Winter!?? Really!??

Hello from across the waters where it's warm. Today is lovely! Yesterday was winter here but if that is what winter is like here we don't mind and we will take it!! :)

We thought it was still warm but the locals had on beany caps and jackets. It was a bit breezy and cloudy all day but today the sun is back and it's warmed up again. We are just loving the outdoors! I wish I could send you a taste of this weather here today!!

School is going well. I'm a bit concerned that the children are not getting enough of school time but Ariel seems to think they are right on track. She spends about an hour one on one with each of them. She starts with Javon while Jenika and Jordan play card games or do reading then when she is done with him he moves to reading, journal time or games while Jenika takes her time. The leftover time is spent with Jordan and he seems to do well along side of her. I cannot imagine the adjustment when we get back to class but we are not thinking about that yet...:)

We have school notes hanging from the walls around here. Bible memory, site words, spelling words and we are trying to stay on track. We have located the library and we want to visit today after school so they have more reading to do. We are also planning to visit the beach water slide today.

This morning before school I took my camera for a walk to find Jordan. He was fishing off of a pier. He got up about six and headed out on a bike with his fishing line...:) I found him... He had a lovely spot as the sun was rising! He has caught some fish but none of them were keepers yet. Dave told him if we had been depending on him for our meat supply we would all be vegetarians by now! He is in dreamland none the less!...:)

Mark the hunting backpack you gave Jordan for Christmas is getting broke in real good down here! It's perfect for Jordan's fishing gear as he rides his bike!

My walk was about a half hour and I walked the beach back... This was the sights... So lovely!

Dave is busy. We hardly see him during the day. He has meetings and meets lots of people. He is working on getting vendors for the village. He goes into town, asks what is popular and visits the shop. He then gives them an opportunity to meet him at MBV to see if maybe they would want to start another store or even move up here with what they are already doing. He catches up on office stuff early in the morning and again in the late afternoons. He has some meetings on the mainland in the next few days to so he is enjoying the action here. He wakes about four or five and I meet him soon after six at the kitchen table "his office"...:) We go for a run then we have breakfast at eight followed by devotions... The kids wake early here... Must be the weather because at home I can hardly wake them for school but here they are up with me most times! They get ready for school and then the Little's do "Raz Kids" before breakfast.

School starts at nine and goes until twelve.

This morning Dave and I did some phone catch up on the back porch as school was starting... The porch!...:) Here is the view....:)

When we got here MBV was quiet. Most workers were off for New Years. The last few days are bustling here now! Probably about a hundred workers flurrying around. They are doing anything from planting coconut trees, working on sewer, Great House details, painting, digging, pumping water out of the way and much more!

It's so busy back here but it has been great to watch this project take shape from the ground up!... We are here among the dirt, noise and busyness but we are feeling blessed to be a part of this worthy project!

This is the "Rum and Bean" coffee shop... This is the place that the kids want to go every single day (or hour) for a great drink or dessert! We have discussed saving our money for better and more important things. We have decided Mondays after school is the drink day...:) So far it's going well and I don't hear to much begging anymore...:) If the big boys want anything in between they pay for it themselves. They brought money but they are realizing they will soon run out if buying to many drinks from the nearby coffee shop!..:) Oh but they are so GOOD!!!

I was going without coffee. (a whole week) I missed it. We do have a coffee maker here so yesterday I finally got a bag of Belize coffee. This morning I had some after breakfast in my new Christmas mug that came along.... Thanks Mom for the mug I love using it here! It feels more like " back home winter" when sipping coffee from this mug...:) At least I'm not missing out on winter completely...:)

 

We found a back woods Neri's Taco's!... Neri's is the most popular taco place so when Dave approached them about branching out at MBV they told him they already have a sister store up our way! He set out on his morning run yesterday looking for it. He found it and it's close to us. It is great because we can get fresh juice here for six dollars a gallon! Fresh squeezed orange, pineapple, watermelon! The fruit here is like no other!

 

Justin knows his way around by now and we can send him for juice or eggs or anything. It gives him something to do and he enjoys getting to know his way around. He has started "Insanity"! He works out every forenoon and then he wants MEAT! He is pretty much buying his own lunch here.

 

We tried to do breakfast at eight, snack after school, supper at five but it wasn't working. We were not very hungry for breakfast at eight and supper at five just wasn't working. We moved the supper to three o'clock and then a small snack evenings. It works much better to eat when we are hungry and go to bed not so stuffed. I'm sure it will not be a consistent schedule but it seems to be what works the best so far.

 

It's expensive to live here. We try to shop where the locals do and it does help but we are finding that money gets away fast when shopping at all the small shops. There is no "one stop shop" here. It's all different shops for different things. We try to get warm tortilla's every other day. Jordan is doing well on food here. He is eating flour. I decided to try to just let him eat like we do here and see how it goes. So far so good and he is enjoying the soft flour tortillas tons!

 

Jordan is enjoying watching a few crocodiles that are here. They like the banks out along Mahogany Bay and Jordan goes to visit them everyday!

 

My kombucha tea is making a scoby here on the porch! I'm excited to make kombucha here after all! After researching I found there is easy ways to make a scoby from already made kombucha tea. I got some tea bags and sugar here. Brewed it and added the kombucha, set it on the porch and it's making a scoby! Maybe by next week we will have kombucha after all!...:)

Our tummies were a bit sensitive last week. We all had a few days of "adjusting" to the diet change. It's a good thing but it still takes time.

 

My kitchen.... I miss it. I brought some Cutco knives and I'm so glad I did but there are so many things from home kitchen that I wish I had here. I made coleslaw, refried beans, and have done most of the cooking here so far but with limited kitchen tools! We do know where they sell cast iron skillets now so we want to check that out today. (if you don't catch them when they are open you miss it and let me tell you the hours around here are all different... it's called ~Belize Time~! #whateversuits)

 

So far I'm finding plenty to do! The laundry piles up. The sand has me sweeping and washing bed sheets often. I got the bedrooms and bathrooms cleaned this morning during school hours. I try to stay out of the kitchen during school hours since they use the kitchen table but I can still find plenty to do!

 

We are off for lunch, library, water slide.... The day here is true blue with perfect temps... I call it "Pure Island Bliss!" And we are so Happy/Blessed to be here!!!

 

Come visit MBV in the future!! It's future here is bound to be the new "Pine Craft"!!...:)