Spiker Family Pictures

Back at the end of November we had our annual Spiker family pictures taken. This will be the last set where all of us will be in them for several years, because both of my little brothers will be going on missions for the next 4 years (which makes me have a heart attack). They were taken in Santa Monica by the fabulous Judy Hailey.

Something I can not live without

I love anything that will help me stay organized, on top of my life, and my to-do list. I am one of those people who can't get anything done unless I write it down. That goes for goals, remembering every errand I need to run, and when I'm supposed to be at work. I make lists for everything, really everything. I make packing lists before I go on a trip, grocery lists, potential future baby name lists, house project lists, I have a list of things to do for everything in my life.

A few years ago I was introduced to the best day (or for me, life) planner in the world. I have gone through just about every type of planner and calender that you can imagine. Over the years every planner was missing something, or lots of things for me (even my iPhone wasn't cutting it), until I came across the Truly Mom planner. It is simply fantastic. It has a place for everything! It is about the size of the average novel and easily fits in any one of my purses. I can't go anywhere without it and I have to have it with me if I want to accomplish anything. I love it so. They come in a very durable leather (it is also available in satin for a cheaper price) that will last for years. Years? you might ask. Yes, you will use this planner for years because at the end of every 12 months you can buy new refills and use it over and over again. Seriously, it is the best.

Included is a full year calendar with month, week and day tabs so you can stay on top of your hectic life (and color coded stickers to mark special dates). For each day there are a number of note pads provided for you(sticky and regular), so you can jot down every thought, appointment, and to-do list, which allows you to be as organized as possible.

Also included is a phone/address book and a gift purchase planner.

On your daily jot list you can take advantage of the space at the bottom that allows you to focus on each child and their schedule, pick up times, and appointments. Also included is a space for meal planning, calls to make, and something just for you. It has it all.

I'm telling you, this planner is complete. I highly recommend it if you are needing a little help staying organized. The satin ones are only $60, the leather are $150. I prefer the leather. I have had mine for 3 years, use it everyday and it still looks brand new. I still have several years of use out of this single planner. They also offer tiny planners with all the same features for only $36. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

The rest of our little gettaway

The rest of our vacation was spent cruising around the Caribbean. We spent our days on Culebra, St. Thomas, St. John, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. It was pretty awesome, and when I look at these pictures I become jealous of myself. We are back to the freezing cold and nasty inversion Utah always offers this time of year. We still have it pretty good, I guess.

In order to get to Culebra from Puerto Rico, we had to hop on one of these tiny little planes. It was frightening, especially for flight-anxiety prone me. We made it there safely and rather smoothly as well. Cuebra is gorgeous.

Can you tell I was nervous?

The first stop on our cruise was in St. Thomas. We fairied over to St. John and spent most of the day there. We went to Trunk Bay, which is supposedly the most beautiful beach on Earth. I might have to agree with that. It was quite spectacular.

Our day in Dominica was spent in the rain forest. The entire Island is basically rain forest. It is the most lush place either of us has visited, and even beats out Kauai.

Almost every night I ordered some type of fruit soup for dinner. They always started out with two tiny pieces of fruit in a bowl and then the server poured the puree over the fruit. The first time I got one, our entire table was cracking up because we thought the teeny tiny piece of fruit was the whole thing. It was hilarious, but one of those 'you had to be there' moments.

Barbados was beautiful, but more of a party island than the others. We spent the day on the beach, napping and reading.

On St. Kitts, which looks a lot like the Hawaiian islands, we again spent the day on the beach with books. We were each able to finish two books on this trip which was awesome. We both enjoy reading but lately have found little time to actually do it. We were here the whole day:

St. Lucia was one of my favorite places we visited. It was beautiful and had amazing beaches. I loved the water, the Peton mountain that ran right up to it, and the natural landscape. We will definitely be going back to spend more time on this island.

Josh said St. Maarten was awesome and that we will definitely be going back some day. I was sick that morning so I didn't get off the ship. Josh rented a scooter and scooted his way around the entire island, stopping at beautiful beaches along the way. One of the coolest things to see on this island is the planes coming literally feet above your head, while you are on the beach.

One of the things I will remember most from our time spent on the ship were our wonderful servers. They were both so sweet and humble. They kept us happy, entertained, and well fed. We told Bernardo that we really liked the tiramisu one night, and even though it wasn't on the menu the rest of the week, he made sure we had it every night after that. He was the best.

Us with our tablemates and our servers, Iwayan and Bernardo.

Overall, the cruise was great. We relaxed and played. We ate and napped. We loved being together with no distractions for two weeks. It was perfect.