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Cover Worthy January 12, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Family, Islands, Trips , 3comments

A couple of years ago, we spent Christmas on Emerald Isle in North Carolina at David’s brother’s beach house.

It was beautiful.

This is the front of the house.

Here’s a view from the beach of the back of the house.  He has since sold this beach house, (above) and had this beauty custom built:

His new sailboat made the January 2010 front cover of Cruising World!

His family starts their sail-around-the-world later this month.

Their first stop will be in the Caribbean.  Should I email him this post?

 

You Must Visit These Caribbean Islands January 8, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Islands, Saba, Thoughts , 6comments

This is the year my parents and David’s parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

They got married on the SAME DAY.  SAME YEAR.  SAME TEMPLE.  (Just a few hours apart.)

This is an absolute coincidence, of course.  They met after David and I were engaged.

With these big events coming up later this year, both of our families have started to talk about how to celebrate.

My sister-in-law threw out the idea of going on a Caribbean Cruise (Which actually sounds exciting now.  When you live in the Caribbean, taking a cruise there doesn’t sound that fun because you already live there.) and started to mention cruise lines since she has taken a couple of cruises.

David and I immediately started to talk about destinations because, well, we’re sort of like locals in that respect.

As honorary Caribbeans, (a title I bestowed upon ourselves after living there for 2 1/2 years and birthing our first baby down there) we explained the ins and outs and whereabouts of the islands.  Where to go, what to avoid, and what is a MUST SEE.

You might also be an honorary Caribbean if:

(Any further suggestions from honorary or actual residents of the Caribbean are certainly welcome in the comment section.)

David and I miss the Caribbean SO MUCH.  I especially miss it over the holiday season.  I love seeing fireworks from neighboring islands on New Year’s eve and enjoying the perfect Caribbean weather this time of year.

So . . . it is my duty as an “honorary Caribbean” to tell you about the two islands you must see. (Please note: the images in this post are from travel websites, they are not my own images.)

First, if you have money to burn, you MUST, MUST, MUST go to Saint Barths.

Did I say MUST? I mean HAVE TO or you will regret it for the rest of your life!

See, I obviously regret that we didn’t make it over to Saint Barths (which I could see from my kitchen window) while we lived on Saba.  But, since we were medical students when we lived there, it is very safe to say that we didn’t have any extra money to burn.

We’ll be going back because Saint Barths is calling my name!  Not like today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but when we’re old and super wrinkly and have finally paid off medical school, we’ll be there with bells on.  And since I’ll be so old by that time, I probably won’t care how much sun I get and who sees my jiggling old lady legs.

Next, you MUST, MUST, MUST go to Anguilla.

Not optional.  It is a MUST.  If  you miss this beauty, then it’s like your visit to the Caribbean is null and void and you should ask for you money back.

Obviously, Saba and Sint Maarten are “MUST SEE” as well, but I won’t take time to mention them here because it’s like a no brainer.  My entire blog from Jan ’07 to April ’08 is about these two islands.

Book your Caribbean vacation now!

A Little of This and a Little of That February 5, 2009

Posted by Emily in : Family, Islands, Photography, Princess Hannah, Saba, Trips , 2comments

Can you believe I’ve had other things fill my free time besides blogging?

I know. GASP.

Truth is, I’ve been otherwise anxiously engaged in other causes.  It makes me feel busy and important (much like how I used to feel when I had  a career and every minute of my life belonged to someone/something else).

We move in about two weeks.  We found a place to live.  I think it’ll be great.

I mean, I hope it’ll be great.

LET’S PRAY THAT IT IS.  Um, ’cause I haven’t actually seen it.  But it sounds great, and the pics look good, and some friends that live in Kansas City area have vouched for the area and thus VALIDATED my hunch that I’m going to like the place.

But, if it’s not a great place, then we just plunked down a lot of money on a dive.  And that makes my want to to throw up a little bit in my mouth.

GULP.

But moving on (and literally, we’ll be doing that in a few days).  My mother-in-law is recovering from knee surgery.  Hannah has been an excellent nurse.  She drinks Gloria’s Ensure, (which, by the way, is one of the perks of surgery.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Ensure and would drink it everyday if I knew people wouldn’t tease me for liking a geriatric drink.  And . . . if it wasn’t like 400 calories per serving.  I’m just sayin’ . . .) offers her marshmallows, (you know, to take the pain away) and snuggles up in bed next to her grandma.  Hannah only has to be reminded 346 times a day to not touch the hurt knee.

Such a good little caretaker.

Gloria has been somewhat stranded in her bed with only our little live-in family as visitors.  As fun as we are, I know she likes to see other familiar faces and spend time with other people who don’t hang out in their pajamas all day.  You know the kind, people with personal hygiene.  People who wear regular clothing and shower.  Daily.

Anyhoo, just yesterday was such an occasion.  Some of her siblings came by to see her in her laid up state.  For some reason, (see I don’t know how they got onto this subject because I wasn’t actually in the room.  I was just minding my own business making myself some lunch in the kitchen and couldn’t help myself from overhearing this conversation) they got to talking about “scary runways.”

Now, everyone in that room was well-traveled.  They talked about this place and that place and every place in-between.  They were all positive they had flown on and off of “scary” runways.

I’m not one to assert my opinion when I’m not asked, but yesterday, I had to say something.

I needed to back up my in-laws.

Remember how I used to live on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean?  And remember how I blogged about the scary runway here?  Well, it turns out, I’M NOT CRAZY.

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(This is the Saba runway.  Picture by David.)

Travel and Leisure magazine named the top ten scariest runways in the world.  Saba and Sint Maarten were in the top ten.

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(This is the Sint Maarten runway.  Picture by David.)

See, take that you people who think I over-exaggerate everything.

Why We Miss Living in a Warm Climate December 21, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Islands, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah, Saba, Thoughts , 5comments

We’re all sick around here.

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One of the reasons David and I want to settle in a warm climate is to avoid the chronic sickness that comes along with cold weather.

David starts a Pediatric rotation in a couple weeks.  When I complained to him about doing a Pediatric rotation during the winter months, and ALL THE SICK KIDS he would see all day, everyday, who would be coughing, sneezing and sharing their nasty germs with him, he smiled.

Because if he sees a thousand sick kids over the next six weeks, he’s going to learn something about how to treat and care for most child related illnesses.  Won’t that be great for us when our kids get sick?  He’ll know how to treat them!  What better time to do a pediatric rotation?

This is honestly what he said to me.  This man must be the most optimistic person that ever lived.  (The benefits of seeing so many sick kids during the peak winter months never crossed my mind . . . but I must admit, I LOVE this quality about my husband.)

All I’m saying, is that when we lived here:

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Hannah and I never got sick.  Not once.  From time to time, I may have thought I was going to die from heat stroke, or drown from breathing such humid air, but we never got colds.

Here’s to hoping there’s a warm climate in our future . . .

Halloween Festivities November 2, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Family, Holidays, Islands, Little Man Dallin, Princess Hannah, Saba , 6comments

Last Halloween, Hannah wore a bikini and grass skirt (you know, to represent those other island half way around the world from the Caribbean) because it was SO DANG HOT on Saba.  Even in her itsy, bitsy, teeny, weenie, orange floral bikini, she was sweaty.  Halloween day is probably the hottest day of the year in the Caribbean.

This year, I took her to the mall to escape the cold and so she could Trick or Treat in the afternoon.  (I know, I know, I’m a little crazy about sticking to a schedule and getting her to bed early.  Some of my siblings people have referred to me as obsessive, but I prefer to be referred to as consistent.)



Hannah, Weston (her cousin) and Emma (her friend) Trick or Treating at the mall.



Always one to express her desires, she asked a random mall employee to fix her ballet strings and tie them into a bow.  She is very particular about things being in order . . . I wonder where she picked this up . . .



We then headed over to my oldest brother Brad’s house.  His wife, Diane, is an awesome host and we all enjoyed a great Halloween get together.  I refer to their house as the ‘Kool Aid House.’  The place where the family naturally converges to hang out, whether they like it or not.  :)



I also got into the spirit of Halloween  . . .



I convinced Brian to try o the latest accessory must have, and in return he informed me about the trend of trucker hats being in and then out and then in and then out again.  And now in again. I’m so out of the fashion loop, I thought they were in for like two seconds four years ago and went out to NEVER make their way back.

Obviously, I’m so out of the loop.

But I do think my little guy accessorizes his outfit well.

Kyaha, January 2, 2000 to October 3, 2008 October 4, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Family, Islands, My Former Dog Children, Princess Hannah, Saba, Texas, Thoughts, Trips, Utah , 4comments

For the past two days, I have been walking around with big bags under my eyes and a serious sinus headache.  I wish it was possible to grieve without crying.  I hate feeling like my head is going to explode.

My little princess dog Kyaha, succumbed to cancer yesterday.  Six months ago she was diagnosed with the disease, but I was too emotional to address it on my blog.  Today, I’m going to try to be a grown woman and talk about my feelings, and the reality that Kyaha is no longer with us.

I was raised to believe all animals were dirty, yucky, disease carrying creatures that would infect you.   Growing up, there was a stinky horse pasture across the street from my parents’ house.  I never once reached out my hand to pet the horses in fear of contracting a disease that would kill off not only me, but my entire family.  Animals were strictly meant for other people, or the zoo.

A little over eight years ago I said to David, “Maybe we should get a dog.”  Why?  I have no idea.  David knew he had about two hours to find and secure a dog for our family before I changed my mind.  He quickly researched breeds and decided a Whippet (which is a VERY lazy dog that sleeps about 20 hours a day) would be the perfect dog for us.

Breeds?  What were breeds?  Weren’t all dogs mutts?  I had no idea dogs came papered and with a pedigree.  Clearly, I was way under-qualified to own a dog.  My passing thought of being a dog owner was not thought out.  Not only did I not know the first thing about caring for a dog, I certainly didn’t think about the future.  How long dogs live and how much a part of your family they become.  I thought it would be nice to see one on the patio, maybe walk it, or throw it a ball.  I NEVER imagined touching it, let alone allowing it into my home.

Kyaha changed everything.  When we picked her up at three months old, I was scared of her.  She looked like a baby deer, RUNNING around her owner’s house.  With my ghost white face, and body language that clearly stated “I DON’T TOUCH DOGS,” I’m surprised the previous owner let us walk out with her. I could never have anticipated how much this dog would mean to me, or how much she would change my life and open my heart.

We brought our new not-potty-trained-indoor-dog home; who puked in the car every time she got in it.  (Once, I almost threw her out the window because she wouldn’t stop puking.)  Adapting to life with us, she followed me around.  EVERYWHERE.  She trotted two steps behind me from room to room.  My biggest complaint to David was, “TELL THAT DOG TO STOP FOLLOWING ME!”

As the weeks and months passed, I eased into being a doggie-mom.  Unable to have children at that time, we treated Kyaha as our firstborn child.  She very quickly became everything to us.  Whippets are like potato chips, you can’t have just one.  Nine months later, David picked up our second Whippet, Paris, from a breeder in Southern California.  The two dogs instantly became best friends.

Both of our dogs (I used to refer to them as “our girls” until we had Hannah and then it got really confusing when I talked about them to other people.) traveled with us everywhere.  During Kyaha’s eight short years, her life was full.  She lived in Utah, Arizona, Texas, and the Caribbean.  She has traveled through Nevada, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.  She has been to the Dutch and French West Indies on the island of Sint Maarten, and of course she loved every sun-bathing second living on the island of Saba.  She has flown commercially, and on a charter plane.  She has been on a commuter boat, braving the treacherous sea between Saba and Sint Maarten.  She has played on Caribbean beaches, soaked up the Saba sun, run in dog races in Utah and Texas, and explored the Utah mountains.  She has even been to The Four Corners.

Yesterday, David had the very sad job of taking Kyaha to the vet to have her put down.  When she was diagnosed with cancer back in May, we had no idea how much longer she had to live.  It could have been two more weeks or two more years.  It ended up being five months.  On Friday, Kyaha lost the ability to run after her beloved tennis ball when the cancer affected her leg making it difficult to walk.  Knowing that she was in pain, we knew it was time.  I would love to have kept her around for selfish reasons, but that would have been just plain disrespectful to her.

We had a nice little funeral for her.  David found a perfect spot for her to rest until we meet again.  Hannah was very intrigued by the emotions that freely flowed from both David and me yesterday.  She exclaimed over and over again, “Mommy sad!  HUG HER!  Kyaha with Heavenly Fodder (father)!”  She has been such a ray of sunshine for us.  She keeps calling out for Kyaha every time she drops food and Paris keeps showing up.  Not one to be fooled, she yells at Paris, “NO! OTHER ONE!”  You just can’t fool a two year old.

I cannot kiss, hug, or snuggle my other dog Paris enough to compensate for the void in my heart left by Kyaha.  While having Paris around brings me much comfort, she still is not Kyaha.  How I would love to have Kyaha follow me from room to room just one more time.  I would love to have one more chance to take her into the mountains and watch her chase anything and everything; let her compete in one more dog race, eat one more yogurt.  I will miss nuzzling my nose into her fur, and seeing her chocolate brown puppy dog eyes looking at me.  I already miss her bringing her tennis ball to me and dropping it in my lap.

I believe there are three kingdoms in heaven, and all animals automatically enter the highest kingdom. I  hope and pray that I live a life worthy enough to enter that kingdom because I fully expect to see her running toward me at 35 mph to cover me in wet dog licks.  I want to feel her soft velvety fur through my fingers, and kiss the top of her head.  I miss her smell, and the scent of her paws.  I expect the welcome of a lifetime when I see her again.

She was very special to David and me.  As I mourn her loss, I will miss her over the months to come.  She will always have a special place in my heart.

Almost Been There, Don’t Want To Do It Again. September 1, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Friends, Islands, Thoughts, Utah , 4comments

First of all, can I just say how grateful I am that we haven’t moved to Houma, Louisiana yet?  If you haven’t heard about Hurricane Gustov hitting Houma, and New Orleans, THAN YOU MUST LIVE ON ANOTHER PLANET.  All our friends in that area have been evacuated and the hospital (where David will do rotations) is closed.  I hope the hospital is standing when this thing blows over!

Last year in August, Tropical Storm Dean brushed Saba before it turned into a hurricane.  Our friends, Daniel and Lydia, were visiting us when it hit and it was quite an adventure!  I can tell you right now I DID NOT LIKE EXPERIENCING A TROPICAL STORM.  I CANNOT IMAGINE EXPERIENCING A HURRICANE.

With winds from 50 to 70 mph, the ocean was tumultuous, and the island was very isolated with no way to get boats or air traffic to or from Saba.  The power was out, and it was SO HOT inside our house because all the windows needed to be closed.  We couldn’t cook anything and opening the refrigerator was limited.  Can I just say how BORED we were?  Sitting around, breathing each other’s recycled breath?

Here are some pictures from the storm:



The coconut tree in front of our house.



This is a view from our patio. Check out the swells in the ocean!  Our house was at about 500 feet above sea level, so the white caps you see are probably close to 15 foot swells.



More storm coming our way . . .



The ocean heaving itself upon the rocks at the tide pools.

I’m so glad I am in Utah, in a house with power, and NO THREAT OF A HURRICANE.  EVER.

WHY ARE WE MOVING TO THE GULF COAST?

A Loss for Words June 5, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Daily Life, Family, Islands, My Handsome Husband, Pregnancy, Princess Hannah, Saba , 5comments

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.” :)

Hannah Newsletter #8 May 22, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Church, Daily Life, Exercise, Family, Friends, Islands, My Former Dog Children, My Handsome Husband, Pregnancy, Princess Hannah, Saba, Texas, Thoughts, Trips , add a comment

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’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:

We love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Welcome to the Land of the Free April 29, 2008

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, Islands, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah , 1 comment so far

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.