In a Nutshell...

Ok, so life's been crazy lately! And, when I say lately, I mean since we got married, in OCTOBER! I had no idea that getting married so late in the year would make such a huge difference. My friend is getting married tomorrow, and I cannot fathom the stress she must have dealt with, with a wedding and Thanksgiving/Christmas. Maybe I need better time management skills?

So, this is what we've been up to since the wedding. I think I am pretty much done with wedding/honeymoon posts.

~ For Halloween, we did our normal tradition - stayed home to pass out candy, and watched our annual scary movie. (By the way, we watched Room 1408, and it was hardly a boo. That says a lot coming from someone like myself, who is petrified of horror movies).
~ For Thanksgiving, we headed up to the Rosses in Peachtree City. It was a great, few, relaxing days, and we were able to enjoy some cooler weather. My brother and his family drove down from Sugar Hill to spend the day with us.
~ Bob and I both turned 29, he in November, and I in December. He wanted to be a homebody for his birthday (no complaints from me!), so I cooked for him, and we watched a movie. For my birthday, we enjoyed dinner down on Park Avenue.
~ For Christmas, we hosted the Ross family at our home. Bob's parents just left today, they were here for the week. His sister Jo was also here for a few days. We saw movies, family, and ate so much. I am disgustingly fat feeling right now.

New Year's Eve is on Monday. Bob and I stayed in last year, so I think we're going to head out this year to a party. Bob's friend Randolph is having one at his parents' house in Windermere. It should be fun! We just have to be careful driving home.

And, speaking of the New Year, here are my resolutions (yes, I have a lot):

1) Blog more (at least once a week).
2) Go to church more and learn to meditate effectively.
3) Take our pup to the dog park at least once a week (besides his daily walks).
4) Spend more time with family and friends.
5) Christmas shop year-round, instead of last minute (can you tell I did that this year?!?!).
6) Donate blood more often (I have O-, there really is no excuse...)
7) Start running as my main form of exercise, instead of just occasionally (I want to do the Disney 1/2 after my 3oth birthday).
8) Eat healthier and more organically.
9) Stop drinking coffee daily, and try for just occasionally.
10) Save $$ (this is a family resolution!).

Ok, honestly, I have more...but a) I don't want you to think I'm a crazy perfectionist (maybe I am, so what!?!) :-) and b) you probably don't care!

I'll post probably again in a week or so...until then,

We hope everyone has a Happy and Safe New Year!

P.S. Go Knights and Gators!

Our Last Day - Honeymoon, Day 6

The sixth day of our honeymoon was basically our last, as we had to leave the next afternoon. We were pretty bummed over this, but I think, at this point, ready to return home. I mean... we had our labradoodle awaiting us! We decided to spend our last day with the vanBlaricoms. They were our best friends during the honeymoon, and we still speak to them pretty regularly. We are hoping for a visit from them next year.

The four of us spent the afternoon on a nearby deserted island called Dog Island. It was appropriate because we are all dog people. The resort packed us these great picnic baskets, and umbrellas. We were dropped off by boat, only to be picked up a few hours later. The snorkeling here was beautiful. I couldn't believe all the coral and fish we saw. We had a great time, and definitely enjoyed our company. The waters were a bit rough for me, but Bob and Dave ate it up! Oh, and my bathing suit top broke. I guess that's what I get for wearing a Target bathing suit the whole week.

After our day adventure, Bob and headed back to the beach for some alone time. We napped, we drank, read, and we used those comfy blue rafts for the water. It was nice, and the reality of our honeymoon ending started to sink in for us. That night, we had our dinner on the beach to celebrate the closing of our trip.

The dinner was emotional for me. I cried, because it was the last night of our honeymoon. I mean, our honeymoon!!! When will we ever have a honeymoon again? But, I didn't let that spoil our meal. If anything, the meal was probably our most memorable for us.

Our table was set up on the beach, just a few feet from our room. It was decorated beautifully. We also had our own personal server. We had a full course meal, with a bottle of wine. The food was delicious, and we had a wonderful time. It was so romantic, and the moon was bright too. We couldn't have asked for a more peaceful night.

And, we couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our last night on our honeymoon...

Oooh la la - Honeymoon, Day 5

The fifth day of our honeymoon - Friday, was a relaxing, yet full day. We spent half of our day at the Spa at Little Dix Bay. This experience was expensive, but so worth it. We arrived at the spa after breakfast. The spa was beautiful, located atop a hill in the resort. We were given some beverages, and then escorted to the pool at the spa. This pool was amazing! It was an infinity pool. After lounging for a few moments, I was escorted to the Women's Locker Room, and Bob, the Men's. We changed out of our clothes, and into some robes.

We were then taken to our private villa for the afternoon. This villa had two rooms, one of which was a bathroom. The bathroom was up to par, just like our own bathroom in our room. In the main room, there were two massage tables for us. The first part of our treatment was a body exfoliation. After that, the therapists left us alone to smother mud all over ourselves. Yes, that's right...we stood in the room butt-naked and covered each other in mud! After we got situated back on the beds, the therapists returned. We were then given a body wrap, with an amazing massage above the neck. Our villa had a beautiful, huge outdoor shower, and we headed out there to rinse. After the wrap, we were spoiled with a 90 minute massage.

Then, came lunch. We had a delicious healthy lunch, with some yummy smoothies. We also enjoyed the private hot tub. Overall, we couldn't have asked for a more private, relaxing, and enjoyable afternoon.

After our spa experience, we headed back to Spanish Town with our friends. We were in the market for some souvenirs. We didn't have much luck, but did find a few nice ones. We found this beautiful map of Virgin Gorda and the surrounding islands. Bob and I had it professionally framed, and it is now hanging in our bedroom. It is beautiful! While in Spanish Town, we decided to have some Caribe beer with our friends. Bob and I are lucky, because they sell this Caribbean beer in Florida. We can enjoy it year-round!

Later that night, we actually left the resort for dinner. I'm really annoyed because I cannot remember the name of the restaurant we ate at. It was in a stunning location though. You had views of both the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic ocean. The restaurant sat on top of a mountain. The food was good too, although mine was a bit spicy! After dinner, we all headed back to the resort, and went outside for an impromptu cocktail hour on the beach. It was a lot of fun, and we all had so much alcohol that needed to be used!

Just like the rest of the trip, this day was just as spectacular!

Fun, fun, and more fun..., Honeymoon - Day 4

The fourth day of our honeymoon, Thursday, was a lot of fun! We decided to go on the Spring Bay Picnic. The resort had set up umbrellas, and a picnic on a nearby beach. But, it wasn't just any picnic...they were BBQ'ing, and they had a portable bar on the beach! This bay was literally right next to The Baths, so we were surrounded by these huge rocks! Bob was climbing up high on them, and I was a little tense over it. The snorkeling was great here though. We were snorkeling through the rocks, and the underwater scenery was beautiful (much better than our tour the day before). We made some new friends too while on the picnic. The best part of the picnic was the limbo contest. Yes, I said limbo contest. I won the limbo contest too! My prize was a bottle of champagne. We shared the bottle with everyone else on the picnic!

After the picnic, the fun really began! We headed back to the resort, via boat. It was at this time that every friend we had made on the trip came together. We all had those awesome blue rafts, and headed out into the water. Not only did we have the blue rafts, but we also had our fair share of alcohol. Jimmy, an employee of Little Dix was our best friend for a few hours! We had him working and earning his paycheck. Jimmy walked up and down the beach so many times, getting our drink orders. Anyhow, I think that afternoon was one of my favorites. Needless to say, I barely made it to dinner that night...

Our day of adventure - Honeymoon, Day 3

Our third day in Virgin Gorda was full of activity! We started the day by going on a hike. We hiked over to the bay that was adjacent to Little Dix Bay. The hike was three miles, but it seemed a lot longer. We were essentially hiking on a side of a cliff, so it was pretty treacherous and tiring. While on the hike, we saw all sorts of wildlife. We saw deer on the hike, and they were absolutely adorable! We saw a fawn with three of her little babies. She was even feeding them; it was so sweet! We also saw a lot of salamanders. If you don't know what those are, they are these enormously huge, slimy, disgusting lizards. I despise these creatures!

After our hike, we were off to Spanish Town, with our new friends. The resort did not include alcohol in the meal plan. So, with that being said, we all headed to the liquor store. Plus, as I mentioned in a previous post, we had our ice buckets filled 2-3 times daily. We bought some liquor, Bloody Mary Mix (for me, it is my most favorite drink!), and some beer. Unfortunately, (or, maybe not?) we did not even finish half of what we had bought.

After our trip, it was time for our guided snorkel tour. We joined Dave & Totty, and Susan & Jeremiah to our next adventure. We took 2 boats out into the ocean, not far from the shore. We were literally dropped off in the sea, left to fend for ourselves. Just kidding...it wasn't that dramatic. But, it wasn't my favorite snorkeling experience either. Actually, it was the least fun out of the few. The water was a bit rough, and my mask kept fogging up! Nonetheless, it was an experience, and for that, I'm grateful. Plus, we did get some really cool pictures (thanks Bob Sr.!)

After our snorkel tour, we headed back to our room for a quick shower. Our next endeavor was the Sunset Cocktail Cruise! This was one of the top 3 things that I wanted to do on our honeymoon. The other two was a trip to the spa, and a dinner on the beach. Boy, I was spoiled during this trip! The Sunset Cruise was a lot of fun, and we were able to take one of my most favorite pictures of us during this excursion. The Sunset Cruise is where we also met all of our other friends.

After the cruise, we went to the Sugar Mill for dinner with our new friends. We had a great day, and ended the night with some wonderful food, and more importantly, people!

Look at those rocks! - Honeymoon, Day 2

The second day of our honeymoon consisted of some major R&R. We laid around for most of the day. The beach had these awesome blue rafts, and we definitely took advantage of them that day (and other days too). We also walked up and down the beach in our little bay - Little Dix Bay. Virgin Gorda is known for The Baths. They are these huge rocks in the water, and people can snorkel through them and climb on them. Our resort also had some large rocks, and we thought they were really cool, and beautiful! We had lunch and Pina Coladas on the beach that day too! For dinner that night, we went to the Sugar Mill Restaurant. The Sugar Mill Restaurant was the nicest restaurant at the resort. However, it wasn't our favorite. Our favorite was the Pavilion. The Sugar Mill was amazing though. The seating was all outside, and it was situated just steps from the beach. Overall, Day 2 of the trip was just as amazing as the first. Here are more pics of that second day in paradise!

Just a few more pics...

Here are the last two...

The picture on the top is the view from our room. And, the picture on the bottom, is just another wall of the room, yet to be seen.

Our Room & Views

Here are some pics of where we stayed. I was going to post a few more, but the Blogger God would not allow me to. So, I'll do yet another, with more pics.

The picture with Bob was taken I believe, our third morning . We ordered room service for breakfast, and ate on our balcony. It was such a peaceful, fun way to start our day!

Stay tuned for just a couple more pics of our room!

No locks on the door? - Honeymoon, Day 1

Our honeymoon was amazing! We had so much fun, and made tons and tons of memories. We stayed at the Little Dix Bay Resort, in Virgin Gorda. Virgin Gorda is part of the British Virgin Islands. There's so much to say about our honeymoon, so I think I may post more than one blog about it. Plus, this blog will serve as a journal to our family.


So, here I go...

We arrived in Virgin Gorda by way of a layover in Puerto Rico, and then a stop in St. Thomas. Our flight from Orlando to San Juan was with Delta. As a wedding gift, (besides paying for most of the wedding!), my dad surprised us with plane tickets. We flew First Class, and felt so spoiled...thanks Dad!





The plane from San Juan was tiny!

We made it finally to Virgin Gorda, around 6pm on Monday, 10/15. We were pretty tired, and ready for some R&R. We were greeted at the airport...

By an employee of Little Dix Bay. He greeted us with cool, refreshing washcloths. At that point, we both knew we were headed for a luxurious place. We didn't know it at the time, but one of the other couples in the van with us, would become our honeymoon buddies.

We arrived at the resort, and couldn't believe our eyes! It was immaculate! We felt like we were in Utopia. The landscaping was perfect and beautiful.

And, our room was amazing! We stayed in an Ocean Cottage, about 20 feet away from the ocean. The Ocean Cottages were actually rooms, with balconies, that were in the shape of a hexagon. Each building, had four rooms. Ours just happened to be the last one on the road - privacy! The rooms had turn-down service each night. The staff would come in, turn down the bed, put our slippers (which they gave us) by the bed, and turn on our soothing, Spa music. And, our ice bucket was filled daily, 2-3 times/day. Oh, and we weren't able to lock our doors either! Crazy, right?!? Well, we could lock them from the inside, but not when we left our room. The resort provided safes in each room. We really liked this aspect of the resort...like I mentioned before, we were in Utopia!

Ok, so I'm going to attach some pics of our room in the next post. It's annoying to have to rearrange the HTML codes in these posts (or, I'm just getting lazy...). Plus, I think this post is long enough. I hope you have enjoyed it!

Our Reception

Our reception was a blast! I cannot wait to see our wedding video, to relive it! And, I think everyone had a great time too. As everyone warned me, the night flew by. But, I do admit, by the time it was over, I was ready for some R&R. My feet were killing me. I don't think I've ever danced so much in one night... Everything was wonderful!

I think besides stating our vows, I was most nervous over the first dance. I like to dance, but I wouldn't consider myself that great. Yeah sure, I can dance when there's a crowd, or if it's fast, and for fun. But, slow dancing, in front of 200 people is quite a different story. And, we had some turns and twirls in our dance, to top it all off. We had practiced our dance too. I know that I 'messed' up during the dance, but I don't know if it was noticeable to others. Anyhow, we (or me) opted to not do the turns the second time around.

The toasts were all special, and all hilarious in each way. My sister was so nervous, yet she did great. Her toast was perfect - emotional, funny, and full of memories. Jeremy had the room rolling on the floor with laughter. And, his too, was emotional for Bob. Jo's, of course was great too! The key joke was awesome; especially with Bonnie Burton!

The cake cutting was a lot of fun too. We never did get around to discussing what we would do with the cake, meaning, if we were going to smother it all over our faces or not. With that being said, I totally smothered cake all over Bob! And, then I licked it off his face - ha ha! Just one lick though!

The tossing of the bouquet was pretty funny. I had two surprises up my sleeve. The first was my garter. My sister had the idea of getting a Florida Gator garter. Bob was surprised when he pulled it off my leg. We pulled the ol' switcharoo, and kept the Gator garter. I instead, handed him another garter to throw. Oh, and poor Bob! I made him work to get that garter off my leg. My other surprise was for my sister. I had planned beforehand to "toss" my bouquet to her. But, I didn't actually toss it, I ran it over to her, and gave it to her. Why not? She's next in line in the Lee household! Anyhow, Bob and I had concocted a plan to make sure Kathy caught the bouquet, and Phil caught the garter. Phil was very close to catching it, but instead, Bob's cousin, Michael, swept in for it. Luckily, he was willing to give it to Phil.

Overall, the reception was full of fun memories for us. I hope it was the same for everyone else too! I have attached one of my favorite pictures. It's a picture of us leaving Heathrow, at the end of the night. We look so happy, and I just loved all the bubbles. We both felt like the line of our family and friends was never-ending. It was the best way to end a perfect day.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful! I honestly could not have asked for the moment to be more perfect. As we arrived at Heathrow, we were whisked away immediately for some pre-ceremony pictures. It was a lot of fun, but wow, the wind was blowing! We did manage to sneak some good pictures in. But, then, people starting showing up - early!!! I wanted to hide pronto, not only from the early-arrivers, but also from Bob.

The girls were taken to the Women's Locker Room, inside the country club. The locker room was on the bottom floor of the club, about two flights down. I felt like we were in a basement. And, I felt like we were trapped in this tiny space (it really wasn't tiny, but I did feel like the room was shrinking in on me) forever!!! I found out afterwards, that the ceremony started a little late for a reason. What was this reason, you might ask? The best man, Jeremy left the rings in the limo! Oddly enough, I didn't put two and two together when Lisa asked me what the limo company's name was. Instead, I was at this point, focusing on my breathing (thanks JoJo). Actually, I have a lot to thank JoJo for, in regards to the anxiety I was feeling before the ceremony. She was great at calming the girls down, because they were hyper. I think she might have introduced them to some Yoga Breathing techniques for the first time in their young lives.

Finally, and I mean, finally, the ceremony was ready to begin. We all lined up, and were ready to go. At this point, (well, I admit, it was earlier than this point), I started getting really nervous. I watched as my bridesmaids walked down the aisle. Then, I saw my flower girl leave my side. Everyone was leaving me! But, then I saw him. I know what you're thinking...you're thinking - Bob, right? No, it was my dad, ready to walk his oldest daughter down the aisle. I was shaking pretty badly by this point. My dad sensed my nervousness, and held me pretty tightly. Or, rather, he held me up!

As I walked down the aisle, I took notice of all the guests. I wanted to absorb everything in. I was just about half-way down the aisle, when my eyes met Bob's. And, that's when I lost it. I just started crying. They were tears of anxiety, tears of love, and tears of happiness. As soon as I was by Bob's side, I felt comfortable again. The ceremony was emotional for us, and our family and friends. People later told us, that they could just tell how much in love we were with one another. The ceremony was magical, in a sense for me. I was looking deep into Bob's eyes. I felt completely at ease. I didn't even stutter a word during our vows. I was strong, because of him. We stated our vows, and everything went smoothly. I felt relaxed and at ease, and it was sincerely because of my husband!

Overall, and before I just keep blabbing, the ceremony was everything and more, than I had imagined. It was the best way to entwine our love together for eternity. We are blessed, very, very blessed...

Getting Ready for the Big Day!

The day of the wedding seemed to have dragged for me. I awoke that morning around 9am or so. Unfortunately, I slept pretty horribly the night before. I was pretty tired most of the morning, but as the afternoon approached my adrenaline took over.

Lisa and Nicole were the first bridesmaids to arrive that day. Lisa brought over champagne and OJ for mimosas. She brought over so much champagne (it was a big joke), we ended up with plenty for the family brunch on Sunday. Joye and Jo Jo got the house around noon, as things were starting to get into full swing. Jamie arrived at the house around 1pm. The rest of the bridal party (Victoria, Meagan, and Ashley) arrived around 2pm, after Meagan's soccer game.

Overall, the day was just weird for me. I was happy, excited, and feeling all sorts of emotions. But, I was also nervous, tense, and a bit overwhelmed. The women we hired to do our hair and make-up did a great job! And, they were so nice. Larri kept me calm and level-headed, along with everyone else.

Once everyone started getting dressed, I started to get really excited. I was extremely happy with the outcome of the dresses from Aria. And, I just felt that everything came together perfectly! The earrings I picked out were perfect too! I was a bit nervous over that, because I had thought that they would be too big. Overall, everyone looked stunning! My friends can sure clean up well ;-).

Here are some pics of us getting ready.

The Rehearsal Dinner

Our rehearsal dinner was held at our home, following the lovely rehearsal...(you think?) I was a bit nervous about this whole idea during the beginning of the planning process. The last thing I wanted, was to be stressed out due to hosting such a large party at our home. However, after being calmed by my in-laws, and then the caterer, I felt a lot better.

The caterer met us a few weeks before the dinner, and was great! He was creative with his ideas, professional, and full of energy. In case anyone ever needs a caterer in the Central Florida area, the name of the company is Good 2 Go Gourmet. The food was excellent, and they took care of EVERYTHING! Our house, didn't even feel like our own house! It looked great!

Overall, the dinner was wonderful! It was great to see everyone. We had about 40 people over for dinner, and about 60 people over for dessert after. If I hadn't been the bride, I definitely would have stayed later. The party was in full swing!

Overall, the party was a huge success! The Ross family did a wonderful job of hosting!

The Rehearsal

Our rehearsal was held on Friday, the 12th at 5pm. Everyone arrived on time, and the rehearsal went very smoothly. Our minister that performed the ceremony, Tony White was very professional and pleasant to work with. During the rehearsal, it was very hot outside, and it made me nervous for the ceremony the next day. But, as you all know...the weather that day was perfect!

There's not too much more to say about the rehearsal, other than how loved I felt by Bob through it all. As we were 'rehearsing' some of the ceremony, he got teary-eyed! When I saw that, I knew that the next day would be emotional for me.

My Bridal Luncheon - Friday, 10/12/07, 11am

My Bridal Luncheon was held the day before our wedding. It was held at the Hart Sister's Tea Room in Sanford, Florida. The luncheon was held in honor of my bridesmaids, and flower girl. My mom hosted the luncheon, and it was beautiful. The luncheon was also attended by all of the female family members of the Lee's and Ross's. We had a great time, and feasted on yummy pastries, and little sandwiches. And, of course, the mimosas kept flowing. I throughly enjoyed this "kick-off" to our wedding weekend. Here are a few cute pictures from the lunch. Enjoy!

We're Alive!

Hi everyone! We're back, alive, and well...pretty good! Bob went back to work yesterday, and I came back today. I must say, it's been tough getting back into the groove of things. I feel like my typing is even off! Anyhow, I'm not going to really write a blog now, but just wanted to let everyone know we're back. I will plan on blogging though about everything from the Rehearsal to the honeymoon. Until then, ciao!

Introducing Little Miss North Gwinnett County!

My niece, and god-daughter Ashley was crowned Little Miss North Gwinnett County on September 8th (which was also my dad's 60th birthday). She is so adorable and cute, and takes after her mom. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this little princess.

Congratulations Ashley!

Bachelorette Party - Saturday 9/15/07

Saturday in Savannah started off early. We awoke, had breakfast, and were out the door by 10am. Here are a couple pics of the adorable shirts my sister and mom made for us...

We hit River Street and went shopping. I think everyone's favorite store was the huge candy store! After River Street, we went to lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons. I had the Chicken Pot Pie, and it was to die for.

After lunch, most of us headed off on a Historical Trolley Tour around Savannah, while others went back to the hotel for some R&R. We finished the afternoon watching the UF-TN game (Go Gators!) and UCF - Texas game (Go Knights!) at some local establishments.

Now, here comes the debauchery! In all honesty, there really was no debauchery. I had to do some "challenges" that night, but it was all in good fun. One challenge I had to do, was stand up on a chair, and announce to the crowd that I was getting married. Another challenge consisted of me having to blow up a condom. You get the picture, right?

We finished off the night ordering the largest pizza I have ever seen in my life, courtesy of Lisa. Overall, the weekend was more than I anticipated. I had an absolute blast, and feel very grateful to have such a wonderful sister (she planned it all), and great group of friends.

11 more days...