Finally...a Sunny Weekend in Paradise!

Sooo...Michelle and I have been going a little stir crazy in the past few weeks.  It's monsoon season here in the Bahamas which means that it rains at least once a day on average.  This is not a light shower, mind you.  It's like tropical storm force rain that comes on in a split second and produces power outages (at least on my side of the island) and ear splitting thunder.  The fringe benefit of all the rain is...well nothing really.  It means you can't enjoy the best part about being here AND Matilda has adopted this weird "storm freak out mode" so for the duration of the storms this is what I deal with:

Yes.  That's a 65 lb. fur baby literally in my lap.  What you can't see or hear is her shaking like a leaf and literally crying and whimpering like a little baby.  A few times she's forgotten that I'm here and when the thunder wakes her up from sleeping on my bed, she jumps up and just starts howling.  Like something straight out of the 101 Dalmations barking chain.  Then I call her and she comes bounding into the living room into my lap and tries to make herself as small as possible.  Such a tough life for a city pup...

But today, we FINALLY got to enjoy a day in paradise.  It was a quintessential gorgeous day at Taino Beach today and Michelle and I went down and lounged on the beach and watched the regatta that's going on this weekend.  It was so picturesque!  Like something from a movie set.  See for yourself:

Gorgeous right?!?  The boats and the beach...not necessarily the legs.  But I'll tell ya, I am intensely proud of my Bahamian tan!  It has been many moons since I was this tan, and it feels really good to not be able to see through your skin! ;)  Anyhoo, we had a nice afternoon today.  The Bahamians are really not into the boat end of the regatta (that was my favorite part...minus the start pistol that made me want to hit the pavement in preparation for a gang war...).  The Bahamians get into the party after the sun goes down (I can actually hear their music right now and they're about a half mile up the road...), but they were nice enough to provide us with a few lounge chairs and an umbrella that just made today perfect.  

We also banked on some pretty amazing pieces of beach glass!  I am REALLY excited to get home and do some antique shopping (Bernice and Nicole will be very disappointed by that statement I'm sure...).  I'm looking for a few antique fobs so that I can do this with my beach glass for a few ADKOF pieces:

I cannot wait to do this.  What a neat concept!  At any rate...we are headed to Taino tomorrow assuming the weather stays gorgeous again.  In honor of the fact that we are halfway done with this semester and officially only have 7 weeks left before we're home, I've started a ticker over here on the right -->.  Almost there!!

I'm Hosting This Week!

Welcome to Caribbean Daydreaming newbies! I'm so excited that you stopped by! I'm a former teacher living in the Caribbean (Freeport, Bahamas to be exact) being a housewife while my hubby goes to medical school. I am a fairly new blog, but I'm so excited to be gaining new followers! If you're a new follower via this hop, be expecting me to follow you back! I always do! Happy hopping!

Rach

Welcome to the I Love My Online Friends 'GFC' Hop. Last week we had 157 link ups. Our goal is still that magic number 180! Let's see if this is the week for it. For more info on the hop and guest hosting, please read HERE Well, are you ready? Let's go hopping! RULES FOR THE HOP

1. Please follow your host and the fab five on Google Friend Connect (GFC).

Tami @ The Things We Find Inside
Fotini @ Glamorous, Affordable Life
Rachel @ Caribbean Daydreaming
Myranda @ Pretty Living PDX
Melissa @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders
Jill @ Create.Craft.Love.



2. Link up your homepage and start hopping around. Remember, this is a blog hop, you've gotta do some hopping in order for it to truly be worth your time. When you get a new follower it's always nice to return the favour. Visit their blogs, leave them a comment and/or return the follow.

3. You are not required to, but it would be great if you could tweet/like/pin/share this post and/or grab the button and share it on your blog. The more people that see this hop, the more blogs for us to visit and the more followers we gain.

Thanks and Happy Hopping!

<center> <a href="http://www.thethingswefindinside.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="The Things We Find Inside" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQQO4y1R9vw/UDv1rKjHC-I/AAAAAAAACmg/q46pmXPeQDE/s1600/fb2.jpg" /></a></center>  

Live the Good Life

I'm learning the nature of God a little every day while I'm here in this phase of my life.  I'm reading through the Bible using a chronological plan.  Right now I am at the beginning of Deuteronomy.  During other times in my life when I've tried to tackle reading the Bible "cover to cover" so many parts of the Old Testament were boring, and confusing, and didn't seem to apply in any real way to my current situation.  But now, I am fully and wholly identifying with those Israelites in the wilderness!

I'm also realizing that this time that I've been given is like an extended "Sabbath" for me.  It is an extended time of rest and re-centering for me.  A time for me to reconnect with my God and to truly absorb His words, His love, His compassion.  A time for me to really, honestly search His heart and find my place in His plan.  I am a busy person.  So busy.  Too busy.  It is my nature to want/need to be intensely busy and overworked.  I feel like if I'm not spread just a little too thin, I'm useless or lazy.  I also have struggled for years with this mentality of perfectionism.  I have misread and misunderstood God's "commandments".  I have believed for all these years of my life that the reason why bad things happen to "seemingly" good people is that somewhere along the way we have messed up.  We sinned, we broke a commandment, we didn't listen.  And God is punishing us.  I've believed that the 10 commandments were meant to be a "touchstone" for when we are experiencing turmoil.  For example, "I didn't get that job that I was certain I was perfect for...it's probably because I coveted my neighbor.  I deserved that."  Like His commandments were some way for us to reason why He would "strike us down" with strife or pain.

But they are not God's "cause and effect" poster.  His commandments are meant to make living in this world easier!  Easier!  Ha!  What a revelation this is for me!  God's plan will be carried out no matter what.  There is not a "conditional" plan.  Like if A, B, and C happen, I'll bless you with this, that, or the other.  If you complete these tasks, then I'll give you your heart's desire.  No!  Why doesn't he want us to "worship graven images"? Because He doesn't want us to take our eyes off of Him!  Why does He command us "to observe the Sabbath and keep it Holy"?  Because He knows we are all prone to busyness, and He wants us to receive His peace, His rest, His centering in the midst of this hectic life.  You will walk the road that God has paved for you...no matter what.  But walk that road by following HIS road map.  We are called to "follow His commands" because He really wants us to have the best that this life has to offer us.  He wants us to keep our eyes on the prize which is an eternity with Him in Heaven!

We are not perfect, but God does not mean for us to measure our imperfection alongside His Perfection.  As if to explain how inadequate and cheap we are.  We are meant to lean on His Perfection and not rely on our own futile attempts to get there on our own.  We are challenged to view ourselves the way God views us through the blood of Jesus Christ.  In His eyes, we are robed in Righteousness, wrapped in Light, His perfect creation.  So no attempt on our parts to be righteous or perfect can really get us any closer to Him seeing us in that light.  He already does!  And He knows every step of the journey ahead of us...all the way to Heaven.  In order to receive the blessings of this life, we need only to keep our eyes on Him, keep the end in mind, remember that we are already perfection in His eyes.  And realize that in order to live the good life, we just need to listen to His voice and fight the fight; finish the course as much the way He did as is humanly possible.  When we stumble, when we make mistakes, those things are not "punishments".  They are part of the journey!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3

Thank You Samantha Barks

 This week I have watched the "teaser" video for the newest Les Miserables movie way too many times.  I am unhealthily excited about it coming out in December and I'm praying they don't push the premier date back anymore!  Jonathan and I will have to leave for Dominica on December 29th and this movie is due out on Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas to me!

There are so many reasons why I love Les Mis.  I'm currently reading the book, which, let me tell you, is a MAJOR undertaking.  However, it is so inspiring.  So quotable!  It gives me chills, makes me laugh, makes me cry.  It also fills in some gaps in the musical as well.  Les Mis the musical is one of my all time favorites.  Even if you're not a musical fan, chances are you would recognize some of the music from Les Mis.  In watching this little teaser, I had chills, and tears, and everything in between.  I'm anticipating one of the most epic movies of this era!!  I'm sure my neighbors are getting tired of hearing me belt "On My Own" and "I Dreamed a Dream" or Jonathan wailing "Do You Hear the People Sing?".

So where does Samantha Barks come in??  Samantha Barks plays Eponine in the movie AND the latest on stage version.  I watched her for the first time this summer in the van with the Womacks on our way through Colorado on our family vacation.  I was mesmerized!  For many reasons, not the least of which, of course, is her amazing talent as a singer and an actress.  Though I have to confess something to you guys.  In my dream world, I am a broadway star and I play Eponine, or Fantine, or Rizzo, or Christine Daae.  So of course, when I'm watching those musicals, I imagine that the women who are playing those parts are really me.  I live vicariously, if you will.

Samantha Barks has made this much easier for me.  Why??  Because it is kind of eerie how similar we look.  When she sings, when they shoot her profile, I swear she is me!  It's CRAZY!  When we saw her for the first time, Jonathan leaned over and said "Are you sure that's not you?".  Samantha is my dream self!

So to conclude, let me juxtapose a picture of myself next to the lovely Samantha Barks and you can see for yourself.  She is the skinnier, glamorized, Hollywood version of me!  Feel free to comment on the eeriness of it.  On the top is me and my Johnny boy.  The photo on the bottom is the beautiful and talented Samantha Barks:

Also, let me share a few little YouTube videos with you.  Watch them, but be prepared to get chills and maybe even to cry and hopefully to be as touched as I am by the music and the lyrics.  Enjoy!

Samantha is so captivating in this performance.  Not to mention the classic "Jean Valjean" quartet at the end.  O. M. G. 

And of course the classic "On My Own".  So gorgeous...

Finally, the first look at what's to come in December.  I'm in love with this idea of live singing in a movie.  That's what has disappointed about musicals in the recent past.  This way of doing things really gives you no other choice but to connect with the singer.  With their emotions.  And the actors get to connect what they're doing to the words and music coming from inside of them.  Anne Hathaway...wow.  Oh my, I could go on for hours.  Just fall in love with this like I have!

P.S.- If by some stroke of God Samantha Barks stumbles upon my humble little blog, I can't tell you how excited I would be!  Response or no response, Samantha, what a talented actress and singer you are!  You embody the part of Eponine so flawlessly and with so much depth.  I cannot wait to see you in this movie!

She & He

I am so in love with my husband.  Like head over heels, backflips, rainbows and daisies, making out in the movie theater in love with him.  He is my perfect compliment.  I have known and loved him for more than 7 years of my life and we have yet to run out of things to talk about and laugh about.  He is hilariously funny and incredibly smart.  He's compassionate, caring, attentive, affectionate, passionate, and driven.  There is no other man in the world more perfectly suited for me than him.  I fell in love with him on our first date! Would have married him the first week I knew him!  So I ran across a blog post this week (forgive me...I cannot for the life of me remember who's blog I was reading!) where a girl posted all the things about herself and her husband that were deliciously different.  The things that made them each others' perfect compliment.  The places where they filled in each others' gaps, strengthened each others' weaknesses, completed each other.  I was so inspired, I thought I would post something similar today...

She is high strung and frazzled...

He is even keeled and calm.

She is artistic and creative...

He is intellectual and practical.

She is emotional...

He is rational.

She is a worrier...

He is patient.

She is a planner...

He is spontaneous.

She loves glamour and sparkle...

He loves simplicity and nature.

She loves the beach...

He loves the mountains.

She talks...

He listens.

There are countless others.  So many many things that make us the perfect match.  I think when we first got together there were probably more people "wary" of our relationship than there were people in full support of us.  A line from a Shania Twain song comes to mind often when I think about that first year  of our relationship. "They said, 'I'll bet they'll never make it.' But just look at us holding on!".  It's not really "holding on", though.  We didn't "beat the odds".  Maybe we beat the "stereotypes", maybe we beat the "doubts", maybe we beat the "naysayers".  But the moment I knew I loved him (which coincides almost to the minute with that same moment for Jonathan with me), there was no turning back.  Never any doubt that he was my soulmate.  I always knew he was the one.  He called his mother the morning after our first date and said, "Mom, I found the girl I'm going to marry last night."  How perfect is that?

Our love has been a journey.  Our lives together have had many twists and turns and hurdles, but they have done nothing but strengthen that bond we have between the two of us.  Every time life throws us a curve ball, we just cling even tighter to one another.  He holds me up when I'm feeling low, I support his decisions when maybe others don't really see the reasoning.  I did not "give up everything" for some crazy dream of Jonathan's.  We didn't walk away from our seemingly perfect little life on a whim.  We are taking a leap of faith that we are certain will end (or maybe continue) with all of our hopes and dreams being realized in a way we can't even imagine right now.  But no matter what, my hand will ALWAYS be in his.  My heart will ALWAYS belong to him.  And my life will ALWAYS be better because he is in it!

Love you Johnny!!

Want Something Free?

I've talked about it way too much, I know!  But our jewelry business, A Different Kind of Flair, has finally launched!  We are so excited about our designs and we can't wait for you to fall in love too!  Here's the link to the site with a little sneak peak at one of my personal favorites:

www.differentkindofflair.etsy.com

And Tess at The Framed Lady is sponsoring a giveaway for us!  Head on over and make sure that you're entered!  EVERY ENTRY gets a 20% off coupon code, and if the giveaway nets us 50+ followers on the ADKOF blog, we're bumping the code up to 30% (we're feeling quite generous)!  So go enter and tell your friends!

Waiting Here for You

If faith can move the mountains,

Let the mountains move!

We come with expectation. 

We're waiting here for you...

Waiting here for you.

You're the Lord of all creation,

Yet still you know my heart.

The Author of Salvation,

You've loved us from the start.

Waiting here for you,

With our hands lifted high in praise.

And it's You we adore.

Singing Alleluia!

You are everything You promised,

Your Faithfulness is true.

And we're desperate for Your Presence,

All we need is You.

So we're waiting here for You,

With our hands lifted high in praise.

And it's You we adore,

Singing Alleluia!

We will wait for Your Lord...

In step with you Lord...

We will sing Alleluia!

Got an email from my mom tonight that had me in tears.  Also read a blog this week that had me in tears.  And my God himself had me in tears this week.  Brought me to my knees.  There are times on this blog that I think if I'm too transparent, you won't read any more.  If I'm too honest, you'll avoid this site all together.  But I do feel inspired to be at least a little transparent tonight.  

I have been humbled this week and also empowered.  Humbled because I find myself begging and pleading for the one thing I want more than anything, and instead of just handing it to me, my God tells me to wait.  "Just breath, daughter, I've got a plan!"  I feel like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory saying "But Daddy I want a baby nnnoooowww!" (insert annoying British whine...).  And His answer is "Wait, my love.  Your day will come.  Have I ever left you hanging?".  And thus, I feel empowered.  For He has NEVER left me hanging.  He is EVERYTHING He promised me He would be!  He's Provider, Father, Conqueror.  And because He is those things, so am I, too, a Conqueror.  And so are you!  Infertility is a road block...a stone bigger than any mortal human could roll away.  Infertility is an impossible feat for a mortal.  But we all know what God does with larger than life stones.  He rolls them away effortlessly in DUE TIME.  Jesus didn't ascend into Heaven while the throngs of people were watching as He left this world on the cross.  It was 3 days of weeping, and wailing, and asking why, and feeling abandoned, and losing hope.  And then...HE ROSE!  

So maybe I'm in my "3 days".  Maybe I'm in chapter 30 of my Job experience...chapter 40 is still to come if I keep reading!  Maybe you're in you're "3 days".  If you are, take heart that you're not alone.  That's not to say that you're necessarily struggling with infertility.  You could be struggling with anything.  But HE is faithful.  HE is true.  HE is sovereign.  And HE WILL come through for you.  He always does.  He's a God of second chances, a God of miracles and wonders beyond what our imperfect minds can fathom, a God of blessings and mercy and grace.  He's the Author of Salvation...but remember.  He still knows your heart!

ADKOF Launch Weekend Giveaway!

Our Etsy site is set to launch at 10:00 AM THIS FRIDAY!  So we're extending coupon codes for 20% off your entire purchase AND opening a giveaway!  Check it out below and head to www.adifferentkindofflair.blogspot.com to officially enter to win!

So the time has come, dear fans!  That's right, the giveaway is officially open for entry.  We are so encouraged by the volume of you that have already officially submitted your entries, and we just about can't wait to really give this set to a deserving fan!  We are also excited about giving out our Launch Weekend Coupon Codes which will be 20% off your entire order (every single one of you who completes an entry will get one!).  So here's another look at what you're entering to win!

The first necklace is a 27 1/2" silver chain necklace with a mother of pearl inlaid cross.  The corresponding necklace, which can be worn together with the cross or separate, is crafted of freshwater pearls.  The earrings are simple dangles with freshwater pearls and silver celtic inspired crosses.  The Hair Flair is actually 2 pieces; one with a simple mother of pearl button, and the second a raw silk flower with a complimentary mother of pearl button in the middle. 

These pieces are all complimentary to each other, but are also neutral enough to be worn separately.  We are so excited to extend this opportunity to all of our loyal fans, as we are fully in love with these pieces and feel that they give everyone a clear sense of our design aesthetic. 

Here's How to Enter:

1)Go to www.theframedlady.com on Friday morning

2) Follow the instructions for the giveaway!

And that's all folks!

Good luck!  

P.S.-We are so confident that this launch weekend will be a success!  We've got a nice following so far, but if we can get the GFC followers list to 50+, we'll bump up that coupon to 30% for all entries!  Tell your friends!!!

What I'm Missing Right Now...

So we are just about halfway through our stay here in Freeport.  There are some wonderful things about living here, don't get me wrong.  But there are DEFINITELY some things that I'm missing terribly right now.  And the fact that we're still 8 weeks away from being home makes the things I miss still seem really far away...

10-Mexican Food!  Dude, I'm a Texas girl.  I gotta have my Tex Mex.  Here, there is no such thing.  As a matter of fact, I've even heard Tyrone go so far as to say that Bahamians HATE Mexican food.  What they know of Mexican food is more like Cuban food or Yucatan food.  So they hate it and restaurants don't survive.  So my only remedy is taco night every so often.  It satisfies a craving to an extent, but I MUST have Lupe Tortilla PRONTO when I get home!

9)-Asian Food...of any kind.  I am an Asian food fanatic.  Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, you name it, I love it.  There is absolutely NO Asian food here.  There is a Chinese food place in the port which I will NEVER be eating at.  We walked past it once and the food that we saw people eating looked like a step down from cat puke.  Oh my lordy, how I want some stinking Merlion, or Benihana, or 888, or ANYTHING Asian.  If you're some of our OKC peeps, Houston peeps, or family, just get ready for a Mexican food/Asian food overload in the mere 6 weeks we will be in the states...

8)-Easy Transportation.  Though I love Tyrone, he officially got the patented Rachel Womack Ice Princess Treatment yesterday for the stunts he pulled.  I won't go into detail, but suffice to say I took for granted mobility when I was in the states.  You can't just jump in the car and run to the store, or to a friend's house, or out for lunch.  You have to call a taxi or a bus or walk to a stop, wait as long as that particular driver feels like making you wait, and then you have to basically bend over and take it financially.  They're exorbitantly expensive but necessary unfortunately.  Otherwise I would never leave this little 2 mile radius of my apartment...

7)-Target.  Oh how I miss thee.  I could really use a few more little swimsuit cover ups and short casual dresses.  They are all on clearance at Target right now, and I CAN'T GET ANY!  By the time we get back to the states, there will be no summer clothes anywhere.  Boo!  

6)-A Workable Kitchen.  I have one of the nicer kitchens here on the island, but don't let a pretty face fool you.  Now, just about every time I cook I have to open several windows because the entire house fills with smoke.  Not sure why.  My pans suck and the cooktop is awful.  The oven takes like 45 minutes (literally) to heat up to 350, and my refrigerator has started making funny noises.  It almost sounds like there are aliens inside who are plotting their world domination...

5)-Dishwasher!  Probably should go on number one.  I am washing dishes all day every day it seems like.  And they never get as clean as I would prefer.  I'm about to take Michelle's cue and start buying paper plates and bowls.  I also don't have a garbage disposal, so that just adds to the time it takes to wash up after dinner.  

4)-Communication.  Though I feel like we are more accessible than I thought we would be, I still feel isolated sometimes.  I can't always get ahold of Jonathan, my Vonage only works when I'm within range of an open Wifi network, and the internet is less than reliable.  When I talk to family members and friends, I feel a world away because I feel like life is happening without me.  We're missing out!

3)-Something, anything, that is not outrageously expensive.  I seriously think that I will be going shopping in the states simply to find some sort of ACTUALLY good deal on something.  I may or may not actually buy it since I will most likely be broke as a billy goat in November/December, but I would just love to be able to pick something up, turn the tag over, and actually be PLEASANTLY surprised by what I see...

2)-Teaching.  Tough to admit.  I do miss teaching.  I miss the routine, I miss the kids, I miss the rewarding nature of it.  I miss my room, I miss my colleagues, I miss the Cloffice.  I miss squeaky clarinets, bathroom sounds on brass mouthpieces, middle school girl drama, and 5th and 6th grade awkwardness.  I miss just about all of it.  I am enjoying that my time is my own.  And don't get it twisted please, I am really busy here with other things.  But I do miss teaching.  I miss Keller...

1)-Friends and Family.  We are SO blessed to have found and connected with the Wellses here in Freeport.  It has definitely been an answer to prayer and a clear cut provision from God that helps us get through day by day.  But we miss everyone back home!  I would list out everyone I miss, but it would be a stinking novel.  I need a Girls Night Out.  I need some double dates.  I need to sit on the couch in Bernice's living room and shoot the breeze.  I need to do a shoe shopping day with my momma.  I need the comfort of my Mimol's living room, the nostalgia of my Pa's garage, the familiarity of the UBC sanctuary, the warmth of laughter with old friends, the victory of the daily defeat of cancer with the Womacks.  I need all that and so much more...

15 weeks is not a long time.  8 weeks is even less!  But it is beginning to feel like an eternity.  I am blessed, and I don't forget to thank God daily for the opportunity He has given us.  But I can't help but think about how precious those weeks are going to be when we get to be wrapped in home.  Even if it will only be for a little while...

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

So yesterday, Michelle and I were working over at Sunset Lodge (that the complex around here that sort of functions like a "grown up dorm" for the med students...).  We get a text from Jonathan that says "Hey, can y'all see the fire where you are?"  Clearly, we cannot.  So we walk out onto their back porch and still see nothing.  He says, "We think it's over there by that club."  So we go out the front door to the back balcony.  As soon as we walk out there we smell smoke and this is the scene we encounter:

It really doesn't look all that scary in this picture, however we could actually hear the crackling of the fire as it burned up trees and houses and shrubbery.  It was spreading REALLY fast!  What DIDN'T we hear??  Fire engine sirens.  Nope.  Not one.  There is nobody rushing to the scene.  Nobody panicked.  There was actually a guy mowing his lawn while his neighbors house was smoldering!!  These Bahamians, man, they just don't get worked up over anything.  Michelle and I called the boys and told them to come home immediately (they were done with class and studying on campus) because we thought for sure the wind was gonna catch this inferno and send it raging toward Sunset.  

Luckily it veered away from the apartments, but not before it blazed more than a mile of damage through a residential area.  Again, no sirens.  No panic.  Not even any news about it!  After a while we felt bold enough to go out and walk around to see what we could see.  It was really strange.  Almost like a controlled burn that got out of hand and burned up houses and stuff.  When we got to the part of the fire that was still blazing, we saw probably the only fire engine in Freeport.  Just sitting there.  And the firemen were chatting it up and hanging out just a few yards from this giant fire.  Which was still progressing and moving!  It was by no means contained!  And they looked at the 4 of us and were like "What?".  Clearly not phased.

So we walked through this neighborhood to survey the rest of the damage.  We had to walk through this vacant lot to get into the neighborhood.  When we got to the main street there was a gaggle of Bahamian little girls that were a little surprised to see us walking out of the brush.  When they saw us they all giggled and one very bold chickadee says, "White, white, white, white."  Ummm...okay.  Good observation I guess!  As we were leaving the neighborhood a half hour later or so, we passed by the same girls who were now playing in a backyard.  One of them shouts, "There go those white people again!".  I guess we stuck out.  I said, though, that since we've been in the Bahamas for 6+ weeks now, I felt like we all deserved at least a "Brown, brown, brown, brown."  Or maybe, "Not-so-white, not-so-white, not-so-white, not-so-white..."

The fire is still smoldering somewhat this morning.  It smells like either Christmas or summer time.  Somewhere in between a backyard grill and a wood burning fireplace.  I will go with the latter.  Since I'm insanely jealous of all you people in the US bragging about your stinking fall weather!  I'm still in sundresses, swimsuits, and flip flops.  But at least I can close my eyes, take a big whiff, and pretend it's a crisp autumn morning in the Caribbean...

P.S.-If I don't add this picture to this posts, Jonathan will be so disappointed.  He thinks this is the coolest picture of him in the Bahamas...  weirdo...

I'm Opinionated...Just Thought You Should Know

Erin at Living in Yellow posted a similar post on her blog today.  I was so inspired, I thought I'd jump on board!  Because who doesn't love a good opinion?! ;)

1-Dying your hair blonde on the top layer and brown on the bottom layer is not cute.  How do you ask for that look at the salon?? "Hi, I'd like the skunk treatment?"

2-If you enjoy the company of the people you're with, DO NOT discuss politics or religion.  Bad idea all around...

3-A clean house that doesn't smell clean, is not a clean house...

4-Let me repeat one of Erin's opinions...Every human should own a dog.

5-Ice cream and/or cookie dough are the best remedies for a bad day...

6-I think everyone should spend an extended period of time at least once in their life in a place that is outside of their comfort zone...

7-Though I love them so, rarely if ever does a product advertised on an infomercial ACTUALLY function in the mind blowing way they claim it will...

8-Everyone looks good in winter clothes.  Only a precious few look just as good in short shorts, bikinis, and halter tops (including me...)...

9-Likewise, just because they make it in your size, DOES NOT MEAN it will look good on you...

 10-I think everyone should be adventurous when trying new foods.  Whatever "adventurous" means for you.  Expand your horizons!  Some of the best flavors in the world are just beyond what you "think you like"...

  Whoa, you gotta taste this! This is... oh, it's got this kind of... mmm, it's burny, melty... it's not really a smoky taste. It's more like a certain... Pshew! It's got like this "Ba-boom! Zap!" kind of taste.

11-If we can read series like Fifty Shades of Grey, Twilight, Harry Potter, and/or The Hunger Games across several months of time, why can't we read the Bible cover to cover in that amount of time?  It seems to me it would be a much more enriching experience... (this is as much an admonishment to myself as anyone else...)

12-In that same realm, let's not kid ourselves into thinking that we read such series for their literary value.  These authors are not literary geniuses.  If this opinion ruffles your feathers, see #13 and rethink your definition of "literary genius"... (I have read almost all these series, so I'm not saying they're not worth reading...I just don't feel smarter or more insightful after having read them...)

13-Again...in that same realm.  What IS literary genius??  Les Miserables, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Shack, The Help...just to name a few...

14-If you find yourself in a friendship that induces stress, fear, and/or anxiety, reevaluate whether or not that is an actual friendship.  I think that is the definition of a toxic relationship...

15-Being a good friend DOES NOT mean always slapping your girlfriend in the face with "hard truths".  Sometimes she just wants you to commiserate...

16-I am not really sure what keeps shows like 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, I'm Pregnant and Addicted, or Highschool Moms on the air.  Do we women actually enjoy watching people who shouldn't be mothers bring children into this world???

17-If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten...

18-The best things in life are not found on the "easy road"...

19-Get a useful degree.  If you want to be employed when you graduate, do not major in Philosophy, Sociology, or Psychology and expect that you'll be employable in a job other than flipping burgers straight out of your undergrad.  Be realistic.  You can be philosophical while majoring in something practical.  Then, WHILE you're getting paid, you can philosophize all you want AND eat too...

20-Just because you use big words, does not automatically mean you're smart.  I mean, if you say "as an amicable rhetorician, I utilize a sublime, grandiloquent vocabulary which incites my verbose use of a profusion of interconnecting verbiage that I inexorably, invariably vocalize with garrulous yet loquacious intent," and then you serve me McNuggets while wearing a paper hat, I can't say I can really respect your "intent".  

So there you have it.  A delicious little cross-section of my opinionated opinions.  Hopefully I didn't bunch your panties too much! ;)  I'd love to hear your opinions of my opinions (uh-oh...I might be opening the the floodgates here...).  Be gentle...yet loquacious...  haHa!

My Past Posts...For a Little Background

I've got some new followers and I'm hoping to gain a few more.  For that reason, I feel like it's important to share some of my "pre-blogger" posts (when my site was on wordpress).  That way those of you who are new to my site can gain a little insight into what brought us here to the Bahamas and maybe a few early Freeport stories that you missed!  And if you're already a loyal reader, maybe you just wanted a little nostalgia...

Here's the link to My Caribbean Daydreaming Wordpress Blog.

P.S.-I learned something new today!  I found out that there is another blog here on Blogspot called Caribbean Daydreaming.  And guess what??  She and her family are in Grenada as she is attending medical school!  What are the odds?  Check out her blog...I was totally intrigued!  Just so everyone knows, the inspiration for my blog name came from the fact that for several months when I would have a bad day or a stressful day at work, my happy place was Daydreaming about the possibility of us coming to the Caribbean.  I wonder if she had the same thought process...

I love my online friends GFC Blog Hop!

I'm linking up with Tami at The Things We Find Inside!  She's a fellow Caribbean lady livin' it up in Trinidad.  If you're a blogger, check it out!  If you're visiting my site for the first time, welcome!  It's always so nice to get new followers as I'm a Baby Blogger!  If you follow me here, don't miss out on following my jewelry business blog here.  We'll be launching our Etsy site on September 21st and all our followers are going to gain access to some very exclusive coupon codes REALLY soon!  

Happy Hopping!

Rach

Post Mini #1-The Top Ten

Wow!  What a fabulous weekend we had!  Jonathan had his first mini on Friday morning, so I got my uninterrupted 48 hours with him.  These 48 hours only come every 5 weeks, so we definitely took advantage of them!  We spent Friday night at Red Beard's which is, for lack of a more accurate term, a Pirate Pub.  He and Matt indulged in a little Red Beard's Ale, and Michelle, Kim, and I enjoyed some good old fashioned laughs (mostly at them).  Ha!  There were so many great high points this weekend, but I thought I'd narrow them down to the top 10.  So here we go (in no particular order)...

10- Taino Beach Tanning on Friday Afternoon

Nothing makes life sweeter than hanging out on Taino Beach, getting waited on while you lounge in beach chairs, and literally watching your tan get darker by the minute!

9-The Giant Dog at Tony Macoroni's Grill on Taino Beach

Meet Nero.  If you're not a dog person (and maybe even if you are), the sight of this big guy might make you a little nervous.  But lemme tell ya, he is such a precious boy.  He's sweet sweet sweet and so patient (especially since his owner's son is one of the most annoying kids I've ever met and Nero tolerates him beautifully).  Nero loves to play fetch with this giant piece of driftwood.  So fun to watch!

8-Getting To See Emma!

This is Emma Henderson's first 3D ultrasound picture!  I was so excited when Sara texted these pics to me!  Isn't she beautiful?  I have to say, though, that I've been saying for a while now that I think she looks like Jared according to her little traditional ultrasound image profiles.  This 3D image totally solidifies it!  She's gonna have Sara's sassy personality with Jared's features.  Watch out world!

7-Getting to Spend Time with Jonathan

I love hanging out with my husband.  Really nothing makes me happier.  He is amazing at making time for me all the time, but it sure was nice to have him all to myself for a few days.  I'm so proud of him and it's the least I can do to keep a nice house for him and food on the table.  After all, he's gonna be a doctor in a few years.  Actually, he'll get his white coat in like 4 1/2 months!!

6-"Cheap" Upscale Dining

This is what I had at Sabor.  It's a restaurant in one of the hotels in Lucaya.  This is their pan fried snapper with a tomato herb cream sauce atop garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed veggies.  I had a really nice glass of sweet Malbec (which might be making it's way to the top of my favorite red wines!). The whole meal cost us basically what a meal in the port would cost.  I was floored!  So note to self, if you're gonna spend the money, you might as well go big or go home...

5-Treasure Hunting

Oh my goodness the guys had AWESOME luck at both Taino AND Banana Bay this weekend.  Jonathan plucked a few starfish out of the ocean and he was so ridiculously pumped!  He's been searching for one since the very first week we were here.  He found on and I have to say it's probably the coolest thing he's found yet.  Second, maybe, to the sea biscuits!  The big oval shaped thing at the bottom of the picture is a sea biscuit (it's like a puffy sand dollar).  Believe it or not, so is the brown thing just above and to the left of it.  Only it's still "alive".  It has bristles on it just like a sea urchin only they're teeny tiny.  After you bleach them, they're white!  I have to steer pretty clear of the live ones, though, because the thing that makes them chocolate brown is pure iodine.  My new worst enemy here!  Trying to keep from having the be prescribed an epi pen!

4-The Great Starfish Find

Cuz who doesn't love a giant starfish??  It looks like it might be slimy, but it really wasn't.  It had these little sucker feet on the bottom that help it move.  The one in the picture here was kind of sleeping so we didn't see the feet until it almost walked off our front porch overnight!  Isn't he cute! (Jonathan...not the starfish...).  This guy was one of 3 for the weekend!

3-Who Needs Ariel??

Does this really need a caption...

2-Blue Skies that Rival Oklahoma

I will be the first to tell you that the most beautiful skies in the world are in Oklahoma.  They're just an impossible shade of crystal blue that just can't be beat.  But Sunday afternoon at Banana Bay, the skies were just spectacular.  Just enough sun to tan but not burn, and the perfect lighting that makes the ocean look impossibly teal and turquoise.  This picture was the view from my perfect little beach spot...

1-My Hammock...Sans Nude Beach

Yep!  I finally found a hammock that didn't have a bunch of naked nude beachers around!  It was seriously paradise!  Just perfect.  Jonathan even swung me on it for a while and the breeze was really nice!

So there you have it.  Post Mini #1, awesome weekend!  Couldn't have been much better.  We are officially 1/3 of the way done (can you believe it?!).  We are missing home, but weekends like these just remind us how lucky we are to be experiencing all of this.  We are blessed!

P.S.-Michelle and Matt were with us basically all weekend long!  So fun!  Her blog Cornstalks to Palm Trees has some more awesome pictures from the weekend!

My Favorite Bahamian

Check out this text I got from Tyrone!

Interpretation:  "Good morning!  Guess what's in season?  Ok, you guessed it.  Avocado Pear!  Yes, I found a big one!"

Tyrone has an avocado tree in his backyard.  Ever since I had my first "avocado mishap", he's been looking for one for me (I'll post some old wordpress posts here soon for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about...).  He was so excited to text me and tell me he picked me one.  Actually, he brought me two!!  Can't wait to blow up some Bahamian Guacamole!