AN ESCAPE FROM THE COLD AND A CONFERENCE EVENT

allie • Feb 15, 2014

Well, this winter has about done me in.  I thought last winter took the cake, until the negatives came in December this year and are just starting to leave now.  I am a Minnesota girl, and like to think I’m a bit hearty, but even the heartiest are sick of the frigid cold.  I realized it was bad when they said Minneapolis was the coldest large city in the US, beating out, wait for it……. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA!!

Yep.  It was time for some warmer weather.  I’m pretty sure the tourist industry was onto us as well, cause it seemed I got an email every day telling me of great prices to places like Florida and Arizona.  One day, the deal was just too good, the cold was too cold, and somehow I managed to convince the hubby to whisk me away to the palm trees and white sands of Florida!  Now I”m going to tell you upfront that we already have a trip planned for the end of March with the kiddos to Orlando.  So yes, you may say I’m spoiled.  And I am.  But when Ry and I saw the opportunity to get away on a great trip for $1000, we had to take it.  We joke that it’s cheaper than marriage counseling:)

If you follow me on instagram (@prvbsthirtyonegirl) you’ve known of my adventures and seen some of these photos:)

So, to preface this vacation, I found tickets for $179, a rental car for $20/day and a priceline hotel with free breakfast for $100/day.  We loved where we went last year and stayed real close to it in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

I squealed like a little school girl when our tiny economy car ended up being……

A Mini Cooper!!! I’ve always loved how cute they are and even Ry was pleasantly surprised how much he liked it, especially when it got us 50 mpg!

We stayed 10 minutes from the beach and frequented there every day.

We love Hollywood beach.  The sand is amazing and the boardwalk is a fun place to walk.  Oh yeah, the aqua water doesn’t hurt either.

And we had to head back down to Key West for a day.  We enjoyed it way too much last year.  We tried to stay there a night, but the cheapest I could find a hotel room for was $350.  We didn’t want to pay more for one night than our tickets cost us.

So instead we took off at 5 a.m., got to my favorite little bakery/coffee shop by 9:30 with our iced coffee and sandwiches in hand and headed to the beach.

Smathers beach is gorgeous.  The bent palm trees and white sand are my favorite.

Although the swimming here isn’t very good.  The sand gets super mucky about 5 feet out.

We even had a small 3 foot hammerhead shark swim right up by us.  I ran into shore like a little school girl while Ry stayed out there trying to catch it, thinking he was Jeremy Wade of River Monsters.  Crazy guy!

Other than the beach and the pool, we didn’t do too much.  We did find this fun little restaurant called Le Tub that a local told us about.  Supposedly Oprah and Gayle discovered it and named it one of the best burgers in America.

We were told to expect a wait for our food, since the little restaurant (located on the intercoastal waterway) had a one man kitchen.  Since we had no kids, and a good view, that didn’t bother us.  Also, the whole restaurant was built from driftwood and things found on the beaches by the owner, and it took him over 5 years to build.

When the burgers came out we were amazed.

That’s 13 oz. of beef!  And yes, Ry finished it no problem.  My dad wouldn’t be too impressed with the paper plates and plastic silverware, but we went with it:)

awkward burger hold, but the thing was oozing juice that I didn’t quite want to get on my white pants.  I think Oprah and Gayle were onto something, they were pretty amazing.

With that being said, sorry for the long break on my blog.  I was getting rejuvenated, thawed, and freckled:)  And it felt so good.  And a huge thanks to Ry’s family that watched our kiddos for us!  It’s always good to know they are in good hands and not have to worry about them when we are away.

Now that I’m emotionally recharged, I wanted to share an event with you that  will spiritually recharge you.  Our church, Cornerstone , is hosting a women’s conference this coming weekend, February 21st and 22nd, that will guarantee to draw you closer in your relationship to Jesus.  Dee Brestin, the author of the book, Idol Lies  will be coming to speak.

Here’s a short description of the book…

Deep down, every woman longs to feel loved and secure. We may think we look to God for these things, but in reality we often run to food, Facebook, or friendships first.  Worshiping God’s gifts is idolatry.  And idolatry destroys intimacy with God and steals our joy.

In this book, author Dee Brestin brings unfailing principles and vivid testimonies from scripture, her own life, and the lives of women who have tested these truths and are excited tot ell about their transformation.  She also presents an in-depth Bible study and access to downloadable teaching videos and testimonies to guide you, step-by-step, to freedom and a life-changing intimacy with the True Lover of your soul.

I’m a little over half way through this book and have already learned so much.  If you are looking for something to freshen up your walk with Jesus, come and join me and many other women as we enjoy Friday night and Saturday together, growing and learning from Dee and increasing our intimacy with God.

You can find more information here , and also how to buy your ticket.  Tickets are $35 for the weekend which includes lunch on Saturday.  Oh, and I get to decorate for the event, so you can see some “trademark Allie” when you walk through the doors:)

 

 

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