Andi gives Tanner a huge ‘Welcome Back!’ hug

With my new job which allows me to work from anywhere, Tanner and I have the option of returning to St. Martin full time. However, there’s a catch: Tanner is loving life in New Brighton, MN. He’s enjoying 6th grade at Highview Jr. High, and he’s enrolled in a baseball tutoring program, guitar lessons, and a martial arts class. And, he and his uncle Tommy (who’s a year younger than him) are loving being roommates.

I just don’t have the heart to yank him out of all that.

And so, until Cari’s done on the island in August, I’ll be doing a balancing act between the two locations. On Saturday, November 10th, I flew down and joined the girls, and on Thursday November 15th, Tanner joined us. (A big “Thank You” to Cory Beard who got up at 3:30 AM that morning to take Tanner to the Air Port!! What a seriously good friend!)

Tanner and I will be on the island with the girls until just after Thanksgiving, and we plan to pack in as much fun as possible while we’re here. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on November 18th, 2012 , Everything Else

Lobster and Caviar

I’d like to take a brief break from the narrative of life in St. Martin to share some fun experiences I had recently with my new employer, ACS-Connect, based in Tampa, Florida.

I’ve been in contact with this company since June earlier this year, had done a little bit of freelance work for them in the mean time, and a few weeks ago I joined them full time.

For the first two weeks of my new job I went down to Tampa where I spent business hours in their office receiving a crash course in their products, and in the evenings and on weekends I was treated to a barrage of fun foods thanks to my very Italian and food-savvy boss and the professional chef to whom he is married.

I won’t talk much in this post, but I do want to share some of the pics I snapped with my cheap little iPhone camera.  We’ll start with the dinner to which we were treated by my boss’s wife, Chef Debbie Frangipane, at the restaurant where she cooks. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on November 14th, 2012 , Everything Else

Halloween on the island isn’t quiet what it is at home, but the American community still makes the most of it

While Tanner and I are keeping busy up in the northern hinterlands of Minnesota, the girls in St. Martin are filling up their days with lots of fun island activities as well.  Andi and Tanner have both had birthdays recently… Tanner turned 12 and Andi turned 14. Michelle recently shared a fun report on her blog, and I thought I’d re-post a condensed edition here as well.  If you’d like to experience the whole report, checkout her blog!

Take it away, Michelle….

“We like to parrty. With two r’s”

Christmas came early this year for the estrogen tank in St. Martin. As I mentioned in my last post, my niece Andi who JUST turned 14 (WOOT WOOT) went home for medical tests and was diagnosed with Probable Lupus. With a brave face and confidence from her doctor, she decided to return to us on the island to continue her school year as normal and get her regular teenage life back. We missed the little nugget, and were so excited to have her back, and just in time for her birthday. Read the rest of this entry »

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