Joelle and Dave Visit - Rum Point and Starfish Point

Note: This was written about a week ago, but I just now have internet to publish.  Sorry for the delay!

I have to say, I just got a pang of sadness uploading the pictures for this post.  Because the truth is, we are now back in Cincinnati, living the "grand" midwest life.  Brent and I moved back to the States on Tuesday, July 3rd.  We surprised his family in SC for the 4th of July, so I didn't want to write anything about our approaching return on the blog.  But now we are back in Ohio, busy unpacking, doing landscaping, and just getting acclimated with our city again (we are watching a Reds game as I type this).  Thank you Cincinnati for the 100+ degree heat.  I feel right at home.

I still have a few pictures left from Grand Cayman so there will be a couple more island posts.  Enjoy shots like these while they last!

We stopped at Seven Mile Beach one night before dinner for some beach portraits.  Love this beautiful couple! 

My favorite place on island (tied with Camana Bay)...Welcome to Rum Point!

Drinks, round 1 - you know your guests are in serious "vacation mode" when they open a tab at the bar :)

Ordering lunch

Blackened mahi sandwich and veggie panini ( I should add that Brent and I went back one last time before the move and ordered the fish and chips - A-MAZ-ING.  I asked Brent how he would describe them and he said "perfect.")

After Rum Point, we drove a little further out to Starfish Point.  We've only been to this remote spot once before...on a boat trip our first month in Grand Cayman.  The starfish were just as plentiful as I remembered.

Front and back

Joelle and Dave, thanks for being our last Cayman guests!  It was fun getting to do all our favorite things one last time with you.  

After J&D left, we had a little over a week to pack, ship our boxes, sell our car, and squeeze in a little bit of extra sun and fun as well.  It was a hectic time, but we survived.  A special thanks to Jenn and Nate for making our last couple days so memorable!  I probably still have a couple more Cayman pictures on my camera, so I'll do a few more posts to wrap up :)

Sar and Gar Visit - Ritz, Brasserie, Hospital, Rum Point

This starts out as such an innocent post: Ritz, Brasserie, Hospital, Rum Point...wait, did I say hospital???  Oh yes, I did.  Wait for it, I'll explain.

Thursday

Sarah and Garret spent Thursday night at the Ritz (yay for a ten year anniversary!), so that afternoon we got to use their facilities.  Including the ladies' jacuzzi and spa.  Luxury times ten (don't worry, the boys got some quality male bonding time in the men's spa room).

 Friday

Friday we did lunch at The Brasserie and then saw "What to Expect When Expecting" at the Camana Bay theater (two thumbs up for the restaurant and movie).

The food at The Brasserie was delicious and super fresh.  Apparently they have a garden out back where they grown their own vegetables. I loved the mini pineapple on the table - it's in water, so I'm assuming it's a real thing?

Saturday

Saturday was Sarah and Garret's last day.  I was so happy when I woke up and it wasn't raining.  It wasn't exactly blue skies, but the sun was out!  Since Rum Point is an hour drive, we did our best to get an early start.  We made it to the parking lot and then poor Sarah shut her finger in the car door.  I rushed her to first aid, where the guy was super calm and helpful, cleaning and bandaging the cut.  He suggested going to the hospital to get it checked out, so back in the car...45 minutes to George Town.

After about three hours, Sarah was checked out and had her prescription.  They did an x-ray and couldn't tell if it was broken, but put it in a nice splint.  It was about 3:00 pm, and after the luck they'd had, I said we should do whatever they want for the last bit of their vacation.  Amazingly enough, Sarah wanted to go back to Rum Point.  Even more amazingly, Brent agreed to the drive!

So four hours in the car for two hours at Rum Point.  But Sarah got to lay in the hammocks by the beach, which is the one thing she really wanted, so it was worth it.

We love these two so much!  Thanks for coming to spend a week with us.  Let's all go back for your twenty year anniversary!

Easter Weekend

Last weekend, Brent had off work Friday and Monday for Easter. Four Day weekends are my favorite!

Friday morning:
Dunkin Donuts. One of the happiest places on earth.


Easter Sunday:
Easter wasn't very traditional this year - no baskets, dyed eggs, or big family dinner. We went to church in the morning, then played a game and went to the theater with Jeremy and Sheena (can't get enough Hunger Games). That evening, we met up with five of our friends for "breakfast for dinner." It was a fun day, even if it wasn't especially "Easter-y." We are very thankful for friends who can serve as our pseudo-family during these times.


Monday Afternoon
On Monday we went to Cemetery Beach for a bit. I love this blue, blue water!


Lotion up, buddy!


We headed to George Town in the afternoon. Poked around a few shops and got drinks at Cafe Del Sol.


Can't forget this guy!

Sunsets and More

Another "this and that" post. As promised, more sunsets - starting with a particularly special one.

In Remembrance

My beautiful grandma, Isabel Bongey, passed away on March 8th. I don't really have the words to express how wonderful she was or how much I miss her, so I won't try to fit it into the sphere of this blog. On the evening she left us, I escaped to the beach to watch the sunset alone. To think of her and picture her looking down on this same sunset from heaven, with her precious Savior, her beloved husband, and all the others who had been eagerly awaiting her arrival.


You are deeply missed, Maw Maw, but we celebrate your life and rejoice at your homecoming. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Sunset and Chicken

Last Friday Brent and I decided to do a little dinner on the beach after work. The plan was to be all healthy and get salads from the grocery salad bar, but one look at that and we quickly changed our minds. Plan B - rotisserie chicken which came highly recommended by the lady in the meat department. No side dishes, no forks...just chicken.


Hey, I didn't say this would be pretty.


Luckily we had this big body of water nearby to wash our hands.


This white cloud hung above the sunset. Brent said it looked like a shell, later we agreed it resembled fish bones.


Leaving Governor's Beach, I turned around to snap one last shot...


The Definition of "Comfortable"

Whoa - I wish this is what Walter does when we say "play dead," but no, this is just a regular afternoon nap. He opened his eyes once I started taking pictures, but don't worry, he didn't feel the need to move an inch.


Sleep on, dog.


Island living can be exhausting.

This and That

Sunset Drinks at Calico Jacks

Get ready: I've got a lot of sunset beach pictures coming up these next few posts. I'll take as many Cayman sunsets as I can get! One night, we met up with Jenn and Nate at Calico Jacks to enjoy some tropical drinks. Life doesn't get much better than this.


Weeknight Sunsets

We are now officially in Brent's busy season. Since he's been working till 7:30 or 8pm the last couple weeks, I've had some extra evening hours to fill. Walter and I are trying to fit in more sunset walks on the beach. Exercise for the dog, soul-recharge for me.


Maybe my favorite sunset picture yet? It's definitely up there.


Michael's Genuine Food & Drink

Our friend Brad celebrated his big 3-0 birthday with a three part-celebration. Brent and I met up with the b-day boy and his lovely wife for drinks at Michael's. As always, Camana Bay doesn't disappoint.


As darkness fell, I snapped this little shot of one of the fountains all lit up. Kids love to run and play in the water. There's something for everyone here!


House Hunters International

Last Thursday, Jenn and Nate made their House Hunters International debut! Brent and I went over to their apartment to watch the show with them. They had wine, dark chocolate and a bunch of international cheese. That's my kind of party!

The show was wonderful. They both looked great and were total naturals. I felt so honored to be watching with the stars! It was very surreal to see my friends on a show we watch all the time. To read more about their experience, check out Jenn's blog. If you missed the first show, you should try to catch a rerun. Brent and I make a brief cameo in the bonfire scene at the end :)