Relaxing and church

So after a very busy day yesterday we decide to have a relaxing day and the fact that it is Sunday nothing is open. So we all drag ourselves out of bed and have breakfast. Uncle Michael, Carline, Aunty Donna and Nan all go to church while Dad and I hang back. I try to finish yesterdays blog but it is not working much to my annoyance. So I leave the laptop and let Dad have it before I break it out of frustration.

I watch some TV and do some word searches as you would do on a lazy Sunday in between putting a load of washing on and hanging it out. We decided earlier during the week we will have a roast chicken for dinner as Carline has never had a traditional roast for dinner. Realising one small one isn't going to be enough Aunty Donna buys another with some other things after church.

Aunty Donna has been itching to get some colour since being here but unfortunately it hasn't happened. So we organised to go and spend most of the day down at the beach so Aunty Donna could burn. After about five minutes of being back at the villa it bucketed down for three hours. So we just had sandwiches for lunch and did things until it finished. Oh I know your itching to know the most important thing ever. We just got the washing in on time. Thanks Nan. So it finally happened. It stopped raining. We all got into our swimmers instead of Nan who just gets her feet wet and Carline didn't come. We will get her down there before we leave trust me on that.

So we jump in the water when Uncle Michael tells us that there is a dolphin. We all look with excitement and it is just a huge log. I still can't quite understand if he ment it as a joke or if he was being serious. So Aunty Donna gets out to get some colour which didn't really happen due to cloud over. We all got out for a little bit when I went to the bar and got lemonade for Uncle Michael, Dad and Nan.

I got Aunty Donna and I a cocktail which was called Jamaican Surprise. We believe it had Jamaican rum, pineapple cordial or juice and a tropical punch juice served with a pineapple wedge. Quite nice I have to say. So we get back into the water for a while and then head back. Both chickens are almost thawed. So after the showers Nan and Aunty Donna get dinner ready.

We sit down and have our roast chicken dinner with honey carrots, cauliflower with a garlic cream sauce, broccoli, roast pumpkin, we only have one potato so we have roast potato and rice. I the middle of dinner we have a black out. We have had them before but this has been the first while we are having dinner and hopefully the last. So we find candles, ipad's and phones. Anything that will give us light. As we have finished and taking the plates to the bench the power comes back on.

So I turn the computer back on and try to finish the blog but the photo's are taking way too long. I am just about tempted to leave them out all together when Uncle Michael compresses them for me. I was trying to load a 3.6 - 6.2 MB pics up and he compressed the to 300 KB. Now they are flying through and I am unstoppable. So tonight we are having dessert that Carline has never tried. Ice-cream covered with Milo and malted milk powder. Carline liked it very much as did everyone else.

So after dessert everyone has pottered off to bed. I have finally got my blog up to date I can now rest my tired eyes. I thought a blog would be easy to do.Huh. Well nighty, night all. Talk to you tomorrow from another magical place. Happy reading.

The Wedding Day

We all lazily climb out of bed and say G’day to Carline's bridesmaids Claudia Thomas and Nekeisha Campbell. We all have some toast for breakfast and start to get things moving. While Claudia, Nekeisha, Carline, Gloria and Terry are sitting around the table we start to divvy out the souvenirs much to their delight. So we started to tell them stories of Australia and our animals like Drop Bears (hahahahaha). After, they looked quite shocked and a few saying that they they’re not coming to visit. We eventually told them that drop bears aren't real.

After that we all start to go our ways. At that point Aunty Donna, Dad and I head off to the reception to do whatever is left. We get there and realise that the centre pieces for the tables have not been done so we start to do them which consisted of a glass vase, stones in the bottom, a piece of fern and Bougainvillea flower which is meant to be covered with water with a candle floating on top. Unfortunately we were focusing on the bride and groom that none of us thought to get a photo. Back to the point when we were assembling them do you think they would work easy for us NO!! So after many tries and many, many, many obscenities from all three of us they got done. Woo Hoo.



After that we took them to the tables and started to set them up while Dad went into town and the traffic to pick up more booze. So once Dad got back at 1150 we left at 1200 to go back to the villa. I want to get some photos of Carline getting ready but she is surrounded by here bridesmaids and won't let anyone in. So I go and have a shower and start to get ready. I get out of the shower and it feels like I haven't even had a shower because it is SO humid. So I head to my air-conditioned room and start to get dressed. I put my dress on and try to apply make-up but due to the poor lighting in the room it isn't really working so back out into the heat and into the free bathroom where I apply may make-up as best as I can with all the sweat that is coming off my face EWWWWW.



So once I have eye shadow, mascara, eye liner and lip gloss I go back into my room when I am told that we are leaving so I put on my awesomeatic shoes and fill my bag and exit the room into the heat. Unfortunately through the rush we forgot to get photo's of ourselves dressed up so here are photo's of what I wore.

 The dress that I wore. The photo really doesn't do it justice as you can't see the black and gold outlining. Also the colours are not as bright.

The awesomeatic shoes and bag that I had. I was very lucky that my feet are much bigger than Terry's, otherwise she would have taken them.

The bouganvillea flower that I wore in my hair.

                                                                      

I did my hair like my hairdresser Chris Chambers suggested. So I went out to the front garden and picked a flower. I then tried several times to get it right but wouldn’t work. So I gave myself one last go before I gave up and it worked. YAY. So I pulled all my hair to a side ponytale level with my right ear. Beautifully my ponytale went into one big ringlet. I bobby pinned the flower to my hair and sprayed what felt like all of Nan’s hair spray onto my hair. Nothing was going to ruin my masterpiece. Although saying that I did try to stay away from open flames.

So we headed to the church. Went inside and waited for the bride to arrive. Then the moment came when the brides limo arrived I was unable to get shots as everyone was standing up infront of me as we were in the second row (and yes to all you people that wanna say it Yes they were ALL taller than me!!). After a moment or so the bridesmaids and groomsmen started to walk up the isle .

Picture 1: Greg Heaton and Claudia Thomas

Picture 2: Stewart Moggy and Nekeisha Campbell

Picture 3:  Best man Joe Jarrett and Maid of Honour Terry Campbell

Michael Parmenter walking the two mothers down the isle to their seats. His mother Monica Parmenter on the left and Carline's mother Gloria Campbell on the right (who actually came first).

The gorgous flower girl Gabriella Moggy. 

Carline Campbell walked down the isle and given away by her Uncle Denis.

 The ceremony then started after the bride being fashionally 15 mins late. After the of everyone the opening hymn Joyful, Joyful we adore you was played followed by the Liturgy of the Word first: Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31. Responsorial Pslam both read by Donna Cason. Second: 1 Corinthians12: 31-chapter 13:8. Then the Gospel according to John 2: 1-11.

Then the rite of marriage started with the exchange of vows which were beautiful from both Carline and Uncle Michael. The blessing and exchange of rings, Carline's is a beautiful plain silver band with 3 diamonds across the top and Uncle Michael's a plain silver band. Followed by the nuptial of the faithful.

Then followed by the cande ceremony. The candles were hand painted by Sister Jenny a nun and friend of my Great-Aunt Mary.

The outside two candles were lit by the two mothers Monica and Gloria and then the centre candle was lit by the two outside by the bride and groom Michael and Carline. Then Carline and Michael went off to sign the marriage registry along with the Best man and Maid of Honour Joe and Terry and the two mothers Monica and Gloria.

Carline and Michael were lead back round the front by Reverend Father Donald Chambers. Then Michael and Carline did the most famous part of the wedding that's right ladies and gents they kissed!!! They were actually asked to kiss a couple of times by the guests so everyone could get a shot of this historic moment.

Please feel free to insert of own sound effects of Awwwww. Clapping and whooping and yes crying (Mum I hope you had the tissues handy before you opened the blog).

So after they finish sucking face they walk down the isle as man and wife. Mr and Mrs Michael Parmenter.

So when the ceremony finished we all walked out to the front of the church where we all congratulated Michael and Carline hugging them and laying kisses on them. When we were all done I am pretty sure that they had to wipe their faces of slobber from everyone else. Once the Michael and Carline had, had their fill of talking to people they invited the family members down the back of the church for photo's. So we think back of the church no problem. Ha we were bloody surprised to a extremely unbelievably steep path that lead down to some narrow stairs that lead down to and over the sea. I didn't take any photo's because I was terrified I would fall and break something. So the follow photo's are courtesy of Dad who has no fear (Dada DA).


The bridal party in front of beautiful crystal clear water

Here is a lovely photo of the bride and groom standing on the steps that branched out and down towards the water. All of us were holding our breathes hoping that Uncle Michael and Carline didn't fall into the water. Which they didn't and another photo of Uncle Michael and Carline standing with the two mothers. With a lovely backdrop of the natural rock with vines growing over it.


What comes down must go up. Now we all had the dreaded task of walking back up the steep mountain side. All grasping for breathe when we finally reach the top. Aunty Donna, Nan, Dad, Gloria and myself all drag ourselves into the rental car and head off to the reception at Silver Sands Hotel.

We get there and look at the table seating. Nan and Gloria are sitting at table one, Dad and Aunty Donna are seated at table two and I am seated at table three. After a while some of the people at table one moved to the back table to be with their friends and I took that as my sign to jump tables to sit with Dad and Aunty Donna. After a while the Bride and Groom made their way to the reception where they hit a wall of applause.

After a few words from the MC Pastor Orval Denis the Entree was delivered to the tables. The entree was Pumpkin Soup and bread rolls. This is not he pumpkin soup that us Aussies are use to. Our pumpkin soup is lovely and cream where this one was a broth with pumpkin pieces along with chicken pieces in it and it had a bit of a bite to it. To sum it up delicious.

The mains were buffet style so the bridal table and table one food was delivered to them but the rest of us ordinary folk had to get up and select our food. The selections were: Plain rice and black bean rice. Garden salad and potato salad, Fried and baked chicken, Curried Goat and Escovitched Fish.



Uncle Michael looks like his late father James Parmenter

The curried goat and the fish were absolutely delicious. The goat was so tender and the curry wasn't hot but as packed full of flavour. I WANT the recipes. So after stuffing our faces with all the food and all the talking came the speeches. The speeches were lovely and all the right people were thanked. So when that is over it came to cutting the cake. It is a masterpiece of beauty.



Evey one was in awe of this cake when it was unveiled by the two mothers. I even think that just for a moment this cake took the attention away from the bride. Then the bride and groom upset people by cutting this beautiful masterpiece but then the people joy was kindled again by realisation that you got to eat it. The cake was a traditional fruit cake with the icing that most people hate except for a select few like Aunty Donna.

After the cake was cut and divvied out the bride and groom were called upon again to do another tradition. That's right the first dance together as man and wife. It started out as slow and personally loving and after a few minutes of making people go "Awww don't they just look adorable" they picked up the pace and bopped along for a while until the bride demanded people get up and dance.

Carline's dress is so beautiful it matches herself and her personality.





Here is Aunty Donna jumping on the dance floor and busting out some moves with her brother.

After everyone had gotten up and dances and Carline through the bouquet of flowers everyone started to drip away. So after a big day Dad, Aunty Donna, Nan and myself departed to leave the bride and groom to continue to party away. All the way to the bedroom *nudge, nudge wink, wink you know what I mean* (lets see how many get the reference).

We got back to the villa showered and got changed and collapsed. Soon after Terry and Gloria joined us.

Well folks it is finally done. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy see you on the next leg. Oh by the way just remembered the church is called Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church, Ocho Rios Jamaica