Caribbean Christmas

Our first Christmas in the Caribbean was nice. Quiet, simple, missed our families, but still had a nice time...

Spent Christmas Eve with some of Danny's co-workers

Beautiful sunrise Christmas morning during our pancakes and stocking openings

Kayo slept in

Secret Harbour Beach snowman

Nice sight to end the day!

Escape to Love City

Danny and I escaped Rock City (St. Thomas) and took the ferry to Love City (St. John) on Sunday Funday to explore the east side of St. John where we have never been before now. After our rainy morning ferry ride, it was about an 8 mile (30 minute) cross by safari to the other side of the island to Coral Bay.

The island life is already pretty slow...the east side of St. John takes it even slower. Everyone is real mellow and friendly. Lots of donkeys, goats and chicken hanging out...they are pretty mellow and friendly, too ;)

Of course, only the finest breakfast for us...

Since it was still morning, we just walked around. Pretty quaint town. No lights, one gas station that is closed down, two or three little stores and three or four restaurants.

Main road in Coral Bay

Goats in the mangroves! ;)

This soccer field doesn't need a lawn mower!

We stopped at Donkey Diner for a mimosa and Bloody Mary. The donkeys are really nice. I pet and hugged these two :)

We then headed over to Skinny Legs. It's probably the most popular thing in Coral Bay. You sometimes can catch someone in the states wearing a Skinny Legs shirt. I got a fresh Wahoo sandwich. They had homemade curry hot sauce on the table that turned the sandwich into the best sandwich ever!

Skinny Legs

Then we headed back to Cruz Bay. Had a drink at Woody's, did a little shopping and caught the ferry back to Rock City.

Woody's

Cruz Bay

Santa is coming to town!

Santa will be hanging out with Danny at his store today! And even better...they will be providing mimosas! It's been two years since Kayo's traumatic moment with Santa, so we are going to introduce them again today to make amends.  ;)

I am so happy it's the weekend! Last weekend I worked Sunday at the Ritz children's holiday party and been working late most days. The pay period ended yesterday and I was over 100 hours in two weeks. But now it will all be worth it when I see that overtime $ on Wednesday's check!

Besides all the working, we had a pretty fun week!

On Wednesday, I met a few new girlfriends, (Lelani, Olivia and Miri - They all work with Danny) and went to the spa they all go to's Christmas party. The spa was awesome - In an old house, down a dirt road by the water. Cute inside with art everywhere and painted fun colors. We started off with mango martinis, then acai berry martinis, then moved on to wine. All went back to the store to order pizza and help Danny open and price the over 70 boxes of items that came in at the store for the Christmas sale today. They are getting in some of the coolest stuff. I bought a Columbia shirt the other day - Just a t-shirt, but really really soft - All it has on it is a bear riding a pink bicycle. =)

Then on Thursday, Miri had a holiday fiesta on her beautiful Beneteau sailboat! She went all out - Margaritas and coronas. Homemade salsa, and another homemade mango/bean/cheese salsa. Then delicious beans she cooked for two days, meat cooked in crock pot, fresh tortillas and every taco topping possible! Delicious and good company! Kayo even was invited. His favorite things in St. Thomas are boats and jeeps.

So, last night we took it easy after a long week. I came home to a bottle of wine Danny surprised me with. I made a huge dinner. And since our tree was looking so full and Santa was coming tomorrow, we decided to exchange one small gift we had bought for each other. I think both of us were stoked! Danny got me a blown-glass sun catcher that is shaped like a Sting Ray and it was made at Maho Bay, which is an Eco-friendly camp on St. John. I found Danny a book in an antique store here on Foxy, an old islander man who owns Foxy's Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. We both love the bar and Foxy is amazing. The first time I met him was with my parents and we all danced all night!

...So, we are off to get drunk off champagne with Santa! I will be sure to take pictures!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain

Danny and I haven't had the same day off together since December 4th, so this Sunday we are going some place new on our day off! Definitely over to St. John. The ferry goes in to a town called Cruz Bay - On the opposite of the island is the only other town on St. John named Coral Bay. We've never been there, so I think that is on the agenda. Found a cool painting of Coral Bay online while looking up beaches near by it. 

Danny had Monday off, so he walked to a beach we had never been called Secret Harbour for a little swim and sunshine. Here's a few pictures he took over there.

And then he and Kayo watched a soccer match until I came home. Then headed to Duffy's Love Shack for dinner. :)

"The only blind person at Christmas time is he who has not Christmas in his heart." ~Helen Keller

Made Kayo a new stocking at our Kids Christmas party at work today!

 

Starting to look a little like Christmas - Danny and I both added a few presents under the tree today! Newspaper wrapping of course!

O Christmas Tree...

"Every path has its puddle."

Last night, Danny and I attempted to have a normal night out to have dinner and see the Christmas tree in Havensight. :) Of course it didn't work out normal! We jumped on the safari to cross the island to Havensight, which is where the cruise ships park. It started pouring (really pouring) and never stopped. Took us 45 minutes on the safari because 5 o'clock traffic in the rain. Got drenched running around Havensight looking for this tree that we figured would be 5 feet tall or a palm tree with lights. But we found it!!! Took a few rainy pictures with it :) Lots of giggles - It was fun, but definitely needed cover, food and drinks by this point. We had never really explored Havensight, so every place was new. Grab dinner at Shipwreck Tavern. It was cool. Kind of reminds me of a Flanigan's. Then went over to Dog House Pub. Loved it there. Real laid back, covered outdoors, nice people. They use to allow dogs, but recently were told they couldn't by law. They are fighting it, so hopefully Kayo gets to grab a beer there, too, one day! We only had a dog sitter until 9pm, so we stopped by The Rock casino for one drink and to lose at roulette. Then we took a taxi home.  Fun Friday - A little (lot) of rain isn't going to slow us down!

Rainy Football Sunday on the Northside

Hull Bay

Hull Bay Hideaway

Hideaway Bathroom

Should have sat here instead of watching the Bucs lose again!

Tis the Season!

Kayo and I got festive tonight!

It's not snow, but not a bad view to see while decorating!

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Meet out neighbor, Fred. He usually sun bathes in our yard every morning....

Paradise Found.

Spent yesterday in the British Virgin Islands. Perfect day! No pictures will ever do it justice. Every inch of the BVI is unbelievably gorgeous! We rented a boat in Red Hook with a captain (JC - Who is Danny's boss' husband). It was so nice because he is really familiar with the area being here 10 years and we basically didn't have to think all day.

 

First stop was British customs in Soper's Hole on the west end of Tortola. Funny that I have 4 British stamps in my passport without going anywhere close to England.

We then shot over to the other side of Tortola to a gorgeous beach in Smuggler's Cove.

A local guy from Tortola, Stephen, was setting up a make-shift beach bar and Capt. JC said we should go get a banana daiquiri. So, with his blender hooked up to his car battery, Stephen used bananas growing behind him and rum made in the British Virgin Island. It was a delicious breakfast and only $5!

Then we headed over to White Bay in Jost van Dyke. JC recommended we hit up Soggy Dollar Bar in the morning to avoid the holiday weekend crowds in the afternoon.

We then went to the other side of Jost van Dyke to this very local amazing restaurant that JC turned us on to - Sidney's Love and Peace...

Sidney passed away last year, but his daughter, Strawberry is now running the place.

 

Sidney's Love & Peace is a pour-your-own bar and runs on the honor system.

JC said they catch the conch and lobster every morning. Since Sidney's is on a dock, there are cages underneath where they keep the lobster and conch alive until ordered. We all ordered the lobster sandwich. And we could hear them cracking open the lobster from the bar.

When we first moved to St. Thomas, we went on a Sunday sailing trip with Pam. Jess had just moved into Pam's parents apartment and we met him sailing that day. His girlfriend, Meg, came to town for the weekend and is super sweet.

Rainy during lunch, good thing we had a great place to hang and lots of lobster to eat while the showers moved through.

We then back tracked to Foxy's, which is also on Jost...

After a quick drink, we had just enough time to head back to Tortola. We went in at Cane Garden Bay to walk over to Callwood Distillery which dates back to making rum since the mid-1700s.

Jess, Meg, Danny and I

Callwood is the Caribbean’s oldest, continuously operating pot distillery. We bought two bottles since they do not make enough rum to export and the distillery is the only place to buy it.

Walking through Cane Garden Bay, it kind of remind us of Costa Rica...

There was a cemetery directly on the beach.

...Until we meet again BVI!!! Hope it is sooner than later! (Like next weekend!)