Papa Stewart & Uncle Logan

I've been slacking on this blogging thing since we moved. So here we go! Picture overload to make up for my slacking. My plan is to blog once a week again. Here we go!...

What an amazing week we had last week, I didn't want it to end! We are so thankful that Papa Stewart and Uncle Logan were able to come visit us on St. Maarten. We love having family come visit and being able to spend some time with them. Lacey didn't really remember them much, as she was only 7 months when we left, but she grew to like Papa and Uncle. It will be fun to FaceTime with them now that she knows who they are in person.

These are a collection of pictures I texted my dad and brother each day as we counted down before their arrival. We were so excited to have our second visitors and show them what we now call home. This trip was a birthday surpass so he only found out about it a week before coming.

We were so excited for them to get here... And the time had finally come. Off to the airprt to go to pick them up. It was like waiting for Christmas

Waiting at the airport for Papa Stewart and Uncle Logan to get off their plane.

Lincoln waiting to see what Papa Stewart and Uncle Logan brought for him.

Lincoln then showed them our pool.

They found it very hot and humid here so they didnt fight the pool idea.

Lincoln would be in the water all day if we let him.

Lincoln was so happy to have them here. They were able to give him some extra attention in the water since lacey doesn't seem to like being in it lately... so I am stuck outside the pool watching Lincoln play.

We aren't sure whats happening with Lacey's hair color. In this picture is looks like my hair colour but it's more of a dirty blond.. Here eyes have also change to a browny hazel eye colour.

Our first night together, showing them the island views.

We were able to show them our back yard little lizard's we have here, the kids love chasing them and scaring them off. The best time to see them is in the early morning. They are also slower then as its cooler out.

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DAY 1: We visited Fort Louis on the french side, it has an amazing view go Cole Bay (where we live), Simpson Bay, Cupe Coy, and Marigot. You can see for miles. To get to the fort you have to go through an alley, parking lot, then up a hill with a little hike up some stairs. Lincoln loves the fort and exploring and climbing on the rocks.

My dad is also into geo caching. For anyone who doesn't know it's an outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a GPS reciever to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world, even St. Maarten. There is around 16 geocaches on the island of St. Maarten. So my dad enjoyed finding some caches here while we explored the island. Our first cache we found was on Fort Louis. Lincoln got right into it, he thought we were going for treasure hunts. At the Fort Louis but dad was able to get a travel bug A Travel Bug it's a registered tag similar to a dog tag used in Geochaching. It is moved from cache to cache, with a unique tracking number allowing its movements to be tracked online. My dad was able to find around 11 caches here.

Lincoln holding the travel bug. It gets to go to Canada from here.

After the Fort we headed to the Market in Marigot on the french side just below the fort. There are lots of vendors that sell everything from souvenirs and jewelry to fresh produce. We then stopped for a cold drink at the Coconut Mans Hut.

We then hit Mullet bay beach in the afternoon. We were able to hit a different beach each day. Great place to snorkel. Warm, calm water. Yes our days were jammed pack.

Day 2: Fort Amsterdam, there was also another geo cache on this fort.  Fort Amsterdam is located on the very tip of a narrow, teardrop-shaped peninsula separating Great Bay to the east and Little Bay to the west. You have to go through Little Divi Bay Resort to get tot he Fort.

Fort Amsterdam

View of Fort Amsterdam on the peninsula.

At fort Amstertdam you get an amazing view of  Philisburg and where the cruise ship dock.

After the Fort we went to Little Bay Beach to cool off. Also another great play to snorkel. Josh and Logan were able to to get some saltwater goodies, sand dollars and a star fish. Lincoln loved looking at the star fish move in his sand bucket... After the beach we were able to to the Farrell's place for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner with our Canadian friends. Thanks Farrell's!!!

Day 3:  We went to the board walk in Philipsburg. The board walk is a huge side walk that boarders the Great Bay beach with lots of little shops and restruants. There is also front street and back street with little shops. Lots to look out but it gets very hot on board walk... There was also 2 geo caches on boardwalk.

Boardwalk

There was a geo cache at the court house of St.Maarten on front street.

The water is actually that blue!

Enjoying some coconut milk from a coconut that papa found. Lincoln wasn't to sure of the taste of it.

Lacey was napping so this meant quiet time for Lincoln. We made cookies that he could enjoy with Papa then they raced cars together.

We also hit another beach in the afternoon, Maho beach. Maho Beach is a beach that is famous for the St. Maarten airport adjacent to the beach. Arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of the runways ue to the short runway resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude.

Due to the unique proximity of low flying air planes, the location is very popular with plane spotters. This is one of the few places in the world where aircraft can be viewed in their flightpath just outside the end of the runway. Watching airliners pass over the beach is such a popular activity that daily arrivals and departures airline timetable are displayed on a surf board on mayo beach.

There is a danger of people standing on the beach being blown into the water because of the jet blast from aircraft taking off from the runway.

 

 Maho Beach

Here's another Geo cache we found at the Princess Resort in Cole Bay. This cache was known for pirate treasure. I think this was one of Lincoln's favourite as he was able to get a pirate gun.

We also came across a golden Budda while looking for  the pirate cache.

Day 4: We hit Pelican Key beach in the morning. Pelican Key is more of a touristy area with lost of resort. All beaches are public so we are allowed to use any of the beaches on the island, even though so of them are blocked off by the resort.

In the afternoon the guys went Ziplining to Loterie farm with is a natural reserve on the island on the french side past Marigot.

Sancks at the beach. Lacey loves playing in the sand, rolling in the sand and eating the sand. She also likes to walk right into the ocean/ waves. She has not fear this girl

My two sillys, they love making each other laugh. They are great little buds, they love playing together and also bugging each other. 

Pelican Key Beach

Loterie Farm- Zip lining. 

More pool time, between pool and the beach Lincoln practically lives in water.

Lincoln would go swimming with uncle Logan some morning before we even headed out after or even in the evenings after our long days once we put Lacey to bed. Lincoln would practice his swimming with uncle without his puddle jumper on. Lincoln is starting to feel very comfortable with staying under water for quite a while and he has started swimming on his on, about 4 feet before needing help.

Lacey playing peak a boo with Papa Stewart.

Having an evening snack of gelato at the Carousel. Followed with a ride on the Carousel. It's a fun play to visit.

 Day 5: Had fun searching for the natural swimming pool with family and the Farrell's! We followed one of dad's geocache locations to get here. We had parked at the basket ball field in Pointe Blanche and did a small 30 min hike north along the coast. The geo cache online said a dog named Cara would show you the way and the dog actually showed us the way! haha... not even joking. It was pretty neat...We could also see the islands Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and St.Barts on our hike along the coast. It was am amazing view! We had tones of fun other then lincoln getting his head cut open on the rocks (4 cuts). He lost his balance and fell back. Poor guy, I felt so bad for him. We put a shirt on his head immediately with salt water. We were surprised that his cuts didn't bleed a tones. I was really surprised. They kinda sealed them self up. Someone was really looking out for my little boy that day and kept him safe as he could of gotten really hurt or could of needed stitches. But he's okay ... but says he prefers the normal swimming pool now.

View of the natural pool

On our hike there

A shot looking back from the hike we did getting to the natural swimming pool.

 Swimming in the natural pool. Theres the dog Cara

Group picture with our injured Linc.

Geo cache site my dad did to cruiser point. He got an amazing view of Philipsburg and the salt pond, St. Eustatius and the cruise dock.

Day 6: Orient beach is a beautiful 2 mile stretch of beach on the french side. 2 more geo caches were found on this beach while Logan and Josh went snorkelling. We also got rained on by a huge rain storm that came through. But it was still warm out.

First geo cache found in a cave

Second geo cache found under some rocks by a lone palm tree

Find of the day on Orient beach, a 6 legged large star fish.

Lincoln and Lacey playing in the sand with Papa. 

Day 7: We hit the Markets once more, then packing time came and we had to take them to the airport to say our good byes. Goodbyes were not easy, we were sad to see them leave. Its hard having family so far away. Lincoln keeps asking "why did they have to leave", "but why" and if you asking Lacey where Papa and uncle are she will go around the house looking for them. Also everytime a plane flies over head Lincoln asks if thats Papa and Unlce's plane. 

Glad you were able to come visit and glad you made it home safety. Hope you can come back again. Thanks for the fun time together we loved having you here. Love you guys!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Bithday to the best dad & grandpa! Hope you have a fantastic day. Wish we were closer so we could hang out..... Well... actually we will get to in 7 days!!! :)

My step mom Dana surprised my dad for his 62nd birthday with a trip with my brother to come visit us. She made a triple layer cake and in the middle section was a jet.  One wing has my dad's name, the other wing has Logan's name.  On one side of the body it says St  Maarten - Caribbean. On the other side of the jet it says departure date October 12, 2013.  She then got a western novel and cut out the middle, then in the middle was $620.00 Which is $10.00 for every year of his age.  In a box she had a balloon and in the balloon she rolled up a copy of his travel insurance and his itinerary.  She also got some confetti in the balloon and a pin taped to the outside of the balloon.  When he popped the balloon and found all the details for the trip...

We are so excited for more visitors. It has been 5 months since we last saw my dad and brother. 

 So excited for some of our family to see what we call home for the next 15 months. Let the island fun begin, in 7 more days!

What we call home

So here is a little bit about our new home on St. Maarten.

We live in a gated community called "Kool Baai Villas" and it's located in Cole Bay. We love the location and everything about it.  We feel safe here :) It's a 3 minute or so walk to the University, so nice and close. We have 3 grocery stores right in Cole Bay; Grande Marche, Prime and Divico. Along with a great bakery 2 blocks away. Cost U Less is a 10 minute drive and thats in Dutch Cul De Sac.  Our church building is a 3 minute drive in Cole Bay. We have beaches as close as a 3 minute drive and as far away as 30 mins. It was a roller coaster ride the day we arrived on the island but we are so greatful that we found this house. We love it and it's perfect for our family for the 16 months we will be living here.

You can drive around the whole island in an a hour if traffic isn't to bad.

We also have a gated parking lot that you need a card to get into. Kool Baai Vilas is right beside the Simpson Bay Lagoon. This is the view right when you walk into the the gated community. It's gorgeous.

There's a swing set the kids love to play on. There are lots of paths in the complex that go to all the different houses. Lincoln calls them his roads and he loves to ride his bike on them.

The common pool.

Our House.

Flowers that our just in front of our house.

Our side of our house and the door we use to get in. It's so nice to have a gated little yard. I can do laundry without Lacey escaping on me, and yes, my washer is outside again. See next picture.

Back yard.

Our washer in a shed out back. It's an american washer :) Happy dance. I never thought I would say that I love doing laundry but I do in an american washer.  Our clothes actually smell clean after washing them. In Statia we washed clothes with cistern water so our clothes were being washed in dirty water, so they never got clean. 

this is the other side of our yard where I hang our laundry. It's nice to not have grass to cut down on the bugs here. But it doesnt seem to stop them... we got eaten alive in our house. When they were getting out house ready the week before they left the doors were open. Our poor kids looked like they had chicken pocks.

When you come in our side door you see our dinning room on the right.

We have these front doors that have screens on that let a good breeze in.

 Our living room. 

Our kitchen and our other bathroom on the right.

Upstairs hall ways. First door on the right is the kids room, then our room and the bathroom straight ahead.

Love my shower curtain that my mom brought for me.

Our bedroom/ office.

Our house does have 2 bedroom upstairs but Lacey was napping while i was taking pictures so I didn't get a picture of their room.

We love the house we were able to find on St Maarten. But I have to say I really miss our own furniture that we have put away in storage, my house and my decorations and being able to make my house feel homie. But we will make do how we are, it works and thats all that matters while we are in school. Hope you enjoyed the tour ;)