Day 41: Surf's UP!

Since we're here for 7 days we decided to spend some one on one time with each of the kids who haven't had any yet.  Today was the day of é.  We started out with a sunrise walk on the beach.  Oh how the stinky beach pales in comparison!

At 10:00 we headed over to Cylinder Beach for his one and only surf lesson!  It's the one thing he's wanted to do this whole trip.  He's not spent much of his personal spending money just so he would have enough to pitch in if it was too expensive.  Not to worry, it was very reasonably priced, just $95 for an hour and a half lesson plus the use of the wet suit and surf board for the whole day.

Stacy was a great teacher from the Surf School .  She was patient and encouraging and kind and pretty--the perfect combination to motivate a 12 year old boy to do his best.

The rest of the day was spent swimming and surfing and burying each other in the sand.

We took a break for lunch and most of the kids opted to stay back at the house to chill in the hot tub-- the bathroom has a spa--but we're okay with them calling it a hot tub.  It makes them feel so much more decadent.  It was in the low 60's (21) and overcast so they were pretty cold once we got out of the water.

After lunch only é and K wanted to go back so we got a little 'small group' time.  It was so much fun!  It was pouring rain and the few people who had been on the beach were scurrying to get out of it.  Not the crazy American's though!  We ran straight to the water--it was a bit cold but only until you got your head wet!  We stayed and surfed and fought the current and just had a great time until it started getting dark.

As we have been fixing our meals this week we realized we forgot some vital ingredients and looking at the local food mart we just couldn't let go of those hard earned pennies just to stick to our menu.  We were discussing what changes we could make when a near by local interjected some wonderful wisdom.  Woolworth's will deliver, even out here, for just $11!  Only problem is, you have to order online.  UGH!! To the rescue again, the local told us about a prepaid wifi box you can rent for the week at a very reasonable rate. DONE!

Groceries ordered, children fed and settled in for a movie, π and I went out to explore.  What fun!!  We found a great shop doing BOGO meals so instead of fixing something for ourselves once we got back to the house, we sat down to a yummy sea food dinner and only paid at home date prices!  Score!

I can't help but feel incredibly blessed and inadequately grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has led and guided us through this journey.  We walk through this vacation as though in a dream where we control the outcome.  Every day is paradise.  I can hardly believe that it's real!