Nevis, The Long Trip Home

Eventually, the trip had to come to an end. Fortunately, movies and cookies kept the kids calm during the first leg to Miami ...
... and sleep, sweet sleep, kept them occupied from Miami to D.C.
Unfortunately, we returned to the States in the midst of a heat wave. Who would have thought that it would be cooler 1000 miles south?

Nevis, Big Kid Stuff

Rory enjoyed lots of "big kid stuff" on this year's trip, including daily fun at "Kids Camp" with the other big kids.

One activity included a coconut demonstration. It started with a lecture ...

... then the kids got to sample fresh-made, (non-alcoholic) pina coladas.

And the highlight was watching a local "spider man" shimmy up a coconut tree to retrieve a fresh batch of coconuts.

He climbed a mere 85 feet in the air!



Ahh, then there was Rory's first manicure, pictured here with her friend Alice.

Rory thought it was pretty cool.

So did her nails. Can you see the little white flower on her ring finger?

The girls show-off their nails.

On the last night, the big kids got to enjoy a movie underneath the stars! Clearly, two of Rory's favorite things.

Nevis, Pools and Parties

We spent a lot of our time in the pool, where Rory officially became a swimmer ...
... on top of the water and underneath.
Aven also enjoyed her time in the pool. Although ...
... I think Aven most liked the fancy, fancy drinks that Mommy ordered while poolside.
The girls also enjoyed the parties that Aunt Chelle through each night in their room.
They made crowns, strung seashell bracelets, watched movies, and ....
... and learned a few funky dances!

Nevis, A Brief Tour

Again this year, we traveled to an exotic destination for the Advisory Board's annual retreat. This year, we were lucky enough to enjoy the Four Seasons in Nevis and ...
... to have Aunt Chelle along for the ride! The kids thoughts she was better than Mary Poppins!
Rory and Aven thought we had a pretty cool backyard, which ...
... which gave us a wonderful view of the property and the ocean just beyond the dunes.
Just a short walk away was the lodge and several pools.
Aven was a big fan of the beach.
Here she is wandering the grassy dunes.
Aven takes a moment to savor the ocean view.
And she found a few playmates on that grassy knoll!
Yes, we had a magical time in Nevis.
Clearly, the kids agreed. Here they are giving each other a toast.
But isn't it funny that with everything that Nevis had to offer, the TV still had the most power to capture the kids' attention.

Family Beach 2011, When It Rains

Rory enjoyed an especially late night on the Fourth so that she could watch the fireworks from the pier.

Later, it rained. Just one day. But it gave us an excuse to make a fort on the condo and ...

... to take Rory and Aven to the bowling alley for their first game!

They had a great time on the lanes.

The girls enjoyed one more day with Mr. Turtle before he popped. However, that didn't dampen their enjoyment of the swimming pool, as this video showcases.

Family Beach 2011, Life at the Ocean

We spent many glorious days at the beach. Here, Mommy dances in the waves with her ballerinas.

And Daddy digs a moat for Rory's castle.

Aunts Chelle and Jenny help Rory and her cousins build "Crispy Town" (so dubbed by Rory).

Aven enjoyed playing in the sand almost as much as she enjoyed playing in the water.

Here, she turns a sand castle into her own personal slide.

Aven looks longingly at the Rory and her ...




Amazing boogie board skills, thanks to Aunt Chelle.

Go Rory!


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Last Aven

Family Beach 2011, Dinner on the Lawn

We had an especially large crew this year for Family Beach week ...

... and many, many second cousins for Rory and Aven to play with.

It was a nice reunion between Rory and Emme.

And Aven got to wear her "fancy fancy dress" almost every evening.

Aven also got her fill of Apply Juice.

The girls play frisbee.

And the girls skip hand-in-hand together.