THB&D Chavez

2010-04-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a LONG while since I have blogged, but so much has happened today it would not fit on a facebook comment.

As I said, it was not so cold last night when we got here. Even this morning on our way out it was not too bad, but now the weather seems to be moving in.....IT'S COLD!!!!! Then again we do have thin blood.

Thankfully the boys were separated during the flight from Miami to Denver, but Davin ended up sitting next to a boy his age and his family that was quite rowdy (the boy). A good boy, just wound up and of course, D follows along. The antics did not bother the parents, but I ended up leaning across the isle for the whole flight giving D 'the eye' to try to calm them down. I don't think they were annoying anyone but me because they were surrounded by the other family.....but someone had to be the grown-up (mean mommy). I'm not sure what grates on the nerves more, rowdy boys or bickering boys. Which mine were the minute they were reunited.

I do have to say, regardless of how the boys are treating each other, they have been a huge help. The each took care of their own large bag and would take mine if needed. I enjoyed turning around to find the car loaded/unloaded without me even asking. They get their consideration from their daddy. I hope their future wives (many, many years from now) appreciate it. I know I do.

I discovered the level of deprivation we are inflicting on our kids by living in the Caribbean. We spent the day shopping here in Denver and they were so excited about seeing snow that every time they saw a small patch of snow they wanted me to pull over so they could play in it. They got their chance in the parking lot of Chipotle (yummy!). There was a tiny, filthy, black patch of snow that they tromped all over in their new snow boots. Then proceeded to try to make snowballs and throw it at each other. Did I mention the snow was black? Now one set of a very limited wardrobe of winter clothes is now filthy. This was all before I got out of the car......They also tracked the muck into the car and got it all over my LEATHER JACKET!

I also noticed the effect living on a small island is having on my driving. I can't seem to keep my foot on the gas and it was nerve racking driving 75mph! This is coming from a girl who's average speed on the freeway when living in Vegas was 85-90mph!

I do have to add a funny Davin story. While shopping, I was trying on a white jacket and Davin asked if it was like a (men's) suit. I told him it was a bit. So he came over to me and opened the right lapel and looked on the inside lining. He said, "Where is the pocket, Mommy?" Ha! I guess it is not a suit if it does not have the interior pencil pocket :-) I asked him later if he wanted to have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. He said very seriously, "...but it's Thursday."

Off to join the group in Breckenridge tomorrow!

2009 Island Air Event

2009-03-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

Tyson seems to have made some changes in my blog.......I can't seem to be as computer/blog savvy as my sister in law. I am just doing well to post!

This is the 3rd year running that we (Residences at Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman) have been apart of the Island Air Event. Island Air is The FBO (Fixed Based Operation......private terminal) here on the island. It is also where Tyson's office is located. The event is an effort to display the elite options the island has to offer. Cessna is one of the biggest contributors. They bring their jets down for display and allow us plebeians to climb around on them in hopes to make a sale. hee hee, we like to pretend.

There were three jets, and one prop. A few boats....the Riva included....., Audi, BMW, sparkly rocks and of course .... real estate. This year we had a cold front come in ( they keep coming), and it was extremely cold ....for here. The hangar was fairly sheltered, but on the ramp the wind ripped through! I did bring a long sweater which I could have auctioned off and made some money.

A good night....but smaller than the year before, more than likely due to the weather.

Happy Birthday Brayton!

2009-01-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

We now have a 12 year old! So hard to believe!

His choice this year was to have a 'prank' sleep-over. We had 7, twelve and thirteen year olds for the night. Equipped with whip-cream, whoopee cushions, pop rocks, hand buzzers, snapping gum, silly string, etc. It might sound overwhelming, but the group is a great bunch of kids. I think they all had a pretty good time. They spent the evening swimming, playing laser tag, water guns, getting each other with silly string and rounded the evening off with fireworks. Monitored by Tyson of course. Snacks, Pizza, fruit soda, buffalo wings, and Brayton's request....a large cookie cake! (my first attempt.....seemed to be a hit!)

It is easy to put aside Brayton's age because of his height.....until you group his friends around him. One of his friends, Alex, is as tall as Tyson....at 12yrs. old! Brayton has some catching up to do!

With me being a bit handicapped this was Tyson's production. We tried to talk Brayton into postponing the celebration a week, but it only resulted in tears. I did as much as I could earlier this week then handed responsibility over to him after surgery. He did a great job.....I was not much help. I think the hardest part was staying up late monitoring. The boys did stay up later than Tyson could last.....that is when the whip cream came out.

We were one less boy, Davin went to his friends house for the night. We do miss him, but it did help to not have the 'strongest' personality in the house. There are times when the age difference is VERY evident!

The party is winding down as I write this, they are still bopping around the house. Tyson has done a bit of clean up. All in all the house is still standing. I don't think there was any property damage and no one was hurt. I take this to mean it was a successful celebration. Tyson has warned me regarding the bathroom........7 boys using one little bathroom.....ew. Maybe I will call a helper in. :)

***as for me.....I had splints removed yesterday. NOT a fun experience, but quite a relief. I think recovery speeds up from here.

Finishing the year out!

2009-01-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Dad and I went fishing on Dec 31st. We went out just north of the reef, along the North Wall. 3-400 yards out it drops off about 3,000ft. Wahoo or Mahi Mahi were the catch in mind that day. We were dragging a rubber squid about 100ft. behind the boat....... all of a sudden the pole bent and the reel started singing. FISH ON!! Dad was the one next to the pole......Start reeling! After a short fight we saw a grey fish behind the boat......I thought Barracuda or wahoo....then the sword was apparent....Dad had landed about an 80 lb sailfish. We did not have any gear for such a catch. Pretty much unprepared! Dad brought it along the side of the boat, while I grabbed a beach towel to grab it's sword.

After two fights in hand we were able to get some proof pictures and release the hook! It then slowly and gracefully return to the depths of the Cayman blue water.

What a way to finish 2008!!

Christmas Day

2009-01-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Merry (belated) Christmas!

There is so much to catch up on, I will take it one event at a time. It was quite a whirlwind holiday.

Christmas Day was incredible! Warm, clear, no wind......perfect! We spent the morning opening presents (Davin did NOT get his two front teeth :))and at about 10am we headed to the beach. We set up camp. Bagels and lox, fruit and drinks......Yummo! We had visits from different friends all day. The beach has a unique feel on Christmas day, very few tourists, and full of celebrating ex-pats. There was even a Christmas tree!

At 4pm we packed up and headed home to grill our Turkey. We had a very simple dinner under the stars on our back patio.

2008-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are here! We feel it in the vibe of the island.

The one with the red crown!

The Holidays are here! We feel it in the vibe of the island.

One more week of school!

I just had Parent Teacher conferences for both boys. Davin is doing well and his teacher thinks he is the sweetest boy ever. She has moved him up to the higher math class......it seems to come to him quite easy. His reading continues to improve and he likes to help the other students that are struggling.

Brayton has around 10 teachers....Whew! The school held the conferences in the auditorium with ALL the teachers set up at desks around the room. The parents were to 'teacher hop' around the room. I did make it to almost all of his teachers. Funny.....almost everyone of them expressed how impressed they were with Brayton pulling himself together the last few weeks. If you have read my earlier posts, you might see that he had a bit of a rough time with transitioning over to the High Side. We have noticed a settling in at home as well. He seems to have returned to the old Brayton......taking initiative and enjoying his education. We are working on his organizational skills and have drastically cut his extra curricular activities. We started out with a bit too much.....live and learn.

>DaviSPAN>n was a Wise Man in the school play today. He has been soooo excited about it for weeks.........he voiced his reminders AT LEAST twice a day for the last several weeks, in typical Davin fashion. He did very well with his one line, and his singing. You could see his gaping smile from the back row. He now seems to think he is on stage whenever he sings. You can't miss his little voice in meeting or singing grace.

Brayton is busy preparing for his x-mas concert. He has had several before school practices (Ick). The big night is Monday....It is a pretty big night for the school, as the tickets have to be purchased. All proceeds go to their music program. Brayton is inviting everyone to come see him play the trumpet. He is a bit sad that Bacca and Grandma won't make it in time to see him.

Then on Tuesday Brayton is in an inner-primary school sailing race......did I say we slowed down on activities?...........It is supposed to be an all day thing. From what I hear St. Ignatius wins every year. Brayton is partnering up with his buddy Cameron, I guess they are quite the sailors. I will try to post pictures from both events.

As for Tyson and I.......the holiday season keeps us quite busy. Events and engagements fill our calendar. It gets a bit hectic but things soon slow again after the new year..............well supposed to.

******Oh! Almost forgot.....After a the long wait for season opening, and then a wait for appropriate weather.....Frustrating......we got our start on Lobster season last weekend! Tyson brought in the mother of all Lobsters......41inches from whip to tail.....tail was 11inches. Delicious!

'Winter' is here!

2008-11-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

I think it is safe to say that hurricane season is over! We had several weeks of windy, rainy weather which has been quite depressing. But I think our 'winter' weather has begun! It is sunny again, in the low 80's with the humidity quite a bit lower. With the weather come the in-flow of the tourists. We are not complaining though, the island seems to 'wake-up' a bit during this time.

We had a great night at Taste of Cayman. The restaurants of the island show off their culinary expertise, and share it with us. I think there was a record turn out. Many of the booths ran out of food. One thing Cayman is not short of is great restaurants. Yummy!

Our thanksgiving dinner was at one of our only American friends (we have 3.......American that is :)). They have just finished building their house in Governors Harbor. Very nice.....great canal views. It felt very weird though....It not being a holiday here. No time off school or anything. Tyson and I went and sat on the beach for an hour that afternoon and tourist watched. Only a 2 fanny pack warning that day ( 2 ships in port).

Lobster season opens on Monday! Tyson is taking the day off work Tuesday and we will go out on the boat while the boys are in school. We are crossing our fingers for good weather.

Brayton continues to improve with the trumpet, and Davin is losing more teeth.

We are all looking forward to Mom and Dad coming!

2008-11-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Whew!

Another one under our belt with minimal damage.....at least for Grand Cayman. Our sister islands did not fare so well.

This one really crept up on us. We did follow our hurricane plan....only had to combine Day #5,4,and 3 into one day. Tyson flew us off island on Thursday and the airport was closed 9am on Friday morning. Shaunna, Tyson's hurricane "buddy", caught up with us on Saturday morning.
We buckled down and monitored the storm, Waiting to see if relief efforts were necessary. Luckily ......there were not! I did get word that a tree fell on my car and the roof was damaged (Small hole, should be able to patch). Yikes! That seems to be the biggest casualty of the storm. There were a lot of trees down and a few power lines as well.

We hung out in Florida while Tyson did what work he could. I got a bit of shopping in......have to get it while I can. We returned home today via American Airlines. Tyson went on to Indiana for recurrent training. We were greeted by a listing island. Trees, plants, and street signs were all leaning to the west. We have been listing to the clean up efforts...chainsaws and gardeners all evening. The only obvious affect of Paloma.

While we were gone Davin lost one of his front teeth. He has got a huge gaping, hole in his mug and he talks with a lisp even more. I will post pictures as soon as possible. There seems to be several more loose.

Next on the agenda..........planning our American Thanksgiving. There are not many Americans here, but we still need turkey!

*****Computer problems last night....I was not able to post. Quick update from today.....I just received a call from Brayton's trumpet teacher telling me that if he continues on the path he is currently on, he will be the best trumpet player in the school and maybe even the island before his time. It is quite amazing because he just started this year. I am told that he is the keenest of keen players.....his instructor is British. At least there is one subject we do not have to nag him to put in more effort!

2008-10-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

This ended up being our first weekend in a long time that we did not have any obligations..... soccer, baseball, etc. We took advantage of the freedom to have a family day.

On a sad note, a recent act of violence has turned our island upside down. A young Caymanian woman was murdered last weekend. This is an unheard of happening. We joined in a memorial walk Saturday afternoon. It was an amazing turn out... I think more than half the island endured the heat, and participated.

Later that afternoon we headed out to the Barcadere, a new marina on the island, who was hosting Earthrace. A cool futuristic boat that runs on 100% Bio Fuel. It broke the around the world record by 2wks. Right now the are cruising it around the world stopping where ever they are invited to showcase the vessel. A crew of six in a very tiny cabin. The boys were pretty impressed.

The weather is not so great today. We will spend a quiet Sunday inside. The boys are now on half term break. They will not go back to school for a week and a half. We've got to find things to keep them busy! Hopefully the weather will clear up.

2008-10-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

< Tyson's birthday fishing trip with buddies Mike and Joey

Brayton and Davin @ Bullard's Bar, CA

Our Sunset Grills!

Wow! Ok.....It's been awhile. Time seems to FLY by.

If you kept up with tropical weather this summer, you saw that we had a very active season. We only evacuated for Gustav, but got a bit of weather from Ike as well. Our beaches a water were pretty stirred up. At one point you could have surfed on Seven Mile Beach, which is unheard of! It is normally pretty flat. October has turned out to be very wet. It has not been beach weather for awhile. We have a few lows in the area, but nothing threatening.

Brayton and Davin have started school. Davin is in Year 3 (2nd grade) and Brayton is in Year 7 (6th grade) and has transferred over to the "High Side".........yes high school. There is no middle school in the English system, so straight in with the big kids......YIKES! It has been quite a transition for Brayton.......AND Mom and Dad.

Along with additional educational responsibility, this is the busiest we have been regarding after school activities. Both are involved in soccer and sailing.....different days of course. Brayton is also in a pre-season baseball, and playing trumpet. He was in the swim club, but it was just too much. Starting next week he will be in the Jr. golf programme, luckily......baseball, soccer will be finished. Whew! He also has by special invitation, has been asked to enter in an island Junior sailing race on the first of Nov. I will have to post pics of that.

Everything is pretty much status quot for Tyson and I. Tyson is STILL traveling back and forth between Grand Cayman and Florida. Although, only as far as Fort Lauderdale. The Saab project is coming to completion.....thanks to the efforts of a new company. The certification is still going to take awhile. As for me........I'm just trying to keep up with everyone!

Friday evening Gustav update

2008-08-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

I suppose I will be sending brief updates as the storm progresses over our island. If anyone is interested there is great info on stormcarib.com. Just click on Cayman Islands and there are several posts from those who are on the island, and what they are seeing. I don't think there is any getting around it.......We are getting hit. To what extent?.....remains to be seen. It sounds like the outer bands have started to move through this afternoon. Power in and out on Little Cay and The Brac, sounds like gusts up to 50mph already! Center is still over 100mi away. Sea surge 15ft on LC. The sister islands about 90+mi from us. NHC plans on hurricane conditions until 5am tomorrow morning. It is going to be a long night.

Tyson and Shauna worked to day on their relief supply list. Shauna has a spread sheet of items needed, which store to purchase at, and cost. Our mantra......"I really hope we don't need this!" They also have planes, generators, d-sal units lined up. I know the island is in a much better place than it was during Dean, but it is all about the unknown. We should have a better idea of what we will be going home to tomorrow morning.

Brayton has JUST now realized the extent of our worries. We took a little break yesterday and drove to Miami to catch up with some of our friends down there. We were thinking of doing a sleep-over with the kids, but were not prepared for it. Got away with the promise of TRYING again. Brayton was pushing the issue today when I tried to explain where our minds were at. My comment was " What if the storm destroys our house.....what if it destroys your school.....? His reply was a very worried "whhhaaaat?" I think it finally sunk in.

We have tried to keep them busy. I took them to the pool for awhile today, and then took Brayton school shopping. They desperately needed to be split up. They are behaving pretty ok for being cooped up in a hotel room.....but....you know.

Until next time....

2008-08-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

With the onset of Gustav, I thought it might be a good time to update the blog. I know it has been awhile.....:} Sorry....technical difficulty with pics, so just info this time.

Tyson, the boys and I left Cayman Wed. morning in preparation for Gustav. We knew we were early to leave, but Tyson had a meeting in Ft. Lauderdale that his boss did not want him to miss. He was instructed to take Shauna (his hurricane buddy, assistant for relief efforts) and his family IF he was concerned.......well he was. Tyson's Wed. flight was the only guaranteed opportunity for us to get out of the way. There was no way he could leave us behind. So the boys and I tagged along. We had a smooth flight into Ft. Lauderdale and set ourselves up at the Courtyard at the executive airport.

Poor Shauna stayed up till 1am trying to get her office and responsibilities covered before she left. It was her first "small" plane flight, and a bit of stress of what she was leaving behind. As we experienced last year during Dean, the effect weather....the unknown.....can have on our lives.

Wow! Gustav is a turtle! We are in "hurry up and wait" mode. Almost seems to go backwards! We did prepare the house.....shutters are the landlords responsibility.....but I don't think we did as much as we did during Dean. Optimistic? Complacent?

The reports that are coming back from the island, it sounds like there really is no panic. The tourists have been evacuated or sent to shelters. There seems to be no mad rush for supplies....busy yes...but not insane. Airport as well. Most seem to be staying on island, but batting down the hatches. Even thought the track of the storm is more certain to pass right over us everyday.

We are now under hurricane warning. Which means hurricane weather expected within 24hrs. The winds predicted at 75mph+ sustained, storm surge 1-3 ft. and almost 2ft. of rain.......Those who don't know.........we are a sand bar. Our highest elevation is 60ft....that is the landfill. Proper land elevation....20ft...? Our house is about 6-9ft above sea level. Hmmm.

I am coming to the conclusion that August in the Caribbean is exhausting! We have one more Tropical Storm and 2 more Invests to follow. Whew!

On stand by!

Chef Brayton

2008-05-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

If anyone has done research on restaurants in the Caribbean, they know that our Blue, at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman in rated #1. The head Chef, Eric Ripert from the Le Bernardin in New York, has achieved the coveted 3 stat rating. While having Michael Ryan over for a casual BBQ, he was chatting with Brayton about his interests. Immediate answer; COOKING! Impressed, Mike set up a unique experience the following week. Eric Ripert was scheduled to come to the island for his periodic visit. Tuesday night Brayton was invited to 'shadow' Chef Ripert in the Blue kitchen! Being that I am 'Mom', I got to follow along as well.

The dining room was closed that evening for a private party of 33. We first got the tour of the Blue kitchen and the Periwinkle kitchen, the al fresco restaurant across the pool. Brayton was outfitted with a chefs hat, or toque, and an apron. Too cute! Most of the prep work had been completed earlier so Brayton got to help with a bit of the cooking and platting of the entrees. He got a little burn taking shrimp out of the oven (you have to check out that pic with all the head chefs crowded around Brayton), but he was tough enough to continue and keep busy. Chef Ripert and the entire staff doted on him! I think he even has a crush on Chef Julia who works on the cold-prep side, plating desserts.

As for me, I got to be a fly on the wall in a gourmet kitchen! Of course we got tastes of everything, and they catered to us as if we were in the dining room. It was like having my own kitchen reality show. Even though it was a quieter evening due to the private party, they were fully staffed. I was sooo impressed on how efficiently the kitchen ran, and how respectful everyone treated each other. Chef Eric Ripert is too cool!

All in all, an experience we will not soon forget!

April 22nd

2008-04-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Our Legends Tennis weekend was incredible! It was the biggest sporting event Grand Cayman has seen. I think almost the whole island was there. We could not walk 2ft without seeing people we knew. Seeing the pro's action in person gives you a completely different outlook on Tennis. We had the West side bleachers on Sat. which caught the breeze off the North Sound, but sat East side and in the center on Sun., Wow! Hot! No breeze! I did not get the temp of the day, but today was 90, and with the humidity, 107. It was just as hot over the weekend. Thankfully, we found empty seats on the west side for the last match between Jim Courier and Wayne Ferriera. Courier took the trophy! They were dealing with the heat as well. Earlier in the week, McEnroe showed his colors. I think the behavior is on Utube. He was asked to tone it down for Fri and Sat. He contained himself until he chewed out a ball boy for not having a ball ready. Eeek! He got some boooo's for that. Our boys did well, after giving them serious lecture on behavior expected at an event like this. We were not able to get them to the Kids Clinic with the pro's due to T-ball interference. Oh well, it was a good weekend.

......A little break. Had to go to Brayton's baseball game. He got a home run! Talk about a proud mom. Brought 3 runners home........I guess that means it was a Grand Slam! Next up he got a solid base hit....first pitch. Too cool!

Tyson in Florida. Hopefully back on Thurs.

uuuuuhhhhh......a little late in posting this. I was waiting for pics that were on Ty's computer.....and then well.....life gets in the way :}

April 12th

2008-04-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, I defiantly need to post more often. I don't know if I can fill everything in.

Mom and Dad did make it down last Sat. It was too rough for the boat, so we headed straight to the beach. Played for awhile, then I had a seaswim later in the afternoon. The first one of the season. The water was pretty rough and there was not great visibility....but it was 800m of fun! I did ok. Not my best time but I did get 2nd in my age group. Next one May 10th!

We had 3 days of beach, I think Mom and Dad enjoyed it. I know we did. They headed back to Florida on Tues for their carwash convention....back to work. Tyson went up and stayed with them while he was there checking on the plane. He came back to us on Friday afternoon, then headed straight to our baseball evening.

Brayton won his game, they worked hard for it. Davin's game this morning I guess was not so wonderful. The whole team was out of sorts and did not play very well. Oh well, they are learning loads.

We are heading to the schools spring carnival this afternoon........yeay.......It has been very warm and humid. A little earlier than last year it seems, so the carnival is going to be endured........we promised the boys.

Tyson is on his way out again tomorrow. A quick trip out to the west coast to ronde vu with his boss. They will be back on Tues. night.

We are all excited about the pro tennis tournament that is being put on by the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton this weekend. It is a big thing to get a proper tournament here with big name players. We will be attending on Sat and Sun. Tyson may have to work it on the other days. I will try to post some pics.

April 2

2008-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well.......guess I slipped a little. Due to traveling, computer problems, and being back to reality.......I've neglected the blog. Sorry!

Davin did finally break his fever, and we got a little bit of time with Noah, Ashton and Dillon on our last night there. The boys hit it off as usual....Dillon is sooooo sweet! It was good to touch base with Troy and Delane. Our visits are to far between.

We had a smooth trip back to Orlando on Wed. Tyson retrieved us and brought us back to Ft. Pierce. Ugg.....3hr time change. The boys and I did not stir till 10a.m. Tyson finished up his business and we took off for Grand Cayman. We had a bit of a headwind....took us almost 3hrs to get home, but we made it......event free. I had to be up-and-at-em for work the next morning.

Saturday morning Davin had a baseball game. He got 2 awesome hits but got called out both times because he threw the bat! Even after extensive lectures he said " that is what the fence is for!"......ahrug! Afterwards we took Joe and Jen and their friend Mike and his son Mike out on the boat. What a great day! Stingray City was awesome as was the snorkeling. Then hit the volleyball around at Kai bo. We come home and grilled steaks and the last 2 lobster tails. Yummy!

The boys are now back in school.....I dont think they are quite back on our time zone. I still have to drag them out of bed in the morning. We are back in the swing of things for the most part.

Brayton had is baseball game on Tues night. He made it home twice and stole a few bases....in the field he played 3rd and defended the base well. He was VERY pleased with his performance. He is very confused at the fact that sometimes he is 'on' his game and then the very next day perform not so well. I told his it is called getting in 'the zone'. And that 'the zone' is a bunch a different factors leading up to playing your best. His next question ' Mommy........how do I get in the zone?' ........Don't we all wish we knew the answer to that!

Tyson left this morning to Ft. Pierce. He will be back on Sat a.m. Mom and Dad should be tagging along behind him. They are in Orlando for a carwash convention, and since we could not head north.....they decided to use their off days to come see us. The weather has been beautiful......hope it continues for them.

Oh! Forgot to mention....tyson got a helicopter ride on Monday. There is only one helicopter here on the island. He flys tours and contracts with the police dept. He is CONSTANTLY flying. he took Joe and Mike Sr. and Jr.....they came back grinning from ear to ear! I will post some pictures later.....Tyson has them all on his computer.

I think that catches us up! Till next time!

March 24th

2008-03-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

A little slow on getting the Easter day report out.......

Davin woke up with a temp again. Weird....no other symptoms, maybe a bit of coughing.....glassy, puffy eyes, and a fever. So.......Cousins had to stay home. We didn't want to subject them to another round of ick. Auntie Carla came for lunch, so we had good company....but we still miss our boys!

Mom, as usual, put on a spread. We have LOTS of leftovers. It was actually warm enough to sit outside on the patio for the meal.....beautiful day! After lunch we did the Easter egg hunt. Brayton and Davin had to find 72 eggs on their own!......told you we missed our other boys! At Davin's request, we made deviled eggs with the 'real' eggs, but we never made it to dessert. The deviled eggs ended up being our evening snack. We had a bit of a late night......Ty had to leave early this morning....so we took advantage of our time.

Davin had a fever again this a.m.......uggh! What do you do. The boys have been couped up for a few days in the house, and they wanted to go to Chuck-e-cheese. Hmmmm......not so much what mom wanted to do. Bacca and Grandma offered to take the boys while Carla and I got some more shopping in. I'm sure the boys had a blast......Carla and I sure did. Davin has been asleep since I got home at 6pm, so I have not gotten his input.

We are hoping to make it to see the nephews tomorrow. I might be just Carla and I, due to the little sickie. One way or the other I need to see my nephews!

Another round of tuna tonight! YUMMY!

March 21st

2008-03-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

My boy's are sooooo bummed! Our plan was to have cousins Noah and Ashton for a sleep over tonight.....Davin spiked a fever last night. He woke up this morning ok.....we waited to see how he did.....he ended up spiking again late morning. With as sick as my nephews have been....we gave the option to Troy and Delane. Completely understand.....they do not need to be sick again. We are giving Davin another day to get healthy.....hopefully he will be ready for tomorrow. Grandma has a great feast prepared and of course baskets and eggs for the hunt. As much as Davin is disappointed.......he has been agreeable to take it easy so he can get better for Easter Sunday. Hopefully Troy and Delane are not scared away!.....but we totally understand.

Colored eggs today....made a mess of grandma's kitchen. But we got it done. FYI.......the 'speckled eggs'......terrible mess.

Carla is coming tomorrow.....can't wait to see auntie!

2008-03-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day for skiing! It was a boy's day. Dad and Tyson took the boys to to Mt. Rose for the day. Bright and sunny......but cool and a little windy. They all came home with sunburns. Sounds like Brayton spent more time on the snow that on his skis. He says ' I KNOW how to ski Bacca'......notice the missing ski in the pic. Davin tired out sooner than Brayton. Tyson took him in for a hot chocolate.....but Brayton was NOT ready to quit! Dad took him for a few more runs. They all came home whooped! Troy called tonight and wants to go to Northstar tomorrow.....sounds like the boys will drag their tired bodies out of bed to go again!......Wish I could go.

Mom and I did a bit of shopping today; Trader Joe's, Kitchen store, Camera store, Ross and Wal Mart. Did enough damage for one day. Had lunch at P.F. Chang's YUMMY! We got Easter dinner and Easter baskets set up.....ticking my list off!

Had our first portions of the tuna Dad and Ty caught in New Orleans last month and artichokes! Another YUMMY! Would fill you in more on the trip but I cannot get Tys to add his part to the blog...and I was not there. The went 90mi off the coast of Venice, LA and caught 43 tuna (yellow and black) and took home 50lbs each of meat. Trying to get ours home.

Showed off some Pics from home.........kind of had the feeling of being homesick......water, warm weather...etc :)......would not trade this for the world though!

March 19th

2008-03-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

2nd day in Reno. Not a busy day....but we are on vacation.....and I am trying to be faithful in my entries. LOVE all the responses, it is very encouraging.

Much colder today. The boys had to come in after a while outside to warm up (62 F). I spent the day wrapped up in blankets and in front of the fire. It is supposed to snow tonight, and if it clears tomorrow, the boys are anxious to ski!

Brayton and Davin are soaking up grandma spoiling them, and enjoying their free reign of grandma's house. They are now water-safe enough to fish on their own, sans life vests, off the dock.....think they are eating more of the bait than the fish are.........lunch meat. No catch yet.

Tyson arrived here tonight. He is taking two days of vacation to catch up on family........although he is never really on 'vacation'. He cannot get very far from his black berry, but it is nice to have ALL of us here.

It will be in his hands to get the boys squared away on their skis.....as I am nursing a bruised tailbone. Mom asked me what in the world I was doing on roller blades at 34years old! Tried to walk the lake today and realized that even 2weeks after the fall, I am NOT 100% yet. Looks like I might even miss a snowmobile trip. NO FAIR!!!!! Have to make up for it with some shopping! :)

2008-03-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

After enjoying my sister-in-law's family blog........I have given in! We will see if I am as faithful as she is with her entries, and as exciting......no new babies here!I am not going to go into much past history.....everyone knows we have been living on the island of Grand Cayman for over a year now. We are constantly questioned by not only 'mainlanders' but our fellow islanders if we are happy and are we enjoying island life. Always the same answer....we are loving it. We have been told by those that have been on the island for years, that if you can make it a year with out being ready to 'turn tail' and run...........we're in!

Brayton is finishing his year 6 ( 5th grade) and Davin his year 2 (1st grade). They have adjusted well and are now 'island boys'. Brown, blond and swim like fish. We are now entering baseball season, and between two boys participating it is a big commitment. The ballfield is our second home!

Tyson is still commuting from Cayman to Florida, trying to get the big.......never ending......project completed. The plane is making progress, but it is a bit painful. He IS flying now though. They have purchased an Aerostar......6seater....our 'little plane', to get Tyson and his boss around until the 'big one' is done. He is much happier now that he is in the air!

I am working 2days a week at an orthodontist office. I call it a cheater job, but it gives me a bit more structure to my week. We are a group of Americans at the office, which is unusual, but we all work well together.

At the moment we are in Reno at Mom and Dad's, on our spring break. We are planning to get some skiing in....or snowboarding in Brayton's case. Did the bowling today......Cayman doe not have a bowling alley. Hit Taco Bell and Chevy's so far.......for the same reason. Have a bit more on our list, but we are slowly ticking off.Starting this on Dad's computer.....not sure what kind of pics I can post....but I'll try.