Bit of an Update...

Here is poor Holdyn..... all ready with nowhere to go.  We haven't been walking the past week and she is going nuts!  So she spends her time in the bubbles of her tinsy bathtub (since real bathtubs are hard to find here).  

Things have been going pretty well.  Last weekend, however, my tummy started to feel like it was going to fall out the bottom :) (Hence no morning walks) I started having a lot of pressure "down low."  After a few days of it not getting any better we went into the midwife.  She sent us for some tests and for another ultrasound.  It is definitely a girl.  Also, I have another bacterial infection and my placenta is sitting very low.  They say there is still time for it to rise, but it is sitting right on the cervix... causing the pressure every time I stand.  So, I'm on a 'take it easy' order.... which is kind of hard with a crazy-wild toddler.  But we're doing the best we can.  :)  Hopefully it gets better soon. I'm going nuts not being able to stand for more than a couple minutes at a time, and I definitely don't want to be put on bedrest.  Plus, I don't want to have to worry about the medical facilities being advanced enough to deal with any problems.    Not much else going on right now.  Just trying to take it easy :)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

We Celebrated Easter today with a morning full of fun.

Holdyn loved her basket full of eggs, books, and a stuffed bunny.

She REALLY likes pulling apart the eggs and matching them back together.

The Spouses Club had a GREAT Easter Egg hunt and pot luck. 

Here is Holdyn with Jack hunting in the "little kid" area.

She was quite the egg finder :)  It did start POURING right as we started the hunt, but that just made it more fun.

Holdyn really enjoyed the hunt.

Ben also had Friday off of school.  We've had a high wave warning the last few days on the island so the beach wasn't at the top of our list of things to do.  We did go drive around the island and see some of the high wave damage.  We also went up to Ft. Louis in Marigot.

We also had a Branch Easter breakfast on Friday Morning. 

It was great to get with some friends from church.  

Anyway, we've got a few more plans for tomorrow and Monday before Ben heads back to school.  He does have to get a bit of studying in sometime but we are sure enjoying having him around!  

We Hope you all have a very Happy Easter!!!!!

Heineken Regatta!

(Click on Pictures to enlarge..... it is easier to see the sailboats)

The Heineken Regatta was last week.  This is quite

an exciting time for the island.  The best way to describe it is by

using the letter "B"  

A few "B"words that are appropriate.....

"Booze, Boats, Boobs, Bad drivers" 

It is actually a sailboat race around the island that goes on for a few days. 

Around the island one way, then the next day they go the other.  With lots of drinking and partying inbetween.

There are thousands of boats, making for some great pictures.  

These pictures are taken from different places on the island, the boats dot the horizon 

nearly all the way around. 

Holdyn has recently mastered the word "Boat" and she didn't stop saying it and pointing

as we drove to different places to see the many boats.

It is quite the ordeal and there are Heineken flags, t-shirts, and other

parafanalia since the popular beer sponsors the event. 

On a sidenote, I was on my way home from shopping last week, when I was stopped in traffic on my way home for nearly 2 hours.  (Luckily my $8 gallon of milk survived) Since there is only a 2 lane road around the island I decided to wait it out rather than drive back around the other way.  Well, turns out a Heineken truck overloaded with beer had run into a gutter and tipped over... stopping traffic.  When we finally got to where the accident was there were beer cans rolling everywhere... I only wish I could have gotten a picture... it was very appropriate for the week of the regatta.  The driver was probably drinking.... I seemed to be the only driver out that day that wasn't acting drunk.

There was also a concert put on by the famous artist Shaggy less than a half-mile from our

apartment. There was an estimated 15,000 people on the small beach.  The concert started at 11pm and went until 2am last Sunday night.  There were still straggelers there the next morning at 7:30 when I drove by going to my midwife appt. 

We could hear some of the music if we stepped outside... luckily our little "Bomb shelter" apartment blocked the sound so Ben could sleep before last Monday's exams.  

Well, it was an exciting week, with visitors everywhere and from everywhere for the main event. Things are supposed to start slowing down now that the 

annual Regatta is over. But hey, we don't mind a little excitement now and then!  

Surprise Shower #2

Okay, people are really taking care of us here!  Last Saturday there was a Spouses Org. get together... so I thought.  We were just supposed to bring the kids (All the hubby's were studying for their upcoming exams) and sort of have a fun lunch.  

Well, I picked up Rachel and we were on our way to the University and we had to make a few stops...... little did I know she was doing an exellent job stalling us. (Way to go Rachel!)

So when we arrived, there were quite a few gals there ready to yell, "Surprise!!!"

It was soo fun and I was definitely surprised!

Here is Stephanie guarding the snacks :)  and YES those are peeps on the cupcakes.  I ate the peeps like they were going out of style!  Great food gals!

Here is a shot of part of the group... Kara, Ashley R. Hanna and kids :)

This is a seriously ugly picture but it was a fun game. 

We sported the tummy while, all of the gals cut a piece of TP as long as they

thought the belly was big.... does that make sense?  Anyway, it was GREAT fun!

Here's Stephanie, Camille, Denise, and Kelly!  

And here I am with Rachel.  It was soo fun!

THANKS TO ALL YOU SPOUSES CLUB GIRLS!!!

The Ultra sound says.....

Well, we had an ultra sound yesterday and it wasn't very clear and the Dr. Could only get one angle on the "area" being examined..... so with that.... we are at a solid 90% that it is another GIRL!!!  YIPPEE!!  They also said things were measuring a bit small, they didn't push my due date back, but thought about moving it to the first week in July.  Things were much better with the Midwife this week too.  She might have even cracked a smile while I was in the office... it was hard to be sure.    They also gave me a list of what I will need when I deliver the baby...... yep, I have to bring EVERYTHING.... from my own sheets, towells, washcloths, soap, pillows, gowns, diapers, etc........ pretty much everything but the matress... for me and for the new baby.  Maybe I'll copy the list and post it. It's pretty different from the first time around where you don't really bring much and you come home with two or 3 diaperbags full of free stuff from the hospital.  I guess I've just been spoiled :)  Okay, that is the update for now. Things are going good and other than heartburn 24/7 I can't complain!

We Love You Guys!!!

This is my Brother, Jason, and his awesome family!  We sure miss them!  They've had a very exciting weekend!  Their baby girl, Brielle, is finally all theirs.  The adoption is final.  They were sealed as a family in the St. George Temple on Friday.  On Saturday, Bridger was baptized, and today Brielle was blessed in church.  We are soooo sad we could not be there with you guys!  We hope it all went well and can't wait to hear all about it!    We Love You!!!

Fun Church Business :)

Okay, so yesterday there was an activity planned with some ladies from church.

We were going to meet at the church building then carpool to Grande Case for

some sort of cultural fair..... so I thought.  I arrived to a surprise Baby shower for our 

upcoming baby!  It was soo fun!!  

All thanks to Debbie!!

Here is the party planner herself!

I've also been busy helping put together the life history of these two ladies!

They are some NEAT gals who have survived quite a lot! We made them DVD's

and are working to get their life stories published in the church's newspaper.

It has been great to get to know the locals better! They are seriously full of mischief!

I can't wait to do a few more life histories before we head home in August. 

They take a lot of time, but have been soo fun to work on!

There was also a cruise ship that had a group of about 60 members of the church stop in for the day.  They wanted to do a service project while they were here, on their vacation.

So, they painted the church building.  It was fun to meet them.... mostly from Salt Lake County.

The ladies in the church put together a HUGE lunch for them.  It was a lot of fun... I wished I could have helped more... but I was mostly running after little Holdyn.... who also LOVES to paint and get painted :)

She did sit at the lunch table for just long enough to get a picture with Izaak and Anabel.

A young man, Chakeem, was also baptized last week.  He chose to be baptized at Le Gallion Beach.  It was neat to be there... early.... on a Saturday morning.  Ben gave a talk before the baptism and it turned out GREAT!

Here we are with our Sr. Missionary couple... the Coleman's, who we LOVE!  They are being transferred to the office on Trinidad so this is their last week here. THey've been here for 8 months.  We will miss them but are excited to see who comes next!

Here we are just after the baptism.  The winds were perfect for the windsurfers who were just getting started when the baptism ended.  Anyway, that is a quick update with the fun we are having with our church friends!!!

Planes and Boats!

So I realized I haven't updated in awhile and I found some fun pictures.  

Here are my two favorite St. Maarteners watching the planes land at Sunset Beach Bar.  Holdyn Loves watching the planes and I love their Cheeseburgers :)

We also went to the St. Maarten Yaght Club for dinner with some friends and were lucky to be there when the bridge opened.  Lots of boats came in and then we got to see this one.

It is called the "Sherkhan."  It was a tight squeeze coming through the bridge entrance 

Into Simpson Bay.  We were lucky enough to have a front row seat as it came by!