Day 26 - Family Fun

Sammy woke up and said she was feeling better so we decided to give church a try.  As we ate breakfast, she kept laying her head down to rest so I wasn’t completely sure, but she was eager to go so off we went.

It was Scott’s first time visiting Beach Church.  It was another good service although this week had a guest speaker from one of their mission organizations.  It was a great service and was fun to hear about another cool ministry.

After church we swung in for a Starbucks and then headed home for lunch and our our typical “rest time”.  Sammy was back in her bed and the rest of us agreed to pop in and spend time with her throughout the day to keep her from getting so lonely.

There was time watching TV, time on the balcony, ipad games, etc.  Then mid-afternoon we all decided to play cards so it was Dos, Uno, Dirty Uno and LCR.  I love that the kids are old enough to play games with us!  We have so much fun together.

After games, it was back to “resting”. We had supper and then Sammy and I made a cake.  It was a new recipe with a chocolate poke cake drizzled with a peanut butter syrup.  It needed to cool so we decided to make a trip to the hot tub.  

Someone had hit the emergency stop switch so the water wasn’t heating... the water was a little cool but not uncomfortable.  About the time it started warming up, it started to sprinkle so we all headed back upstairs.  

I finished the cake while everyone took showers.  Then Scott organized his to do list and I did some Christmas shopping on line while the kids watched Paddington.

Then it was time for cake!  Yum!  This recipe is a keeper!

After the movie finished, we all headed to bed.  It was a great day for sure.  So thankful that Sammy seems to be feeling better and that we have this beautiful space to call our own.

The Last Time... - Day 8

It's funny how distant home becomes when you truly start to relax on vacation. The typical chores, the to do list all seem to fade from your memory.  But today brought it all back as we shared our last morning together on the verandah, our last trip to the pool, the last swim at the beach, etc.

Even so, it was a great day.  We had oatmeal, eggs and toast for breakfast.  The kids and I did Bible as the adults finished their coffee.  Then after a few stories on the verandas, we headed to the pool and beach.  It was busier today so we didn't get our usual spot by the pol or at the beach but it still wasn't even what we typically expect in the USA.

We threw the beach ball, Mary and I laid out in the pool... It was glorious!

We decided to head up to the condo and make our lunch... Macaroni and cheese with hotdogs.  Seriously, JC's been waiting for it all week!  As I got the kids prepped and worked on brushing Sammy's hair, the guys started lunch.  

It was just after the noodles went in that Scott reported, "I hate to break it to you..."  There were bugs in the macaroni... Well they were now boiling to their doom but... Shoot!  It didn't take long for us to discuss the possible protein value, think about the likelihood of removing them all, and then consider how many bugs we've already likely consumed on this trip.  So it was decided, we would proceed with the meal after the guys attempted to scoop them out... I couldn't help but share the pic.

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After lunch JC and Mary headed down to the beach to work on their tan while Scott and I settled on the verandah with our headphones... We were both asleep shortly after.  

After the kids came out to check on us (cough) wake us up, we got our suits on for one more dip in the pool.

Sammy and I went right in but the boys headed down to see the Wielhouwers and then they and JC went for a walk.  (Mary stayed behind to finish her book)

I thought I heard some distant thunder so Sammy and I got out of the pool and decided to catch up on their walk.

We headed east onto the neighboring resort property and took a quick dip in the ocean before heading back.

Pic of swim, turtle

Mary met us on the way back and the. We all headed back to the pool.

Scott and I headed over to the restaurant and ordered our meals to give the rest of the group an extended swim time and they all were coming out as our food arrived.  

After dinner, Scott and JC headed across the street for some snacks for tomorrow's flight and some dessert.  Mary, the kids and I headed back to the condo to start packing our things.

We tucked the kids in bed around 8:00 pm and turned on a book for story time.  After we finished packing, we grabbed some ice cream and spent time reflecting on our trip.  

It's been a great week and we are all rested and relaxed. But it's time to head home tomorrow and we all have a big day ahead!

Warmth and Waves - Day 7

It was another beautiful day!  We relaxed all morning... the kids were content watching movies and playing their iPads while the adults enjoyed the view from the verandah.  Scott made eggs for breakfast again while the kids and I did Bible.  

Eventually we made it out to the pool area.  It was close to 12:00 noon and Sammy was a little upset so we decided to grab some snacks from the restaurant.  Sammy had her favorite while the rest of us split some quesadillas under the shade pavilion.  As the week goes on, and my memory of Spanish improves, and its gotten much easier to communicate with the wait staff.

We have really enjoyed these round sitting areas around the pool.  They look like hot tubs but are exactly the same temp as the pool (which is really warm).  

Scott and Tyler spent some time playing in the sand by the ocean while I played with Sammy in the pool.  When they came back, Sammy took over playing with Daddy and the whole pool area echoed with her laughter.

Scott, the kids and I headed up to the condo a little after 2.  Our faces peeled today and the fresh layer of skin is really tender so I didn't want to risk getting another sunburn.  The kids did their own thing while Scott and I relaxed in the living room and enjoyed some quiet conversation.

I made snacks to hold us over but Tyler preferred some M&Ms.  From the kitchen I heard, "Oh No!"  When I asked what was the matter, he had that same look on his face and believe it or not, he had lost another tooth!  Wow!  You cannot make this stuff up!

JC and Mary stayed out most of the afternoon and when they returned it was close to supper time.  We haven't eaten off site much on this trip so we decided to do so tonight.  Sammy asked if we could go to the restaurant that had dancing last year.  So we did.

It was a wonderful meal.  The wait staff again was super accommodating and the food tasted great.  We got back to the condo around 8:00 pm and started our movie night... Megamind.

After that, I made Sammy a chocolate shake.  She was VERY excited to have one again and I was very proud of my creativity in pulling it off.  Until Scott pointed out the blender that's sitting on the counter.  Oh well... it was made with love and I'm sure she will love it regardless :)

We tucked the kids in bed and then headed out to the verandah for our ice cream.  But we didn't stay long.  The power kept flicking on and off and had the kids worried so I came in to be closer to them.  We all decided it was best to call it a night and were asleep before 11.

When asked what their favorite part has been so far:

• Tyler - the experience of swimming so fast with my flippers
• Sammy - the pool and french fries

Day 7 - Antigua!

I know I'm repeating myself but it was another great day!

We woke up at 7:00 am, got our suits on and waited for room service to arrive with breakfast.  Our excursion left promptly at 8:05 and we were soon in our mini van being whisked thru town by Eustice our driver.

The island of Antigua is mostly flat so it was quite different than the other islands, we have visited.  

We aren't sure why, but Sammy was off today.  She was already reciting Dr Seuss.  But she was the first to see the rainbow on the ride out... Tyler spotted the second!    

We arrived at Sting Ray Bay and were quickly sent out on our boat to the reef.  It was appx 20 min by boat...  A beautiful ride!

We spent quite a bit of time by the reef.  We were in 3.5-4 ft of crystal clear water. As the boats pulled up, the sting ray began to crowd the reef for feeding.  The larger rays, the females, were up to 5ft long!!!  I'll be honest, it was pretty intimidating!  

The kids weren't so sure about the walking and touching part.  Sammy especially seemed really afraid.  After posing for just one pic while Scott held a large ray, Sammy stated to cry and begged me to take her out.  She and I sat on the floating dock watching Scott and Tyler interact with the rays.  Bless his heart, Scott came out to watch Sammy so I could have a turn. 

Tyler was still pretty nervous but we had a very friendly guide come over and share all sorts of facts with us.  Tyler shared what he already knew and the man was impressed.  (His son watches similar tv shows so they chatted about characters etc for a bit). It was just what Tyler needed to feel safe.  The guide even went on to help Tyler feed a sting ray!!!  He was so proud of himself!

After we got out we took another boat ride appx 10 minutes to a dock hidden in the mangroves where we boarded our kayaks.  

We navigated through the mangroves, learned about the ecosystem and held star fish, jelly fish and sea cucumbers.  It was very educational!

Another shower was blowing in as we finished up so we got quite a work out making the last long dash across the water as the winds picked up.

Everyone was tired for the boat ride home and with the rain coming down, it was a perfect excuse to cuddle up under the towels.

Back at the main grounds, we checked out the iguanas and maccaws.  I stubbed my toe really good and had to visit the first aid station.  

Eustice drove us back to the boat and we walked the final leg in a very soaking rain.  We returned to our stateroom around 12:30, ready for a warm shower and very hungry!

After we were cleaned up, we visited Sammy's "favorite restaurant" again and got to visit with Savio, our server for supper each night.  We headed back to our room for the afternoon.

Scott took a nap.  The kids took turns with iPads and movies.  I listened to my book on the patio.

We had off and on showers most of the afternoon. This was a good thing as the island was short of surface water and is experiencing somewhat of a drought.

As the afternoon wore on, I took the kids for a walk, Scott and Sammy went to play foos ball, and Tyler and I played Uno.

We asked that our dinner to delivered to our room again.  It really is lovely and just perfect for our family... still the great food but without the noise and crowd.

We sampled four desserts that were simply heavenly... Banana crime brûlée, bananas foster sundae, Apple pie ala mode, and (the kids favorite) chocolate lava cake.  Mmm.

We decided to skip tonight's show and instead, went up on deck to watch a movie on the big screen under the stars... Ratatouille. 

After getting into the movie a while, we realized they had opened the pool and hot tub so we quick ran back for our suits and finished the remainder of the movie from the water.  It was so relaxing!

Then we made a quick trip to the gift store and back to our stateroom for bed!

The seas are very calm tonight with low winds... It's a very comfortable night to be on deck!