Our "Winter" Holiday

My goodness, it has been a long time! I don't know about you but I've kinda missed the blog.  Sometimes it seems like there is so much to write; I have to wait until I have a block of time to pound it out.  On this chilly, rainy, overcast day, my yellow dog lays over her plush bed beside my desk and the free standing heater blows warm air on my (slipper enclosed) feet... now is the time to update the blog on all of our latest (and greatest) experiences.  Let's get into it...

Life is rough for Maggie

Heat!

Another rainy winter day in Tassie

Rob and I will honestly admit that two weeks prior to our wedding and home visit, we were just waiting for the time to pass.  At that point we had been in Australia for a little over two months and we missed the familiarity of home, family and friends.  The only tough part about leaving Tassie for two and half weeks was Maggie.  She was very disappointed to see us pull out our suitcases and proceeded to sulk while we packed.  A new but very sweet friend of ours, Freya, agreed to stay at the house the whole time we were gone to keep Maggie company.  This was a relief to Rob and I; helping us not to worry over Maggie or the home.  Our trip back started with an early flight out of Hobart to Sydney, then a very long and unrestful flight from Sydney to LAX.  Finally the last leg into Denver where we were greeted by Mike, Jess & Brady Apostle as well as Julie and Noa Hammer.  Such wonderful faces to see after a weary trip.  Rob and I were unable to sleep for most of the flight, and found United Airlines rather unpleasant.  We arrived exhausted, and for the next few days, we were utterly jet lagged.  We planned a few days in Fort Collins mostly for this purpose.  We wanted to rest between the journey from Hobart to Turks & Caicos, give our bodies a chance to acclimate to the time change and allow us to finish last-minute wedding business as needed.  This ended up being a smart travel move.

Rob buying a temporary cellphone in LAX so we could make calls while we were back in the states.

Starbucks, you've never tasted better.  No Starbucks in Hobart but there are stores on the mainland.  Here I am in Fort Collins, trying to drink away the sleepiness.

Before we knew it, we were back on a plane (with our friends, the Apostles and Huntingtons) heading through Miami to the Providenciales island in Turks and Caicos.  Turks and Caicos is a cluster of islands located in the Bahamas, in the British West Indies.  We chose this location for our destination wedding because all of our wedding guests (including Rob & I) had not been to T&C yet.  We thought it would be a new and great memory for everyone by making it our wedding location and their personal vacation.  June is one of the hottest months and the beginning of the hurricane season in Caicos but exactly two years ago, on June 23, I met Rob for our first eharmony induced date.  From that moment on, life has taken off for Rob and I.  Two years has flown by but he and I feel as though we've known each other for a lot longer.  I thank God for this man.  

Anyway! The Bahama heat was no match for a cool resort pool, beautiful ocean and cute bathing suits.  We all immediately got comfortable in beach attire.  Several of us arrived on Wednesday and by Friday night, all 25 guests had arrived and settled into the Ocean Club West resort.  During that time, we definitely took advantage of the pool, beach, spa, shopping centers and local restaurants.  Having a kitchen in almost all of the resort rooms allowed us to enjoy our meals and snacks, as well.  While some of us enjoyed fishing, snorkeling and wind surfing, everyone transformed into a beach bum. Before we knew it, came the wedding day.

View from the plane! Notice how the sea just blends right into the sky. Such beauty!

Mmmhmm, I would like to occupy one of those chairs all day, please.

This is where I'll schedule my two o'clock afternoon nap.

Not too busy during hurricane season.

The "Misoni" women
Karen, Suz, Erin, Christine and Mema (Linda)

I "borrowed" this pic from Jen Huntington

My beautiful girlfriends! Enjoying shell gathering.
Brandi, Jess and Jen.

Pool side chairs and shade.

It's like you don't even want to blink.  Just take it all in at once.

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 at six o'clock, Rob and I exchanged our marriage vows in front of close friends, our immediate family and a local minister.  The evening was sunny, breezy and warm, with plenty of clouds in the sky.  After our first kiss, we headed back up the aisle and, I'm not kidding; a rainbow appeared to our left.  Shortly thereafter, a very brief rain shower blessed our ceremony.  Just enough rain to let you know a cloud was overhead but it quickly passed.  And so did the night!  Rob and I had our pictures taken as cocktails were served.  Then we continued our reception right there on the sand with two large tents, a catered meal, a live band, bonfire, dancing and a surprise visit from the We Funk Junkanoo band.  This is a local band made up of men who play the drums, horns, whistles, and slap sticks into a rhythmic, musical tune.  It's a high energy sound but almost hypnotic with the booming drums and constant fluctuating toots and tweets.  It's hard to explain, almost like you have to hear it to understand it.  But it's a local honor to have the Junkanoo band appear to a private event such as our wedding.  During our reception, while our band took a short break, we could hear the Junkanoo band off in the distance, banging it out at another resort.  Unbeknownst to Rob, myself, my wedding planner and the rest of our party, Mike and Jason (best man and a good mate of Rob's) jogged over to the resort, stopped the band members in the parking lot (as they were packing up for the night) and convinced the band to march down to our location.  These two Marines were determined and convincing enough to the band.  Before we knew it, Mike and Jason were leading the way as they triumphantly arrived to our tents.  Our band took a break while we all danced to the Junkanoo tune.  What an amazing surprise and gift!  My wedding planner told me later, this never really happens.  As the night drew to a close, Rob and I found ourselves on our patio, just wishing the day would not end.  The wedding was better than what we had imagined, or even planned.  I had a terrific wedding planner but I think the key was keeping it as simple as possible.

In my room awaiting the big reveal...

Simple but lovely

Rob ushering his mom, Dorothy down the aisle

Waiting...

My dad is a good man. I've been lucky to have him.

Thanks Dad for all you've done for me

You bet I do!

Tied the knot!

A few professional pics

Look at those eyes!

Last kissing pic, I promise.

The cake table with a small but delicious sea shell wedding cake

Time to dance, clap, sing... celebrate

Mike and Jess doing their thing

You couldn't slap that smile off my face.
My sister, Erin to the left, my best friend, Erin to the right and Rob behind, raising the roof.

We have this picture already enlarged and framed near our dining room table here in Tassie

The We Funk Junkanoo Band has arrived!

Dance until you can't dance no more

Our wedding night was the night of the super moon.
Awesome.

One last Caicos Beach pic before we go back to the mountains (Denver)

 We spent a whole week in Turks and Caicos before heading back to Fort Collins.  We had so much fun that the trip just flew past us.  We are pretty convinced that we will be back to the islands once more... perhaps for an anniversary... 5 year?  10 year?

Within a few days of being back in Fort Collins, we hosted a local reception at the Fort Collins Brewery Restaurant: Gravity 1020.  We decided to rent out the restaurant for the evening, have a jazz band to set the mood and display a slide show of our wedding pics on the wall.  We ordered a special cake and with the help of the talented bartender, designed a signature cocktail which we named "The Maggie".  We also planned a mini fundraiser for my favorite Fort Collins charity, Crossroads Safehouse.  We purchased a gift basket from Gravity 1020 and brought over gifts from Australia to make an Aussie basket.  Two more gift basket from Starbucks and Happy Lucky Tea House were donated by my mom and sisters for the raffle.  We encouraged our guests to buy raffle tickets or contribute to the silent auction for the grand Aussie gift basket.  At the end of the night, we raised $500 which was donated to Crossroads Safehouse.  Thanks to all the friends who participated, it means a lot to me!  Unfortunately, I am still waiting for the professional pictures from the night's party and do not have any pictures at this time to share.  I literally had my phone tucked away so I could enjoy the moment.  It was  so good to the soul to see the friendly faces of our pals.  Thanks to all who came out to celebrate with us.

So!  Were we ready to come back to Tasmania after all the fun and excitement?  Yes.  We were ready to get back into the swing of things here in the Land of Oz.  After all, we had our girl, Maggie to come home to.  On the second to last night before coming back to Tas, I received an email stating that my nursing license was accepted by the Australian Board of Nursing and Midwifery!  I can finally start job searching!  As tempting as it is to be the Best Housewife Ever - Rob and (even I) will most definitely "like" me more if I get back into my nursing groove.  I'll update the post when I know more about my work prospects.

Traveling back to Tassie was not as draining as going to the States.  When we were flying over Hobart, making our final decent, we turned to each other and said, "this feels like home".  We are gradually establishing ourselves here.  It's where our story as a married couple begins... 

We're back...

What!? A Krispy Kreme in Sydney?
It's true.

That's more like it. It's not Australia without "My Pie Face".

Although, Rob can't resist the airport sushi.

Don't tell Maggie but I posted this picture to show her new gray spots above her eyes.  Like father (Rob), like daughter, hehe.