down the rabbit hole

 we packed up all of our things in 6 duffle bags and 6 carry-ons

 and left our caribbean island home of the last 21 months to return to america.

 we brought crayons for the flight to keep ezra happy on the plane

but he spent most of the flight asleep.

 we sat in our seats and carried out our roles.  michael continued to study while i took pictures to document it all - this journey we've been on as a family.  we sold our home and quit our jobs to follow a dream.  so far it really has seemed like we've been living one.

 our dreamy living room view for the last 21 months was 

this amazing azure blue sea and puffy cloud filled sky.

we are now back and living with family before the next phase of the journey begins.  were we really there on st. maarten?  it seems like we never left.  visit nunuland to see what happens next.  click on nunuland.

goodbye st. maarten!

well dear family and friends, this will be my last post from st. maarten.  i think.  you never know - i may have something spectacular to show you between now and our flight tuesday morning, but since i've had the flu these past 4 days and now ezra has come down with it too, i think i will be very busy with packing, cleaning, and caring for a sick child with little time to spare for another post.  i am able to write this now with a little thought as ezra is sleeping beside me and michael is out to dinner with rahul and his mother.  

if you've been following my blog the past 21 months, then you know who rahul is and also have seen almost every beach on the island, countless sunsets, and pictures of the amazing blue waters of the caribbean, not to mention the growth and development of the one and only ezra.  this blog all began as a way to keep family and friends back home connected with us during the 21 months michael attended medical school on the island of st. maarten.  i have enjoyed keeping this log of our time together and will continue to do so after our island time is over.  it has been a wonderful creative and social outlet for me while sometimes feeling isolated as a stay at home mom to a young child on a tiny island far far away from family and friends.  i would like to keep blogging and the connections i've made and hope that you will continue to follow my blog if you've enjoyed it thus far.  will you still follow though without the beautiful beach scenes, sunsets, and french bakeries?  we are not sure where we will be living next but beaches could possibly be in our future.  we will be moving at least two if not three times this year.  if you'd like to come along for the show, my new blog is called nunuland - click the name and you will be taken there straight away!

and now for the final pictures from the island...  first we have ezra contracting the flu virus from his mama (who wasn't sure if she was really sick) at top carrot where we went on wednesday with erica.  hopefully she won't be getting sick soon too - she didn't sit on my lap so she's probably going to be okay.  this was the first place we ate out at when we came to st. maarten and it looks like it will be the last place i eat out at on the island - just like a good movie will start and end with the same scene.  they have such good healthy food and smoothies here - we were so grateful to find it early on.  if i can find a health food store and a health food restaurant where we live next, i'll be happy.  

and if we find friends like erica and jon again we'll have struck gold!  this couple has been a blessing to us.  erica studied every semester with michael and was not only a support to him but a friend to us both.  jon moved to the island during erica and michael's third semester and we all got along swimmingly.  most notably, these two were like island fairy god-parents to ezra, who has a special bond with them both.  

now if it weren't for this guy - none of this dreamy island life we've been living would have been possible.  thanks to my amazingly disciplined, hard working, and brainiac husband, i got to leave my post as a full time working mom, to be what i've always dreamed of being- a stay at home mommy and caretaker of my husband and home.  we took a leap of faith together and have come this far already!  michael has successfully completed his basic sciences here on st. maarten and is preparing to take the biggest test he's taken thus far in just a few weeks.  all this time that ezra and i have been bouncing around from beach to bakery with different friends, michael has been inside a room studying.  when we were outside melting in the sun, michael was inside a chilly air conditioned room with a blanket over his shoulders to keep warm while ..... studying.  his academic accomplishments are something he prefers me not to blog about, he's a humble soul deep down, but since it's my last post i would like to say that michael kicked ass!  keep up the great work michael.  we are so grateful to be on this journey with you. we are ready for the next adventure!

the sun'll come out - tomorrow!

it rained all night and has been overcast all day - all perfect weather for a mama with the flu.  i've been out of commission since yesterday evening when i realized my sore throat was not from the coating of dust that might have landed there after a sweeping under the bed the night before.  last night i may have gotten one hour of sleep between tossing and turning with chills, fever, aches and pains and a pounding headache.  i tried not to breathe on ezra all night because it would be awful for him and michael to get this right around the time we are about to board an airplane.  fortunately, michael is through with school and has been able to kick the ball with ezra in the house, stay up with him when i went to bed early last night, and try to be both himself and me while i am taking the day off from my usual responsibilities as chief caretaker of the boy, the meals, and the household.  i must be better by tomorrow because i have a lot to do still to pack for our departure and clean the apartment and hopefully get at least one day at the beach before we go.

farewell dinner

me with my dear friend alexi and her sister

the fifth semester spouses

the fifth semester med students (that have spouses)

last night the wonderful s.o. put on a farewell dinner for the fifth semesters at a local restaurant.  i was so excited to celebrate our 5 semesters successfully completed that i got all dressed up.  michael saw me come out and said the place is really casual as he had been there the week before for another 5th semester party for the students.  so i quickly changed my dress, put on flip flops that i've been wearing everyday for the last 2 years and was glad that i did.  it was great to get together again one last time as a group with all the lovely families of AUC who have so graciously supported one another during this time people only "in it" can understand.  alexi and i teared up when we spoke of our goodbyes and promised to see each other one last time instead of saying goodbye that night.  because some of us are still here a week i took that and went with it for most of my goodbyes.  i hate saying goodbye!

the view

 every evening since living here we have enjoyed watching the amazing sunsets from our kitchen.  

 the other day ezra was playing in the shadows made by the sunset while i was making dinner.  i wondered if his play is helping him deal with our upcoming move back to america?  perhaps he is thinking we are in that plane...

 today we spent most of the day at home.  it was one of those spectacular days and i had to run out on the balcony to take these pictures.

 how amazing it has been to see this view each and everyday of our life on the island.  the different boats that go by each day, some the same, some are new, the planes that fly by on their approach to the airport all are players in the beautiful ocean and sky background that itself is ever changing with the different cloud formations and variation in blue hues of the caribbean sea.  blue was always a favorite color of mine but now it is most definitely my favorite color of all.  i will always be transported to the peaceful caribbean beaches when i see the color blue.

ezra and bianca's last day at the baby pool

late afternoon on saturday we met cat and bianca one last time at our baby pool for a swim.  they were being so cute playing together that i went back upstairs to get my camera.  everything these days is a momentous "last time" event that i find myself more propelled than normal to document the occasion.  

they truly are sweethearts.  

they spent the hour playing with this orange raft while i relaxed on a chaise and watched them play.

most of the time they were riding on it together, laying in the middle and kicking their legs to make them go - although i didn't get pictures of that because i had forgotten to bring my camera.  they usually play wonderfully for an hour and then they bicker about what to do because one wants one thing and the other wants another.  i imagine this is what it is like to have siblings close in age and to hear their little fights everyday.  

most of the time though they get along swimmingly.  

we were so happy when bianca and cat came to the island and are now so sad to say goodbye.  thank you for the good times!  we had so many...

karakters

yesterday evening we spent our last evening with cat and bianca at our favorite friday night hangout - karakters.  i have written about this favorite place of ours before and this was our last night to go together for drinks and tapas while the kids played on the sand.  not only are we leaving the island in 10 days, but cat and bianca are leaving in just 3 days for spring and summer in sweden.

the way the light looks almost violet at this time of day makes it a magical time to come here.  the kids quickly found sticks and drew letters and numbers in the sand.

the sun began its descent shortly after we arrived giving the kids a short time to play along the shoreline.

the sun seemed to whisper in their ears that it was time to run back to our spot on the beach.

they laid on stacks of lounge chairs, their "big bed," to look up at the moon that was already in the sky.

and when it was dark they put on a show for us while we sat in our chairs talking away like mamas do. 

i love this place for the freedom it allows the kids to play their way,

to meet new friends,

build obstacle courses,

and let out all their energy.

a sweet moment between mama and daughter.  

i love to watch my boy play and see him growing up before my eyes.  

playing on the grass

yesterday we went to the big lawn of grass at 

michael's school where we recently discovered

ezra can do this!  

he rides his bike down the hill and all the way to the other end 

for a fun ride on his balance bike.

here is the view of michael's school from the shade 

where we spent half of our time because of the heat.

ezra also likes to cling to fences and walk on ledges.

when he first got these shoes he said they looked like presents.

 i love seeing his feet in them.

before we got there, ezra stamped himself all over
with a little stamp that says 'hola.'

he saw an egret and ran over to chase him.

i had my camera ready to catch him in flight.

isn't he awesome?

he circled around

back over the school

and then i heard something else in the sky...

an island hopper plane!

neerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

it never gets old for me to see planes in the sky here.

when i looked back down, ezra was hiding under a mini palm tree.

then he heard something else up high...

this little yellow breasted bird that was singing his song.  we sat on a picnic bench below him and listened for a while.  i told him he was trying to find a mate to make baby birds with.  when he flew away, ezra said he had found his mate and they made their babies already.

ezra likes to get close to these guys too.  he went over to him and said, "hello!  you're cute!" and came back and said that the lizard didn't answer.  we went to ride his bike yesterday and ended up doing a lot more.  we also saw the little daisies in the grass and ezra gave them kisses to make them feel better.  i think he is remembering the part of eric carle's "the tiny seed" when the kids come over and step on the plants and break them.  he is a very sweet natured boy.  my favorite times with ezra are usually outdoors.  this was a fun break in our day from being inside all day.  when the rest of the world starts to explore more outdoors at the dawn of spring, those of us in the tropics are spending more of their days inside away from the hot sun.  we spent the evening on the beach last night instead of spending the day there.   but, more about that in the next post.