Tyson and Barnyard

Hair Cut Extraordinaire I am NOT!

As you can see by the look on Tyson's face I am not the Hair Cutter Extraordinaire! In fact I am not even close. I have watched a lot of hair cuts in my life and figured I could do this.....BOY was I wrong! I ended up calling my good friend and hair stylist back home to find out how to properly cut hair. After a half hour conversation, and a whole lot of encouragement, I began to cut and as you can see from the above and below pictures Tyson wasn't too sure about it.

But I had a plan....I took the lap top and sat it on the toilet next to the shower where the hair cut was taking place, and had "NEMO" playing. The kiddo was entertained. Lucky me! Needless to say the hair cut took 30 minutes and turned out pretty good. But I obviously need a bit more practice, 30 minutes......a little long for a kid to hold still for a hair cut. Gotta get it down to 20 minutes!

My Sleepy Boys

My two tuckered out guys. This is the aftermath of the beach. Of course I wasn't sleeping, I was washing the laundry and prepping dinner. ARG!

Kim Sha's Beach with Daddy

Is this not the cutest kid you ever did see? I think so, but I am also very bias. Tyson posed for this shot so well. He was saying "Hiiiiii" as he does, when this was taken.

The beach was doubly great today because Vaughn got to go with us. He studied really hard all week and took some time off this morning to spend with us. He had a big ol' Pathology test this past week and has a big Pharmacology test this Thursday. He is busy, but we are sure glad he was able to be with us today and I think he enjoyed it as well. Tyson was all about his dad at the beach.Vaughn and Tyson under the shade of the umbrella.

Look really close and you'll see Vaughn in the ocean. Hello "white man." LOL

Megan and Hillary and the Kids. Just some of the girls at the beach the other day.

And The Rains Came Tumbling Down

This time of year is pretty much a raining season with the hurricane season and all starting up June 1st. It is more than likely to rain about every day here, but the rain isn't like home. Back home, if we are blessed to have any rain, it is like water coming from a shower and it lasts for an hour or so. But here it is quite a different story. For example: check out the pictures above. The one on the left is a rain storm across the lagoon, and the one on the right is the same storm headed toward my apartment complex about 30 seconds later. The storms move around here, like a track runner. If you see dark clouds, better have an umbrella or you are going to look like you just got out of the pool. And they don't last all that long either. 10-15 minutes tops. But in that short amount of time, the roads are flooded and the water runs down my roof in buckets. The rain drops are the size of half dollars and they come down in a torrent. I love the rain storms here. Just to see that much rain fall from the heavens is amazing to me, being that in Circleville rain is one of those mythical things you hear about. LOL!

Gorgeous Sunset

Even though we may sometimes complain about the living conditions here on the island, the beauty here just surpasses anything I have ever seen. This picture was taken this evening about 6:45 p.m. right from my balcony. This is what I get to look at every evening. I will miss these moments when we return home to the states. Isn't it gorgeous!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day. We want to wish everyone a wonderful Father's Day. Vaughn is the best daddy and Tyson loves it when he comes home at night to play. In fact you can tell if Vaughn is coming by Tyson's reaction. It is as if the kid has a sixth sense about his dad's whereabouts. If Tyson starts screaming, "Dadda Dadda," Vaughn walks through the door 10 seconds later. We sure do love ya Vaughn. Good luck studying for the BIG Path test tomorrow.

We also want to tell Grandpa Westwood, Grandpa Jackson and PopaD Happy Father's Day. We love and miss you all.

Pelican Key Beach

I loved this beach and I think Tyson did as well. The picture above is of this floating barge out a ways from the shoreline. We swam out to it and let the boys jump off of it. Tyson thought that this was the coolest thing of the day. Since his new found love for jumping in the pool still amazes me, he decided to yet again be Mr. Dare Devil and jump off of the barge into the ocean. He jumped and jumped until the salt water was too much for his eyes and we made the long swim back to the shore. Thank heaven for floaters!! There is no way on this earth that I could have swam holding Tyson all the way back. Luckily he had on his floaters and I would push him along. I used to think I was a pretty good swimmer with some stamina for swimming, boy was I wrong. By the time we got back to the shore I was so tired, I was ready for a nap.

This beach is located behind the Sunterra resort and has such a beautiful view.Peyton and Tyson taking a much needed juice break.The "little fish." He loves to swim by himself.

Laura and I posed with the little boys for a cute picture under the canopy.

All the ladies that went with us: Jill and Holden, Megan, Hillary and Aubrey, Ashley, Reece and Carter and Gavin. Other gals that went were Lisa, and Kara. It was a great day today!!

5 Years.....and Counting

Yesterday was our five year Anniversary. It is hard to believe that five years has flown by us. I still remember our first date up to USU. That doesn't seem like it was that long ago. Then of course we had a 2 year dating time and then Vaughn popped the question to me on Super Bowl Sunday, and that June we were married. WOW!! And now we live on the Island of St. Maarten. Who would have thought our paths would take us to where we are now. Pretty cool if you ask me.. We celebrated our day by going to dinner at "The Warf" in Simpson Bay. We went there last year and decided not to break tradition. Dinner was excellent and we both ate way too much. Vaughn you are the love of my life. Can't wait to see what the next 5 years will bring. Love you!!

Buddies/Great Bay

I've been a little behind in my bloggation about the different beaches we are traveling to, so this is about the beach we went to last Saturday. Great Bay was an interesting beach. Reminded me of the ones back in California that I have been to with all the seaweed and muck. The sand at Great Bay was also interesting. It felt like you were stepping in Oatmeal, a whole beach of it. The sand was mixed with a plethora of broken shells and little pebbles. It was kind of weird to walk in, but very easy to wash off. (that is always nice) Tyson and I found our first nice big sea shells of the island. We always look at the other beaches but never have found any.

This is Laura and I at Great Bay. I take tons of pictures of Tyson and Peyton, but never do get the two of us. I met Laura Laney 1 year ago and we have been buddies ever since then. She has been my angel sent from heaven here on St. Maarten. I don't know what I would do without here. (Shake and Bake Girl)!!

I have been so fortunate to make so many good friends down here and they are all the best gals in the world. If any of them are reading this I just want to tell them, "Thanks for being there for me and Tyson, and for all the fun times." The Spouses Organization really is a blessing and I would be one lost woman without it and the girls in it. They are all so sweet and kind. It will be different to move back to the states and not have that comradory. Good thing for Vonage....I have to keep in touch.

Tyson and I walking the beach. Tyson and Peyton, forever buddies.

A gorgeous view of Great Bay.

Rub a Dub Dub, Tyson is in the Tub

Someday when Tyson looks back on this, years from now, and sees this particular picture, and knows that it was broad casted throughout the whole Internet, he just might yell at me.....HA HA!! That is ok, I couldn't resist it. Lately this kid will not get into the bath tub, or our version of the bathtub a small swimming pool, (hey you use whatever works here on the island) unless he has his "Bob the Builder" safety glasses on. What a character.
I guess it is to prevent the water from going in his eyes? Who knows, but it sure it funny. Love ya son!!!

Aunt D and Bikes

Tyson learned to say "Aunt D" for my sister's name Danielle, while we were home over the break. But he now loves to say "Aunt D" when ever we get on the phone. He thinks that the only person who calls us is "Aunt D". So when we give him the phone to talk and it isn't her, he wrinkles up his nose and hands us back the phone. It is quite comical. Danielle bought me some kick around shorts and hair bands and whenever I wear them Tyson always has to tell me that they are from "Aunt D" as well. What a kid.

Tyson is also on a bike kick. He had so much fun at home riding the 4 wheeler that now he is totally fascinated with any kind of bike. When we walk around the dorms at the medical school, he can see the line of scooters and screams "BIKE, BIKE". So I was bound and determined to get him a bike, but my good friend Laura took care of that. Peyton had a little three wheeler bike that he didn't use anymore and Laura gave it to Tyson yesterday. He loves it. (Thanks Laura you are the best). He has scooted that thing around the apartment and back again, one thousand times, (although our apartment is only 12 by 14) LOL

I know that for Christmas we are going to have to get him a big wheel or some kind of bike, because he loves them. Someone told me today that he is going to be my BMX racer and they are probably right. He'll be ten and already have won several races and have 2 broken arms. WHO HOO look what I get to enjoy. I can't wait!!