ARUBA

Over Labor Day we took a little trip to Aruba.

Not the typical location for people like Jed and I, but I wanted an escape from the busy chaos of the city. A calm, relaxing vacation - one that wouldn't create that feeling of needing a 2nd vacation the minute we'd return home.

Know what I'm talking about?

Aruba turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. Proof in photos below...

Our pretty little hotel

Our upgraded room (from a studio to a 2 bedroom suite!)...

...with a patio and a bright sunny view of the ocean

About 2 minutes after checking in, I was ready for the beach!
And I was not disappointed
Neither was this guy
While we were there we did lots of reading
I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett & I highly recommend it.
We checked out the high-rise & downtown areas
We witnessed a Baptist baptism in the beautiful ocean waters
We found a little bit of NYC at an Aruban sports bar & grille
We made friends at the local LDS branch
Since Aruba was settled by the Dutch, we were thrilled to find Stroopwafels in abundance (I first proclaimed my love for them in this post)
Pretty much my version of paradise
And I know you're sitting there wondering, "what ever did the Cowleys do during the BYU vs. UW game???"
Well, I did a little bit of this...
...while Jed resourcefully found a way to watch the game in our hotel room on his laptop. Fortunately, the Cougars won & Jed was able to happily enjoy the rest of our trip.

We enjoyed a romantic dinner right on the beach

And witnessed lots of beautiful sunsets
Some other things we enjoyed in Aruba but didn't photograph...
A relaxing Swedish couples' massage
Some scenic training runs along Aruba's coast
Making friends with the LDS hotel gardener
A delicious feast at a Brazilian churrascaria
Jet skiing in the Atlantic
And a thrilling timeshare sales presentation (we came this close to buying one) (not really) (ok, sorta) (it was a reeeeeally good deal)

We feel pretty lucky to have had such a great vacation. Hopefully the relaxation we stocked up lasts us till the next one.