We are finally here!!! 2 days ... *GRIN*

I posted a picture of the pool last night when we checked in and walked around. I'll tell you something, its a 5 hour drive from where we live to here ... yet when you get here, its a whole other world. Jimmy Buffett has it right in his songs ... there is an "Island way of life" here. It took me about 10 minutes to get the truck unpacked, versus the 3 hours it took me to pack it at home - WHY IS THAT??? ha ha

Well ... it was July 24th, 2005 ... I just stood up from being on one knee in front of my whole family and cousins asking Dawn to marry me. October 14th was going to be the day!!! I remember sitting back down in my chair thinking ... it will NEVER get here fast enough! Well, after 14 months, 19 days and (come on, do you expect me to count down the hours ... FINE) 12ish hours later, here I sit ... on the couch in our room at the Cheeca Lodge. It is 8:30am and my mind is racing 100 MPH!!! Its finally here. I could not be happier ... well I could own a boat! But the toys can wait ... I have the woman of my dreams willing to marry me ... IN 2 DAYS!!!

Last night Dawn and I had our final "single date night" ... we dressed up (and Dawn looked AMAZING!) We drove across the street to a place called the Morada Bay. It is a small restaurant on the beach ... we sat on the porch, drank wine, talked about the past and the road we both took to get to this point and had some good laughs. Dawn said it first ... "you know, this is the last date we will be going on as "Brister/Slusher," next time it will be "The Bristers."" She is to cute ... we had a good dinner, great conversation, breath taking view! It was the perfect date to close the book on Bill Brister and Dawn Slusher ... This morning, we begin to draft the chapters in the book titled "Bill and Dawn Brister!"

One of my closest friends is flying in from Los Angeles today, I just got a text from him ... they are sitting in Chicago waiting for their 2nd leg to Miami. They should be here sometime around 5pm. My parents are picking up Tyler and Bryan in Ft. Lauderdale and will be here sometime around 2 or 3pm ... and my brother Eric, wife Cina and 2 daughters (Makena and Sydney) will be here sometime this afternoon. We are all getting together at 6pm tonight on the Gulf side of the island to watch the AMAZING sunset ... I'll shoot a picture of it tonight and send it up her for you all to enjoy it!

Well, I guess I should start to get ready for my day. 9am and I hear the Islamorada Bakery calling my name!!! That place has the BEST breakfast in town ... Gloria (the owner) is the one who put Dawn and I in touch with just about all of the vendors we are using!!! I can not tell you how awesome Gloria is and, oh yea, she is also making our wedding cake!!! Yea, there will be pictures of that ... it is an amazing cake!!! Gloria is an amazing person and the planning of this wedding would have been alot tougher if it was not for her. Thank you Gloria and Robert for all of your contacts and food!!! *smile*

OK ... time to go ... till next time friends.