So you see.....I mentioned in the last post about the screened in porch being one of my favorite places. I love to hang out there. This time, our time share building is under construction, so we were in the other luxury buildings. This one was right on the water. From inside our building, it looked as if we were on a cruise. All you could see out the one window was the ocean.
Elisha and I loved to hang out here. There was a constant breeze from the water, and it was so incredibly peaceful- and bug free :0)
We really enjoyed watching the waves come in, the birds hovering over the water and a few boats passing off shore. The water lapping on the shore was mesmerizing!!
This was looking down from our window- we were only about 30 feet or less from the water
Looking out the other direction, we could see where the cove juts around on the other side- where the swimming beach was, around the rest of the range and all the way out to the tip where the light house sits.
The sunsets were so pretty, watching the sun reflect off the water and waves...
The view between the buildings as we walked around...
Coming around the corner to the main part of the resort- first glimpse of the beach. Breathtaking, isn't it? I can almost feel the salty breeze loosening my ponytail....
Looking back to the area in front of the bungalows we stayed in this time- the volcanic coral is so beautiful!!
Ahhhh- on the beach- the palm fronds swaying in the breeze, the ocean waves crashing on the shore, birds twittering, the sun shining down. Is it any wonder we love this place so much? Great place to refuel!!
The swimming area of the beach. The sand is so soft and clean here. And the beach is rarely ever crowded, as you can see......
Majestic, isn't it?
And so the sun sets on our 2009 trip to St Croix.....Friday night we went out for our first meal in the restaurant. We had prepared and eaten the rest in the bungalow. The Pirate's buffet is quite the grand affair. Much scaled down from when we first went there, but delightful, none-the-less!!
We got great seats and got there early enough that we were able to eat right away and not have huge lines. The one day at the beach a little sand crab came over and sat very close, observing us as closely as we were observing it. Eli was suddenly attached to my body, but from the safe confines of my arms was able to somewhat enjoy seeing this creature up close. It was, therefore, with a little trepidation that I brought back the half of the crab with the long legs to the table at the restaurant. I was concerned he might be afraid of them.
Boy was I surprised! I took the first leg and broke it open. The meat came right out!! I dipped it in the butter sauce and he gobbled it up and picked up the pliers they had at each table and tried cracking his own crab legs!! He also loved the shrimp. And the "hot" catchup- the shrimp sauce.
He tried a little of everything, but kept coming back to the crab legs and shrimp- the cheese cake was pretty convincing for him, too..... We finished a little early, but wanted to stay for the show- the Macko-Jumbie were to come and perform. So, I whipped out my Mommy bag stuff I had brought with us. We colored, read a book, spoke some spanish to the folks seated behind him- "hola" he was saying to them.... and then I got out Gabby, his phone.
Here he is having a conversation with his phone....We saw our friends, Chris and Angela, who invited us to join them so we could see the Macko Jumbie better. They are the guys that dress up in costume and come out on really high stilts. Well, the first came out. He was already past tired- the entertainment started after 9..... so when he saw this black and white character, he freaked out. Tim was holding him and he burrowed his head into Tim's shoulder. I asked him if he was OK and he scrambled onto my lap.
The next Macko Jumbie dancer came out. I had been whispering into Eli's ear that they were just men like Papa dressed up and on high sticks. He began looking at Tim and then at the MJ's- then he pointed at them and said- Papa??? Noo, honey- just men dressed up- men like Papa....
Chris gave Eli a handful of dollars to give to the MJ. I scooped him up to take him out. He was trying to give the money to whomever would take it- finally we got out on the floor with the 3rd dancer- Eli gave him the money, and he stepped right over our heads!! Eli got into it after that- as long as his arm was around my neck.....
We left that night a little after 10- and Elisha was sooo very tired..... and wired..... we walked down by the swimming pool. I knew from previous years that that is where they go to remove the costumes. I thought it might help if he could see them without their masks on. He seemed to enjoy seeing them.
So, now he skips across the room and holds his little leg up in a great imitation of the MJ's. I pretend I'm giving him money- and he pretends to stuff it up his sleeve- just like they did. Our son is sooo observant!! So, after a lot of dancing around, lifting his leg up in the air, and reviewing all that had happened, we put Eli down.
He almost immediately fell asleep. This is a picture of nap time. He slept soo well while we were here- probably all the fresh air and sunshine :0) You can see he didn't move....Ahhh the blissfully innocent sleep of our children....
Here we are, checked out, packed an ready to go home- our family photo on the beach :0)
Eli fell asleep as we were headed to the airport. The carseat allowed us to use the car's seatbelt- here I tucked a diaper in- his head had been hanging on the seatbelt- we figured it couldn't be comfortable- suppose he'll ever forgive me for putting this up on the blog..... :0)We got to the airport and went through security. At the final checkpoint, as our bags are going through the scanner, I was ready to carry Eli through. They asked me to put him down and let him walk. So, boarding pass securely in hand, he walked boldly through the big person screener, and when the security guard held out her hand for his boarding pass, he quickly.... gave her five!!! She laughed- then we laughed, too. It was very humorous, but one never laughs at the airport anymore.....
He was very good for the 2 hours we spent in the "holding tank" waiting for our plane boarding. Tim got him all set up- Elmo on the computer, with his new Fisher-Price headphones. We had him straped into his stroller, pushed up to the chair- computer on the chair, headphones on the head- it kept him entertained for almost 30 minutes. He stayed awake for the whole first flight, and was quite hyper for the layover we had in Miami. We walked and ran all over the place trying to get out excess steam.
The next flight left at 9pm. He was asleep soon after getting up in the air. I haven't mentioned so far that I strained my back that day at the beach, digging out sand for the baby pool. My sciatic nerve was killing me- but oh how precious to hold my little guy for such a long time. It was a very uncomfortable journey hip and leg-wise, but my heart sure got it's fill with him resting so securely in my arms.
We arrived at the airport in Columbus about midnight. He woke up when we landed. I got him in the stroller and we made our way up to get the luggage. I had to pee soo bad and I wanted to give him the opportunity to pee and change his diaper. When we got into the rest room, the handicap stall was at the far end- and was as big as a stable stall- but the door was broken- the seat was all the way around the corner and no one was in the airport, so I wheeled him around to the door, left him straped in and went first.
In his half asleep state, I thought nothing of him sitting there. Until he said, "Mommy, where your peni?" Ahh, the things kids say. I laughed so hard. "Honey," I said," only Papa's and Eli's have a penis- Mommys don't have a penis." He looked so sad for me, I had to fight the laughter.
I was so thankful he fell asleep on the way home and was out as we put him in bed. He slept until about 8 the next morning, and when I went up to get him out of his crib, he said, "Mommy, more hotel??" Yes, buddy- it was pretty nice there, wasn't it?
Thank you, God, for time away from our normal lives. Times of refreshing and different perspectives. Times to see more of your beautiful creation. May we always learn more about you!!
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