Day of the Wedding....Quick Update!

We just got back from a busy morning.....and now I'm relaxing a bit before starting to get ready for the big evening.

I just wanted to write a quick post saying how wonderful Brandon is....

When I got home from a busy morning (more on this in a later blog), I had a note waiting for me on my bag in the condo. Brandon surprised me by changing our plane tickets so we could stay 3 extra days here all by ourselves!!! I am so excited to share this time with him!!! It will be a little mini-honeymoon! We've got an ocean-view condo....and we can't wait!!!

Brandon is the most genuine, caring, thoughtful, and warm-hearted person I know. I can't wait to be his bride....in only 5 hours!!!

I won't be posting later...but maybe I can talk my Maids-of-Honor into giving a little update on here tonight.....

Love to all at home!!!

Wedding Week: Day 6 (The Day Before the Big Day!!!)

What a GREAT DAY, again!!! I don't know how we've been able to pack so much fun into one week....but we're sure doing it!

Unfortunately, the day didn't start so great... The condo that Brandon's family has been staying in got broken into in the middle of the night. All of them were sleeping and the person slit the screened-in porch and was able to open the glass door. The person was able to quietly sneak through the condo (right past the cot Brandon was sleeping on) and get the money from Gramp's wallet (which was in the far back room...on the side table between the two twin beds). The police came, collected fingerprints, and are working to catch whoever did this. I am just SO THANKFUL no one got hurt! What a scary feeling this morning when Brandon came down to the beach to tell me what had happened. Please pray for a safe night for them tonight!!! And, now, let's not even talk about it...because it isn't going to ruin our fun time this week!!!

After all that hoop-la, we went on a GREAT dive. Today we went to the new Dive Tech, which has really built up since we were here in March. There was so much sea-life out today...it was a great dive!

I caught an AWESOME picture of Grandaddy with one of the 4 sea turtles we saw today!
When we got back from diving, we took Shane, Michelle, and Sam cliff diving at one of our favorite spots - Pedro's castle. They had a blast!!! (Brandon and I opted not to jump today. It was quite rough climbing up...and with wedding pictures tomorrow we thought we better not ruin our pretty faces!) Hopefully we'll go back again this week to share this place with the rest of Brandon's clan!

Sam was a total dare-devil and climbed up the rocks like a monkey. I don't think he got one scrape on him!

Michelle, on the other hand, got a little beat up while climbing back up....but she was an absolute trooper and I was so glad she made the jump! Welcome to the Cliff-Diver's Club to Shane, Michelle, and Sam!!! WOO HOO!

Dad and Shane were the "strong men" that helped people up. It was a good thing they were there!!!

This evening was our rehearsal dinner. I can't believe we are only 1 day from being married!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!

Tonight's sunset was a 10 on a 1-10 scale! The perfect back-drop for rehearsing for the wedding. Our wedding party includes Kasey and Taylor (Maids of Honor), Doug and Shane (Best Men) and Grandaddy (Minister). Plus me and Brandon - can't have a wedding without the bride and groom!!!

Rehearsal dinner was AWESOME!!! Brandon's family reserved a private table right on the beach...and it was the most beautiful atmosphere you could ask for. We had such a nice evening and ended up sitting there for 3 hours! Thank you SO MUCH to Doug and Sue for hosting such a wonderful dinner. Tomorrow night's dinner has A LOT to live up to!!!

We can't wait for tomorrow!!!! I'm planning on diving in the morning...then relaxing until I have to get ready. I think Brandon will chill on the beach for the most part. We are not planning to see one another until right before the ceremony.... Man, in less than 24 hours, we'll be MARRIED!!! YAY!!!

If I don't get to post tomorrow, I will definitely post the following day with all the fun details!!!

Miss everyone not with us!!!

Wedding Week: Day 5

Today was Stingray City day - and I had been looking forward to this all week long! It also marked the first time Brandon's mom had ever been snorkeling - and she did such a great job! It was great to hear her squealing whenever she saw something!

Brandon got to be the First Mate on the way out today. He even sat in the Captain's chair for a bit!

We really enjoyed our time with all of Brandon's clan. I was so excited for Shane and Michelle to get to experience Stingray City for the first time!

Brandon and I made sure to "Kiss a Stingray" for 7 years good luck. We figured this was a great opportunity for a wedding happening in only 2 days!

Nana was so excited to pet the stingray herself! The (real) First Mate of the boat brought a stingray close by so she could reach.

Everyone LOVED Stingray City!!! And if any of you readers are ever planning a trip to Cayman, it is a MUST DO! Bye, bye Stingray City...until we meet again....

When we got back from our adventure, Brandon and I went on a little shopping trip - just the two of us. We've been thinking all week long that even though we will be exchanging rings, it would be fun to get a little souvenir to remember our wedding week in Cayman. We choose a set of silver fins...one for Brandon's necklace...and one for my bracelet. We will always keep these on as a symbol of our time here in June 2009!

When we finally made it back to the condo, we went for a dip in the pool. We ended up staying there for quite a while....playing football, having fun, and sharing a lot of laughs. One of the highlights was getting pushed into the pool (with my towel, hat, shoes, etc on) by my sister, Taylor. She's gonna get it when her foot feels better!!! =) I know where she sleeps.

After that, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset with both families. Brandon and Taylor have taken on the roles of being the clowns.

And here is a sweet shot of Shane and Michelle at sunset. I'm up for hire if anyone would like - I have a lot of medical school debt to pay off!!! =)

What a fabulous day, once again!

We are looking forward to cliff diving tomorrow with Brandon's family!

We miss everyone who isn't here with us!! Team Hampton - you're in my thoughts! Love you guys!

Wedding Week: Day 4

What better way to start off Day 4 than a dive at "Big Tunnels"? I can't think of any!!!

Here is the Big Tunnel itself... The tunnel is one of my family's favorite dives. You enter the tunnel around 90' and emerge on the wall around 120'. It is AWESOME!

We spotted a turtle out today! And if you look closely on the right side of the picture you will spot a Queen Triggerfish. SWEET!

I spy...with my little eye...something hiding from me.... A Queen Angelfish! Can you see her crown?

Here is my mom. We like to call her our "Dive Planner". Brandon says every time we are here that he needs to get her a whiteboard for everything she wants to do. She's on the move all the time!

And here's Dad. He's usually our turbo-charged leader. Sometimes we have to slow him down a bit to see stuff!

Such as these...

All afternoon long, Brandon and I were getting last minute wedding stuff done.

We couldn't wait for the "Beach Party" at the condo....we were ready to relax....

Brandon's mom wanted a picture of Brandon with his new sisters, so they all did the pose. My sisters seem to be incapable of taking a picture without posing like this...and over the years, Brandon has gotten pretty good at it too!

While we were there, my dad made a special announcement to everyone that Brandon and my wedding was in 3 days. Then they played a song for us to dance! It was so much fun!

Brandon's family bet me that I couldn't get his grandparents dancing with me. Looks like I won that bet!!! Here I am with Nana and Gramps!!! DANCING.

Later on, the dancing continued at "Salsa Night" at the Wharf...the same restaurant where we are getting married. My mom and Grandaddy got pretty good!

We were totally worn out by the end of the day....but it was another great day! We are looking forward to Stingray City in the morning!

Wedding Week: Day 3

Today was an awesome day - my favorite day since being here!

Brandon's family made it to the island, safe and sound, and right on time! We got to be at the airport waiting for them....and watched them walk off the plane with smiles on their faces! It was an excited moment for us!

Once we got them settled at the condo, we headed down to the beach where our families met for the very first time. They hit it off and we had a great afternoon relaxing on the beach and in the ocean. (Mostly in the ocean though - it was SUPER hot today!)

Late this afternoon, we took Brandon's dad, brother, and sister-in-law snorkeling at Eden Rock. Brandon's dad has always wanted to snorkel - and he finally got his chance. He told me he loved it!!! He even spotted a shark (which was really a tarpon...not a shark...but we'll let him pretend!) B's sister-in-law was a little startled by the big barracuda we saw - but she did a great job. B's brother seemed like an old pro out there. It was a blast!!! Here is Brandon - my handsome snorkeling fiance!

This evening we ate at one of our favorite restaurants - Alfresco. As usual, it was very good. Our families spread out among the tables so they got to know each other. It was a special moment for both me and Brandon!

Love to everyone back home!

Wedding Week: Day 2

We had another great day today! And we are so excited for the arrival of Brandon's family early tomorrow afternoon!

While out on the beach this morning, we spotted a school of rainbow parrot fish right off shore. I circled them in the picture below because they were hard to see - in real life, the pink/green/blue was easy to see! We told Brandon we'd give him $50 if he could catch one and hold it long enough for a picture. He said he would do it.....but when it got near, he said "Nope. I'm not touching that thing. This is his territory."
Right after lunch, my family went on our first dive of the trip to Sunset House. This place is known for having a mermaid statue near a sunken tugboat. We enjoyed diving around the tugboat and had a lot of fun taking pictures with the mermaid. Here I am...Miss Diver!

Here is our friend, Mr. Stingray. I don't think he liked me being so close to him.

After our dive, we got back in time to tan on the beach and enjoy appetizers at sunset. My sister, Taylor, makes the best nachos - and they taste so good while watching an island sunset!

It was another beautiful day here and we had so much fun. This evening Brandon and I, along with Grandaddy, met with the Cayman minister. Here in Cayman, we have to have a "Cayman officiant" in order to have a legal wedding. So, even though my grandfather is performing our ceremony, we will also have a Cayman minister present as well. (He happens to be a long-time family friend...so that's even better!)

Again, we are excited for B's family to come tomorrow. We'll be at the airport anxiously awaiting!

We miss all of Team Hampton!!! Wish you all were here!!!

Wedding Week: Day 1

We made it to the island! YAY!!! Brandon and I are SO EXCITED to share this awesome time with our family.

Here is a picture of us Pre-Cayman. We stopped over to Panera the night before leaving...and Brandon and I decided to sport our Cayman Wedding shirts! We started the party 1 day early!

We had to wake up at 3am this morning to get to the airport for a 5:50am flight. We were all running on low sleep...but high excitement!

For my family back home, this video will look quite familiar. Because the island is so small, the airplane is pretty low by the time you spot land.


We arrived around noon, went through customs/immigration, and got the rental van. In fact, I'm the brand new holder of a Cayman license! Woo hoo!!! We'll see how it goes...considering the drivers side is on the right side of the car, the people drive on the left, and it's a stick shift! I don't anticipate having to drive until Monday when we welcome Brandon's family at the airport...but it will be quite the drive trying to get there!

Once we got unpacked, we headed straight for the beach. And I thought the pedicure was relaxing.....look at this.


Brandon and I spent about 2 hours relaxing in the pool and ocean today. And everyone kept asking me, "Are you the bride and groom getting married this week?" Word travels fast on such a small island!

The sunset was mediocre tonight due to some low-lying clouds...but, hey, any sunset on the beach is better than sunset back home! Some of the "regulars" here said they spotted the green flash a few days ago - so we'll be anxious to watch for that this coming week!

Tonight we ate spaghetti (my favorite) at the condo. We were all so worn out by the end of the day, we just wanted to relax tonight!

We really miss all of the family that isn't here right now, but know that all of you are here in spirit!!! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brandon's family - and really look forward to the rest of the week!

Finding a Desk

This was so hilarious to me......

Brandon was trying out the desk we found to see if it would suffice for working purposes. He was also trying out the desk chair. I couldn't help but laugh and video him - especially when I saw that he was actually pretending to hold a computer mouse in his right hand!

Sorry B.....but I had to post this! LOVE YOU!

And FYI, we bought both the desk and chair! YAY!!! Our place is slowly coming together!

Fun With the Family

We are 1 week and 1 day from getting married!!! And, only 1 day away from leaving for the islands - WOO HOO!!! Lately, I have felt so stressed out by all the planning. I got graduation out of the way...but still have things left to do for residency. On top of all the wedding stuff going on, we also have the big move that we are finalizing. Needless to say, it has been awfully busy around here!

So, when the suggestion was made that we all go for "Wedding Manicures/Pedicures" I jumped at the opportunity to relax and enjoy time with my mom and sisters!

Since I only get to be a bride one time in my life, I felt it completely appropriate that I get to wear my "Bride-to-be" tiara. I think my sisters were embarrassed....

And Dad showed up with drinks for all of us!!! What better way to relax than with a mango smoothie, diet coke, and Panera iced tea while getting a pedicure? I can't think of any.... By the way, my gimp sister was here...but since she is still recovering from foot surgery, she wasn't able to get a full pedicure. Thanks for coming anyway, T-Dawg!

Mmmmm....the life!

And here we are with the finished product! The four of us had a lot of fun! Thank you, Mom, for footing the bill (pun intended) - that was a really great way to relax in the midst of a very busy time! Thanks also to Kasey and Taylor for being there!!! And to Dad for the drinks.... And Family Nails for doing such a great job!

And for your viewing pleasure....a glimpse of my mom practicing new dances for the wedding reception! GO MOM!!! (Love you!)

Cross THIS off the list!!!

I did it! I'm a doctor!!! I graduated medical school yesterday and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! Now it's time to start the real fun with 4 years of Emergency Medicine residency!


Thanks for being there with me Brandon!!! Can you believe you're marrying a DOCTOR???

Please check out the blog I posted entitled "Trust Me...Now I'm ACTUALLY A Doctor!" so you can read all about graduation weekend and see lots of pictures!