Getting settled back in to normal life always takes longer than you think it will. Things are finally settling down and we're pretty much back to normal. There is a lot more to report about our trip though, so here goes!
On Tuesday morning Ben, Eli, Carli and I went with Susie and Dru to Trunk Bay. Nana, Papa and Sammy stayed at the villa for some much needed R & R. Trunk Bay is beautiful! I think Dru said it's number seven on the Travel Channel's Top Ten Beaches. It was awesome. Carli and Eli played and played. Carli is a sand bug, she could have played in the sand all day long. Eli just wanted to float around with his tube, and I'm sure he could have stayed all day in the water as well.
The snorkeling path in Trunk Bay.
There is a snorkeling trail (is that what you call it? Sounds dumb to call it a trail underwater . . . I don't know, it was only my second time snorkeling) in the bay that Ben and I went on. There were little underwater markers leading you around this little island. We had to take off our sunglasses to get the masks on, and that started my eyes tearing up--I swear I have a sun allergy or something. I can't even go out to get the mail on a sunny day without tearing up! So, that wasn't the best snorkeling experience. I'm kind of freaked out by the ocean anyway, so that didn't help. Unfortunately, I just couldn't keep my eyes from tearing up and my mask was leaking. It was pretty miserable, but I was trying to hang in there so I wouldn't ruin it for Ben. I kept trying to just close my eyes, but that was REALLY freaky, so that didn't work. Eventually we just gave up, but Ben went back later with Susie and Dru so I didn't feel too bad.
Eli, Ben and Carli swimming in Trunk Bay (actually, they were singing in this shot... I could hear "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" from my chair on the beach. Too cute.
We wrapped up the beach day around 1 pm and went back to the villa to shower and rest. That evening we returned to Trunk Bay and Dru's friend June took family pictures for us. It was so beautiful . . . no wonder so many people get married on beaches! I was continually surprised at the lack of people on the beach . . . nothing like a California beach. It was only 5 pm, still really nice weather and there wasn't a soul on the beach. I was wishing we had brought the beach stuff! We left the beach and went to a very nice restaurant in Mongoose Junction called Paradiso. As soon as we walked in I wondered if there had ever been kids in this restaurant, because it was really nice, but I heard another baby crying, so I figured it was okay. I think our kids were determined to put the staff to the test because within 15 minutes of arriving, they managed to spill an entire glass of water, and then dump over a glass of soda, breaking the glass. I was wondering at that point why in the heck we had decided to go to a restaurant . . . BUT, the evening turned out fine, we enjoyed the company and the food, and it was VERY nice to be in an air-conditioned building (the only air-conditioning we felt the entire week).
Dru's friend June, the photographer, also turned out to be a babysitter, so we scheduled her for Wednesday. Ben and I were definitely needing some time away from the kids. It was hard at times to look around at the scenery and not wonder what compelled us to bring kids along! It would have been nice to sit on the beach all day and not have to worry about a thing (maybe next time!), however, I wouldn't trade the time the kids got to spend with Uncle Dru and the rest of the family for anything. They had a wonderful time and I think the memories will be strong for quite a while.
Dinner with just the adults at Chateau Bordeaux--thank you babysitter June!
Anyway, June came over around 10 am on Wednesday and the adults enjoyed a day of shopping and lunch. It was fun to just wander around and browse in all the little shops.
Thursday wasn't the best day for me, I ended up with a little bit of the "island revenge" (diarrhea!) and spent a lot of time in the bathroom (sorry! Too much information!). I had to miss the facial I had scheduled with Dru's girlfriend, Colleen. She and a girlfriend own a salon there on St. John. Again, maybe next time! I did end up getting a nice nap, and Ben was able to swim with the kids in the pool (for four hours!), so it was a nice day anyway. It was kind of nice to just stay at the villa and rest up.
On Friday Dru and Bill arranged a sail on Calypso, a 30-ft catamaran, and it turned out to be a wonderful day for sailing. The captain said it may have been the best sailing day they'd had all summer. I don't know much about sailing, I just know that it was tons of fun. The boat was nice and big with lots of seating, snacks and drinks, and we all had a good time. We sailed around in between a couple of smaller islands (Congo and LeVongo) and had another opportunity to go snorkeling. This time it was awesome! We saw sooo many fish, it was amazing.
Dru, Ben, Luella, and Susie--after snorkeling--you can still see the outline of the masks on our faces.
At one time, we were swimming through several schools of fish and you could hardly see anything except millions and millions of little fish. Then, out of nowhere, a group of tarpon came by and about gave me a heart attack. I think I about jerked Ben's arm off when I first saw one--they were BIG! and when you're in the middle of a school of fish and one of those swims right by you, it's pretty freaky! All in all, the snorkeling was awesome, and it actually helped me with my fear of the ocean. It was kind of nice to look in the water and see that there wasn't anything scary at all.
Sammy and Nana enjoying the sailing on Calypso
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