St. John US Virgin Island

 

For Jason's 40 birthday we went on a little get away to St John Island.   It was so nice!  We had such a great time, snorkeling, reading our books on the beach, kayaking, touring the island, and eating good food.  It is a beautiful island and we will definitely go back one day.

Sunday, May 8th, after church we drove down to Sioux Falls spent the night and flew out early the next morning.  Spent May 9-13 on the island.  Flew back to Sioux Falls on the 13th spent the night again and drove home on the 14th.

 

 

leaving St Thomas on a ferry to St John

 

approaching the Caneel Bay Resort on St John

 

 

They told us there would be wild donkey, deer and iguanas.  This is the first thing we say when we got off the ferry and started going to our room. 

 

 

 

 View from our room

 

 

Old Sugar Mill that has been turned into a restaurant.  We ate there our last night.  The food was amazing!

 

 

 

The water was so warm, it was wonderful!

 

We hiked up to this old Sugar Mill the day we toured the island

 

the roads were so narrow and steep

 

Our room for the week

 

"Our Beach"

turtle popping his head out of the water

  We saw so many turtles while we were snorkeling.  We also saw a reef shark one day.

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Welcome Home sign on the driveway :)

We had the Hollan's in our ward come live at our house for the week and watch our kids.  The kids had a great time without us and really weren't ready for us to come home, they were having such a great time.  We are glad they were willing to come watch our kids and take them to school etc, so that we could go relax and enjoy the beautiful island.

1st Lost Tooth

 

Austin lost his 1st tooth!!!...even though it wasn't even loose.

 

A week before Austin showed me that his tooth was getting loose,  well it was barely moving but it was starting to get loose.  Then the next thing I know Jason and I are on our vacation and I get a text from Savannah telling me Austin lost his tooth.  I thought wow that got loose fast and was kind of sad I wasn't there at that milestone with him, so I told her to take a picture so I would at least have that.  That night the Tooth Fairy left $1.25 which he was very excited about.

 

...Later I found out the real story.  It actually wasn't really loose it was just bugging him so he pushed really hard, which really hurt his finger he said, and then it flew across the room and he couldn't find it so he went and told his sisters and the Hollans that he not only lost his tooth but he really lost it and couldn't find it.  They found it very quickly since it was huge with the whole root still attached. :)

 

 

Mother's Day!

Family Fun at the golf course

 

 

Thursday nights are Family Night at the golf course, so we made two back to back tee-times and went golfing as a family. 

Spring Concert

 

The school put on a Spring Concert today.  Each grade sang two songs from a Broadway show. It was so fun to watch.  They all did a great job!  Savannah also played her violin with the orchestra and then the 4th and 5th graders sang "Were All in This Together" from High School Musical.  Savannah loved that they got to sing and even do a little dancing to that song.

Last Family Night with Grandpa

 

In February we found out grandpa had Pancreatic Cancer.  It was a shock to us all.  He has been so healthy and when we saw him in December it didn't seem like anything was wrong.  The family fasted and prayed that he would know if he should do cemo, and live for a few extra months, or just let it take him.  After praying and talking to the doctors it was decided he would start with one round of cemo and then see from there.  It would give him a few more month (the thought as until July)

 

He fell a little while after the decision was made which was, in my mind, another answer to prayers.  He wasn't going to get cemo now, he was too weak, so the doctors sent him home to enjoy the last few months of his life the best he could.

 

The beginning of May was went he fell, the day he fell my cousin had planned a Family Night with grandpa for anyone older then 8.  We debated on whether or not to change it but he felt good enough so we still had it.   Since I am the only one living away, my kids and I FaceTimed so we could watch and participate.

We learned a lot about grandpa that night.  It was a nice night and we could feel the spirit as he bore his testimony one more time to his kids, grandkids and great grand kids.

 

(Brad and his family were the only ones missing but they had had grandpa over for dinner the night before and did the same kind of thing.)

 

 

 

Some things we learned about grandpa that night:

We were poor but we never knew it

1948-1951 served on the USS Grady in the Navy

also served in the Army

Favorite color is Blue

Gardner plumbing 1950

Greatest accomplishment- raising a good family

After grandma died grandpa was doing Sealing in the temple and was asked to sit in on a few.  After they were done the Sealer told him that Lois was standing right next to him.

Favorite Sport baseball

Favorite Scripture- D&C 42:42-47

Favorite Hymn- "I know that my Redeemer Lives"

Favorite scripture story -King Benjamin

Born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT

Didn't play a lot with siblings (he was the middle child, with an older sister and younger brother, both who have already passed away) and did some fighting :)

All slept in the same bed and their legs were always touching his

Could have hated my brother because of all the stuff that happened with the Bear Lake property but I CHOSE not to.  After my mom died I went to lunch with him every month..."I love my brother"

I don't SAY I love you much but I SHOW my love by doing service