GTMO!!

We made it.  Sorry it has taken me so long to post.  We didn't have internet or phone (or anything like our household goods or car) for a while.  We got our stuff a week ago and our car 2 days ago!  So now we are in the unpacking process.

So far we love it here and Tim loves his job.  The kids are having a blast with all their new freedom that we used to have when we were kids.  They just hop on their bikes and are gone all day some days but check in with me often of course. Our neighborhood alone has 4 or more parks each with fun toys and there is a rope swing and tire swing.  Lots of kids all on bikes and running around having fun.  The boys have met quite a few kids their ages and Paige has met a couple but so far mostly kids 1 grade above or below her.  We have made use of the library and the pool which has a fun slide and rock climbing wall for the kids.  We have learned that if you see something at the store you like, want, need or think you will need.... buy it!  It will be gone the next time you come in even if you come back in an hour LOL.  We bought a patio set the second day we were here and ran into a couple waiting to register their car while we were who got here the same time as us and they were telling us about how you have to buy it when you see it.  They told us about a patio set they wanted and then the next morning it was gone in conversation they said oh that was you guys!  They also run out of stuff that we take for granted back in the states like..... Sour Cream I have been waiting to make a certain recipe for dinner but it takes sour cream, I have been waiting 2 weeks so far!   You get used to it!  Iguanas are everywhere and they are really cool to look at and watch and don't bother you at all.  We have seen lots of movies some with the kids some just us.  Brave, The Newest Ice Age, Total Recall, Batman, Spiderman, The New Marigold Hotel, The Campaign, The Bourne Legacy tonight MIB.  All free, no way back home could we afford to go to all those movies.  They do sell popcorn and candy, water and pop and stuff or you can bring your own.  You can even bring your own chairs and a cooler if you want.  Important remember the bug spray! It is hot however and outdoors so even though the movies start at 8pm and 8 and 10 on Sat. it's still really warm out so you need to drink lots of water!   We have also learned if you go out at dusk or later put on the bug spray you will get eaten up even just walking to the trash can!  They have mosquitoes of course but also these little black biting flies called Nik Niks and man do they itch!  We have gone to a couple beaches not all yet we are still in the checking things out phase!  So far our favorite is glass beach it has awesome snorkeling for the kids and lots of sea glass and shells to collect.

It is like someone from church told me, "It's like living in Mayberry"  and he is right it's word of mouth for most stuff and you can get things if you know people or know someone who can make or offer what you need.

We have adopted two kittens and are loving it!  A girl we named Piper and boy we named Tucker they are about a week apart in age we think.  When we got Piper on the 3rd day we were here she was 7 weeks tiny cute little thing.  Then a week and a half later the vet got a hold of us because we had said we wanted a boy but all she had was Piper and she had a tiny little guy that was skin and bones and a week younger than Piper and needed a good home.  So we took him!  He isn't skin and bones now wow his little belly is fat!  Piper wasn't happy at first but now they just play play play.  Rough too but that's what kittens do.  They will lay down and eat together so I know it's all good!  The kids are loving getting the experience of having a cat from the kitten stage.  Piper sleeps with Paige and then comes in with Tim and I in the morning and Tucker usually sleeps with Simon.  Although last night they ran and went crazy til about 1 am. LOL

The kids start school next week the 27th and are excited.  The boys are at the elementary school and wow do they have huge classrooms about 3 times the size of their old schools.  Paige is at the high school campus which is 6-12 and actually a smaller campus than the boys'.  Complete with tarantulas we got to see our first one by the lockers!  Yuck but harmless thank goodness and snakes.  There tends to be more iguanas at the boys' school the principle said. Last night we had a lizard in the kitchen but Paige and I caught him and took him out.  We also have a bad ant problem in our house.  I had to have them come spray and the guy said how long have you lived here and I said couple weeks and he turned to the other guy and said is this the one?  And he said yes and then they told me I inherited a bad unit and that this house has a worse ant problem than most.  We also determined they are in the walls which he said is harder to treat because they just keep moving and find new places to come in which they have.  They are even upstairs in Paige's closet!  But they are more than willing to keep coming to help me so that's good.  They sprayed everywhere and put bait house things and gel and all kinds of stuff so hopefully we can keep them at bay.  At least it's not spiders or scorpions or something worse!!  I will take tiny ants over those!

Well I want to write more but I will save it for another post this is my first time uploading the blog and they say internet is slow here so I am not sure how uploading pictures is going to go so I better do that part!  We sure love and miss everyone back in the states!

One of the guys that works for Tim and his wife picked us up and were holding this sign for us.  Reminded me of when we moved to Renton and Aunt Jaime and the kids covered our garage with a sign for us.

Flying out of Jacksonville!

It's a big plane 3 seats on each side, we expected a small plane.  The service was incredible free movie players for each person, free lunch and they even brought hot towels out to wash your hands or face after the meal!

These guys are everywhere even when trying to walk into the store.  This guy is medium size.

One of the beaches Girl scout beach maybe.

Found our first coconut it's now brown and sitting as a decoration in our house!

They have a museum you can walk around and this is part of it.

Another beach more rocky and has a snorkeling pool, I forgot the name.

Same beach lots of rocks and shells to gather.  The island is actually a coral reef so even in our yards it's more sand type dirt and fossils and coral.

Tim's Office building

Tim's Office, he has now put up his own decorations from his old office but I haven't been there to see it yet.  You have to time it right to get there with the ferry.

Introducing Piper.  We didn't have our stuff just some loaner furniture but we had a cat!!!

She is awesome!  Crazy little thing at first but has calmed down now after a few weeks and getting Tucker for her to run energy off with.

Tim's 39th birthday, his second day of work and our first patio set ever.  I have always wanted one!

The kids were so excited they had an archery clinic for free!

All three kids were good and got the targets.

Paige was the most excited to do it between the Hunger games and Brave I think it has created a movement with girls to do archery.  They are going to start a club here and all 3 of my kids have already told they guy they are in!

This isn't a good pic but for a week or two at night these big blue crabs would come out from the bushes and cross the road it was an obstacle course not to hit one.  Crazy but fun to experience!

This is our favorite beach so far, Glass Beach.  It's just a perfect spot to go snorkeling and collecting sea glass and shells for the kids.  There are crabs all along the sides of the big rocks and hermit crabs all along the ground.

Fossils everywhere with it being a coral reef, just really neat to see everywhere!

It has all these little spots like this the kids just love.

Fun day of snorkeling

This view is just behind our neighborhood on top of a hill.  That is Cuba off in the distance!  We live very close to the border of base and Cuba. Our neighborhood is the farthest out.

This way looks out to the ocean and the small islands offshore.

Introducing Tucker!

Snorkeling at Glass beach

They go round and round all day!  It is hilarious but sometimes I just have to break it up!

Paige's school.  We saw a tarantula by the lockers!!

Really cool school and I think going to be a great fit for her!

No indoor hallways everything is open.

She is looking forward to it.  Nervous with changing classes but she will be fine!

They also had a free soccer clinic!  Boy was it hot out!

Piper and Tucker this morning.  They have already double in size in just a couple weeks!

The Boys' school

Also no indoor hallways

Lots of iguanas around at this school (not in this pic)

They have an outdoor stage and also an indoor one

This is our church!

This is our movie theater!

Well it took just over 2 hours for those pictures to load LOL!  Welcome to GTMO!  I will post pictures of our house once I get everything unpacked and pictures hung and the boxes out of the way!

There is a tropical storm heading our way that may progress into a hurricane and hit us on Saturday.  Pray it doesn't or moves another direction.  They say it's rare here but our first weekend here we experienced a tropical storm wow was it crazy but cool.  Never have we heard thunder like that or seen lighting like that!  Fun as long as everyone is safe!  I will post again soon!  Miss you all so very much!