Final Day in Punta Cana, 4 Book Reviews, Back to Life

Thanks for following me on my trip guys!! I promise i'll be back to semi-regular posting/commenting soon! :)

So backing up... Monday I got up not. wanting. to. leave. Sad! We quickly packed up, hit the breakfast buffet for the first time (and wished we'd done it sooner - amazing!) then got on our transfer, hit the airport and flew back to Atlanta, reading and sleeping the whole way! We landed around 6, customs was quick, took the marta to the car, picked up the sushi and got home to little Reuben!! (he had been in a doggy daycare while we were gone but Austin's aunt Sharon picked him up and had him there so he didn't have to stay another night!). Our little family quickly unpacked, got clothes in the laundry and got in bed to REST. We were all beat! LOL Here's the last pics of our trip!!

Last days pics at Punta Cana's Iberostar Grand Bavaro Hotel

Loved this board walk to the 'bar boat'

Still couldn't get over how pretty everything was in the lobby and atrium

This was towards the front - not sure where the flamingos had gone!

This is walking towards to the hotel from the boat

Ah - the boat - good times!

The outside of the surf & turf restaurant!

Outside of the Japanese restaurant

Ah - the fabulous entrance

A shot of one of many seating areas

Last pic there while we were waiting on our transfer to the airport

One of the sides of the hotel (it was shaped like a U with the pool/boat/etc. in the middle - this was the right side of the front part of the U).

The driving entrance - our van is behind that bush waiting for me to get in it to go to the airport!

Speaking of the airport - isn't it adorable?!

The Delta area was so nice!

Boarding the plane - gotta love walking on, and the fact that we boarded and deboarded from the front and the back. Made for a quick getaway!

Last picture of Punta Cana taken right before I entered the cabin

Now, as promised, it's Book Review Time!

So my trip to the library turned out to be a success! I have read 4 of the books so far – giving all between a 4 and a 4.5! Here are the reviews.

Book Review #1: Nicholas Sparks’ The Last Song
So I knew nothing about going into this book – which I think made me like it more. It was basically a story about a New York teenage daughter and her little brother whose parents got divorced. They were going to spend the summer with their father at the beach. Lots of interesting characters come out, a few surprises and ultimately a nice lesson about forgiveness. I really enjoyed the book and even cried. I give it a 4.5/5. All that would have made it better is if the past – what made that girl so surly – had been a bit more developed. It was hard to care about her for a while as she was SUCH a pill!

Book Review #2: Sophie Kinsella’s Twenties Girl
Again – knew nothing! It was a book about a girl who was having problems. Boy problems. Work problems. You name it. And she was kind of in denial. Then all of a sudden at her great aunt’s funeral she begins seeing a ghost – a ghost of her aunt at age 80. Hilarity ensues, as well as mystery. At first I was like are you kidding me? A ghost? Lame. But it was really good and I enjoyed the ways that her and her aunt were able to help each other and have fun doing it. A very cute book (if you’re okay with suspending reality)! I gave it a 4/5. It would have gotten a 5 if it had been a little less with the fantasy (I mean come on – the ghost can control peeps?) and a little shorter (if you’re going to do fantasy keep it to 300 pages).

Book Review #3: Leslie Meier’s Mother’s Day Murder (a Lucy Stone Mystery)
This was a new author for me. The book was on the short side but it turned out to be just long enough. The story opens with a full-time mother and worker just trying to enjoy life and keep her kids on the right track. Then she stumbles on a body. And then finds some issues with one of her daughters as the murder unfolds. It was a sweet, cute story and again – to the point which I liked. I was definitely surprised at the end and enjoyed it! I give it a 4/5 – probably would have given it a 5 if it had been a bit more involved. It was definitely a surface-level light read which was nice, but it was a little too light to me without much wrap up. I will try another one of her books though – maybe go back and read them in order!

Book Review #4: Nicholas Sparks’ Dear John
I knew a bit more about this book going into it, and had seen the movie on the plane ride over. Dislike the movie, liked the book a lot more. It was a story of a guy on R&R who meets the girl of his dreams. They fall in love after two weeks, and quickly become pen pals writing each other to stay connected while he’s off in the army and she’s in school. The story follows them as fate keeps them apart, and there are lots of layers to the story including his father and her friend Ted. I enjoyed it, although it was very, very sad. And the ending was super depressing to me, too. I gave it a 4.5/5 – would have been better if it had ended the way I wanted it to!! Haha And in all truth, I was annoyed at him for staying gone so long…

I am now reading my first Joanne Fluke book, a Hannah Swenson Mystery, called The Fudge Cupcake Murder! It's really cute so far.

On to my Tuesday (AKA day back at work).

• 2 hour meeting including 1/2 bagel, 1 tbsp cream cheese, pineapple, strawberry and a slice of cheese.
• fat-free hot chocolate during 1-hour meeting.
• 4 mile walk with Stacy during lunch- great to catch up!
• lunch of chicken fried rice (I had frozen it before we left). It wasn't amazing but it worked!
• snack of popcorn, more work, more meetings
• back to the gym for a 2-mile walk
• back to the house to hang with Austin and Reuben. Austin had done laundry and worked on his new office - yay! (more on that to come!)
• we made two casseroles, ate beef enchilada casserole for dinner and worked on Austin's office more
• I ended the night at 10:30, ending up at 1,589 calories, 189 carbs, 34 fat grams and 93 protein grams. Here's what I ate.

Do you have a favorite airport? I know that's random - but so far mine is this one in Punta Cana! Love that was it was in a hut! LOL

Any hotel/resorts you're a fan of/would go back to in a heartbeat? So far this is my #1 favorite. I'm still working on my review for Trip Advisor/you guys!!