Here are some more pictures of a Statian Iguana that are rare and only indigenous to Statia. However the knowledge of this isn’t know to a lot of the Statian people where awareness is continually tried to be made know. They are feared, where yes you need to be very careful of their tails (one killed my friends kitten), sometimes they are eaten, or killed. What some don’t understand is that they are special to the Island (this particular iguana) and are no where else in the world and no they are not indigenous to the main land of the Netherlands – they’d freeze like popsicles!
So the story behind this iguana. Courtney and Todd were swimming in the pool one afternoon and hear the dogs just barking and barking. Then they hear this clawing behind the little fence near the pool and off the top leaps this iguana and falls right into the pool! It quickly swims(?) to the kids floating noodle in the water climbs on the noodle and then leaps from there onto the side of the pool. Todd and Court and just staring at it dumbstruck at the iguana that had just some flying over the side of the fence! The iguana just sat there on the side – probably trying to recuperate and wondering what the heck just happened. Todd went and grabbed some pear to try and feed it, it wouldn’t take it but we took some pictures instead!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN TIME! We had a lot of fun with Halloween this year! Trick or treating is not the norm here on Statia, a large number residence here in fact look upon Halloween as an evil day and some just don’t acknowledge the day at all, it not being a common celebration in Europe. But we are lucky to have some wonderful friends on the island who see Halloween as we do, just a fun excuse to dress-up and have a good party with friends and family! The kids were lucky enough to be invited to two Halloween parties this year! Our first one was with our friends Debbie and Jose Rodrigues! They are the awesome party planners! And we so appreciate their kindness and friendship!
Courtney wanted to be a unicorn so we used leftover Easter basket plastic grass stuff and made her a mane and tail. With her pink dress to top it off she looked super cute! We had a hard time trying to figure out what Katie wanted to be but we finally figured out that being the Tooth Fairy would work great with her baptism dress from last year. And Jase he wanted to be a storm trooper, so we spend a lot of time trying to make him an outfit out of Bristol board and it seemed to work out okay. They we are very happy with their costumes anyway so I think that’s all that matters.
We were welcomed to the party by hostess Sarah Rodrigues! They made trick or treat bags for the trunk or treat, which ended up being filled almost to the brim. There were a lot of friends there to celebrate together and Todd even graced us with his presence as a UFC fighter, and I an 80’s chick. Let me tell ya its hard to do costumes here but I was pretty amazed at the creativity!
Debbie the witch, me the bad 80’s, Hilda the witch, and Marcela the bunny.
Saunders the Batman, Eric the Frankenstein, Edwin the Cubin Army Dude and Todd UFC Guy.
Debbie, Vonda Pirate girl, Anike Sick, Bad Day Lady & Me.
We were also graced by the presence of Jacob from Twilight!! EEEEEE!
Ha Ha Ha, Matt Perez – Debbie’s son!
Amazing Halloween treats – so fun. I wish I’d taken pictures of all the food!
There were some fun, fun games! Put the nose on the pumpkin, Bobbing for apples, which the kids were surprisingly good at. Both Jase and Katie got an apple. Courtney ended up getting her face and front all wet, in ice cold water, and check out how deep Jase got his face in the water! It was seriously ice cold – with ice chunks still in it! All the kids just loved it! Then they had the mummy rap race, suffocating the kids so Debbie ripped some breathing holes. Sarah, Katie and Naomi ended up winning that one. We all made a gross out box to bring and stick out hand in. Huila hooping, trunk or treat, – the kids had so much fun decorating the car with their drawings, Todds anatomy bones he has borrowed from Marlin and an eye glowing skull from Mazingas! - Magic tricks by Maria, and just an all round good time! We had so much fun!
Here are just a few fun pictures. I ‘ve been trying to get some nice sunset pictures and I’m still not completely satisfied but here are a couple so far.
Driving up to Debbie’s one day there was a Sow and her piglets lying in the middle of the road having a snack, the kids thought this was a really neat sight – so did I!
If you had read some of our last years blog you would know of a playground build of cement – well a while ago they tore it down and have been replacing it with a new one. It still isn’t finished yet but the kids love to go play on it every once and a while. So this is the new park to replace that old one we use to live near.
TRICK OR TREAT II. Are we spoiled or what! The kids had another fun Halloween party – on Halloween night for a Group (not a ward or branch for those who would understand – we are too small) party at the Coopers. It was a lot of fun dressing up again, doing a craft with Rebecca Cooper and me singing some Halloween songs with the kids, and a nice trunk or treat! It was a perfect little party, short and sweet for all the kids. I loved the well thought out costumes – so cute and fun! I know the kids had another great night with their friends and partying!
Courtney’s favorite part seemed to be the broccoli. There were treats galore and the only thing Courtney kept going back for was the broccoli!!
Maybe some of you have heard that the Queen of the Netherlands came to the Island on November 4, 2011.
The whole island was buzzing with excitement and preparation for her to get here. I was really excited to get some sort of glance at Royalty (Queen Beatrix, her son Prince Willem & Princess Maxima) where we’d probably never get to see even our own Queen of England. I was also really excited for my kids because they were going to sing to the Queen during the new sports hall dedication, and get a possible chance to meet them. Another exciting addition to the story is that it was Courtney’s birthday that day. She thought it was pretty neat that the Queen was coming for her birthday.
The kids singing the song ‘Circle of Life’ from the Lion King were practicing for quite a few weeks in advance. And finally practiced in the sports hall a couple days before the presentation, and then on the day before. You can see Courtney wearing regular cloths in a couple pictures because we had her dress up for her birthday Nov 3rd the day before the Queen came because when the Queen came, school would not really be functioning and I wanted to her to have a special dress up day. Jase got to play one of the reed sounding notes and sing in the presentation, and Court sang and did the actions.
That day right after the rehearsal at the sports plex it starting pouring mad rain! It wasn’t to worst I’ve seen but this time I happened to have my camera with me and got a few pictures of the rain running.
The last picture is the road going up to our house.
The day of the birthday queen had arrived, and the Queen of the Netherlands came too! November 4th, 2011. I had made cupcakes for Courtney to take to school and give out to her classmates. It was kind of a crazy morning with the school getting ready for the arrival of the Queen but she was able to hand them out and them he class sand to her, and then prayed for the birthday girl.
For the musical presentation they had all these scarfs and ties made for the kids, which looked fantastic! I’m so glad I got some nice pictures of them!
Then waiting and waiting for the Queen and her party to arrive. I have to say the kids were pretty patient waiting for her to come and I am not very happy with the pictures that I ended up with of the whole event, but I guess you take what you can get. All of the schools were invited to participate in a musical number for the Queen, but unfortunately miss communication between the event coordinators and the Terminal school ended up in the school not being able to preform for the Queen and Katie was a little disappointed, but she got over it pretty fast. Joanna generously let me stand with the Terminal school if I wanted to so I could get a good look at the Queen, and I was going to until just before she came and I decided I’d rather have a good look at my children doing their performance than the Queen.
That didn’t meat I wasn’t excited to see them enter the room, in fact it was a really thrilling experience for me and a lot of people I know, and I know the kids were very excited to see her too. I loved the look she first made as she saw the children lined up against the far wall waiting to do their performances. It was the same face that my Mom would give if she were so excited to see the kids and the fantastic things they have done. It was really very sweet. I kind of caught a picture of that. And in one picture – which is terribly blurry I swear she is looking right at me!
There were 5 musical performances in all, and some sport demonstrations for the opening of the Sports Plex. The kids did fantastic, you couldn’t help but be a proud parent and after the presentations the Queen and her party went to visit briefly with the children and teachers. None of the kids were able to shake their hand but both Courtney and Katie said that the Queen and Princess looked and smiled at them. That was enough for them – how fun! After the crowd had left the building I had Courtney sit on the chair the Queen sat on – just for fun!
After I took the kids to see the Queens big Jet flown by her son Prince Willem that landed on Statia. Tons of people were at the airport for her arrival but we needed to be at the Sportplex before then so we missed her coming off of the plane.
There were other activities that the Queen participated in and did on the island that day, but we went home and made Courtney a birthday cake and swam in the pool! Later on in the evening we headed back out for a little farewell for the Queen at the museum.
And then they were off.
Then we were off to celebrate my princess’s birthday at Courtney’s restaurant of choice - Smoke Alley! Here she is playing a game of cockroach. She’s grabbing people’s legs and making them shiver. The girls also play this game in the pool trying to chase each other – or having Mom chase them as the cockroach! We had some friends join us to also celebrate some good exam marks. Courtney loved every minute of it, and to finally get all the attention for the day! Joining us were Kayleigh, Remy and Joel Wolsey, Saad, and Abdul.
Here we have a few different beach days combined into one. For a while there the water had some huge waves unlike the usually amount of waves we have here. Anything from no waves to having some smaller waves is the norm. I remember this happening last year though where there was a time – other than the time the hurricane came – where the waves were huge for Statia. I’m sure it’s a seasonal thing. So we set out to enjoy the waves! At first Court, however, is a little more reserved about going in the big waves which I can imagine so she decided to check out the big puddle of sea water that was collecting on the beach, and waiting in the water she found herself $20.00 washed up from the ocean!! Lucky girl!
Here we are battling the waves! Todd was working himself on a boogie board, Jase and Katie were jumping the waves and trying to body surf. Courtney got herself in there too until she was washed up pretty good on shore and then just decided to have fun on the beach. I too of course got in there and had a ton of fun!!
Courtney with her specialized board! Love her!
In the next 2 pictures you can see Todd and Courtney.
Here are all 4 of them! Can you see them all?
Playing in the sand with some fellow friend beach goers! Jase & Beckham, Katie and Pearl and them Jase and little Madox - who Jase grabbed before he was swept off to sea!
My attempt at some scenery Pictures.
Never a dull moment while enjoying the beach!
