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.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
My get up and go has got up and went.......
I have a serious case of the lazies......I have never not had a job before so I always have relied on the structure of the work day to kick me into gear and so now, with me not working (well outside of the home anyway!!) I am finding that getting myself into a productive state before 10 is becoming a challenge! Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining....at all!! I actually kind of like it, (ok I really like it) but I am a little concerned that when I one day return to the real world I am going to be in serious trouble (Hey Mary Lou, can I start work at 10?) So most mornings now I get up at 630, get the kids ready for school, lunches packed, clothes out, teeth brushed, you know the drill.....then I shove Joe and the kids out the door at 7:20......then I go in and stretch out on my bed for a few minutes and think about just how lazy I might be today! I usually spend a half hour or so catching up on emails, facebook and reading the deaths.....errrr....the Guardian....(gotta stay current with what's happening on the PEI homefront!....nosy freakin' islander!) After that, I usually very slowly go about cleaning the house......I do this every day for about an hour in the morning and it never ceases to amaze me that it is just as messy and dirty each time I go to do it? It is some strange phenomenon worthy of an x-files episode! Laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, tidying, making beds etc....there is a never ending pile of things to do! Then I get dressed and ready for the day (which usually consists of pulling my hair back into a clip or pony tail and putting on clothes instead of wandering around in my pj's) Some days I put on a little make-up...others I just go au natural.....it is funny.....most of us SOS girls here have shown each other what we used to look like pre-Saba.....nice, classy, professional looking chicks....and we always react with a "wow, you looked awesome"......did you notice the past tense.."looked"......nowadays we are all just hanging around with our pony tailed hair and not a tack of make-up.....it is liberating and scary all at the same time!! One day for fun I put on my make-up and went down into the town and every person that I met that I knew said "wow you look really nice today" or "wow you are glowing today" (I think to myself, that is not a glow, that is the magical transforming power of clinique......) Anyway it is pretty funny.....so back to my non-working topic.....I am trying to get myself motivated to at least get out and exercise each morning...I keep saying that I am going to go out for a walk (which in Saba is actually a climb since everything is a hill) I have gone a few times and come back all sticky and sweaty....see that is the trouble with exercise.....the sticky and sweaty part.,....yuck......I mean it is bad enough that my hair is in a pony tail and I have no make-up on but sticky and sweaty too?? So I have recruited a few friends who are also experiencing symptoms of this serious illness (L.A.S......short for Lazy Ass Syndrome....Melissa coined that one!) and we are now going to try to motivate each other to get out there!
So all talk of laziness aside......my afternoons are quite busy with the kids (my own and usually at least 2-3 more) And of course I am also copresident of the SOS so we have lots of events and planning etc......and Joe and I are in charge of the music ministry at our church so that involves some work as well. And today I start co-facilitating a 6 week parenting course.....I am excited to be doing this but also feeling a little like my brain has been on vacation and so I am not sure how exactly it will perform! I was speaking with the supervisor/coordinator of the agency that has contracted with me to do this course and she advised me yesterday that they are likely going to be looking at hiring a pt social worker 20 hours a week......so that may be an option for me.....it is goiong to be tough decision to give up my mornings though.....
So what else is going on you ask?
Well, we have had a good week on Saba.......the beach is wonderful right now so we have had supper with friends down there 3 times last week! The water is so lovely and warm.....the waves are a little daunting by times, but I am getting used to it.....we have had a park day with the SOS and that was fun and another one coming up this week. Also an SOS cooking class next week, where Heather, a new SOS from Louisiana is going to teach us all to cook authentic Gumbo! And we have a few women from India who are going to give us a class as well next month....we are planning a wine tasting evening.....and maybe a day trip to St Maarten for just us ladies, so lots of neat and interesting upcoming events......there are some really nice ladies in the SOS so I am feeling like I am making some great friends here......Christian is of course doing fine, having a wonderful time in Saba.....Monty is doing better now that he has 2 really good friends to hang out with......school is still a bit rough for him but we are taking it day by day...and he is counting down until we go home for the summer......Joe is studying....thats pretty much it for Joe.....he emerges once in a while from his study, but for the most part he has his head down in the books....semester 2 and 3 are notoriously difficult for students....4 and 5 become a little more manageable again.....so I will see him in about 8 months or so!! ha ha.......Oh, our ginuea pig had babies! 2 sweet little babies......they are adorable and the kids have been so excited! The pigs bring us so much enjoyment....really they do......they squeak and whistle when we come out (hoping for treats of course), we carry them around and cuddle with them, they are really alot of fun.....I highly recommend every family have 2 (maybe not 5 like we do right now!) They are cute and fun little critters....Joe is slowly warming up to them.....he says that he doesn't like them, but he often comes in to tell me that my pigs are calling to me, they must need something etc......they are definitely a great addition to our family!
Oh and it never ceases to amaze me what a small world we live in.....recently I found out that my next door neighbor Lynn rents her guest house out to students and there is a student there named Susan....so I finally meet Susan and her husband Ian.....and if you can believe it....Susan is from PEI, Cornwall! And her husband Ian is from Alberta! Red Deer ,which is where Joe grew up.....so it is so wierd....our neighbors are a couple from PEI/Alberta all the way down here in Saba.....anyway we had a wonderful chat with them and they are a super nice couple....Ian is just here for a few months as he is at the U of T working on his Masters.....so I was struck with what a small world this is....I mean what are the chances of that???
Anyway I guess that I better go enter the housework phase of my morning, then get cleaned up and pull my hair into a pony tail to get started on the day! Hope that you are all well....I am really looking forward to seeing you all this summer!! Until then....God Bless, Love Dawn.
So all talk of laziness aside......my afternoons are quite busy with the kids (my own and usually at least 2-3 more) And of course I am also copresident of the SOS so we have lots of events and planning etc......and Joe and I are in charge of the music ministry at our church so that involves some work as well. And today I start co-facilitating a 6 week parenting course.....I am excited to be doing this but also feeling a little like my brain has been on vacation and so I am not sure how exactly it will perform! I was speaking with the supervisor/coordinator of the agency that has contracted with me to do this course and she advised me yesterday that they are likely going to be looking at hiring a pt social worker 20 hours a week......so that may be an option for me.....it is goiong to be tough decision to give up my mornings though.....
So what else is going on you ask?
Well, we have had a good week on Saba.......the beach is wonderful right now so we have had supper with friends down there 3 times last week! The water is so lovely and warm.....the waves are a little daunting by times, but I am getting used to it.....we have had a park day with the SOS and that was fun and another one coming up this week. Also an SOS cooking class next week, where Heather, a new SOS from Louisiana is going to teach us all to cook authentic Gumbo! And we have a few women from India who are going to give us a class as well next month....we are planning a wine tasting evening.....and maybe a day trip to St Maarten for just us ladies, so lots of neat and interesting upcoming events......there are some really nice ladies in the SOS so I am feeling like I am making some great friends here......Christian is of course doing fine, having a wonderful time in Saba.....Monty is doing better now that he has 2 really good friends to hang out with......school is still a bit rough for him but we are taking it day by day...and he is counting down until we go home for the summer......Joe is studying....thats pretty much it for Joe.....he emerges once in a while from his study, but for the most part he has his head down in the books....semester 2 and 3 are notoriously difficult for students....4 and 5 become a little more manageable again.....so I will see him in about 8 months or so!! ha ha.......Oh, our ginuea pig had babies! 2 sweet little babies......they are adorable and the kids have been so excited! The pigs bring us so much enjoyment....really they do......they squeak and whistle when we come out (hoping for treats of course), we carry them around and cuddle with them, they are really alot of fun.....I highly recommend every family have 2 (maybe not 5 like we do right now!) They are cute and fun little critters....Joe is slowly warming up to them.....he says that he doesn't like them, but he often comes in to tell me that my pigs are calling to me, they must need something etc......they are definitely a great addition to our family!
Oh and it never ceases to amaze me what a small world we live in.....recently I found out that my next door neighbor Lynn rents her guest house out to students and there is a student there named Susan....so I finally meet Susan and her husband Ian.....and if you can believe it....Susan is from PEI, Cornwall! And her husband Ian is from Alberta! Red Deer ,which is where Joe grew up.....so it is so wierd....our neighbors are a couple from PEI/Alberta all the way down here in Saba.....anyway we had a wonderful chat with them and they are a super nice couple....Ian is just here for a few months as he is at the U of T working on his Masters.....so I was struck with what a small world this is....I mean what are the chances of that???
Anyway I guess that I better go enter the housework phase of my morning, then get cleaned up and pull my hair into a pony tail to get started on the day! Hope that you are all well....I am really looking forward to seeing you all this summer!! Until then....God Bless, Love Dawn.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Home home on the range......
Well folks, it is official, I booked the kids and I tickets to come home for the summer......I am really excited....Monty really needs to touch base with friends and family. So Joe and I sat down and talked about it and he is chin deep in biochem, genetics, epidimiology and physiology and is going to have to study study study, so we decided that the kids and I may as well go home and enjoy the summer with friends and family.....so I am excited and happy to go...but also sad to leave my Joey behind.....we will be arriving in Halifax at midnight on june 23 and staying probably until the end of August....haven't decided on return ticket yet!! I am going to go to movies, walmart (oh sweet walmart), the kids are going to play soccer, we are going to the beach, we are just going to enjoy every minute and make the most of our time.......yippee......
I saw this on another friends blog and although I modified it a bit, it really speaks to what I have learned in my time so far on Saba:
1. not to take Wal-mart, Superstore, Shopper's Drug Mart, Sears, Canadian Tire etc for granted. For anything besides the bare basics, we have to travel to the next island over for, or have it shipped from the U.S. (which equals expensive and takes forever!)
2. how inexpensively we eat in the U.S. and Canada. Food is at least 1.5 times the cost here.....and we have so little variety here.....
3. That most days I have 3 types of currency in my wallet (US, Canadian and now Dutch Guilders). The exchange on American equals 1.8 Guilders and the Canadian money on any given day is about 20 cents on the American dollar so I have no clue how much money I carry anymore.....(my friend Amanda has it all figured out!!)
4. to think twice before using any water. We rely on rain water for everything, so conservation is a must! (when it is yellow, let it mellow....)
5. what the meaning of humidity really is. Your clothes grow mold if you don't wear them often enough. Your laundry stinks if you don't get it in the dryer quick enough....and zippers corrode off of things constantly.....dont bother zipping up that sweater!
6.how much it means to have good friends and family close by! I have met some wonderful people here but we are all pretty transient and know our time together is limited......
7. what it is like to wake up to the sound of wild goats and roosters roaming your yard.
8. That I absolutely love sunshine and it makes me happy! I also love warm weather.....and winter is an unfortunate event that the rest of the world has to endure!
9. That cars really can climb steep steep hills when they are filled with people.
10. How privelaged we are in Canada to have a washer and dryer....many people here don't have them because they use so much water or have a saba washer which is more water efficient but very labor intensive....alot of my friends here wash by hand....I am sooooo thankful to have a washer and dryer!
11. How much I love the phone (and how cut off from the world I feel when I am unable to use it as much as I want due to cost.....) I am getting vonage very soon.....
12. That I rely on the internet ALOT to keep me connected to friends back home and I may need to enter internet anonymous upon my return!
13. And finally.....that I am a true Island girl.....I read the guardian every morning, especially the deaths (you do it too, I know you do!) and that no matter how far I roam, I long for my home.
Take care friends and talk to you all soon!
Love Dawn
I saw this on another friends blog and although I modified it a bit, it really speaks to what I have learned in my time so far on Saba:
1. not to take Wal-mart, Superstore, Shopper's Drug Mart, Sears, Canadian Tire etc for granted. For anything besides the bare basics, we have to travel to the next island over for, or have it shipped from the U.S. (which equals expensive and takes forever!)
2. how inexpensively we eat in the U.S. and Canada. Food is at least 1.5 times the cost here.....and we have so little variety here.....
3. That most days I have 3 types of currency in my wallet (US, Canadian and now Dutch Guilders). The exchange on American equals 1.8 Guilders and the Canadian money on any given day is about 20 cents on the American dollar so I have no clue how much money I carry anymore.....(my friend Amanda has it all figured out!!)
4. to think twice before using any water. We rely on rain water for everything, so conservation is a must! (when it is yellow, let it mellow....)
5. what the meaning of humidity really is. Your clothes grow mold if you don't wear them often enough. Your laundry stinks if you don't get it in the dryer quick enough....and zippers corrode off of things constantly.....dont bother zipping up that sweater!
6.how much it means to have good friends and family close by! I have met some wonderful people here but we are all pretty transient and know our time together is limited......
7. what it is like to wake up to the sound of wild goats and roosters roaming your yard.
8. That I absolutely love sunshine and it makes me happy! I also love warm weather.....and winter is an unfortunate event that the rest of the world has to endure!
9. That cars really can climb steep steep hills when they are filled with people.
10. How privelaged we are in Canada to have a washer and dryer....many people here don't have them because they use so much water or have a saba washer which is more water efficient but very labor intensive....alot of my friends here wash by hand....I am sooooo thankful to have a washer and dryer!
11. How much I love the phone (and how cut off from the world I feel when I am unable to use it as much as I want due to cost.....) I am getting vonage very soon.....
12. That I rely on the internet ALOT to keep me connected to friends back home and I may need to enter internet anonymous upon my return!
13. And finally.....that I am a true Island girl.....I read the guardian every morning, especially the deaths (you do it too, I know you do!) and that no matter how far I roam, I long for my home.
Take care friends and talk to you all soon!
Love Dawn
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A few pics from our trip.......
Christian and I at Le Galion BeachThe landing at Maho Beach....so cool!
Joe and Monty checking out sea life at sunset
Taking off from Saba....a thrill every time!
When MacDonalds reminds you of home......
Hello friends! It has been awhile since I have written.....it feels like everyone in my house has been on holidays for a very long time....and with the kids at home, it is hard to find time to write my blog.....so they returned to school yesterday and Joe started Semester 2 today (good luck Joey!) so here I am finally, alone, in the quiet (oh the sweet sound of silence) staring out my bedroom patio door into the beautiful sunshine.....and I thought.....great, now I have time to sit and write and catch all of you up on the news on our little island......
Things are going well....Joe has had a break between semesters, off for 2 weeks and it was so nice to have him around every day! We decided to take the kids out of school and over to st Maarten for 5 days. And we had such a wonderful time over there.....everyone should go to St Maarten for a vacation! What an awesome place.....We went over on the plane with Win air and I had never taken off from Saba before so it was quite the experience! You get in this teeny tiny plane and you look out the front window (because they don't close the cockpit door here so we sit up front for the "view") and all you see is this tiny strip of pavement.....a few hundred feet in front of you and then a cliff that drops to the sea below....and you think Holy Hannah....we are going to die today! So I prayed....hard....that God would ensure that this little plane left the ground when it was supposed to do so that we didn't plunge into the Caribbean Sea below.....so off we go and I am watching the edge of the runway get closer and closer and I think.....ahhhhhhh.....and then up and away we go.....right from the edge of the runway.....phew! The flight is only 15oo feet above the water so you can see boats under you and waves etc....it is quite cool....then 12 minutes later there is St Maarten and we see Maho Beach and the teeny tiny runway there......we landed safe and sound (Thanks be to God!) Off we went on our adventure! We got our rental car and headed towards our hotel....and Christian looked out the window and saw MacDonalds while Monty looked out and saw Subway and people....I tell you....it sounded like Santa was standing there in the street, the squealing and excitement coming from the back seat.....they begged to go eat at MacDonalds and Subway so we said oh sure, why not....we had a light lunch an hour ago.....so we stop at Subway first and Monty gets his usual chicken breast sub and he gulps it down exclaiming with every bite "how good this is, I havent had a sub in months....mmmmmm....sub..." . Then we head to MacDonalds where Christian decides that nuggets and fries are in order.....so we place the order....then we drive up to the window.....then they open the window....and whammo! the smell of MacDonalds comes rushing in to your car......mmmmm.....the sweet sweet smell of MickeyD's floods the senses.....and I had forgotten how good it smells....it doesn't matter where you go in the world...MacDonalds is a consistent! the smell was so grand that I had to have some fries.....and a chocolate milkshake......so then you had Monty in the back going mmmmm......Subway and Christian and I in our seats going.....mmmmm.....MacDonalds......it reminded us of home sweet home and all the fast food and convenience ......ahhhh....it was sweet I tell ya! Now I never in a million years thought that I would miss MacDonalds restaurant....no way hosee....but when that beautiful odor came wafting in my window....I realized what I had been missing for these months......and every fry was mouthwatering....so yummy! Now we love our little island but there is not one franchise here in Saba.....nothing to remind you of home.....everything is small unique little businesses, which has its charm for sure.....but sometimes you just gotta have MacDonalds and Subway!!
So we had a wonderful trip, we went to Maho Beach where the airplanes fly over as the runway is right beside the beach....and those planes are only about 40-100 feet above the beach when they are approaching landing....very cool....we have a few great pics on facebook.....we went to Le Galion on the french side of St Martin,very beautiful beach.....alot of topless people so of course Monty's mouth was hanging open most of the time (Joe's probably was too when I wasnt looking!) So of course had to explain to Monty about how this is perfectly acceptable in many places/cultures....he thought that is was an excellent thing to do......then of course came the questions about why I wasn't topless when so many others were...was I afraid? Didn't I believe in it? etc etc....darn 10 year olds and their inquiry minds.....We went to Kimsha beach which was also beautiful and we ate at the little beachside bar....where we had the most unbelievable delicious chicken sates that anyone ever ate in the history of the world!! We went to the butterfly farm, which was amazing.....and learned tons about butterflies.....and the zoo where you can feed almost all of the animals.....the kids loved it! And the movies......oh sweet mother.....the movie theater with its tantalizing smells of popcorn and crap......yummy.....we saw Hannah Montana the movie and all 4 of us absolutely loved it.....it is a great family film, lots of music and very funny but a great story.....I highly recommend you to go check it out.....we laughed all the way out of the theater saying "did we really just watch Hannah Montana and we all loved it??"There is no theater or movies in Saba so this was an awesome treat......Our 5 days finally came to an end and we came back to our little island where Joe did some more scuba diving and we all went fishing and swimming down at the harbor......We had a BBQ with friends on Sunday afternoon and that was awesome......we have met some really nice people here......so our holiday was wonderful and we had a much needed family time......now it is back to reality and the boys went back to school yesterday (after basically 2 full weeks off) begging please mom just one more day at home! and Joe went back to school today......Semester 2.....biochemistry, physiology, epidimiology, genetics and hyperbaric medicine.....ick.....and I am back to my wonderful mornings off.......the sun is shining out there and I can hear my pigs whistling for their breakfast....so I guess that I better go! Oh and we found homes for 2 of our guinea pigs so we are down to 3 (2 of whom are pregnant) so I suspect that we will be right back of up to 5+ in no time! Never a dull moment in Saba.....so take care friends, have a wonderful week and I will talk to you again soon. God Bless.
Things are going well....Joe has had a break between semesters, off for 2 weeks and it was so nice to have him around every day! We decided to take the kids out of school and over to st Maarten for 5 days. And we had such a wonderful time over there.....everyone should go to St Maarten for a vacation! What an awesome place.....We went over on the plane with Win air and I had never taken off from Saba before so it was quite the experience! You get in this teeny tiny plane and you look out the front window (because they don't close the cockpit door here so we sit up front for the "view") and all you see is this tiny strip of pavement.....a few hundred feet in front of you and then a cliff that drops to the sea below....and you think Holy Hannah....we are going to die today! So I prayed....hard....that God would ensure that this little plane left the ground when it was supposed to do so that we didn't plunge into the Caribbean Sea below.....so off we go and I am watching the edge of the runway get closer and closer and I think.....ahhhhhhh.....and then up and away we go.....right from the edge of the runway.....phew! The flight is only 15oo feet above the water so you can see boats under you and waves etc....it is quite cool....then 12 minutes later there is St Maarten and we see Maho Beach and the teeny tiny runway there......we landed safe and sound (Thanks be to God!) Off we went on our adventure! We got our rental car and headed towards our hotel....and Christian looked out the window and saw MacDonalds while Monty looked out and saw Subway and people....I tell you....it sounded like Santa was standing there in the street, the squealing and excitement coming from the back seat.....they begged to go eat at MacDonalds and Subway so we said oh sure, why not....we had a light lunch an hour ago.....so we stop at Subway first and Monty gets his usual chicken breast sub and he gulps it down exclaiming with every bite "how good this is, I havent had a sub in months....mmmmmm....sub..." . Then we head to MacDonalds where Christian decides that nuggets and fries are in order.....so we place the order....then we drive up to the window.....then they open the window....and whammo! the smell of MacDonalds comes rushing in to your car......mmmmm.....the sweet sweet smell of MickeyD's floods the senses.....and I had forgotten how good it smells....it doesn't matter where you go in the world...MacDonalds is a consistent! the smell was so grand that I had to have some fries.....and a chocolate milkshake......so then you had Monty in the back going mmmmm......Subway and Christian and I in our seats going.....mmmmm.....MacDonalds......it reminded us of home sweet home and all the fast food and convenience ......ahhhh....it was sweet I tell ya! Now I never in a million years thought that I would miss MacDonalds restaurant....no way hosee....but when that beautiful odor came wafting in my window....I realized what I had been missing for these months......and every fry was mouthwatering....so yummy! Now we love our little island but there is not one franchise here in Saba.....nothing to remind you of home.....everything is small unique little businesses, which has its charm for sure.....but sometimes you just gotta have MacDonalds and Subway!!
So we had a wonderful trip, we went to Maho Beach where the airplanes fly over as the runway is right beside the beach....and those planes are only about 40-100 feet above the beach when they are approaching landing....very cool....we have a few great pics on facebook.....we went to Le Galion on the french side of St Martin,very beautiful beach.....alot of topless people so of course Monty's mouth was hanging open most of the time (Joe's probably was too when I wasnt looking!) So of course had to explain to Monty about how this is perfectly acceptable in many places/cultures....he thought that is was an excellent thing to do......then of course came the questions about why I wasn't topless when so many others were...was I afraid? Didn't I believe in it? etc etc....darn 10 year olds and their inquiry minds.....We went to Kimsha beach which was also beautiful and we ate at the little beachside bar....where we had the most unbelievable delicious chicken sates that anyone ever ate in the history of the world!! We went to the butterfly farm, which was amazing.....and learned tons about butterflies.....and the zoo where you can feed almost all of the animals.....the kids loved it! And the movies......oh sweet mother.....the movie theater with its tantalizing smells of popcorn and crap......yummy.....we saw Hannah Montana the movie and all 4 of us absolutely loved it.....it is a great family film, lots of music and very funny but a great story.....I highly recommend you to go check it out.....we laughed all the way out of the theater saying "did we really just watch Hannah Montana and we all loved it??"There is no theater or movies in Saba so this was an awesome treat......Our 5 days finally came to an end and we came back to our little island where Joe did some more scuba diving and we all went fishing and swimming down at the harbor......We had a BBQ with friends on Sunday afternoon and that was awesome......we have met some really nice people here......so our holiday was wonderful and we had a much needed family time......now it is back to reality and the boys went back to school yesterday (after basically 2 full weeks off) begging please mom just one more day at home! and Joe went back to school today......Semester 2.....biochemistry, physiology, epidimiology, genetics and hyperbaric medicine.....ick.....and I am back to my wonderful mornings off.......the sun is shining out there and I can hear my pigs whistling for their breakfast....so I guess that I better go! Oh and we found homes for 2 of our guinea pigs so we are down to 3 (2 of whom are pregnant) so I suspect that we will be right back of up to 5+ in no time! Never a dull moment in Saba.....so take care friends, have a wonderful week and I will talk to you again soon. God Bless.
Monday, April 20, 2009
And then there were 5.........
Well hello there friends!
How is your day/week? Did I ever tell you how much I love the weather in the Caribbean? It is absolutely spectacular every single day.....sunny and +27-30 most days now (getting warmer as we move towards "summer"...isn't is summer all the time here?) We have even had to turn on our air conditioning once or twice in the last few weeks due to the heat.....it is glorious....every morning when I wander out onto my deck and the sun is shining......I feel extremely blessed to be in this climate.....the Canadian climate is going to be a bitter pill to swallow when the time comes!
So I must apologize for my absence.....it has been a few weeks and I have been thinking about you all. The kids were on Easter break (spring break for 10 days) so my computer time was limited so I didn't really have much opportunity to write......anyway we had a wonderful time....we were swimming, snorkelling, hanging with friends, having sleepovers (my personal favorite...not) The beach is back now so we spent alot of time there! What I mean by the beach is back is that there is really only one beach here called Wells Bay and it is called a "wandering beach".....I will try to explain as it is a bit odd so difficult to wrap your head around sometimes....depending on how the wind is blowing, waves are rolling etc.....the sea brings sand in to the "beach area" and deposits it there on top of the millions of rocks that are normally there....then there is a beach to sit on/play on/build sand castles....but just as quickly as the sea brings the sand in, it can take it all back out again and the beach could disappear for months....leaving only rocks behind (which are not nearly as fun to walk on or sit on!) also when it is just rocks it is usually because the sea is too rough to play in, so beaching is not an everyday occurance here in Saba.....so the beach came back last week and we spent almost every day there! Nothing like packing a cooler full of snacks and heading down for a day in the sun! It was lots of fun, but also a little bit scary.....the ocean here can be pretty rough and unpredictable so you really have to be careful...it can be calm and flat one minute and then 3 or 4 huge (and I mean 3-4 foot waves can just roll in from nowhere....well from the open ocean I guess! So then these waves can be ridden with a boogie board all the way to shore, where you are thrown onto the beach and exfoliated (well that is what I call it....really it is a bunch of sand grinding into you very quickly....you should look inside my suit when I get home....i bring home half the sand with me....hmmm...maybe that is where the sand goes, it isn't the ocean it is the people taking the sand with them in all the crevices and folds of their body....ok ok I can hear Beth saying "Dawn you are way too detailed" and I can see Mike turning red so I better stop) So I have been getting better at the timing of boogie boarding and man it is super fun (when you time it right, not as much when you don't) I wear my life jacket just to be safe as those big waves lift you up quite high sometimes and it makes me a little nervous...Christian wears his too, just in case you are wondering......Monty on the other hand does not.....he is part sea creature I think and he loves the big waves.....our friend Rapha taught him the fine art of wave diving....this is where you dive into an oncoming wave and basically go under it! Monty thinks that this is awesome....he also loves the boogie board! So this week Monty got to go out snorkeling with our friends a few times and he had such an awesome time....I can't believe that I let him go....way out in the ocean in over 40 feet of water....the friends assured me they would look after him....i told them if something happened they should opt to not return to the shore....it wouldn't be pretty.....they laughed of course thinking that I was joking.....I told them about mama bears in Canada.....I think they got it and they took very good care of him! Anyway, Monty came into shore after snorkelling the other day and yelled "mom guess what I saw"? I of course said what dear? He said "SHARKS.....I SAW SHARKS.....2 SHARKS......Not what you want to hear from your 10 year old son after he has been snorkelling in the open ocean (remember that Saba has an "abundant" shark population!) So I try not to over react and he is so excited he c an barely talk....he then proceeds to tell me that they were young nurse sharks....phew I was relieved...they were only like 2-3 feet long...no biggie....better than the 18 foot great white I was envisioning....(I could hear the theme to Jaws in the background!) It turns out he also saw 3 sea turtles and they swam along with them for a few minutes as well......he had a wonderful time! We have also been swimming up at Willards of Saba....an awesome hotel with an amazing view (you could google it if you don't believe me!) So we had a lovely vacation......well the kids and I did....poor Joe basically studied and sweated about his final exams......he was quite stressed but you know what??? He kicked ass!!! He got 87 on his anatomy final and he was so worried about it....i was so proud of him....way to go Joey!!!! So semester 1 down and 4 to go.....Joe is now officially on break (now that the kids have returned to school!) so we have all decided that next week we are going to st maarten for 5 days for some family time .....the kids will get to miss some more school and we are planning to go over and do some normal things that you people take for granted (at least I did!) like movies!! and shopping!! and fast food!!! we are really looking forward to our trip together......we are going to go the real beaches in St Maarten and just spend some quality time together as the last few months have been pretty hectic.....we can't wait!!
so it has been a bittersweet week, some of our dear friends have left Saba as they finished their 5th semester....2 of them, sam and Rapha, who were our church leaders have left and it was so hard to let them go as they had become very dear to us and they both just loved our boys.....the boys miss them already, as do we....we wish them well in their next phase of the journey....Go with God, Sam and Rapha...many blessings upon you both!! This is the odd part of Saba....each semester you meet new friends but lose some old....it is a constant state of preparing to say goodbye (and you know me and goodbye....ick.........)
So do you remember the movie from the 80's...the Gremlins? do you remember what happened when you poured water on them? Yes that is right, they multiplied......so right now I feel like I have gremlin guinea pigs.....why you ask? well it is a rather funny story.....(ok not so funny?) You may recall a few posts ago that Monty purchased a 3rd pig? so we then had 3......well a few days ago , a neighbor behind us decided that she and her partner were leaving the island, she is leaving med school and she has a pig (the same one that Monty brought home a few months ago and we said that he couldn't keep so we gave it to her!) Anyway she gave it back to Monty so he brought it home and in the cage it went......so there were 4 pigs.....and of course he is a boy pig so he is thrilled with his harem.....and this is not good......THEN.....just when I thought that was not good......one of monty's friends from school came over, crying very upset, with a guinea pig in her arms....her mother was making her get rid of her pig adn she had no where to take it....so of course, Monty graciously offered to "help her" out of her difficult situation......and then there were 5!!! 5!!!! What in the world am I going to do with 5 pigs??? I have been trying desperately to find a home for a few...but apparently I am the only sucker on the island....nobody wants anymore guinea pigs!!!! So I have a big frisky boy in a cage with 4 lovely ladies.....can you imagine what is going to happen next?? Oh and by the way.....Joe hasn't looked in the cage lately.....so he isn't quite sure how many are in there? Adn luckily he rarely reads my blog....so I am ok for a few days, until he starts looking and counting now that he is not so engulfed in his studying and has a few days off......it is not going to be a good scene!!! eek! Anyway they are adorable and I don't mind them at all, but we may have gone a little overboard this time.....I have spread the word that I have some pigs to give away....any takers???
Anyway I better run, I have to go get my car to the shop for the brake pads to be replaced! these hills are hard on a persons brakes and last night when i drove it the car sounded a little like Freddy Kruger was following me.....now I am no mechanic but I can guess that is not a good sound when it comes to a car!!!
Have a wonderful week and I will talk to you all again later!
Love and God's blessings to you all.
How is your day/week? Did I ever tell you how much I love the weather in the Caribbean? It is absolutely spectacular every single day.....sunny and +27-30 most days now (getting warmer as we move towards "summer"...isn't is summer all the time here?) We have even had to turn on our air conditioning once or twice in the last few weeks due to the heat.....it is glorious....every morning when I wander out onto my deck and the sun is shining......I feel extremely blessed to be in this climate.....the Canadian climate is going to be a bitter pill to swallow when the time comes!
So I must apologize for my absence.....it has been a few weeks and I have been thinking about you all. The kids were on Easter break (spring break for 10 days) so my computer time was limited so I didn't really have much opportunity to write......anyway we had a wonderful time....we were swimming, snorkelling, hanging with friends, having sleepovers (my personal favorite...not) The beach is back now so we spent alot of time there! What I mean by the beach is back is that there is really only one beach here called Wells Bay and it is called a "wandering beach".....I will try to explain as it is a bit odd so difficult to wrap your head around sometimes....depending on how the wind is blowing, waves are rolling etc.....the sea brings sand in to the "beach area" and deposits it there on top of the millions of rocks that are normally there....then there is a beach to sit on/play on/build sand castles....but just as quickly as the sea brings the sand in, it can take it all back out again and the beach could disappear for months....leaving only rocks behind (which are not nearly as fun to walk on or sit on!) also when it is just rocks it is usually because the sea is too rough to play in, so beaching is not an everyday occurance here in Saba.....so the beach came back last week and we spent almost every day there! Nothing like packing a cooler full of snacks and heading down for a day in the sun! It was lots of fun, but also a little bit scary.....the ocean here can be pretty rough and unpredictable so you really have to be careful...it can be calm and flat one minute and then 3 or 4 huge (and I mean 3-4 foot waves can just roll in from nowhere....well from the open ocean I guess! So then these waves can be ridden with a boogie board all the way to shore, where you are thrown onto the beach and exfoliated (well that is what I call it....really it is a bunch of sand grinding into you very quickly....you should look inside my suit when I get home....i bring home half the sand with me....hmmm...maybe that is where the sand goes, it isn't the ocean it is the people taking the sand with them in all the crevices and folds of their body....ok ok I can hear Beth saying "Dawn you are way too detailed" and I can see Mike turning red so I better stop) So I have been getting better at the timing of boogie boarding and man it is super fun (when you time it right, not as much when you don't) I wear my life jacket just to be safe as those big waves lift you up quite high sometimes and it makes me a little nervous...Christian wears his too, just in case you are wondering......Monty on the other hand does not.....he is part sea creature I think and he loves the big waves.....our friend Rapha taught him the fine art of wave diving....this is where you dive into an oncoming wave and basically go under it! Monty thinks that this is awesome....he also loves the boogie board! So this week Monty got to go out snorkeling with our friends a few times and he had such an awesome time....I can't believe that I let him go....way out in the ocean in over 40 feet of water....the friends assured me they would look after him....i told them if something happened they should opt to not return to the shore....it wouldn't be pretty.....they laughed of course thinking that I was joking.....I told them about mama bears in Canada.....I think they got it and they took very good care of him! Anyway, Monty came into shore after snorkelling the other day and yelled "mom guess what I saw"? I of course said what dear? He said "SHARKS.....I SAW SHARKS.....2 SHARKS......Not what you want to hear from your 10 year old son after he has been snorkelling in the open ocean (remember that Saba has an "abundant" shark population!) So I try not to over react and he is so excited he c an barely talk....he then proceeds to tell me that they were young nurse sharks....phew I was relieved...they were only like 2-3 feet long...no biggie....better than the 18 foot great white I was envisioning....(I could hear the theme to Jaws in the background!) It turns out he also saw 3 sea turtles and they swam along with them for a few minutes as well......he had a wonderful time! We have also been swimming up at Willards of Saba....an awesome hotel with an amazing view (you could google it if you don't believe me!) So we had a lovely vacation......well the kids and I did....poor Joe basically studied and sweated about his final exams......he was quite stressed but you know what??? He kicked ass!!! He got 87 on his anatomy final and he was so worried about it....i was so proud of him....way to go Joey!!!! So semester 1 down and 4 to go.....Joe is now officially on break (now that the kids have returned to school!) so we have all decided that next week we are going to st maarten for 5 days for some family time .....the kids will get to miss some more school and we are planning to go over and do some normal things that you people take for granted (at least I did!) like movies!! and shopping!! and fast food!!! we are really looking forward to our trip together......we are going to go the real beaches in St Maarten and just spend some quality time together as the last few months have been pretty hectic.....we can't wait!!
so it has been a bittersweet week, some of our dear friends have left Saba as they finished their 5th semester....2 of them, sam and Rapha, who were our church leaders have left and it was so hard to let them go as they had become very dear to us and they both just loved our boys.....the boys miss them already, as do we....we wish them well in their next phase of the journey....Go with God, Sam and Rapha...many blessings upon you both!! This is the odd part of Saba....each semester you meet new friends but lose some old....it is a constant state of preparing to say goodbye (and you know me and goodbye....ick.........)
So do you remember the movie from the 80's...the Gremlins? do you remember what happened when you poured water on them? Yes that is right, they multiplied......so right now I feel like I have gremlin guinea pigs.....why you ask? well it is a rather funny story.....(ok not so funny?) You may recall a few posts ago that Monty purchased a 3rd pig? so we then had 3......well a few days ago , a neighbor behind us decided that she and her partner were leaving the island, she is leaving med school and she has a pig (the same one that Monty brought home a few months ago and we said that he couldn't keep so we gave it to her!) Anyway she gave it back to Monty so he brought it home and in the cage it went......so there were 4 pigs.....and of course he is a boy pig so he is thrilled with his harem.....and this is not good......THEN.....just when I thought that was not good......one of monty's friends from school came over, crying very upset, with a guinea pig in her arms....her mother was making her get rid of her pig adn she had no where to take it....so of course, Monty graciously offered to "help her" out of her difficult situation......and then there were 5!!! 5!!!! What in the world am I going to do with 5 pigs??? I have been trying desperately to find a home for a few...but apparently I am the only sucker on the island....nobody wants anymore guinea pigs!!!! So I have a big frisky boy in a cage with 4 lovely ladies.....can you imagine what is going to happen next?? Oh and by the way.....Joe hasn't looked in the cage lately.....so he isn't quite sure how many are in there? Adn luckily he rarely reads my blog....so I am ok for a few days, until he starts looking and counting now that he is not so engulfed in his studying and has a few days off......it is not going to be a good scene!!! eek! Anyway they are adorable and I don't mind them at all, but we may have gone a little overboard this time.....I have spread the word that I have some pigs to give away....any takers???
Anyway I better run, I have to go get my car to the shop for the brake pads to be replaced! these hills are hard on a persons brakes and last night when i drove it the car sounded a little like Freddy Kruger was following me.....now I am no mechanic but I can guess that is not a good sound when it comes to a car!!!
Have a wonderful week and I will talk to you all again later!
Love and God's blessings to you all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)