11 Days

What I will miss in Grenada: The natural beauty. It really is pretty here. I could stare at the scenery for hours if my kids would let me. There's the rain forest, the beaches, the flowers, the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the waterfalls, and so many other picturesque sights in my constant view. I am always in awe as I look around that the great place I have been blessed to live in.

What I will like in America: Changing seasons. Grenada does technically have two seasons: the wet and the dry. Really it's more like the really hot and really rainy, and the really hot and sort of rainy. I love the colors and the crunch of leaves in autumn. I love playing in the snow, then getting warm by the fire. I love seeing the birds come back in the spring and all the trees blossoming at the same time, and after all that, three months of summer is nice. When I was a kid I'd watch "White Christmas" and laugh when one of the characters sang that she wanted to wash her hair with snow. I understand that desire now.

12 Days

What I will miss in Grenada: My simple life. I've learned that I can be perfectly happy doing just one thing a day. We don't have a lot of things, and I've learned to like that. We don't have a TV so we don't see commercials to see what we're missing. Our kids have never been in a big toy store so they're perfectly content with what they have. There isn't much variety at the store so our meals tend to be simple, giving us more time for family and helping our budget. Since there are so many things unavailable we have learned to make do with what we have or borrow from friends. There are no Joneses to keep up with.

What I will like about America: The stores. I really do like my simple life, but it will be nice to have necessities always available. Cameron and I each have one pair of pants without holes. The majority of our shirts are stained and holey. We're excited to have a few presentable clothes again. It will be wonderful to visit a store that doesn't run out of such exotic things as sugar and flour for weeks on end. When the first of our possessions in America breaks, we'll be in ecstasy as we are able to go to the store and buy a replacement.

13 Days

What I will miss in Grenada: No car. I love not having a car. I don't have to worry about driving, other drivers, oil changes, flat tires, major and minor repairs, insurance, inspections and the hundred other things that come up when you have a car. In my opinion the buses here work wonderfully, and we're in a location which makes it easy for us to always catch one going any direction. For more on the buses click here.

What I will like about America: Less advice from strangers. I appreciate that so many people are concerned for the welfare of my children, but it will be nice not to get quite so much advice. Random people throughout my day will let me know how my kids' hair should be done, tell me to hold Esther's hand, tell me not to carry William on my hip so his feet don't turn out, or to get the kids out of the trickle of rain before they get sick. The most common is, "Get the babies out of the sun!" when I'm waiting at a bus stop. If there was shade nearby I would gladly comply. I'd like to get the mommy out of the sun too.

14 Days

What I will miss in Grenada: The branch! We've met a lot of wonderful people at church here. I've grown so much by the testimonies of all the new converts and the veteran members. This is what the branch looked like last term - we don't have a current branch picture.

What I'll like in America: Always having enough water in the pipes to take a shower, do the dishes, or wash the clothes. This morning after breakfast Esther tried to wash her hands in the trickle coming out of the faucet and in a sad voice said, "Daddy, there's no water pressure." "Esther, did you know that in America there is always water pressure?" "But Daddy, on Sunday we had water pressure!"

Four Down, Nine to Go

We are very proud of our little girl!

The Countdown Begins

In 15 days we'll be getting on a plane headed toward America. I'm going to miss a lot about Grenada, but I'm also excited to get back to some things in America. I'm going to try to post one of each everyday for the next two weeks. So for today:

What I will miss about Grenada: The Egg Guy. Every Tuesday we buy eggs from a man on campus who sells them from his truck. Esther loves it because he always gives her three eggs of her very own. What a nice guy!













What I'll like in America: No more super-ants!

Fun in the Sun