Three Years On Statia: July 2013

Chronological Order Unknown!

Having 5 different devices taking pictures around the same time, and some dates not put internally on the devices can make it somewhat interesting to remember how things have gone on. Two Cannon cameras, 2 iPhones, and one little Olympus camera! But at least they are all there!

So let it begin…. Most of May 2013

We had a special… very special treat for our kids this month. They had Niz and Zay Vos sleep over for 3 days and nights! While their Mom and Dad were in Columbia at the hospital getting Eric’s surgery on his broken neck the kids were able to spend some much coveted time together! (Of course the surgery part was bitter sweet, good to have it finally fixed but worrisome about the outcome) We don’t do sleepovers. We have late nights, something Todd and I have decided as a family.

Here the kids are the very first morning – all the rest they were up before me!

And the fun continued….

Katie had school the day that the rest of the kids had off. The terminal school was very kind to let Courtney and Niz tag along – with me – along with their field trip. The boys wanted to sleep in and hang out at home.

We went on a mini hike through the botanical garden, up the bird trail and a little bit up the White Wall hike – then we turned around. The kids had a ton of fun though with STENAPA Steve giving them their tour.

They rode in the back of the truck there and back – a bumpy ride for the rump!

The Chill Out Garden!

Making our way to the Bird Trail

Mr. Steve Sharing some info about the Killy Killy bird, also know as the American Kestrel Hawk.

Dead goat skull!

Duck Lips - as Katie calls it with besties Sarah and Niz!

Court and Azaria.

The girls had been practicing some sweet dance moves all weekend and decided that they really wanted to put on a dance show at the beach for all the beach goers! It was somewhat of a cloudy day so the turnout wan't good - about 6 people - but they politely clapped and cheered as the girls proudly danced and thought it was the best thing ever!

This weekend went to a BBQ with our mini Church group at the Terminal Playground – built, paid for, and kept by the Terminal. It was pretty fun!

Zay, Payton, and Jase enjoying some grub!

Girly, Girls, Courtney, Katie, Niz and Stella.

Krysten and one of the cute little twins joined for some girl fun.

These two little boys just loved following Jase around the park. Ely, and Linkin. And Jase is sooooo good with little kids, he's so patient, kind and like to make them happy!

If you thought the park by your house was the dirtyest park you have ever seen - Its not! This park is the dirtiest park in the world! Not that it is garbage filled or anything its the volcanic ash dirt there that just covers the kids in a mess. The picture of Court and Krysten isn't so bad, but the boys were soooo messy!

Sunday morning we all went to church! The kids looked so nice all dressed up and I think they had a really nice time. Zay has always reminded us of how nice it was to come with us to church – he came twice with us. That Sunday happened to be the first Sunday of the month. For those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints know its when you share your feeling (testimony), with the congregation gathered, about our Heavenly Father and the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was sweet to see Niz go up and share her worries about her Dad and his surgery and hope that it would have a positive outcome. She was so sweet and sincere – what a hard thing for such little people to go through.

We came home and had Yummy Waffles just before they went on their way to stay with Teacher Bianca at the Vos’s home.

We had so much fun with you Niz and Zay!!! Love you soooo Much!

Todd and I went on a little date one morning with a couple of Pepsi’s, a bag of cheese’s, a motor cycle and sites to see. You’ve got to enjoy the simple things in life and be creative! After sitting on the bench at the harbor looking at the boats and the sea, we went exploring a little behind the power plant where the archeologists had recently discovered another gin distillery and there are other ancient walls to buildings that once stood there.

We then went and explored a crevice that we discovered – well we knew it was there we just have never went back there) along the lower town road.

A great date morning!

Todd, being the only student with a legit Statia License, was asked to pick up new coming students, show them around Statia a little bit and get them to their respective homes. They normally have a man by the name of Bongo do it but he was out of town that weekend. So we had a cool van at our house for a couple days. I made him pose for this picture.

Happy Mothers day to me! It was a great day at church and at home with my babies! I got the breakfast in bed and come amazing gifts!! Love my Kids! They even made Daddy breakfast too.

Fresh basil from our yard, and scrambled eggs!!

I went to Jase’s assembly one morning and was able to hear him and the boys in his class sing a beautiful Dutch song – it was fantastic. I was actually late because I found out late that it was his assembly this morning so I had missed their first performance. But I know that Principle LaVern so sweetly had them sing it one more time at the end because I was there!

I then walked behind where Courtney’s classroom is and took a few pictures around there.

It was time for the memorization program this year. All the kids did such a fantastic job, and of course I think my kids did really fantastic. Courtney had her very own little solo part and duet with Macuir! It was so cute to watch! Tr. Vashti made an amazing musical video of the songs each class sung and the extra special numbers that different kids performed. They went to different locations around the island to make these videos! Courtney’s class memorization was very good and all done in Dutch!

Jase had a great performance. He had a few different solo speaking parts, and sang many songs, Dutch and English - So fun!

And this is where my camera wouldn’t work anymore - right in the middle of the memorization program. It turned out that the SD card decided not to record any more information – it was done. Luckily Todd had brought my phone when I at first decided I wasn’t going to. So I was able to get the last of the program.

And here are all the teachers who pulled it off! Great Job!

Vashti, I think this is Mrs. Blaire, Then Tr Debora, Lavern, Uncle Ishmael, Tr. Waal, Timothy, Anna, Jasmine, Cheryl, Sharon, Julia, Elaine - Front - Principle LaVern, Nilda, & Cleo.

I went up to my neighbors to exercise one morning and I usually leave a door or two open to let the morning breeze in the house. After exercising I came home to a visitor – one not very welcomed. It was a snake and it scared me to death. In the wild – okay I’m fine to see one and even give it a little touch – but not in my house. I tried to chase it out by directing it to a squirm under the hurricane doors, but it wouldn’t fit, or it just didn’t understand. I closed all the doors to keep it from getting into the bedrooms. It tried to go through the kids screen door.

It went under the couch and I had to chase it out from there. Finally I used my brain and got some gloves on, threw a towel over it, grabbed it and threw it outside. I wasn’t up for feeling it wiggle in my hands for long. He was skinny but really long – to me anyway. In this picture each tile is 12 inches or 1 foot so he would be almost 3 feet I would guess. None of the snakes here are poisonous.

Late Night – Movie night at our house with Stella, Payton, Sarah, Niz and Zay!

During Katies last week of school they had a bunch of fun activities planned for the kids and Katie loved ever minute of it. I let her take the little camera along to capture each moment she wanted.

Cleaning Zealandia Beach. With the garbage dump over the cliff and into somewhat of a crevice off Zealandia beach every storm or heavy winds or rain it washes a lot of the garbage into the ocean and pushes up on the beach. Also just litter from the ocean ends up here, some from other islands, ships, or fishermen – you can just tell by the trash itself. Its pretty sad. Hopefully one day there will be a better solution. There are many clean-up crews that make their way to Zealandia beach, and not just from Statia. We have seen young adults that go from island to island learning and giving service to our island by cleaning the beach.

Sarah, Katie, Xavior, Azaria, and in the back Michelle, and Mervina.

Minute to win it!

They had a movie day and they also put on a fantastic hour of entertainment of songs, and a play. Katie was the director and writer with the input of her classmate’s ideas. They did a fantastic job!

After Ms Joanna handed out awards for the year! She provided the kids with some categories and from there the kids secretly voted who they thought should win each category! Katie won The Best Singer and Super Reader!!!

So within this week Todd had been trying to get me a new SD card so I could keep taking pictures with my camera. Mansour was in St. Maarten and offered to bring one back for us. Little did I know it wasn’t an SD card he was bringing back for me it was a whole new T5I Canon Camera that Todd had organized with the store in St.Maarten for Mansour to bring back to Statia! It was a huge surprise!! Todd said that he really wanted me to be able to take some nice pictures of our last few months here on Statia!

Here we were just messing around trying a few things out.

And while we were there Naldo was cleaning up some fish on the peer.

That night was a special night for Katie. Tr, Joanna had arranged, with the approval of Nustars Terry Keogh – thank you so much Terry!!!, to take Katie and our family out to dinner for a goodbye. All of her teachers were there to enjoy the evening with us. I think she felt so special and loved by them.

Joanna started a book for all of Katies schoolmates and teachers to sign and write special notes to her which made her cry when she stared to read some of the entries. It is such a beautiful book.

Katie handed out a little gift to each of her teachers with a little personal gift Katie picked for each of them, a bracelet she made, and some Hershey Kisses to go with the card we made for them.

It was such a wonderful night! Thank you so much Tr. Joanna, Tr. Hilda, and Tr. Victoria and of course Mr. Terry for helping our sweet Katie to feel so special.

The following day was Katie’s last day of school. It was all set up with the traditional waterslide for some awesome fun accompanied by yummy treats and snacks!

Xavier, Ellie Jane, Jasper, Azaria, Katie & Sarah

Bestest Buddies!

With Maria - she was going back to Venezuela for the summer and wouldn't see Katie again.

Katie got a little emotional at the end of the day knowing that she wouldn’t be seeing her, friends, teachers, or the school again. She had me take pictures of the inside of all the classrooms in the school so she will never forget.

Tr. Joanna's Room.