Batibou Beach

On Saturday the spouses organization was going to a beach that is quite a drive from where we live.  It is one of only a few beaches on the island that has white sand.  They call it Batibou Beach.  I really wanted to go since I have never been before, and I didn't really know where it was, so I couldn't just drive to it myself without having been there once before.  However, Kyler was not supposed to get his head wet for a week, and it had only been three days.  But, I have a really good friend here, that was not going to the beach.  She offered to keep Kyler so I could take Bryn and go.  I was so excited to get to spend the morning with Bryn.  

The Beach was amazing, so beautiful!  Bryn and I went snorkeling, and just played in the water.  It was so much fun.  Here are a few pictures of the day!

Sand Princess

...then he'll huff and he'll puff....!!

I had to video this.  Kyler was so determined to blow this balloon up by himself.  Bryn and I couldn't stop laughing, because every time he did manage to get a little air in it, he would suck it right back out!  He loved every minute of it though.  He is a little performer just like his dad.  If he can get a laugh or any reaction for that matter, he will go and go and go!  

The accident

Wednesday I was picking up Kyler from school, and still had a few minutes before I needed to pick up Bryn.  So Kyler and I decided to go grab a drink.  I was carrying Kyler and started to walk along the sidewalk.  There was a square of the sidewalk that was not attached, and was just sitting on top of the huge hole underneath, so it didn't look like anything was wrong with it, and we walk this sidewalk all the time and never knew anything was wrong.  But this day, as I stepped my foot caught the back corner of the cement and fell in the hole, the cement flipped up and went between my legs making my other leg fall in the hole as well.  In the process I dropped Kyler.  He landed on his back and hit his head on the edge of the cement and cracked it open.  

So this happened on Wednesday, it is now Sunday and I am just being able to blog about it because I felt so bad.  I still can't talk about it with out crying.  

Anyway- we went to the clinic and they of course took us right back since Kyler's head was gushing blood!  The doctor game right in, and was trying to clam me down.  By this time Kyler wasn't making a sound.  She kept telling me he was going to be okay, but I couldn't get past the fact that I had just cracked my son's head open!

She told us she needed to shave his head to get the stitches in.  So she pulled out a disposable razor and just started to shave without any water or anything, and of course with the first swipe it was pulling this hair more than actually shaving it.  So she got out a straight blade razor and shaved his hair just in that spot.  After we saw this much, Erick told her we didn't want stitches, we would just use some butterfly Band-Aids.  So she got him all cleaned up and the tape on, the whole time Kyler was holding still not saying a thing. 

I kept telling him, "Kyler, I am so sorry."  And he would just say, "It's okay."  

After they had Kyler all taken care of, she cleaned up my leg since it was dripping blood from my knee down to the top of my foot.  They ended up just putting one big band-aid on my knee and leaving the rest of it open.  Kyler looked at my leg and said, "Don't worry mom, they have band-aids at my school, and I will get some for you for the rest of your owies."

That night was a very sleepless night between waking Kyler up ever two hours, and in between that replaying the whole thing trying to figure out how I could have prevented it from happening.

The next morning I called my mom, I needed to hear from someone that I wasn't a bad mom.  Someone other that myself.  Since I knew the only reason I was telling myself that, was to get myself to let it go.  Thank goodness for moms!  I of course felt better after talking to her. However, I still had a hard time talking about it.  I soon got over that since everywhere we go people ask what happened.  I can't blame them, it looks really bad since they shaved his head, it really looks worse that it is.  And Kyler likes to tell the story to everyone we see.  I told Miss Mary that she will probably hear about it until we leave.  If you don't know Kyler is quit the story teller.  He does all the actions and doesn't leave out any details.

I am sure I will feel bad about this his whole life, but I am thankful that we come to a point where we can talk about things, and move past them to get on with life.  Kyler was on with his life by the time we got home.  I am also grateful that kids are so forgiving.

Wednesday Night

Thursday morning

The cut is about as big as half my thumb!

To a mom that is huge, to a dad, barely there!!

A beautiful adventure

Two weeks ago I went with the spouses to a couple of the tourist sites here on the island.  It was amazing.  It is so beautiful here, and pictures just don't do it justice.  Our first stop was a place called Titou Gorge.  It is a gorge that you swim through and once inside there is a waterfall.  The water is FREEZING!  (The coldest water you have EVER felt, yes Lee that is right, the coldest.)  And it is pretty deep, so you have to swim through it, you can't just wade through.  Once you get inside there is a current from the waterfall, and it is pretty strong.  They did some filming for Pirates of the Caribbean here.  It was so beautiful.

This is the entrance to the gorge.

The waterfall from inside

Swimming up the gorge

One more of the fall

The Gorge.

Our next stop was Trafalgar, it is two amazing water falls.  They call one of them the mother and the other the father.  

The mother

The father

The last stop was Screws Spas.  This is a bunch of warm sulfur springs.  They were really nice to just relax in.  They actually look kind of gross, you can't see in them because they are so yellow, but thankfully they didn't smell.  On the way I was thinking it was going to stink, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Little man with a BIG racket

If you didn't already know- Erick had really gotten into tennis right before we left to come down here.  He had taken a few classes and like everything else he does he went full board with it.  Well Kyler is just like his dad and loves all sports, and since Tennis is what his dad is playing these days, he is just as into it.  Erick and the guys he studies with usually play every night around 5pm.  I know I wonder too how they can find time to play tennis with all the studying they do, but I guess it keeps them sane.  The other day after mini 2, Erick took Kyler to the tennis court and was playing with him, and right from the beginning he was doing a really good job.  But if he hit the ball or not, it didn't matter because either way he was playing tennis!!!

The cutest part is, he thinks he is one of the big boys!

The big news

So- This weekend was a really big weekend for us here in Dominica.

Our "acting" branch President is a fourth semester and will be leaving the island soon, so the mission president came to the island on Friday.  On Saturday he set up some appointments to meet with a bunch of the members; Erick's appointment was at 2:30.  I was at the pool with the kids for a birthday party, and when he was done with his interview, Erick came back to the pool to drop the car off to me. The only thing he said was that he had invited the mission president and his wife over for lunch after church.  So, when we got done at the pool at about 5 pm, I went to pick up some fruit/veggies for lunch and headed for home.  My cell phone rang and it was the mission president.  He asked if he could meet with me for a few minutes.  I said yes, and told him I was on my way home, but that I could turn around and meet him somewhere... The whole time thinking I could just run in the house put some clothes on and comb my hair (remember I have been at the pool for 3 hours).  And he says, oh good, we are at your house now, so I will just wait for you.  Oh great!  There I am in my swimming suit, sitting in the front room with the mission president, his wife and the two elders.  I was so embarrassed.  We talked for a while, and then he said that he wanted to call Erick to be the BRANCH PRESIDENT.  However, he didn't want to make this kind of request without asking if I could support him in this calling. Of course, I told him yes.  He immediately called Erick, who was at the school studying, and asked him to be the Branch President.  President Dewsnup gave me the phone and stepped outside while Erick and I talked for a minute.  Today, Sunday, July 13th they set him and his two counselors apart after church.

Right after they were all set apart, the mission president turned to Erick, and said, "I need to go do an interview upstairs, why don't you go ahead and take care of these temple recommend interviews!"  Nothing like jumping right in!

I know Erick will do a wonderful job, and We are very grateful for him and his ability and willingness to serve in this calling.  We don't really see much of Erick as is, and now it will be even less, but I know he will do a great job!

While we are talking about Erick, he had two exams last week that went really well, one in histology and one in Physiology.  Tomorrow he has his second mini, so we are all hoping it goes well also.

PS I will post pics of the the presidency when I get them.  I forgot my camera at church and the mission president's wife is going to email them to me!

Saturday sayings

Friday came and went before I realized it so.....

Kyler:

"I know"- he says this about 200 times a day.  In fact every time I speak to him he says it!!

Yesterday- mom "Kyler don't dump that milk out on the floor."

                    Kyler "I know"  Then he dumps is out

   mom   "Kyler why did you dump that out on the floor?"

                    Kyler "I don't know"

Kyler really likes to talk as much as Bryn does, which makes for a never quiet house.  I have been trying to help Kyler realize when Bryn is talking and telling him that she is talking first and not to interrupt her, so instead of saying, "Excuse me," when Bryn is talking he says, "BRYN, ME TALKING FIRST!"  One day he will get it, I just hope Bryn survives the learning period.

Bryn-

Everyone morning Bryn comes into our room and says, "Mom can I wake up?"  

The other day at the pool, it started to rain from nowhere, so we were not expecting it, but we had only been swimming for about an hour.  Bryn said, "Mom, I want to get out, I don't want to get all wet!"

This morning for breakfast I made some corn bread muffins, and Bryn said, "Mom, I have a great idea, we can make these from Grandma and Grandpa for christmas breakfast."  I told her okay that's fine.  About 2 minutes later she says, "We can tell Grandpa they are Famous Amos."

(I know it is only July, but we talk about christmas like it is tomorrow.)  Dad they remember everything you tell them!:)