Sunday Fun-Day!

In keeping with a popular theme on St. Croix, we've started our own "Sunday Fun-Day" traditions. 

First, we go to church, then come home for lunch and to change into our beach gear.  After we spend a few hours swimming and snorkeling, we stop somewhere for a bite and watch the sunset.  When we get home, we hurry and clean up, then settle in to watch a movie together.  Sundays are definitely fun family days for us, full of quality time together.

Let's start this post with a little song again.  The song I gave you last time was a bit fast-paced for me.  This youtube video will introduce you to "Quelbe" and the associated dance, called "Quadrille."   I really like it! 


We found a great church called "St Croix Christian Church," which is inter-denominational and multi-cultural.  The service doesn't start until 10am, so we have plenty of time to sleep in, have coffee, breakfast, watch some news, and hang out, before getting ready to go.  The pastor and his wife, Gary and Alicia Moore, are really nice people, and the two (+) hour service is full of interesting and relevant teachings from the Bible.  They have a large, active youth group, and Jesse and Morgan are already getting to know some of the other kids, and will be attending a two week (in-residence) summer camp with YWAM (Youth With A Mission), starting on July 7th.  I've joined a women's Bible study that begins next week, based on the book "Bait of Satan." (here's a review that I think covers it well)

On most days the kids and I have fruit smoothies for breakfast, and last week at the farmer's market I  bought some fresh nutmeg, which we grate straight into the Ninja blender cup!  My favorite smoothies are made with local mango, local banana, milk, vanilla, and now local, fresh nutmeg!

Farmer's market fruit.  Clockwise, from 12:00 - Breadfruit, cantaloupe, 3 different types of bananas/plantains, egg fruit, mangoes, papaya, and more mangoes!

This is fresh nutmeg!  The one on the left has the shell, and on the right the shell is removed.  I just scrape the nut with a tiny paring knife and use the shavings.  The flavor is amazing! 

This papaya made four papaya-banana smoothies!  I love the papaya, but mango-banana is still my favorite!

We've been to several different beaches already, many of them having their own unique "feel."  Below are a few pictures of the beaches we've been to for our family Sunday Fun-Day.   By the time you come visit, we'll have a set of "favorites" for you to check out.

Butler Bay, on the west shore of the island, is usually pretty quiet, and a nice place to let our dog (Casey) run and swim, while we snorkel.

Butler Bay - facing south

Butler Bay - facing north

Butler Bay - facing west.  Casey tolerates her life vest, and enjoys swimming around with us

Rainbow Beach, on the west side, is known for it's Sunday Fun Day crowd.  There's beach volleyball, bbq's, and oftentimes live music at the adjacent bar/restaurant, "Rhythms."  

Rainbow Beach - facing south, towards "Rhythms"

Rainbow Beach - facing north

Rainbow Beach is a great place to watch the sunset and hope for a chance to see the elusive "Green Flash."     We haven't seen one yet, because there always seem to be clouds on the horizon when the sun is setting.

Rainbow Beach - facing west

So after a wonderful day of church, beach, and sunsets, we go home and finish our Sunday Fun Day with a family movie together.  Since we gave all our living room furniture away before moving over here, we had to go out and buy something from a local furniture store.  We decided on a functional, family-style sectional sofa, that we can all sink into at the same time.  And when I say "WE ALL," that includes YOU, when you come visit!  It's not your typical beach house furniture, but it sure is comfortable!

So hurry up and plan your visit, and join us for our version of Sunday Fun Day!