Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the 3 islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. The territory is a major world offshore financial centre. 

A captive (aka:group-- called Southern Construction Group) of 21 companies that we provide loss control/consulting for has an annual meeting, which is always out of the country. Last year was Ireland, year before Cabo, this year Caymans! Basically I busted ass at work last year plus my boss wants me doing more work for this captive so he invited Nic and I! As if that wasn't exciting, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton-for those of you who have stayed at a Ritz, you know... its about as nice as it gets! We had a blast. 
                                            Beautiful view of one of the pools
                                             The Ritz -beach view
 

We left out on Wednesday morning-short flight to Charlotte, NC-then direct flight to Grande Caymans. We had a cocktail party/meet & greet that night. Thank God for name tags because after a long day of traveling and a few glasses of wine-I was AWFUL with names! I had a meeting Thursday morning (only mandatory "work" thing I had to do the entire trip..woo hoo) and I tried looking around the room to remember who I met, what company they were with, etc.. GAVE UP. Thursday and Friday night we had group dinners (name tags again, thank God). We ate @ Grande Old House Thursday night, which was an old plantation...beautiful scenery.

Friday, we chartered a boat with 3 other couples and went to sting ray city- swam with sting rays which was AWESOME! We went snorkeling and then diving for star fish. Our captain stopped the catamaran and jumped off, then comes back up with conch shells. He ended up cracking them open, pulling the conch out and making us a fresh little appetizer with conch, green onion and some other seasonings. Of course I tried it and LOVED it! Crazy thinking he just jumped in and pulled out an afternoon snack?! 
 Of course, I dont have 1 picture of me in the water=(  I really did swim with them AND feed them!
                                                       Nic checking out the sting rays

                                                                Cleaning the conch
                                                              Preparing the snack
                                                                  Nic's star fish
                 You could only hold the star fish for 20 seconds before it needed water

That night we ate at Papagallos Italian Ristorante. Of course since it was the last night...EVERYONE was throwing back the drinks.  There were approximately 60-75 people in the group and I had decided by this night which ones were fun and the ones that weren't! After dinner, we had a private party back at the Ritz. They had an open bar,a table with a lady rolling cuban cigars-of course my husband was in HEAVEN,a DJ, picture slide show, etc. I tried not to "let loose" too much since I was the "new girl" and these people were our customers but after seeing the way those people act-I headed for the dance floor! I ended up dancing the night away while my husband sat outside with all the men smoking cigars. 
                                        The lady rolling cuban's
                             Dinner at Papagallos Italian Ristorante

Saturday morning most of the people in our group left so we took a cab into Georgetown and did a little shopping and ate at Guy Harvey's. After shopping, we had a lazy day by the pool drinking Cayman Lemonade's, Pina Colada's and other fruity drinks. 

Sunday, Nic and I walked the beach and ate breakfast out at the pool. Our flight wasn't until 3 but of course that means get to the airport by 12=( None the less-the trip was a blast and I just hope to be invited on another!! 

Jingles


Remi in his cute "Merry Christmas" outfit

Family Christmas Pics!












So....every year on Christmas Eve we go to mass then go to my parents and my sister and I open 1 gift a each. Usually my mom chooses the gift because she knows what we'd rather have early (usually clothes, jewelry, etc). Well this year...everything went as planned-my mom had huge wrapped boxes for Heidi and I to open. I actually had wrapped them and knew exactly what was in them...mine=nothing, heidi's=DIAMOND RING.

Heidi and Rob met 3 years ago, on Christmas Eve, so his plan was to propose to her on Christmas Eve of this year. Heidi, like most girls, is very unpredictable so...we were worried the plan might fail if she didn't' want to go to mass, couldn't find something to wear, didn't feel like coming over or was running late,  etc...Plan worked. Mass, moms for gifts=proposal then off to my aunt and uncles' for a wonderful sit down dinner and ENGAGEMENT CELEBRATION!

Molly & Mattie after mass....having absolutely NO idea what is about to happen
So I made Nic hide in another room and take pictures=)
The newly engaged couple!!! 
 The bride-to-be and her matron of honor!!!
 
Hampton


Jane, Jordan and baby Ellie!


Allen and Diane












All the girl cousins

Christmas this year was a bit different than most but I think it was by far my most memorable! Christmas morning I went to my uncles to see what all his kids got from Santa and needless to say their faces were lit up and all they could do was go on and on about all the wonderful stuff they got. I cried. My heart was so filled and I was soo soo happy. As I mentioned before, they lost their mom this past October so as you can imagine...the first Christmas was going to be a rough one but...guess what... WE MADE IT!

 
Silly string was a bad idea, Santa.
Stratton loved everything he got and even told me this was "the best Christmas ever" and that he was bad all year!
                                                                            Mattie
                                                                    Mattie & Molly
                                                                           Townsend

Everyone seemed to have a good Christmas this year. After the Derivaux's, I went home and did Santa and gifts with my parents, then to my grandmother Derivaux's, then Haden grandparents for lunch and THEN... to Morton to spend Christmas night with Nic's family. EXHAUSTED!

I racked up this year...got jewelry, a new ipod, oil painting of Remi (quite possibly my favorite gift), shoes, and lots of girly and house stuff=)

More posting later..pictures take too long!