31 January 2010

Hawaii

The morning after the wedding we departed for a 12-day getaway to HAWAII!! We wish we could re-live that trip every day.

Here are a few of the highlights...

Complementary champagne upon check-in to our hotel. Too bad we couldn't enjoy it!

First morning... room service enjoyed overlooking the Pacific Ocean!

Candice enjoyed the playground at the hotel.

Lunch at Giovanni's famous shrimp truck.

A Sunday afternoon massage as we listened to the waves crash at our feet!

We ventured from the North Shore to Waikiki for a day.

We found the answer to the ubiquitous question: "Where did I come from?"

Our last night on Oahu - watching the sunset at Sunset Beach

Our favorite beach - Secret Beach on Kauai. We had to tap into our survival skills... and our film-making skills ;)

The Hanalei Valley. If I were to go back to Hawaii, I would be happy if my whole trip was spent here!

23 January 2010

Back in the saddle

Alright. It's been a while since I last posted. There is much to catch up on. But let's just start with the wedding...

November 11th was all we could have hoped for. Both Candice and I look back and can honestly say that we would not have done a single thing different. We were not rushed, and there was not so much going on that we felt stressed or worried about details. Contrarily, we were able to soak in the emotions of the day and enjoy the company of the people who mean most in our lives. Thanks to all who helped plan and coordinate. And thanks to all who came to celebrate with us. It was an unforgettable day.

I do not want this to sound trite or cliche. But, without question, the highlight of the day was the ceremony itself. I cannot adequately communicate the emotions I felt during that short time. It began when Candice and I walked into the sealing room to see our families there. Neither of us like being the center of attention. But it was certainly a special feeling to have our closest friends and family gathered on our behalf to share that moment with us. My emotions continued to swell as the sealer delivered insightful and inspiring words just prior to performing the ceremony. He helped me gain a greater appreciation for the significance of marriage. The ceremony itself was wonderful. Then, to have a brief time afterward to embrace all who were in attendance brought happiness that I have seldom, if ever, felt before.

On another note... I must give awesome props to our photographer. She was easy to work with, had a great eye, and really captured what we wanted. In fact, she was recently featured by a photography website that highlights talented photographers throughout the world. Check out her feature here (they used many of our pictures in her feature).

Also, here are some of my favorite pics (Candice has a differing opinion on some of these):

 

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