(Vacation)(3)=one FANTASTIC summer!!

***Vacation #1***

Last year Mike & I looked at different vacation spots for about a month before deciding on Cancun. We went for about 8 days, fished twice, enjoyed good food & each others company the entire time...and upgrading our room to the suite with a balcony ON the beach was well worth the extra money.

So this year...as we left our tax appointment..that's the first thing we started talking about: Where should we go this year??!! I have been a lot of places, but Mike hasn't been hardly anywhere...so I definitely want him to see new places. I had never been to Cancun, but ultimately we picked Cancun over Cabo (where I have been) because Cancun was cheaper...for a longer trip.

THIS year...we had the same issues...we didn't know where we WANTED to go. There are SO many awesome vacations to choose from... I am PRO anything Caribbean...in fact to me the word Caribbean also means HEAVEN. I just love the blue-green, clear, warm water. It brings peace to my soul...Ahh... :)

Mike doesn't care where we go, but if there is water (or if there is NO water) there needs to be a way to fish...for him, the word FISHING also means HEAVEN. Wanting us to both get our piece of peace...or our slice heaven...I looked at more vacation packages than I can count!!

We looked at Cabo, the Riviera Maya (Cancun...kinda), New York, the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Multiple Cruises- Hawaiian and Caribbean, Orlando (Disney World), Aruba, Bermuda, Washington DC, Barbados, Hawaii...I'm sure there are some places I am forgetting. Hawaiian flight prices almost won, but we decided to save Hawaii for something...um...well...more special...if you know what I mean!! We talked A LOT about Barbados, but we finally found what we were looking for!!

We are headed to Cozumel!!

We will be gone for 9 nights (which randomly because of Holiday airfare was cheaper than 8 nights)...we will be able to fish, get a massage, and my favorite...lay on the beach with a book. We are SO very excited...and both need a break from work, training, just every day life in general!!

***Vacation #2***

The day after we booked and paid for our much needed break, I went to lunch with two of my favorite people: Richelle and Shanna!! We called it my birthday lunch, but we shouldn't need an excuse to see more of each other!!

Anywho...while we were at lunch, Shanna invited Mike and I, and Richelle and her family to join her family on their annual Lake Powell trip this summer!!

We were invited 3 summers ago and had a blast!! It is one of THE best vacations I have EVER been on!! I had never been to Lake Powell prior to that trip, but have been trying to figure out how to afford another trip!! A week in the sun, boating, fishing, ski-doos, skiing, tubing...you name it...it's more fun if you do it at Lake Powell!! Not to mention...I'll be surrounded by my FAVORITE people ALL week!! Shanna, Richelle, Carsen...oh yeah...I forgot to mention that Robyn's family has also been invited...so Robyn and Syd will be there too!! WOO HOO!!

***Vacation #3***

That's takes care of May and June...but we can't forget July!! Late last summer, we made plans to take a road trip up to Yellowstone and then spend a few days white-water rafting on the Snake River. We plan to drive up to Yellowstone through Blackfoot, Idaho...Richelle and I want to visit our grandpa's grave site. Everett "Tuffy" Rodgers was killed on Iwo Jima in World War II and is buried in Idaho. We thought it would be awesome to be able to visit his grave site...we want to honor him...our war hero.

We will then be traveling over to Yellowstone; where we will camp for 3 or so nights. There is a ton of stuff to see and do there...and of course there will be awesome fishing!! I can't wait...Yellowstone should be amazing!!

After we are finished at Yellowstone, we will head over to where Regina and Trent (& Trent's family) will have already set up camp near the Snake River. We will spend 3 or so days camping there and spending our day time riding the white-water rapids of the Snake River. There is of course going to be quite a bit of fishing involved!! It should be an amazing week. It will be fun to visit such cool places...places that Mike and I have never seen.

We hope that Shanna's family, Ryan's family, Robyn's family, Wendy and Michael, Rebecca, and whoever else joins the caravan will come and have the best pre-school starts vacation ever!! IT could be the best Rodgers' Family Reunion ever...actually, I think it would be the FIRST EVER!! We get together all the time, but maybe if we labeled it a "reunion," more people would be more interested in attending...Hmm...

Anywho...Mike & I have a busy summer scheduled (I didn't even mention the 2-3 classes I will be trying to accomplish so I can graduate)...but it should be FANTASTIC!! And the best part...we get to do it ALL together!!