Magical Honeymoon Cruise

Matias and I got married on Friday (December 30) and left on our honeymoon out of Galveston on New Years Day. This would be my third cruise and Matias’ first and I was so excited to experience it with him. I personally love cruising and think it is the best way to travel. You don’t have to worry about flying or driving anywhere because the ship takes you to all of your ports and then when you are hungry you can either order room service or go get food up in the dining areas. Then when you get tired you can go back to your room and take a nap or if you are bored you just find something fun that is going on and join in.

We did a 7-day cruise out of Galveston with Carnival and were on the ship Carnival Magic. We went to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Island; and Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise started off with two days at sea before we arrived at our first location which was really nice for us. After the stress from the last couple of weeks with Matias finishing finals, Christmas and of course wedding planning it was extremely nice to be able to relax and not feel like we had to be on the go at all of the ports.

The first stop was Montego Bay, Jamaica and this was probably our favorite location. Everything here was so beautiful! We did a tour that took us to Ocho Rios (which was a 1 ½ bus ride) where the Dunn River Falls and Mystic Mountain are located. Here we climbed the falls and just enjoyed everything about it. It was actually cooler that day (77 degrees) then it previously had been and we thought the water was going to be freezing cold. As soon as we got in and went through a small part, they made us dunk ourselves in the water so we could get used to it. This was probably the best idea because after that the water was so nice. It was extremely difficult to climb the falls but it was probably harder than what I thought it was going to be. I was so glad we both were wearing our chacos, because it did make climbing easier.

After we were done we took a 5 minute bus ride to the bottom of Mystic Mountain. From here we took a 30 minute lift up the mountain where we rode over the rain forest and got to enjoy the scenery. (Matias did get kind of scared since he is afraid of heights and we were over 800ft in the air). Once we reached the top we got to eat a famous Jamaican dish of Jerk Chicken and Kidney Beans with Rice. This was delicious and Matias was so excited because the whole trip he kept talking about how he wanted to try Jerk Chicken in Jamaica. Once we finished eating we got to do a Jamaican bobsled ride. Basically it was just on a track but their actually bobsledders used to practice on it. You really didn’t steer your way around it but you could control your speed and of course we made it go as fast as possible. We then took the lift back down and on this one you mainly rode in the rain forest, which was an interesting experience.

The next day we docked in the Cayman Islands. Here we did an island tour where we visited Hell, a rum factory, and the turtle farm. The turtle farm was really cool because we got to pick up and hold some of the smaller turtles and we also saw one that was over 65 years old. One of the turtles was only 10 weeks old and fit into the palm of your hand and then others were massive. The tour was fun getting to see everything but we were by fair the youngest people on our tour. (Guess we didn’t get the memo). After the tour was over we walked around and went shopping. The shopping here was amazing because a lot of it was American brands but you didn’t have to pay taxes and it normally had a discount also for the duty. Matias got some cool polarized sunglasses that change colors in the sun, we got t-shirts made from bamboo (so much softer than cotton), and I got a Michael Kors watch (which I absolutely love). There also was a Hard Rock Café on the island (my sister-in-law Jimena works at the one in Dallas) so we stopped and bought her some flair. The Caymans were beautiful and the shopping was amazing!

Our last stop was Cozumel, Mexico. The water here was crystal blue and you could look down and see the fish swim by from the smaller boat we were on. This was perfect because we went snorkeling. I have gone snorkeling every time I have done a cruise because I like getting to see the fish and the reef in all of the different locations. I had never snorkeled in Cozumel and Matias had never snorkel at all. It was a lot of fun seeing the reef, all the different fish, dolphins, and a stingray. The one thing is snorkeling is very tiring especially if you have never done it before (you can burn 1000 calories if you snorkel for an hour). Even though we were exhausted after we still had a lot of fun.

Cozumel was our last port but we still had one more relaxing day at sea before we had to head back to reality. We definitely had a great time on our honeymoon and it was great to get to relax!

<>Diamond Candles<>

I am kinda obsessed with reality T.V. Whether it be Survivor, The Bachelor(ette), American Idol, Keeping up with the Kardashians, or Jersey Shore I am a fan of it all. Don't get me wrong I love comedies and dramas on T.V. but sometimes it makes me feel better about myself seeing actual people making a fool of themselves on T.V. This being said I also follow a lot of these celebs on Twitter and Facebook. 

Last week I was on Facebook and I saw a post from Jwoww (Jersey Shore) about a company called Diamond Candles and giving a discount for them. If a celeb recommends something (even if they are being paid to) I still like looking into the product and seeing what all of the fuss is about. I looked at their website and liked what I saw. 

We are so glad you are here! If you don't know much about us yet we have real rings worth $10, $100, $1,000, or $5,000 in every single earth friendly, all natural soy candle that we make.

I liked that they were earth friendly candles and plus with them being soy candles they hold the scent better and burn cleaner and longer because the wax doesn't melt as quickly. Plus getting a free ring (even if it is the $10 one like I got) is kinda cool and just an extra added perk. The candles themselves cost $25 (same as Yankee Candles) and I think they smell amazing. I got Strawberry Bliss and absolutely loved the smell!

By the time I got home from work, Matias had already lit the candle and our whole house smelt like strawberries when I walked in. I have never had a candle that filled my whole house up and was super excited. I can't wait to get more of them. Plus they are perfect birthday, Christmas, or Valentines gifts for friends or loved ones. 

And We're Finally Married!

Both of us had a blast at the wedding and week leading up to it. We decided for this entry we wanted to share both of our perspectives since this was the most important day of both of our lives.

Amber's Perspective:

Getting married 5 days after Christmas may not have been my brightest idea since it already is one of the most hectic times of the year. This year was about 10x crazier!

It was fun being home and being able to celebrate Christmas with mine and Matias’ family but as soon as it was over we went into full wedding mode. That week we went from errand to errand and started picking up different bridesmaids at the airport and waiting for different family members to come into town. The thing that helped get me through the week was having Matias, my family and one of my best friends Leah there with me at all times.

The day before the wedding was the day that everything seemed to be going wrong. Our DJ had the flu, some of the vases to our centerpieces had broken and the church wasn’t ready. Luckily I had already decided I wasn’t going to stress over the little things and as long as Matias and I got married nothing else could ruin the next day. We had our rehearsal at the church that night and everything seemed to go pretty good and we had fun at our rehearsal dinner.
     
Finally the day I had been waiting months years for was here. WEDDING DAY!!!!!!!!
     
To say I was beyond excited was an understatement. We woke up early that morning to get ready to get our make-up and hair done in time for the wedding. Well I thought with 6 other girls staying at the house we needed to get up early to all be ready to go on time. Needless to say it did not take us long to get ready and we ended up with an extra 1 ½ hours before our make-up appointments. Oops…my bad!
     
We finally made it to the church at 1ish with our make-up done and getting ready to get our hair done. Everything went pretty smoothly with that except for the fact that there was no air condition in the bride’s room and all we had was a small fan to keep us cool. Doesn’t sound that bad for a winter wedding, except that the wedding was in the Valley and it was 80 degrees outside. So it was also hot in the room and being in a wedding dress I remember being really hot.
     
We wanted to take as many photos before the wedding as we could so we could get to the reception quickly afterward. So we took all of our bridal party shots beforehand and did some of Matias and I with him blindfolded. These are some of my favorite photos of the wedding.
     
Before I knew it, it was time to walk down the aisle. I told everyone I wasn’t nervous because I really wasn’t it, but I did have a huge grin on my face the entire time, which is something that I do when I really am nervous or excited.
     
I remember thinking that this was going to be the longest walk down the aisle, but suddenly we were at the end of the aisle and Matias was standing right in front of me with the same look in his eyes that I felt were in mine. I knew were meant to be together and God had brought him into my life for this very reason.
     
We had a pretty traditional ceremony with traditional vows and lighting of the unity candle. But being Aggies we had to have our recessional as the Aggie War Hymn. This was so much fun walking back down the aisle to and Whooping on our way down. Once the ceremony was over we took some of the traditional wedding photos with all of our families and the rest of the bridal party.
     
After we were done with all of this we headed to Mario’s Ballroom for our reception. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was when we entered and I loved everything about the centerpieces (done by Michael Allen’s), decorations and colors. The DJ (who luckily was feeling better) introduced our bridal party and Matias and I had our first dance to Brad Paisley, “Then.” We then went around saying Hi to everyone and catching up with friends we hadn’t seen in awhile. Finally we were able to sit down and eat.
     
Once we sat down Matias had a surprise for me. He had written a Wedding Rap for me and had recorded it with some of his friends and groomsmen. The video was hilarious and I absolutely loved it. It was so him and summarized our relationship perfectly. After that I had to get up for a quick second and when I returned my food was gone after I had only taken two bites. I wasn’t happy that I didn’t get to eat but at least I was having a good time.

We also had a photobooth (done by ImageCinema) and an album for the guests to put their photos on and write little messages to us. I loved the photos that we ended up with because there are very funny to look at and the messages are also hilarious. I am so glad we had this to have some funny photos and to have these memories.

For a favor we did a candy bar (done by FuzziWig’s) in our colors of maroon, pink, white, and silver. This I believe was the biggest hit of the night. Everyone kept telling us how great of idea it was and how much they loved the candy. At one point when Matias and I were able to hit it up over half of the candy was already gone.

I remember the maid of honor and best man toasts and thinking how lucky we were to have two amazing friends such as Paige and Brent. Of course both of them also made me cry! The rest of the reception was pretty much a blur to me. Everything seemed to go so quickly but I remember having such a great time and enjoying every minute of it! We had such amazing friends that made the night so special for both Matias and I. Then having both of our families there for us was amazing. We are both extremely blessed and loved and I can’t wait to start the next chapter in our lives.

Matias' Perspective:

I woke up in a hotel room that was full of men the night before Full of empty boxes that contained leftover Mexican food and remnants of cake cut at Koko’s (the site of the rehearsal dinner), ALL of the wedding party men, along with two other fraternity brothers, spent the night doing what men do in social gatherings: watch football. I remember laughing in my head because I knew that this couldn’t become a norm because there was a special lady that would be meeting me at the altar the next day that would never tolerate such a mess!


I woke up knowing that this was the day all of the problems in the world became irrelevant and all of its attention would be pointed towards the wedding.


Full of joyful nerves, I grabbed a shower, some breakfast downstairs with the guys, and headed to my parent’s house to hang out with them for a bit to spend some time with my relatives that I never get to see. After lunch and some time with family, I headed back to the hotel where a tuxedo containing a maroon bowtie awaited its use.

My side of the wedding party was in their tuxes, shoes, and game-faces in about 25 minutes. We carpooled to the church and arrived, as instructed, early in order to take pictures. I soon realized that there was a strong correlation between my throat drying up and the closer it got to six-thirty, so I needed my bros to help calm my nerves. Naturally, we looked to the photographer session for release. We sang the Aggie War Hymn, we made goofy poses, and I even led the “Aggie” yell; but none of these could help take my mind off of what was soon to come.
     
I took a step back from the commotion, relaxed my mind, and praised the Lord for the beautiful woman He has blessed me with. This brought me to the realization that it’s okay for me to feel this way and, in fact, these jitters are actually help make every second memorable!
     
We headed back in the church and hung-out around the altar. Almost like clockwork, Brent would ask how I was doing, Pat, Agu, Tyler, or Ben would crack a joke; and Michael would look at me with a calm manner. All reaffirmed my decision in choosing these guys to be beside me on this special day.
     
Out of nowhere with a blind-fold in hand, Jimmy (Amber’s father) asked me to follow him. If this were a movie, this scene would consist of the father of the bride scaring the soon-to-be son-in-law to confirm his adoration for his daughter. But in this case, I knew he wanted to blind-fold me because Amber was wanting to see me in order to take blind-folded pictures that we had always enjoyed viewing of other couples.
     
Blindfolded, I still felt the presence that jokes were cracked, pictures were taken, tears of joy were shed, and that a woman far more beautiful than any movie star could ever be was right behind them. Through the noise of the cluttered room, I heard a soft, “I love you” from my bride and at that moment I would’ve given up my Aggie Ring for a kiss from her… But, I knew that was bad luck so I just whispered it back and affirmed her that I would see her soon.
     
I was blessed to have a group of studly men for Jesus pray over me right before we started the walking-in of the family because I knew I wouldn’t have been able to feel the joy that could only come from the Holy Spirit.
     
Everyone was accounted for and seated in the church. I enjoyed walking my mom in and watching her and my dad light the unity candle with my “official new parents”. I stood in front of the Alter and heard the music start for the bridesmaids to walk in.
     
This moment actually was a blur mainly because all I could think of was trying to hold back the tears from watching the women that loved and supported Amber walk in slowly; so I just stared to the back of the church and smiled.
     
Moments to go, I kept telling myself, “don’t lock-out your knees because you’re liable to pass out of her beauty!” Then Ms. Nancy (the pianists) paused and started “The Wedding March”.
     
Throughout the six years, four months, and twenty-five days Amber and I had been together before; I admit to have had some dreams about this day (yeah, guys have them too). But nothing could’ve ever prepared me for the joy rush throughout my whole body when I caught the first glimpse of my bride in her wedding dress.
     
Amber spoke above about the smile we both shared and I know that it started deep in our souls as a joy from the love of Christ.
     
From walking her slowly up the stairs of the alter, to lighting the unity candle, exchanging the rings, and saying, “I do”; nothing in the world could’ve made those moments irrelevant.
     
After we took family pictures, we packed the bridal party into a limo. We all felt like sardines because there were so many of us, but we didn’t complain because we were all ready to party at the reception!
     
Once we arrived at Mario’s Ballroom we were presented to all of the guests and Amber and I shared our first dance as a married couple. It felt so amazing being out there on the dance floor with my new wife sharing a dance to a song that still resonates to our relationship: Brad Paisley’s “Then”. It was funny because I’ve listened to this song a million times but never really let the lyrics sink in until then. Yes, Brad Paisley, she is my whole life, my whole world, and there aren’t enough words to explain how I feel when I’m with her. I can’t wait to look back in a couple of years and realize that this love for one another that the Lord blessed us with continues to mature.
     
The rest of the evening flew by because of all the fun we had! Amber and I spent some good time taking pictures and “photo-bombing” people at the photo booth. The DJ played amazing music, which made it simple for Amber and me to tear up the dance floor like we did back in BCA and ADPi formals. The food was amazing. The guest liked my rap video (Amber loved it and that’s all that mattered). I cried tears of joy when Paige and Brent shared their Maid of Honor/Best Man speeches. And, thankfully, everyone had a great time. Praise the Lord for fellowship, new family, and MY wife.


Even though we both had very different perspectives of the wedding and enjoyed different things about it, the important part is we are now married and ready to spend the rest of our lives together. Can’t wait to see what God has in store.


Photos: Rocky Lozano from R2L Studios