heading home....

Its Sunday night, and tomorrow, we head home.

We didn't do anything today. I mean nothing. My sunburn is so bad, I'm having a hard time walking and just standing up. The burn is only from about my belly button down to my knees, but its pretty painful. I'm glad it happened later in the week, and I am also thankful that its not on my back or arms. But still, Its not fun. I have either been naked, or in underwear all day. I have taken 2 warm baths, and have been applying aloe spray pretty much nonstop. That's what I get for being at the naughty beach for too long.

It rained again this morning, and apparently all day it has been either overcast or raining. Eric and Tiff stopped by letting us know that there was almost no one outside. Maybe everyone else got their naughty bits burned as well.

We ordered our final room service this evening. I had the marlin quesadilla and a club sandwich. Jodi got the spaghetti and the veggie pizza, even tho she really didn't touch the pizza. I helped out with that.

This has really been an extraordinary week for us. We have had an amazing time, which was only complimented by having Eric and Tiff here with us. We have had some great food, good laughs, and awesome memories made that will last a lifetime. Big trip.

I am still amazed, and somewhat shocked, to have a girl like Jodi in my life. I have spent many years feeling out of place, not sure of who I was, where I was going, or even if I wanted to keep going. I felt like I have been sitting at an intersection with many possible paths, but for fear of failing, or being rejected, I intentionally chose the roads that I knew led me nowhere. I felt like a man who belonged nowhere, and wasn't sure if I was ever going to.

Jodi and the kids have come into my life and helped me to see that I never really lost my hope, I just lost my ability to see my hope. They make me feel like I have a place, and that I belong. Their love towards me has shown me how incomplete my life has been, and at the same time, it has showed me how complete my life now is.

Farewell from Jamaica. We get home after midnight Monday. Thanks to all who have read this blog over the week. We will continue to blog about our lives as we move forward with our lives together.

Poor Bobby is Sunburnt....

Bobby is extremely sunburnt, so I am dutifully taking over the blog tonight.

Last night after the Starlight Gala, Eric, Tiff, Bobby and I went to the Balloon Bar to continue our festivities. Eric took a couple of very manly shots (even one that was lit on fire) while the bartender, Leighton, gave Bobby a TON of crap about drinking Miami Vices. Leighton told Bobby no Jamaican would be caught drinking Miami Vices because those are ladies drinks and that only a wus drinks those drinks.

So today we got up around 11 and got a couple of drinks at the beach bar. Bobby ordered rum and coke. Not because he wanted to, but because he was too embarrassed to order a Miami Vice. We ate dinner at the buffet and then decided to lay out in the sun....at the nude beach. Bobby has become quite the fan. Honestly, it is so much more relaxing than the regular beach. A lot fewer clothes means a lot fewer people. We graduated from the beach to the pool area today. We felt like that was really an accomplishment. Bobby downed 3 rum and cokes while at the pool. When we left there, he was feeling very buzzed. I've never seen him like that before....total hilarity.

We came back to our room and that is when Bobby noticed how sunburnt he was....from his stomach down to his knees. The downfall of laying out at the nude beach is that it exposes A LOT more skin to be sunburnt. I leave the rest to your imagination.

We got ready for dinner at a new restaurant with Eric and Tiff. After dinner we decided to go to the mineral pool in hopes that it would soothe the sunburn. It was only a momentary soothing. We came back to the room, watched the end of a movie and are sitting around in our jammies having just ordered room service.

We have one more full day to go. I have had such a great time here. We are both so grateful that Eric and Tiff joined us. We truly couldn't have asked for better travel companions. But I must admit that I miss the kiddos terribly, and even Marty, Lemmy and Yeller.

I wouldn't be doing justice to my first blog post if I didn't say how blissfully happy I am right now. Bobby continually has made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Never has anyone treated me with so much love, respect and adoration. And the way that he talks about the kids makes my heart swell. I feel so grateful to have him in my life....and I'm so proud to call him my husband.

I love rum.....

I do not drink. Never had the desire to. But this week, I have been introduced to a drink called the Miami Vice. I am not sure what is in it, but I know that its red, blue, and white, and tastes like I just won the lottery. I dont know how I ever lived without it.

Today, we started out with mini pottery. It was actually quite fun. We didnt actually get to make any pottery, we only painted pieces that were already made. Tiff, Jodi, and I all painted palm trees. Eric, however, wanted to go against the grain, and opted to paint a sailboat. In itself, its a pretty good idea. But somehow, Eric got his colors mixed up, and ended up painting what can only be described as a gay pirate sailboat under a marshmallow. He's got skills.

The 4 of us then went to the mineral pool, and spent some time there before going our seperate ways. Me and Jodi went back to the naughty beach. Is it wrong that we find it more relaxing than the regular beach? She fell asleep there again, and I just laid there and tanned. For some reason tho, when guys are there at the beach, they cant keep their hands off themselves. But ya, we love it.

So right now, we are sitting on our patio watching their Gala that they do every Friday. Jodi has had about 7 glasses of wine. She swears shes not drunk, only "tipsy".

We are reading the comments you guys leave us on the blogs. Thanks for reading these. I hope you are enjoying reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

SPOILER *** some nudity involved***

So its Thursday night, and we are feeling good.

Yesterday, I mentioned I had lost my wallet. Yes, I did find it after the wedding. Apparently, I didn't feel like our safe in our room was good enough for keeping valuables, so I instead his it under a couch cushion. Hey, even I had a hard time finding it, and I knew where it was!

So after a long day yesterday, we were both pretty tired. It actually rained pretty hard last night, and we just ended up staying in and around our room. Actually, we didn't make it down to the beach once yesterday. With the wedding being at 4 in the afternoon, there wasn't much time to do anything.

We got a lot more beach and sun today. We had to go up to guest services and pick out our pictures from the wedding that we wanted. We had originally ordered only 24 pictures, but the wedding photographer pulled me aside, and told me that for 80 more bucks, he would just give me all the pictures. There were over 110 pictures, and if I would have bought all of them thru the resort, it would have cost me over $1000. So I gave him the 80 and he gave me the pics. So we got them all which is freaking amazing. Not to mention, we have been taking alot of video, so at some point we will be able to put together some sort of DVD.

After getting the pictures, me and Jodi headed down to the spa for our 30 minute massages. We had this amazing room, that was actually out over the ocean, and could hear waves crashing the while time. It was very relaxing. The only weird part was the lady who was doing my massages kept "cupping" my privates every time she went up and down my leg. Now, I've never had a massage before, but I didn't know that was part of the deal, or I may have started getting them long ago. You know its going to be an awkward conversation if the first sentence starts with "Hey Jodi, I think the masseuse just cupped my stuff". But the massage was so good, that we are debating going back for an hour long one.

After the massages and inadvertent fondling, me and Jodi headed down to the mineral pool. Next to this pool, there is a list of all the nutrients in the water that is supposed to be great for your skin. I had to discourage Jodi from urinating in the pool, telling her that the nutrients would turn purple when there is pee in the pool. I told her this, even tho she had not told me she ever needed to use the restroom. I just thought I would beat her to the punch. The pool happened to be located right next to the smoothie bar. She had some orange shake, and I had a banana pineapple smoothie. I loved mine, she said hers just tasted like orange juice.

We went down to the main beach, after spending a couple of minutes in the grotto, which is supposed to have some sort of fertility power. I DO think Jodi might have peed in that one.

But down at the beach, we laid around for a few hours, getting into the ocean at one point and just kinda playing around. We enjoy people watching there too. People watching is so much more enjoyable when there is less clothes involved. Sorta like if you were at the airport, and everyone there was in their underwear.

Not long after this, me and Jodi decided to go the the "au naturale beach". Before we came here, and we found out they had a nude beach here, we thought, we had to go. However, attempting to go to a nude beach at a resort where your brother and sister in law are also it becomes a bit more tricky. We told them of our plans, and sorta figured out when we could go. We actually ended up going sooner than we thought, just because the nerves all of a sudden hardened up, and we just said "lets do it". It was actually the best beach time we have had yet. We walked in, and moved right towards the front of the beach. There weren't alot of people actually down at the beach, because alot of them were up at the bar an in the pool. Jodi forgot her sunglasses, which weren't sunglasses at all, but instead, spyglasses. They were her way to be able to look at the naked people "undetected". When she me that she forgot her glasses, I handed mine over to her as if I didn't mind, only to be cursing her under my breath because she unknowingly stole MY "sunglasses". We actually both pretty much fell asleep there. I know it sounds creepy, but there is just something about no clothes that is just so much more relaxing. I know if my Uncle Ron reads this, I wont hear the end of it.

Tomorrow, me and Jodi are going to a mini pottery class, and then Friday, we take the class again to paint whatever it is we are sculpting. She still seems surprised that I am actually looking forward to this. Maybe if she wasn't so cute I wouldn't want to spend all my time with her.

We are starting to miss the kiddos....

DONZO!

Its now Wednesday evening, and all is done.

When I woke up this morning, I couldn't find my wallet. There is no worse feeling than being in a foreign country and dont have your ID. I backtracked my steps for the last 24 hours, but to be honest, I have been so lazy and lackadaisical since I have been here, I couldnt remember what I had been doing for days. So I just hoped it would turn up.

We ate down at the beach grille for lunch. When Jodi ordered her food, she ordered so much, that our waitress thought she had ordered mine as well, and moved on to the next table. We had to wave her back down to tell her that, in fact, all that food was only for Jodi, and I had not placed my order yet. We had a good laugh about it.

Around 2, I started to get ready for the wedding. And by getting ready, I mean put on a shirt and pants. Eric came, and a shuttle picked us both up at 3 to take us up to the main office to do some final paperwork. We played some pool, got on the computer, just kinda wasting time.

Eventually, the photographer showed up, and he took me down to the site. It was a little gazebo that overlooked the entire ocean. It was a great spot.

Jodi and Tiff finally showed up, and Jodi came walking down the stairways. She looked so great, like one of those 1950's pinup girls. I loved it. Her hair looks so dynamic black.

The ceremony was quick and easy. Jodi kept laughing b/c the minister had a giant wart on his hand. And I kept laughing b/c I just could. It only took about 15 minutes. Then we took some more pictures, did some goofy cake and champagne stuff, and walked around the resort taking pics.

Im tired, shes tired. But we are both very happy to have had this moment, and I know myself, am not sure how I ever got this far without her.

the night before.....DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!

Tuesday night has come, and we are headed to bed. We are a little tired, a little suburned, and I think there are still salt remnants in my nose from earlier from all the salt water I inhaled. I can taste it in the back of my throat. Dang moustache.

So the beach party turned out to be more of a beach farty. They cleared the entire beach of everything, and put out these somewhat elegant looking patio furniture sets all over the beach. They had 2 buffet lines for the eats, 1 for salad type dishes, the other for the meat. It was all decent, but the best part was the dessert area, where they had a ton of just about everything you can think of. We had some banana pie and carrot cake. Jodi insists now that we are getting married, that we are supposed to share everything. She demonstrated this by not allowing me to have an entire piece of banana pie to myself, even tho it was her who originally asked me what kind of dessert I wanted. This marriage is off to a rocky start.

Its a little after 1 in the morning, and even tho I know I shouldnt, Im about 1 foot out the door heading towards the beach grill which is open until 7 in the morning. It calls to me.

Tuesday....

We are eating too much. There is no doubt about it. At first, when we got here, and the realization came to me that I could order as much food as I wanted for free for 7 full days, I was overjoyed. Last night, we ordered room service, and we were ordering double as much as we would normally order if we were paying for it. It showed up, and I couldnt believe it. "7 full days", I thought. You were right, Belinda Carlisle, Heaven IS a place on Earth.

Now today, reality has set in. Yes, having several places to order food from all day for free is great, but there is only so much a man, or woman, can take. Even Jodi, small Jodi, is putting food away at a pace that would make most competitve eaters jealous. We do understand that, at some point, we are going to have to pay the piper, and repent for our delicious sins we are committing. But until that day of reckoning, we are going to continue shoveling it in. And in. And in.

This morning, we woke up around 10, and had to go see the wedding coordinator about our plans tomorrow. Once we were done with the details, she hands me and Jodi these 2 t shirts that say "Just Married" and tells us, "This is for you to wear after the ceremony." I broke the news to hear that in no way was I going to wear that shirt. She seemed a little bummed. But nonetheless, all the plans seem set, and we are good to go.

We met up then with Tiff and Eric, and grabbed some food (duh). Some small talk took place, and then me and Jodi headed out for snorkeling. It was pretty cool, except that my moustache didnt allow my mask to stick to my skin, so I could only last a few seconds at a time under the water. Jodi did great tho, as her moustache isnt nearly as rough as mine.

We came back, laid around on the beach while Eric went out on some sort of sailboat. I told him to watch out for pirates. Luckily he didnt have to deal with any.

We are now back at the room, bringin back with us some more food that we ordered from the beach grill. Jodi is currently napping, as her body seems to be able to heed the warnings that it needs rest to be able to process all its taking in. My body has never been that smart.

Tonight there is some sort of beach party, where they have entertainment, and all the vendors come out and give you a chance to buy souveniers. Im looking for an alligator thong. Scaly, yes. Will it hurt? Maybe. Will I be the talk of the resort? I'll let you know.