Dominican Republic

I have been friends with these girls since....forever.  Met some as infants; some as preschoolers.  I have no idea how this happens, but our husbands all love hanging out together.  Which works well for us!  So about 8 years ago we said "we all need to go on a trip together for our 40th."  And poof; we were 40 and traveled to the Magestic Mirage in Dominican Republic.  It wasn't an easy task getting 10 people to get the same vacation time and find parents to watch children at the same time and having 10 people agree on a destination. But it turned out FABULOUS!

Janelle got us these "Forty and Fabulous" shirts for our travel day.  

The day we arrived was Kelly's actual 40th birthday.  She had told Janelle "NO SHOTS!?!?!"  That didn't last long, as we haven't even set our bags down.  

Chris Hanson...how was the steak house the first night?  

Kelly's birthday celebration was fantastic!

I convinced Janelle to be my Misty-May for one day.  

And then we ended up super bruised for improper passing.  Ouch.  Well, it had been a long time....

I wore my super-fun, new hat the first day of sun!

And spilled coffee on it.  

Oh Chris.  After some time spent at a swim-up beverage counter, 

Chris turned into a 10 year old boy and tried to splash and soak everyone in the hot tub.  

You can see people scattering as he dumps water 

on them like a juvenile Luke.  

And then he takes after this cowboy to dump water on him.  

And attempt to dunk the Cowboy.  

The cowboy reports that I would've put 

up more of a struggle than Chris.  

But good entertainment was provided for all.  

So he retreated to the room and put on this robe and came out to the deck and yelled at his friends and.........

And then he lost a little track of time and dressed up to come meet us for dinner.  But he was 3 hours late. 

Jason and Chris were finally going to get to watch a Duke versus Syracuse game together... ON VACATION!?!?!  How exciting!!?!? Unfortunately their bromantic date never happened.....  

Syracuse won....(I think)

Mini-beers.  So yummy!

J and J's swim up room couldn't have been a 

more perfect hang-out location.  

We really can't take enough group photos.  

Jill got us all these awesome, engraved bracelets.  

I did get the boys to play with me one day. 

And I did teach one kid how to serve.  

After that, I hid the ball and didn't let any kids play.  

Kelly and I LOVE standing group photos.  
It's our FAVORITE thing to do.  

Totally natural and not posed at all.  

Loved eating beach side.  Ate here every morning.  

Since I'm a fun-hater, I did not think a foam party would be fun.  I thought we were much too old.  

But everyone there was much too old....

And that made it very fun.  Well that and these three whoopin' it up.

I don't have a photo of Kelly pushing these girls in.  

But it was super funny.  

And so was their payback! 

We had a vacation book club and all read the same book together.  It was a good one!  

This local was slightly shorter than myself.  

This was a shot-fueled challenge to spin around many, many times and then kick a soccer ball into a (super tiny) net (very) far away.  

Spinning, spinning.  

Kicking....

WINNING!!!!!

Winner, winner.

Carter and Chris went golfing a couple mornings.  

Where's the garbage can piled with bad sandwiches and the feral cats?  Clearly the good golf and drinks outweighed the bad sandwiches.  

Must've been some 90's music.  Hootie?  

The Grand Hall

And Jamie bought us these personalized mugs to use for our vacation.  Like my friend Tammy pointed out, we'd never have all had hats on had we not been 40.  

Back to juvenile boy for a minute.... inappropriate desserts.