Honeymoon Part 2: CARNIVAL GLORY

SATURDAY:

We drove form Walt Disney World to Cape Canaveral - about 50 minutes - to board the CARNIVAL GLORY!! It wasn't too long of a drive at all. Matt brought the car around and the bellhop loaded it up. Then we parked it and went back into the Contemporary. We decided to get the rest of our snacks off our Disney Meal Plan (which we would definitely recommend to anyone)...So after grabbing some snacks and some drinks, we hit the road! It took about an hour and we were at the port! We parked our car and carried our luggage to the check-in point....and that is when Matt and Kelly recognized they were VIP!!! Seriously, not kidding - our "ticket/boarding pass" was stamped VIP - so it meant no waiting in line! Woo-hoo! Then we went in and had to fill out information about swine flue (of course they didn't label it that...ha! ha! ha!)...and then it was back into VIP treatment! They took us and checked us in not at a counter but a separate room! SWEET! Then we were off to board the boat!!!!

We got on board and had about an hour and a half to chill before our room would be ready and luggage would be delivered a little after that. So we went and had lunch (the boat had it ready for us) and just hung out - getting accustomed to the boat...it was big! Then we headed to our room to get changed into suits to enjoy the deck! (kelly's parents had warned that the luggage might not come to late until the day so make sure and have suits/clothes to change into with them...so kelly packed a bag for her and matt!)....Our room was pretty sweet and had a great balcony! We met our room steward Ferry - "like Ferry boat"...He was pretty awesome! Then it was just hanging out on the deck while we set sail! Loved it! So beautiful - and Matt pointed out NASA - AWESOME! Pretty soon it was time for dinner!

Dinner was casual and as we had already changed our table to just a table for 2 of us....We met our waiters 2 guys GREAT GREAT GREAT guys - so fun! After dinner we went to the show in the Amber Lounge - it was well...anyways, we left the show a little early....and called it a night!

We got back to the room and Ferry had already turned down our bed and Kelly's favorite part - the first of many towel animals!!! SCORE!

SUNDAY:

When we woke up, we were still at sea - headed to Nassau, Bahamas! Matt and I went and got b-fast and then got ready for our day!

We arrived at 11 am at Nassau, Bahamas...After docking in the port and being cleared by customs officials we were able to leave the ship and venture onto our excursion. Our excursion was DEEP SEA SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS in Dolphin Cay at Atlantis!

So we took a bus with the rest of our group to Atlantis. At Atlantis we got a brief tour of the resort and they ended the tour at Dolphin Cay! We filled out some forms (the first time Kelly got to sign as Kelly Wallace Marlow)...we given a wrist band...and then BAM! taken to go get changed.

Matt and I were signed up for the deep sea swim....and they placed us in a group with 4 others (3 guys who were celebrating their graduation from college...funny new jersey boys...and a girl whose family didn't want to do that excursion, but still let her go on it)....so we got into our wet suits (yes, you just read that right, and no, I'm not explaining more...they were wet suits...we all know what that means....awesome right??)....And then it was off to hand with the dolphins....

It is set up in stations....

Station 1: FOOT PUSH - we held a boogie board at our waist with our legs held out straight....and then out of nowhere a dolphin would come put his nose on the bottom of one of the feet and start pushing...you start out slow...and then BAM! out of no-where the dolphin gets a good hook into your foot with his nose and you take off flying...Seriously, I'm not kidding! You get going so freaking fast!!! It's so crazy!!!!!! It was so much fun! This was our favorite station - hands down the best part!

Station 2: HUGS/KISSES - this station we got to love all over Hercules! He loved it! We got to hug him and kiss him it was really cool! I had no idea what a dolphin would feel like!!! So fun - and they got some great photos! Man that Hercules is adorable!

Station 3: UNDERWATER DIVING w/ POWER SCOOTER: we were given power scooter things that would give us the ability to dive down further and see the dolphin underwater. Unfortunately they added 2 more people to our group and this wasn't our favorite station...As soon as you came up from diving you popped up into another person - any part of their body! Oh well - still very interesting that power scooter thing...took a while to get the hang of...actually still wondering how to get a hang of it! Ha! Ha!

Station 4: DOLPHIN SIGNALS/TRICKS: here we were able to see the dolphin do tricks and their signals...they flipped, high-fived, waved, ate loads of fish, acted badly (that wasn't part of the trick - but still super fun), sang, and so much more (well one pooped, but that definitely wasn't the highlight! ha! ha! ha!).....

Then it was time to get out of our wetsuits! They gave us drinks and then after drying off Matt and I bee-lined it to the photography part so we could buy the pictures we liked! Man - so glad we were able to get those pictures! LOVE THEM!

Matt and I then decided to take our on little personal tour of Atlantis! We did a shark walk, saw the stingrays and so much more...but then it was time to get back to the bus so we didn't miss the last bus to the boat!

On our way out of Atlantis - Kelly ran into a friend from law school (she takes a cruise every year with her mother) and she told Kelly that her boat had been de-toured to the Bahamas, and it made Kelly and Matt wonder if they might be de-toured thanks to Tropical Depression Anna or Hurricane Bill!

We got back on the boat and headed to dinner. An announcement was made after dinner by the captain - he said that due to Hurricane Bill our next two stops would no longer be St. Thomas and St. Marteen, but rather Half Moon Cay (Carnival's private island) and Grand Turks, B.W.I....and that we would arrive at Half Moon Cay in the morning.


MONDAY:

Well when we woke up we were supposed to be at Half Moon Cay - well anchored and taking little boats to the island...but instead we were still at sea! Matt guessed it the night before that we might still be headed to St. Thomas because we could see on the TV in our room our route and the captain was taking a very long way to get to Half Moon Cay....so when we woke up we found out that because Hurricane Bill had changed its course in the night we would still be able to make it too St. Thomas! So it was a fun day at sea and we would arrive at St. Thomas the next time!!!!!

Matt and I spent the day relaxing at sea....we read books, we layed out, we ate lunch, we ate ice cream....we just chilled. It was awesome! And at night was our first Elegant Night!!! That meant Matt was so handsome in a tux and Kelly was beautiful in a formal! They had such a nice time getting ready and it was a good night on the boat. At dinner they were honored as "newlyweds" with a cake and song...which was gifted by Matt's mom and sister!


TUESDAY:

We arrived at St. Thomas on Tuesday morning. Although we were supposed to go to snorkeling in St. Thomas around Buck island, the swells were 8 feet - so the excursion was canceled. Matt and I didn't mind - we were just happy to still be in St. Thomas! Matt really wanted to be back at St. Thomas at the time we booked the cruise. So we got tickets to go up to Paradise Point - at the top of the island with absolutely beautiful and amazing views!!!! After Paradise Point we grabbed a taxi to the shopping area of St. Thomas and just walked around. Then we headed back to the boat early - best decision because we were able to enjoy the back of the boat basically alone! We were all alone in the pool and hung out - it was so nice!!!! And the weather was absolutely beautiful! (aka thank goodness Kelly and Matt got 3 cans of sunscreen at Sams before leaving Virginia - because they used 1 can at Disney and 2 cans on the cruise).....


WEDNESDAY:

Back on our original cruise schedule, Wednesday morning we arrived at St. Marteen. Matt and I were all ready to go - we had nothing to do on this island, but explore! We had decided to just get off the boat - catch a taxi and ask them to take us to a beach b/c we had yet to get into the water! However, while we were eating our morning Pizza (breakfast was normally pizza on the boat)....the boat started reversing from the port. Let me explain - when we left the room to go eat breakfast - we were docked...the ropes were down - the gangplank out....we were just waiting on customs to clear us so we could leave the boat....As we were eating we starting reversing - Matt noticed it and then the pizza guy was like "what the heck is going on?"....Although Matt thought we were just moving spaces b/c there was work to be done on our boat and there was a big like tanker/carrier boat coming in too - but the captain explained different. He told us that because the seas were already so high at the port and because of Hurricane Bill was supposed to get worse in the course of the day, the port authority was closing the port for the next 5 days! So we had been asked to leave. That began our Fun Day At Sea.

For us just another day of relaxing and then our second Elegant Dinner!

We were told about our new course later that day - we were going to arrive at Grand Turks, B.W.I. the next day!

Great relaxing day at sea!

THURSDAY:

We were coming into Grand Turks, British West Indies in the morning and eventually arrived at the port. It was BEAUTIFUL! We were there with another boat - the Carnival Liberty. Kelly decided that Matt and she would be one of the first ones off the boat to make sure that they got the beach chairs they could see from the balcony!

SCORE! We got beach chairs!!! It was awesome - beautiful water - views and heaven!!! However, it wasn't quite sand, but more like lava rock with lots of holes...Matt and I spent most of our time on the beach chairs relaxing and hit up the water just a few times to feel it hit our legs! Then it was time to shop, shop, shop! We had fun shopping for gifts for our families!

Then it was back to the boat for lunch, pool, and hot tub!

FRIDAY:

Friday was our last Fun Day at Sea as we sailed back to Cape Canaveral. Kelly spent the day laying out in the sun and listening to her i-pod, while Matt switched between laying next to Kelly reading and winning big in the casino on the slots!

That night Matt and Kelly decided to try their hand at Sports Trivia! It was a packed bar with several people playing...25 questions! Matt and Kelly got 17.5 right and that was good enough to be tied for first place! They were cool with being tied, but the other couple was asking for a tie-breaker...so the tie-breaker was about hockey and Kelly got the right answer! SCORE! (Note: Matt got most of the 17.5 answers!)....so Kelly went and accepted their trophy - a ship on a stick!

Then it was time for a comedy show and dinner.

SATURDAY:

Arrive back at Cape Canaveral and drive to Sandestin. Not a bad drive - went pretty fast as we called family to tell them we were back and tell them a little bit about the honeymoon. Arriving at Sandestin, spending time hanging out with Kelly's parents and that night DATE NIGHT with Gwyne and Mark (Kelly and Matt's wedding photographers and close friends) at Cantina Laredo.

Honeymoon Part 1: WALT DISNEY WORLD

Matt and I had a two-part honeymoon….When we first started planning, I really wanted to go on a cruise and Matt really wanted to go to Disney….He was apprehensive of a cruise because he had never been on one, and I was apprehensive of Disney because of the numerous amounts of people/children….So what did we do? We saved and did BOTH! That’s right – 4 nights/5 days at Disney and then an 8 day cruise! Therefore, the honeymoon blog will be two posts…and I’ll start with Part 1 of the honeymoon – WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!

TUESDAY:

Tuesday morning, 8/11, Matt and I drove from Destin to Orlando. It was about a 6 hour drive, but it wasn’t too bad, we actually had a lot of time to talk – and of course discuss what we remember from going to Walt Disney World as kiddos! We arrived around 2 pm. We were staying at the Disney Contemporary Resort – but little did I know that Matt had upgraded us to the COCIERGE LEVEL! Oh my gosh – I can’t say anything except – it was such an awesome surprise and so nice!!! We had to enter our cards into the elevator to even get up there…and then there was free appetizers and beverages every day- which we took advantage of and always missed the daily Florida rain shower! Also – the people there were so nice and answered all of our questions – it was AWESOME! Shortly after our bags arrived to our room, so did a cookie cake with Mickey on it and a note from Kelly’s parents! So yummy! Then Matt and I got ready and hit the bus to head out to Downtown Disney for a little sight-seeing and shopping! We ended up getting a Christmas ornament there for our tree!!!

That night we got all dressed up and ate dinner at the California Grill. It is located on the top floor of the Contemporary. We were also able to stand out on their balcony and watch the fireworks going on at the Magic Kingdom!

WEDNESDAY:

Wednesday morning we were up bright and early…seriously at like 5:45!!! Why you might ask…Because Animal Kingdom was opening early and Matt and I had been told to get on the Safari as soon as possible in the morning to see all the animals!!! So we got to Animal Kingdom well before they opened and then we were chosen with only 6 others to be on the first Safari ride! That’s right a ride that normally holds about 40+ people and takes only about 15 minutes was for us a ride of only 8 people and it took 45 minutes and we saw every stinkin’ animal they had there!!! It was AWESOME! We spent the rest of the morning watching the Lion King show, watching Nemo the Musical, Kelly rode Everest twice, eating at Yak and Yeti (best meal EVER – oh that ice cream sundae), waiting 2 hours for a water ride (ask Matt about it), watching A Bug’s Life, getting autographs with Pluto and Goofy, and going on all the nature trails. We had a blast.

We then went back to the hotel and got changed and dressed and spent the evening at the Magic Kingdom. We rode It’s A Small World and Haunted Mansion – then caught the SpectroMagic parade with GREAT seats…and then moved to right in front of the castle where we watched the fireworks show “Wishes” and we got to see Tinkerbell fly from the castle to behind main street! We ended the night with room service.

THURSDAY:

Wednesday morning we woke up and got ready for CHEF MICKEY’S – which is breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald! Then it was off on the monorail to Epcot!

Matt and I went straight to TEST TRACK – one of Matt’s favorite rides. We got 2 fast passes for later in the day, and then jumped right in line anyways! After that it was off to Nemo Under the Seas and lunch in the aquarium restaurant – oh my gosh once again, delicious! Then Matt went back to Test Track to ride it 3 times in a row while Kelly went and rode some new ride – planet Earth (which she didn’t love). Then they hit the countries…First up was Matt’s favorite – Canada…where we watched on circle-vision O’ CANADA (apparently re-made with Martin Short). Then all the other countries…stopping mainly in America for a break and then Germany for some shopping! They ended their time at Epcot by doing the big giant ball ride!

Wednesday night we headed to MGM Studios/Hollywood Studios to watch a show Kelly’s parents had told them about “FANTASMIC.” They got there at 7:00 for a show that started at 10:00 pm and they were already the 4,000 person in line! Thank goodness it is a stadium that seats 13,000! The show was absolutely phenomenal! At the end they raced to go do the Toy Story ride – which both loved and Matt votes as his favorite ride at Disney!

FRIDAY:

Friday was spent completely and totally only at the MAGIC KINGDOM! We got there before it opened and were able to see everyone arrive on the train and watch the grand opening of the Magic Kingdom! It was so much fun – neither one of us knew there was an opening show!!!
We did so much in the Magic Kingdom….saw 2 parades…rode Haunted Mansion (seven times – looking for those crazy hidden mickey’s), Peter Pan (twice), Pirates of the Caribbean (at least 3 times) Stitch ride (once), Monster Laugh show, Dumbo (once – great views), got autographs!!!, ate at the American place, and then after going back to the hotel to do some laundry and pack up for part 2 of the honeymoon, the cruise, Matt and Kelly headed back to the Magic Kingdom that night!

SATURDAY:

Saturday morning it was time to pack up and head out to Cape Canaveral and jump on board the Carnival Glory. So we called the bellhop, Matt brought the car around, we grabbed some snacks and hit the road.

TO BE CONTINUED WITH PART 2 OF THE HONEYMOON…..

our new addition.....aka the new china cabinet

Matt and I went to Bassett today at noon to pick up the china cabinet that we bought earlier in the week!

Bassett is the furniture that my parents got Matt and I for our wedding present as the furniture in our bedroom and WE LOVE it - so we went back there to look (ok, well I went to look while Matt was at work) b/c they are going out of business and I saw this and thought it would work great...which it does...and I thought Matt would like it....which he does....and I thought it was our style....which is was! SCORE!

Did I mention that we offered 50% OFF the asking price and the manager OK'd it....did I mention that bartering idea was Matt's to go a whole 50% off!!! and we saved $150 by going today and picking it up ourselves!!! DOUBLE SCORE!!!!

After we got it we went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get the rest of our registry - and sadly they don't have the china here in Charlottesville - so they had to order it and it will take 2 weeks to get here - but until then....we have some of our china in it!!!

Take a look...we think it works great and will be a piece that we can keep using for YEARS to come!!!!

The day that Kelly Jane Wallace became Kelly Wallace Marlow!

Oh my gosh….I don’t even know where to begin….the last time I posted was more than 25 days ago….and since then we’ll…it’s been busy…so busy…..Matt had to meet me in Florida, family and friends arrived shortly after him, we had a date night with my sister Kimberly and her husband Jeff, had a wedding rehearsal and wedding rehearsal dinner, a crazy night at Rum Runners with most of the wedding party, got MARRIED, went on a PHENOMENAL honeymoon, drove from Orlando back to my parents house in Sandestin, had a date night with Gwyne and Mark, were taken on a celebratory dinner to Flemings by my parents, then drove from Sandestin to Charlottesville with all of our suitcases (8)….all of our wedding presents (too many to count)….and MOLLY – in ONE day!

Yeah, in one word we “MARLOWS” have been BUSY!!!!!!!

I’m going to break the blog of the past 26 days into 2 blogs…one about the days before the wedding and the wedding and the second blog about the honeymoon. Just so you know, the pictures at the bottom are from my families cameras, as Gwyne and Mark are still working on ours! So….sit down, grab a snack, and here we go….

The week before the wedding FLEW by. I mean seriously, before I knew it the wedding day was upon us. When it was just me and my parents, my mom and I did a lot of last minute wedding planning things. Then Matt arrived and that night we took my parents out to Bonefish Grill to thank them for all they have done for us! The next day my sister Kimberly and her family arrived – although I didn’t see them for almost 2 days because I was so busy with wedding stuff!!!! Crazy right? Matt and I were able to go on a date night with Kimberly and Jeff (on their 10th Anniversary no less). We went to dinner and then out to Baytowne warf! Robyn (my twin sister and Maid of Honor) and Elizabeth (my bestest and Maid of Honor) flew in! Matt and I went and picked them up at the airport and then met my parents at The Back Porch for dinner and something special for those two women! From this point on…my memory is fuzzy…and by that I mean a day felt like it went by in an hour! Matt and I also met my sister Barbara (bridesmaid) and her daughter Abby (niece – flower girl) at the Hilton when they checked in to open presents and hang out for a little while! I don’t know when all the boys flew in – it was between Friday night and Saturday morning, but Matt was able to borrow my dad’s truck to pick them all up.

Robyn, Elizabeth, and I did loads of wedding stuff! Then Meredith Brewer (college roommate- bridesmaid) flew in and helped with getting the wedding cd done – after she already did the programs for us in Kentucky! Pretty soon all wedding things were DONE and we were ready to go for Wallace/Marlow wedding weekend!

FRIDAY:

Elizabeth, Meredith, Robyn, Julie, Dawn, and I moved into our “hotel” for the weekend – a condo in Sandpiper Village. So fun…while Matt and his boys (Jeff, Chad, Michael, Rich, Danny, Nick, and Fillip) moved into a condo on one of the top floors of the Luau – beachside of Sandestin.

SATURDAY:

Saturday morning was definitely something special. It was my mom and dad’s open house!!! It was such an honor to be invited to be a part with all my sister and watch how excited my mom and dad were to share their new home with their friends from Alabama! AWESOME can’t even describe it!!!

Pretty soon though, it was time to start getting ready for the rehearsal! Everyone met on the deck of the Hilton for the rehearsal…with the help of my sister Kimberly asking people to move and everyone chipping in to move chairs out of the way – the deck was clean and ready for the rehearsal to begin. After the rehearsal we all moved into a ballroom for the rehearsal dinner given by Doris and Frank – Matt’s parents. It was a lovely dinner and gave Matt and I a chance to thank everyone and distribute our gifts! The bridesmaids got monogrammed make-up bags and a spa day for the wedding day – including pedicure, manicure, and up-dos! The boys got UVA hats, flip-flops, and a bottle of Crown Royal! The ring bearers got lap desks full of goodies and wooden bats while the flower girl got loads of bracelets, a little bag, and a picture frame! It was a blast. After the rehearsal dinner it was time for the BONFIRE!!! A chance for everyone invited to the wedding to mingle! It was beautiful weather and there were smores!!! So fun! The invitations to the bonfire were in everyone’s welcome to the Wallace/Marlow wedding gifts – sand buckets with special wedding design and filled with goodies! After the bonfire a group of us went to the piano bar Rum Runners – oh my gosh we had such a great time…but Elizabeth, Meredith, Robyn, Matt and I made sure that I was out of there before midnight!!!! Next thing I know – after kicking Kimberly out of our condo and walking her to her own for the night…I was waking up and it was time to go to the spa…oh, and it was also the WEDDING DAY!!!

SUNDAY:

The spa was awesome…everyone got up-dos, manicures, and pedicures…and I of course got my make-up done as well! Although there was a controversy with one of the hairstylest…it all turned out GREAT! Then it was time for the big reveal in the Cobia room (which was where all the girls, father of the bride, ring bearers, and flower girl could get ready and chill all day!!!) – you know…where I showed all the bridesmaids the DRESS for the FIRST time!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my wedding dress (enough said!!!)!!!!!

Then it was time for me to go meet Matt. I’ll never forget tapping his shoulder and telling him he could turn around. He looked so handsome and told me I was gorgeous. I can honestly say – man oh man, we were both so ready to get married!!!!!
Then we were off for the next hour and ½ with Gwyne and Mark taking pictures all over the place!!!!! Then we had a few minutes to get ready again and it was off to the chapel (or in our case deck) to get MARRIED!

The ceremony was awesome – we really enjoyed our minister Rev. Don Goodrum and watching the DVD the kiddos were so cute!!!!!! Then it was off to the beach for pictures and then off to the baseball reception!

Yep, our reception started with the wedding party walking in to “CENTERFIELD” and continued with tables that were “fields,” a beer toast, and a baseball chest on the gift table! The reception was so much fun and had GREAT food – all of mine and Matt’s favorite foods – and it was delicious!

There were toasts by Robyn and Elizabeth….then Jeff and Chad….Matt and I had our first dance…..my dad and I danced (SO FUN) to some Jimmy Buffett!!! Matt’s mom and he danced to the Beatles…..Matt threw the garter – Fillip caught it….I threw my flowers and Robyn caught them….We danced….everyone danced….we cut cake….we ate cake…everyone ate cake….we toasted with our favorite beers (Bud Light for me, and Blue Moon for Matt)…we mingled with EVERY table…we took pictures…the groomsmen sang an AEPi song….the Baylor Bears did SIC’EM BEARS on the dance floor….man oh man, this is just touching the surface of one AWESOME evening!

Soon however it was time to say goodbye! Matt and I exited underneath the groomsmen holding bats and into my parents golf cart/low speed vehicle! We then went around the property and took pictures with our photographers and friends Gwyne and Mark! Then Matt and I went off to our room which Robyn did an amazing job with – red rose petals everywhere and loads of candle light – so romantic! And well…this is where the wedding blog stops at least for the night! Ha! Ha! Ha!

MONDAY:

Monday morning my parents held a post-wedding brunch….it was DELICIOUS and such a nice way to say goodbye to all the family and friends who came to Florida to celebrate with us!!!! So nice! After the brunch, Matt and I spent the day doing laundry and packing for the honeymoon – wait….I did that! He attempted to fix my father’s television and played Wii! Ha! Ha! Ha! We said goodbye to my family after everything was packed and headed back to the Hilton to sleep and then Tuesday we started our drive to Orlando (remember that is my next post!!!)!!!!

NOTES:

So, I think that is pretty much as much as I could do this morning….but just a recap…in case you didn’t get it from the post….MATT AND I ARE MARRIED…IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY AND WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH AMAZING FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HAVE SHARED OUR SPECIAL DAY WITH!!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE OUR WEDDING DAY THE SUCCESS IT WAS! WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

7 days....

7 days until Matt and I are married.
That is all!