Day Three at Sandals Negril - Meeting the Stewarts!...

Don't hate me, but we slept in again this morning.  We woke up at 9:25.  I know, right?!?  I was even jealous of myself.  Ed and I leisurely strolled to breakfast and then took a walk around the property.  In reality, we were just killing time all morning in anxious anticipation for our afternoon plans.

This afternoon, we met the Stewarts.

Jill Stewart and her lovely sister in law, Jaime (Adam Stewart's sister), picked us up from the hotel and gave us a tour of Negril!  

From the moment we met, we felt like we'd known each other for years.  Have you ever had that experience?  We talked and talked and laughed and joked and it was all very easy.  These are lovely people - very real and down to earth - and we loved learning more about their families and lives.

We're so grateful to the Stewart family for the generous gift of our stay here.  Even though I'm really not a beach girl (ummm....hello?  Can you say poodle hair?), the beach and the ocean and the Jamaican people have been like balm for our soul this week.

Ed and I walked away from Jill and Jaime in agreement - our afternoon with them was the highlight of our trip.  It's more than the generous gift of the rooms this week... more than even the gesture.  To us, it proves that even in our darkest hour we can see the best in people.  That we can make connections with others... heart to heart... just by telling our story.

I'm not sure it's possible to convince two ladies who live on a Caribbean island that it would be great fun to visit Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to visit us... but we'll do our best.  Either way, today we felt like we made friends for life.

Tomorrow is our last full day here and we plan to make the best of it!  We're going on a snorkeling excursion in the afternoon!  And, as usual, I'll be raiding all of the dessert buffets.  Apparently, Hope has a sweet tooth.  Okay, that's not true.  She doesn't have any teeth.  But I do - and they love desserts.  And Hope gives me a great excuse to eat a lot of them.  I may or may not have knocked someone over when I saw there was one piece of chocolate cake left tonight.  I'll never tell.

In other news... here are some of the photos from home!  Brian is doing great and had so much fun with Granny and Aunt Bean and his cousins.

Day Two at Sandals Negril...

Today is our second day at Sandals Negril.  After sleeping in (which is the best part of any getaway) and having a delicious breakfast, Ed and I parked on the beach.  Our "butler" had reserved two chairs right in front of the ocean with a cooler of ice water between us.  We sat under the umbrella and this was our view for quite a while.  Until we fell asleep!

The water was beautiful and we floated around together for a little bit.  And then I parked myself again and watched Ed.  I decided to take a cute photo of my cute husband...

...and he was photo-bombed by "The Bamboo Man!"  Bamboo Man strolled up and down our beach singing songs for us.

There are several options for things to do outside of the "all inclusive" aspect of this resort.  Today I took advantage of one and treated myself to a maternity massage at the "Red Lane Spa!"  It was wonderful and very relaxing.  Although it is always a little concerning when the massage therapist says things like, "Woah." when she encounters giant knots in your body.  What can I say.  I have a little stress.  

After my massage, Ed and I went swimming.  Our butler must have noticed that we were out of our room, because we came back to a heart on our bed, flowers and candles everywhere and a bubble bath drawn.  I can't remember the last time I took a bath.  I have to admit - it was nice!

There were a couple things I was worried about before I got here.  We've never been to an all inclusive and I think I had in my head that it would be more of a "party atmosphere" with lots of drinking and loud nights.  It couldn't be further from the truth.  There are all kinds of couples here - young, old, "partiers" and hermits like us.  We have been enjoying peace and quiet - boring days and early nights - and we couldn't be happier. 

Having worked in the hospitality industry - as a front desk agent in a hotel and a flight attendant - I notice good service.  I am so impressed with Sandals.  I don't know how they do this, but most everyone remembers our names!  We'll be walking down a path and hear, "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Leong!" or "Hi Kate and Ed!"  And it's not just us - it seems that this is their "thing" as I've noticed them remembering other guests' names.  There are little touches everywhere that make this such a wonderful experience.  Like tonight at dinner when we were taken to this table by the water...

This really is a lovely place.

Meanwhile, back at home, Brian is having the time of his life!  Today he spent the day with Aunt Bean, Uncle Jim, and his cousins Shannon, Brendan and Claire.  They took him to their community center playground and pool and he had a blast!  Bean made my night by sending me lots of photos... but for some reason I'm not able to share them!  She copied them onto a word document and I can't get them onto my blog.  Waah!!!  So, until I get home - you'll have to take my word for it.  He is having a lot of fun - and from the pictures, it looks like his cousins were having fun too!!

Where In The World Are Kate & Ed?...

Here is your first glimpse of Hope...

...exactly 16 weeks today.

Where was this photo taken?  Why the big sunglasses and big floppy hat?  Because this morning at 4am we left our home... and an army of people including Granny, Aunt Bean, the triplets and Miss Sara to care for and entertain and make sure Brian has the time of his life... 

and Ed and I hopped a flight to...

Paradise.

You're not going to believe this story.

Back in April, just two days after Gavin died, I received an email.  I was receiving hundreds (some days over a thousand) emails at the time so it really was a miracle that I read this one at all.  It was from a woman named Jill who wrote to tell me that she and her husband, Adam, had been reading my blog together and were very moved by our journey... up to and including Gavin's organ donation after his death and my birthday project.  They wrote that they really wanted to do something to put a smile back on our faces - and their suggestion was astounding.

As it turns out, Adam is the CEO of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.  (As a matter of fact, he is one of the youngest CEOs in the world!  More on that later)  He and Jill have two young boys and are due with their third child this September.  They wanted to offer us a vacation at any of their resorts whenever we were ready.  We could bring Brian and go to Beaches (which is a family friendly resort) - or we could go to Sandals (a couples only resort) and enjoy a "babymoon."

I was so busy at the time that I read the email and let it go for quite a while.  In the meantime, Jill and I became friendly on Facebook and bonded over our pregnancies.  And I melted as she posted her family photos (they live right on the beach!) of sunset swims with their children.  This month, after a lot of thinking and making sure we could swing it and making sure Brian would be set up with lots of attention at home - we decided to go for it.  We knew it would be our last trip "alone" for quite a while - once Hope comes, we're not going anywhere!

So here we are.

And this all happened because of Gavin's journey, so it's fitting that we are in paradise.  This little boy has moved and inspired so many people to do so many nice things - not just for us, but for others... for strangers... for hospitals and for charities.  It is also perfect timing.  I have felt myself slipping downward a bit - and the breaking point for me was scattering Gavin's ashes.  I wasn't expecting it to be as difficult as it was.  And trust me, I expected it to be hard!  So, I'm grateful for this time alone with Ed... and five days to do a lot of nothing.  

Jill and Adam Stewart pulled out all of the stops for us.  We were NOT expecting that at all!!  I will be blogging about our entire trip, because that's what I do.  But they have asked for NOTHING in return for their generosity and hospitality.  This was completely from their (gigantic) hearts.

But really - they are spoiling us.

We were picked up from the airport in a private car... with appetizers and cold drinks (non-alcoholic!) waiting in the back seat.  We were driven an hour away to Negril to the Sandals resort.  When we got to the check-in, we were introduced to our private butler.  Yes, you read that correctly... our private butler.  She escorted us to our room and gave us a little tour of the property along the way.

And then we got to our room.  Now, I had looked on the website a few days ago and remarked to Ed that every single room they offer is gorgeous and luxurious.  I mean this place is really beautiful.  But when Tavia, our butler, opened the door to our room?  I think one of us nearly fainted - and I'll let you guess who that was.  We are in a penthouse suite... with a butler.  (Sorry - I can't help mentioning that over and over.)  She even showed us our cell phone that we should use to call her if we should need anything at all.  (Can you imagine??  What an amenity to offer at a hotel!!  Like a private concierge that can help you with reservations, expediting room service (which is 24 hours - holla!)... I can't think of anything else and the truth is we'll probably not ask for anything - but how cool is that, anyway??)

Check out this room that is our temporary home...

Our deck...

...which overlooks the private pool and the beach.

We strolled around this afternoon and we saw butterflies EVERYWHERE.  Need I say more about that?  And gorgeous island flowers - the property is so beautifully landscaped.

At this resort, everything is included.  Ed doesn't have to tote his wallet around as no one even accepts tips!  And it's not your typical "all inclusive" where they only offer buffet meals.  They have several different sit down restaurants to choose from.  Tonight we're going to Sundowners for Caribbean fare.  What a beautiful setting right on the beach, eh?

Adam Stewart is quite a guy.  At 31, he is one of the youngest CEOs in the world.  And he's also very philanthropic.  He started the Sandals Foundation, which aims to help the Caribbean community that surrounds their resorts.  100% of the donations goes directly to help fund many of their projects - like helping pregnant teens, sponsoring youth programs, cleaning up beaches... they have committed money to train medical professionals to help children with pediatric cancers and blood disorders in the Caribbean and over a million dollars to help with restoration after the damage from Hurricane Sandy.  You can read more about the foundation that Ed and I are more than happy to contribute to in memory of Gavin HERE.

And if you want to get to know Adam Stewart a little bit (or just listen to his very cool accent) - check out this great interview below.  He really seems like a great guy.

Ed and I are off to dinner now... and perhaps a walk on the beach after that.  The beauty of this resort?  We can do a LOT of activities (they really have something for everyone here!) or we can do a LOT of nothing.  Either way, I'll be writing, as usual... with a very grateful heart.  Thank you, once again, to the Stewart family for what is already an incredible - once in a lifetime - experience.

Here's one more belly shot.  Because everyone needs a glimpse of Hope in paradise...