San Pedro Saturday

San Pedro Saturday sunrise

Tell Me You Love Me.......Again

Danielle and Erik, saying goodbye to Belize this morning

We all love romance, don't we?And watching romantic stories come to life right before your eyes, well, that's damn near as good as it gets! I knew this was going to be a special couple as soon as I got an email from Dani back in January. Here, in part, is what she wrote to me.

Hi Renita and Cindy,

I can't express to you how excited I am about this vacation. My husband Erik and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on the 22nd of this month, however, for the second conscutive year, we will be geographically separated. He is an officer with the Army and is currently serving his second tour overseas, but he will be back just a few short weeks before our trip. We are also expecting our second child in July which will make me about 20 weeks pregnant at the time. I guess you could call this a second "baby moon"

Well, once I read that, I made a note on the file to make sure there was champagne in their room when they arrived.

I had a chance to sit and chat with Erik the day they got in, and he told me some more of the story....(ok ladies, get out the box of tissues, you're gonna need them)

They caught each other's eye when they were around 12 or 13. He says he almost failed one of his classes because they were so busy passing notes back and forth to one another. After a couple of years, her family moved. Then, ten years later, he found her. They started dating again, and he proposed to her while they were skydiving. When he found out he was going to be deployed to Iraq, the ended up getting married about six weeks before he left. When he left she was pregnant with their son, Miko, who is now 16 months old. He was overseas when the first baby was born but he will be able to be here for the current baby.

In the course of the conversation, he told me that he wanted to renew their wedding vows. Apparently, at some point they had said that they would get married on every continent. When she suggested getting married in Belize, he threw her off by telling her that it was still North America....yet he wanted this to be a surprise to her. The really difficult part was that he wanted to get married on the lagoon side, at sunset.

I contacted Dulce, he told her they were going to have their photos taken for a magazine. We racked our brains until one afternoon Jeannie said, "Why don't you do it on my rooftop?" You can see both the Sea and the lagoon, and a perfect spot for a sunset view. Eiden was available Thursday at 5, and we were off.

The pictures below are not in order, try as I might to figure out how to move all these around.....but you will definitely get a good feel for how the ceremony went. Thanks Renita for taking the pictures and the video!

Dani thinks she's going to a photo shoot on the rooftop

Decorations up

Saying their vows

Cake by Hummingbird, flowers by Dulce

A toast

Erik, Dani, Eiden

Jeannie, I, Erik, Dani, and Dulce

I love you all over again!

Erik and Danielle, most joyous wishes from San Pedro. We can't wait to see pictures of your new little one! Be safe, be happy, love each other.

Tuesday Tacos at Wet Willies

Taco Tuesday at Wet Willies was a great way to say goodbye to four of our friends leaving the island the next day.

Dennis, Sherry, and Dan made great music, and Gary and Conrad filled in on their breaks. There was a houseful there, and we had lots and lots of fun, which, I might add, took a half a day to recover from....don't you people know we are usually in bed by 8:00 pm???

Aw hell, it was way worth it. See you all next time, or maybe hefore!

Pammy was shakin it up on the dance floor

Renita and I and the Trumpets

Steve and I...hey, we're doing a version of the crab dance!

Bertha was there

Ken and Mel

Steve playing his air guitar

That pirate was dancing with all the women!

Mel, Ken, Pam, and Steve

The Trumpets nearly killed her!

Steve and I

Garrick was playing waiter, bartender, and a couple of other things

Conrad

The Usual Suspects rock on

Norm

Norm is here. We meet sooooo many people in the course of our daily lives here. Norm is a February staple on the island. Norm has been coming to San Pedro for 30 years. He's been staying with us since the Hideaway Hotel closed several years ago. Norm has lived around 80 years in Madison, Indiana,...right near the Kentucky border. Norm calls us every year on Christmas day and on Easter. He is a fine man. No internet, no email. He uses the old fashioned telephone.

I'll never forget the first time Norm came to stay with us. On his last day here, I walked into the kitchen and he was struggling with his backpack. I asked him if he needed help getting his second arm in. When I went behind him to help him, I realized that the reason he was having so much trouble was that his backpack was loaded down with Belikin beers. He told me he needed to go and say goodbye to his friends. After I helped him get the backpack on, he sort of leaned backward from the weight of the backpack and jingle jangled his way down the beach.

Last year Norm wanted to skydive. Since he had recently had heart surgery, they wouldn't let him. This year, he asked his doctor to fax a letter to the Tsunami office to give him the go ahead. I'm not sure if he will skydive this year or not, but he is getting a start. He went parasailing with some of his friends. We love you Norm!!!!

He's on the back of the boat getting ready

On his way up

He's getting higher

You are flying over the Caribbean Norm!!!

Love Is In The Air

And Valentine's Day is already over!

Sailing Away from the Madness

I stole the title from one of my favorite Kelly McGuire songs. And there's no "madness" here to sail away from, but it sure was a great day on the water!!!

The night before, we got a visit from the crew...

Sammy Walnuts, taking it easy on the cart

Now there's trouble right there!

Renita got a free hat from a traveling basket salesman. My little leprechaun!


Next morning, time to sail! We started this trip three years ago, and every time the Peckham crew hits the island, it's time to sail....

Willie and Daniel, heading out

It don't get much better

Sammy, headed out

Ryan, headed out

Pam Steve, and Rebacca, headed out

Snorkel stop! Three mermaids

Diane snorkeling

Patty snorkels away

Ryan overboard!!!

Patty and Ramon newly engaged!

Renita snorkeling

Sammy looks like he might be thinking, and that could be dangerous!

Pam and Steve at Capricorn

The whole boatload at Capricorn

Diane wrestling Ramon

Steve in the hole

Willie working

Sammy and I

Shake shake shake!

Another heron

Sammy and Steve plotting on the boat

Rebecca and Ryan

Patty

Bye Willie

Please don't tell Steve he's not a pirate!!!