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Bermuda

On 19th October we were off to Bermuda via a short stay in Miami. The plan was to spend a day shopping for all our boat gear before heading off home. However our flight was late leaving Guatemala City, we didn’t arrive at our Miami hotel until late in the evening. So we only had the morning and until 3:00pm to shop, when we needed to check in for our flight. Next we found out that President Obama was in Miami and there would be road closures. It was a mad dash from West Marine, to 2 different malls and Wal-Mart, back to pack our purchases and to the airport. However we managed to get most items.

Back in Bermuda:

It was great to see the family and especially the two babies, Lily and May.

Lily, Gavin and Katie’s daughter was turning 1 and that was part of the reason we were back, for her 1st Birthday.

May, Kate and Jae’s babe was 7 months and had grown by 6 months since we had last seen her. May was another reason for being home.

Incredible amount of work

However this turned into real working visit. We found an incredible amount of work to get through:

Gavin was moving into my Dad’s house, as the tenants were moving out and Gavin and Katie’s lease was up on theirs. Plus the downstairs area/basement of my Dad’s house was getting a major upgrade: floors, doors in and out, windows, walls finished, electrical, plumbing, just everything upgraded and redone. So we volunteered and were recruited to help with the big move.

John started with the repainting of where Gavin was moving out of and then of my Dad’s place too. Plus he also helped with some electrical, construction, etc, etc. He was away at my Dad’s old house most days.

I had to move all boxes and boxes of my Dad and Mom’s and Grandparents’ gear/heirlooms from the storage at my Dad’s. Transport everything (about 6 car loads and 1 van load), lug the lot up to our porch, sort it and repack and store it in our storage room. Thankfully most days Kate or Jae helped lug boxes up for me. It was quite a task for everyone. (The Barn, a charity, received quite a few treasures)

 

 

Meanwhile I visited each day with my Dad at his “home”.

Lily’s 1st Birthday!

It was Lily’s 1st Birthday! Gavin and Katie had a party for her in a Kid’s party place. It was actually a large area set up just for children with age appropriate activities. All the children partied happily by playing on different activities, parents hovered nearby.

As they were all so young it was the best kind of party. Lily is walking and talking, just a wonderful little girl, very, very active. She keeps her parents and nanny on their toes.

May “cut” her first pumpkin at Halloween

We had fun seeing May “cut” her first pumpkin at Halloween. She looked amazed by the whole experience. Then all dressed up to go out trick or treating she was such a cutie!

Babysitting

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were babysitting and helping with May, (Kate and Jae’s baby), who is now 7 months and just amazing. Kate would go to the stable to ride or teach a lesson, or go for a run and I would take May for a walk or stay home watching her. Gavin dropped Lily off one morning and she and May had a kind of play-date. It was very sweet to watch the two cousins interacting together. Plus we babysat for Lily one evening, while Gavin and Katie were out with friends. This gave us a few hours of bath-time and play with Lily. She is so switched on for a one year old. Also we babysat in the evenings so Jae and Kate could get to go out and enjoy adult times. May became so attached to us it was tough leaving.

Family dinners

For the 1st two Sundays we had family dinners in Chrissie and Ivan’s area upstairs. Then on the day before we left we had a Birthday celebration for me.

The whole family came; again it was a wonderful evening.

 

Jae had caught a few large lobsters and he made Lobster Tempura, it was excellent!

Kate made me a big cake! And she and Jae gave me a miniature bullet to make smoothies on the boat. Gavin and Katie gave me a pair of beautiful Bermuda pink sand earrings shaped as starfish. Chrissie and Ivan spoilt me with a much-needed trip to the hairdressers and Chrissie wrote me a very special memory book.

 

 

 Few hours out in Gavin’s boat

We managed a few hours out in Gavin’s boat. We went towards what used to be the old Canadian base, where we used to go to explored the abandoned buildings and found it is now completely stripped. The new Artemis base for the America’s Cup is stationed there too.

Across from there we found our old mooring was still in place. Then we cruised through the islands in the Sound. They too have all changed from when as a family we used to spend many a day having fun roaming the wild islands of the Sound. Hawkins has been stripped of many trees, homes built and it has been tamed. Long Island looks manicured, not at all how it was when the children were young. Our island, Fern Island, looked much the same. We all have many wonderful memories from our camping days on Fern Island.

Construction is and was well underway

Meanwhile at my Dad’s house where Gavin and Katie had moved, construction is and was well underway. The lower story, is being turned into new rooms. The electrical were being laid, the floors being readied, the plumbing redone. It will be a brand new home when finished.

Chico

Chico is quite the man now, when we travelled home we had a worker here at Catamaran watch and feed him. So he had his own personal cat minder. The guy Kevin is a local and just thrilled with the extra money. Anyway when we got back, Chico looked great, and Kevin was there with him to greet us.  We were told that Chico would make his rounds of all the boats visiting with all the folks aboard. Kevin would also be around throughout the day looking for Chico to make sure he was OK. Chico has made friends with all the workers, many guests and visits most parts of the island/hotel. He is going to be one angry cat when we leave!