Emily’s Musings

Some ladies from my church came over to visit me the other day to welcome me into the ward (in the Mormon world, a “ward” is another word for “congregation”). They asked me where I moved from and they were all surprised to hear I moved from paradise. As I tried to describe Saba to them, I found myself at a loss for words, which rarely happens to me.

How do you describe such a beautiful place without pictures? It was like describing the colors of the rainbow to a blind person. As I talked about Saba, I realized how much I really loved that little island. I miss the beauty of it, and I think I could handle all its little quirks (like grocery shopping only on Wednesday, boats that don’t come in, mail that takes over a month, $12 a gallon for milk, $5 a gallon for gas, and other annoying things) just to see it again. David and I really loved every minute we were there, and only on a few days (when I was longing for real shopping, family, and fast food) did I complain about being “stranded” on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

I did attempt to explain this beautiful island, but I’m not sure how successful I was without pictures.

How do you describe the view from our patio? The runway, rainbows, and ocean?

Or this view of the ocean and the islands of Statia and St. Kitts?

Or the view of St. Barths from our porch?

How about this sunrise?

Or the sunrise we woke up to on Christmas morning last year?

Or this sunrise?

Or this one?

Or how about this beautiful sunset on the other side of the island?

I tried to explain that all the homes were cookie cutter houses, that were white, red roofed, and had green shutters. I think this picture displays it much better than I could explain it.

I tried to explain how the whole island was a big hill and everyone walked up hill, both ways, EVERYWHERE.

Some of the hikes had beautiful views like this one.

This cruise ship would come by our house every Friday, January through April. It was something I looked forward to every Friday afternoon. It was so nice to have such an amazing view from my patio.

Everyone seems to have a “scary runway story.” Well, this RUNWAY TRUMPS ALL THOSE STORIES because this is the WORLD’S SHORTEST COMMERCIAL RUNWAY. At 440 meters long, you have ocean surrounding you on three sides. Even though I flew in and out of this island 30 times, (YEAH, THAT WOULD MEAN ON AND OFF THIS VERY RUNWAY) I still prayed and held my breath that I would survive.

This is a view of the runway from Upper Hells Gate.

I tried to explain that iguanas hung out on my walkway and in the garden . . .

And that Hannah wasn’t afraid of them. They were afraid of her!

Wild goats ran up and down my driveway and all over the island. I kind of miss the pesky things.

I explained how the roads were REALLY, REALLY, NARROW. Nothing like a photo for proof.

It’s not always perfect weather in the Caribbean, and sometimes it rains. A LOT. We were always grateful for the rain because every household was responsible for collecting their own water. On the day this photo was taken, 17 inches of rain fell in 12 hours. Everyone’s cistern was overflowing, and THE ENTIRE ISLAND WAS SO HAPPY. Notice how hard it is raining . . . the water is white capping down the road.

And lastly, I tried to explain how small our church group was. It consisted of medical students, so the membership fluctuated every semester. Church was held in our house, and I never thought I would say this, but I miss meeting together as a small group. And hey, you couldn’t beat the billion dollar view during church from our house.

David and I really miss the simple life that Saba offered. We are anxious to return one day with Hannah and this new little guy because he and Hannah are our Caribbean “souvenirs.”

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Dear Hannah,

You are now 22 months old. Our family has had some big changes in the past two months, so this letter will have many pictures to show your development, and the major life changes you have endured like a champ.

First, your daddy graduated from the basic science program at Saba University School of Medicine. What does this mean? He is half way through med school which makes him half a doctor, or as we like to to call him, a “tor.” He will earn the “Doc” part when he graduates in 2010 when he becomes a REAL DOCTOR. We all can’t wait for that day.

With all big accomplishments, come big changes. That meant we had to leave our beautiful home on Saba, in the Caribbean. Saba was your first home. You have grown up as a Caribbean baby, playing with rocks, geckos, iguanas, and swimming in the ocean. As much as we loved it there, the only reason we could live in the Dutch West Indies for an extended period of time is if your dad was in school. Since he finished the program (thank goodness for that! I I would DIE if he became an eternal or professional student) we have moved back to the states where he will do clinical rotations.

(This is what a Caribbean baby tan looks like compared to a Utah baby tan.)

The whole family (including the whining dogs) arrived in Texas at the end of April. You traveled so well. It took 19 hours to get from our doorstep on Saba, to Daniel and Lydia’s doorstep in Texas. Not once did you have a meltdown, or cry, or bother the other passengers traveling on our plane. I owe you BIG TIME for that. Someday you are going to read this, and I’m sure you will remind me of how you were such a calm and easy baby, and then your are going to ask for something BIG. I know it.

We went sailing with a friend of ours in Texas. (Who is a dentist and tried relentlessly to convince your dad to go to dental school instead of medical school. He now refers to your daddy as a “real doctor” because apparently, dentist’s aren’t real doctors.) You LOVE boats, and the ocean, so we thought you would be very excited about this sailing excursion.

However, about five minutes into the sail, you said, “All done?” SEVERAL TIMES. Then you would point out other boats on the water and say, “SEE EM!” with all the energy you could find in your little body. I don’t think you realized you WERE ON A BOAT. When I pointed out the water, and told you we were on the ocean, you shook your head and said, “No?” I know I was telling a little white lie, like moms do from time to time, (like when you demand more marshmallows, and I tell you they are all gone even though there is an entire bag waiting for you in the pantry). You are smart enough to know the Caribbean ocean is CLEAR, and turquoise, not dark blue, and murky. When your daddy took you to the front of the sail boat, you looked back at me and said, “FUN!” Good, I’m glad you finally figured out what were were doing was fun.

It has been very interesting to see the world change through your eyes. The first couple of days in Texas, you asked me to go swimming, and you kept looking out the back sliding door asking me about the ocean. You would say, “Ocean? Go?” Again, and again. It broke my heart to tell you the ocean was all gone. You no longer talk about geckos, iguanas, the ocean, or going swimming. It makes me sad to think of the life we left, but it also gives me comfort that you have adapted to your new life of BIKES, WALKS, and SWINGS. THIS IS ALL YOU TALK ABOUT. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.

(I’d like to point out that your dad put your hair in pig tails on this day. He is multi-talented.)

You are still obsessed with “messes.” Part of having fun at the park is cleaning off EVERY WOOD CHIP, ON EVERY STAIR.

Texas is known for BIG TRUCKS. In fact, I think Texas alone supports the BIG TRUCK industry. Driving around town, you would yell, “TRUCK!” every time you saw a truck. Which was like every other vehicle.

While eating at Taco Bell, (I had to have it because your baby brother was TOTALLY craving it and I had been deprived of such fine cuisine for over two years) you noticed some balloons tied to the back of all the chairs. I am embarrassed to say this, but at almost two years old, YOU HAD NEVER SEEN A BALLOON. You looked very thoughtfully at them and then exclaimed, “CIRCLES!” Yes, they are indeed circles that float up in the air. You poor thing, I will have TONS of balloons at your birthday party in two months. That is if my pregnant brain can remember something that important. You affectionately call them “a banoon.” Yes, you put an article in front of “banoon” every time you talk about them.

You are an excellent sleeper. In fact, I think your grandparents might start asking you for advice on how to sleep 12 hours a night. There was one night of adjustment when we got to Texas, and you had a meltdown when we put you in a Pak N’ Play at Daniel and Lydia’s house. I would ask you, “Where is Hannah’s bed?” and you would point to the portable crib, and cry, “Hannah’s bed!” Then I would ask you where mommy’s bed was, and you would point to the bed and cry, “Mommy’s!” After establishing the bed assignments, you relented, and went to bed just fine.

You were an excellent traveler driving from Texas to Utah. You sat for 22 hours, and really, I don’t even have the patience for that. We are now staying at your Grandma and Grandpa Lesher’s house in Utah. You made yourself at home quite quickly, living by the “toddler rule” which is, “WHAT’S MINE IS MINE, AND WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE.” Several times throughout the day, you will say, “Hannah’s!” Just to make sure that I KNOW WHAT YOUR PROPERTY LOOKS LIKE. It is amazing how much stuff is yours anyway, like kitchen utensils, tweezers, and the T.V. remote control. Speaking of the T.V., you never showed any interest in watching it on Saba. However, since finding grandpa’s (who you call “Demnis”) “Chase Lounge Chair,” you LOVE to watch T.V.

You’ll watch anything really. You just love to relax on that piece of furniture and tell grandma “watch it!” Because obviously it is grandma’s responsibility to turn the T.V. on for you. You follow your Grandma Gloria around all the time and tell her what to do. We refer to you as her “shadow.” You usually convince her to go for a walk, or to the playground by saying, “COME ON!” No one, even your grandma who has a bad back and is recovering from knee surgery, can resist your enthusiasm and charm.

You used your special charm on your grandpa “Demnis” by talking about bikes, ALL DAY LONG. You would look at him and nod your head yes, and say “BIKE!” with such enthusiasm, that he could not resist your darling little face. It only took two days of taking about bikes, and Dennis drove you down to the store and let you pick out a bike. WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL TO HIM. WE COULD NOT LOOK AT YOUR INNOCENT FACE ASKING ABOUT A BIKE ANYMORE.

You love to give us updates on your whereabouts or physical wellbeing. You point out when you get a “bonk” and then say, “Okay?” Just so that we know you are indeed, OKAY. If the injury is in need of a kiss, you will walk up to the closest adult and say, “kiss it?” Most of the time, we don’t know you had a “bonk,” but we are always glad for the update.

You are very sweet to me, and point out where baby brother is ALL THE TIME. Probably because you can’t miss my belly, and that is indeed where he is. You kiss my tummy, and then point out that you also have a baby in your belly. Fortunately, you just have a belly with no baby.

You love to exercise on Grandma and Grandpa’s machines. You have named one machine “Daddy’s” and one machine “Mommy’s and Grandma’s.” Because obviously, those are the only machines we work out on.

Your hair was a mop. Well, more like a BIG MESS, and I know how you feel about messes. Your aunt Rachelle cut your hair the other day, giving it some shape. You had no idea what was going on, you just wanted to play with your tea set. You didn’t sit very still, but your hair turned out darling.

You attended nursery at church for the first time a few weeks ago. I knew you would like it, but I was totally wrong. BECAUSE YOU LOVED IT. What more could a kid want besides toys, other kids to play with, and snacks? When I went in to pick you up after your first time attending, you took one look at me and said, “GO AWAY!” That’s always a nice way to greet your mom. WHO ENDURED 30 HOURS OF LABOR, 40 PREGNANCY POUNDS, AND MAJOR MASTITIS FROM THE GET GO. Maybe you turned out to be such a good sleeper and traveler to even the score. I guess I don’t owe you big time anymore.

A few weeks ago, your dad and I had a Family Home Evening (commonly referred to as F.H.E. where we talk and learn about gospel principles) and I showed you a picture of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. You took one look at the picture and said with exuberance, “JESUS! SWINGING!” which really means “swimming.” You are so innocent and darling, your dad and I couldn’t help but laugh. And yes, Jesus was indeed sort of swimming in the picture.

You are bursting with words every day, and copy everything we do. We love you so much, and we hope you will happily share us with your little brother when he arrives in a few weeks.

Here are some of your new words:

• I need it!
• See it?
• Get it?
• See ‘em?
• I did it!
• Watch it!
• Prayers
• Truck!
• Flag!
• Close it
• Church
• Focus
• Make it!
• Come on!
• Come ‘ere!
• All done?

We love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

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We went to our storage unit the other day. I wish we filmed the event, because let me tell you, it was an exciting event! David, Daniel, and I started searching through our stuff to find some items (like clothing, and shoes) that we needed. Let me just say that we have stuff, and a lot of of it. We saw things in the storage unit that we didn’t remember owning, and we found clothing that neither one of us remembers purchasing. I’m sure everything is ours, we are just amazed at how our memories had faded over the past two and half years. It was like Christmas to see all our stuff. No, it was BETTER than Christmas! Because EVERYTHING we saw was ours, and it was free, and it was all our style, and in the right size. AND THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN WE REMEMBERED. And we both have clothes. Lots of them. That are nice, stylish, and comfortable. We could actually burn all of our worn out, nasty, crappy, Saba clothing, and have plenty to wear. Mmmm, I might just do that . . .

I would like to take a deep breath now and thank myself for buying great clothes. I owe myself BIG TIME for NOT scrimping on purchasing clothing when it came to quantity or quality. And, for purchasing so many shoes, because unfortunately, my shoes are the only thing that fit me right now. David was so thoughtful to point this out to me as I was hyperventilating over the boxes and boxes labeled “Emily’s clothing” I found. Apparently, he wanted me to have a reality check to save some time and have me NOT inspect EVERY article of clothing I own.

But still, on behalf of the clothing abundance, I would like to take a moment of silence.

Hannah thought she hit the shoe jackpot when I opened up a box full of evening wear shoes. “SHOES!”, “SHOES!”, “SHOES!” was all she could say over and over again. She was quite entertained and tried on EVERY pair and walked up and down the corridor of the storage unit in her new high heel “SHOES!”

I would like to point out that I was not the only one excited to see real clothing. David was very excited to see his suits, and ties. Which are like BRAND NEW, since we bought them just before we moved. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that he owns more than 100 pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes, which he LOVES more than any other shoe on the planet. Okay, so he doesn’t own 100 pairs, but he owns quite a few, which makes me happy because we DO NOT NEED TO BUY HIM NEW SHOES. Instead, that money can buy Hannah LOTS of shoes. And really, Hannah gets WAY MORE excited about new shoes than David.

A few days ago, we went to Walmart. I would like to mention that David has not stepped into Walmart, or any other major superstore in over 28 months. To say that his eyes were HUGE when we walked in, would be an understatement. He looked over at the produce section and said, “HOLY COW! Look at all that fruit! And look! There are TONS of bananas and grapes! ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!” Yes, this was VERY exciting to us, to be able to buy whatever we wanted, when we wanted. We had grown so accustomed to only buying groceries on Wednesday morning (that is when the grocery boat comes to Saba), and picking from such a TINY selection.  It was a bit overwhelming to see so much abundance.

It really is great to be back in the land of the free. There are so many choices, it is going to take us a few more days to get used to all the options around us. Take is from me, AMERICA IS WEALTHY. Go live IN ANY OTHER COUNTY (especially a tiny island in the Caribbean) and you will agree.

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We’re in “The Republic of Texas.”  It only took 19 hours to travel from our doorstep on Saba to Daniel and Lydia’s house in Texas, but hey, the whole family made it, including Paris and all her whining.  Hannah was an excellent traveler and only had one melt down on the way.  She was SICK AND TIRED of being buckled into her stroller, and being confined at all times.  SHE JUST WANTED TO GO ON A DANG WALK, and meet new people, and say “hi!” to everyone, and dance, and shake her bum-bum, and ALL of the aforementioned activities are almost impossible to do when you are strapped down in a stroller, with parental supervision.

It was a very stress free day of travel.  What a relief for us!  David and I were both able to get on the same flight leaving Saba, and ALL of our luggage and both dogs were also on the same flight.  THAT ALONE IS A MIRACLE.  The airline that flies in and out of Saba only allows one pet per flight, and luckily for us, they made an exception.  I’d like to think the favors given to us by the staff at the airport were because they liked us, or knew our names, not just our faces, but that probably isn’t the case.  I think it’s because Hannah is a charmer.  She always smiles, waves, and says “take care!” to the employees when we leave that tiny airport, and I think she is the reason they felt so compelled to give us a break.  We weren’t charged for the dogs, or overweight luggage.  I want to go back to Saba just to say, “Thank you” to them one more time, for making our trip that much easier.

Flying from Saba is always complicated in some way.  Fortunately, the winds were favorable enough for the plane to land (they were projected to be unfavorable, making it impossible for us to leave the island) and we were at the Sint Maarten airport at 8:00.  We had a WHOLE LOTTA TIME TO KILL with a toddler, two dogs, and four pieces of luggage.  That’s right, our whole lives fit into FOUR pieces of luggage.  In fact,  we had extra room in the luggage, (which is just a shock really) and I was able to bring home my vegetable steamer.  Which I love, to death.  Honestly, I wasn’t concerned about my blow dryer fitting into the luggage, but the steamer, that was a priority.  I couldn’t live without it before moving to Saba, and leaving Saba was no different.  Initially, I had just planned to leave the steamer and buy another one when we returned to the states, but since there was room in the luggage, I just saved myself some money!  Which could go toward something else I need . . . and I just can’t start naming other things that I “need” because after being on a glorified camping trip for two years, I “NEED” everything!

Being a toddler is BIG WORK and Hannah is happy to show you just how hard it is to hang out in a stroller, saying “hi!” to everyone, and dancing to the Caribbean beat.  Since we had SIX HOURS to kill, she decided to take a little snooze at the airport.

Hannah requires four items to go to sleep.  If one of the items is missing, then the delicate balance is ruined and she JUST CAN’T SLEEP.  She has to have her Pooh Bear, soft tag blanket, her bear blanket (not shown) and her DANG BINKIE.  She HAS to have her binkie to go to sleep.  It is the only time she gets it, and every time she lies down for a nap she says, “BINKIE!” and every time she puts it into her mouth we tell her “You don’t need this DUMB thing!” but then we have to give it to her because we know she will fall asleep within minutes.  And really, this is a battle not worth fighting right now.

Arriving early for our flight made check in a breeze, and American Airlines was so helpful.  They didn’t charge us for the extra piece of luggage we checked, and they took dang good care of our dogs while they were out of our care.

During our LONG wait at the airport, we David took Hannah, and our girls for a walk.  He was the designated walker, and I was the designated spectator photographer, sitting with the luggage, and the kennels.

If you want to know how hot it was, just check out the dogs’ tongues.

When we arrived at DFW airport, we were so excited to see Daniel and 8 1/2 months pregnant Lydia (who professed she would never have kids . . . Ha!  Ha!) I got a second wind of energy.  Our pups were excellent travelers, and I was so relived to have all our luggage, dogs, and family together, in one place.  One piece of luggage went missing in Miami during customs, but it magically showed up on our doorstep this evening. We are very happy to be here, in one piece.

I can’t believe the time has finally come for us to move on from our life on Saba.  I have seen so many friends and students move back to “reality” during our two year stay, and I am so happy our turn has come!  Yesterday was full of bittersweet emotion as we left our house on Saba, but I do look forward to the next chapter in the “Adventures of the Leshers.”  Whenever I think about the beautiful island life we left behind, I have to think, “I can buy grapes, bananas, milk, and ANYTHING I can imagine, ANY DAY of the week.”  That thought alone will keep me going. 

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The time has finally come to leave this island of paradise. Our internet will be turned off shortly, and I will have no communication with the outside world until I land in Dallas. Which will be about midnight, and I will be exhausted from traveling ALL DAY with a toddler, pregnant belly, two dogs, lots of luggage, and an adorable husband. Poor Dave, he is going to have to carry everything because pregnant women are strictly advised NOT TO CARRY/LIFT anything over 40 pounds . . . and I ALWAYS try to follow the rules if it means getting out of manual labor . . .

While we have throughly loved our time on Saba, we are ready to start the next chapter of our lives. We look forward to seeing so many of our friends and family in the upcoming weeks.

David took some great pictures of the moon the other night. The lights you see off in the distance are on the islands of Statia, and St. Kitts. I think this is a great way to sign off . . .

Good night moon . . .

Good night stars, good night air. Good night noises everywhere.

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Apparently, I’m a celebrity on Sint Maarten. Well, at least I think I know how a celebrity must feel when people know their name, things they like, their kid’s name, food preferences, you know, personal stuff. David and I LOVE eating breakfast at this French Bakery which ironically is on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. When we walked in, the clerk welcomed us, asked us how things were on Saba, and wanted to know how old Hannah was. I looked at David (who was studying the menu) and asked him, “Do we know her?”

David and I must have looked deep in thought while we looked over the menu in pursuit of ordering the perfect breakfast item when she looked over to us and pointed out the crepe we like to order. The restaurant was bustling with a lot of hungry customers and I thought, “Seriously, we must know her.”

So maybe we have eaten there one too many times, or maybe we ALWAYS order the same thing. Or maybe, JUST MAYBE, she remembered us from when I was in labor with Hannah and my last dying wish (hoping I survived the labor and delivery) was to eat a fruit crepe from this particular French Bakery. Maybe women in labor look different from the average tourist. Maybe it was the look of DEATH on my face that made our family so memorable. And, maybe it’s because we ALWAYS eat there. MAYBE.

We stayed at Mary’s Boon. We really like this hotel because it is beautiful, has great beach access, and has a nice pool. We have stayed there probably as many times as we have eaten at the French Bakery. All I’m saying is I can’t remember how many times. It’s just a lot. When we arrived, the maintenance guy welcomed us like you would welcome an old friend staying at your house. He was surprised at how much Hannah had grown and he remembered which room we stayed in when Hannah was born. IS THAT WEIRD? Because I kind of thought it was. I mean, I certainly remember the room we stayed in, but not the room number! So I was thinking about why the maintenance guy remembers us. Is it because we are high maintenance? Do I make a lot of demands? Does it bother me if the A/C isn’t working correctly or the TV has problems? YES. We are memorable indeed.

Moving on to the hospital. The hospital is more like a walk-in clinic where no one has an appointment. It is on a first come, first serve basis. Except for me. I like to make an appointment. I think it is the American blood in me that likes to be special, you know, waltz in and see the Doctor. I called the Doctor on his cell phone four weeks ago to make an appointment. Then, I confirmed our appointment the day before. You know, so I wouldn’t have to waste HALF THE DAY sitting in a non air conditioned hospital hallway waiting for an ultrasound.

When I arrived, I checked in with the nurse who I ACTUALLY REMEMBER from when I was pregnant with Hannah for her less than helpful, positive attitude. I was about to sign in when she looked up at me and said, “NO! I KNOW YOU HERE! MISS LESTER!”

YIKES. Miss Lesher, Miss Lester, whatever. Word must have traveled fast that I was there and I DID NOT WANT TO WAIT. I had to wait for almost an hour, but that is practically seeing the doctor right away in Caribbean time. The good news is that I LOVE the O.B. that delivered Hannah. I wish I could package him up and take him back to the states and hire him to deliver this kid. This is probably the high maintenance side of me thinking, but it is nice to know that somewhere, deep down inside, I still have certain standards.

Enough about that.

We throughly enjoyed the beach and Hannah was in heaven! Not only was there a beach with lots and lots of water, but there was a pool! Do you want to know what David and I heard all day, every day, multiple times a day? “SWINGING? SWINGING? SWINGING?” Because Hannah only has one thing on her mind. EVER. SWIMMING.

Hannah and her daddy go out to test the water . . . (check out how cute she looks in pig tails!)

Hannah has to watch all the “bubbles” (sea foam) come in and then she has to talk about them for a few minutes before she gets in the water. (check out her thighs! So cute!)

They are ready to test out the water. Check out David’s great tan lines. If you are wondering how you can get a great farmer’s tan like the one he is sporting, MOVE TO THE CARIBBEAN and STUDY all the time. If he had a dark, even tan all over his back and chest, I would SERIOUSLY wonder if he was in medical school.

The water was wonderful (around 83 degrees) and I started to feel a little left out, so I put the camera down joined them.

Hannah needed a breather. “SWINGING!!!” in the ocean is BIG WORK!

Okay, I KNOW this is very daring of me to post a bathing suit picture. But hey, I can’t always hide from the camera. I want Hannah to know that her daddy wasn’t the only one who played with her! Plus, when you’re pregnant, you can’t be responsible for how you look. It’s like “Hey, I’m pregnant. I can’t control this condition that is taking over my body and making me big ALL OVER. I know this kid is only in my belly, but maybe my legs, arms, and butt are pregnant too! I CAN’T CONTROL THIS CONDITION THAT IS TAKING OVER MY BODY.” It’s very invigorating to be able to say that.

I’m sad we won’t be visiting this beautiful island again for a long time. We have such great memories there. These pictures will just have to saciate my desire over the next 20 years until we make it back.

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Did I mention we are going to Sint Maarten this weekend? Because we CAN’T WAIT! David has had three exams over the last seven days and he is READY for a break. Since I am ALWAYS ready to take a break from “vacationing” here, we are more than ready to enjoy the beaches of Sint Maarten.

This is where we are going . . .

This is where we will land . . . (Dave took this picture while fling co-captain when we chartered a private plane when I was in labor. While I was DYING in the back seat, he was throughly enjoying the ride, and view of course.)

This is the one of the beaches we plan to visit . . .

We plan to eat somewhere along this beach, looking at all the beautiful boats . . .

This is the beach attached to our hotel. If you desperately need to find us, we’ll be here.

Oh, did I mention why we are going to Sint Maarten? The REAL reason is to have an ultrasound. Because I HAVE TO KNOW whether or not I’m having a boy or girl. Plus, it would be nice to make sure our kid is intact.  You know, get looked at by a professional that knows what to look for and stuff. It’s a perk to HAVE TO GO TO A PLACE LIKE THIS for medical care. You don’t hear us complaining about the commute to another island! More pictures to come later this week.

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A new day, a new yacht. Hannah knows boats like other kids know cars. A few days ago, we spotted this yacht out on the ocean headed straight for Saba. We thought it might be “The Octopus” (if you know yachts like we do down here, you would know the Octopus is the largest yacht in the world) which has come to Saba four or five times since we have lived here. Yes, the enormous yacht moors off Saba and Paul Allen is somewhere exploring the “Unspoiled Queen“.

I was very curious to see if it was indeed the Octopus, so I loaded Hannah in the car and away we drove to the other side of the island to Wells Bay (where it was headed) to take some photos and maybe spot a few celebrities. When we arrived at Wells Bay, I could clearly see that although this yacht was big, it was not the monstrosity yacht, the Octopus. Still, I was curious to find out about it so I snapped a few photos. When I got home I was able Google the name of the yacht and to my surprise, it belongs to my previous boss!

The Yacht “Limitless”

The yacht Limitless, (I should have recognized the font on the boat. It is The Limited’s font) is owned by Leslie Wexner, the man who started the retail company “The Limited” back in the 60’s. He is the CEO of the following companies: Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret (I used to manage a VS store in Texas), Henri Bendel, White Barn Candle Company, Express, The Limited (I managed a store in Utah) and others I’m sure. The man practically owns all of Columbus, Ohio.

We didn’t see Les Wexner (or anyone for that matter). They must have been SCUBA diving or something. I did however, see a lot of Saba on my way home. I had the camera with me (something I don’t usually take in the car for a ride) and I took pictures of the drive across the island back to my house. Keep in mind that ALL THE PICTURES were taken from the driver’s seat of my car. I did this for two reasons:

1. I was too lazy to pull over and pry my pregnant butt of the seat, and I wanted to photograph Saba from the car.

2. I wanted to show how beautiful the drive is on Saba.

This is a “Saba Basket Ball Hoop”. I found this in The Bottom.

This is in The Bottom. It is the only “covered” street (by trees of course) on the island.

This is in The Bottom.

This house, which is in The Bottom, is still celebrating Christmas in February.

This is a view of The Bottom (the Capital village) from the village of St. Johns. In the upper left hand side of the photo, you can see “Whale Back Mountain”.

“Whale Back Mountain” as viewed from St. Johns Village.

This is The Bottom as viewed from St. Johns.

This is a house in St. Johns. I have never really noticed it because it is on a tight corner that requires both eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel if you don’t have a death wish. I pulled over to take some photos of Whale Back Mountain and this house directly faces that mountain. What a beautiful view this house has!

This photo was taken while I was driving through St. Johns.

This road leads down to the Elementary, Middle, and High School in St. Johns.

These buildings are the Schools I just mentioned. They are literally located on a cliff that drops into the ocean!

This is “The Saba Road”. If you don’t take this corner in St. Johns carefully, you will find yourself and your car floating off in the Sea.

Entering the Village of Windwarside.

This is a church in Windwardside. Again, this view is from my car on “The Road”.

This is Windwardside in the foreground and The Level is in the background.

These steps will take you to the top of Mount Scenery. It is a serious hike to the top!

I am entering the village of Hells Gate. I live on a cliff like those other crazy houses.

I would have photographed more as I entered Hells Gate, but the batteries in my camera died. Please come visit us, we leave paradise in 90 days!

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I turned the big 3-0 on Tuesday. We were awakened by a beautiful sunrise boasting an exceptionally clear day. We could actually see the island of Montserrat, an island four down from Saba. In the two years we have enjoyed our beautiful island/ocean view, we have never been able to see Montserrat with our naked eye. Too bad our camera was out of batteries. We didn’t exactly capture what we saw, but I’ll post the picture we took anyway.

The weather was beautiful, 80 degrees with a light breeze (which is the weather everyday). However, by Tuesday evening, the temperature dropped to an icy 73 degrees and we were COLD! I called the restaurant where we had dinner plans, and asked them to change our order to take out. Most restaurants are open to the elements and we were not about to sit out in the FREEZING COLD CARIBBEAN WEATHER. We enjoyed our BBQ Chicken and Ribs from the warmth of our kitchen.

My gift this year did not disappoint. My computer is now the proud owner of four gigs of RAM. It is WICKED fast. It works as fast as I think, which is faster than I talk, so you get the point. I look forward to having fast internet in the states. Saba’s internet is dial up, which is enough to make anyone crazy.

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Something is wrong with me. Really, really, wrong. My birthday is in a couple of weeks and do you know what I asked for? RAM. Not like, “honey, I want a pet Ram for my big 3-0″, but as in RAM for my computer. What happened to me? I’m not sure I even knew what RAM was last year. On previous birthdays, I have always gotten great clothes, and designer hand bags and shoes. What happened to those days?

I MOVED FROM CIVILIZATION. That’s what happened.

I honestly don’t care what I wear here. Shoes are a bother, and the only classification your handbag needs is, “Does it grow mold easily?” Notice how the word “here” is emphasized. That is because I know when I return to civilization, were clothing is available to buy and people don’t wear shoes just to cover their feet, I will dig deep inside of me and find the “old Emily” I left behind in Texas. I’m sure returning to my wardrobe locked away in storage will help me find that girl. But until then, I still want some RAM. In fact, a lot of it would help.

I can’t believe I care about techie things so much. I know it’s because I have come to LOVE my computer like it’s my second child. It is my umbilical cord to the outside world. It does everything I need it to, and so much more. There is only one problem. It is so s-l-o-w. I get frustrated waiting to upload pictures. It honestly takes five minutes to start Windows Photoshop Elements, and that isn’t even editing photos! I don’t like wasting perfectly good paradise weather w-a-i-t-i-n-g for things to load. I would do so much more with photographs if it didn’t take Hannah’s entire nap to get things going.

I actually really, really, REALLY, want a Nikon D80 for my birthday. I know that won’t happen this year because let’s face it, we are medical school students living on an island out in the middle of nowhere. I want this camera so bad, I honestly can’t stop thinking about it sometimes. It’s just seems kind of illogical to purchase it now. We would have to sell our Saba car to pay for this camera and seriously, I need a car more than I need to photograph everything I see. The desire for this particular camera is not just mine. David really, really, REALLY wants a Nikon D80 as well. One day, we will get one, and when we do, all of you will be drooling over how great our pictures are and we will just say, “it’s all about the camera.” Ah, one day. One day, I will have the most amazing pictures of my kids, BECAUSE OF THIS CAMERA.

Here’s another thing while I’m thinking about it, I would really like a Cricut and a Kitchen Aid Mixer when I get back to the states. I never was much of a chef in the states, but living here I have really come to appreciate good food and I really enjoy cooking. I know when my appetite returns, I will want to cook everything in the house. I may as well have good appliances right? I heard about “the Cricut” for the first time on Sunday from a GUY in our Branch. Yes, a GUY told me. He had that look on his face like “Where are you from? Planet Saba? You should probably get off that planet and get back the real world. There is this thing called Scrapbooking. Have you heard of it?” Yes, he gave me that look. Wouldn’t you know, a few days later I saw an infomercial on Lifetime for the Cricut. I have to say, it can do some pretty cool things. And in true infomercial fashion, I watched thinking, “I have to have that!” Plus, a friend of mine in Orem was in the commercial. David and I were laughing so hard! I need to email her to let her know she is famous, all the way down here, in the middle of nowhere. More of a reason to get it right? If she has one and LOVES it, I know I would too! We’re friends! I know the same day my appetite returns and I cook everything in the house, I will also be nesting. I will want to make cute things for Hannah’s room and for the new baby. I can see it now, CUTE THINGS!

As the big 3-0 looms around the corner, I’ll let you know what I ended up with. I’m 99.9% positive I have RAM coming my way. Mostly because that is the first thing I asked for, and it is the most reasonable and cost effective thing to buy. Plus, my husband follows instructions really well when it comes to buying me technology. This is after all, his language.

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