuck at work the rest of Friday night, the girls visited with E and just listened, hugged and provided Kleenex. We are also planning to attend the viewing and funeral to support her as she tries to be strong for her family. We are also getting her a $100 gift card to help with expenses while she is off work during this tough time. The funny thing is, it was never an option in any of our minds that we'd be there for her and do what we could to get her through the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. Karj also told us that the best time to be there for someone who has recently experience a loss is a month to two months after when the casseroles and friends and family go back to their daily lives. So our plan is to each choose a week in the next month or two and bring E dinner or just be with her.

My friends are amazing. Period.

This weekend was also about enjoying new friends. Saturday night I went out to dinner and a night on the town with three girls, my neighbors, that I have been working out with for over a year. We have become friends and it's so refreshing to meet wonderful women.

Don't you love the brunette, blonde, brunette, blonde thing we've got going on?

Also, to top off this friend-filled weekend, was our BnB book club meeting. A.Fry hosted and we had tons of delicious food. We had just finished reading our first book, She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, and we had a great discussion about the book. We might be nerds, but we are all nerds together and that's the way we like it.

Overall, this weekend was fabulous and just what the doctor ordered before I am wisked away on my honeymoon. Bottom line, I love my friends. And they love me. Unconditionally. We're there for each other, good or bad. Because that's what best friends do, and K.Ruff, H2, K.Trux, JES, V, Kel, Karjo, E, Lynn are my best friends.

All I need is vitamin D and a cocktail

I can't wait to take a photo like this next weekend! Photo courtesy of photosnewportbeach.com

There are no words to describe my excitement for our honeymoon in 8 days! I also cannot put into words how badly I need a vacation. And vitamin D. And a tan.

Working full-time and part-time and going back to school, plus trying to fit in work outs, QT with the hubby and friends has kept me, as you can imagine, quite busy. It's almost exhausting sometimes to think about how much I have going on each week. Though I can't complain too much because I do like to stay busy. But having a week off will be so relaxing and fabulous, and hopefully rejuvenating.

Lately though, I've been feeling out of loop on the friend front. I miss my girls and going out with Shawn and I's mutual group of friends. I feel like I don't know what's going on in anyone's lives, and I'm jealous of the plans they make for Friday nights when I'm working at the bar (though I can't complain about the money I'm making because it's helped out tremendously, but money cannot buy you back time with your friends and family. Ugh, Catch 22.).

I'll need to work on my time management to fit in phone calls and emails to my gal pals during the week. I'm hoping I can rig up a spontaneous outing for Saturday night. I'm dying for some dancing and girly drinks.

Dear Winter, I'm over you. Love, Holly

The only good thing about winter is that I had a snow day from work yesterday! But all this cold and snow is making me long for spring and warmer weather (let me remind you that I will be in Cozumel in 10 days!), and sucking the motivation out of me. Too bad it will take until April for all this snow to melt!

However, my lack of motivation has led me to this:

Live TV : Ustream

How freakin' adorable are these Shiba Inu puppies?!

To My Valentine

You make me smile. You make me laugh. You still make my heart beat a little bit faster. You're my rock, my confidant, my constant. My love. My husband. The one I want to come home to, wake up next to, tell everything to. You're my best friend. You have been since that first day, and you always will be. I said yes; I said "I do" because I do. I love you. I always have. And I always will. For a long time. Forever.

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

Ever notice how the sun enhances colors outdoors? I love it. Today, the white snow is blinding, but I don't mind because wearing my sunglasses reminds me of the warmer days ahead. And my warmer days are coming sooner than yours (that is, of course, if you're in any number of states that are covered with a snow blanket right now) because I'm headed to Cozumel in 18 days! I am so looking forward to fruity umbrella drinks on the beach.

You may also have noticed the fresh burst of color on RWS. It makes me happy. I found it here.

Know what else makes me happy? This:

"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."

Where the Winter is Beautiful

Today/tonight/tomorrow Mother Nature is expected to dump inches upon inches of snow on Columbus. I'm not a fan of driving in the snow, though it is fun to think of your car as a giant snow globe.

Anyway, I wanted to share the following with you because these are the most gorgeous winter engagement photos I've ever seen. I first saw them on Apartment #34, and visited Rebekah Westover Photography for an in depth look at this snowy photo sesh. You can see it here, but here is a sneak peek:

Photos by Rebekah Westover Photography.

Amazing...and isn't this couple simply adorable?!

Mirror, Mirror

Apparently, it's doppelgänger week. I'm supposd to change my Facebook profile picture to someone famous, who I've been told I look like. I didn't do that. But I've been told that I look like two different actresses. Let's see what you think:
I get Reese Witherspoon a lot. Alotalot. That is of course if she were a brunette. I'm not sure I see it, though. Thoughts?
I've also gotten, "you look like the girl from the Gilmore Girls!" My own husband even thought I looked like Alexis Bledel when she was in the movie, Sin City. I don't see it.

Both actresses are beautiful, so I'll take what I can get.

Déjà Vu

It's Groundhog Day. There were conflicting results this year: Punxsutawney Phil in PA saw his shadow, so that's 6 more weeks of winter. But Buckeye Chuck didn't see his shadow, so apparently Ohio is in for an early spring. This "holiday" as Wikipedia called it, always makes me think of the 1993 movie, appropriately titled Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, in which his character relives the worst day of his life, Groundhog Day, over and over.

via http://www.sethbarnes.com/

I don't think I'd want to relive the worst day of my life (luckily no day comes to mind), even given the chance to make it right. Every day is different, even if it feels the same as the day before. Every day I get the chance to learn or experience something new, whether through success or failure. That's what makes life worth living. What would you do?