Curacao

We traveled to Curacao this weekend to attend and celebrate Parrish's brother Will's and Anna's wedding.  I dropped the munchkin off with my folks in Montgomery on Friday and headed back home to pack and enjoy a kid-free night.  Instead I cleaned the entire house, drank one gluten free beer and was sacked out by 10 pm.  Loser.

We started our travel day on Saturday, flying from Pensacola to Miami and then on to Curacao.  We made it by 8:30 pm or so, with severely damaged luggage (Parrish's) and a hangover (margarita in the afternoon is such a bad idea for me since apparently I was disguised as a senior citizen most of the trip.  I am such a loser).  We made it to dinner in the city at Fishalicious after an adventurous, daredevil ride in a taxi with a driver who had no idea where he was going, same as us.  Yikes.  Why are we so trusting of cab drivers?  I have had so many near-death experiences with these people and I just keep going back for more every time I travel.  I guess I have no other option.  Anyway, we had a nice dinner with the family and got to meet Anna's sweet parents, brother and aunt and uncle.  They are so nice and welcoming...we are so blessed to get them as extended family.

After another hour or so in a rental car (we're almost there, we're almost there, we're almost there), we made it to the Kura Hulanda resort and our room.  Never so happy to see a bed in my life.  Again, senior citizen.  The guy at check-in gifted us with a foil wrapped sandwich since the restaurant was closed.  Sweet, but yeah right, like I was going to eat that.  Off to bed immediately.

The next morning we had breakfast with the local wildlife...literally.  The birds (orioles and finches) really liked our sugar packets and orange juice.  Their iguanas are like our squirrels.  These caused quite a stir with our group...I think we have more photos of the diabetic birds than we do of the bride and groom.  We then had a beach/snorkeling day (I beached and Parrish snorkeled, of course.  Enter senior citizen, again.  It is wet and hard to breathe and you get cut on coral.  And a wayward fish might touch your leg.  Ew).  I think I took a nap that afternoon, yes, that sounds like me.  We had a great meal in town that night at a French bistro in an old fort, outside overlooking a canal with big boats and moving bridge.  I'm sure Parrish could tell you all the details about that stuff, but all I know is that it was pretty and fun.  The food was great and we ordered a lot of it.  I kept singing "Hey Big Spender" to Parrish all week because we acted like we could actually afford the trip.  Yeah, right.  Guess he'll be putting in extra hours at the office and maybe conning someone into some implants or at least pull some teeth.  We lucked out that night because somehow Bill got stuck with the check.  I advised him to never pick up the check when I'm there...I order every course offered and have more than one adult beverage.  Not the type of meal you want to put on your tab.  But we were grateful, of course. 

Dinner at Su Clochard.  Yes, I did have clothes on.

Wedding day was Tuesday, July 2nd.  The weather was perfect and the boys headed out for a fishing trip while the girls were treated to a massage and lunch by the pool.  So nice.  Wedding prep then started and I got the chance to get my Mary Kay on everyone's face and did their eye makeup.  They looked gorgeous, not due to makeup or my expertise (ha) but I truly was amazed at how lovely each lady is up close and personal.  Have you ever really looked at someone's eyes and lips and skin?  Each so different and it was so interesting how different colors really brought out their beauty.  I was in heaven...it was like art class for me!  I loved it.  Anna was a gorgeous bride, of course, with a silk dress and pearls.  We were a tad late (hmm, more than a tad) but it was worth the wait for a real sunset wedding on the beach.  It was very special to get to be a part of a sweet wedding...the magistrate was so cute and had some interesting things to say that were very colloquial and different from what you normally hear at a wedding.  I can't wait to see the wedding photos taken by a very tall and handsome Hans.

A lobster dinner on the beach followed, with toasts, dancing (the bride and groom were sweet to ask me and Beth's boyfriend to sing for their first dance) and cutting a chocolate cake that looked like a hat.  I particularly liked Parrish's toast, which was sweet, touching and totally confusing to the guests since it included a physics lesson in the middle of it that required explanation.  Enter large hook to pull him off the stage.  Crash and burn, PKing.  I hadn't been feeling well all day, so I was secretly thrilled when the party adjourned early so I could, again, immediately fall asleep.  We had a long day of travel home the next morning, so I'm glad I cashed it in early.

Congratulations Will & Anna!!

The next day started with a visit to some well-promoted Indian "caves" on our property.  More like a coral-y hole but whatever makes you book your stay there, right?  We said our goodbyes and left to tour the island before our flight left.  And thus begins a journey that I never want to repeat as long as we both shall live.  Curacao hates me, obviously, because besides the souvenir t-shirt we got for the munchkin, I brought home a GI bug that is still ailing me after three solid days.  Do you know what it's like to travel for roughly 12 hours with GI distress?  Not fun.  I felt really sorry for the girl next to me on the who I'm sure thought I was going to blow at any moment.  The Miami airport should be burned to the ground for it's sheer lack of organization and complete chaos.  I was NOT a happy camper.  I was thrilled to be home in my own bed, with my own potty (I will be welcomed with open arms into the assisted-living facility any day now, I know.  I am sooo old).

All photos are courtesy of other people since when I scrolled through our camera, every single picture was of some rock, piece of coral or neat pile of sand Parrish found.  Our honeymoon pictures were very similar.  He is so weird.

We had a very relaxing July 4th at home and then dinner and fireworks at Nana and Papa's house where Sylvie made her big girl swimming debut.  I have no idea where this stuff comes from.  Last week she was firmly ensconced in her floatie and this week she decides to go all Michael Phelps on us.  I can't keep up with this kid.  I'll post a video shortly of this phenomenon.

I'm pretty sure Sylvie had the best time of all with JJ & Ferg.

I totally want this chair.  JJ, get on the case.

Ferg is the ultimate good sport.

Makin' homemade ice cream.

Squirting JJ.

New nightshirt from Dollar General, the finest Dadeville has to offer.

In front of the Toomer's Oaks...so sad but memorable!

We ended this evening with some fireworks with the Ralls'.  As they were leaving, we noticed a man on their porch.  Keep in mind that it's around 9 pm and dark.  The porch light isn't on and he's peering in the window.  Hmmm.  I called Parrish quick and ushered both kiddos back into our house for safekeeping.  Turns out he's a Lithuanian book salesman.  Parrish proceeds to sit with him for a half hour for his spiel and ends up buying a set of books.  With his credit card.  I'm not sure how someone so stinkin' smart could be so trusting and kinda dense.  I would've advised the guy to 1) come back in the daylight and 2) don't come back at all, please.  I don't answer the door when someone wants to talk about the children in the house.  If you read a story in the Star News next week about a nice dentist's family found dead in their bed with a new set of children's books in the mailbox, that was us, thanks to my naive and super nice husband.  Sheesh.

God Bless,
Katie and an iguana