Weevils....the other white meat.....

Hey friends,

I apologize for not getting to my blog in awhile....I am sure that you are all just on the edge of your seat wondering how things are going down here in Nevis...Lol.....well things are fantastic and quite busy so I rarely get much time these days to blog! We are all having a wonderful time here in Nevis, really enjoying it! The weather has been absolutely beautiful, albeit slightly hotter than i would like (yes I said it!) It has been 34 most days and about 40 with the humidex! I have sort of gotten used to sweating all the time....ahhh...nothing like sweat rolling down your back or into your eyes and blinding you....Lol.....so subsequently we have been spending alot of time at the beach. Nevis has some great beaches! Our favorite is Oualie Beach (you can google it http://www.oualiebeach.com/) It is a great place to go swimming and build sand castles, very calm and they have nice beach chairs to sit on as well as a little beach pub that you can order fries, drinks and other good grub. I have gotten to know the owners a bit, the woman is Christian's spanish teacher, she is a lovely woman. The daughter, Rachel is in grade 11 at Christians school, a very nice girl. Anyway we love Oualie! We also like to go to Paradise beach, it is close by and has a great spot for snorkelling (for an amateur like me) There is a sunken cannon, which the boys love. We went for a snorkel after school today and Joe and Monty saw a moray eel, which apparenlty was quite exciting to them! According to Joe, it was about 3 feet long.....according to Monty it was about 6 feet long...(hmm could he be related to me??) It was lots of fun and a great way to cool off after a hard day of.....oh ...who am I kidding......after a day in the sun! Lol....I am telling you people, I am so loving this not working for a living thing. I told Joe the other day that I was staying here forever, he could go off and be a doctor or whatever, but this is where I belong! Of course then the reality of 1) I have no money and so cant stay and 2)I am not allowed to work here (officially anyway) so again money will be an issue longterm! (esp with the cost of living, can we say a $400 US electricity bill for september....GULP)

So we are all very busy and doing great. Joe is doing very well in school, he is busy and he doesnt get to enjoy the island quite as much as the rest of us do, but he is happy and content overall and working his butt off!! Christian is happy in school and doing great...he is learning spanish, and he can still remember how to count in Dutch from Saba! He is also enjoying riding a few days a week, is becoming a master snorkeler and swimmer and is now taking Tae Kwon Do. (and loving it) Monty is doing quite well now, we moved him to St Kitts to the Montessori school as he was not doing so well in the little school here and we were also afraid he would get behind. He likes the school in St Kitts, but the downside is that he has to travel back and forth every day on the ferry (45 minute ride) then catch a cab (same fella everyday) then school and back home. There are 5 kids coming from here so at least he has company. He finds the day long but he loves the school and he has a fantastic teacher. Monty is still in survivor camp and marine bio camp and he and I have been out riding alot. He is becoming quite the horseman....getting braver all the time. It is really nice that we can get out and share this together, I hope that we are creating many lasting memories! And I couldnt be better, really, I am so loving it here in Nevis! I am riding almost every day now, starting to get in shape and tomorrow going to be running to the beach with my friend Stacey.....we are going to run the 2 miles to the beach (ha ha) and then swim for 15 minutes then run back......(so she thinks....lol) I am thinking alot of walking is going to be happening since I havent run since my failed attempts at running the last few summers!! I really want to get in shape though......So the riding on the beach is awesome.....really.....loving it.....I feed and water the horses every day for the fellow, and I also take tourists out on beach rides....probably about 3 rides a week for now....busy season starts next month.....I love it, what a job to have. I dont get paid but I get to ride as much as I want and take the kids riding too so that is definitely payment enough for me......being around the horses every day is so soothing, good for the soul.......I am loving it. So what else am I doing? well, I have made some great friends through SOS and I am on the executive so i spend alot of time helping with planning and organizing activities for our organization. It is alot of fun and we do get to enjoy each others company quite often. If you are curious you could check out our website at http://www.muaspousesofstudentsandfamilieso.shutterfly.com/

So you are probably wondering by now where I got this entries title......or maybe not.....well people, shall I say the bug population is abundant down here? We have ants, ants and still more ants.....I hate ants.....little nasty biting fireants....I want to kill them all......we have the biggest cockroach/beetle thing i have ever seen (the size of a hamster!) and oh yes, we have tarantulas...christian and I saw our first one up close last week....and I am still shivering.....big hairy ugly spider....yuck......one of my questions when I get to Heaven....ummm God, about the bugs? " Anyway, I have seen all kinds of ugly, bizarre, crazy bugs these past few months.....including recently while making Christians birthday cake. I open the packaging of my Duncan Hines mix ( or was it Betty Crocker? ) feeling very domestic to be making a cake instead of buying one at superstore like I usually do.....our friends Joka and Jim were here visiting from Saba.....(she is a physician) anyway I digress......so I pour the packaging into the bowl and start to add the other ingredients and I look in and I think what is in the cake mix? is it moving? is it a bug?? Lo and Behold, it is a bug! Several to be precise......uck....I choke back a gag......and I stare in horror at Joka, my friend......she laughs.....says this is quite normal. I ask her how did the bugs get inside the bag of mix and manage to stay alive????? Apparently this is not uncommon all over the world AND she announces that the bugs are called Weevils (hang on a second while I retch again) Anyway, I am horrified but also in a bit of a conundrum.......cake mixes are not always easy to come by here and we bought one of the only ones......sooooo....if we throw it out.....what kind of birthday is it without a cake????? You see where I am going with this dont you??? I had decisions to make.......lol......lmao actually.....(this is one of those times where I am down on my knees thanking God for celiac disease.....) anyway, Joka says "Dawn, they are just weevils, no big deal really, I mean if you have another cake mix, use it but if not just PICK THE BUGS OUT" (again the gag reflex) So I get the sifter thingy out of the cupboard and I start sifting weevils out of the cake mix....I know, I know,......I am horrible......we got alot of them out, probably most, but definitely not all........there were body parts that went through the sifter and a few weevils that managed to as well (no idea how) Bottom line is I made the cake, weevils and all......and no one was the wiser.....well except for Joka and Joe and I......and they both ate a piece...can you imagine?? I wanted to vomit as I watched them all shoving cake in their mouths.....and usually I want to grab the cake and stog it down......anyway I am happy to report that Christian had a great birthday AND he loved the cake!

Well folks, I can barely see the screen now from laughing/crying over that story, so I better sign off....I will try so so hard to be more diligent in writing regularly....I do love writing this blog!

I hope that you are all happy and well, we certainly are....we do miss you all! Take care and have a great week.....God Bless......

I remember how much I love horses now......

Hey all,

Well it has been a great week in Nevis.....we are slowly getting into a routine, Joe at school, the kids at school and me, well.....that is the good part....me.....I am RIDING HORSES!!!! ON THE BEACH!!!! I have been out riding 4 different times this week, all along the Caribbean ocean and I have to say that it is the ultimate ride! It is so beautiful, so peaceful, so serene......I absolutely love it. My whole life I had a love affair with horses, they are without a doubt my favorite animal.....and I have ridden since I was a little girl....but once we had kids, it just got difficult to own/ride/visit horses. So I got away from it for a while......and I forgot that I loved it so much....or perhaps suppressed it because I couldn't have it?? So these last few days have been so amazing.....getting back in the saddle again.....feeling the horse underneath me......enjoying the Caribbean ocean from horseback! Riding the horse into the water and getting soaked by the waves! Well I just wish you were all here to experience how wonderful it really is! Having said that it is also exhausting, time consuming and my butt is objecting a little (can we say bruising?) but I am sure that with time I will toughen up. I convinced Joe today to come with us for a family ride and so the 4 of us went on a beach ride today. It was awesome!! The kids loved it, even Joe looked like he enjoyed himself! So basically I have been taking care of a fellow's 10 horses in exchange for riding privileges......sweet deal in my opinion! All I have to do is pop over to the barn twice a day for about 30 minutes to feed, water and check the horses.....keep the paddock areas tidy.....(and to be honest I spend alot more time than that there, just hanging with the horsies, enjoying their company, bonding!)

Other than that, things are going fairly well....Joe has first round of block exams tomorrow so we are praying that all goes well! The boys are slowly getting settled into their school.....they each have some nice new friends....Monty is very busy with survivor camp, sea stars and he starts tennis lessons on Monday....so lots of stuff on the go!

Anyway, it is a short post tonight....I am really tired....all this fresh air, sunshine, riding and beach stuff makes a girl tired you know! LOL.....so take care and God Bless and talk to you all soon! D

Hey there hi there ho there friends! Well we are entering into week 3 of our Nevis adventure and I have to say that I am really really pleased so far. I really like this island, it has much to offer and we feel that we made a great decision in coming here. I have so much to tell you but to get it all in would require a novel length document....soooo I am going to try to give you the readers digest version.....(and you know how good I am at keeping my stories short and to the point....NOT) but I am gonna give it a go.
So Nevis is beautiful, the beaches are awesome, there is lots to do, we are meeting many new and fantastic people....I feel so blessed to be here......I am not going to lie, that the first week was tough and an adjustment....leaving PEI after getting to spend the summer with family and friends was not easy.....but I am feeling really positive now that we have been here a few weeks!
I will start with Joe since he is the reason that we are here.....he seems to be liking the med school so far, likes his profs, meeting some nice students....there is actually a guy from Montague PEI here in his class and they knew each other a bit as this fellow was a nurse in Montague and Joe was a paramedic there....so that is kind of neat. Joe misses some of his Saba peers obviously, but he is adjusting well and appears to be happy with the decision to move......He has been snorkeling and swimming for stress relief......and loving the water and the beaches here. He is hoping to get out golfing sometime soon and he has a few fellows who are interested in doing this with him.....so overall h e is pretty pleased I think.
The boys are doing well. They have had their first week at their new school and they are both settling in. Monty made a new friend, Lu, who just moved here as well from Cancun, Mexico (his parents run a hotel here in Nevis) and they have really hit it off. They are a very nice family and they live closeby so the boys have had a few playdates already. Monty being Monty isn't completely thrilled by his school but he isn't hating it either...so I will count that as a positive! Christian is enjoying school so far and has made some friends there. He has an awesome teacher, originally from Sweden and recently from England. She is lovely and so kind and he seems to really like her. The school is very tiny and so this has been an adjustment for both of them. Monty is excited though because on Fridays the school offers archery lessons to the older kids...so he thinks that is pretty cool!
Monty is enrolled in a few programs here and he is very excited about them. The first one is called Survivor Camp (based on the reality show) and the leader calls it "Scouts on Steroids!" which I think is hilarious. the leader is a special ops fellow who was in the army in South Africa and he is a real outdoors fellow! Basically he takes the kids up the mountain and they learn how to survive off the land, making shelters out of whatever they have, making fires (without matches), making spears for fishing and catching and cooking the fish, learning what bugs they can eat if they are hungry!! (he ate a centipede on Saturday...the guide, not Monty) Anyway it sounds so great and I think Monty is quite excited about it.....the second program he is in is a marine biology camp, where he will learn about sea life and conservation and will go out on a boat snorkeling and learning about underwater creatures.....it will be a great opportunity for him and the leader, Barbara is a very nice lady.....I am only slighly nervous about Monty going on the boat snorkeling as last week a local was eaten by a tiger shark....so that freaks me out a little....apparently that is extremely rare and not usually something to worry about...but you know me! I love to worry...it is like a sport for me....and I am an Olympic calibre worrier!! Unfortunately, Christian can't attend these camps as he is too young...but that is ok because he is having lots of fun anyway! He is doing so well with snorkeling I can hardly believe it.....he just skims across the top of the water now like a pro......it is so amazing to watch him! Not that long ago he was afraid of the water....now you should see him!!
The beaches here are amazing and we have spent alot of time down the road at Oualie Beach Resort (you can google it) the beach is great there, very safe and calm. We just had a big SOS bbq there yesterday and it was a blast. We have a fantastic SOS group and I am meeting so many wonderful people from all over who are here for the same reasons....to support husbands through med school! (so basically we are all crazy!) I have to tell you a funny story about yesterday......we were all sitting around and chatting and beside me was Hedda, a quite pretty blond woman from Norway.....well Hedda looks pretty good in her bikini and I see Monty eyeing her....finally he looks at me and says " so Mom, look at her, isn't that the body that you have always dreamed of having?" Said so matter of factly that it was as if he was asking me h ow I enjoyed the bbq!!!! I nearly died laughing....and poor Hedda....she thought it was pretty funny...some of the other moms weren't sure how to react! it was just Monty being Monty so i wasn't too put out over it! I mean, really, its not like he was saying something that wasn't true! I would have loved to have Hedda's figure! Anyway he is a funny funny kid.......
So I am having a great time.....I am connecting with my new SOS friends....i am now the Treasurer of SOS......(yeah I know....me with money......) I am exploring the island and learning my way around.....I am learning to drive on the wrong side of the road....it is going much better than I expected;....well except for the part where I continue to turn on the windshield wipers instead of the signal lights and then I get flustered and turn the wrong signal on......LOL.....but overall it really isn't that hard to get used to.....I also have a very cool opportunity that has popped up here.....kind of like my dream job! There is a stable here that has been closed for a while for a number of reasons and I searched the owner out and offered my assistance with the horses in exchange for some occasional riding....Well he was so thrilled to have me to help out (he works full time and drives to the stable to feed the horses 2 times a day) and in exchange i can ride all I want, anytime I want and he may start up some trail rides and have me be the guide.....so that will be taking people from the cruise ships on beach rides with horses....ok really people....does life get any better than that!! So I am excited that I will get to do some riding and so will the kids...and maybe some evenings all 4 of us will go down to the beach on horseback.....so exciting I can hardly believe it....
Anyway I better run....lots more to say but it is very hot out and the boys want to go over to their friend's pool for a swim......so I will talk to you all again soon!!
God Bless and have a great week!
D

Welcome to Nevis...the land where Heelies are cheaper than Rice Krispie Treats!

Hello friends and greetings from Nevis.....I don't officially have internet yet so I feel a bit cut off from all of you fine folk....I am currently sitting on my beautiful deck, with a lovely caribbean breeze blowing (ok so maybe it is the remnant of the tropical depression but whatever) It is about 28 degrees out.....lovely and warm.....I can hear the crickets chirping in the background, and maybe some frogs?? And I am "borrowing " my neighbors internet.....mine should hopefully be hooked up within a week and then I will be able to get back to communicating with the rest of the world! This moving to a new island in the Caribbean and having no internet is tough stuff!! So we arrived on Sunday morning in St Kitts, hopped a cab and a ferry and another cab and arrived without too much incident to our new home for the next year in Nevis (no vomiting, no snow storms, although there was the threat of a hurricane!).....our initial impressions of the island are that is beautiful, and flat, with real roads and beaches, beaches, beaches! Some of the things that we will have to get used to are driving on the wrong side of the road, and paying alot of money for things.....as well as watching out for tarantulas (yikes, shall I remind you that I am an arachnaphobe) and green vervet monkeys! So we are getting ready for this next phase of our journey through medical school. Leaving PEI was pretty tough.....lots of tears....we always hate the going, you know I have addressed my aversion to goodbyes (I will have to follow that up in counseling some day...ha ha) So we were very sad to leave. We had a great summer with my mom, staying in her home, driving her crazy most days! We got to see lots of family, visit with friends and just had a great time. So leaving was tough.....and arriving here to start all over again was hard because the reality of my loss of my Saba network started to hit right about when I was rolling into my new home in Nevis.....Luckily, to cushion the blow, my new neighbor, Stacey was there to greet us! Her husband is a med student too, they are a wonderful family from Houma Louisiana.....and they have 4 beautiful children....so our two families have really hit it off and I feel like I have a great friend already! My downstairs neighbor Afton and her husband and little baby are very nice too....med students as well from Nashville Tennesse.....I also met a few others and we will have our first SOS meeting this Saturday so I am very excited to meet some of the others as well. We have the boys registered to start a very tiny private school on Monday.....this school is interesting, and has a policy of a maximum of 12 students per class....so currently Christian has 10 in his class for Grade 1 and Monty will have 5 others with him! So it could be interesting and very different from what they are used to! We are busy trying to orient ourselves to our new home, figure out where everything is (this island is much bigger than Saba) and of course learn to drive on the "other"' side of the road.....I have yet to try it...it freaks me out a little if I am honest! But hopefully tomorrow I will be brave enough to give it a go! And I will remember to stay on the right (or is it wrong?) side! I keep trying to climb in the drivers seat though so that must mean something??? (yes that I am utterly confused!!) Anyway we have been able to buy a few groceries and I must say that the prices here are pretty steep for food! We found this great store with an upstairs that has everything....from toasters to bikes to heelies and remote control cars etc....well the Heelies were very cheap ($22 ish dollars a pair) and so the boys convinced us to get them each a pair....so we did because they were such a great buy! We bought our groceries and supplies and we were heading out heelies in hand when Christian spotted a big box of Rice Krispie treats.....he was so excited as he loves them....so I said I will run back in and get them so that the boys can have a special treat in their lunch next week! Well I grabbed the box and ran through the cash and when she told me the price I was sure that my hearing was gone and I was hallucinating (heat stroke?) I said pardon me? She repeated the same number.....so then I was standing there with a bunch of people behind me and the girl with her hand out waiting and Christian half way to the car with a big Rice Krispie treat type of smile on his face.....so I took out the money and paid it.....all $40 of it.....yes you read that right......$40!!!! But in my defence it was a jumbo box!! With 40 treats in it.....and they are Christians favorite...and the boys needed an "adjustment" treat...ok you are right, it was a ridiculous decision....but what do you do...so I told the boys that the treats were quite expensive and they were for "school only" and that we would not likely ever get them again so they should enjoy them!! Joe was floored and he stared at me like I grew another head or something.....then he just laughed...we both giggled about how the heelies were cheaper than the treats.....funny stuff I tell ya!
Anyway I think overall we are doing ok....it isn't easy, so we are trying to look at the bright side of t hings.....we are so thankful for our new friends across the road because without them we would be lost! They have been wonderful and perhaps the type of people that we will be friends with for years to come!
I better run, just wanted to say a quick hi and let you know that we are here, we are safe, we are working on the getting settled thing.....once my internet is established I will get back to my regular updates!! I miss all of you and I had such a wonderful summer with you! Take care friends and God Bless.....D

Never a Dull Moment......

Well friends....Hello! It has been a while since I updated the blog and I was sitting here this evening thinking that it might be a good idea to let everyone know what is going on in our lives as there is plenty! So we have been on PEI since June 24th.....about 6 weeks now and we are having a wonderful time with family and friends.....the weather hasn't quite been "caribbean weather" but ahhh well, can't have it like that all the time! And soon, we will head south again and we will be basking in the sunshiny weather every day for the next year or so......we are missing Joe (he is still in Saba) but we are having lots of fun....we have spent lots of time with friends, on the beach, swimming, shopping, eating fast food (yum).....I have been to summer work parties, hung out with friends, visited with family and been to my 20th high school reunion....yup....that was such a blast from the past! I had the opportunity to catch up with people that I hadn't seen in well.....20 years.....it was a fantastic night and I didn't get home until quite late (errr...early) but I haven't had that much fun in a long time....my stomach muscles were so sore the next day from laughing so much.....many thanks to Melanie for hosting a superb pre and post party!! Personally, I think we should make it a yearly event! Any others interested?? LOL
So we have some interesting and exciting news......it will come as a surprise to some of you.....Joe and I have made a decision to move to another island for medical school.....Joe has applied and was accepted and is transferring to MUA (Medical University of the Americas) which is located in Nevis - St Kitts. There are many reasons why we decided to do this but bottom line is it is a great decision for our family. Monty was finding life on Saba pretty tough and so we feel that Nevis has alot more to offer for his age group, better schools, has alot more activities than Saba, way more in the lines of things to do, and beaches, beaches, beaches......we feel really good about this decision. Joe has been over to Nevis 2 times already and is very impressed by the staff at the medical school. He also really likes the island. He has rented us a stunning house (I think it belongs to Angelina and Brad...lol) and has a car purchased already for us (that Joe is such a go-getter!) It is all a little overwhelming really, but exciting and has the makings of another "excellent adventure"! The downside is that we are all going to miss the wonderful friends that we have made in our time in Saba.....The Koot family, Marylene and the boys, Amanda and Nathan, Lucia and little Harlow (and Jonathon too) Lisa and Billy, Rachel and Greg, Becky and Jaron, Heather and Ben, our church friends, Brother Reilly.....so many more .......wonderful wonderful people that have been a very important part of our lives in Saba....so saying good bye to all of them is going to be hard (you know how I love goodbyes...NOT) I am so grateful to have met and made so many wonderful friends in our short time there.....you have all been fantastic and I will miss you soooo much.....I am hoping that each and every one of you will come to visit us in our new home! We would welcome company any time!
So Joe will be arriving this weekend coming and we are all very excited and happy to have him back......7 weeks is too long to go without Joey! Someone please remind me of that next time I consider leaving him for such a long period of time! Actually we have done quite well, managed fine, but we certainly have noticed his absence from our lives....and we will be excited to have him with us for the rest of our vacation...which by the way , is hurtling by faster than the speed of light! I can't believe how quickly time is going and in about 2 and half weeks we will be flyiing back to Saba.....we will arrive on Saba the 29th for the evening and then finish our final packing (Joe has most of it done now) and then we will fly over to Nevis likely on the 31st.....(quite the jetsetters we have become!) We will have just 2 days to say our goodbyes and get the final business of life in Saba wrapped up! It will be a whirlwind of activity.....
Oh and for those of you who have been following along on our animal adventures....here are the updates:
the guinea pigs are multiplying...we think that someone has been throwing water on them or feeding them after midnight (gremlins) Anyway Joe went out to feed them one morning and lo and behold.....one of our girls had 5 babies overnight.....yes you read that right....5......so that made 10.....ok I am an animal lover (freak whatever) and even I think that 10 guinea pigs is a bit much! So our friend Marylene has agreed to take over our flock and find homes for them as we can't bring them with us to Nevis....they have very strict rules for importing animals so we are going to even have trouble bringing our dog there......anyway that is the story with the guinea pigs! As for birdie....the little pigeon that we hand raised....well she has flown the coop......literally....she finally decided that she was ready to be independent and away she went.....she started off by flying away for a few hours at a time and slowly progressed from there.....one of her last adventures she was gone for 3 days so Joe figured that was it....she was gone.....until our dear friend Joka came by with Birdie and a great and extremely funny story....Joka is one of our dear friends, and one of Joe's profs as well as one of the Island Physicians. She and her husband have been meeting with Dutch officials as Saba is revamping its Health Programs....anyway Joka is this tall, elegant, classy dutch lady and she was in a meeting with all these Dutch suits.....at a very fine out door restaurant....as she sat talking about serious issues (health care transformation in Saba) a funny thing happened.....a pigeon swooped in and landed in her hair! causing quite a fuss I might add.....so Joka reaches up and pulls at the bird in her hair.....and gets the bird out and looks at it and exclaims "oh my, thats Birdie, thats Joe and Dawn's bird!" True story I swear it.....anyway Joka brought Birdie home to Joe once the meeting ended......I laughed for about 2 days after I heard this.....and of course wondered what are the chances that Birdie would pick Joka out of a crowd?? Did she recognize her as a lift home?? a familiar face?? (Birdie would have met Joka a bunch of times) Anyway it was such a great story that I felt that it had to be shared here!! so since that time, Birdie has flown away again.....she hasn't come back this time, on her own accord, or with neighbors! It has been almost 2 weeks so we figure she is rehabilitated and free as a bird! Just the way it should be!!
Anyway friends , it is getting late, I better get to bed....just wanted to quickly update you on what is happening in our lives! So start saving your pennies people....we want visitors! And when are you going to have a free place to stay in Nevis?? This is your opportunity!!
Have a great night and God Bless.

Obsessed with Twilight.....

Hey everyone! How's your week? Mine has been great.....+30 everyday, sun, sun, sun, no working, carefree lifestyle, beaches, snorkeling.....what more could a girl ask for?? I am busy preparing for our trip home....well maybe busy is a bit of an overstatement...more like every now and then again thinking about it, what to bring ( some clothes), what to not bring (the dog...Monty isn''t impressed).....I am looking forward to coming home and seeing all of you fine folk (well the ones that live in PEI anyway!!) Monty has been excited since we booked the tickets and he is counting down the days....and Christian has finally gotten really excited now that it is getting so close.....I am happy about it too....but a little anxious for a couple of reasons....1) I am going to miss Joey (the obvious) and 2) the not so obvious...I have never flown across countries by myself with my kids before....I usually follow Joe around the airport like a lost puppy....I know ...shocking.....and I never pay any attention to where the gates are, what to say at customs (I was cut off after my fiasco with customs and forgetting to declare fruit and getting in trouble...long "Dawn" story) etc.....so I have to admit I am a little nervous about the travelling...I am sure I will be just fine.....right?? anyway we head over to St Maarten on Monday afternoon...Joe is coming with us....and we will spend the night there at the Sonesta Bay Maho (you should google it to see what you are missing! It is awesome....and a quick walk to the famous Maho beach where all the planes fly in) Then tuesday afternoon the boys and I will leave St Maarten bound for Halifax....it is really kind of hard to believe actually that by this time next week we will be home......
So this week has been pretty good...the boys are winding down at school, amost done...only 2 school days left for them! We have spent some time down at the beach, had supper there with friends last night and you should see Christian snorkel....last night he took off the floaties and started to snorkel all on his own....I was a bit terrified...ahem....nervous....after all that is my little baby floating around in the water out there.....anyway he was delighted as he and Joe followed a stingray for a few minutes.....and he was pretty proud of himself for going without the floaties! (it was only about 4 feet of water and Joe stayed right beside him the whole time.....anyway he had a wonderful time! Monty played in and out of the water with his friend Helke and Helke's 2 brothers, Martin and Jella....it was alot of fun....I am definitely going to miss our beach suppers....
This week has also seen the development of a new obsession for me (along with my hotmail, facebook and reading the Guardian every morning) People kept offering for me to read the Twilight books and I kept saying no thanks....I mean really.....a story about teenage vampires.....yeah, I don't think so, but thanks.....anyway my next door neighbor Lucia said they were so good that she couldn't put them down and she was thinking about them constantly when she wasn't reading.....hoping her baby would take a nap so she could spend a little time with Edward.....so she offered me the first one yet again as well as the movie....so I said ok I will take it home and read it (maybe) and I could watch the movie...I like movies.....anyway on tuesday I picked up Twilight late morning and sat myself down on the couch and thought "what the heck" I have nothing to lose by reading......and that was it......a few chapters in and I was a gonner.....hooked.....I could NOT put the book down.....I read the whole thing ( a few hours in the morning) and then completed it at midnight on tuesday night.....then I was a bit crazed because i didn't bring book 2 home until I remembered the movie....I had to have more of Edward and Bella.....so at midnight, I started watching Twilight....yes, I know, a bit nutso really......although the movie didn't blow me away....I found that alot of the book was cut out....but I didn't care, watching Edward and Bella come to life was awesome......so first thing Wednesday morning, I ran to Lucia's house and gave her Twilight and said "I must have book 2" I need to know if Bella is going to become a vampire? " Lucia laughed and said "I see you liked it" Anyway so yesterday I couldn't wait to get everyone out in the morning so that I could spend some more time with Edward and Bella....and again I read the whole book....all 563 pages of it....I couldn't stop.....so now here I am.....Lucia is reading book 3 so I don't have it and I am absolutely dying to know what is going to happen next! I guess I will have to wait until we get to St Maarten on Monday and I will buy myself a copy to take on the plane!! anyway if you haven't read the Twilight series.....run, don't walk...run to the bookstore right now and get them......I promise that you too will be obsessed!!
Other than that things are going along....the guinea pigs are growing, the pigeon is growing and Joe is studying......not much new to really report!
So I guess I should go....I have to take Monty to a birthday party in a few minutes and they are both out there claiming that they are starving.....so take care and hope to see alot of you soon!
God Bless.

Guinea pigs, pigeons and Gumbo......

Greetings from sunny Saba....the land of eternal sunshine and +30 weather! It has been awhile since I last wrote.....the days seem to go by so fast.....and before I know it 2 weeks have passed and I haven't written a thing! Time is a flyin' and before you know it I will be PEI bound....only 16 days until we depart for our little fair isle.....I am excited to see people, to shop, to eat at chain restaurants, to go to movies and just really enjoy a PEI summer....I hope that you have all ordered up good weather for me?? After all, I am leaving +30 behind so I will need to have at least +25 or I will be wearing a sweater and wrapped up in a blankie!! ( I am sure you all feel the same after that long, cold winter!)
Life continues to be an adventure here on Saba......things are going well for the most part. We have had potlucks at the beach, snorkeling, guinea pig births, park days with SOS, a cooking night with SOS (where we were taught how to make authentic Louisiana cajun gumbo!) So lots has been going on! Christian is really loving it here and he is a little sad to leave, although happy to see family back home....he has become quite the little snorkeler in the past month or so.....when we came here in January he barely tolerated swimming (in a pool) and particularly disliked getting sand on his feet at the beach....soooo....we are so pleased to see that he has changed so much...he is becoming a great little swimmer and now enjoys the beach and absolutely loves to snorkel....he throws on the floaties and his snorkel gear and out he and Joe go into the deep sea (well about 20 feet) I think I hold my breath the whole time that he is out there, after all that is my baby out there.....AND there are sharks and moray eels and stingrays swimming about! Christian was so excited the other day as he saw sea snakes...yellow ones with dark polka dots...he was pretty pumped.....Monty is now a pro snorkeler and part fish, so he loves to get into the water! The other day at the beach, Joe pointed out that I was the only one not snorkeling or swimming out past my waist....(uh oh ...he is finally on to me!) So he says why dont we go out for a snorkel together.....I'll stay with you.....our friends can watch the kids for a few minutes.....so I am not sure how to turn this down without looking like a total baby.....so I agree to go....after a few swim strokes, I tell Joe that he has to hold my hand! Because I am pretty scared and almost hyperventilating a bit.....so he does, dear fellow that he is.....and he basically drags me out into about 20 feet of water where there are literally tons of fish and sea snakes and sea urchins etc.....the sights are amazing....that is until I let it register again that I am now in 20 feet of water....nowhere to put my feet down if I am tired....no floaties....and no life jacket (people were starting to make fun of me....and they weren't buying the "I am wearing it so that I can help Christian bit anymore") So I pull on Joe's hand and motion to him towards the shore.....he thinks I am pointing at some fish....I do it again.....he still isn't sure....so I pull hard and give him a bit of a grumpy look....he gets it and takes me back in.....so after we get back in, he convinces me to go out and give it one more try....so I did....and I got a little further this time, and a little longer.....it was fascinating for sure....but still scary....man I am a big baby!! After the swimming and snorkeling we had a big potluck on the beach with friends.....pasta salad....BBQ burgers and hotdogs.....dessert etc.....it was a great time......
So another great night was our SOS cooking night....all of us gals got together and Heather, a new SOS'er from Louisiana made authentic cajun gumbo.....everyone raved about it. And we had a wonderful night of socializing....we have decided that this cooking night will be a monthly night and since we have people from a lot of different ethic backgrounds, it should be really fun and interesting.....next month (which I will miss) is mediteranean food! I am not quite sure what I am going to make when it comes to my turn....is Kraft Dinner authentic canadian??
I have been trying to get out walking every day.....uphill both ways of course! When I came here my goals were tanned and skinny....the tanned part is now accomplished...I have never been so tanned in my life and I love it!!! I am sure it will age me about 10 years but for right now it is awesome...so golden and healthy......ahhhhh.....so now the skinny part needs to be at least attempted! So I am trying to get out walking every day with my friend Lucia who has a 3 month old baby girl (the sweetest) and the heaviest stroller I have ever pushed in my entire life...I tell you we are a sight to behold coming up the home stretch (the biggest hill of all!) She pushing the stroller, me pushing her from behind.....we laugh and laugh......and have to stop every 10 steps or so! We blame it on the baby or whatever else we can find to blame it on, when really we are both just quite out of shape! (although Lucia looks like a model so you would never know!) My friend Amanda has offered to walk me too as well as a new friend Nora...Nora is a marathon runner though and in extremely good shape...her idea of a walk is my idea of punishment!! I told her I better do the hills a few times with Lucia before I attempt to go with her! I bet she could whip me into shape though!!!
So the boys are all doing decently....Joe is studying and studying (he's in the thick of exams again), Christian is having a great time and Monty is day by day! Some days he really likes it here, others he is still homesick....he is looking forward to coming home the most! It will be really nice for him to touch base with all of his old buddies.....
So our newest project is raising up a baby pigeon....and yes I know, I have become a crazy animal lady....well truth be known, I have always been like this! But now that I have some time on my hands I just am able to indulge in this hobby a little more (much to Joe's chagrin!) I really really enjoy the animals.....anyway the pigeon has been quite interesting. I have to hand feed it with a syringe every 4-5 hours, baby pablum.......it loves to eat.....and it follows me around.....so cute.....well he isn't really that cute...but the kids and I (and Joe) are having a lot of fun with him....we are sure hoping that he is able to eat on his own come June 23 as I don't think Joe is going to be so happy if he has to keep up the hand feeding when we are gone!! Anyway the kids found this little fellow on the road one day and we looked all around for a nest or some parents etc.....couldn't find one so we didn't feel we could leave him there in the middle of the road....so he came home with us...I call him Mr.Peeps and Christian calls him Whistles (because he whistles all the time!) Anyway he is neat.......
Our guinea pig babies are growing like crazy! They are about 2/3 the size of the mother now and only 3 weeks old today.....I guess we have to decide whether to give them away or not....and our other pig is due to have babies anyday as well....the kids and I have alot of fun with the pigs and they have such great personalities!
Other than that, life is slowly becoming "normal" for us (whatever that is) We feel more adjusted, more at home, more like we have made our lives here.....although some days we feel like coming home, we try to remember just how blessed and grateful we are that we are here having this amazing opportunity/adventure, even if it isn't perfect, even if it means separation from family and friends for awhile, even if it means getting away from the conveniences that we are used to, even if it means no income and incurring a huge pile of debt!! We are still so blessed to be here......Attitude is 90%, it really is....one of my favorite pastors out of the states is a man named Dr James MacDonald and he has a saying .....it goes "Gratitude is the Attitude that sets the Altitude of your life".....I love this......it is something that I think of often here....days when I start to feel a little bit down about being so far away and maybe not being in the same place as my friends back home (financially, being settled etc) or when I have to have a military shower and all i really want is a long one, or when I see an unflushed toilet yet again (when it is yellow...) or when I can't get the foods I want, or go to the stores I want, or I don't have a job or any money coming in etc......then I start hearing Gratitude is the Attitude in my head and I start to look around and appreciate the absolute raw beauty of Saba, the eternal sunshine and +30 weather, the fact that I am not working which means that I am getting to spend more time with my kids at a time when they really need it, the amazing and wonderful new friends that I am making, the tiny little church in the outdoor cafeteria that I get to attend that is so rich spiritually, and the fact that Joe will finally get to be what he has always wanted to be......so like every experience in life, it isn't perfect or always easy...but so much to be learned and gained....I've been listening to the Hannah Montana soundtrack....don't laugh....it is awesome...and I love her song "The Climb" ....it really reflects where I am in my life....that life isn't about arriving....it is all in the "getting there"....some wise supervisor that I have had for a long time (Cathy) preaches this alot and I am finding it to be more and more true every day! Anyway I hope that you are having a wonderful week.....and I can't wait to see all of you and catch up on what has been going on in your lives! Talk to you again soon,
God Bless.