Kicking cancer's ass - day 3218

 

Today marks the first Father's Day without my dad.  
The first Father's Day I didn't get to buy and send a card to MY dad.  
The first Father's Day I didn't get to call and wish him a good day.

The first real holiday that gut-punched me with missing him so so much.

It was almost five months to the day that I last spoke to my dad.  He tried to talk to me, he held my hand and he hugged me.  Six days later he passed away.
I don't care how old you are, a girl never stops needing her daddy.

Dad, I hope you have had the BEST day in heaven.  
You were the best father a girl could ask for. 
Life handed you a lot of lemons, and yet you kept on keeping on,
loving your family in your own quiet way. 
A lof of people could learn from the way you walked in your faith.

Happy Father's Day.  I love you and I miss you.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3080

Yesterday my dad was laid to rest.

I have never attended a military burial before.  It's just like in the movies, but it's SO.MUCH.MORE.

The setting...

Pristine and breathtaking at the Ulster County Veterans Cemetery overlooking Mohonk Mountain. 

I don't know where these veterans were all from, but they have my heartfelt gratitude.  They stood out in freezing temperatures so my father could receive the military honors he deserved. 

I was told that a few of them saw my dad's obituary in the paper and they called, VOLUNTEERING to be there. 

Band of brothers.

Gratitude.

The three gun salute. (signifying duty, honor and country)

Taps.

Receiving the flag honoring my dad's service.

I know that will be one of the most memorable moments of my life. 

My dad was born in Odessa, Ukraine. His family was granted passage into the US as displaced persons of war in 1951.

He served in the army before he was even a United States citizen.  

He was honorably discharged after returning home from serving in Vietnam.  He then went on to serve four more years in the reserves. 

My dad became a naturalized citizen on Jan 4, 1971.

He was a good man. 

People often say that about people when they die. 

But he was a GOOD man. 

He loved God.  His faith was very important to him, and he walked the walk every single day. 

He was devoted to his family. He was a fun dad.  He was a caring partner.  He was a loving Opa.

He worked hard all his life. 

He could build anything, fix anything, and had the patience of a saint. 

Seven years ago his active lifestyle was changed forever by a heart attack and stroke (attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam).

Seven years of watching golf instead of playing it.  Seven years of walking with a walker instead of hiking up a mountain.  Seven years of needing to be taken care of instead of taking care of everyone. 

Spending his last days with him was heartbreaking for me, but also a blessing.  

I hated to say goodbye.  

But he was tired.  His work here was done. 

Rest easy, Dad. You earned it. 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3078

GRATITUDE...

(Yes, that is capitalized for a reason.)

I don't even have the words to express how grateful I am for my village. 

❤ My husband, who dropped everything (even though work is busy) to fly up to NY with me (and he HATES to fly).  He is the very definition of a supportive partner and I could not do life without him. 

🚂 My son, who abruptly took over running our household, including parenting duty of a 15 year old. 

🌻 My daughter, whose faith in God lifted me up when I needed it most.

🌼 My mom, who has always given me unwavering support.

🐓 My mom friends who have selflessly taken K under their wings while we were away, giving her rides, mending her dress, taking her to get pampered and sharing photos from last night's Winter Formal when I couldn't be there. 

💛 My friend, who is always on call for Dexter duty, who loves my dog as much as I do and is always, always available when I need something. 

🐕 My son's girlfriend, who is a calm and steady presence in his life, and another of our fur baby caretakers, and Dexter's favorite person.  

🥎 My son's boss, who immediately sent him home from work and gave him as much time off as needed when she learned of my dad's passing. She's not only a great manager but a wonderful friend to me. 

🧡 My sister-in-law, with whom I share a job, who has worked a lot of extra days so I could be here in NY.

💙 My hubby's work family, from his brother and his job foreman to all of the employees on the job site sending prayers. 

🥤 My godmother who delivered a much-needed cold drink during one of the long, long days spent at my dad's bedside.  The 30 minute visit with her was the highlight of that day. 

👩‍❤️‍👨 My dad's longtime companion who took amazing care of him 24/7 for many, many years.  She gave him a loving home and I'm forever grateful. 

🙏 All of my family and friends, both near and far, who have prayed for us, called and sent messages of support and love. 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3070

January 22nd is Celebration of Life Day.  

Gratitude...

So blessed to celebrate THIS man's life.  So blessed to call this man my dad.  So blessed to spend this time with him.  So blessed that I can tell him over and over "I love you Dad".  He is so deserving of being celebrated.  

Also incredibly blessed that my husband, who HATES to fly, insisted on coming with me.  He's my rock and I don't think I could do this trip without him.  

He told me, "If you need to go, then I need to go with you."

Even the incredibly hard days can be a blessing.  Please pray for my family.  🙏

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3065

Gratitude...

After yesterday's pity party post, I needed to talk about something that makes me happy.  These two make me happy.

I am so blessed that J found someone who perfectly fits him.  She is his first girlfriend.  He is her first boyfriend.  They've been together for two and a half years.

They are two peas in a pod, and you will not find a nicer, more kind couple anywhere.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3064

Yeah, I've missed a few more days.  I'm not even going to try to catch up.
You know what? 

I'm not even going to do a "gratitude" post today. 😶

2022 can stick it where the sun don't shine 🌩 because it's been nothing but storm clouds hanging over my head and over everyone around me. 

My washer AND dryer are broken.

I am STILL fighting this stupid cold. 

My daughter ended up in the ER a few nights ago with severe stomach pain. 

My dad in a care facility has COVID. 

My beloved (but stupid) Cowboys lost their playoff game today. 

The high school postponed their winter plays... one of which my daughter had the lead role in. 

I'm tired, God. 

I'm tired of worrying. 

I'm tired of worrying about COVID and about money and about work and about my family's health. 

I'm tired of the sad state of affairs our country is in. 

I'm tired of sadness and sickness and stress. 

I want to find the "every day is a gift" mentality... but right now every day is one big huge struggle. And I just want to talk to my big brother 😢

Also please pray for my dear friend Abby.  She lost her mom this morning.  💔

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3059

Do you know what is bad about life during a pandemic?
Aside from people getting sick and dying, of course.

It seems like you are not allowed to simply have a common cold anymore.  

For the past few days I have been under the weather.  I have a sore, scratchy throat that's making me cough.  My head feels fuzzy, and overall I just feel like crud.  I've had about two thousand cups of hot tea with honey.  I'm running out of mugs.  And spoons. And sugar.

What I do not have is a fever or a headache or body aches or fatigue or congestion.

I do not have COVID.  I know, because I took a test.  I also know because I've had it before, and it gives me the worst headache of my life.  And a fever.  And body aches.  And fatigue.  

You get my point.

I gave K a t-shirt last year that says "Calm down Karen, it's just allergies".  It's meant to be funny, but it's also not.  I mean, God forbid you sneeze in public during the pandemic.  Students at her school can't even go to the nurse to get Advil for cramps... because if you need Advil you must have COVID.  

Oh, I'm not supposed to be complaining, am I.  Ok... so...

Gratitude...

I'm grateful that ALL I have is a cold.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3058

We are eleven days into the new year and I'm not doing a great job of posting every day.  See... this is why I don't make new year's resolutions.  I suck at them.  ha!

Let's see... Gratitude...

Yesterday (when I was supposed to write this) was a Monday.  It was also my Monday off.  I'm off every other Monday, and even though I had to get up to take K to school, and Dexter to the groomer, and K to the doctor, and K back to school... it's really a good Monday when you don't have to go to work. 

 

 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3057

Gratitude...

I love my quirky kitty who loves boxes. 

Goose 🐈‍⬛💙

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3056

Gratitude...

Twenty-two years ago I received my first email ever from my hubby.  We "met" online the night before. 

I still have that email. 💘

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3055

Gratitude...

I'm not thankful my daughter is a teen mom.  🤣

I am amused to see her walking out of school with her "baby" and all paraphernalia that comes with it.  

This is a project for her Child Development class and she will have to care for baby "Requisha" 24/7 until Monday.  

Good luck Kels.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3054

Gratitude...

Playing the part of the audience while Hubby reads through lines with K... it touches my heart that this man who had zero theater exposure before his daughter found a passion for it will sit and read through scripts with her for hours.  🥰  (she has the lead so there are a LOT of lines to go over!)

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3053

Whelp....I already missed a day.  

Hangs head.

My only excuse is that my son shared germs and they finally caught up to me, sunk in and dug their claws in me.  I was TIRED. 

Gratitude...

I love working for my hubby, and sharing a job with my sister-in-law.  It just so happened that the day I felt cruddiest was my first day off (we rotate 5 days on, 5 days off).

Kicking cancer's ass - day 3052

Monday Night Football between the Steelers and the Browns.  Yawn.  I could not have cared less about that game. 

But wait.... I kinda did care. 

Gratitude...

I am in no way, shape or form a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Big Ben....
However watching Roethlisberger take a knee on that last snap in victory formation in his last game at Heinz Field... watching him hugging his teammates and family on the field... acknowledging the fans of the city that had embraced him as their QB for almost two decades.... watching him walk a lap around the stadium to high five those fans and soak it all in... you could tell he didn't want that night to end.

It was obvious that Ben's emotions were close to the surface all night, and the football fan in me just had to feel for the guy who was most likely playing his last home game after 18 years with the Steelers. 

THAT is one of the big reasons I'm such a sports fan... moments like that. 🏈🏈

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32989458/pittsburgh-steelers-qb-ben-roethlisberger-gets-wish-ends-last-game-heinz-field-win

Kicking cancer's ass - Day 3051

Gratitude...

On this day 8 years ago I had my second cancer-related surgery, and it was a doozy.  Nine hours to rid my body of cancer.  Hubby had a stressful day of waiting.  I had a great nap.

A mastectomy is not fun.  It's not a "boob job".  It's major surgery that removes body parts.... parts I was rather fond of.  I couldn't lift my arms over my head for weeks.  I lived in button down pajamas.  I had to take showers with drains hanging from a lanyard around my neck. 
I didn't look like me. 
I finally looked sick.

Even so, I'm grateful for that surgery, and my scars from it. 
They mean I was stronger than cancer.  💪

Kicking cancer's ass - Day 3050

Gratitude...

Even though my beloved Cowboys didn't win today, this dog in his Cowboys shirt makes me happy.  🏈🏈🐕

Kicking cancer's ass - Day 3049

Happy New Year! 

The last couple of years have been filled with so many blessings. But they haven't been easy.  Our world is filled with illness and strife, division and hate (thank you COVID-19 😡).  Life has changed so much in a very short time. 

When I was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment in August 2013, I posted in my blog EVERY DAY.  Through chemo and radiation and numerous surgeries... I wrote it all down.  It was a record of what I was going through, as well as a way to document my feelings. I posted every day for over a year... then every few days... to now maybe every few months when something major happens. 

I want to change that, so I am challenging myself to write something every day.  In a world filled with difficulty and division and illness and stress, it's easy to get caught up in complaining about life.  I don't want to do that. 

I don't make New Year's resolutions (because who needs that kind of pressure? Lol) but...

In 2022 I want to focus on the positives, the blessings, the fun and the happiness in my life.   I want to post something good about every day... something that made me laugh or smile or touched my heart. 

Gratitude...

Today I was blessed to see a video posted on Facebook of a friend singing.  It's a short phone video recorded in the car and my friend Zan is just singing along with the radio.  It's not meant to be a performance or anything like that.  But it's BEAUTIFUL.  Her voice is so pretty and I love the song (The Power of Your Loce). It made me happy. 

I don't know if you can see it if you aren't friends with her, but here's the link:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10166378849245392&id=553635391

I hope 2022 is filled with the power of His love. 🧡🙏

Kicking cancer's ass - DAY 3030!!!

So...

This morning Hubby woke me up before he left for work to tell me 🐕 left a mess in the living room.  That mess included two wet spots on the carpet and four piles of 💩💩💩💩.

My day went downhill from there.  I know... how is that even possible?

I spent the morning with my daughter at the GI doctor and the lab for xrays because she has been having stomach issues for months.  The appointment was quick and the doctor was great... until she asked if we have any family history of colon cancer (we do). This freaked my girl out completely. I ordered her to stay off Dr Google. 

I was then called in to work on my day off.  It's nice to be needed, but not really on a Monday when I hadn't even had time to eat breakfast and still had the fun task of taking my cat to the vet for shots. 🐈‍⬛

I came home to another ridiculous surprise from my mail carrier.  

Let me back up a minute...You see, they apparently have an aversion to my front porch.  We live on a busy 4 lane highway and our house sits back from the road.   One day a month ago I came home to this:

Is that a nice big box clearly labeled Bath and Body Works sitting right on the ground next to the highway just begging for someone to stop and take it? Yes. Yes it is. 

The next day my son left for work at 4:45am and found a priority mail package from my mom on the ground next to the driveway - way out by the gate.  

Last week, the laziest mailman on the planet left this:

And today:

I guess climbing those three steps was too much for our very unprofessional USPS worker.  Mr FedEx is apparently a superhero who goes the extra ten feet, because HE left HIS package right next to my front door. 

Add in teenage girl drama after school, a dog that won't quit barking and a mysterious stiff neck that HURTS and I was 1000% done with today before dinnertime. 

But you know what? Even a stupid, frustrating, upsetting, exhausting day like today is a GOOD day.  Know why? I'm still kicking cancer's ass.  😳🙌🙏

OVER THREE THOUSAND DAYS!

That's a lot of ass-kicking. 💪

I think I earned the right to be cranky when life gets annoying.  

Every day is a gift.  That's why it's called the present.  Today just happened to be a lump of coal. ☻️

Kicking cancer's ass - day 2990

 So... we kinda did a thing.

Here's how it went:

At the beginning of 2021, Hubby and I were talking about how we've been together for more than two decades and that this year was our 20th anniversary.  I mentioned that I would love to go on a trip or do something special to celebrate.  When we got married in 2001 we had a simple courthouse ceremony, ate lunch together and then Hubby went back to work.  We've had a lot of great trips over the years, but nothing that said "let's celebrate us".

Fast forward to October.  Hubby planned this ENTIRE trip.  I didn't know anything.  He eventually told me when we were leaving (kinda needed to know that) and he grudgingly told me to pack for warm climate and to bring something nice.  That's all I got.

If you know me, you know I am a planner.  I'm OCD.  I like things in order.  So the fact that I was not just okay with this, but thrilled and excited, is beyond my comprehension.  But I was.  He doesn't even like to plan dinner, let alone a 20 year "honeymoon"!  But he did.

And can I just say that he KILLED IT?!?!?!?

Oct 13, 2021

We left Abiilene that evening to drive to Dallas.  Work snafus kept us in town longer than expected, so by the time we got to the hotel, we knew we'd only have about three hours of sleep.  We joked that we should have saved the $$ on the hotel and slept in our car at the airport.  We had a 5:40am flight.  Did I care?  Heck no.  (Yes, I said FLIGHT!  Hubby planned a trip that involved flying!  I think he loves me.)

Oct 14, 2021

That 3am alarm was no joke.  Again... did I care?  Not one bit.  I was READY!  And I still didn't know where we were going!  We checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport a little before 4am.

  

Here we are boarding our first flight (I had a surprise of my own and we got so many compliments on the shirts!)

We had a long layover in Atlanta and when we arrived at our next gate, the board said "Pittsburgh".  Hubby hates all things Pittsburgh, and he did tell me to pack for warm weather, so I knew that surely he wasn't taking me to Pennsylvania.  He asked me not to look at the board until it updated with our flight.  Once it did, he walked me over and we had someone take a picture of us underneath it.

When Hubby showed me the picture, that was when I finally learned our destination.  

St Thomas!  As in the ISLAND.  As in NOT part of the continental US.  I was floored.  And so freaking excited.  I was going to a Caribbean island for a week with my husband for our anniversary.  It was like a dream. 

When in Rome...er...St. Thomas...

Hubby had arranged for a car service to take us to the hotel.  The driver was running late so we hit the bar.  The first of many daiquiries and margaritas that week.  Our driver ended up being REALLY late, so we finally decided to rent a car.  Best decision ever!  We had freedom to go where we wanted, when we wanted.  Not to mention Hubby probably would have puked in the first five minutes if he wasn't driving, which really would have put a damper on the whole romantic trip thing we had going.

Ok... are you ready for this?  Hubby planned a trip.  He planned a trip that involved taking an airplane.  He planned a trip to a tropical island.  And...

We were staying at the Ritz Carlton.

Are you kidding me???  It's like he reached into my soul and gave me everything I could ask for on a silver platter.  I'm not a fancy kind of gal, but who doesn't want to live like this for a week?  This.Was.Amazing!

The resort was like a movie set.  Sparkling white villas and palm trees and gorgeous flowers everywhere.  It still doesn't seem real.

This was the view from our balcony at night.  Jealous yet?

Someone else pulled off a surprise for both of us.  We arrived at our room and there was a card and a bottle of champagne (Dom Perignon!!) waiting for us (from Hubby's friends at a supply house) 

October 15, 2021

Wanna see the view during the day?

Glorious, isn't it?  

(pay close attention to those palm trees in that last pic)

Our first full day on the island happened to be our actual anniversary.  Hubby had one last surprise (the reason he told me to bring something nice).  Even though we had to get up semi early on our first vacation day, I was curious and excited.  We drove to nearby Sapphire Beach where we waited for some mystery guy that Hubby kept texting.  It was really weird.  I was like "who could you possibly know in St Thomas??"

Finally it was time to meet this guy.  We headed over to Pretty Klip Point (remember those palm trees I told you about?).  When we walked out there I saw a man dressed in a suit, and a photographer setting up her equipment and then I knew.  And I was overwhelmed at how romantic my husband was.  Not only did he arrange for us to renew our vows...

He got down on one knee to propose to me all over again!
(If you haven't heard the story of his first proposal, that's for another time, but let me just say that I was throwing a fit and he asked me to marry him in his truck in the mall parking lot...lol)

I just couldn't get over that I was marrying my best friend all over again, by HIS planning, in the most gorgeous setting.  What a beautiful morning to start our "twentymoon".

After that incredible experience we headed back to the resort for lunch and relaxation.

This was our view at lunch from our table at Sails, the bar/restaurant next to the beach at our resort.  Our waitress was lovely and so happy when we told her we had just renewed our vows.  She told us to let her know when we came back down to the beach because she wanted to do something special.  Later that afternoon she came over to our lounge chairs with a chilled bottle of rosé.  Neither one of us are champagne/wine people, but we finished two bottles in two days.  ha ha

Have you ever heard of a tiki bar in the middle of a parking lot?  Me neither.  We found one, though, and our dinner that night was awesome!  Duffy's Love Shack had a fantastic beach vibe, great drinks and delicious food.  Friday is their steak night and Hubby had steak, beans, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for 19.95.  That's about the cheapest meal we had the entire time!

While we were eating we overheard the couple at the next table tell their waiter they were from Texas.  Hubby went over to ask them where they were from.  He couldn't believe it...they live in Abilene!!!  They were on their honeymoon.  Such a small world.

October 16, 2021

We found a little coffee shop tucked away across the street from the tiki bar and decided to check it out for breakfast.  They had the best breakfast sandwiches!  Lattes in Paradise became our go-to for the first meal of the day.  They had tables set up on the deck overlooking this marina.  Not a view you'd get sick of, I promise.

After breakfast we headed to Magens Bay Beach.  The photographer had told us about this beach the day before.  After doing some research, I found that it was one of the most popular and beautiful beaches on St Thomas.  You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas and waitresses come right to you on the beach (or even in the water!) to serve drinks. We stayed for a few hours.... I could have relaxed there, taking in that view, for a few years.  

The beach was gorgeous.  The water was crystal clear.  And it was practically empty!

After an amazing day there, we stopped for dinner at Margaritaville.  Our view was outstanding!

On a side note, there are stray cats everywhere on St Thomas!  We saw them at restaurants and even by the pool at our resort.  They aren't pests.... just kind of wandering around like they own the joint. 

October 17, 2021

We spent Sunday at our resort, just chilling on the beach most of the day.  We did try something new to both of us - kayaking!  I would like to point out that after all of his wonderful planning and romantic gestures, Hubby lost a few points when he dunked me getting into the kayak.  😂

This was Alloro, one of the four restaurants at the resort.  We didn't eat there, but it looked amazing and what a setting!

View of the Ritz resort from the water.

The island on the left with all the houses is St. John.

The Lady Lynsey II is the The Ritz-Carlton’s exclusive luxury sailing catamaran.  We toyed with the idea of doing a dinner cruise or a trip over to St John on it, but ultimately decided that Hubby getting seasick would put a damper on our trip. 

The pools at the resort were open 24/7 and they were crystal clear and gorgeous!  And most of the time they were empty.  It was crazy.  During the day some people would be relaxing poolside, but at night we were often the only ones there.  If the poolside bar at Sails had stayed open past 6pm it would have been perfect!

October 18, 2021

On Monday we decided to venture to downtown Charlotte Amalie for breakfast.  We went to Bumpa's and if you ever go to St Thomas, you MUST go there.  The sweetest older couple have owned and run this waterfront restaurant for 38 years!  The tables are all on an upstairs outside patio (covered, thank goodness since it rained while we were eating) and they serve breakfast and lunch on paper plates.... but oh my goodness was it delicious!  Well worth the hassle of trying to find someplace to park.

Much to Hubby's dismay, we decided to walk around downtown looking for a gift shop and I got sucked in to a jewelry store.  They offered me a free palm tree pendant just for coming in, and gave Hubby a rum and coke.  I picked out a few gifts for my friends and daughter, and then.... they steered me towards the diamonds.

Let me preface this by saying two things.... First - I fully admit I'm spoiled.  If it's in his power to give me something, Hubby will.  Second - months ago I had mentioned to Hubby that I wanted to get my diamond reset.  100% truth.

Ok, now that I got that out of the way.... THIS happened:

This was an extravagance that we didn't plan on and couldn't really afford, but look how pretty!!  It's my diamond that Hubby gave me in that mall parking lot twenty years ago, but reset in white gold with a diamond on each side.  I fell in love with it.... and since Hubby fell in love with me all those years ago, he said yes.  After another rum and coke.  

We finished the day off with a night kayaking excursion, which was cool and unique and interesting and exhausting!

October 19, 2021

For our last day we decided to take a road trip across the island to Brewer's Bay Beach.  Two of the ladies on the night kayak trip with us told us that they had been there and had seen sea turtles.  Say no more.  Unfortunately as soon as we parked next to the beach it started to rain.  Fortunately there was a food truck right there with the most delicious pates (?) and passion fruit juice.  So we had a brunch picnic in the car.

The rain didn't seem to want to let up, so we drove up (and up, and up) to Mountain Top, home of the world famous banana daiquiri.  The drive up there was.... interesting.  Twisty and turny and felt like we were on a roller coaster.  We even came around a corner and almost hit a cow! I don't ever get car sick, but I did on those roads!  

The view from the top was definitely worth it.

Obviously rum is the drink of choice here.

This is the view of Magen's Bay Beach where we'd gone a few days before.

And yes, the water really is THAT blue.

I took a pass, but Hubby tried the famous drink.  He loved it.

The views on the drive back down the mountain were exquisite.

After the weather cleared we headed back to Brewer's Bay Beach (I was determined to see a turtle!).  There were only a handful of people there and even fewer fish/wildlife sitings.  Not much to complain about when you're floating around without a care in the world, though.

AND.... right before we left I finally saw a sea turtle!  He was about 5 feet from me.

He was gone by the tme Hubby got over to me, but I have video to prove it!

For dinner we went back to the little town of Red Hook where we had had such good luck finding places to eat.  We went to Island Time Pub, which was right upstairs from Lattes in Paradise.  We had drinks and pizza overlooking the harbor.  It was amazing.  

October 20, 2021

I was so sad to wake up on Wednesday, knowing we were leaving.  We had a lazy morning getting ready and packing before we checked out at 11am.  Our flight wasn't until the afternoon so we went back to Red Hook to get something quick to eat.  We went to Lattes in Paradise one more time... and wouldn't you know after we ordered, our song came on?  Lonestar's "Amazed" was playing when we took this last picture:

  

I am so grateful to have had this special time with my husband.  The fact that he dreamed it up, did all the planning (including contacting my friends to make sure our busy teenager got where she needed to go every day while we were gone) and did such an AMAZING job picking the location....  sorry ladies, he's taken.

There are so many things I'll remember from this trip...

• yelling "STAY LEFT" every time we got in the car (yes, sometimes Hubby would forget and we were honked at a few times and had some close calls... ha ha)
• climbing the stairs to our room after a long day of beach sun and drinks
• getting married AGAIN
• seeing a real live starfish (Hubby held it, I didn't)
• the wonderful people of St Thomas who were friendly, entertaining and welcoming
• learning to kayak
• waterproof phone bag that wasn't quite waterproof (Hubby's poor phone)
• sleeping in a bed that had our feet higher than our heads
• that AMAZING bathroom
• eating burgers & fries from a paper bag and funnel cake for dessert at The Tap and Still
• the HUMIDITY
• the motorcycle on the balcony
• paper straws 😣
• Bushwhackers!  (Hubby's new favorite drink, minus the coconut)

I have never "missed" a vacation as much as I do this one.  We got home two weeks ago today and I'm still ready to go back.

Honestly this trip was more incredible than I could have ever imagined.  Our "twentymoon" was one of the best weeks of my life.