Snorkeling at Molokini

We went snorkeling our last day in Maui. It was definitely the icing on the cake. I have this crazy fear of deep ocean water, so I was very nervous...Drew assured me that it would be fun, though..so I tried it out. And I can't believe I waited this long to do it!! We went on a catamaran called the Kai Kanani II, and the crew took us to swim with turtles! I've never experienced anything like it. Drew had to practically drag me back on the boat...I didn't want to get out of the water. We had a waterproof camera (thanks to Kristi!), so we took some shots while we were out there. Most of them didn't turn out b/c there wasn't enough light underwater, but here are a few silly ones of us...




We're leaving for Puerto Rico tomorrow, and I heard they have some of the BEST snorkeling there...ahh, I can't wait!! Linz, Kelly, and Kim - you guys coming with me?

Ho'okipa Beach

Go Team Vinnie

The Buddy Walk was a huge success!!  A large group came out on October 6th to show their support for my nephew, Vinnie... and the donations are still coming in!  We are so thankful for everyone's generosity to such a GREAT cause.  Pictures coming soon!  Here's one to start - our team pin (designed by Aimee)...

 

Ceremony Snapshots

These are from Drew's Dad's camera...



"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Miller" :) :)







And Drew with his parents the day after the wedding... I'm so happy to be a part of their family now :)

Flying Over Maui

Bachelorette Goodness

My bachelorette party was a blast! Lindsay did a fabulous job planning and organizing everything. I was so happy that everyone was able to make it out for at least part of the day. I love my girls!!

We started out at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in DC. Linz got us a private room to hang out in until we got our massages...(I highly recommend getting a massage a couple weeks before your wedding - it's a good de-stresser!) Then we got our nails done...their pedicure chairs were soooo comfortable.



After the spa, we headed to the Mayflower Hotel downtown. It's BEAUTIFUL. My sister, Aimee, paid for a suite for us (and she didn't even stay there! Thanks, A!!) When we got off the elevator and walked towards our room, I saw yellow and black "CAUTION - WILD GIRLS" tape all over the door...I knew we were in for a crazy night ;) We walked in and the room was all decked out! Kelly, Hilary, Jenny, and Lindsay had decorated every inch of it with bachelorette paraphernalia...it was awesome.








For dinner, I was HOPING Lindsay had chosen Zaytinya...and she did! I had heard so many great things about this restaurant, so I was super excited to see the sign when we got there. The menu even had "Maria's Bachelorette Party" printed on it! Linz totally hooked it up!















After dinner we headed to Dupont Circle and went to 1223. We didn't have to pay the cover because we were a bachelorette party - woooo, perks! When we walked in, the bouncer brought us to our own little VIP area with a couch and gave us a free bottle of champagne... AND they were playing really good hip hop music. I danced all night... It was the perfect ending to the day :)



Yep, Kelly had a bath hat in her purse...not sure why...but it did look lovely on her :)

Waianapanapa

This is Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach (a.k.a. Honokalani). The sand is actually lava pebbles. If you're ever in Maui, I highly recommend visiting this place. It's unreal.

This is My Practice Barong

Our good friend Rob (center) made these AWESOME t-shirts for Drew and the groomsmen to wear during the rehearsal. Coolest idea ever. (thanks for the pic, Aimee!)


BTW, Rob's getting married next weekend in Puerto Rico (ho-o-o-o)! He found the perfect girl for him...Jenny freakin' rocks. Drew's going to be a groomsmen in the wedding, too. We can't wait!!

The Baltimore Museum of Industry

We are SO happy that we decided to go with the Baltimore Museum of Industry for our reception. I don't know of another venue that has an airplane hanging from the ceiling! It's an awesome place inside and out with a lot of history. Funny, I grew up just outside Baltimore and never knew this place existed...it's a hidden treasure. A special thanks goes to my friend, Melody, who suggested it to us (she had her baby, by the way! I'll devote a whole blog entry to that later :) Here are some shots of the museum we took and a few pics from the reception that people have sent us.









Drew with his beautiful Mom (and my new mother-in-law, Lida :)



Erin's hubby took this one (thanks, Petey Pab!)... Our photographers were taking our picture with the Domino Sugar sign in the background. I cannot wait to see how that turned out!



Our FABULOUS Bridal Party (we love you guys!!) right before we were announced into the reception (this pic is missing the Maid of Honor - where were ya, Linz?)


Oh - and in case you were wondering, Drew and the groomsmen (and all of the other Filipino men & boys at the wedding) wore Barong Tagalogs (or Barongs, for short) instead of tuxes. Barongs are the traditional formal garment of the Philippines. It was actually Drew's idea to wear them, and I am so glad he suggested it! I think all the guys looked very handsome in them :)

DC Flow

"What if John Frusciante joined the Roots and they started playing Jimi Hendrix songs like Led Zeppelin with the Beastie Boys rapping while Linkin Park would just jump in on the choruses and Noel Gallagher was singing along and playing rhythm guitar......" --Mike Sanoff

If you think that description sounds tasty, check out DC Flow's myspace page for some good tunes.

Mike is one of Drew's best friends from back in the day. He was a groomsman in our wedding. He is insanely funny and talented...and his wife, Melissa, is one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. Here are some pics we took of him and his bandmate, Raeshwan, back in September.