well at least it's not MAY yet!

in my last blog i said "i hope to be posting soon, hopefully before may" (in so many words - i paraphrase b/c i'm too lazy to go back and get the actual words) ;)
well ... it's not may - but it's certainly not SOON after the last blog ...

but, the good news is - i have pictures!
those last two blogs were BOOOOORING without something fun, pretty or delicious to look at.

let's see, what has happened lately?
well - the most exciting (and time consuming) event is that i got a new job!
i decided that there was definitely a reason the man upstairs didn't want me working on the education "plan" i have had for the last year or so ... too bad it took me so long to figure THAT out! i guess i need to be told "no" more times than smarter people :)

anyway - the job seems to be coming along nicely - except for the fact that i'm currently studying for my THIRD test in 2 months. i'll be licensed in just about everything possible before long! but i've decided to have patience with it ... and so far it's working out just fine! i have two "passes" under my belt. and hopefully by tuesday i'll be moving on up in the world with a third "pass" on that scary computer monitor in the testing center.

i'll be an "investment professional" as soon as i officially start my job. it's sounds so generic. but, i'm really looking forward to helping people plan for their future, whether it's retirement, college funds for their kids, or their first home! i feel like it's going to be very rewarding!

well, let's get to those pictures! the most "available" right now, are the pictures from puerto vallarta! first, i'll start with a picture from the balcony of our hotel room.



we are officially in love with puerto vallarta, which we affectionately refer to as "PV" ...
and we can't wait to go back. we traveled with Danielle and our friend Traci was supposed to be with us ... but she couldn't go at the last minute. well, now traci has a ticket to PV and we really want to go back with her!! :)

before gabi & max's wedding all the girls/women got together in gabi's hotel room to pray with her. it was a really cool time. even though i didn't really know anyone other than gabi, danielle and their family - it was great to see women who cared so much about gabi & max and their life together. here's a picture during that time, with the comon girls.




here is a picture of gabi & max at their wedding.
the wedding was picture perfect ... the weather was beautiful - and it was RIGHT on the beach. i've never been to a beach wedding. and now i don't understand why everyone doesn't have one!



and here's a picture of us with the happy couple at the reception (also right on the beach!!)



we stumbled across a cuban bar while we were out exploring downtown PV one day - the funny thing is ... danielle's friend, or boss, can't remember which had actually recommended this place! we weren't even looking for it - but we found it! and we were SO glad we did. we stopped in that afternoon for a couple of appetizers and mojitos. and, of course, matt had to have a cuban cigar! so, here's a picture of us during our FIRST stop to la bodeguita del medio



i don't know if you caught it, but i said "our first stop to la B del M" ... well, we liked it so much we wanted gabi & max to come back with us!! so, we went back to our hotel, freshened up for a night out, and went back! it was so fun! everyone was writing their names on the walls, and this is what gabi did - i think it's going to be there for a while ;) maybe even by the time we go back with Traci!



and some more pictures from our SECOND trip to la B del M in the same day :)

the lengths people will go to get their name in print! :)

danielle definitely caught the eye of our waiter. every time the band played a dance song, he was teaching her the moves!



boys & their cigars ... yes, that's matt's SECOND cuban cigar in a day. it must be vacation!

danielle tried it too!

another cute gabi & max photo from La B del M




on our last night in PV, we went to a "party on the beach" (imagine that phrase stated in the voice and accent of Pedro from napoleon dynamite and you'll be golden) ... they had LOTS of delicious food, and entertainment. oh - and there was also this REALLY random cupid. from a distance matt & max thought it was a teenage boy in a diaper dressed as cupid. so it's not nearly as exciting when she gets closer and we realize it's just a really small girl. but it still made a funny picure.



so that's our trip to PV in a nutshell.
i currently cannot find the little piece of equipment that helps me easily download my pictures, so until i find it - there will either be NO blogs or blogs without pictures = boring! :)

thanks for reading!
now i'm wishing for that mahi mahi ceviche from La B del M!!
and the yellow rice!!
and a mojito!!

:) J