Hike Beach...We Call It

Because I'm feeling a chill in our air, I'm flashing back to another day in the Caribbean! On our third day in St Maartin, the parents of our small toddlers decided to give the babies a catch up day with some napping and resting in the condo.

Giving the rest of us the perfect opportunity to hike into our favorite beach on the island.


Hiking through the interior of a sweltering, steamy jungle...

with all kinds of crazy plants wanting to poke you...

this jungle hike is not meant for toddlers.  Although a machete would be useful!

After sweating out of every pore and tip-toeing through dozens of land crabs...

We break free of the jungle to this!

An entire day on this secluded beach...

all...

by ourselves!

The snorkelers took no time at all

in prepping for another excursion.

I stayed on the beach...playing with the camera

finding treasures from the sea that had washed ashore.

They found some of the coolest things in the sea that day,

including a school with literally thousands of fish

darting back and forth around our fearless snorkelers.

A baracudda,

which Dean claims was just about as big as Dione.

Call me crazy...

but I don't really want to see a barracuda over five feet long.

That must be the reason why I stay on dry land.

Maybe you should call me smart...not crazy!

These toes belong in the sand not flippers.

My fifteen year old man child is deep in thought...probably wondering what's for dinner. Have I mentioned how much I love his freckles.

A day on this beach feels a little like being on Gilligan's island

without the usual cast of Ginger, Mary Ann

and the rest.

We set up a make shift camp for the day under the shade canopy of the trees.

Dean and I love this place!

Perfect place for a nap.


Perfect place to remember

who is missing from the beach, but always in our hearts!

Although none of us want to...

it's time to pack up and make our way back through the jungle.

Love the reflection in his sunglasses.

Can we come back tomorrow? I'm sure the babies could make the hike!

Summer VayCay-Day 1

I'll admit when we began throwing around family vacation destinations...travelling all the way to the Caribbean seemed a bit crazy. Especially for the Mom and Dad of two under two year olds! It has been over four years since the whole "fam damily" went on vacation together, so this needed to be something deliriously fun for all of us. In upcoming posts I'll share a few of the things we learned while on summer vacation.

For instance...what happens when babies

meet the beach

for the very first time...

absolute delight!

Palm trees on vacation are always a good sign.

The toddler stance is adorable...and altogether gone too quickly.


It is surprising how easy all those Type A personalities in the family can relax in the hot summer sun.

On Day One of a beach vacation, it is very important that you use extra caution and not get sunburned. Basically we dipped the babies in sunscreen every two hours. Not to mention any names, but Bob...ahem...could have used the same dipping.

Don't be surprised if you see pigs running loose on the beach in the Caribbean.

Building a pool for your kids on the beach requires lots of water

and lots of patience.

But the payoff is enormous.

Babies love crawling in

and out of their own personal beach pool

that is just the right size.

Eating sand...

is yucky every time you try it!

A little hidden beach called Happy Bay is just a short hike from Friar's Bay Beach. A naked French man suntanning by himself on Happy Bay...

can even make the snorkel gang pack up and leave. And I seriously did not realize monsieur was still visible in this photo when I took it. Let's play Where's Waldo...I mean Where's Pierre?

Day One is pretty much summed up in this sibling photo. And yes Chet...Dione somehow got your hair "Biebered" rather than the normal straight down comb.