Layla {heart} Austin

I have a big, long christmas post with lots o' pictures a'waiting but I have been so excited about a couple of things the past few days and I just couldn't keep it in.

Christmas was full of surprises this year. (for me anyway, I, of course, wasn't able to surprise Austin- he knew all of his gifts which were pretty boring compared to what he got me.)

My Christmas surprises included:

A gift from my parents containing this and a couple of lenses...

Photography lessons here I come!

Hidden under the camera and tissue was...

Containing this...

I. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE it.

If that wasn't enough Christmas surprises, my hubby also had a fabulous surprise up his sleeve for me (he's the king of surprises!)

There was ONE gift from him under the tree for me this year.

I opened it to find fuzzy red and pink heart print pajama bottoms and a pink care bear shirt that says "sweet and cool." So glad the Mr. thinks I'm sweet & cool.

After making me put on the ensemble he told me to search the clothing for a hidden message.

On the inside of the shirt, in teeny tiny print, was written "look to the balloons".

I searched every room until I found a bunch of balloons. I found the balloons in the LAST room I looked, of course.

I found the hidden message in the LAST balloon I popped, of course.

The message told me to read the page in the bible that corresponds to the # written next to the city of Monticello on a map.

After locating Monticello on a map (that took me awhile), I found the #, grabbed a bible, opened it up and read something about trees and mountains and stuff like that...

Anyway the verse lead me outside.

At this point I really thought Austin got me a bike. We have been talking about getting mountain bikes so we could ride together. But it's the winter people, a bike wouldn't be any good to me right now.

Sure enough hidden under the porch was a bike box.

"Wow. A huffy. Thanks hubby". (Huffy makes mountain bikes???)

Opened the bike box and found lots of junk like newspaper, bags of fruit and tools, etc.

Finally found a banana republic bag at the very bottom.

Ran inside because it was FREEZING outside and I was wearing tight, little girls p.j.s.

Opened banana bag and found a.... calendar.

Not just any calendar, a calendar with tropical pictures.

Stumped.

Finally I heard the hubby say "a trip to...."

See here.

SO SURPRISED. And SO excited!

We have been trying to go on a vacay here since we got married.

Can't wait for MARCH--it's whale season!

We start this next week,

so we can do this on our vacay,

as well as this on our cruise in February.

Can't wait to get out of this wintery weather and into the sunshine!!!