Back to Life!

Man, I feel like these photos go way back in time :) They were all the way back at the beginning of September, so I guess it has been a little while. When we first came back home we were pretty anxious to see first hand how we faired through Hurricane Irene. The storm hit the island the week before we flew back. It was great timing for us and our families so they wouldn't have to worry about us, but it was very stressful not being here to take care of all our equipment and gear and things like that. By the grace of God we made it through very well with only the loss of our cold foods. Yes, it was a lot of food and a big expense to get our boat secured, but I'd say we were very lucky.

 I imagine the island looked similar to areas surrounding some tornado paths. I'm not comparing our damage to any major tornadoes by any means, but the tops of the trees and the 'bush' were all blown bare and you could see brown everywhere that used to be green. The caretakers for our house had already gotten down and dirty clearing debris (you can see the big piles here above).

 Compare this photo of the boys riding their bikes to one at the end of the post and you'll be able to notice a difference in the trees. With all the debris around and spoiled food and smells that required lots and lots of cleaning we decided to load up the truck with some trash and head to the dump for an exciting adventure. I think I was more excited than the boys were when we got there. I had a typical landfill in mind for some reason (we do have one of those on the other end of the island), but this was incredible....you know, for a dump. 

Everything was clean and tidy and there was a guy at the gate to make sure you took the right trash to the right bin and helped with the unloading. If you have any experience with the way most Bahamian things run, you know that is not the standard.

It didn't take too long for us to hit the water when we got home either. It was pretty strange seeing all the debris in the water too. I think it kind of freaked me out a bit when we went snorkling at first, but now I am happy to say our waters are back to normal :) 

 Joss got to 'surf' with Daddy for the first time. We aren't surfers, but our neighbors and friends are big time surfers so they go all the time. No, these aren't Hawaii style waves they surf with, but they still enjoy the ride and have a good time when the swell comes in. 

 We headed out one day when it was flat calm (as you can see in this shot with Daddy and Joss). We had a ball this afternoon. 

 Just a quick trip out for some fun on the skis and tube, but a total blast! I even managed to ski for a little ways on ONE SKI!!! YAHOO! I didn't get up on one ski, but that wasn't my summer goal, which I reached just in time I must say :)

 Joss & Emit started pretending they were dogs when we were up at my folk's place.  

 They'd retrieve the balls, lap up water from a bowl, 'bark' and do all sorts of cute tricks! It has sort of faded away right now, but they were still going strong a few weeks ago :) 

 They love to lap up the water from a bowl. And then moments later they take off like little puppies usually do and spill all the remaining water all over the place... what fun :) 

 Joss has been doing incredibly well with Homeschooling. I find it somewhat challenging on mornings when things just don't seem to be running smoothly and it's already tense before 9:00am. I guess I need to remind myself we can go on our schedule. After all isn't that part of the reason to do homeschooling? I also feel like I have to 'defend' our choice to home-school our kids. Maybe people that ask or comment about it aren't really as judgmental as my super-sensitive mind is taking it. I have a peace about our decision, so I shouldn't let what others think about it bother me.... ugh, sometimes I really hate my 'human side'. 

 The other day in school we were doing something that Joss really liked: coloring, gluing, cutting, painting...one of those things, and he stops and says, "Let's stand up and give each other hugs and kisses!" I, of course didn't hesitate, because moments like those are why I want to home-school my kids!! :)

 All the boys got buzzed the other day. Every time we give the boys haircuts my mom says something like, "y'all leave that babies hair alone" and makes me feel guilty for cutting it. Why is that??? Mom, I know you don't mean anything hurtful by it and you are just teasing me, but I wonder why the act of giving you baby a haircut feels so 'monumental'. We asked them both if they wanted to cut their hair like Daddy and they both said yes and sat right down without a moment's hesitation. Like Father, Like Son!

 Both times we have buzzed Emit's hair it seems to make him feel like a new little dude :) He gets this burst of energy that just makes him super hyper and frisky. It is actually pretty funny to witness!

 Remember that first shot with all the leaves gone? Well after a couple of weeks of rain, we're back to normal around here. It is much nicer having the leaves and trees surrounding us. 

Slowly, but surely I'm getting caught up :) Thanks for hanging in there with me!