Time flies when you are warm and having fun in the sun!

Greetings friends....well can you believe it that we have been here 3 weeks tomorrow? I find it hard to believe that I live here....I go outside in the warm air and I look around at the incredible scenery and I think perhaps I am dreaming and any minute I am going to wake up to -39 wind chills and 5 feet of snow! It really is quite beautiful here and the island has alot of charm...it is unique and different from any place that I have ever been....it is raw nature and relatively undeveloped. The boys are having a ball with all of the lizards and fish and other creatures...Monty is now the lizard catching king, catchiing several a day and bringing them in the house to show me....they love the goats wandering the island (they are everywhere) and they often want to stop and get out and pet them (ah kids, they're wild!) They seem to think that if we get out and talk softly t hen the goats will want to be our friends...it is funny....today we went down to the harbour again adn on the way down we say an awesome 3 foot iguana, sunning himself on the side of the road (the little retaining wall that Ispoke of) we got quite close and he just sat there and stared...really cool. Down at the harbour, we were looking into the water at the tarpons again (very large fish) and at all the little Dory fish (from Nemo...aka blue tangs) They were so awesome....Monty was dying to go for a dip but we had just come from church so we didn't have suits...our friends Nathan and Amanda were there as well and so MOnty convinced all the boys to strip down to shorts and get in....so they did and they had a great time diving and swimming....the water was about 14 feet deep but clear as a bell so they could see right to the bottom....it was alot of fun....Christian even went in for a dip....of course I was a little overdressed for swimming so we will know that next time we go to church we will have to bring our bathing suits with us in case we want to go for a swim after!!
Things have been going well overall......we have had a few gliches here and there but really, we can't complain, we are in the caribbean after all, the land of eternal sunshine! I absolutely love this weather....I can't imagine how much it must suck to be in those horrible temps back home!! I am so thankful to be here, warm , wearing shorts and wandering in the water.....
The boys adjustment continues to go fairly well...Monty is still struggling with his teacher, and I don't blame him....it is a big adjustment for Monty (and for anyone really) ......Monty is struggling a bit with this, but he has a pretty good handle on it overall......so not sure how it will pan out....Monty also has found it a little difficult to make friends, there arne't any kids his age up around our place so is making friends with the organic gardening attendent across the street (and learning about gardens) and the farmer down the road (and going to visit his sheep and rabbits) and the pig farmer across the street (he often walks over with him to feed slop to the pigs and did I mention the pellet gun shooting? ) He loves many things about being here though...the weather, the island, the lizards, nature, being outdoors....he keeps saying, we are so lucky to be in the caribbean aren't we mom?

Christian is a little better off as he has 2 friends on our "street" that he plays with adn he has a lovely teacher so he is learning lots in kindergarten...he appears to really enjoy it here....and only at night does he get a little lonely for his nana and other family back home....I was saying to him last night "who loves this baby?" (a game we have played since he was little) and he lists off mom, dad, Monty....and I said what about nana? he said, yeah she can't love me now though,,,,I am in Saba and she is in PDI (gulp) He then said, I think i am gonig to cry now....so he has little bouts of loneliness but overall by day he is doing well......

I am loving many things about Saba.....the weather, the quiet, the view, nature, the water, the interesting sites, did i mention the weather?? ha ha.....there are a few things that i would change....I'd like to take real showers, not saba showers (turn water on, 1 full circle, turn water off, soap up, turn water on , circle for rinse, turn water off!) It is all about
water conservation and all water comes from rain water collected into a cistern so if you run out it isn't so good....I would flush the toilet after every use, not just #2.....again water conservation adn the saying here is "if it is yellow, let it mellow, if it is brown, flush er down!" I used to growl at the boys for forgetting to flush....now I growl at them for flushing too often.... ha ha.....poor confused boys.....Montys first shower here he was like I have to what??? turn off the water why??? You have to understand, Monty loves his nice long hot showers and gettin ghim out was always an issue!!! A few other things I would change.....I wouldn't work, I would just relax and enjoy myself....but alas it is hard to pass up a job when things are so expensive here.....I have gotten pretty good at this computer teaching thing,,....who knew? ( I can hear you laughing Krista!) sometimes I find the class sizes overwhelming but alot of the kids are very sweet.....I have a few nice friends so they drop by afternoons to chat and I am starting to get a tan! Just a wee hint of color but hey goal number 1 (remember 1tan and 2 skinny) I have jump started the skinny with a wee bout of food poisining (that was fun...NOT) soI think that I lost a pound or 2 from that...both MOnty and I got sick from food that we ate at a restaurant on Friday night....I felt better today and a little skinnier so I thought...hey it wasn't so bad.....now if only Joe will stop bringing snickers bars home perhaps I can continue to work towards the skinny goal!! Secretly I think that Joe likes me a little on the plump side! why else woudl he continue to stock the cupboard with chocolate..knowing full well that I have not one ounce of will power....
Oh and we have found a lovely church group....the Christian students association meet at the school on Sundays and it is very nice....a small group...Joe is doing the sound and I am singing....the people are very nice,mostly students but a few locals too....there is a little old fellow named Brother Reilly and we drive him to and from church and he kind of takes a grandfather role with the students (he is in his 80s and almost deaf) So we at least have a great place to worship and enjoy christian fellowship!
ANyway as you can see overall things are going great and we feel quite blessed to be here having this experience...I think that everyone should try something like this at some point.....it is really neat.....I guess that I should sign off and get to bed....I get tired here much earlier (all the fresh air and sunshine!) so it is off to bed I go!!! so take care friends and we will chat again soon! Night night, xoxo, God Bless.....