|  Wow, what can we say??!!!?? We are married, revamped and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world as husband and wife. Thank you to OG, Gale P, Julie N, Tamara W, Irene Flores, Kathleen Raiff, Jaime Hayden, Cuzes Donna and Sammy, Best Man-Frank Melendez, Elaine Lopez, Lizzy Liz, Lisa D and Wilson Family for adding to our trip, allowing for the best honeymoon anyone could have asked for. We cannot thank you all enough for your support and love, as we venture out as a married team. We certainly got off to a great start, beginning with the wedding and reception. We constantly talked about how blessed we are to have you all in our lives, whether from the past or currently. You all have had an impact on us individually and, inevitably together. We pray that we can spend more time with you in the future and will never forget these past two weeks. Now....on to build a family:) Thank you again for everything! With Love, Susy and Matty Marks We decided to go out with a bang! Ok, not that again guys...sheeesh! Well....maybe....ok nevermind:) We decided to pamper ourselves as a couple for 2 full hours of Spa looooove! Thank you to Brittany Wade, Alyse Cori (our travel agent), Anna Wade, Stephanie Hawkings, Cuz Canny Marks, Jennifer Kingsburg, Louise Williamson, Cuz KT Kobayashi, Sal Lopez and Cuz Linda Elliot for the complete package of: *hydrotherapy *Aroma Body Scrub *Hot Stones Massage *Men's and Women's facials *Aroma therapy OMG! We felt like a king and queen on the way out! What an incredible way to end our honeymoon. Thank you so much to you all for allowing us this amazing trip!!!! After lounging at the pool for a couple of hours...well, was it totally lounging? Not at all, as Matty decided to engage in the pool activity: water balloon fight. As he was pelting and being pelted, he feels incoming balloons from the lounge chairs.....Susy decided to covert mission and pelt her hubby! Nice goin, baaaabs!!!! After our fun, chillin, we headed back to pack up and get ready for our last supper at our favorite restaurant of the bunch, Kang Pai, the Asian fusion....would you imagine? Susy nnnnnnever likes Asian food. If she had a choice to eat it every day, she would! We enjoyed our "last supper" on this beautiful resort and headed back to wake for an early spa treatment, before we headed out:) Ah-HA! Not what you think, silly peeps! We decided to take a camel ride, instead of our original horseback ride. Thank you to Amy Chang for this "hump ride!" We spent 45 minutes through the jungle, then headed to the beach. We had the opportunity to feed the camels, as well spend a lot of time petting them. We should say we had our own camels to ride:) After 30 or so minutes at the beach with them, we headed back. The camera is still broken, so pics are not good from here on out:( We are counting our blessing, before we count the hours down here. We feel so lucky to have had the support and love from you all, enabling us to honeymoon so beautifully here in Riviera Maya. Today, we decided to take a slow camel ride, instead of a horseback ride, as well as lay by the pool and simply....chill out as much as possible:) Thank you to Peggy D, M&M, Terri Yoon and Albert Morales, we returned to our suite, with a beautiful arrangement of sweet cakes. From mango to strawberry, they had it covered! YUMMMMM!!!! Our camera broke at the time of upload to share this beautiful looking spread. :(  We decided to head to downtown Cancun for some shopping and to check out this major town. We went to their flee market and it was very tiring, as every vendor and every store did everything they could to get you in their spot. The items looked the same across the board, bless their hearts! They had some cute lil comments to get us in, but we were too tired to go from store to store. We left there and walked around to the Hard Rock and Coco Bongos, which is a Vegas show-style night club, with 4 levels (each with a different type of music). It is supposed to be the craze. We definitely want to visit when we come back with a group (hint, hint...U-Jammin in Cancun, no?). We went to a local mall and shopped some more, before heading back for a sweet cake romance package awaiting us!  We came back after and fun day at Xplore and decided to head to one of the 8 restaurants, Jo-Jo's, which is Caribbean Seafood. We enjoyed steak and lobster, which was very romantic, listening to waves crash in the back! Ahhhh....times to remember! Susy is not a seafood fan, but the lobster went over pretty well with her! Thank you to the awesome staff, who took care of us very, very well! After a filling dinner, we headed over to the outdoor lounge to watch the end of "Dorado Idol," a karaoke contest for the guests. Our tank was empty and stomachs were full....time to head back to call it a night.  Off to Xplore: A combination of zip-lining, amphibious vehicles, cave rafting and cave swimming. Wow! Highly recommended for families, as it is a blast. There are 14 total zip lines, including ones through waterfalls, forest driving in vehicles and swimming and rafting through natural caves. That was a FULL DAY and well worth it. We have a ton of memories from there!  We decided to car on down to Play Del Carmen (thank you to my Sis, Susie Maldonado, and Gin Kudsi!). We shopped around a bit. Matty got a pimp hat, Caribbean style, Susy got an Italian Bathing Suit, along with some very pimping shoes for her next big event! We walked up and down 6th street and enjoyed the festive vendors, as well as caught a talent parade in the middle of it all! This had schools, drum cores, samba dancers, folk dancers and stilt walkers. We ate dinner at a recommended restaurant, La Parrilla, "the grill," for some authentic Mexican food:) After this, we headed back home! Good times!  Ok, we were not expecting this, but we decided to learn about tequila: how it was made, history, etc. There were so many brands, types, flavors and colors. We learned a TON, and even Susy LIKED some of the tequila! Whaaaaat???! Yes, there is a creamy, milky tequila she absolutely loved. Did you know that Patron Silver is made in Las Vegas and owned by Paul Mitchell? Whoa! That is our "go-to" brand here in the states, sometimes paying $11 per shot. Dang Paul...will it make our hair smoother...or grow more?  A quick walk out the door and out to the beach, where you can Jet Ski, Parasail, snorkle, kayak and much more. We decided to parasail away, thank you to Kimberly Chew and Anna Wade. The total trip was about an hour, with only Susy and Matty on the boat! Quite the time time of year to travel to Cancun. It is the low season and we certainly got the royal treatment! Loved it up there, especially as hubby and wifey! Attached is a pic Fred Flinstone and Wilma's feet! :)  Wow! What a day! We had one of the best excursions ever. We ordered room service (again!) and massages in our room! Wow, what a way to end an exhausting, yet fun day. Disclaimer on the food pic: THIS WAS ALL SUSY!....lil munchkin can EAT! Thank you to Dash, Susan Snyder and The McCauleys for adding to the "bow chica bow bowww!" Much Love, Peace Out Tonight!  Whoa....a day of trio! We were off to Jet Ski, Snorkle AND Scuba. What the heck, they were all in the same area, soooo....lezzzzdoit! First, our lil queen Susy is off to the races on her own Jet Ski (although the pic was of us two...but that was for KT, as she was expecting some bay bay-making on the J-skiis:)). This girl thinks she is Harley Davison's answer to the Jet Ski! You think she is bad arse on stage....wait til you see her on her water-cycle....DANG! We traveled a few miles down the coast on the Caribbean and then stopped for some killer snorkeling! One of the tour guides couldn't resist and just haaaad to give Susy a private snorkeling tour of awesome plants, water life and scenery. I played paparazzi and snapped off some cool pics and vid. After a half hour or so, we packed up and headed to another snorkeling spot, but this time an underwater "cenote," or sinkhole. A very cool sight to see and to snorkel in, too! After this, we headed back to home base, where the dive masters awaited us for scuba lessons. We grabbed a quick bite and were off to scuba lessons. It was a beginner course and we were both a little nervous, as we've never scuba dived before! The guide was awesome, as she went through the proper safety steps and made us feel VERY comfortable. We darted out a mile or so to the edge of the barrier reef. There, we dove back and off the boat, then down 30 feet! That was one of the best experiences we have both ever had!!!! Wow....a whole different world down there. It is quite and beautiful, as you float freely underwater! The dive lasted nearly 40 minutes, but it seemed so quick, as time flies when you are having a great time. It was one of those times we never wanted to end. We are definitely interested in getting certified and scuba diving again on other vacations! Thank you to Kathleen T and Rita M for the Jet Ski trip! Thank you to Masako Beecher, Jane Chen, Nicole G-Money and Uncle John Marks for the opportunity to experience scuba diving for the first time!!!!  We joined our newlywed friends, Carmen and Na El, for happy hour martinis, then some delishhhh Italian food. After, we headed to the dance/lounge area to try and extend the night a bit more. We all had only one drink, danced a bit, then called it a night. It was fine though, as Susy and I had a HUGE day ahead, with snorkeling, jet skiing and scuba diving! Nightaaay night, ya all!  We woke to a rainy morning on Sunday, which was ok for us, because we were sleeping in again! We went to La Isla restaurant for a very light breakfast, then headed to the gym for an extra long workout! The gym faces the beach, so we could see the rain falling by the oceanside:) The temperature was still in the high 70s to low 80s. We returned to La Isla for a filling breakfast after. The clouds parted ways and allowed for God's beaming sun to touch us for the rest of the day. We took advantage of this and headed to the pool:)  ...nothing on a Saturday....and loving it! We woke to room service, with delicious chocolates (Thank you Eric Gaeta!)...YUM! We got our workout on and headed to the pool to chill. Ahhh....nice! Luck had it, we were able to get a lil cabana, as it was first come, first served. Just as we walked up, a couple was just leaving! Later, we headed to KungPai for dinner. This Asian Fusion menu was deeelishhh! Susy was happy, so the Marks house was happy:) I do have to say: Susy was lookin smokin hot (as always), but her dress was sexaaay! After dinner, we met up with our Canadian newlyweds, Na El and Carmen, for some Hookah and Reggae Music! Good times, good times, mon!  Ok...we had a massage, hung with some married peeps at a Michael Jackson show, then headed out to a candlelight honeymoon dinner on the beach! Que Rrrrrromantico!!!! We shared a chicken and steak combo with great dressings and surroundings, coupled with a saxophone player that serenaded us for a bit. Wow! We felt spoiled that night! Thank you so much to Michelle Mandell, Michelle Plato, Bernadette Darby, Gin K, Amanda West, MJ, Ingrid and Shalini for helping create such a memorable dinner for us on our honeymoon......sigh and a tear! That truly was special. Whaaat? We chillaxed by the pool and soaked up the hot sun for a while. The swim up bar was quite nice, as well:) We met two couples with the same wedding day: one from San Diego and the other from Toronto..eh! We had lunch at a restaurant, right next to the pool. Yummers! The food was excellent! This trip just keeps getting better:) The couple from Toronto met us later for a Michael Jackson show at the main entertainment area. MJ was pretty good, although he was "Milli Vanilli," it was still entertaining.  We got the couples massage on the beach, called the "Sky Massage," before the Michael Jackson show and dinner! It was one hour of bliss, including aroma therapy! (Thank you to Cheryl H, MAG, Brittney W and our travel agent, Alyse Cori!). Good night Irene (no, not you, mama)...but, in general...OMG! We were situated in a hut over the water, literally! The subtle sound of the small waves meeting the sandy beach was pure bliss. The aromas were unbelievable and the masseurs were spot on with our requests! Thank you guys, again, for this gift! Holy smokes!!!!!! This was very memorable:)  Sleep is rare at the Marks' household, so we took advantage of the downtime and counted "z's" for quite some time! We awoke to a Romantic Breakfast in Bed (thank you to Brenda Maillo, Cathy Jackson, Raquel Edwards and Dad Marks!). Yes, we ordered "U-Grub" to our room 2x in less than 12 hours! :) Since we have a view of the turquoise-filled waters and the sound of the waves, we decided to take our "romance" outside on the patio deck:) It was a very calm, tranquil and relaxed time, as we finally got to breathe a bit and talk as husband and wife.  After 12 hours of touring, we are wiped! We ordered room service....and a whole lot of it! The menu is large and it is 24 hours! What a first full day! ....nighty night!  After two stops, we finally arrived at Chichen Itza! WOW! What a site! We could not believe our eyes, as we were standing in the midst of ruins from over 20 centuries ago! Props to the Mayans (and maybe UFO's) for building such an enormous city! If you are ever near Cancun, this is a must see! Thank you to Amanda West, Kay Wheeler, MLOUUUUU and Roxy for allowing us the opportunity to book this trip.
 After Valladolid, we stopped at a "cenote," a sinkhole. Ik kil is about 3km from Chichen Itza and a great stop. We were able to swim in the natural sinkhole for a bit and feel the limestone waterfalls!  Hola Ya all! We took a 12 hour tour (a 12 hour touuuur) to Chichen Itza and a couple of other stops along the way, including stops at Valladolid and Cenote Ik kil (underground sink hole). Our bus picked us up at 7:45am. This was a beautiful bus, with air conditioning, video screens, a bathroom, breakfast served and drinks the whole time. Susy was surprised, as she somehow thought we were going to be in a hot, humid bus, with chickens and farm animals! Oy vey! The things movies can do to you, no? We drove for two hours to get to the town of Valladolid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valladolid,_Yucatán). What a quaint and historic town this is! It has 70,000 people and is very secluded. It was established near 1545. WOW! There are still Mayan descendants (most of whom wear white dresses or clothes), of which we could see walking the streets. Learning the history of this town made it a true honor to visit. We ended the mini tour in Valladolid at the Monastery of San Bernadino de Siena. Our slideshow on Facebook after the full trip will show the art and crypts in this Monastery. Yes, crypts! Crazy, right? They had tombs on the walls of the church and actual crypts in the back of the church.  Whew! We had an awesome flight to Cancun on Virgin America. We upgraded to first class for a small fee. This was Susy's first time, and she definitely deserves it! They treated us well: food, drinks, movies, etc. We loved it! My lil queen was happy. (Thank you to Clarice, Almo, Uncle Steve, Julia Gulia, Nick K, Hector M and Vivi for getting us from SFO to Cancun (and back, of course).) We took a limo from the airport to our hotel (thank you Jiggs, Peggy D and Big Al). The resort is gorgeous and the room has a beautiful ocean-front view and walk to the beach side. There is a hot tub and walk-in shower. We were greeted with flowers, champagne and aroma therapy! The bed is a canopy-style.....berrrry sexxxy! (thank you Cindy, Irene, G Money, L-Dawg, Gail D Rio, Brad, Uncle John, Jerine, Anuuuuu Baila Baila, John Campos, Chris and Chandra Cabby and Tracy M!). The El Dorado Royale is an all-inclusive resort, with 13 pools and 7 restaurants. We decided to head over to the Fondue restaurant tonight...yum, yum! Wow! What a rush leading up to our departure. We are so blessed to have such loving and supportive family and friends. We are still buzzing from our wedding. We cannot thank each and every one of you enough for being a part of our special day! We are off to SFO airport....yaaaaawn! Tiz early! We are excited to get away for 10 days to unwind and enjoy being "hoobay and weefay." Today I had to to take my wedding dress down to the Men's Warehouse so I could match it up with the swatches for Matty's vest for his tux!!!! I can't believe it's only a little over two weeks away!!! Love my honey bunny!!! <3 Today, Susy, Christine Kelly and I visited our friend's site for our possible Garden-Style wedding! Well, all I can say is....WOW! We are all smiling from ear to ear, as we believe we have finalized it! Whew! Our friend is heaven-sent! We will just have to keep you in suspense, as we have a ton of ideas. We hope they all come to fruition to provide a wonderful experience for you all on our special day. Though it is "our day," we feel "ours" is "yours." :) Whew! Two days off in a row! Whaaaat? This is awesome!!!! We've been hanging out and working on this site, as well as reflecting on our wedding party and how blessed we are to have them a part of our special day. Though it's July 4th, with hot dogs, BBQs, events, music and all, we've decided to nail our site down, with as much info to you as possible, so we can stir it back up again, come tomorrow. May you and your families have a blessed and safe July 4th today. We'll keep the cats in and listen for the fireworks early, then maybe head out to see Transformers or Super 8....geek-a-zoid style! Today, we check out tuxedos for the big day and we are gonna look SLICK! Of course, that is Susy's doing with the style, but hey....she has the beat on what is coooh! We have a little added flair, Susy-style, that ya all may like! It is so Susy! Good times...we've got the tux sitch under control!!!
~Matty |