there's no place like home!

Richard and I were thrilled to be able to go back to South Carolina for a weekend visit, but not thrilled about our reasons for going. Richard's dad had some knee surgery replacement complications and his mother was in a car accident (thankfully they are both ok!), and we felt like we needed to check on them in person. And it was just a bonus that Clemson was playing PC at home!

Because we were driving, we left on Thursday, which enabled me to go to Columbia on Friday for lunch with some of my favorite girls to celebrate Terra's birthday and catch up. It was almost as if I'd never left! I love that about good friends. DiPrato's was the easy choice, as it's one of our favorites, and I wish that we could still meet up every week there.

Ashley, Terra, me and Rebecca

After I visited a few friends at the Law School and had some yogurt with Suzanne, I headed back down the road to Spartanburg. Richard had spent a good bit of the day at the hospital with his dad, so we were both excited to go to Mellow Mushroom for dinner with the McDaniels (and I wonder why I have gained weight since the wedding?!). Meghanne is another September 13th birthday girl! It was so great to catch up with them over pizza and RJ Rockers beer.

Happy Birthday, sweet friend!

We headed to Clemson Saturday to cheer on the Tiger team. It wasn't much of a game, but I honestly don't know if there is anywhere I feel more at home than in Death Valley. It was SO good to be back! And final score (58-21) was not at all reflective of just how dominant Clemson was. PC is now 0-16 in their last 16 outings, so I am not sure why we ever scheduled them to start with. But a win is a win!

in the stadium with Hannah and Jason

tailgating with Jeanine during the 2nd half- so glad she was there too!

over in my parents' section after the game- they were 2 of about 100 who did not leave early- Herb does not leave games early...ever!

post-game dinner at PAWS diner- got to get in the fried chicken!

We also got to eat at Wade's for Sunday lunch and visit with Richard's newly engaged cousin Molly before heading back to DC early Monday morning. And while I miss SC terribly, it was actually kind of nice to be back in our Maryland home.

reality check

For the past couple of days, I have been pouting over the fact that I am going to miss my first Clemson home opener in years. I honestly cannot remember a time when I didn't watch the Tigers run down the hill to kick-off football season from my cozy seat in Death Valley with 80,000+ of my closest friends, cheering loudly for the guys in orange. One of Richard's good friends from the general surgery program is getting married this weekend in Charlottesville, but we honestly may not have made the trip to watch the Tigers take on North Texas anyway because of the distance and (hopefully) the cake walk the game will be. I have complained to Richard about it, shed a few tears over it, and have just all in all had a terrible attitude about being deprived of one of my greatest joys in life, experiencing game day in God's Country.

But today, as I ventured over to the Naval Hospital for an eye appointment (yay for free healthcare!), I saw a young soldier in wheelchair with a "wounded warrior" t-shirt. He was missing both of his legs and had other extensive injuries, but was wheeling quickly through the hallway with a big smile on his face as his wife and new baby walked next to him. He cheerfully greeted the doctors in the hallway and obviously had a very positive outlook, despite his circumstances.

And in that instance, I realized that there is way more to life than football. And I am so, so blessed. Thank you God, for that reminder.

Wedding Post #2- The Bridesmaids' Luncheon

I woke up early on our wedding day at the Inn on Main, where several of the bridesmaids were staying, next to my dear friend and Matron of Honor Kim, looked outside and saw the sunshine and let out a little shriek. I was so excited that the wedding day had finally arrived! Before we went over to Aunt Debbie's house for the Bridesmaids' Luncheon, all the girls at the Inn on Main gathered for breakfast downstairs. It was absolutely scrumptious, and I was able to eat a lot of it! The Inn is owned by the Susan and Wayne Sease, who are the parents of one of my sweet classmates from Clemson and USC Law, and they do an incredible job of taking care of their guests.

In PJs and workout clothes, before hair and makeup- such a treat to spend the wedding eve under the same roof with my some of my most favorite friends

After breakfast and a sneak peek of the flowers at the Piedmont Club, we got ready and headed over to Aunt Debbie's house for the Bridesmaids' Luncheon. Aunt Debbie is Richard's aunt, but she has been so good to me and was very kind to offer to host all of us. She coordinated the Luncheon with my two aunts, Cynthia and Cam, and Richard's Aunt Joy.

Aunt Debbie sharing sweet words of wisdom

They put together a fabulous menu of chicken salad, fruit and strawberry mousse, and Kayce Lane contributed tasty monogrammed cookies for each of the ladies who were being honored.

Jess and Hannah at one of the tables on the sun porch

My table with Ashley, Suzanne, April, Candy, Kellianne, Jaime and Alyx

After our lunch, we all gathered together in the living room for me to give gifts to everyone! It was almost overwhelming to have all the women I care about the most in one room, and I had to take the opportunity to thank them for everything they had done to make the wedding possible. It would not have happened without them!

listening intently

giving Jill her gift- I did bracelets and monogrammed stationery for each of my honorary bridesmaids....

and these earrings for my bridesmaids

We made several attempts at a group photo, quite a feat for all these pretty ladies! Pictured are all the bridesmaids, honorary bridesmaids and program and guest book attendants.

should have moved the plant!

The luncheon was a sweet, sweet time and I wish I could have all those special people in one place once a week for lunch. Thank you Aunt Cam, Aunt Cynthia, Aunt Joy and Aunt Debbie!

the fabulous hostesses

my Aunt Debourah, my mom's sister, who did all the calligraphy on our invitations, cousin Alyx, me and my mom

Mao's Last Dancer

One of the benefits of living in the greater DC area is being able to see movies that wouldn't normally run in South Carolina. Richard and I went to see Mao's Last Dancer Friday night (it was my turn to pick), and it was one of the best movies we have seen in some time. It's about Li Cunxin, who was picked by the Chinese government to train in Beijing to be a ballet dancer. He comes to Houston, TX to train with the Houston Ballet, then decides he doesn't want to return to Communist China. The movie shows his struggle with that choice and movingly portrays his life in China through flashbacks and his adaptation to life in America, while fighting the desire of the Chinese consul for him to return home. Worth renting once it comes out!

happy honeymoon

As promised...our LONG overdue honeymoon post! It's three days after our one month anniversary and looking at all of these pictures makes me miss tanned skin, time on the beach with my favorite man, and yummy rum punch!

We arrived in St. Maarten on Sunday afternoon (direct from CLT, where we ate wedding cake for breakfast!) and took the Juluca Pride over to Cap Juluca. We were greeted with our first of many rum punches, seemingly a favorite Anguillan beverage. Our fabulous captain Elvis carried us over to the Anguilla customs check-in in fine fashion.

on the Juluca Pride

We were starving and still kind of shell-shocked from the wedding and traveling, so we ate a low-key dinner at Spice at Cap Juluca and headed back to enjoy our room, which had been decorated with rose petals and candlelight.

our building- Building No. 7

Richard thought it would be fun to sleep on the dyed rose petals, which led to some real pretty sheets the next morning. And dried, crushed rose petals everywhere. It was definitely amusing, and a good lesson learned!

On Monday, we took advantage of the gorgeous beach and some Caribbean dance lessons. We were definitely the only guests there, but still had a great time learning some island steps...and teaching our new friends the Carolina shag!

We enjoyed a cocktail reception for all the guests, then had a delicious seafood dinner on the beach.

gorgeous chandelier in main room of Cap Juluca

more rum punch....seeing a trend here?

On Tuesday we took a mile along the water over to Smokey's BBQ beach cafe. The service on Anguilla is definitely slow, as everyone operates on island time. But when we finally got our food, it was incredible!

I had friends from Columbia who had gone to Cap Juluca just a few weeks before we did, and they recommended the snorkeling trip above anything else. Richard and I picked Anguilla and Cap Juluca because we wanted quiet time alone, but by Wednesday, I think we were both ready for some social interaction. Luckily our snorkeling boat was a PARTY boat! We were paired with two other honeymooning couples, Shelby and Wick from Nashville, and June and Jason from Dallas, and a couple celebrating their 10 year wedding anniversary, Scott and Becca from St. Louis. We had the best time hanging out with them and learning just how interconnected we all were! Shelby grew up just down the road in Greenville, and we had several mutual friends. Wick and Becca had mutual friends in Louisville, and Richard and I shared a wedding date with June and Jason.

before boarding the snorkeling boat

We left Cap Juluca and headed over to a cove to do some snorkeling. There was a huge rock there, and several of the guys (and more adventurous girls!) decided to jump off it into the water below after seeing some locals do it. He was so brave...and very scratched up from the rocks.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After snorkeling, we headed over to Scilly Cay (pronounced "silly key") and were entertained from the moment we stepped off the boat.

A man named Eudoxie owns the island, and he greeted us along with his wife (who you would think was caribbean until you hear her south Georgia accent!) and sons. We were served fresh grilled lobster and crayfish straight out of the ocean, pasta salad and warm, buttered garlic bread. And of course rum punch! Pure bliss.

our new friends and Eudoxie and family

After lunch we headed to another snorkeling spot, but the girls were content to just enjoy the clear water and another rum punch.

with a starfish Richard found

My sweet husband was having a really good time by the ride back...and many a Cap Juluca guest commented that they could hear us coming in from afar. Like I said, it was a party boat!

During our snorkeling excursion, we decided that to all meet up that evening to go see Bankie Banx, a well-known Anguilan reggae performer, at the Dunes Preserve, his hideout. We'd read that it was very hit-or-miss as to whether Bankie would perform, but our snorkeling captain said that he'd heard Bankie was around and would in fact be performing.

getting ready to head out to the Dunes Preserve

We arrived at the Dunes Preserve, which is like a Swiss Family Robinson tree house made out of boat parts. We actually saw Bankie when we walked in but had no idea it was him who greeted us! We were told we had a choice of chicken or ribs for dinner and were brought a round of Caribs, the island beer. After much anticipation and waiting, we were brought our food which was incredible, and were treated to a Bankie Banx (and family) performance. Jimmy Buffet recorded an album in Anguilla at the Dunes Preserve, with Bankie Banx featured on it, so we loved being able to have a Dunes Preserve experience.

waiting for our chicken and ribs

the Webbs with Bankie Banx

The next morning, Richard and I embarked on a cave tour of Anguilla. The interior landscape of Anguilla is nothing to write home about (it's very scrubby and full of limestone), but the caves were interesting. And full of bats...which I could have done without!

In picking Anguilla as our honeymoon destination, we had a hard time deciding between Cap Juluca and the CuisinArt, also on the island. We were really glad we chose Cap Juluca in the end but decided to check out CuisinArt for lunch. It's beautiful, but visiting just confirmed how happy we were with Cap Juluca!

CusinArt

We had a wonderful dinner Thursday night at Veya, then headed over to a few local watering holes with our new friends. Our first stop was Elvis' Beach Bar and then to The Pumphouse, which were told was the place where Anguilla natives go to hang out. Because it was the week before Carnival, the Pumphouse was rocking.

Elvis' Beach Bar

the girls at the Pumphouse

Each morning, we had the option of breakfast being delivered to our balcony overlooking the beach. A sweet lady would set-up fresh coffee, a fruit tray, and bread basket full of yummy treats, including chocolate croissants that I looked forward to every morning!

please note RCW's anti-nausea patch under his ear- those things were lifesavers!

On Friday, we explored the island and then had a sunset cruise, and had planned to do dinner at Mangos with Becca and Scott, two of our new friends, after drinks at the Viceroy. Richard and Scott had other plans though...after a drink at the Viceroy bar, the guys arranged for us to take a tour of the newly built Viceroy hotel. Orlando Bloom had just honeymooned there, and the four-bedroom suite we saw truly was gorgeous. At the tune of several thousand dollars a night, it should be! Our tour caused us to miss our reservations at the highly touted Mangos, so Becca begged the only Mexican restaurant to let us in (even though their kitchen was closed!). Thankfully they did, and we enjoyed some Caribbean quesadillas!

Friday morning on the beach

lunch at Tasty's

Anguilla church

sunset cruise

just hanging out at the Viceroy

We woke up Saturday a little sad knowing it was our last day in paradise and realized we had not gotten a picture of Richard in his fancy airbrushed t-shirt on the beach! After taking care of that, we had lunch at the Straw Hat and found a few souvenirs to take home with us.

Straw Hat

one of fifteen different rum punch recipes Richard tried- he deemed our first at Cap Juluca the best!

We got dressed up for a final dinner out at Blanchard's, one of the best known restaurants on the island.

We met back up for a final time with our new friends. Shelby and Wick had already left, but we added Jamie and Dan to the mix. It was sad to have to say good-bye! Taking a prom pose pic made it a bit easier...

On Sunday morning we took one last tour of the resort, and headed towards the airport.

We had some time to kill before boarding our plane back to the Carolinas, so we went to St. Maarten's Sunset Bar and Grill for lunch, where you can watch the planes fly right overhead into the airport.

Too soon, it was time to get on our own plane and leave paradise- described as tranquility wrapped in blue by an island historian. I ask Richard frequently when we can go back to this special, special place to recreate a week I will never forgot.