Best Friends

Though we are now living far away from our family and friends we've been blessed to have so many of them come to visit. This past week, Katie and her husband Mike came for some much needed relaxation and sunshine. Apparently it is cold in Minnesota.

The week started off with a bang. They arrived on Saturday and we took full advantage of the weekend. Here we are at karaoke the first night. Katie is trying to be the tallest in the group. Mike got a kick out of the name of the pub "Fidel Murphy's".

The island doesn't have much evening entertainment, so we mostly chilled in the evenings. I think the extra sun and heat was wearing on our guests a bit. We did have a fun night of wine and poker. Katie needs to work on her poker face. We both need to work on our betting skills in general. I never checked to see who won, the game dissolved after the third time I played Lady Gaga's "Poker Face".

Katie and Mike did all of the tourist attractions, the turtle farm, stingray city, snorkeling, chilling at the beach, hell, Rum Point, etc. Here they are with one of the larger sea turtles. Mike was determined to catch one.

On their final day we took a sunset pirate cruise on a 1930's Norwegian ship called the Valhalla. Those of you who have been on the Jolly Roger, it is the same company just a larger ship. The trip was relaxing and the water was beautiful and calm.

It was such a fun week. This was the most time Katie and I have spent together (continuously) since high school. Once we left for college it was hard to spend much time together. There were always family and friends to see when we' go back to Wichita or other friends to visit with in Baylor, KU, Kansas City, and Boston. Even now, we barely spent an hour alone over Christmas 2009. This trip it was just us and it was so nice. It is great that our friendship can pick up where it left off.

Thanks for coming Barton's and thanks to Mike for organizing the trip. We had so much fun and hope you will come again next year!